Bright Eyes Paper Dolls - Artcraft #4454

When I started this blog almost 4 years ago (how time flies!!!) my intention was to feature all the paper doll books and illustrators that had brought so much enjoyment to my childhood.  Lately I have not been a very good member of the blogging community! - but there are a couple of classic paper dolls I have still been meaning to include here for quite some time, especially as I have not seen them on-line anywhere else.     

I have mentioned before that I discovered a box of paper dolls my mother had carefully collected and packed away when I was sorting through her belongings after she died.  My paper dolls were very well played with so many are just fragments of sets with tatty looking dresses and no dolls,  

Amongst them was a cut version of this dress - something I recognised as a treasured and precious memory.  But try as I might I could not recollect which set it came from.  I knew I wanted to seek out a replacement for my 'new' collection but I had no idea whether I was looking for ballet, fairies or children!

It took me quite some time to track down but eventually I recognised a cover I remembered and was thrilled to discover it was the book I was looking for.  It was produced by Artcraft and unfortunately does not have a date but I would have been given my original copy some time in the 1960's.

       

Front Cover

My scanner is A4 size so I could not fit in the complete cover,  It has a handle (visible in the first scan) so can be carried around like a little portfolio.  The windows are the cut-out type so popular at the time with the actual doll peeking through from the page behind.

Of course I discovered when I paged through the book that I still possessed one of the dolls (Carol shown above) and some of the other dresses in my box of fragments but I had not realised they were part of the same set!

All of the outfits are shown below. I especially like those where there is a little skirt to go over a shorts set.

Back Cover

This book remains one of my favourite childhood memories and still gives me a little thrill of pleasure every time I look at it.



I bought it from Kassy Ferguson who was selling her late mother's impressive paper doll collection at the time.  She was kind enough to help me obtain my copy of Saalfield's Double Wedding as well, another book I had been trying to find for many months.

Flower Girls - Saalfield Artcraft

This is another set of paper dolls I rediscovered a couple of years ago that transported me right back to my childhood.  I've always loved this book - and I respond to it with the same delight and joy today as I did then - viewing it with the eyes of a child across the passage of time.

This is my favourite dress, taken from the original cut version of the set I played with as a child.  I think its gorgeous - and just as special today as I found it 50 years ago.  What I've always liked about this set is the light and airy touch of the artwork and the dainty feminine fashions.  Its a book that holds within it the joy of eternal youth and perpetual sunshine.

There are two dolls and four pages of clothes.  Besides the frilly dresses I also think the bathing costumes with their matching skirts are marvellous.

The full book follows:    

( I can remember trying to cut these dolls out it a way that would also allow me to keep their pretty petticoats!)

Isn't it funny - I spend my days planting all sorts of things in the garden - and then I end up liking the wild flowers most of all.  These foxgloves are effectively weeds in this part of the world but they are lovely.  I still think I might just find tiny fairies hiding in them!

PS - I'm still on borrowed internet time.  I was expecting to be able to buy a new laptop in the next week or so but we have had some unexpected medical expenses to deal with and I have to put off getting one for a while.  So my blogging activity will still be patchy and erratic.

With the lovely summer weather we have been having (by far the hottest I can remember since moving to Ireland 12 years ago) I must say I have been enjoying the chance to spend more time in the garden though!

Toodles A Walking Paper Doll, Artcraft #4416, 1966

Two things surprised me about this paper doll.  Firstly I always thought her name was 'Toddles' and secondly I imagined the book dated to the 1970's so I was amazed to see the year 1966 (in Roman numerals) printed at the bottom of my original cover shown above.

This paper doll represents the outer limits of my childhood.  I think she might even have belonged to my sister Melanie who is almost 5 years younger than me.  I can remember that I was really too old to be playing with paper dolls at the time but I still admired the lovely artwork of this cute little girl with her dimples and adorable little mini-me dressed in matching outfits.   

The use of old fashioned double-pronged paper clips to give cardboard cut-outs jointed limbs or circular motion of the type depicted here was wide-spread during my childhood.  Toodles is an effective example of this technique as her proportions are well-balanced, with a sturdy substantial design made out of good quality cardboard.   

Early Morning in the Green

Some more photos taken in the early morning at St Stephen's Green (Dublin) in my way to work.  I'm becoming conscious that the days are starting to get shorter and cooler and soon this little interlude will come to an end as during the dark winter months the gates open later.  

This year there were no cygnets (as in the title photo I chose for my blog that was taken last year).  Just one solitary adult swan holding court on his own.

I love this summer display of sub-tropical plants that takes pride of place in the middle of the ornamental section of the park each year.  Many of the plants remind me so much of my original home in Durban.  I even spotted purple Tibouchina  - small delicate plants here when I am used to them as big flowering trees.

Mother Goose Paper Dolls No. 4422 (Artcraft)

This is my latest paper doll acquisition from eBay. I was really thrilled to win the bid as this book does not come up for sale all that often and as far as I know is not available as a reproduction.  I bought it from a lovely lady called Julie who I found very friendly and helpful and she even refunded part of the postage I'd overpaid!  Paper doll books Julie currently has on auction can be found at Paper Moon Designs on eBay.

Of my personal of paper doll memories I would list this book as my third favourite after Whitman Ballet Paper Dolls #1962 from 1964 and Saalfield Double Wedding #4432 from 1964.  I can vividly remember playing with this set for hours and thought the dresses and colour schemes were especially lovely.  I still have my original version in cut form (I posted one doll and dress from this book on 23 March for Daffodil Day.)  It is almost complete with the exception of some of the hats.  Having an uncut book to add to my collection has been a great find!  

Iveagh Garden's Roses (Dublin)

The rose garden at Iveagh Gardens is very old fashioned and still laid out as it was in the 1860's.  I love it.  Because the roses are not new bred hybrids they only bloom once a year, so this section of the park only appears in all its glory for a few weeks each summer. 

The rose above is called Gertrude Jekyll (named after the renowned English garden designer who lived from 1843-1932).  It is my favourite rose as it has such a wonderful scent.  When I first came across it I realised this is what a rose is meant to be - both perfumed and beautiful.