"Harlie"

A Charming fashion for Ellowyne

from

"Chic Indulgence"

For details about this outfit...........click
http://demi-divasbydurelle.50megs.com/chic/Harliquin/harlie.html

Dollie-ON,

Durelle

The Vintage Challenge

"Steampunk"

This subculture fashion trend is the perfect springboard for my styling and design. I adore fantasy and historical designs and I have chosen this as my Project Dollway theme for 2008. The Steampunk genre has moved into high fashion, and is finding its way into mainstream teen fashion today. My intention is to bring this fashion to the street wear. I shall water down the sever gothy version into a mt own fashion.

My collection will embody elements of Neo-Edwardian historical styling, with various alterations for the mad science/ time traveler that tends to characterize steampunk. The color scheme that will move though out the collection is old gold, rusty reds and bitter green. Leather will be an important element as well as topstitching and buttons. Buckles straps, gears, goggles, keys and chains will also accent the collection.
.

This first fashion in my collection has some typical Steampunk details which accents the aviation theme popular in this genre. I have created a fun leather aviator helmet and goggles as an accent piece.
To bring into the vintage aspect to this challenge I designed leg of mutton sleeve on the blouse made of pale lime green taffeta silk. Another element bringing in the Victorian element is a stylized corset in a very narrow stripe. The mid calf length skirt is styled to look like it is riding pants with a decorative accent panel topstitched at the hem and on the panel. Topstitching is another detail I hope to carry throughout this collection.
Another element that will run thru the collection is the use of leather. I use leather on a very short bolero vest sporting a razor back and topstitching.
To finished out the outfit I created a “Letter Carrier” style leather shoulder bag to match the vest. A small lapel pin exhibits another ingredient of steampunk, cogs and wheels, representing time and future.

2008 Egyptian Collection

Because I felt like I did not have the room on the last post to show off some of my Egyptian collection, prepared especially for the IFDC, I am featuring them now. I like to base my collections on a theme that is an element of the convention. One I can also hone my skills so I can base a workshop around. This year I did an Egyptian Accessory workshop. I taught how to make the beaded necklaces shown on my collection dolls. Shown here are a few of my girls some are still available and for sale. I am still trying to catch up and have not done web pages for each of them yet. (Put it on the list) This year at IFDC Jim thought it would be fun to stir a little competition during the event tables and created a contest for the best centerpiece each night. Well if you know me you know I LOVE a contest challenge. We share our table host duties with a different hostess each night taking the helm. My event night was …you guessed it, Anthony and Cleopatra. Can you tell I worked my collection, workshop and table center piece all around this, one of my favorite subjects?
Here are some of the pictures of our table that night… Oh and BTW, we did win that night for BEST table! Ta-Da…………yea us we got some wonderful gifts for our dolly’s as prizes.

Well in less than a week now we will all be showing off our new PDW challenge.... so exciting. I have spent the day (Sunday) working on my entry. I will share as soon as I can.

My theme is still a secret.. but I am going to have lots of fun with my collection.. and I LOVE my colors.

See ya soon,

Durelle

I'm Back................

It has been a long while since I made a post to this blog but, look out ‘caz “Project DollWay - the Home Players” is about to begin again. This will be much different than last years Project DollWay. Much more casual and relaxed and anyone can “PLAY”. My dear dolly friend Gabby is hosting the project and it will begin in just one week. So if you are interested, rev it up and join us for the dolly fun.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=414135773&MyToken=93afc4b0-82b5-470e-be7a-65390de70bb8
Since my last blog entry I have stayed very dolly busy. I was very inspired by the Ellowyne Wilde doll. I adore this doll and her beguiling face and attitude. This captivation motivated me to create a new branch of “Demi-Divas” called “Chic Indulgence” which is OOAK Re-movable doll clothing line for Ellowyne. My first launch outfit was “Maddly Plaidly” and as luck would have it was purchased by Jill Jackson who is the editor of “Doll Reader".

http://demi-divasbydurelle.50megs.com/chic/mad/mp.html

She has also been spellbound by the charm of Ellowyne and was so impressed with the out fit that she did a 4 page feature of it in the August issue of “Doll Reader”… I was shocked and thrilled. She has become a good friend and a wonderful contact. I also did a simple outfit for Jill’s Ellowyne to take along with her on her summer vacation. With all of Mother Natural’s tragedy happening in the USA this past year, a group of doll artist and collectors came together under the name of “Dollyhearts for USA” to established a series of charity auctions using Ellowyne to support this causes. Each auction featured a popular repaint doll artist who would repaint a doll and other doll artist created a wardrobe for her. I was pleased to be apart of this effort.

For one of the auctions I created a very prissy Ellowyne Pirate costume fashion in all pinks, oranges and white. A little left of center of how most pirates like to dress but remember we are talking about Ellowyne here. Here are some quick shots of her.

Anybody that knows me knows I LOVE pirates and I could not stop with just one pirate outfit, so just in time for Halloween I did another Pirate costume for Ellowyne which sold immediately. Here is my new Ellowyne “Now What?” modeling this red, hot pink and black Pirate out fit.

http://demi-divasbydurelle.50megs.com/chic/pirate/rpirate.html

Over the summer I also attended the always wonderful and fun “2008 International Fashion Doll Convention” in Las Vegas where I showed my annual “Convention Collection” this year - Egyptian dolls.

I taught 2 workshops as well both with Egyptian accessory themes. We learn to make beaded Egyptian collars and headdress, Niems headdress as well as how to make metal collars and a few more fun things. If you missed the convention or could not get into my workshop (which was sold out) I do offer, for a small fee, the tutorials on my web page.

