Collector Spotlight on LeeAnn of Prego

Recently I was able to catch up with LeeAnn who co-operates the Prego doll board.  LeeAnn is an avid collector of many types of dolls, and a great administrator of the doll board and is a lot of fun to interact with. 

 I remember when I first stumbled onto Prego years ago and was almost overwhelmed, LeeAnn was so kind and complimentary and welcoming to me, as I know she always is with all the doll collectors on the board.

Hope you enjoy getting to know her better!

Q: How long have you been collecting dolls as an adult?

 

I've been collecting dolls as an adult for 15 years. We had just moved to Pennsylvania and one of my neighbors showed me her beautiful doll collection. I got brave and asked her about the dolls figuring maybe I could afford just one. It was Gene Marshall.

  Q: Do you remember your first doll as a child? As an adult?

The first doll I had as a child was a ponytail Barbie. I actually still have her but she's been WELL loved..in other words she's a mess. I still remember my grandparents taking me to the store and I'd walk up and down the doll aisle, which in comparison to today, was very small. 

Buying a new Barbie was special and exciting. Getting home, opening the box and getting that first smell of a new Barbie. LOL..don't laugh but I think everyone remembers that smell. There was nothing like it.

As an adult collector my first dolls were Gene Marshall's. Right off I bought Blue Goddess, Pinup and Red Venus. I remember looking at them thinking they were the most gorgeous dolls ever. After that...it's been a roller coaster ride of collecting... Tonner dolls, Fashion Royalty and ball jointed dolls have made their way into the collection.

Q: What kind of dolls do you currently have?

Currently I'd say I'm all over the place with collecting. I own some Integrity Fashion Royalty, most of which are the 12 inch Poppy Parkers. I'm trying to be more selective with the Fashion Royalty dolls and limit myself just to the Poppy's. (Note: I have recently added a couple of the FR16 inch dolls.) 

It's hard to keep focus when doll companies reveal their new lines. The dolls are so beautiful and you want them all, which anymore, is just impossible.

My collection continues to consist of repainted Tonner dolls, the majority of which have been repainted by Laurie Leigh Beautifulfaces and American jeZebel. It never ceases to amaze me that an artist can take one doll and give her so many different looks. 

I also still have quite a few Tonner dolls with their original makeup. Bewitched Sydney Chase, Focus on Fashion Sydney those are dolls that I have always felt were perfect the way they were.

Q: What part of collecting dolls do you enjoy most?

One of my favorite parts of doll collecting are the people. I love when people are enthusiastic about a doll. It doesn't matter what doll because we all have our own tastes. That's part of what makes collecting fun too, we DON'T all like the same things. How boring would that be. LOL.

I love to see how everyone displays their dolls. The creative dioramas and the fabulous designers. The digital camera era is fantastic because it makes it easier for everyone to share the things they love.

Q: Your doll photography is breathtaking… can you share any tips about how you do it?

I appreciate the kind words about my doll photographs. There are so many talented photographers out there who truly know about photography. I've always sort of felt that if I take a good photo it's by sheer luck. LOL.

If I were to give a couple of photography tips I would say: Natural lighting is always by far the easiest way to take doll photos. I have photography lights but rarely use them any more. It's just easier to try and get a photo when there is natural light. 

 Also, be aware of what is in the background with your doll. Is there lint on the fabric? Do you have clutter around the doll that isn't necessary to the photo? It can distract from your subject. You don't have to have a professional set up. A piece of tag board or black velvet fabric works great as a backdrop. Just make sure that there isn't a lot of other 'stuff' in the photo that will take away from the doll or outfit.

Photoshop is also a great tool to use. There are very few people that can take a beautiful photo and not do just a bit of touch up. Lighting, color correction, adding photo effects or just removing those pesky stray hairs. Picmonkey is a great site that allows you to do a lot of photo editing for free or you can choose to have a membership.

Q: Do you have your dolls on display in your home?

I have a doll cabinet in my living room that displays the majority of my dolls with their original makeup. The rest I keep in the doll room either in a smaller doll cabinet or on the doll shelf. When I started collecting dolls my husband built a shelf unit in one of the bedrooms. I think it was his way of encouraging me to keep them in one place and not all over the house. I go through a lot of canned air keeping them dusted. My feeling has been if I can't keep them out to see them then I must not really need them.

I will say that I keep my Iplehouse resin collection in doll bags. The dolls are large and take up quite a bit of space. It's just my preference to keep them safely tucked away unless I'm fooling with them.

Q: Do you see your taste in dolls or fashion changing?

