Dragon Queen — custom Daenerys Barbie
Custom Daenerys Stormborn from Game of Thrones doll, Dothraki/Red Waste fashion, from the Red Comet Collection.
Dany <3 Drogon
Since Dany is a beggar queen, no LV or Chanel for her. Just a BMR bag ;D
Waiting like a tiger in the trees — The Joy Luck Club Barbie
The Joy Luck Club. One of my favorite books, one of my favorite movies. I had always thought this was the theatrical poster and rather an iconic image of/from the film:
Well, apparently that wasn’t the image from the poster, but it did help inspire my choice to make a custom Ying-Ying Barbie doll. Not only is she the character in the above picture but her flashback sequence is among those that struck me the most, especially up until the impassioned character Russell Wong plays reveals himself to be a very bad man.
Not a very difficult custom as I bought the dress (but modified it slightly), had the shoes, and still am afraid to repaint faces. I did style her hair as well as make the earrings, necklace, bracelet, and hairnet/snood with pearls.
I love her elegant slingbacks.
This may be too many photos, but I am just very pleased with my Ying-Ying Barbie ^_^
Glamour and glitter, fashion and fame
This may be my most ironic custom yet: the Jem Barbie!
Ironic due to the fact that Jem is a character from a line of dolls (complete with a tie-in cartoon to sell them) that was in direct competition with Mattel’s Barbie until a designer from Mattel got the scoop on Hasbro’s Jem line and beat them to the toy shelves with their ripoff version Barbie and the Rockers. (Since the Rockers came out first, some people still think Jem copied Barbie.)
I felt a little old for the cartoon in the late ’80s, but I always loved the glam/punk aesthetic of the characters, especially Jem. As a Barbie-head, I was not enamored of the Hasbro dolls. They came out with Fashion Royalty upgrades of Jem and the Holograms and many other characters from the show several years ago, but to my eyes the dolls look older than the characters are supposed to be (not to mention they’re hella expensive and rare, to boot…but very well-made).
So I just had to try and make my own Barbie doll of Jem. I had a lot of fun watching the entire series recently, but nothing beats the original opening credits. So that opening sequence — along with some touches from the Integrity version — inspired my take on the outrageous glam rocker.
“It’s showtime, Synergy!” My version of the Jemstar earrings are a standard five-point star instead of a seven-point like on the show. I preferred this type of star not only because it is a recurrent motif in the fashion of the show but also because of the whole Hollywood/showbiz angle.
Inspired by the credits, Jem has bare legs. Inspired by the Integrity Toys Jem doll, her dress is more of a hot pink over bubblegum pink and she has a bracelet.
The bracelet is actually a people-sized ear cuff. I chose an oil slick/rainbow color meant to represent a hologram ;)
I’ve never been one for fringe. So I didn’t want to use the belt Jem wears in the credits. I saw this one on Etsy and loved it. Hearts are not used much in the style of the Jem-verse, but they are totally ’80s. Since this belt is also rhinestone glittery, I thought it was perfect.
The super cute detail on the back of the belt…aaaaand some REALLY big ’80s hair.
 Singing “I Believe in Happy Endings”
I love these pumps. They really conjure the ’80s and luckily (but by pure happenstance) match her dress.
Enough pink to be a true Mattel Barbie.
My other nod to the Integrity version are these shiny silver tights. This is now just an alternate version of my Jem Barbie because they don’t really fit in her shoes and give her cankles haha
I used a watercolor pencil for her eye makeup, but I didn’t seal it because I wanted to remove it before storing her.
Are you and your friends Jem girls? Come on, come on and be a Jem girl!
Pink is the new cool
I’ve loved the movie Grease 2 since I was a child. It doesn’t have the best reputation, but I’ve always thought it superior to the original. (Blasphemy to some, I know). I had to try and capture the coolest of the cool, the leader of the Pink Ladies, Stephanie Zinone in Barbie form.
The real Cool Rider.
Michelle Pfeiffer gives it her all in this movie, and she’s fantastic. She elevates her character into such an icon of Cool. She’s the most popular girl at Rydell, yet she still takes the time to console the new kid who runs afoul of the “T” Birds on the first day of school. She follows her own mind. She knows what she wants and won’t settle for less. She won’t relinquish her position (or jacket) as head Pink Lady, despite breaking up with Johnny, the #1 “T” Bird. And she’s just as impressed with Michael’s intellect as she is his alter ego’s motorcycle skills. Stephanie knows who she is and doesn’t try, care, or pretend to be anyone else.
I chose to do her “Cool Rider” outfit. It’s hailed as the best song in the movie, and it’s one of my personal faves from the film. It doesn’t hurt that all-black ensembles look really cool.
Luckily Mattel made a doll with a Pink Ladies jacket. So I just had to personalize it with Stephanie’s name.
Can you recite the Pink Ladies Pledge?
I didn’t know until researching this costume in order to customize this doll that Stephanie wore a motorcycle pendant on her necklace. I painted a floating motorcycle charm gold. I love how her black bangle bracelets complement her gold jewelry.
I made her earrings. The gold hoops are kinda feisty like their wearer.
I’ve always seen these boots while searching for items for other custom doll projects. I think they look so cool! I was happy I had a doll they were perfect for.
Above is my attempt to recreate one of the best shots of the movie, during “Cool Rider.”
