Betty - Downs Syndrome Doll - Reactions from Doll Collectors on Multiply

I think I've already posted about this doll, but if I did I certainly didn't post the reactions it got from My Dolls More Doll Buddies, so here it is from there.

Btw, I may have several double posts on here, if I do I'm sorry but it's due to my importing every thing from Multiply onto my Blog as the Social Networking part of Multiply was being closed, I wanted to be able to save all my posts / uploads and put them somewhere safe, hence the merge and possibility of double posting ho hum, anyhoo, if you haven't seen this little cutie before, or you have but you'd like to read more reactions to the doll, read on...

carnice05 wrote on May 18, '09
she is sweet, a picture of innocence, you get all sorts of dolls now, colour, race gender, I would welcome her into society, great for young people to recognise her type of disability as an individual, and not all classed the same. when and where I was growing up, kids in wheelchairs, learning disabilities  down syndrome, regardless of their disability were classed as ' spastic' ps.. does bratz dolls teach little girls to become little bratz,
dollectabledonna wrote on May 18, '09
Good concept, But i think they could have made her look a bit better without her tongue hanging out, I was brought up with disability in my family and think yes its great to educate but the best way to do that is not to point out the differences but to teach that everyone is individual , dolls are great but only if they reflect the whole ,
lilacmermaid wrote on May 18, '09
I have a real love for downs syndrome children and adults, i think it's good to have all kinds of dolls but personally i think they could have done a better job, the eyes and mouth are wrong for me. When i remember the little girl that i fell in love with one summer on holiday when she was camped near to us was her lovely eyes, without the bags shown here and here gorgeous smile without the tongue showing. They have however done a good job on the feet which are cute just like any babies feet are, my tenpenneth, lol, Janet.x
weebairns wrote on May 18, '09
Being the mother of a child with Asperges Syndrome, my youngest son James has it, (its a mild form of autism), I totally agree that anyone with a disability should be helped to see although they may be a little different, they have the same rights as everyone else, so think these dolls could help, but I agree that the face could have been modelled better. Great idea though
juliejunejulie wrote on May 18, '09, edited on May 18, '09
She is hideous. The idea is good but the doll is a beast, the maker could have done a bit more research as this is a Downs clown. My friends Girl Fay Looked nothing like this, sadly she passed away at 18mths as she had a heart problem.
kitschartherb wrote on May 18, '09
I think she's pretty cute too...I do have a problem with the tongue, and you'd think a doctor who treats such children would have designed the face a little better...I find people with down's syndrome are more often than not always happy and smiling and I think that should have been portrayed in the doll....the tongue and the small ears is what's upsetting parents mostly...but I think maybe a few of these dolls in playgroups etc would go a long way to educating young "able bodied" children that we are not all born the same and there is a place for everyone in society regardless of physical differences...

You're right John, they used to say that when I was young too and it's never sat too well with me I could never understand why when they were just people who cant do some things the same as me...my cousin's boy had down's (before my time) but I'm told by everyone who knew him that he was such a happy and contented little boy and a joy to be around...I think that aspect more than any other is what should have been portrayed in these dolls

Boy doll of John's I have to find!

I fell in love with this little guy as soon as I saw him, sadly so did most of the other women in the Doll Group!

I have no idea how he does it but John has managed to find a few more, so a couple of the girls are now lucky owners of him too!

Sadly, I wasn't among them, and now my quest begins to find this boy, and anything else about him I can. Having an I.D for him would make finding one for myself so much easier, so if any of you have any info... please share with poor old Herbie, Thank you!

I have to find this boy doll he's gorgeous!!

Arkham Asylum ...

This little man stated life as an "Expression Doll" which I bought as part of a bulk buy of "victims for art & customs" he had such a crazy-looking face, he just had to be an Asylum Inmate Doll!

I painted his tongue pink so that it showed up better, then got to work making him a little outfit.

I used a small piece of blue fabric I had spare, and made him some regulations pajamas, I finished it off with a   tiny straight jacket sewn out of a piece of canvas, I only had a couple of magenta coloured leather strips which I used for the straps on his jacket - I'll be replacing this at a later date.

                                                   See what I mean about that face?!

The straight jacket can be tied across his back so that it looks more like a real one from the front.

                              I also made him a little "Padded Cell" to be stored in!

I've been busy hand sewing and have made myself a new bag!

April 2010:

I was going through some old jeans of my Son's that have been lying on my "use for pet bedding & toys" pile (I normally use them to make "rustle tunnels" for the ferrets and Fleecy lined "Hammocks" for the chinchillas) and I had an idea or a new bag and after several days I'd made this for myself!

I had to sew it by hand, as my mum still hasn't fixed the tension on my machine and given it back to me, and I'm way too much of a bloke to know how to do it myself.