Over the last couple of years I've noticed that my collecting habits have changed. New purchases have consisted of the larger resin ball jointed dolls. Having so many different doll lines and doll companies is nice but it makes it really hard to keep focus on your collection.

I love the resin fashion dolls, Fashion Royalty dolls and of course the Tonner dolls. For me though, I think I've gotten overwhelmed by all the choices and maybe have become a bit burnt out on vinyl dolls...at least for now. I'm living vicariously through everyone else's photos. Doll money these days, tends to go more for the larger resin dolls. Larger more expensive dolls equals fewer dolls. You have to be a bit more selective in what you buy.

Q: Can you tell me a little about the doll board, Prego?

Alex and I started Prego 10 yrs ago in July. There was a smaller version of Prego a year before when Vicky's Doll Board was still up. Vicky's had become so negative and it wasn't fun to play dolls. So Alex and I decided to start a board that originally was for Sydney Chase. Slowly other dolls started making their way onto the board which wasn't a bad thing. 

I think Prego gives everyone a place where they feel that they can share their love of collecting.  I should say I HOPE they can enjoy their love of collecting. We want everyone to feel welcome to play and get away from the real world for just a little bit.

Running the board has been a lot of fun and challenging at times. I've met so many wonderful people over the years. I often think about members that have stopped posting and wonder if they are no longer collecting or if real life has gotten in the way of play. We've also had members pass away over the years. Prego is a family of sorts and it hurts when we lose someone.

Q: Can you share a bit more about yourself?

Personally, I've been married for almost 27 yrs (wow), have three great kids and a wonderful son-in-law. Lilly is our little poodle and she'll be 3 yrs old in May. We were really lucky to adopt such a good little dog after losing our little poodle Jake.

I'm a bit of a homebody and love doing stuff around the house. Last year my project was all the yard work and it looks like it will be the same again this spring. Jeff says it's become as obsession and, well I guess he's right. I like to moan and groan about the work but in the end I enjoy being outside on a beautiful spring day.

A couple of other things besides dolls that I enjoy are sports and reading. I love baseball (Go Phillies) and hockey (Go Flyer's). I'd be totally lost without my Kindle. With increasingly bad eyesight I truly appreciate having a device that lets me continue to enjoy something I love so much, reading.

Finally I'd like to say thank you to all that have posted through the years on Prego. So many people have shared beautiful photos of their dolls, their talent as designers and shared about their families. I don't think Alex and I ever dreamed that the board would be what it is today or that it would be around for so long. We appreciate everyone playing, sharing and contributing in whatever way to the board. :-)

The End.

Spotlight on Laurie Lenz

In this post, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, collector, and fellow repainter 

Laurie Lenz. 

 She not only repaints, but also designs and makes wigs and many other doll items.  

Laurie is an amazing person who runs her successful doll business around homeschooling her children.  She's super inspiring to me, always making me feel like I can strive a little harder in every area.  I know you're going to love her Q and A interview.  

Thank you Laurie!

Liquid Sunshine: When did you start collecting dolls and what drew you to it?

Laurie: I started collecting officially when I was about 8. I have a beloved Aunt who is a world traveler and has an amazing Madame Alexander

collection. She bought me my first collector's dolls. Around the same time, my dad's sister gave me her vintage Barbie collection.

LS: What is your favorite part of collecting and enjoying your dolls?

Laurie: Since I was 8 (evidently that was the "magic" year for me LOL) I have wanted to be a fashion designer. Fashion is something that has definitely attracted me to doll collecting. I also am madly in love with photography. I love photographing my dolls as much as I love my dolls.

LS: What fashion style do you enjoy the most?

Laurie: My taste in clothing is very varied. I love casual, trendy clothing with an edge. I love beachy, hippie, or boho clothing. I'm a sucker for anything paisley. Gowns with ethereal flowing or rich fabrics make me weak in the knees. I'm very enamored with Eastern designs--the fabrics, the colors, and the intricacy. I love salwars, kurtas, choli suits, lehenga, and sarees, as well as, kimonos, and cheongsams.

My favorite doll fashion designers are too numerous to list though the bulk of it consists of Tonner, Madame Alexander, Jason Wu, Liquid Sunshine, Hazel Street, MaxAmy, Sisen Designs, Brunhilde, YumYum, Empire, and Monaeglow.

In the world of high fashion, I'm inspired by the late Alexander McQueen's work and the Rodarte sisters. I love Project Runway, and would love to be a

contestant. I always follow Fashion week, and reguarly buy fashion

magazines.

For men, I tend to go for surfer, rocker--leather and ripped up jeans, East Indian, or period clothing like poet shirts or shirts with ruffles. I confess, I love a man in a kilt.

LS: What type of dolls do you have?