Steph showing off her Pink Ladies jacket. Too bad it’s not reversible black! (Interestingly, it did look reversible black in the prototype photo.)
I love that Stephanie isn’t a bitchy “cool girl” or a trying-to-be-cool “cool girl.” She’s cool in her bones because she’s completely herself and unafraid to be. Think Pink!
Nobody’s Barbie — Molly from Neuromancer
“She you woman, Case?”
“I dunno. Nobody’s woman, maybe.”
–from Neuromancer by William Gibson
Perhaps the weirdest custom Barbie I’ve done yet, since she’s a character from a book (one of my favorite books). Here’s my custom Molly from Neuromancer Barbie. AKA Cyberpunk Barbie =D
Molly is the main female character and very popular with Gibson fans. Neuromancer was the groundbreaking novel that ushered in the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction. Molly is a street samurai, professional muscle. She has modifications that include mirrored lens implants that enhance her vision in various ways and underneath her fingernails 4-cm scalpel blades that she can extend and retract at will. She’s a razorgirl.
It’s mentioned specifically that Molly is very pale. You can probably guess what line of Barbies I turned to in order to choose the base doll. Thankfully this one had the wine-colored lipstick I was looking for. Unfortunately she’s a glue head. Grrr. This is pretty much my first time encountering a glue head that I needed to attempt to remedy. Apparently the base doll for my Emma Frost is a glue head, too, but it didn’t seem to interfere too much with my cutting and even boil-washing her hair, thank heavens. I have a post planned for later with what I did to address the glue-covered greasy hair. I researched a LOT to try and find what works best.
Molly’s gun is described as a pepperbox flechette. I Googled the look of both and decided to go my own way with this gun, which has a nice futuristic look to it, IMO.
She has burgundy-colored artificial-looking nails that sheathe her scalpel “claws.” I did attempt to make her claws, but it was not a success. I may try again later.
I love the reflections in her mirrored lenses. It was really important to me that they be as reflective as I could make them.
A wonderfully eccentric detail is Molly’s choice of footwear: red cowboy boots with silver toes and lacquer heels.
I’m going to close the post out with a couple more of my favorite pictures of my Molly dolly ;)
A light in Gotham
Where were you when Batmania swept the world in the summer of 1989? It was inescapable — and I didn’t want to escape it. I saw the Tim Burton Batman movie three times in the theater and kept two of the stubs taped into my diary ^^;
The movie had a profound effect on me. Aside from being just a wonderfully engrossing story and experience that captured my imagination, it also awakened my love of acting and the cinema. The performances are rock-solid, especially those of the three leads (Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Kim Basinger), the visuals and art direction are visionary (and still being ripped off of to this day), and the balance of Batman’s freak factor with his vigilante heroism revitalized the character for an audience outside of comics readers.
I was particularly impressed by Basinger’s Vicki Vale. I wanted to be like both Vale and (due to the new fascination with acting) Basinger.
I’ve seen sad posts calling Vale’s character boring and forgettable, easily replaceable in the sequel. I couldn’t disagree more (except that I looooove Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman). I think she takes the love interest role to a different, better level. She’s driven, curious, brave. Vale lends credibility to Alexander Knox’s investigation into Gotham’s “winged vigilante.” She humanizes Batman by connecting emotionally with his alter ego, Bruce Wayne. She’s pretty empathetic, too…consoling the Joker after he fakes being harmed by the water she threw on him and later trying to save the Gothamites being gassed at the parade.
In an interview from around the time of the film’s release Basinger described Vicki Vale as the light between the two kinds of darkness fighting each other in Gotham: Batman’s darkness and the Joker’s (different) darkness. It’s a great description.
I always noticed in the credits that Kim Basinger’s costumes were done by a different designer than the main costumer of the film. Linda Henrikson was responsible for the Vicki Vale wardrobe. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much more information about why that was or what was Henrikson’s inspiration. Because the Vale costumes are pretty amazing.
I chose my favorite to make this Barbie tribute to one of my beloved heroines. I think it’s also pretty funny that this outfit was the one the troop of Vicki Vales wears in Prince’s Batdance video. If you’ve never seen the video, you’re missing out. It gives an awesomely celebratory and positive connotation to “batshit-crazy” =)
Oddly enough, I feel like this back view is the most film-accuracy I achieved with this doll ;)
I guess it’s obvious this was a fairly easy custom, mostly a re-dress. But I did have to cut & style her hair and paint her nails. Still, I’m glad I went ahead and made her anyway. She’s one of my new favorite Barbies.
Marian des bois
I’m old enough to remember the summer of 1991 when Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was heavily promoted as THE summer blockbuster. I was all in. I remember enjoying it, getting packs of the trading cards, and even buying a Will Scarlett action figure (probably thanks to a Heathers-induced semi-crush on Christian Slater).
The film doesn’t have a stellar reputation nowadays, which I think is criminal. It’s considered a classic, near-perfect movie in my household (and not only for Alan Rickman’s brilliant Sheriff of Nottingham). I don’t want to get into a film review here on my Barbie blog, but let me just say Prince of Thieves is vastly underrated and unappreciated.
I remember the character of Marian was originally going to be played by Robin Wright. I thought that was perfect casting, and I loved The Princess Bride. She had to drop out due to becoming pregnant, and I recall being slightly disappointed. Well, no need to be. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio’s Marian remains one of the highlight performances here, IMO. She’s strong-willed, open-minded, confident, and kind-hearted.
