Delilah Noir Dolls

New 2011 Delilah line!!!

2011-06-21T19:08:00.001-05:00

I went to ToonaRoona to see if their Lady Onyx was still on sale, and saw this!

Finally! It only took the company half a year to debut their 2011 line. LOL. A new Delilah and two new outfits available for pre-order! There is "Steampunk Delilah" with a very detailed, very cool costume; and two Gothy-ish outfits called "Black Vintage" and "Blue Gloomth." They aren't showing up in all of the online doll shops yet, so I suspect ToonaRoona is just more on-the-ball than most.

I'm afraid to post pics yet, because I'm not sure if the pics ToonaRoona are using are the official Ashton-Drake pics or not. They probably are, but just in case, I'll just link to them rather than post them here:

http://www.toonaroona.com/store/dolls/ashton_drake/delilah_noir.htm

Sale at ToonaRoona

2011-04-18T16:52:00.001-05:00

I just happened to come across this, but ToonaRoona (in the USA) has a few Delilah Noir items at sale prices:
The 2010 Accessory Pack (hat and purse) is on sale for $19.99
Lady Onyx is on sale for $89.99
Red Velvet is on sale for $119.95

You can find the sale here.

Waiting to hear about the 2011 dolls ...

2011-03-01T15:34:00.001-06:00

I haven't heard anything about the upcoming 2011 Delilah Noir line, except that it's a given that Delilah will get a friend this year. While we're waiting to hear about the 2011 dolls, I did a couple of photos for you. Believe it or not, this is Pretty in Pink, but with new eyes, hair and clothes. She's channeling Debut Delilah today.

I've also recently fallen for the charms of the 3-inch tall Mini Lalaloopsy dolls, posing in the pic below with Delilah Noir. They're so cute! And of course they're naturals to be dolls for dolls. LOL! Click on the photos to make them larger.

And even more IDEX pics of 2011 Delilahs

2011-02-08T10:39:00.000-06:00

On a blog called "Gerald Antony's Doll World" the blogger has posted several photos he took of the Ashton-Drake table at IDEX, the annual doll and toy trade show held last month. He includes pics of the Delilah Noir display at the convention here and here. Scroll down to see the Delilah pics. You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Many of the dolls in the display are 2010 dolls, but you can see the new, upcoming "Delilah's friend" in the pictures ... a close-mouthed sculpt wearing pink, who looks like she could be Delilah's sister. At the very top of the table, there is a steampunk-dressed Delilah with fiery red hair.

Delilahnoir.com still hasn't unveiled the 2011 dolls on their web site yet, but I can't wait to see some good closeup pics of that steampunk Delilah.

More later.

More IDEX pics of the 2011 Delilah line

2011-01-29T20:55:00.000-06:00

Here are a few more 2011 Delilah Noir pics, this time from James on Doll Divas. You can see some of the 2011 Delilah Noir dolls in these IDEX pics here, here and here. That second photo is the first I've seen of a new sculpt. ... She is supposed to be Delilah's friend, and will be part of the Delilah Noir line. I don't know any more details about her right now. It looks like a great sculpt, but her hair sure could use some brushing. I'll have to find out more details about her later.

Plus, some more cute dolls from the Ashton-Drake table, here.

First pics outa IDEX!!!!!

2011-01-29T11:09:00.002-06:00

Marcia from Facets by Marcia has uploaded the very first pics of the new 2011 Delilah Noir dolls! You'll have to read her notes on the photos to see what will be dressed dolls, and what will be "fashion-only" packs. It looks like Ashton-Drake has stepped up their game even more with regard to Delilah's clothing, and some of the new outfits are amazing.

There is a steampunk Delilah! Here and here. The second pic is a bad shot of her face, but you can see that the outfit is DIVINE.

Here is a pic of a dressed doll and two separate outfit packs that will be available, according to Marcia's notations at the bottom of the picture.

I'll post links to more IDEX pictures as they become available this weekend.

Ashton-Drake To Appear At IDEX

2011-01-06T20:45:00.020-06:00

Ashton-Drake Galleries is confirmed as a participator at this year's IDEX, the annual doll and toy trade show that will take place in Orlando, Florida this month Jan. 27-30, 2011. One hundred eleven exhibitors and retailers have been confirmed for the show, including the Tonner Doll Company, Integrity Toys, the Alexander Doll Company, Kish & Company, Heidi Plusczok, Boneka, and Zawieruszynski Originals. You can find a complete list of the artists and exhibitors here.

This is the yearly event at which doll companies debut either part or all of their new, upcoming doll collections, so it's worth paying attention to the online doll forums that weekend if you want previews of the new 2011 dolls. Since I can't attend IDEX in person this year, I know I'll be glued to forums like Prego, Pink Parlor and Doll Divas to get info about 2011's dolly offerings. There are always a few dedicated collectors who take pictures at IDEX and post the pics on the doll boards for us to drool over.

The IDEX main site is here, with much more information.

Blue

2011-01-01T00:46:00.015-06:00

Playing with my dollies again.
The blue-haired girl is my custom "mannequin" Delilah Noir; the one with the burgundy/brown hair is a customized debut Delilah, and the one with the blue lips and black hair is Lady Onyx. All are wearing Monique wigs.

I'm not sure I love those eyes on Lady Onyx; I may change her eyes again after this photo shoot. They aren't her original eyes. I've already forgotten what brand they are, but I'm not sure that shade of bright aqua really suits her. They do sort of give her a soft, gentle look, though.

