CONGRATULATIONS – ALL DID A WONDERFUL JOB!!!

From Huckleberry Jackson:  "The whole contest was a very nice experience. It was very interesting to work with challenges and themes, and it pushed me into places I wouldn´t have come to without them. It was also very nice to be working on the same theme with a lot of different designers, and beeing able to see many different interpretations of them. For me, the hardest part was to concentrate just on one outfit, because I´m more used to make collections and see them as a whole. But concentrating on just one outfit pushed me to go more intensively into detailing.  I´ve been able to use that new skill already in my creations outside of the contest so I´m very glad, because I´m always looking to push my limits further and find new ways and techniques to interpretate fashions into the tiny scale.

I loved how different all the challenges were! My favorite challenge was the first one on ribbons, and i think the results of each contestant were amazing and the fact that everyone had to work with techniques that dont allow you to make sewing patterns brought out the most creativity and shapes that were really out of the box. The most difficult challenges were definitely roccoco and gothic because the themes themselves were so close to costume and historical costume that it was very hard interpreting them in a modern avantgard contemporary way.  I´m very very very glad I won the competition and I can´t wait to see my pictures in FDQ magazine!

I´d like to thank Larraine, the judges, guest judges and competitors for making this such a nice and challenging competition. And a big thank you to all the people who follow and have encouraged me since the beginning of my doll couture."                                       With love, Huck

Elena's personal comments will be added when received.

Like most people, I am not keen when something I REALLY enjoy comes to an end. However, I always take away something productive for having experienced it. While it is true this year’s CDDC was shorter, it’s definitely not true that it suffered one bit from this. I think it made the contestants aware that they only had a few chances to impress and win challenges so they worked harder to please.

And, oh what challenges we had – all designed to stimulate creativity!! Brought to us by Larraine Elcock and her fine team of both permanent and guest judges, they were definitely tasks to be reckoned with. With considerable hard work a large percentage of the talented group of designer/contestants went the whole course! What perseverance it takes to do this is immeasurable, but it’s definitely something to be applauded for.

But in the end there were two selected; The winner of CDDC3 is HUCKLEBERRY JACKSON!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS ON A FABULOUS JOB!!!  And for also snagging the Photo Contest Win! Our Grand Prize: Winner's designs will once again be featured in an upcoming issue of FDQ Magazine. From Couture Doll Shops he will receive a six month rent free shop on Couture Doll Shops site, this will also include shop set up/website (if the winner does not already have a site).   And, from the Tonner Doll Company,  a Galadriel doll will be given.

 Second Place goes to Elena Peredreeva(Tselisheva).

CONGRATULATIONS ON A WONDERFUL JOB!!  For her efforts she will receive the beautiful Arwen Evenstar rom Tonner Doll Company.

Now all we need to do is sit back, relax, and wait for the next CDDC.  Surely there will be another, don't you think?  I for one vote an overwhelming, YES!!  Bye for now and enjoy your summer - stay in, be cool, and play with your dolls!!

Challenge 6 Winner Delights!

Huckleberry Jackson wins both the design challenge and the photo challenge!!

I have to say this one didn’t surprise me. Although there were some wonderful entries, sometimes one comes along that simply takes your breath away – and this was IT for me!!! Let’s see how Huck envisioned this one:

“For this last challenge on gothic couture I wanted to work on something very dark but very romantic at the same time. My first focus was to work with very different almost animal like textures (snake, fish, bird). I made a long black straight gown out of a silk crepe which is a bit stretch and allowed me to skip the breast seams. I wanted the whole top of the gown to be almost completely straight and let the curves of the body appear through the transparency of the fabric.

It has long sleeves and a turtleneck to accentuate the gothic style. The fabric is decorated with dark jet grey matt sequences that are underlayed with black glass beading.

On some places I took off most of the sequences to let the beading appear and create an irregular rhythm between shimmering and matt. I decided to not line my gown because I wanted to keep the transparency and the quiet natural draping of the heavily loaded bottom part. All the seams are therefore piped with a very thin organza trim except the shoulder and arm seams that are finished with a very tiny English seam to give my gown the proper couture finishing.


On top of the gown my gothic diva wears a huge black jacket that is made out of a black fabric decorated with raw edge chiffon trims and gives a feather-ike texture. The jacket is lined with a thin black satin and can be worn in a lot of different ways. The silhouette is accessorized with very high black platform shoes, a black latex clutch, very long black earrings sculpted with tiny pearls and very short painted finger gloves.”

