Flashback from 2004....

I'm slowly going through my older doll photos, and putting them in date order. This will take some time, but it's also quite fun, although tedious!

In 2004 we had a lot of snow, and I'd begun to collect Chatty Cathy dolls in 2002, so I decided to create scenes with props.

 This is a tedious process and requires much patience.

But it's also therapeutic and rewarding!

I used a brown eyed, brunette vintage CC and a brunette pigtail CC, wearing vintage red velvet coats by Mattel, and one has a vintage hat. 

 Another fun thing is to put the photos in a collage.

 Of course, being dolls, accidents will happen!

 Oops!

 I like to use props I already have, too.

 Aren't they adorable?

I hope you're having fun in the winter cold!

The news sounds grim from the East coast. I pity those poor people. We had a little snow this winter, but nothing like 2016 and 2017, from Dec to April. Stay warm!

By Loretta Houben

Original Chatty Cathy PJs and hand sewn nightie.

In 2004, I discovered the joy of sewing for Chatty Cathy. I bought vintage patterns on eBay, and developed my own style.

Here is a cute nightie and mob cap for Chatty.

This is Chatty wearing a vintage PJ outfit with cap and slippers, made by Mattel in the 1960's. You can find them for a reasonable price on eBay.

The bunk bed set belonged to my sister Leona and I. I think we got it for Christmas in 1969, as the next year my Mom crocheted a bedspread for my bunk bed while she was in hospital after Marie was born. 

In 2004 I made a house for my Chatties on the windowseat in our bedroom. The dresser is a jewelry box, and the little lamp was from Ikea. 

Things have changed in 13 years, so I no longer have this displayed. I took the photos using our 1.5  megapixel camera. It has very low resolution compared to today's cell phone cameras!

Although so much has changed in such a short period of time, my love for dolls will never change. I still set up scenes and take photos, but in 2018 I would like to do it much more often, as my dolls are feeling a bit neglected.

Good night!

By Loretta Houben

Summertime fun!

Long ago when I began to collect Chatty Cathy vintage dolls, I enjoyed setting up scenes for them. Here is a back yard scene using a child's pool filled with a few inches of water, and some cute props.

Tiny Chatty baby is deciding which fruit to try.

The umbrella and towel came from the Build a Bear shop at Metrotown. These are all vintage dolls.

I bought the pool at a $ store. They don't seem to be made anymore, as I can no longer find them. The doll on the left is a JC Penny reproduction doll from 1998. The doll on the right is vintage, wearing a vintage swim suit from old stock doll wear on eBay.

Here two of the Chatty dolls take a break in the shade and read a CC newsletter I purchased on eBay. The little trike is a reproduction.

By Loretta Houben