I'm in love with the shirt she's wearing, however ... I got it from Mimiwoo in Hong Kong, and the silver writing on the black and gray stripes is awesome.

I'm just glad I finally found a use for that insanely blue blue wig my custom mannequin Delilah is wearing. LOL. I got it on sale half off a couple years ago. I've finally found a doll that can wear it and look cool. For some reason it never suited any other doll, but on this particular Delilah it looks great. I think it's hers, now.

Christmas Greetings

2010-12-24T15:44:00.004-06:00

Delilah says: Have an absolutely lovely Christmas.

What do you want in the Delilah Noir line?

2010-12-20T12:32:00.005-06:00

Just a heads up: On their Delilah Noir Facebook page, Ashton-Drake is asking what we all want to see in the Delilah line for the coming year(s). You might want to stop by and tell them what you'd like. The link to their Facebook page is here.

More later,

Head Switching with Ellowyne Wilde!?!!

2010-12-14T20:30:00.036-06:00

I saw these photos on the Prego doll forum, and asked the doll's owner if I could post the pictures here. The doll's owner and photographer, Inti, switched a custom-painted Delilah Noir head onto an Ellowyne Wilde body. Here's the amazing part: According to Inti, the switch went flawlessly and the neck hole was a perfect match! I just thought it was a brilliant example of Franken-dollying and had to share it here.

I won't be doing it myself, since I think the Delilah body is fine (and Ellowyne bodies are expensive), but it definitely provides people with more options to consider. Ellowyne dolls run about the same price as Delilah Noir dolls, but if you could find a nude one on eBay for less than retail, it might be fun to experiment.

Sorry I had to censor this next picture, but I didn't want the blog peeps to delete my blog because someone objected to - *GASP* - nude vinyl. Anyway, it shows how nicely the Ellowyne body works with the Delilah Noir head, even in terms of skin color. Just pretend she's wearing a black, square-ish bikini.

This last pic shows the inside of the neck hole, to demonstrate how precisely the Delilah head fits onto the Ellowyne body. These first four photographs are by Inti. Click the pictures to make them bigger.

By the way, the above Delilah's vibrant custom face paint was done by Staci of DollWear by Staci, who has a web site here.

In case you were wondering what an Ellowyne doll looks like, here's "Mistakenly Sad" Ellowyne Wilde. She's quite a pretty doll in her own right, and she can share clothing with Delilah even without a body swap. This last photograph is the property of Wilde Imagination.

Pretty in Pink's Eye Change

2010-12-08T09:00:00.007-06:00

I just can't help myself. I have to switch out my Delilahs' eyes every now and then. These are green 10mm flatback glass eyes, and I love them on Pretty in Pink. She is pictured here still with her original hair, clothing and face paint. I'm not really in a rush to change her out of this shirt. It's so cutetastic; I guess I'll leave her in it for a while.

I'll re-post one of the pics of Pink with her original brown eyes below, for comparison. Her original eyes actually suit her nicely. I just like to change things up.

For some reason, looking at these pics makes me think how nice this sculpt would look with a tan/bronze skintone. Maybe it's just looking at the brown eyes that made me think of it, but if they ever made a Delilah (or Delilah friend) with tan/bronze skin and black hair, I'd have to get her.

More later,

Delilah-ish News and Updates

2010-12-01T20:08:00.050-06:00

Delilah photos from Wu's "Dark Romance" convention

I found photos on Flickr of the salesroom at the 2010 Jason Wu/Integrity Toys convention held the end of October in Pittsburgh, Penn. Apparently there were Ashton-Drake dolls displayed at the convention, including a whole collection of Delilahs, as well as dolls that were a collaboration between Ashton-Drake and Integrity such as the Dark Hunter dolls and the Brides of Dracula series.

I'll have to link to the photos, since they aren't mine to post and I don't have permission to re-upload them: here and here. The photos are by Iveta Dolly Pimp (yes, I swear that's the name she uses on doll forums).

I wish I'd been there to see all those dolls in person! I'm sure I would've stood in front of the table drooling on myself while attempting to remember how much money was left in my bank account.

IDEX 2011

On another note, I'm really expecting news about the 2011 Delilah Noir line to surface the last weekend in January, 2011, because that's when the huge annual trade show IDEX is held in Florida. I'm expecting Ashton-Drake to make an appearance at IDEX with some of their 2011 line, but I haven't heard yet whether they are attending. They did attend last year, where they showed off their 2010 line pre-release: Lady Onyx, It's 10 p.m. and Pretty in Pink. So more on this event later, when I have additional info.

Pretty in Pink's Accessories and Clothing

2010-11-24T09:44:00.008-06:00

I thought I'd post some detail pics of Pretty in Pink's accessories.

The ferret is cute and comes with a pink leash and collar. I cut off the white tag he had hanging from a seam in his belly. It seems that every stuffed animal in the world comes with a giant white tag sticking out of them somewhere. Tags hanging out of stuffed animals annoy me. I cut them off, every time.

The skirt is SO CUTE. I'd love to pair it with a solid-colored pink shirt, or a solid-colored pale green top that matched. I also want to pair the pink vampire bunny T-shirt with some jeans. I see mix-and-match options, here, which is part of the reason I wanted Pretty in Pink in the first place.

The high-heeled sneakers ... make me scratch my head. I'm having a love-hate relationship with them. Sometimes I think they're adorable, and sometimes I think "high-heeled sneakers, how crazy is that?" LOL. I'm not sure if I love them yet, but I might learn to like them.

