Peak's Woods tan dolls are available to order!

Honey Queen tanned Yeru, limited edition by Peak's Woods

Peak's Woods new tanned dolls are available to order and have prices listed. They are all so lovely, I don't know how I'm going to decide. Here are the details:

One of their most adorable sculpts, Fairy of Color (58cm) Yeru Honey Queen, $619 plus $80 for the limited face up, includes your choice of a normal or large bust (the large fits DollHeart outfits better), an extra pair of hands, a random pair of 18-20mm eyes, a random wig (though I'd kill for the one she's wearing--it's adorable!), cushions and certificate of authenticity. Yeru has a super sweet anime style face.

If you prefer a more realistic sculpt, Yeru The Soul may be the Fairy of Color for you. She is the same price, $619 plus $80 for a limited face-up, and includes all the items above. In her promotional photos, she is wearing wig number P-00 in color #88, which is often included as one of the random wigs.

Honey Princess Lady Bee is available for $409 plus $80 for her face-up. She includes an extra pair of hands, a random pair of 18mm acrylic eyes, a pair of cushions and a certificate of authenticity. The wig is extra, and the one shown is P-05 in color #88.

Finally, we have Honey Princess Wake Up Lady Bee Romantic Elf. This doll has elf ears. She includes all of the above items as well, and is also listed for $409 plus $80 for her limited edition face-up. I don't see her wig listed.

I just love them all--but if I had to choose one, I'd choose Wake Up Lady Bee. I'd love to get Yeru, too. We'll see if I can sell some dolls to pay for both. Peak's Woods will do generous lay-away plans, and the dolls are on sale from now through September 30. Don't miss out--the tan resin is gorgeous.

All photos property of Peak's Woods.

Honey Queen tanned Yeru the Soul by Peak's Woods

Honey Princess tanned Lady Bee

Honey Princess tanned Wake Up Lady Bee Romantic Elf

Buying the dolls you love.

Wake Up Cue by Peak's Wood
No longer in my collection but on her way

I'm currently in the midst of the infamous doll shuffle, the dread game of many dedicated doll collectors. You can look at it as paring down your collection, refining it, streamlining, decluttering--it comes down to redefining what you collect.

I know there are many collectors who don't ever do this in their collections, and often, I feel judged when I sell dolls that I buy. I wish I had the luxury to keep all the dolls that I own, quite frankly, but sometimes I need to declutter for the sake of space and for the sake of the budget.

How do you decide which dolls to keep? I know some collectors decide on a final number, and limit their dolls to that number. When a new doll arrives, an older one has to go. (I don't have that kind of discipline, but what a great idea!) For me, I look for themes in my collection, and concentrate on any shelves that look crowded. I also look at the dolls that have lost their main attraction.

1978 Sun Lovin Christie, a gorgeous Steffie sculpt
A doll I like but don't love 

Depending on how badly I need to sell them, I will try redressing them or restyling the dolls first--trying on a new wig or a outfit often changes the entire look of the doll. I enjoy the process as well, and it will often awaken a new-found love for a doll I haven't played with in a while. If it doesn't, however, then I know it's time to move.

If the doll cost under $200, or if it is a BJDs or non-vintage Barbie, I will often sell it on eBay. BJDs go on Den of Angels and the Resin Café. Vintage Barbie I will sell on consignment with Kathie of Kathie's Fashion Dolls. She can get a much better price than I can, and she has a huge customer base, and it's so much less hassle.

How do keep from being broken-hearted about my sales? The way I look at it is trading up for dolls I love. I might sell dolls I sort of like, but I'll eventually replace them with the dolls I love. I have tendency to buy dolls on impulse, or preorder dolls on a promotional photo, and then find the doll either doesn't meet my expectation or my collection theme. These dolls sit on a shelf, and I feel guilty about them. Why should I keep them if I could be trading them up for a brand new BJD on my wish list? I might have to sell six Barbies for a YoSD sized doll, but it will a) save a lot of space and b) give me more joy in my collection in the long run. It's worth the time and hassle.

I challenge you to do the same. Don't sell any dolls you love, though--and for some people, that might be many more dolls in your collection than mine. But what if you could find 5% of your collection's worth to sell? That might be able to invest you further into the world of BJDs! Wouldn't it be worth it?

Save 10% on all Peak's Woods wigs!