I sketched out a rough shape of the size I wanted and used the "waist" area of the jeans as the base.

I cut it straight across the bottom, turned it in and sewed it shut.

I decided to keep the pockets on both the front and back as this would give me lots more places to stash stuff inside.

I cut another piece of denim, the same size as the "waist / bag" area as I wanted a "flap" at the front covering the pockets and keeping everything safe inside... this is the part I later "patch-worked".

The inside I lined with red and white striped Linen, and sewed a spare pocket from another pair of jeans onto the middle back, this is a great size for keeping my purse safe inside.

I then made a long shoulder strap by cutting a wide strip of fabric from one of the legs that were left over, I rolled this over and over until it was the right width, and then sewed the side seam of it all the way down the edge. While I was lining the bag, I left two gaps inside, one on either side and after I made the strap, I sewed the ends of the strap into each of these gaps, I finished the strap with a small label I took off the back of another pair of jeans, as the strap is so long it had a seam in the centre where I had joined two pieces together, so I covered this on the outside with the label.

It took several days as each stitch was sewn by hand including the outside patch-working but I'm very pleased with the result and better still it's totally unique, it's also like the "Tardis", so I don't really have any boundaries in terms of what I can take with me anywhere, with this bag I can take it all!

My Art - Various Collages

Very large, collage made from hundreds of images from magazines and catalogues  it was made for a college brief on the theme "His and Hers", the central image - the Yin- Yang Symbol was painted in Acrylic paint onto the centre and the images placed around where cut to form a frame around it.
The images have been placed onto a large sheet of cardboard.

The above piece was called "Chaos" and was made of cardboard and styrofoam mounted onto plyboard, then painted with a mixture of Acrylic paint and Enamel paint - it is now obsolete.

This one is huge and very heavy, it was made for a college brief on the theme "Icons", out of a mixture of painted images and paper ones. The Micheal Jackson image was cut out of a cover of my 7" Single P.Y.T which unfortunately I discovered was scratched to buggery and totally unplayable, still it made a great replacement for the "Jesus" image which I'd originally painted and disliked the style of (It was copied from a Medieval Russian painting - I loved the simplicity of the Madonna Image, but the baby Jesus was terrible) after I got the piece back from college and later discovered the state of my vinyl, I swapped the original for MJ! I did the same with the out of proportion Marilyn Monroe's head I'd originally painted, as I've always had a thing for clothing creases in art, I decided to change her head... I was lucky enough to find an image of "Olive" from the 1970's TV Series On the Buses which was almost the right size, so she became my new Marilyn! 

The board used for this piece is made of chipboard and as the whole thing is over 4 feet long and 1 foot wide, it is very weighty.

I was so angry that the college kept this piece even after they told me I could have it back as I had a buyer already lined up for it, this may seem stupid on my part, but the college happily allowed other people on my course to sell their work and for a great deal more than I would have made on this one. I was unable to make another as the central piece was a piece of tile I happened to find on a building site after taking a short cut to the bus on my way home. I painted a tiny silhouette of the Madonna and Child on in with miniature gold halos, then framed them and the plyboard I glued them too with some plastic and diamante trim I found in a haberdashery that I was unable to go back to again. These were then mounted onto a plyboard "canvas" which had been painted with my trademark Psychedelia  I would happily of kept this piece for myself, especially as I know the college only keep the work they take from students for one or two years before either offering them to other students to "Upcycle" or take home, or placing them in a skip to be junked! 

Past Students are not allowed take these pieces back after this time or even contacted to ask if they'd like to, the artwork produced is apparently the colleges to do what they like with...and that's what they like to do! *sigh* 

I painted a miniature landscape of the Black Mountain, framed it with a painted cardboard frame, and then mounted it to a wallpapered piece of plyboard, the whole thing is less than six inches square. It was made for another college brief but for the life of my I cannot remember the theme.

One of several Eye collages I have done over the years, the first was in 1992 when I covered a small 1960's Dictionary (front, back and spine) with them. I loved how it looked so much tat I went on to make a few cassette covers, cd covers, video covers and pictures with the same technique. Come to think of it, I really must do some more of these when I have time, I seem to recall I have a box of cut out eyes in my Studio somewhere... now all I need is the time!

Painted solid wooden board with plyboard strip - also painted, with mounted smaller plyboard and solid wood squares, topped with pieces of tree bark I found on my travels one day. I can't remember why I came up with the idea of using all these items in particular for a collage, but I'm glad I did as this is still one of my favourite pieces!

Small collage made from images taken from my first Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band CD  which was scratched, mounted onto solid board which I painted and scraped in places to give an aged effect. I think they must have kept this one too (the sneaks) as I don't remember what happened to it after my Degree, I definitely don't have it anymore, that's for sure!