The purse is cute.

Another reason I got her was I liked her slightly subtle, natural face paint/makeup done in shades of brown. I already have several Delilahs who are Gothic-looking to varying degrees; it's nice to have a Delilah who has a more normal, almost makeup-free look for contrast. I won't be messing with this Delilah's face paint. She'll stay just like this, although I will change her eyes at some point just for fun. (And because I can't help myself. ... I'm obsessed with changing their eyes. LOL.)

The striped socks are fun. Lots of possibilities there. And who can resist the rabbit-earred hoodie?

I Got Pretty In Pink!

2010-11-20T14:13:00.022-06:00

Eeee! I got Pretty in Pink!

I hadn't planned to get another Delilah Noir until next year, but then a brand new, never-removed-from-box Pretty in Pink came up for sale for an extremely low price. Yay me!

I LOVE the ferret. I LOVE the brown wig with touches of pink; it's very original, and not something you find every day. I LOVE the plaid skirt. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE the adorable bunny ear hooded jacket.

Here are some right-out-of-the-box photos. I haven't touched anything about her except to lightly comb her hair. I'll post some more pics later of some of her costume details.

And now I'm a little bit poorer, but also a bit happier. LOL. And bad. Very, very bad. I don't need to buy any more dolls for a while. Until next year.

BELOW: A pic of her hair from the back. It doesn't only just have pink streaks in it; it also has blond hairs rooted in among the brown. It's very interesting and the mix of colors is cool in person. Mine was a bit messy and fly-away coming out of the box. I've heard that washing doll wigs in shampoo made for human hair wigs (synthetic hair shampoo) will tame the frizzies if your doll wig is a little unruly. I haven't tried it, myself, but I might attempt it with this wig. Other things people sometimes use for doll wigs are human hair conditioner or a liquid fabric softener made for clothing. It makes me want to do some experimenting. From what I've read, human hair conditioner works the LEAST well, but it will at least de-tangle doll hair. I haven't used any of these methods, so I guess I'll just stop there.

This wig wasn't actually tangled; it was just a bit fly-away, if that makes any sense whatsoever. I had to do a bit of combing before I got it looking neat enough for the pictures. Besides that, I love the wig and I will definitely try to use some liquid fabric softener on it to see what happens.

Another doll! Wheee! I'm excited. I SO want to pair that pink vampire bunny shirt with jeans.

More later.

Big Sale at Bearzabout

2010-11-13T09:00:00.012-06:00

Just wanted to pass along information about a huge sale at Bearzabout. I went to their web site and found surprisingly low prices on Delilah Noir dolls. If you want one, you might want to stop there and see what they have. Apparently, the store will be going out of business in a few months, which makes me sad.

I saw all of the following Delilah Noir dolls for $90 each:
Dark & Defiant
Pretty in Pink
Lady Onyx
It's 10 p.m.

They also had the Delilah Noir accessory pack with the hat and purse for $6 off the regular price. They're also carrying the new Dark Hunter dolls, which are beginning to be shipped out to customers who pre-ordered. I noticed some steep discounts on some Tonner dolls as well, but haven't looked at the rest of the site yet. (I adore Tonner and Jason Wu dolls as well.)

You can find their Ashton-Drake page here.

I am NOT affiliated with Bearzabout, but I like to pass along info about any unusually good sales on Delilah Noir dolls I see, since it IS the topic of my blog and all. :)

UPDATE: Apparently, word has gotten out on the various doll forums about Bearzabout going out of business, and they're already selling out of certain dolls. Dark & Defiant is already sold out. You'd better grab them, quick!

More Hometown Trek Photos

2010-11-08T13:43:00.011-06:00

Since I last posted about it, the Delilah Noir "Hometown Trek" event has added Seattle, Washington, and Yuma, Arizona to its photograph album.

The Hometown Trek is where a Delilah is being sent around the country to be photographed by various Delilah fans in different cities. You can see the picture albums here. It looks like the people participating are having a blast doing the pictures. I've been enjoying looking through the photographs, myself.

Marika's Delilah

2010-11-07T16:48:00.013-06:00

Marika on Prego gave me permission to post a few of her Delilah Noir pictures. I just thought they were very artful and pretty. Her Delilah always looks very thoughtful in her photographs. Believe it or not, all these pictures are of the same Delilah: a custom-painted Mannequin Delilah. A whole lot of different looks for a doll that didn't even come painted!

This last one is just Gothy-cool.

Photos by Marika, posted here with her permission. Thanks Marika! You rock.

Halloween Contest Winners

2010-10-31T18:11:00.004-05:00

The winners of the Delilah Noir Halloween fashion photo contest have been announced. You can find all of them here. Congrats to all the winners! It was a really fun contest and I look forward to the next one.

I adore the skirt on the one voted "Fan Favorite."

Halloween Photo Contest Results Will Be Announced

2010-10-31T13:33:00.004-05:00

It's Halloween in the United States, and the Halloween photo contest winners should be announced on the Delilah Noir Facebook page either today or tomorrow. I'd be more excited, but I don't think I won. LOL.

It's pretty funny, because when I submitted my Halloween picture to the contest I was thinking I had a good chance of winning ... and then they posted all the other contest entries on the Facebook page, and I saw what my competition was like. ARRRGH! There were so many other really nice, cool and creative entries. I think some of the other photos blew mine out of the water. Heavy sigh.