Peak's Woods wig, Fairy of Color P-05, color #88
Modeled by the adorable FOC Wake-Up Lottie

Today's special at Peak's Woods: save 10% off all of their exclusive wigs. You'll find amazing styles and quality in their wigs--really, I've never seen any better! Gorgeous, ethereal styles and colors, in large (a large 8/9), medium (7/8) and small (6/7). Colors vary.

Check out this Peak's Woods post by Trullerie on Den of Angels to see some amazing owner photos of these gorgeous wigs.

More info on Honey Queen and Princess BJDs...

Starting on September 1 through September 30, Peak's Woods will start taking orders for four new limited edition tan dolls:

• Honey Queen Yeru
• Honey Queen Yeru the Soul (58cm)
• Honey Princess Lady Bee
• Honey Princess Wake Up Lady Bee Romantic Elf

Prices are yet available, and it looks like the dolls will be sold nude with wigs (for the large dolls) and nude (for the mini dolls).

All dolls include an extra pair of hands, random acrylic eyes, cushions and a certificate of authenticity.

They look really adorable--I hardly know which one(s) to choose!

Honey Queen Princess LE on Peak's Woods this morning!

This photo was on the home page of Peak's Woods this morning--it looks like our tan doll will a Fairy of Bugs this year! Adorable!

I'm not positive, but I think this might be the Lady Bee and Wake-Up Lady Bee (or the romantic elf version) sculpt.

More details to come!

Hucky in Liliy

Hucky in Liliy, a photo by alington on Flickr.

This is Peak's Woods YoSD sized girl, Hucky. She's showing off a new DollHeart outfit, Liliy. It's a single dress, with an apron, panties and socks.

She's also wearing her new DollHeart wig, and acrylic eyes from Kemper Doll.

See more photos of her delicious outfit on Flickr.

Skiya is on sale at Peak's Woods

Endless Youth, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Save 10% on Peak's Woods' Skyia sculpt. $464 will get you the gorgeous assembled doll, an extra pair of posing hands, random wig and eyes, cushions and certificate of authenticity.

You choose normal or white skin, and a large or normal bust. DollHeart clothing seems to fit best on the large bust. It's an extra $60-70 for a face-up, depending on the type you choose.

Skiya is really special--she can be painted so she almost looks like she's smiling. So sweet!

Save the date: BJD Convention 2012

Save the date:

August 2-4, 2012
BJD Convention 2012
Theme: The Enchanted Sea
Where: Austin, TX

Hooray!

What a difference a face-up makes!

Goodreau Whisper, a photo by alington on Flickr.

American BJD Whisper (by Goodreau Doll) was one of my first ball-jointed dolls. I've always loved her open-mouth sculpt. I've wanted to give her a unique face-up all her own, which I recently got around to doing for her.

She was sent to Overnight Flight with instructions to make her look a little concerned, worried and confused. She received a complete face-up, and here she is! I think she makes a perfect Alice.

I still haven't gotten around to putting in eyelashes, but I am sort of enjoying her look without them for now. I think she's super sweet and innocent-looking. See more photos on Flickr.

I realized that before you sell a doll, it might be worth the extra $40 to send the head out for a nice face-up, just to see what the artist will do for you. It can make all the difference in the doll.

Maximize your display space!

Sky, a photo by alington on Flickr.

One of the things I find difficult when displaying large sized BJDs is having adequate room for them. I have cats at home, who seem to be obsessed with mohair wigs, feathers, tulle, and so forth, so a display case with glass doors is a must.

I use the Billy bookcase system from IKEA. It's not very deep, so it doesn't use up much room in our living space, and the door options (and rearrangeable shelving) make it ideal for doll display. The center shelf is fixed as part of the case's support, but the other shelving can be moved as needed.

I ended up with a small narrow shelf and decided to try something new: displaying one of my dolls lying down. Peak's Woods aren't double-jointed, so getting the pose to look natural took a little practice. Now, my shelves look uncluttered and clean, and Sky looks gorgeous in this reclined position.

I change my entire display at least every two months, and my BJDs probably close to weekly. It gives my living space a new feel--and without legs and arms hanging over the side, it's much less intimidating to non-doll collectors. Plus, it's fun--you can use doll clothing as part of your decor.

Peak's Woods summer sale - Viyol head!

Peak's Woods Viyol, white skin, with LE Glamour make-up.
She's dressed in a Rococo style gown by Atelier Soda.