Apparently her character is given the surname of Dubois in reference to the French moniker for Robin Hood “Robin des bois” (“Robin of the woods.”) Hence the post’s title.
I remain especially impressed by the costumes designed by John Bloomfield. They come across as authentically medieval (although some question whether that’s the case) yet are decidedly a fresh update on the iconic tights and tunic with pointy hat look of the Errol Flynn days.
I always want/wanted toys or figures that represented the female characters in movies and TV. Thankfully, this is quite common these days. But back in 1991, they made no Marian Dubois figure. In fact, had I been in charge of Mattel in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, every major film and television show with kids’ merch would’ve had a tie-in Barbie or two.
Of course I ended up having to make my own Marian from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Barbie.
This is supposed to represent her rust-colored dress outfit as seen in the trading cards picture earlier in the post. It’s not exactly the same, but I’m happy that it’s suggestive of her dress. (I wanted to remove the embellishments at her shoulders and on the skirt but became too afraid I would damage the garment.)
The scarves in the movie are still one of my favorite costume elements. Hard to see, but she has black boots. I replaced the wide pink belt that came with this dress with a long orange-gold ribbon to look closer to Marian’s in the film.
This particular doll reminds me so much of the actress. Check out her hair!
I’m surprised by how much I love the earrings, as I made them meself.
Marian donates the dagger Nottingham gave her to Robin’s war chest, which he keeps and later uses to defeat the Sheriff.
Kudos if you made it through this post without contracting earworm of Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” =) I have a chronic case due to working on this doll…
So long and thanks for all the ish!
It was with a sad heart I bid farewell to Toys R Us when it closed for good earlier this year. Well out of my actual childhood, I could always count on a quick trip to TRU to get back that never-grow-up feeling.
Below, look for the pink “B” sign that indicates the Barbie aisle.
My favorite aisle in the store. (Too bad my phone’s camera is allergic to focus.)
Sadly, for several years the Barbie aisle had not been what it once was. (Remember, though, when it would glow pink?) As I remember back in the day, the Barbie merch lived in *two* aisles at Toys R Us. And the main Barbie aisle of the two had Barbie stuff lining both sides. The second aisle, as I recall, may’ve only had Barbies on one side.
What was really special about the main Barbie aisle of yore was a display case at the end of the aisle for fancier, more expensive collectible Barbie dolls. Oh, how I missed it once they removed it.
Above, two Barbies I saw on clearance during my last (::sniff:: ever) trip to TRU. Unfortunately not on enough of a clearance that I could bring ’em home.
Below, some Fashionistas that caught me eye. (I didn’t buy them — yet — either.)
Below, some really adorable Barbie accessories. (I’ve come to realize a while back that 75 percent of my love for all things Barbie is an affinity for miniatures.)
I don’t wanna grow up…
Will my song go winging?
My “custom” Briar Rose Barbie from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. I put custom in quotes because all I did was re-dress a Sparkling Sleeping Beauty doll in the peasant dress from the Sleeping Beauty Deluxe Fashion Gift Pack. Still, it was always my favorite outfit of hers. I’ve been a Sleeping Beauty fan practically my entire life.
(None of my pictures captured it, but I couldn’t stand the thought of her barefoot in the woods and gave her some simple brown shoes with small heels.)
I used a black hair elastic for her headband. The gift pack peasant outfit came with one, but I bought it de-boxed. It did not include the official headband.
For funsies and a medieval/royal flavor, I dressed her in the gown from the Romeo & Juliet: Together Forever limited edition set.
The Crazy One
::playing Eminem’s “Without Me” just to introduce my custom Suicide Squad Harley Quinn Barbie::
I’ve seen a ton of great Harley Quinn custom dolls, but I wanted to do my own take. She and the Joker were definitely the best part of Suicide Squad, IMO.
A lot of the work is thanks to Etsy seller LovelyWoods. She made the shirt, shorts, belt (but not the buckle), and the bat. Even with such a head start, this was a work-intensive custom with probably the most painting I’ve done on a doll to date.
One of my favorite parts to figure out and make was this earring. In the movie, Harley has a long ear cuff with gold safety pins hanging from it. So I took the absolute smallest safety pin I could find, painted it gold, and fashioned an earring. I like it even if it’s not screen-accurate but rather screen-representative. My friend said, “Could you imagine that earring in real-life scale?” I’d love it!
I trimmed the doll’s hair, made pigtails, and then dyed each one its respective color. I used the tutorial here for dyeing Barbie’s hair: Gonna Dye that Blonde Right Out of Bab’s Hair!
Using acrylic paint for models, I did her eye makeup, heart face tattoo, and select leg tattoos. (I only included the tattoos I liked.) Her hairbobs are made from gift ribbon. The choker is also a ribbon, fastened by a hook-and-eye closure. It was a deliberate choice to omit “PUDDIN” from the necklace as well as to leave off the “YES SIR” bracelets. The belt buckle is a gold sequin cut into a diamond shape with a black Sharpie inner diamond shape to suggest a cutout.
Harley’s blue period. The glove is also acrylic paint, as are the fingernails. I decided to do black nails with a gold accent nail (which sadly my camera isn’t picking up well) for her left hand versus the “E-V-I-L” from the film. Her spike bracelets are actually people-scale earrings.
