FRENCH BOUDOIR ART DOLLS... ooh laa laa



handcrafted and handpainted



romantic details



gorgeous profile 

"Unlike most dolls from the mid 20th century, which were made for children, boudoir dolls were made to grace the beds of grown ladies. The dolls today are sought after because of their classic artistic styling and, often, their art deco look." 

As we unpacked boxes of treasures from days gone by... we came across our wonderful two French Boudoir Art Dolls that were handmade by an elderly French gentleman in the early 1980s.  One-of-a-kind and definitely art pieces for the collector. 

Our 34" cloth boudoir dolls were extremely expensive 30 years ago and have seemed to become more valuable since this type of craftmanship is hard to find. 

"These are generally large dolls, made to sit on their owner's bed. You can find dolls as small as 20 to 24 inches, although the vast majority of the dolls are over 26 inches in size. Boudoir dolls in the larger sizes seem to be in favor with collectors."

Here are some pictures of our second doll, with her "school marm" look... she appears bolder and more confident than her elegant counterpart.

hand sculpted features

 

soft cloth construction

 

period clothing with petticoat

This particular doll designer lived in France and started his career as a tailor before finding his true calling as a boudoir art doll maker.  We eagerly seek more information and welcome any tidbits you may have...

These dolls are available for purchase.  If you're interested, please click on any of the photos for more information :)

1988 Lunch At The Ritz Earrings - Down On The Farm

Look what we just unpacked! 

 

 

 

Purchased these earrings in the late 1980s... I immediately fell in love with the farm theme!! 

LOL!  Even then, I knew I was a "country gal"! 

Who knew they were rare collectibles? 

It's the little things... :)

Thanksgiving Grace 1942...

Doing some major creative work... reworking two vintage chandeliers... giving them that "mendlbarr" touch :)

Amidst the hard work and play, we have started taking a good look at what just sits around collecting dust... decided to start pondering our Thanksgiving table and the wonderful spread we traditionally prepare.  Do we really need so many extra pieces of china and crystal?   Nope... time to give to the universe.  We just listed our treasures for others to enjoy...

Get ready for Thanksgiving!  It will be here before you know it... LOL! :)

Thank goodness for lean times... our home is becoming more spacious :)

Amazing what happens when you have extra time to organize and empty closets.

We managed to get thru more boxes of treasures... besides coming across some great old pictures, we stumbled upon more designer clothing & artwork just eager to go to new homes!  My buttery soft, purple leather pants just shipped out... feels good knowing they will be enjoyed instead of sitting in a box for another decade or so!

Not sure why I held on to sooooo much for sooooo long... guess I'm a sentimental kinda gal?

Life as an actress/ creative designer has its lean times but I'm thankful that our home is full of love and that we keep finding treasures to give back to the universe... people are enjoying rare vintage items and we get a little money in our pockets... yes, it's the little things! LOL! :)

zoe coste

Came across these old earrings from my "big" earring days!  Ahhh, the memories!  These were purchased for my headshot in the 1980's... feels like yesterday!   Seems almost a sin to have kept such beauties stored away all these years... maybe it's time to let go of them, huh?   Put them on our vintage etsy site... will probably change my mind before long :)

Here's some info on this designer:
"Ms. Coste's jewelry was sold in exclusive, very high end boutiques in the 1970's & early 1980's, it is scarce in the market place and becoming highly sought after by collectors, who've loved and hunted it for years! You will not see her jewelry often."

Now... get ready... and as my husband so eloquently described it... here's my 1980's headshot with my "Rod Stewart, cockatoo, David Cassidy" hair... LOL!