Today is such an exciting day in my world – the Olympic flame was lit earlier today in Greece marking to official countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. England’s own Matilda is doing a little time travel from her Tudor era to now so she can get in on the excitement – after all, the Olympics will be in her home country.

Chrissa: “Ummm, Matilda, what are you doing?”

Matilda replied, “Just practicing my balance move for my big routine on the balance beam – you know, for the Olympics that are being held in my home country!”

Chrissa – “Well, you have 78 days left to get it right because the Olympic flame was lit in Greece today. I’d help you, but my sport is swimming.”

Matilda: “Maybe your friend McKenna can help me get ready?”

Chrissa: “McKenna? Haven’t seen her. You might have to talk with Ivy instead.”

Matilda: “Well, Elle told me…”

Chrissa: “What did she tell you? And do you actually believe her?”

Matilda: “She mumbled something about … oh, she was probably just teasing me!”

Chrissa: “Oh, by the way, where did you get your outfit? That doesn’t look like something a Tudor girl would wear.”

Matilda: “Blair (Going in Circles) let me borrow it. It is really a Journey Girls outfit so it fits me great! You could probably borrow the shirt, but there is no way you could get the shorts over that American Girl booty of yours.”

Chrissa: “So what is Blair wearing now?”

Matilda: “She is wearing that great polka-dot dress from Carpatina that I had on earlier. Take a look – that girl can make anything look amazing!”

As you can tell, I am getting a little excited for the summer Olympics!! And I wonder what Elle told Matilda and I wonder if it had anything to do with Elle working on the computer last week?

Ever since I got my Carpatina slim body 18″ doll Erin, I have been checking out the Carpatina sale page hoping to pick up another one of their beautiful dolls at a discounted price. I have been patient, and wouldn’t you know it, last week they put one of their display Ana Ming’s on the sale page. Lucky me! She arrived this week and Ivy would like to introduce you to her “cousin Ana”.

Ana Ming is a true beauty! She has waist length black hair, deep brown eyes and very dainty features. She comes dressed in her gold brocade dress with blue “frog” closures and matching shoes. Ivy is wearing a red brocade dress from DreamWorld Collections. Ivy is very happy that her cousin Ana has come to stay and she has invited her to lunch so the two of them can get caught up.

Ivy suggested they pose side by side so you can see the detail in Ana Ming’s dress and shoes and so that you can see they are the same height but Ana is thinner than Ivy – so Ana could borrow some of Ivy’s clothes, but Ivy won’t be able to wear Ana’s dress. Ana is “older” than Ivy – you can definitely see it in her face.

While they are waiting for their rice and steamed vegetables to arrive, Ivy explains how things work around here – that getting to hang out and be photographed at this table is a big honor, how the Ellowyne’s think they are all that and keep trying to steal the spotlight, how the doll apartment in Natalie’s room is coming along nicely and that all the girls in the doll room are super nice!

And then Ana Ming asked Ivy about her dear friend Erin, who came here from Carpatina ages ago. Ivy assured Ana Ming that Erin was doing well and even gave Erin a call to let her know that Ana Ming had arrived.

Erin came down to reunite with her dear friend Ana Ming! Ana noted that Erin was not wearing one of her Carpatina outfits to which Erin said, yeah, and went on to explain how the dolls here swap clothes all the time and are always getting to model something new.

Erin and Ana Ming side by side. As you can see Erin and Ana have different faces – their lips are the same and their noses are similar, but their eyes and the shape of their faces is different.  They look like great friends and Ana Ming is already asking if she can go try on some new clothes in the doll room.

And here is Ana Ming posing by the Orchids a dear friend of mine gave me yesterday. I just thought they looked good together.

Welcome Ana Ming!!

For Easter the girls got a few new outfits for their dolls – two of them are from one of my favorite Etsy stores – Mini Me Dolly Divas – and they are just too cute not to share.