Photography winner is Huckleberry Jackson, also, with Honorable Mention to Anita Stoklosa and Anj Calvo.

Huckleberry Jackson

 

Anita Stoklosa

Anj Calvo

Well, that's almost it for your blogger for this CDDC - I say almost because the final blog will feature the final winners and their prizes - what fun!!  So stay tuned as it will come out very soon.

Even woven fabrics can be stretched

Anj Calvo wins Challenge 5 with his two piece dress with leggings. He kept to his plan to veer away from body suits, and instead gave us an ensemble with remarkable detailing. Nude illusion, stretch charmeuse, and even mesh made this fashionable and added just the right amount of movement for the discerning doll collector's fancy. The two looks, heeless shoes, and a darling clutch bag served as appreciated bonuses for this very feminine, hand-stitched entry.

Congratulations also to the winner fpr the Challenge 5 Best Photography:

Elena Prokhorova

 Honorable Mentions goes to:

Huckleberry Jackson

and Maria Ustynovska.

At this point in the competition it's not anyone's game, but there could still be an upset!! But everyone who finishes this course should definitely consider themselves a WINNER. So stay with your game plan, finish the course, and prove me right that you are all phenomenal designers!

Lady Gladriel

Now let's tip our hat to our final featured sponsor!   Returning again this year as our sponsor is the Tonner Doll Company (TDC). And they bring prizes for the winner and second place. The winner will receive the very beautiful Lady Galadriel from the Lord of the Rings. This Lady of Light will feature the face sculpt of Cate Blanchet with Elvish ears, and will arrive completely dressed.

The gown with its custom embroidery and pearlescent brooch is stunning, and it comes with panty hose, shimmering lace up metallic boots, and a wonderful silver and gold crown. A prize fit for the winner, indeed!

Arwen Evenstar

Again turning to Middle Earth, TDC

will be sending the second place winner the beautiful Arwen Evenstar doll. She, too, is fully dressed. Her gown is done in soft velvet with shimmering lace sleeves. Panty hose and faux suede boots are included and she features convertible feet. What a jewel for a winner's collection!

So, what’s Tonner Doll Company been up to since we last caught up with them? In 2011 they came through with lots of new, interesting dolls for the discerning collector.

Fleur Delacour

From new American Models to the Vampire Diary characters and loads in between – there is definitely something for everyone’s taste.

Here’s a mini-recap of a few of the new dolls.

Hermione Granger

Tonner Doll Company had replicated their officially licensed Harry Potter and Ron Weasley dolls into a small scale collection of 12 inch size dolls. For 2011 they completed the 12 inch size Hermione Granger doll in time for Toy Fair as well as releasing a new doll in the large line, Fleur Delacour. Ms. Delacour is a dressed, high-heeled female with a student body, blue eyes with blonde hair, and features the Bloom skintone.

Jasper Hale

Twilight lovers gained Jasper Hale, the love of Alice Cullen’s life.

And the Vampire Diaries series was born with the protective Stefan Salvatore, the affectionate yet feisty Elena Gilbert, and the smoldering yet conniving Damon Salvatore.


Yum, yum --  all three deliciousness you want to bite into for sure!

Stefan, Elena, Damon

Rapunzel

 Disney fans were thrilled with Tangled’s Rapunzel as well as old favorites like Ariel and Jasmine. 


And a delightful 10” line of dolls for the It’s a Small World line kicked off with representatives from Holland and Indian (not pictured) dressed in their tradition wardrobe.



Ariel and Jasmine



Catwoman and Black Canary



Wonder Woman

 A medley of DC stars was sure to make the Comic Con fans sit up and take notice. New arrivals ran the gambit of selection and size from the 13” inch Catwoman and Black Canary to the 22” Wonder Woman. The in-between women, ranging from 16-17” (not pictured), included such alluring fare as Raven, Starfire, and Dove.

With the current movie offerings of Green Lantern, Thor, X-Men, and Captain America, it left me wondering would new guys join his hero base any time soon.

The other new offerings are just as wonderful, but will require you to take a trip over to the TDC website. All are definitely worth viewing.

So Sleek Sydney

Besides all the new dolls, Robert Tonner has also just completed a fabulous convention where I’m told the convention dolls were wonderful – one even included a special Sydney gift set to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Sydney Chase and the 20th anniversary of the Tonner Doll Company. TDC is twenty years strong with a bright future, so it makes me confident to predict that there will be many more Tonner dolls around my household – and I’ll bet a few will creep into yours too!