Custom Delilah by American jeZebel

2010-10-24T14:19:00.010-05:00

This gorgeous Delilah Noir was painted and customized by Debra of American jeZebel. Debra gave her Delilah a whole new sophisticated look. I thought the look was dramatic and elegant at the same time. Flawless work, Debra!

The Delilah was formerly "It's 10 p.m." Debra's web site is here, if you wanted to see more of her custom work. Photos are by Debra of American jeZebel and are posted here with her permission.

Delilah Noir in Oregon

2010-10-20T14:40:00.007-05:00

Pictures have just been posted of Delilah's Oregon stop in the Hometown Trek event. There are some really lovely pictures here: Link to Delilah in Oregon. The pictures include two Delilahs about to be eaten by geese! LOL. The Hometown Trek event is where a traveling Delilah is sent to many different cities to fans who then post photos of the doll on the delilahnoir.com site.

Also, did you see the pictures on Delilah's Facebook page about her visit to an Ann Taylor store? It's here. There are some very charming photos there, too.

I just thought I'd mention these so no one missed them.

*Hugs*

Halloween Pics

2010-10-19T10:19:00.013-05:00

Some Halloween pics for you!

I consider my picture below a "reject" pic. I was worried it would look like the dolls were floating a foot off the ground instead of looking like they were sitting on a front porch, which was what I intended. I asked my husband's opinion, and he thought they looked like they were sitting on SOMETHING, but not a front porch. I declared this pic a "fail" for this reason, although I'll show it to all of you just because even the "fail" pic is sort of cute, I think.

I made the two costumes. The house in the background is my real house in the last two pics. In the first pic, the background is a shrub in my backyard.

By the way, the dolls are Lady Onyx Delilah Noir (with the white hair and costume) and Dark & Defiant. I adore these two dolls. I even love the slight height difference between the old body versus the 2010 body, because it adds a touch of realism to the doll photos.

You can click on the photos to make them bigger.

Some Fabulous Pics by Rebecca

2010-10-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

I saw these photos on Flickr and asked the photographer if I could post them on my blog. This is a custom Delilah Noir mermaid by Rebecca, posted here with her permission. I think the pictures are absolutely lovely. She painted tiny teeth in the mermaid's mouth!

Rebecca also did this portrait of a "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" Delilah Noir (below, on the right) next to a Gothy-looking Goodreau doll. I think she did a good job at making the dolls look like they are alive and thinking, which is one mark of good doll photography.

Halloween Pics, Coming Right Up

2010-10-05T06:00:00.012-05:00

I was having fun this weekend doing some pictures for the Halloween photo contest hosted by delilahnoir.com. These are some cropped preview pics of the photos I did, but not the actual shots I'm going to submit to the contest. The white-haired doll is Lady Onyx and the black-haired is Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir. (You can pretty much tell by the lip color on those two.)

The deadline for pics is one minute before midnight (Central time) Oct. 19. Here's the link to the contest page again. Although I kind of hope no one else enters so I can win. LOL! You can vote for your favorite on the Delilah Noir Facebook page Oct. 20-30 to determine the winner of the "Fan Favorite" category. The Facebook page is here.

I guess since their eyes are really apparent in the pics, I'll tell you what kind of eyes they are. Onyx (white hair) is wearing 10mm Volks acrylic eyes in "green-gray" from Volks USA, and Defiant is wearing 10mm acrylic eyes from Mimiwoo in "yellow" (really a yellowish-green ... found in the "Obitsu" section on the Mimiwoo web site). Volks' shipping charges are outrageous; Mimiwoo shipping is cheap, but I prefer the Volks eyes by a slim margin. Both are an excellent quality for acrylic eyes, and as you can see, they're stinkin' gorgeous.

Releaserain Eyes

2010-09-28T19:43:00.025-05:00

Just thought you'd be interested in a closeup of one of the eyes sold by Releaserain on eBay. They were the eyes used in the doll in my last post (Sept. 27). This is the one called "Mint Chocolate" in a 10mm. Really nice quality for acrylic eyes, but they don't come in very many colors in the 10mm size. ... Mostly browns and hazels. "Mint Chocolate" is a true hazel, meaning there is both green and brown in the eye. The eyes are cheap. Releaserain is located all the way in Hong Kong, though, which is a whole world away if you're in North America like I am. You can find their eBay shop here.

I really wish they'd branch out to do more colors in the 10mm size, because these are awesome. They actually have a 9mm size with a wider color range. I haven't tried the 9mm's on Delilah, though.

Onyx and Debut Delilah Revisited

2010-09-27T06:36:00.017-05:00

I was aching to do some more photographs. I just got this light blonde Monique "Roxie" wig from someone on the Prego doll forum and had to try it out. (The actual color is called "peach-blonde," but I don't really see the peach.) The other wig is a Monique "J-Rock" wig in "golden auburn."

These dolls are actually Lady Onyx and Debut Delilah, although you might not recognize them. I can't help myself. ... I just have to get in there and play and customize them. Onyx still has her original face paint, but my Debut Delilah (in the auburn wig) has had some lip paint and eyeliner added. Both have new eyes, hair and clothing.

For some reason, the above Delilah always looks angry. LOL. I'm not sure why. She never looked angry until I decided to repaint her.

The blonde's eyes are 10mm Glastic eyes in "light blue," and the brunette's eyes are from Releaserain on eBay. Releaserain's eyes are awesome and a nice quality for acrylic eyes, but currently there aren't many colors available in the 10mm size. They're mostly browns and hazels (a true hazel, meaning green and brown mixed). I think these eyes were called "mint chocolate" or something like that.