It was fun to give her the blue and red manicure for her right hand. I also tried to represent her double-jester armor ring using 3D paint. The ring is a really crazy design. I couldn’t see replicating it accurately in 1/6 scale.
Painting her shoes was a nerve-racking prospect, but they were easier and quicker to do than I’d anticipated. These all-white Mattel boot-type shoes already had a raised heart on them. I thought it’d be cute to keep the hearts and paint them black to match her face tattoo. As for the rest, I tried to make them look like the ones in the movie but also to my own taste as well. Again, this is acrylic paint. The fishnets are straight from Mattel.
One of my favorite shots in Suicide Squad is when they’re in the plane and Harley’s hair blows across her face.
If you make/made your own Harley Quinn, I’d love to see her!
OOAK-pportunities
Even though I am on a self-imposed hiatus from buying Barbies (boo! *sadface* and also ~lies~ because I bought a few Fashionistas I thought I would sell and then ended up liking and keeping them…sigh…hopefully will do a post on them soon. Soory for neglecting you lovely followers/readers of this blog), I’m always looking at different Barbies: new ones at TheBarbieCollection.com, clearance at same, what my local stores have in stock, and — my particular weakness — not-so-new Barbies at eBay, either ones from my childhood or window shopping for wishful OOAK/custom projects.
So I come across a few dolls that I see and go like, “Hmm, she would make a great OOAK So-and-So,” but it’s not really a character that I’m enough of a fan of to make a custom Barbie. Then I realized maybe others are big fans of certain characters/actors and I should help them out! So here are some suggestions for Barbies I think resemble specific actors. Of course, just because IMO they look alike doesn’t mean you’ll agree LOL
My thing has always been to choose a base doll that suggests the person/character. But there are talented repainters and sculptors who customize dolls/figures to look as close as possible to the real thing. That’s not something I can do (yet). So I’m content with hunting for that perfect doll to represent the character of choice.
Alex Kingston from Doctor Who (River Song), Arrow (Dinah Lance), and ER (Elizabeth Corday)
Now, my choice of doll may be a bit on the young-looking side for Ms. Kingston. But this doll has always reminded me of her (that hair!). Also, an ER custom would be sooooooo easy because there are tons of medical profession outfits and accessories for Barbie dear.
2015 Fashionistas CJY45 (Big Hair version)
Candice Patton from The Flash on The CW (Iris West)
I have a special place in my heart for custom comic book Barbies. And Iris would be so much fun to dress! Her character of course has a young and trendy style, which is very easy to find in Barbie’s size because young and trendy is the brand’s lifeblood. For total accuracy, since Iris’ hair is not reddish, the suggested doll may require a reroot. (Not recommended.) A great accessory for Iris would be a laptop so she can update her The Streak Lives Saved by the Flash blog. I have a post planned for later on how to make a laptop for Barbie for under $1.00 (USD).
2015 Fashionistas CLN63
Olivia Munn from X-Men: Apocalypse (Psylocke)
If you prefer the movie version Psylocke over the comic version, then I think Mexico Barbie (mariachi version) is a perfect base for your OOAK X-Men Apocalypse Psylocke. This doll’s face reminds me so much of Munn. No reroot required (yay!). Just add some purple clip-on streaks. And if you don’t mind painted-on clothes, it would be so easy to do a super accurate costume, especially if you could add some of the molded details using Apoxie Sculpt (find some great tips @ Jin Saotome’s customizing action figures site).
Dolls of the World: Mexico Barbie
Carla Gugino of Watchmen (Silk Spectre) and Sin City (Lucille)
This doll puts me so much in mind of Gugino. Silk Spectre would be a total blast to make! Just trying to figure out how to get that great ’40s hairdo… There are tons of great sites out there that tell you how to permanently style Barbie hair using hot/boiling water. The only thing about this Teresa is that her hair’s rather short. I don’t know if it could achieve that Silk Spectre style. But maybe it could be faked. It would also be a happy chore trying to find Barbie-size garters and fishnets. (Try a CY girls search on eBay). Her little yellow dress could be represented by a yellow Barbie blouse of some kind.
An easier Gugino custom would be her parole officer from Sin City. I think she wears just a jacket and nothing else except maybe some bruises (standard Frank Miller).
Barbie Basics Collection 001, Number 11 doll
Debi Mazar of Working (Liz Tricoli) and Batman Forever (Spice)
OK, this one may seem a bit out there since it’s an older face mold, but this looks so much like Mazar to me. And her style has always been very much that “glamour every day” of the ’50s and ’60s. Now, Working may be a pretty obscure little show, but I’m a fan. And Mazar’s character was pretty hilarious. She also had a fantastic style and fashion sense. Would be a good time to try and customize a Barbie of her.
Her character in Batman would be insane fun to try to make! The hair was crazy…and so was that Thierry Mugler-esque bustier.
Cupid’s Kisses Barbie
Stephanie March of Law & Order: SVU (Alexandra Cabot)
Every time I see this doll it makes me think of ADA Cabot. This seems like another relatively easy custom thanks to all of the professional-type outfits Mattel has offered over the years for Barbie. And I would personally enjoy shopping for accessories for her like an attaché case and glasses and also making accessories for her like legal briefs and evidence.
I wonder if that hairdo could be relaxed into Cabot’s simpler style?