Laurie: At present, I have a pretty varied eclectic collection, mostly dominated by JamieShow hybrids--with Tonner, Sybarite or Ficon heads. I like to Frankendoll. My current personal obsession is Iplehouse. I love the SD

scale, the poseability, and realism of these dolls.

LS:  Tell me about your photography, as your talent really stands out here.  

Laurie: I have a friend from India, and was blessed with some amazing fabrics that I've used as backdrops. 

I've also acquired some great backdrops from Raintao. My husband does carpentry on the side, and built me a wooden rack for my backdrops that is mounted on my studio wall. 

I use two Ott lamps as my light sources. My 35mm digital camera, presently a SONY A230, is my right arm. 

I have a very antiquated photo editing program since my Photoshop went down when my PC died, but I manage. Would like to upgrade that at some point (maybe when my daughter goes to graphic design school next year, and I swipe her Photoshop program.)  :)

 LS: Tell me more about what you create for fellow doll collectors.

Laurie: As a child, and young adult artist, as subject matter went, landscapes and still life always bored me. The beauty and diversity in humanity have always captured my interest. I am in awe at God's creation. I think that's

why I've always been fascinated with dolls too--they echo the human form.

I did a lot of celebrity portraits in college, and I worked at a toy

company in the art department (to my delight--I handled much of the

product graphics for the dolls) so everything kind of came full circle

when I discovered repainting.

My wig business grew out of my obsession with styling doll hair and

rerooting. (I still do about 10 reroots a month.) When I started

collecting wigged BJDs, I detested stretchy wig caps. Maybe I'm just

uncoordinated, but I could never get them on right, and the hair always

looked like a rat's nest. When I stumbled onto a tutorial for a hard cap

wig, I gave it a shot, and realized that I LOVED them!

Designing fashion and jewelry is another area that I enjoy. I've been

blessed to collaborate with my artist daughter, Shiloh, of Shiloh Winter

Jewelry, on her doll jewelry business for a number of years. We worked as

a creative team on many of her collections. 

Since I always wanted to go into fashion, designing for dolls has been something that I've really enjoyed. I happily have a steady flow of repaint, faceup, reroot and wig commissions so I don't really get the time to get many of my fashion ideas from my imagination to a tangible form, but now and again, I break out my sewing machine and have a blast.

LS: What are some dreams you have for the future?

Laurie: One dream that I have for the future is sculpting my own dolls. I've wanted to do this as long as I can remember. I have a legacy in sculpting as my great grandfather, Andrew Metzger, was a sculptor. I loved my figure

sculpture class in college. There's never enough time in a day to do all the things I want to do, though. I keep saying "Someday..." With every new doll line that appears on the market another fire is lit in me to achieve this dream. 

Dolls are extensions of ourselves --our passions and dreams. They possess the beauty and elegance of a fine piece of art, while providing an outlet for creativity and play. They are good for the psyche by bringing back happy childhood memories, as healing therapy, or are just plain good clean fun. They are the the building blocks of imagination, fantasy, role play, or are mini-fashion models. I consider myself to be equally collector and artist. The evolution of the doll intrigues me. Doll collecting isn't a fad. It's always been "in style" and always will be. I look forward with great anticipation to what is on the horizon. I hope to be an active part of that vision. 

You can find more of Laurie on her website http://www.laurielenzdollstudio.com/

and in her etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaurieLenzANGELS

Do you have any questions for Laurie?  If so, ask her in the comments!

Thank YOU Laurie, for all the beauty you bring into the doll world!

Spotlight on Adrian Cardozo

This is the first of a new series of spotlight blog posts on doll collectors.

  I hope you enjoy getting to know fellow collectors a little better, like I do!

 The first person I was lucky enough to interview was the fabulous Adrian Cardozo.  

Adrian is well known on the doll boards for his stunning styling and amazing photography of his dolls.  His skills are phenomenal and his humble attitude and truly kind personality make him a blast to interact with!

LSO: When did you start collecting dolls and what drew you to it?

AC: This answer can get really long very quick…LOL…

There have always been dolls in my house, more so after my sister was born, but to be fully honest during my early years I was more interested in a tennis rackets or robots than dolls.  That was until (a date I will never forget) January 5^th 1988, the day before the 3 wise men arrived (which for South Americans mark the end of the “holy days” season), my godmother had sent a big package for me and my siblings and in it there was a blonde doll dressed in a fabulous pink gown named Perfume Pretty Barbie Doll. 

I was smitten by her immediately, so much so, that it was obvious to everybody, and my father made a ruling that still hurts: dolls are not for boys.  So I was not allowed to play with her. So for years I stared at her from a distance, daydreaming of playing with her. I did keep the box she came in and the booklet that Mattel included in that box too. I was obsessed with that doll and with the whole Perfume Pretty line.