Getting Ready for Winter

2010-09-24T10:23:00.007-05:00

Just playing with my slightly customized Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir. Her face paint has not been touched, but she has new eyes, hair and clothing. She's wearing Robert Tonner clothes that were made for the 16-inch Tyler Wentworth doll. The eyes are 10mm flatback glass eyes in green. I think Defiant has become my favorite Delilah.

I was obviously inspired by Lady Onyx and her white wig for this photo shoot. I should photograph the two together, next.

Sale on Delilah Noir dolls

2010-09-17T22:10:00.011-05:00

Just dropped by to mention Angelic Dreamz is having a three-day sale on their Delilahs Sept. 17-20. They have Red Velvet, Pretty in Pink, It's 10 O'Clock and Lady Onyx, and two accessory packs (the shoe set and the hat-and-purse set). I would definitely grab that Red Velvet if you haven't already, because I suspect she'll be totally sold out everywhere one day.

It's here. No, I'm not affiliated with Angelic Dreamz; I'm just trying to be helpful, since it is the topic of my blog and all. LOL.

In other news, I was investigating a local fabric store today to look for fabric for a Halloween costume for one of my Delilahs. I was inspired by the recent news of the Halloween photo contest announced on delilahnoir.com. More on that, later.

Above: Red Velvet Delilah Noir

New "Categories" Section in Sidebar

2010-09-16T11:49:00.004-05:00

I realized this blog was starting to get long and messy, so there is now a "Categories" section in the sidebar to the right. This way if someone just wants to look at photographs without going through the entire blog, they can just click on the "Photograph Gallery" link. This will bring up only the posts that include photographs of Delilah Noir dolls. Also, if someone just wanted to see posts that include comparisons of different brands of doll eyes for use in Delilah Noir dolls, you can click on the "Eye Comparisons" link.

I thought this would be useful for people new to the blog. To go through every page in the blog, of course, go to the bottom of the page and click on "Older Posts."

Halloween Contest Announced

2010-09-15T21:43:00.006-05:00

The next delilahnoir.com photo contest will be a Halloween-themed one. You can photograph your Delilah in either a Halloween costume, or a Halloween-themed outfit. There are three categories. One category is "Fan Favorite," in which the submissions will be posted on the Delilah Noir Facebook page and everyone can vote for which they like best. I'll enjoy seeing all the submissions!

The winners get $100 plus their choice of a Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir or Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Deadline is Oct. 19. You can find out more info here.

Delilah in Chicago

2010-09-08T13:11:00.005-05:00

The Delilah Noir Facebook page has posted some nice pictures of a Delilah being taken around Chicago to see the sights. It's just a group of very charming pictures Delilah fans might want to see. It's here. They took their Delilah doll to a public aquarium, among other things. It's the first set of pictures in the "Hometown Trek" event I mentioned in my last post.

I want to participate in Hometown Trek so much, but it will be a little difficult for me, because I'd have to drag a 2-year-old around with me to do the photographs. So, I might not end up participating after all. Eh. Then again, having a small child with me might be a good excuse to carry a doll around town. LOL!

The cut-off date for entering is Sept. 20.

More later,

EVENT: Photograph Delilah in Your Hometown

2010-09-02T20:22:00.034-05:00

Something really interesting was announced on the Delilah Noir Twitter page. They've announced that they want some people to photograph Delilah around their hometowns and submit the photographs. There wasn't a huge amount of information on this, except what you can read here: Hometown Trek. You have to e-mail Ashton-Drake by Sept. 20 to let them know you want to be involved in the photography event.

I think it would be really interesting. I've seen doll forums that have sections devoted to photographs of dolls in people's home cities or countries. "My Momoko" has such a section on its site, and it's really neat to see pictures from around the world. I think I'd love to participate in this myself. How neat would it be to photograph your doll at a local festival or something? (Although the looks you'd get might be even more interesting. LOL.)

Some tips on public photography I've learned from reading doll forums:

When you're photographing dolls in public places, be very self-confident about it. Act like you are supposed to be there photographing the doll. Don't be furtive and nervous about it. If people start bothering you, tell them it's a project for a photography class or for an online contest. Act like you're super excited about the class/contest.

You do NOT have to let people hold your doll. If someone is insistent on holding your doll, just say it's an expensive doll and you wouldn't want him or her to be responsible for messing up or breaking a $150 doll. They'll probably blink twice at the price, because people who aren't familiar with dolls other than Barbie can't imagine a doll being over $25, and don't understand how a high-end collectible doll is different. Imagine if you caved in to some guy who insisted on holding your doll ... who really wouldn't take 'no' for an answer ... only to see him run off with it laughing. *Shudder*

Keep your dolls safe, but have fun!

Also, if you want to photograph Delilah inside a store, you'll have to get permission from the manager. Store managers/owners are really paranoid about people taking photographs in their stores, and might throw you out if you don't ask permission first. A lot of malls even have rules against people taking pictures of the store fronts or merchandise. ... I can't imagine why. Do they think competitors are going to sneak in to steal their ideas for merchandise display? LOL.

I'll be really interested to see the photographs that result from this event. I'll keep you all posted.

Contest Winners Announced

2010-08-26T11:41:00.010-05:00

The winners of the Delilah Noir pattern-making contest hosted by Ashton-Drake have been announced. You can find the winners here, with pictures of the clothing they made. Click on links to the left of the pictures to see more photographs of the designs.