Barbie Model of the Moment, Daria, Celebutante
If you make any of the above custom Barbies, please be sure to share pictures of them with me!
The Eighth Wonder of the World
Like many of my generation, I became a Wonder Woman devotee thanks to the ’70s TV show starring Lynda Carter. I was lucky enough to have the Mego doll of Wonder Woman that was the same scale as Barbie, but as a Barbie-head you know I was disappointed there was no Mattel version. (I now wonder why I never took the Mego outfit and put it on a black-haired Barbie.) Eventually in 2000, Mattel finally did release a Wonder Woman Barbie, and there have been three more releases since and an upcoming one with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. (I really wish it were called Batman v Superman v Wonder Woman v Snuggle.) I also feel lucky to have the 2000 WW Barbie. I had to. It was my childhood wish come true.
Now I’ve taken that wish a bit further and customized a Barbie into Wonder Woman. I can’t say she’s a true OOAK. More like a TOAK. Because I’m paying homage (the fancy word for rip-off as Joe Bob Briggs says) to an OOAK WW collection I saw via a Google image search. I love all of Instagram user urrgghh’s WW dolls (some official) but especially the one with the shield and the one in the blue pants and silver boots. So I decided to combine the two and then add my own take.
The one in the blue pants you may recognize as Coach Barbie. I’ve long admired this doll for her beautiful face and gorgeous hair. I’m glad to have an excuse to use her. But I had to change her eyes to blue. I used the 2003 Barbie as Wonder Woman’s outfit.
Greek mythology captured my heart in the sixth grade when I happened upon one of Edith Hamilton’s books in the school library. Did Wonder Woman have anything to do with that? In any case I wanted to honor WW’s Greek roots when making this doll. So I gave her lace-up golden sandals (similar to an early incarnation of the comic version, though those were red) and have her carrying a bow and arrow in tribute to the goddess for which she was named, Artemis (albeit the Roman name for her, Diana).
Lest you think I stole everything from urrgghh, here’s a WW redesign I drew circa 2005, complete with upper arm bracelets:
Here’s Wonder Woman without jewelry:
Just for fun, here’s Diana Prince in a Twin Peaks-inspired outfit:
“I am the only daughter of Themyscira, island of warriors, poets, and scholars.”
Too easy tutorial: Barbie-sized gift wrap
I wanted to make a holiday-themed accessory for my Winter Fun/Holiday Sisters Barbie. I decided on rolls of gift wrap. It was way too easy and took just a few minutes. So I thought I’d post this tutorial.
Items needed:
- clear drinking straws
- colorful gift wrap
- scissors (if you’re a kid reading this, please check with an adult about which scissors would be best for you to use)
- optional: new clear hair elastic
Step 1
Cut two (or more, if you’d like) drinking straws in half.
Step 2
Make sure the halved drinking straws are all the same size. Trim as needed.
Step 3
Cut a square from each of your types of gift wrap. Use the half straws as a guide for how long a side of the square should be. Then cut each square in half so that it will be easier to roll it up.
Step 4
Roll the gift wrap square as tightly as possible.
Step 5
Push the rolled-up gift wrap square into a half straw. Repeat with as many different gift wraps as you’d like. The clear straw is supposed to look like the cellophane that covers a gift wrap roll when you first buy it.
Tip: If any of the rolled-up gift wrap square sticks out of the ends of the half straw, trim as needed.
I made three rolls of Christmas gift wrap for my Barbie.
You can use a new clear hair elastic to bundle them.
Emma in the sky with…
I was watching Cosplay! Crafting a Secret Identity and saw a stunning Emma Frost (of the X-Men books) AKA White Queen cosplay photo:
I just love her Canadian Lynx! That led me to Googling other Emma Frost cosplays, which led me to this:
I thought this mid-transformation-into-diamond Emma was so neat! Many cosplayers have done it, but this was the first time I’d seen it. So I decided Barbie was going to cosplay in one-sixth scale. Presenting my custom Emma Frost Barbie:
I always liked Emma’s costume when she was co-leader of Generation X the best. So that’s what I based my doll on. Her diamond power manifested later, but, hey, it was the whole reason I even decided to make the Barbie. So I basically did a mashup of sorts ;)
I regret that my camera’s not the greatest quality. I’d really love to show off her sparkle. That’s why some of the shots are a bit dark. It’s an attempt to really highlight those carats!
I have the power originating from the left side of her brain because (spoiler alert for the Age of Apocalypse comics — highlight between the following brackets to view) [that’s the side where Emma is lobotomized in order to render her powerless].
I’m a real scaredy-cat about painting my Barbies, but there wasn’t another good way to do the Diamond Queen. You are looking at a minimum of 20 layers of paint here!
Some other fun I had before Emma starting shifting into diamond:
Why do you think it’s run by a woman called Frost? (I sometimes enjoy how snobby Emma is, founder and CEO of Frost Enterprises. And I always enjoy her furs.)
“If that’s your boyfriend, he wasn’t last night.” (Emma smack talks Jean Grey.) To be honest, though, Jean+Scott = Marvel’s X-Universe OG OTP. So I’m a tad bothered by how things have panned out for the couple.
It is way more difficult than I envisioned to find a corset/bustier for Barbie. Corsets with chokers are so ’90s, but I’m tickled by the look.