                             Painted board with canvas strip, another of my favourite pieces.

This collage was also taken by the collage as a "Teaching Aid" and most likely has been thrown in the skip by now *sigh* it is part paint and part Vintage Tea Papers (used for the costumes) the faces are also paintings on paper, then glued onto plyboard backing. The background was painted in bronze acrylic paint, with a gold strip made from gold tissue paper, the Halos were made from stick on British Coins (I remember these from Infant School) that I purchased from the college shop - one great thing about the college also running many teaching courses! This I thought was symbolic of how "Religious" organizations can become big businesses, think TV Evangelists from a few decades ago! It was another piece I made in relation to the "Icons" brief we were given.

Sketch Book Experiment, I had bought some image transfer gel and I decided to test it, I fist photocopied part of one of my Mum's Rolling Stones L.Ps, reversed it on a computer, applied the paste and transferred it onto some 1970's fabric my Gran gave me, then painted around it in Acrylic Paint. I think it worked very well and will definitely use this technique again when I get inspiration again.

Bargain Dollshouse ...

I Saw this outside the local bookshop, in Glanamman when I went to Ammanford (while doing the Vet run and shopping)on November 2010, it had a sign stating it was £25 on it....

As I'd gotten a lift with Mum who was going to the vet's I didn't think I had a chance to call in before the store closed on my way home...

So I had a brainwave I went to the local newspaper office & got the number, spoke to one of the owner's who told me she was reducing it to £20 as it was the last one and they wanted it sold quick...

She said they'd wait in the shop for me to call in on my way home, providing I got there by 6pm.

They told me the shop would look closed up for the night, so I should just push the door open on my way home...long story short we lost mum in Ammanford, who told me to ring her ... after leaving her mobile at home and then she went off with the car (and our chinchilla) to a store that I said I wasn't going near so we had to walk miles to find her!

Anyhoo, Aaron tracked her down, and we got some groceries...I loaded up the car thinking "oh sh*t how's that dolls house gonna fit in around all this!"

Did I mention we also had a cat, chinchilla and a dog with us, so room inside the car was very scarce...and Mum's car's a tiny little fiesta...but anyway, by the time we'd got everything, ourselves and the dog walked and in... we ending up leaving Ammanford at 6pm :(

And it's a good 10 min drive if you're lucky ... which thankfully, I was as the kindly old couple knew I may be a little late and waited for me to turn up, they even helped Aaron get it in the boot!

Anyway it's 3.9 ft wide, 3 ft high and has a depth of just under 1 ft... it came with 2 staircases, and a load of pre-pressed pieces, some long strips of skirting & coving and a box containing the 2 chimney pots, magnets, screws, clips etc...

Now all we need is the time to do it...seeing as we are awaiting the arrival of our other dolls house kit (gonna be spooky guys!) to arrive from China!!

It's absolutely huge! The facade is going to look great once we get going on it, I just wish I had plenty of time  (weeks) to make a start. I'm still not 100% sure if we are going for a Georgian house with era appropriate furnishings or a spookier type deal, I had an idea that I could do each floor a different era or turn them into maisonette that's been converted into flats and furnish them all differently, best not to make a start until I'm sure, I'd hate to get it almost finished, spend loads of time and money on furnishing it, then decide I'd have been much happier if I'd decorated it differently inside!

Sneak preview of centre floor areas, obviously this is going to e the hallway and landing areas, but will it lead up to an attic floor? Hmm the jury's still out on that one too! I do love the idea of a dusty dolly-attic though with loads of forgotten treasures spilling out of tea crates, I may have to do that.

The pile of stuff inside are facing, coving and staircases, I'll show you a close up in a few minutes...

Unfortunately the roof is stuck on tight, at present anyway, but I may take the front off and attach magnets, so I can have my attic without loosing valuable floor space from the lower floors. I could even turn it into an extra bedroom, if it was a real Georgian House this area would be Servant's quarters...

Apart from the staircases and coving, it also can with a small box of bits (two chimneys in there too) and facings for windows and doors, and some other things I am unsure of but I'm hoping to work it out as I go along!

There's the 2 chimneys, hinges for the front of the house and several other connectors...

                                                      Here's those staircases again!

There's door frames, window frames, skirting boards, and Quion stones for the outside facade all still sealed inside their packages. I've still not worked out what the rest of them are for yet!

*********************************************************************************
Spooky Dolls House Project ... also still a work in progress!

Btw, the "spooky house arrived, some time ago now, and I started work on that one. I've decorated it inside and out, but as I haven't been able to work out the scale of it... it's smaller than 1:24 but less than 1;48, so everything will have to be handmade to go in there...but I'm not going to let you in on what it's theme is yet...you'll have to wait for an update on that one...and this one too!