What's particularly nice is everyone can download the winning patterns directly from the site! I want to download a couple of them, myself. I adore the first one by Durelle B., a short kimono-type outfit with lots of flair. I love "Feathered Dream" by Hannah C. also, but wish there were more pictures of it. Really, all the winners did really nice work.

The next Delilah Noir contest will be announced Sept. 15, according to the web site.

"Pretty in Pink" and "It's 10 p.m." in stock

2010-08-19T18:27:00.008-05:00

All the online doll stores that carry Delilah Noir dolls now have "IN STOCK" written beside their "Pretty in Pink" and "It's 10 p.m." dolls. Yay! All the Delilahs listed on the Ashton-Drake web site are now available. The VIP club dolls are still a mystery, though, except for the first release ("It's 10 p.m.").

On top of that, I just saw my first owner pics of "Pink." She looks EXACTLY like her promo pics! I thought she was great. I haven't seen any owner pics of "10 p.m." yet.

More later,

Playing with Glastic brand doll eyes

2010-08-13T16:52:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd do a comparison shoot showing you what Glastic acrylic eyes look like with Delilah Noir. The Glastic eyes are easy to get, and fairly cheap. Just about anyone who sells doll supplies online will have them.

The Glastic 10mm eyes run large, so there is no way that Glastic 12mms are going to fit Delilah Noir. Even the 10mms look a bit large on Delilah. For kicks, I tried an 8mm on Delilah, too. Too small. They make her look a little possessed and crazy. Bleah. There's a huge difference between the Glastic 10mm and 8mm eyes, but there is no in-between size. Nope, no 9mms.

The first picture shows Delilah Noir wearing 10mm Glastic eyes. The box for these says "light green," but they look pretty blue to me. I bought them secondhand, so I don't know if this was really the box that came with the eyes, or not. Perhaps the original owner put them in the wrong box? Or maybe that really is the Glastic "light green."

Pictures #2 and #3 show Delilah Noir in 10mm Glastic eyes in "light blue." It's a really strong, gorgeous sky blue.

Below: 8mm Glastic acrylic eyes in "blue-gray." They're so small on her they make her look crazy or surprised or something, and the eyeball doesn't quite fill the eye hole completely. I don't like the 8mms on Delilah, at all. The color is pretty, though. I'd love to have this color in a 10mm.

And now this pic, just because I like it. The doll is a customized Debut Delilah Noir, and this is Debut Delilah's default black wig. I adore this wig. It suits her very nicely. You've probably noticed I use the wig a lot in my photos. If Ashton-Drake ever sold this wig separately in different colors, I'd buy one of each color.

By the way, when you're looking to buy Glastic eyes, shop around for the best prices first. You'll get almost a $3 difference between stores sometimes. That $3 really adds up when you're getting several pairs at the same time.

Pics of 2010 Body Sculpt Added

2010-08-06T11:08:00.012-05:00

I just added several detailed close-up pics of the new 2010 Delilah Noir body sculpt to my DollPage photo album, here. The pictures show the jointing, sculpt and posing in detail. You might want to check it out if you haven't seen the new body sculpt yet.

By the way, the pre-2010 body shown on that page and the 2010 body are different skin tones. The 2010 body is the "pale" skin tone, and the other is the "normal."

I know someone's going to ask about the eyes in the above photograph. They are 12mm Masterpiece polymer eyes in "Baby blue." The problem with them is when they arrived I noticed that the irises are slightly larger than the irises on my previous 12mm Masterpiece polymer eyes. Since they're slightly larger, they don't look quite as good on Delilah except as a side-glancing eye. This is the biggest problem with trying to use 12mm eyes on Delilah. ... Some 12mm's look good and some are just too big. Boy, I wish Masterpiece would make their polymer eyes in 10mm! Maybe if a few people wrote them and asked ...

Why Ashton-Drake Changed Delilah's Body Sculpt

2010-08-04T14:17:00.009-05:00

An employee at Ashton-Drake has shed some light on why the Delilah Noir body was changed. According to a post in the delilahnoir.com customer forum, here, the body was changed to "improve the doll's flexibility" and also so the doll can "fit into a wider range of clothing lines."

I posted below that the new body can fit into Tonner clothing much better, but had no idea that this was intentional on A.D.'s part.

I have to admit I absolutely loved the original body, and was a little confused why they changed it. I thought the original body was visually pretty and posed very nicely. The only thing I would have changed about it was the ankle joints. It took me a few minutes to get used to the new body, but now that I'm used to it, I think it's nice. It IS great that it can fit into more 16-inch doll clothing. I think it's still going to be a matter of personal taste whether people prefer the old or new bodies.

More later,

Comparison of Old and New Delilah Noir Bodies

2010-08-03T15:03:00.066-05:00

On the left is the new 2010 Delilah Noir body sculpt; on the right is the pre-2010 body. The dolls are standing level with one another.

I've been able to compare and contrast the old (pre-2010) and new (2010) Delilah Noir bodies. I've been aching to do this ever since I learned the body sculpt had changed. In these pictures you can see Lady Onyx Delilah Noir on the left with the newer body sculpt, and a slightly customized Dark & Defiant Delilah on the right with the older body (she has new eyes and a new wig). Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Sorry I had to censor the pics. I was worried my blog hosting site would object to nude doll pics, and I didn't want them to delete my blog. You can see more comparison pics here: Delilah Noir pictures on TheDollPage.com.