Ms. Frost simply had to have these boots with the très cool zipper detail.
This will probably be my last X-Barbie for a while. I have five other dolls/figures to finish, from the genres of horror, science fantasy, fantasy, and Japanese science fiction — and one who doesn’t readily fit into any category. Time to get back to work ^_^
Equestrian Psylocke Barbie
I got the idea for this doll after I completed this drawing of the X-Men’s Psylocke riding her horse Imogen side saddle (but off-side because Betsy likes to keep things ~*challenging*~. (Quick note: I made all this up, including what she’d name her horse, for funsies ;))
This custom was no work at all because I simple redressed my OOAK Psylocke doll in — who else — English Barbie’s side saddle riding habit. (Even if she currently inhabits a Japanese body, Betsy is English born and bred.) In fact, my Betsy’s been going around saying, “Who’s the real English Barbie now?”
Shall we ride?
How Betsy looked as she was getting ready.
Like I said, this “OOAK” was way too easy and almost cheating, but I am really happy with it because it was a way to sort of bring my drawing “to life.” =)
Oh, Steffie, you’re so fine
You’re so fine you blow my mind! Hey, Steffie! *clapclapclap* Hey, Steffie! *clapclapclap*
My love affair with the Steffie head mold began with this doll, Hispanic Barbie from 1979.
Yes, her name is unfortunate in that some people consider the term offensive. But I love this doll and have for decades. She lives in my closet in the Golden Dream Barbie case. I’ve had her at least 35 years! And she is bee-yoo-ti-full! Not only is her raven hair to-die-for, but the Steffie face with the understated makeup is sweet and gorgeous.
I adore her outfit and accessories, too. The choker with the rose is such a unique detail. I also remembering it emerging as a fashion trend in the early ’90s.
Above are the accessories she’s not wearing: necklace, a different way to customize her earrings, and a hair comb. The comb is my favorite! Always has been. Another unique accessory.
Apparently I lost one of her earrings in a grocery store parking lot when I was around 5 years old. The story — which my mom still tells! — goes that I completely flipped out and we spent an inordinate amount of time looking for it. But we did find it! And that’s why her accessories have ever since been imprisoned in this teeny lil’ Ziploc.
I wonder if she’s so beloved because she reminded me of my favorite pre-school/daycare teacher.
Other treasured Steffies in my collection include:
Hawaiian Barbie (1982)
PJ from the Barbie & Friends set (1982)
OOAK Rogue
OOAK Lara Means
Oshogatsu (Happy New Year Japanese) Barbie #2 (~1995)
Sweet Roses PJ
Dream Date PJ
Parisian Barbie (1979)
Parisian Barbie (1991)
Life in the Dreamhouse Midge
Wow, I thought I’d have a lot more than that! Perhaps my collection is weighted more heavily toward my second favorite head mold, the Mackie/closed mouth. I may have to do a post on that, too.
But my wish list of Steffie face Barbies I’d like to have is probably a mile long!
At the beauty shop
So this lovely lady had an appointment with me today to get her hair cut in order to begin her transformation into a custom Barbie. I ended up lopping off 3 inches, which translates to 18 inches for a 1:1 scale woman.
I used the tutorial at Dolls-N-Daggers. I’m not sure where that site has gone. It is so helpful! Below are the steps I followed from Valkyrie’s “Tips and Tricks for Doll Hair.”
Cutting the hair:
–You need to start with clean straight hair, see above…. *grin*
–You’ll want a tail comb, water bottle, hair clips and a sharp pair of scissors with short blades (no more than 4″).
–It’s MUCH easier to fix a haircut you’ve left too long than to re-root the entire head because you’ve cut it too short!
–A pair of thinning shears is a remarkably useful tool – human hair breaks/splits/thins as it grows out, doll hair, of course, does not. Thick ends are something humans strive for, but quickly become awkward when the hair is only a couple inches long.Shoulder Cut – or – How to Even the Ends
–We’re going to start ‘easy’ with a shoulder length straight cut
–Decide where on the back you want the hair to fall
–Pull all of the hair up into a high ponytail and secure with the hair clip
–Keep the head upright and even
–Use the tail of the tail comb to separate out a thin section from the base of the neck
–Spray it down with water and comb it straight down holding it between the index and middle fingers of your left hand
–Hold your fingers parallel to the floor and drag them down the hair to just past where you want the hair to fall after it’s cut
–Cut the hair just above your fingers
–Using the tail comb pull down another this section and wet it down
–Comb all of the ‘down’ hair between your fingers and pull them down until the first section cut just slips out and cut the second section
–Continue cutting thin sections of hair combing it all straight back until you’ve finished the head.
–Now then – Start with the head upright and even and comb the hair straight down from a center part – you’ll have two straight sides and a back section. – The back section will look great, the sides will be a bit ragged.
–Turn the doll’s head so that it’s in profile to you
–Bring that side of the head up into a high ponytail
–Use the tail of the tail comb to separate out a thin section of the hair
–Comb it between your fingers with a small section of the ‘back’
–With your fingers either parallel to the floor or slanted as you choose pull your fingers to the point where the back section just slips out and cut the section you’re still holding just above your fingers.
–Repeat from [asterisk] and do the other side in the same way.
–No [panicking] – I know that sounded on the complicated side – but once you’ve done it you’ll discover it’s quite easy!