I was honored to have been selected as an artist to donate a doll to the charity auction. I did 2 dolls. The dolls I donated were Norma Desmend from “Sunset Boulevard” (a doll I did for Project Dollway) which realized $850 and

the second was an R and D Angle shown here as “Goth Becomes Her” which went for $450.
I as also privileged and thrilled to receive a first place trophy for my “2008 Fashion Doll Makeover Contest” entry in the Historical - Medieval Category.

As always, convention was a blast. Getting to see all my doll buddies from all across the US and some for out of the country as well is the best. We all come together for this annual l event to celebrate our love for fashion dolls. Here is a link to my convention pics on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11769652@N00/sets/72157606567167902/
OK… soooooooooooooooo this has been a long catch up message so I feel I MUST end now or no one will read it past the first paragraph.
Looking forward to regular posting as “Project DollWay-the At Home” version moves forward next week. See ya soon…
and Dollie-ON!

She's Here.......

Yes...... she is here, Miss Ellowyne Wilde. She arrived at my house on Thursday. After I unpackaged her she jumped out of her box and began to reek havoc on my happy little doll community.

She first spotted Cinderella, in her prize wining pink dress, ripped it off of her and put it on. ...poor Cindy. She took over the leopard chase and started giving me orders for more out fits...! No one warned me she was so bossy. What a Prima-Donna....... I am going to call her "Bossy Boots" Miss Ell......

The rest of the evening was spent with her teasing poor Cindy, who really wanted her purse back.

Miss Ell teased and teased and when she got board of teasing she just pushed Cindy to the floor and put her foot on her.

I can see now that this girl is going to run this house .. so I had better get busy on some wardrobe before she starts striping my other 16” girls!

****WARNING *****

Buyers beware... bossy this girl is!!!

She will want all you can give her!!!

so think twice before you use your PayPal

She is the doll that keeps on taking......hehehehe!

Challenge #10

The “Gabby” Challenge

Wow... I won! I am still in shock... but thrilled.
This was a fun challenge for me.
This challenge was about designing a “Collection” and creating one garment that would embody all of the elements the collection would contain. Those elements are color, pattern, and a theme. This was to be commercially viable and suite a wide range of 16” dolls. The garment would not be limited to any particular type or style so we were wide open to interpret it just as we wanted.

I was tired of working in drab colors and I knew going in to it I was going to use the brightest and prettiest colors I could imaging. I am a huge fan of Orange, yet I know from experience that not may people like Orange. I wanted to use it so I figured I could only use it as an accent and use Pink as my anchor color for this design. I wanted a fresh YOUNG look, something teens are likely to be wearing this spring.
I had in my fabric stash a wonderful pleated tiedye print (remember I love orange and buy it whenever I see it cause it is hard to find). It had all the fresh colors I wanted for the collection. I knew this print element could flow through the collection as scarves, blouses, and accents. On this garment I use it as an over skirt to the pink dress.
I wanted a juxtaposition of elements - bold and graphic yet soft and feminine. The graphic element is the purse, the waist band and the banding on the hem of the pencil dress and straps. This banding could easily adapt to any number of garments through out the collection. Because I had these strong color element going, (Orange, Pink, Hot pink and Cream) that gives me ample opportunities to accomplish this task.

My finial garment is very charming and I knew exactly which doll should be modeling it for me, Tonner’s Cinderella. She is adorable and sweet just like the dress which I have come to call, “Pink an Pretty”.

Your can see all the compitition here.......and Alexendra's critiques.

What she said about my design.....

DESIGN THREE - Beautiful colors and patterns. Strong silhouette. This is an excellent single key piece in a collection. What I really like is the purse which picks up the color scheme but also introduces a more tailored theme in the stripes. I can easily image the next outfit being tailored slacks with a soft blouse in the floral fabric. The purse is a perfect hint of what might come next.

http://alexandrasragtime.blogspot.com/2008/01/congratulations-durelle.html

Challenge # 9

The Erte' Challenge

This has been one of my favorite challenges, since I am primarily known for my costume and fantasy design, this challenge was more to my talent and my love. Erte’ has long been one of my very favorite illustrators and artist. I did have a few books on Erte’ in my personal library which made my research a lot easier.

After studying his design style I discovered many design elements I was in love with. More than I could possibly include in one design, so I weeding out the best which was quit a task for myself. I knew from the first I would NOT be designing a wearable contemporary garment that was removable. So I took a lot of liberties that the other home designer’s would not be taking. In my mind it was not to win but to create a design that I would really like.
One of Erte’s strong design elements is Asian. The kimono sleeve is evident in a lot of his drawings and I knew this would be something I wanted for my design too.

Another interesting thing he does a lot is continuing or merging one garment element to evolve into another such as my skirt hem becoming my kimono sleeve. There is so much going in Erte’s drawings you have to really dissect each one and study it closely.
The next element I found most intriguing is how he folds one fabric into another and slips a panel into the next intertwining, flipping, folding and lacing fabrics and panels together. I did some of this too. By folding back bodice pieces to revel contrast fabric at the neck and an unusual angled point under the arm, as well as the contrast lining on the skirt showing as the back of the sleeve element.
When I completed my design was compelled to do some beading…. which I have all but abandon during the DollWay Projects (due to time restraints). Beading is so much fun and is to me therapeutic. I can sit quietly and watch TV and bead. So I did do quite a bit of beading on this garment which in my mind helped to support the overall finished design.
This was a fun challenge and reintroduced to me Erte’ which I have always thought would be a great muse for fantasy doll designs.

So another challenge down and only one more to go. This was one that I really enjoyed

I did not win this challenge Jason did and his design was a awsome!! See....

You can see all of the At home designers entries at...Alexandrars Blog

http://alexandrasragtime.blogspot.com/

(Dot's and my doll together)

As always thanks Ted for the opportunity to strut my stuff…