Say hello again to Nicole!! Who is Nicole, you ask? Nicole is the very first American Girl doll that Megan (my older daughter) gotfor Christmas in 2005 when she was 7. Nicole has not been here for about 9 months as she was on loan to my niece who is about to turn 7 and got her first American Girl doll this past Christmas. When I saw this cute outfit by Mini Me Dolly Divas I just knew that Megan and Nicole needed it! Megan really is more of a fashion doll kind of girl and likes her collectible Barbies, but she also has an attachment to Nicole – this outfit gives her the best of both worlds.

I also took this photo in Megan’s room under her loft to show you this cool idea she had using sticky notes. She has covered the entire wall between her desk and the loft mattress using sticky notes with positive sayings on them. It looks really cool in her room and reminds her to be strong, confident and that she is beautiful everyday!

Silkstone Barbie Afternoon Suit is not too sure about this sassy girl who just sat down next to her! Nicole is more comfortable sitting down anyhow – after years of LOVE and travels, her legs are really in need of restringing and her hair is very dry. We just got the supplies to give her a Downy Dunk and restore that beautiful blonde hair of hers.

Mini Me Dolly Divas outfits are created for 18″ soft body dolls like American Girl or Springfield, but 18″ slim body Carpatina Erin didn’t care. She was in a diva kind of mood today and insisted that she get to model the I am a Dolly Diva outfit. The outfit comes with the t-shirt, skirt, belt and hair bow. The purse is from the American Girl store at Tysons and the shoes are Carpatina.

Look for Nicole in an upcoming post on restoring dry doll hair! That girl is in dire need of some TLC.

I have had quite a few requests to show Matilda the Tudor doll from A Girl for All Time in different clothes and as a modern girl.

Matilda woke up this morning not knowing whether she was still dreaming or not. Her life after leaving the castle was rather dull (which she was fine with), but luckily our imagination’s are pretty good. This morning Matilda is going to school. She is wearing the Afternoon Stroll outfit from Carpatina which is designed for 18″ slim body dolls like the Carpatina dolls, the retired Magic Attic dolls and the new Kidz ‘n Cats line. She isn’t sure if she is dreaming or not, because no one would really go to school without their shoes would they?

Matilda’s older sister Frances (played by Carpatina Erin) tells her not to worry about whether she is wearing shoes or not. She gets to sit in a real classroom and learn Math, do Creative Writing, and even do a Science experiment!

Matilda is excited to be sitting at her desk with her folder, pencils and eraser. The desk is by The Queen’s Treasures and works well for Matilda, Erin and all our other 18″ dolls.

So, the Carpatina slim body outfit Matilda is wearing fits her nicely. The skirt slides on without any issue and looks to be made for her. The top is a teensy bit big, but doesn’t look awkward on her.

Stay tuned for more of Matilda’s Time Travel adventures!

I just saw the trailer for the movie Brave that is coming out in June and all I could think the entire time was Carpatina, Carpatina, they need to make a doll for the lead character Merida, Carpatina!!

Don’t you think she would make a stunning doll??? I do! I mean, that gorgeous curly red hair – she would be a fabulous doll.

The plot: Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin, surly Lord Macintosh and cantankerous Lord Dingwall. Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Here is the trailer – and I am really looking forward to seeing this one in movie theaters this summer.

Don’t you think all these gowns from Carpatina would be perfect for a Merida doll?

Actually, I think Tonner Doll could make an amazing Merida, but I am sure that like Rapunzel and other Disney gals, there will be a variety of sizes and interpretations available for us to buy. Yes, and somehow I missed at Toy Fair, but here are some of the Merida dolls and merchandise already. Again, I think Tonner could make a prettier, more true to the movie version.

When we got our Kidz ‘n Cats Galina a few weeks ago, one thing I decided she needed was a new outfit. Her meet outfit was okay, but nothing spectacular. The Kidz ‘ Cats line of dolls by Sonja Hartmann and distributed in the US by Madame Alexander are very similar in size to the Carpatina slim body dolls. And while Galina was getting a new dress, Erin, our Carpatina slim body doll might as well get a new one too.