It's your chance! Don't miss out. Viyol's head parts are on sale at Peak's Woods today only. An unpainted SD-sized head is just $135. You can add a regular face-up for $60, or custom for $70.

I'm seriously thinking of adding another to my collection! She's so gorgeous.

Lavin is on sale today at Peak's Woods!

Secrets, a photo by alington on Flickr. (Lavin is on the right.)

You can save 10% off her normal sale price, and find her for just $464.

She's a gorgeous BJD. Check out Peak's Woods site for details, and visit this Flickr page to see all the variations of Lavin so far.

Doll Peddlar upcoming events...

For more BJD fun and shopping, check out the Modern Doll Collectors Convention, and stop by the Doll Peddlar's booth. It will be in San Antonio, Texas, September 14-17. I am trying to finagle a way to attend this convention.

For my lovely international (European) readers, you can meet the wonderful people of the Doll Peddlar and their goods at the Ldoll Convention in Lyon, France, from October 8-9. One day, I will make it to this convention, too.

(Oh my goodness, the shopping will be fabulous!)

Alice by Carol Peters

Alice by Carol Peters, a photo by alington on Flickr.

This outfit was designed and made by Carol Peters. It's several pieces: A mustard print long-sleeved dress with peter pan collar and lace-trimmed skirt, blue vest, a blue apron, a yellow printed petticoat, matching bloomers, yellow and navy striped tights.

Also included are the ribbon hair ties, basket, and mini characters.

Above, I've put just the vest and apron together with the petticoat and bloomers for a different summery Alice look.

I love the mustard/navy combination, which is unusual for an Alice look, but very classic. The mixed prints give the look a country quilted feel--and my model, Peak's Woods Yeru, wears it well. See more photos on Flickr!

For more information, you can contact Carol at thanksgiving46 at yahoo dot com.

All the pieces together

The petticoat and bloomers

Today's summer special: Goldie!

Goldie is home!, a photo by alington on Flickr.

From Peak's Woods, today's summer special is Goldie. Retail $580, the special price is $464. You may consider adding a face-up for $60 or a custom face-up for $70.

The base price includes extra posing hands (which can both wear rings), a random wig, a pair of acrylic eyes, cushions, and a certificate of authenticity. Peak's Woods dolls are made by hand and are my favorites.

The girl above has a gorgeous face-up by Leah Lilly of Froggy Duds. You may have to wait for an appointment, but it is so worth it! She is wearing a Val Zeitler-designed wig and Bella Dark, which is an outfit still available by DollHeart.

See more real-life photos of Goldie on Flickr.

Mintie is on sale at Peak's Woods

Mintie and the photo prop, a photo by alington on Flickr.

For today's Summer sale, check out Mintie at Peak's Woods. She's listed for $464, and she includes the 58cm assembled doll, your choice or normal or white skin, normal or large bust, a random wig and a random color of eyes, cushions, and a certificate of authenticity.

I love this doll--I had two of her in my collection at one point. She is hauntingly beautiful and serene.

Jpop Dolls is carrying Ajumapama clothes and dolls

Lots of fun mix and match clothing for ball-jointed dolls are available to pre-order from Jpop Dolls and Ajumapama.

This company carries lines of clothing for SD-sized dolls (boys and girls), MSD girls, and YoSD sized items (both boys and girls). Additionally, you'll find shoes and Kelly Sally BJDs, too.

Plus, you can't very well shop at Jpop and not check out their wigs--though be sure to check out separately for pre-ordered items and in-stock items. Add yourself to the mailing list to get in on all the latest specials!

Yeru is on sale at Peak's Woods, plus KoonieS head part is avaialble

Yeru, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Today only, check out Yeru on Peak's Woods, marked at $464 (down from $580), you can get your own gorgeous 58 cm BJD.

She includes your choice of normal (my girl is normal skin, believe it or not) or white skin, large or small bust. She'll include a wig and random color eyes. She will also include an extra set of open finger posing hands, which can wear rings.

For an additional $60, she will include a face-up like mine. Or, for an additional $70, you can ask for a custom version--like one of their previous limited edition dolls.

Also, you can now order the KoonieS head part, directly from website for $120. Three different make-up types are available: normal for $60 (as shown on her original page), custom or limited make-up for $70, or special gothic make-up (as shown on her original page) for $80.