Many years would passed and when I was 17 years old my sister decided that she didn't want the dolls anymore and that they occupied too much space in her tiny bedroom so she (knowing that there was a doll I LOVED in that bunch) offered them to me.  I accepted them and made a shelf available for them in my bedroom.  Since then I have been collecting dolls.  

Not long after that I got my first job and very quietly started adding new members to that crew!!!  For a while I really couldn't say what drew me to them, but I can now that many years have passed:

I was immediately drawn to her by her dress, 

and by the pictures on her box.

 I have always loved fashion and fashion photography, but since collecting Haute Couture is a lot more expensive of a hobby than collecting dolls, I make my dolls be my Haute Couture Muses, and spend lots of time photographing them and finding them the perfect outfits!! I do collect fashion Photography now as well!

LSO: What is your favorite part of collecting and enjoying your dolls?

AC: I think photographing them and redressing them.  No doll in my house stays the way they come, I have to “personalize” each doll. 

I can’t repaint or sew, so I do a lot of styling and changing until each doll has the perfect look. 

They don’t stay in that look very often though since I am a compulsive re-dresser.

LSO: What type of doll do you have the most of? Least of? Enjoy the most?

AC: Since I’ve kept my sisters dolls, and I actually added to that, I have more 80’s Barbies than anything else.

My collection itself has been in constant motion since I got to United States 10 years ago. At first I started searching for the dolls in the pictures I had from my sister’s dolls --which I was able to find all but one-- then I moved to Silkstone dolls --which I then sold to make room for Fashion Royalty dolls. In turn some of the Fashion Royalty girls moved to make room and money for Sybarites. 

Many of the Sybarites have moved now to make room for other 16” FBJD’s especially Numinas By Paul Pham.

The Sybarites opened the door to two things: fashion BJDs and photography and for that I am forever grateful!  You can say that I enjoy FBJD’s more than any other doll.  They are amazing to pose and extremely photogenic and I love photographing them.

 You do a lot of awesome photography of your dolls, can you tell me a little about your set up and style?

I owe my love for photography to somebody that I believe doesn't collect dolls anymore, she used to go as “VisiblyVintage” on the boards.  She was and is an amazing photographer and was inspiring and helpful enough that I decided to start photographing my dolls.  I tried enough that with many hours of practice I became sort of good at it.

 Like with everything at first I was intimidated what other people were doing, but with time I started realizing what I like what I don’t.

 I love the fashion spreads that Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire do --both types the ones on their “Style Aisle” sections, simply and focused mostly on the fashion and not so much on the models. 

But I also like some of what Steven Meisel, Mert & Marcus, and Ann Lebowitz (as well as others) do when they have the more involved shoots. 

So I try to do a bit of both. I also try to include me in the pictures.  I really want people to look at a picture and easily realize that it is one of my pictures.

Regarding my set up, I like a lot of simple backdrops such as a white or black cloth and natural light.   I love shooting using early morning sunlight, especially when shooting a new outfit or a quick shot, because I have to do a picture every day!!

 But I can also spend (like I just did this morning) four hours building a set that I will use for my next Haute Doll issue, and spending the rest of the day to figure out if natural light will work or if I need to set up my lights and shoot at night!   It really depends on the concept I go for, and if quick and easy will work or more complicated and elaborate.  I enjoy it both ways.

LSO: Are you still working for Haute Doll magazine? How has that changed (if at all) your collecting?

AC: Yes I am still working for Haute Doll, I have been there since late 2008- early 2009 and survived every change of ownership of the past few years, which I am very proud of!  LOL

It did change the way I collect though.

 Many people glamorize working for a doll magazine and think that there are a lot of free perks (read: free stuff) when doing so, but sadly there aren't as many as people think.

A lot of the time the dolls and outfits you see aren't mine, or if it is mine I have bought it myself. So one of the first things that changed is that when buying something I am always thinking “Is this something I could use for the magazine or not?”, so I became a lot more conscientious about where my money goes.

 I also get to know my collection better than I did before. This may sound weird but before I bought a doll, I took a picture (good or bad), and she was left in a shelf.  

Now a lot of the time I am thinking about where the doll would look best, about maximizing a dolls potential, and showing her in a way to others I haven’t yet and maybe making people that normally wouldn't look at that doll see her in a way that they have not thought of before.  Enabling others is a powerfully gratifying thing.

Thank you so much Adrian for taking to time to share your heart for doll collecting, your passion for photography, and a little bit of your life with us!