The newer body is most definitely thinner. Aesthetically, it's about as attractive as the older body, but in a different way. Whether you prefer the thinner or thicker body would be a matter of personal taste. The newer body looks more mature, in my opinion. The older body looks like the body of a 13-year-old girl, while the newer body looks more like an adult. The new body is a little shorter than the old, with a thinner waist, thinner hips, smaller feet and a larger bust. The head size is the same, which makes the head look slightly large on the thinner body, but not in a bad way.

The good news is that the newer Delilahs can fit into more clothing from other fashion doll companies. Tyler Wentworth clothing will be more or less a perfect fit. I don't know about the shoes yet, though. I don't have any Tyler shoes to try on my Delilahs, so I can't tell you if they'll fit the new body yet. Gene Marshall clothes (including the shoes) will be hit or miss. I'll talk more about clothing options in a bit.

The bust on the newer body is different. The new bust looks like the bust of an adult woman. Delilah now has a larger cup size! LOL. The breasts are shaped as if she's wearing an invisible bra. I've seen other doll makers do this. The theory is they might look nicer in lingerie, swimsuits and other tight clothing, as if they are wearing a bra that's giving them a bit of a "lift."

The ankle joints on the new body seem to be the same design as the older body, but the foot is overall smaller, which means she can fit in more brands of shoes. The wrist joints look the same.

Some notes on clothing for the 2010 Delilah body

This pic is Lady Onyx (a Delilah Noir with the new 2010 body) in Gene Marshall's "Town and Country" outfit (without the jacket) . Astoundingly, it fits! Even the jacket fits. Gene is notorious for having a very tiny waistline. You can't even put 16-inch Tyler dolls in Gene clothing, because the Gene clothes wouldn't fit them in the waist. The shoes from that outfit even fit Delilah, but they're tight. The whole outfit is just a little bit tight on Delilah, but I was able to zip it up in the back just fine. (The zippers on those Gene Marshall outfits are SO TINY!)

Unfortunately, I also tried another Gene outfit on Delilah called "The Perfect Gift," which is an older outfit, I believe (see the picture below). That one did NOT fit perfectly. I couldn't get the top snap of the skirt closed on Delilah, and there would be no way to move the snap to make it fit better. I was able to get the jacket snapped completely, but barely. The jacket is tight on her. Delilah's hands fit through the long jacket sleeves just fine, though.

It looks like Gene Marshall clothing is hit or miss on Delilah, with some of the skirts being just a teeny bit too tight. Other Gene clothes will fit her just fine, especially if they aren't very tight in the waist. The shoes from "The Perfect Gift" did NOT fit Delilah (too small), so it looks like Gene shoes will be hit or miss with the newer Delilah body, too. I'm wondering if there is a difference between the older Genes and the newer Genes that were produced by Integrity. Maybe only the Integrity Gene outfits will fit Delilah Noir, but not the older Gene outfits? Hmm.. I'll have to do some more research on that one. The Gene Marshall body sculpt did change over the years as they added articulation, but I'm not an expert on Gene dolls.

The pre-2010 Delilah Noir body will not fit in Gene clothing at all, but will fit in most Tyler Wentworth clothing pieces, as well as in clothes from Ashton-Drake's 16-inch Hannah Montana doll.

I think clothing from Robert Tonner's 16-inch dolls will fit the new Delilah body just fine, since Tyler is a little bit larger in the waist than Gene. I'm now wishing I had more Tyler Wentworth clothing.

Above: Lady Onyx in the Gene Marshall outfit "The Perfect Gift." Onyx looks a bit like The Ghost of Christmas Present in this outfit. LOL! Like I said, though, the top snap on the skirt won't close, because the skirt is a bit tight on her, and the shoes are a little too small.

Some Updates

2010-07-28T12:01:00.010-05:00

Just a few updates this morning.

'The Cut" contest that delilahnoir.com is currently hosting will end August 15. This is the contest I mentioned in a previous post for the best original Delilah Noir clothing pattern. You can find more about the contest here. If you can sew or make patterns, this contest is a great way to win money and a free doll. Just reminding everyone.

Also, delilahnoir.com has added two more tutorials to their "How-To" section, with more on the way. You can find the tutorial section on their web site here.

I think that's about it right now. I'm about to embark on a 2 1/2-hour drive to see relatives, so it will be several days before I can post again. When I return, though, I'll give you some comparison pictures of the old versus new Delilah Noir bodies. See ya.

Live Pics of Lady Onyx

2010-07-22T22:07:00.034-05:00

The first of the 2010 Delilahs! The Delilahs come tied in their boxes with ribbons like Robert Tonner dolls, not imprisoned in an insane number of wire twisty-ties like Mattel dolls. I swear it takes a pair of wire cutters and a full half hour to get a Mattel doll out of its box!

Anyone who follows this blog knows I have a soft spot in my heart for the Goth girls. I was so thrilled when Lady Onyx arrived that I threw a piece of dark blue velvet on my floor, laid Onyx on it and started snapping pics immediately. I never even asked her how her trip was. LOL!

She has white paper wrapped around her body under the clothes as a guard against staining. I noticed this when I got Dark & Defiant a while back ... and you know what, Defiant didn't have a single stain on her entire body, even though she was dressed head-to-toe in black. Ashton-Drake seems to take precautions against staining, which is really nice. I looked Onyx over, and haven't noticed staining on her, either. Yay! The only Delilah doll I've gotten that had any staining was my Debut Delilah, who had a faint stain on one knee from her sock.