Here you go! Erin is wearing my all time favorite dress from Carpatina  – the Pink Polka. Sorry about the lack of shoes – I was in a hurry to get these photos taken. Galina is wearing the Private School dress with Chrissa’s shoes.

And a close up from a different angle. I really love the Carpatina dresses and look forward to new items being added to the collection soon. I am doing my best to resist buying Julia and have my eye on on the limited edition Marie Antoinette dress too.

Hope you are having a great Saturday! I will be doing a Reader Photo post tomorrow, so if you have any pictures of something new in your collection or a cool scene you set up, email them to me at share@dolldiaries.com and it may get featured.

Many of you are familiar with Sharry – she is a frequent commenter and contributor to the Doll Diaries community, has her own YouTube channel,  she is a teacher, and she is a collector of 1970′s toys and dolls. Sharry will be sharing more photos and insight into her 1970′s  treasurers throughout the year.

I’m sure  most of you are familiar with Julie (Springfield Collection), and some of you have seen my 1970s Crissy doll. I bought these groovy identical 70s outfits from Carpatina called Summer Chic that these two best friends can wear together. The shirts fit fine, but the pants need to be pinned in back, as they have smaller waists than American Girl and Carpatina.

Don’t they look just too cute? I really love that classic (Crissy) can meet current, (Julie), and be friends in spite of their differences.

Later this month I will be telling you all about Crissy, and throughout the year, some of my other classic 70s dolls. Have fun!

- Sharry

UPDATE!! Scroll down to see who won!

It is time for another giveaway from our friends at Carpatina. Carpatina makes beautiful 18″ slim body dolls, are well-known for their Renaissance inspired doll clothes, and have a fun line of contemporary clothes for 18″ dolls. They recently added some new dresses to their shop and when I saw the Glitter Girl dress I knew I had to see it up close and personal. Let me just say now, the photos on the Carpatina site and my own photos of Julie modeling the dress do not do it justice.

This stunning white organza dress has satin and tulle layers that make it something special. The silver polka-dots shimmer from every angle and the bodice has beautiful pleated ruffles (that’s the best way to describe the detail) that give the dress a truly elegant line.

Perfect for a doll party, tea party or fancy dress up session, the Glitter Girl dress for 18″ dolls is extremely well made with attention paid to every detail. It snaps in the back and is cut generously so it would fit all American Girl dolls (and I bet it would look adorable on Bitty Baby too).

The dress is on sale now for $22.95 and does not include shoes. We found the fancy black patent leather shoes from the 2004 Winter Magic Outfit were the perfect match. Megan styled Julie’s hair – she did one braid on each side and pulled it all back into a sleek ponytail for a simple, elegant touch.

This is definitely one of my all time favorite dresses – such a classic style and the silver glittery polka-dots just put it over the top.  And now, you can WIN it!

And the winner is…. Brandy! Thanks to all who entered. We have more giveaways on the way – check the sidebar for current giveaways.

What We Are Giving Away

• We are giving away a the Carpatina Glitter Girl Dress for 18″ dolls like American Girl to one lucky winner.

How To Enter

• Visit the Carpatina website and take a look around. Leave a comment below telling us what your favorite outfit is – is it one of the new dresses or is it a historical gown or is it one of their other beautiful gowns?
• Get bonus entries by letting your friends know about our giveaway. Get one extra entry for each of the following, but come back and leave a second comment telling us where you shared it:
  • Post about it on your own blog, in a forum, tweet about it or share it with your friends on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter (we are @DollDiaries and @18inchDolls)
  • Like us on Facebook (we are DollDiaries on Facebook and Carpatina on Facebook).