Platinum label taste on a playline budget
Why, oh, why is it when I see a Barbie I like she is either the “chase” one (if I understand the terminology correctly), i.e. the one doll in the case that’s rare to find…? Like this 2015 Fashionista:
Originally $8 at Walmart. Now about $50 on eBay.
How do collectors know which ones are going to be rare and get them when they’re first offered? If you know, please enlighten me in the comments. Please.
…or she’s a Platinum/Gold Label limited to 1000/2500 edition? That starts at about $100, but if you’re too late is on offer at eBay, Amazon, and the like for $350 to $700. Like this Happy New Year Japan Barbie from 2008:
Here are some other dolls on my wish list:
2009 Hard Rock Cafe rockabilly Barbie
Tokidoki Barbie
Tarina Tarantino Barbie
Barbie as Athena
Fashion Fever Benetton Barbie: Osaka
Speaking of Fashion Fever, United Colors of Benetton Barbie: Stockholm
Japanese High School Student, Reina
I’m sure there are many others I’m forgetting to add (or have suppressed due to the near hopelessness of ever getting them ;)).
Sheesh, no wonder I have to make my own custom dolls. Although, truth be told, that can get quite expensive sometimes, too.
Children of the Atom’s Eve
Rounding out the trio of OOAK dolls that is a tribute to my X-Men fandom is my custom Jean Grey Barbie:
Professor Xavier’s first student and the first female X-Man, Jean is the de facto first lady of the X-Universe. She is (obviously) one of my top three favorite X-(wo)Men. Even though Ms. Grey has a very operatic and convoluted character history, I’ve always liked her personality. She just seems like a shining example of a Good Person — making the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix sagas all the more shocking, IMO. Her strength, integrity, and love for her family (birth and adopted X-version) endeared her to me.
I love her powers, which include telekinesis, telepathy, and astral projection. Jean also comes across as very graceful, something I first noticed with her balletic moves when playing Mutant Academy for PlayStation. In fact, I had originally decided to do this Barbie in the classic green Phoenix costume based on how comely I thought she looked in that game. But my plan changed.
As you can see, I ended up making Marvel Phoenix. Or Phoenix Girl. <grin> I took the elements I liked from Jean’s Marvel Girl and Phoenix costumes and combined them. My decision to use Marvel Girl’s costume was inspired by this wonderful artwork by Morry Hollowell (the first photo in this post is an homage to his image).
Jean springs into action!
As you can see, the Phoenix symbol securing her sash is actually based on the symbol from the chest of the classic green Phoenix costume.
I don’t usually go for the toothy smile Barbie face molds, but this one is so girl-next-door and lovely and Jean-like. I’m really happy with it. I believe it is a Generation Girl head mold. The red hair, green eyes, and natural looking makeup complement Jean well, too.
So there you have it: the three X-Ladies that I admire…for their strength, loyalty, resilience, and perseverance.
Comments always welcome, no matter how old this post is.
Slice like a ninja, cut like a psychic blade
Tomorrow marks the 15th anniversary of the X-Men film U.S. premiere. Twenty years ago I got into the X-Men in a big way. So I’ve declared June, July, and August the Summer of X as I celebrate and enjoy being an X-Fan. I’m currently reading the very first issues of the comic with plans to dig out my collection for a re-read. I just finished viewing for the first time(s) the X-Men Japanese anime, Wolverine and the X-Men, and X-Men: Evolution Season 1. I’m in the middle of my umpteenth rewatch of the classic ’90s X-Men animated series. Tomorrow will begin a three-day movie marathon of X1, X2, and X3.
I’m also celebrating the X by making Barbies of my favorite X-(wo)Men. I started with Rogue. Now, Rogue’s my girl, but I’ve been a casual Psylocke fan since she was heavily featured in the 1991 title relaunch. Her powers are cool (psi-blade!); her story is tragic but crazy in a soap opera-y way; her purple hair and leotard-cum-ribbons costume are striking; she’s a telepathic ninja wielding katana/swords. ‘Nuff said.
I describe myself as a casual Psylocke fan only because at the point in the comics when I got into the X-Men, Betsy was hyper-sexualized. That’s a hazard for female characters, period. And the X-Women have it done to them in spades. It’s not easy as a female reader to trudge through that. But Psylocke’s portrayal was over the top, obviously fan service (or worse). So I kept the character at arm’s length, but still considered her one of the X-characters I liked.
And then I ran into a purple-haired Barbie…
I wanted her uniform to have that darker blue look it sometimes had, like in this Jim Lee drawing:
I also thought the darker color was better camouflage for a ninja. Didn’t want her too matchy either. So the gloves and boots match but the leotard is a different shade as well as the thigh and arm ribbons. I never had a problem with a ninja wearing such an outfit. I can imagine it really allows for maneuverability.
A lot of people seem to think Psylocke’s arm and thigh ribbons are “ridiculous.” They don’t bother me in the least. In fact I quite like them and think they are distinctive. Note that a similar design on the thighs is found in Cyclops’ X-costume (as well as the full team costumes that seem to be based on it).
Ms. Braddock, Ms. Braddock, let down your hair…
I decided to go with a more modest leotard for my Psylocke.
I love when my Barbies need swords — or in this case, katana.
For fun, I did her Crimson Dawn eye tattoo. While I liked the eye tattoos in the Age of Apocalypse storyline, I’ve always been ambivalent about Betsy’s.