1996 Hasbro Sindy Baseball Cap - Do What??

This weird item made and distributed by Hasbro in 1996 and marketed as SINDY BASEBALL CAP SOFT DOLL  - I have no idea what the point of it is at all.

I mean if a child wants to take Sindy with them where ever the go, they simply pick up their Sindy doll and carry it around with them, or like my Son did with his favourite toys, sneak them into Mum's pocket or bag whilst she's not looking and make her carry them!

So why when they could do that would they prefer to wear a shocking pink baseball cap with a soft bodied Sindy doll stuck to the front of it?

Ice Cream Floats .... Apparently!!

Now this is seriously cute!

By Fischel Toys I'm unsure of the date, but I suspect Early 1980s, possibly even late 1970s

Float-able Tub doll

she comes with a comb, sponge and ring....

The doll is non movable, with rooted nylon (I'm guessing) hair, but instead of legs, she has an ice cream cornet!

The sponge she comes with is coloured in blocks of brown, cream and pink, to resemble Neapolitan Ice cream and  can be used by her new owner in the bath.

It has a whole in the middle of it which the doll can sit inside and "float" on top of the water... surely this would sink?   ...  Sponges soak up water after all !!

              Her "inflatable" ring is also to keep her afloat in the water.

      The writing in the bottom right of the packaging reads:

  Manufactured in Hong Kong for K mart Corporation. Troy Michigan 48064

Ice Cream Sindy - A collaboration between HASBRO and CEPPIRRATTI, the Italian toy Company

"Ice cream Sindy" doll, made by Hasbro in late 80's - early 90's, when Hasbro had cooperated with Italian Toy Factory Ceppirratti, who are famous for the Italian exclusive variation of Sindy, called Tanya.

The Ebay Seller that had this doll listed states on the listing: "I've heard that this doll was never exported out of Europe!!

This one is called "Vanilla" apparently... I would have said Choc n nut from her outfit, but meh what do I know?  I can't read Greek.

Her head is marked: "CEPPIRRATTI".

Her back is marked: Hong Kong"

I suspect she was made for the Greek market, due to the packaging being  I suspect she was made for the Greek market, due to the packaging being written in Greek, which is odd when you think about it, an American company collaborates with an Italian one to make Dolls for Greece. written in Greek, which is odd when you think about it, an American company collaborates with an Italian one to make Dolls for Greece.

What I find very interesting about her is, she looks identical to my CEPPIRRATTI doll...only mine has green hair, this is her original colour... I had been unable to find out nothing about her, but I think today I might just have found the answer, which may also explain why her hair is green, if  she is an "Ice Cream flavour" or something similar to that!

Turns out I was right too... she's on this advert for Sindy Ice Cream Dolls:

 

Or watch on Youtube if you prefer, here's the link:  ICE CREAM SINDY (posted by adabd on youtube)

Another odd thing is, the video is of a French advert, so I'm guessing this range of Sindys was sold throughout Europe, not just in Greece as this one's packaging would imply, had I not seen the video!

Anyway, I feel like showing off now so.. Here's my girl...

I found her in a Charity Shop for 20p on 3rd September 2009,  I had no idea who she was, but I was so intrigued by her bright green hair that I couldn't resist her. 

I took the above photos of her and uploaded them to Flickr to ask my "dolly friends" for an I.D, I was sure they'd know who she was. It turned out that they didn't, out of the 15 people who commented on her only one came close, when he said she looked similar to "Tanya" (Italy's version of Sindy)!!

I started to suspect she was an Ice Cream Sindy when I found a listing on Ebay with the "Vanilla" girl's photos, and I knew for definite when I Googled the Ice Cream Sindy Dolls and found the above video on Youtube.

My original search for info was for CEPPIRRATTI  Dolls, and that really didn't bring up very much at all, so she remained a mystery...a lovely edition but a mystery nonetheless, until today that is - 3 years later, still better late than never!


13/03/2014         **** UPDATE ****

I guess these little ladies must be quite rare as a month or two ago I found another, well technically two more, but one is the green haired version, on Ebay, they don't seem to come up for auction very often and when they do I guess they get overlooked as being oddly coloured clone dolls and not actual Sindy Family Members, which to be honest is what I thought my green haired little lady was when I first found her, anyhoo, here's the latest two:

I was very pleased with these new additions as my green haired girl had certainly had her hair cut, whereas the new one definitely has not, in fact it's still in it's original style, her top also looks to be her original outfit; I'm unsure about the skirt though.

As for the orange haired one, well her hair remains uncut - yay! and it's such an awesome colour, this photo really doesn't do it justice, while the outfit is more than likely not her original one, it suits her very well so I'm happy with that too, not sure if I'll be collecting any more of these girls, still never say never, if one comes up that I don't have and really like knowing me I will!!

Anyhoo, that's it for now...

Take care