Rules

• Leave your comment(s) no later than midnight December 2, 2011.
• You must use your real name and email address in the comment form below – don’t put your email address in the comment itself. We don’t share this information, we just use it to contact you if you win.
• If you are under 14, you need to get a parent’s permission to enter.
• We will be using the “And the winner is” plugin to select one (1) winner at random.

I have been wanting to do some sewing all summer and I just haven’t been able to find time to get it done! Finally, yesterday, my daughter asked if we could make something for her slim body Carpatina doll, Erin, because she only has one outfit. I remembered seeing a free dress pattern on the Carpatina site and decided to give it a go. Since Erin has such beautiful red hair, we picked out a green fabric remnant that we already had and got started.

Alex17 – known as Nat around here – pinned the pattern pieces and did the cutting, then I started the sewing. We did the straps first – one quick straight stitch then Nat turned them inside out so I could iron them. I stitched the hem on the skirt and basted in the gathers. No matter what I did, they did not look right.

I got frustrated and put the skirt aside – opting to focus on the top. When I started sewing the top, little did I realize that we had perfectly placed the butterfly in the fabric and had not even tried!! After a few more attempts at attaching the skirt to the top, I got frustrated and decided to make it a two-piece outfit with a straight short skirt for the bottom instead.

So, what do you think? Isn’t the fabric adorable? Normally our dolls don’t go around wearing tummy baring tops, but, this outfit ended up really cute and since it is summer, I think it works!!

Meet Erin. Erin is an 18″ slim body doll from Carpatina – the makers of stunning Renaissance style gowns and fashions for 18″ dolls (one line is for slim body dolls, the other for dolls like American Girl) and a line of 18″ slim body dolls and fashions. Last month Carpatina sent me Erin to review. Erin comes dressed in a camisole and panties, so I decided to order her the Afternoon Stroll outfit so I didn’t have to review her in her undies.

According to the Carpatina website, Erin and her best friend Zoe, want to be fashion designers. With their gift of the Magic Moonstone, Zoe and Erin can traverse the past, present and future and want their fashions to do so as well. (Read the whole story of Erin, Zoe, their clothing line Zoen and the Magic Moonstone.)

Erin has one of the sweetest faces of any doll I have seen. The Carpatina slim body dolls are 18″ tall and all vinyl (unlike their soft-bodied cousins – American Girl, Maplelea and My Twinn) with eyes that open and close. Erin has a delicate freckled face and stunning auburn red hair that is straight and easy for girls to style. Another feature worth noting is how her head is attached. Since she is not a soft body doll, her head is more articulated, meaning that it can move up and down, side to side, and at an angle.

This side view gives a better feel for how long Erin’s hair is and shows off that gorgeous auburn red color. The Afternoon Stroll outfit consists of black and purple plaid skirt and a purple t-shirt. Of the Zoe and Erin fashions, this is not necessarily my favorite outfit (I think the two pieces are fine on their own but the fabrics seem mismatched), but it was the one my daughter really liked. (I’m just a Mom, what do I know?) I really LOVE the Private School dress and the Guinevere gown, but all of the fashions are pretty.  I should also note that the silver flats are sold separately from the outfit too, but are well made.

I took this picture so you can see how big the Carpatina 18″ Slim Body dolls are in comparison to American Girl Dolls. You can also get a better indication of what shade of red Erin’s hair is compared to American Girl’s Emily character.

Carpatina slim body dolls vary in price, but Zoe and Erin are $69 each. They come in their own blue presentation box, too.

Carpatina dolls are extremely high quality making them suitable for collectors and for play. At the Carpatina site you can also find a full line of patterns to make your own doll fashions, One of a Kind doll outfits for sale, a line of boy dolls, and there are a few games girls can play, too.

Because Carpatina knows that DollDiaries readers love exclusive deals, we have a special coupon code just for you!! Place an order through Carpatina and save 10% off your entire order with the code Doll10.

Thanks to Carpatina for letting us review Erin – she is now a very loved member of our doll family!