Alternate version with pink sash.
When telepaths attack…
I have one more X-Lady in the works. Very much hope to finish her before my Summer of X gives way to autumn.
Going Rogue
The X-Men may just be my most cherished superhero team. The Justice League of America had my heart as a child in the form of Super Friends, but JLA is full of Big-time Heavy Hitter Super Heroes: Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman. (I’m a huge Wonder Woman acolyte, too.) The Children of the Atom feel more like a team and family.
Hands-down my number one X-Man, X-Woman, mutant of female type is Rogue. She’s physically strong yet emotionally vulnerable, a reformed baddie, and a sweet Southern belle with a sassy/funny side.
I discovered the X-Men about 20 years ago. (Oh, my. That’s a lonnnnng time back.) My brother got me into the 1991 re-launch of the title. The animated series was on TV. Then my local Toys R Us had all 599* issues of various titles that comprise the Age of Apocalypse storyline on clearance. I became an X-Fan in a big, big way.
*estimate only
Of course I wanted X-Men merch, but more importantly I wanted Rogue merchandise! Too bad this was the official Rogue action figure at the time:
Oh, Toy Biz. Never stop doing you. And by never, I mean always.
As you can already guess, I far preferred Barbie dolls to action figures anyway. Well, imagine my delight and surprise in perusing the aisles at Toys R Us nearly 20 years ago and feasting my eyes on this jewel:
I was so excited. They had Storm, too! They were one-sixth scale like Barbie! They came with civilian outfits to wear to the mall to run into a Chinese American teen mutant with pyrotechnic powers! My enthusiasm was out of control…until I got a closer look.
While the head mold used for this official Rogue is fierce and intimidating, it wasn’t really my ideal when I envisioned a Rogue Barbie. And the boots. *Sigh* They are these weird bootie-type things that in no way approximate boots. They’re like the feet of footie pajamas.
But even though I was disappointed, I bought one. I should’ve bought two because since circa 1996 I’ve been wanting to put this Rogue suit on a Barbie — and this was before I even knew that customizing dolls was a thing and long before I gave myself “permission” to do so.
Thank heaven for this official Rogue 12 inch Collector Hero, mostly for that suit! I’m not the first to make use of it.
A custom Rogue Volks doll by setsunakou.com
A custom Monster High Clawdeen Rogue by (AFAICT) eBayer garnetredfox
A custom Pullip Rogue by WhiteNoise_85
I love all of these custom Rogues. Here are a few more of my favorites that don’t utilize the Toy Biz suit…Rogue Leader to Rogue Squadron…
I believe the outfit is handmade. Amazing work by Siansonea.
X-Men Legacy Rogue by robabella
A custom Tonner Rogue, also by setsunakou.com
(Tonner also released a Rogue)
Another Legacy Rogue, but this one is by mikestimson2003
I would love to have all of the above in my collection. And the official Rogue releases (including action figures and statues) have improved. But I HAD to have my very own 11.5-inch Rogue.
I went with my favorite Barbie face mold, the Steffie face. I adore the natural/no-makeup look of this one.
Here’s Rogue all suited up. I upgraded her headband (partially), belt, gloves, and boots. I also rooted the white streak(s) meself.
These boots are made for kicking butt. (I had to give her heels. Thankfully my girl is nigh invulnerable.)
Come fly with me…
Back view. The cropped jacket from the official doll is perfect.
Reach out and touch someone. Or maybe don’t.
My goodness, I love this doll! (Can’t you tell by the xillions of images I’ve included? ;)) She was a long time in the making. Not only have I been planning to do this since around ’96, but I actually started working on her in 2012. Yep, you guessed it: the hair was the holdup.
It’s very fitting that I finally have my Rogue on the 20th anniversary of my X-Men fandom.
Comments always welcome, no matter how old this post is.
Frosty the Bondgirl
Frosty the Bondgirl was a prideful corrupt soul,
With a regal air and a deadly blade
And two eyes of pure blue cold.
The germ for this idea originated in my previous custom Bond Girl Barbie post. I present the Miranda Frost from Die Another Day Barbie.
She was played by Rosamund Pike. Here is a promotional picture for comparison.
A lot of my custom Barbies are armed and dangerous. Hmm.
A closeup. (And cleavage! O_o)
I took her watch off of a Dragon 12-inch action figure and sized it down. It is supposed to be a Tissot T-Touch.
I’m particularly proud of her earrings as I made them myself. When first researching this outfit (her last one in the film), I couldn’t readily tell whether she was wearing pearl earrings or metal balls or diamonds. A fellow 007 fan and friend pointed out that they had to be diamonds, specifically Gustav Graves diamonds (he’s her boss and buddy in the movie). Swarovski crystals fill the job nicely.
I made her shoes, too, although admittedly it wasn’t that difficult of a task. I still get nervous about painting, though.
I’ve always thought this was a great costume — the asymmetry of the gloved arm versus bare (save the watch) and the black and white color scheme. I also like how Miranda was an Olympic fencer and used a sword as a weapon off the strip/piste as well. I may be in the minority (Die Another Day wasn’t well received), but Ms. Frost ranks as one of my Top Ten Bond Girls Women.
Comments always welcome, no matter how old this post is. And if you’d like me to link to you, please see my sidebar.
The Barbie Aisle 