The bane of every doll collector is red or black clothing. Usually.

These pictures make it look like the doll was standing upright, but she was really laying down on the floor. I think doll photography is sometimes the art of illusion.

THE SHOES!!!!! I love the shoes! Super cool Victorian-esque boots. I would have loved to have a pair of these when I was 20. No, really.

By the way, Lady Onyx has high-heeled feet, if anyone was wondering.

The Very Cool Sweater

2010-07-15T16:54:00.017-05:00

Here's that sweater I mentioned in the last post. I found out which doll it's from. It's from "Weekend Retreat Tyler Wentworth." The whole outfit fits Delilah Noir perfectly except for the shoes. Even the jeans from it are a perfect fit, which I was surprised to discover. The Weekend Retreat Tyler doll was from 2002, so you'd have to go to eBay or ask around on a doll forum in order to get this sweater now.

I've pictured my Delilah (a custom-painted mannnequin Delilah Noir) wearing the "Weekend Retreat" sweater with the plaid skirt from Debut Delilah Noir, and a Monique J-Rock wig in size 6-7 in "golden auburn." She has 10mm flatback glass eyes.

For some reason, my dolls always look angry in my pictures. LOL. I think it's just because I have the camera angled downward a lot when I'm photographing.

How-To Articles On Site, Plus a New Contest

2010-07-08T17:16:00.018-05:00

Tutorials on delilahnoir.com
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that beginning today, delilahnoir.com is featuring "how-to" articles on the site. I'm excited about it because I WROTE THEM! LOL. Ashton-Drake Galleries contacted me a while ago because they were looking for people to do several tutorials for their web site. They've known about my blog for a long time now, and thought I'd be a good candidate to do the tutorials. Of course, I immediately squealed a big "YES"! So, I'm proud to announce that beginning today, delilahnoir.com will have a section devoted to "how-to" articles. There are six up there so far, all by me. There are a few more coming. The tutorials page is here.

Extra eyes promotion
They've made a LOT of changes to their web site this week. For one thing, they've announced a limited-time promotion where you can get two free extra pairs of eyes in different colors with every purchase. I mentioned this was coming in an earlier post, but the promotion starts today! It's extra eye colors for free.

New pattern-making contest
Also, they've posted a new contest that will begin July 13. This contest is pattern-making. You need to create a pattern for an outfit that fits Delilah Noir and submit it with a picture of the finished garment. The contest ends August 15th. There are three prizes. All three include a mannequin Delilah Noir doll plus money: $250 for first prize, $100 for second prize and $50 for third. The link to the contest page is here.

This last pic is a mannequin Delilah Noir I painted and customized for one of the tutorials. The new paint has given her such a unique personality that I just adore her, now. You can see a little bit of a Robert Tonner sweater on her from one of his Tyler Wentworth dolls. I should take better pics of this sweater, because it is all kinds of wonderful on Delilah. It's a perfect fit. I can't think of the name of the Tyler doll it came from right now. I'll take more pics later and find out what the Tyler outfit was called, and let you know. I just had to post this pic because I like it.

Later,

Delilah News

2010-07-07T20:38:00.010-05:00

A little while ago I emailed Ashton-Drake about the two new Delilah Noir friends I've heard mentioned here and there. The company confirmed for me that there are definitely two more sculpts in the works for the Delilah line, but didn't have a lot of details to give me yet. They did say their artists are right now working on perfecting a sculpt for another girl. Yay! I'll be thrilled to see the new sculpts. From what I gathered from the e-mail, they're thinking about doing a boy at some point, but haven't quite decided yet.

Also, I've heard the 2010 Delilahs have a new body sculpt. I haven't seen it yet, but I have Lady Onyx on the way and will report about it when I get her. I've heard it's a little thinner and slightly shorter than the first body sculpt, with smaller feet. I'll be excited to try the new sculpt in Robert Tonner's 16-inch doll clothing. If the new body fits in this clothing well, then Delilah will be dressing better than most Hollywood starlets.

Speaking of Lady Onyx, she's out now and being mailed to the people who preordered her. Some people have gotten their girls already.

More later,

Win a Mannequin Delilah

2010-07-03T17:06:00.004-05:00

The August 2010 issue of Dolls magazine currently has a contest to win a mannequin Delilah Noir doll. You can choose between "pale" or "normal" skin. As most of you know, the mannequin dolls are unpainted for people who like to customize their own dolls. They do come with one wig, a pair of blue or brown eyes and a nightie.

The normal-skinned doll comes with a blonde wig and brown eyes, and the pale doll comes with a black wig and blue eyes.

Defiant's modern style

2010-06-28T13:53:00.015-05:00

Well, I tried to not touch my Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir's clothes. I just couldn't help myself, though ... I had to redress her. And change her eyes and hair. I just got in some 10mm glass flatback eyes from BJ's Babes, and they are AWESOME on Delilah. These are the eyes in "hazel." Take a look. I like them so much I just ordered them in two more colors. In real life they aren't really hazel, though, but a gorgeous brown.

I have a pet peeve about light brown eyes being called "hazel" when referring to doll eyes. Real hazel eyes are a mix of brown and green, not just brown. Yet every doll eye manufacturer calls light brown eyes "hazel." Sigh.

I love Dark & Defiant's default black Goth outfit so much that I have it carefully stored away in a plastic bag, for when I finally change her back into her regular outfit and wig. I think she might stay like this for a while, though.

Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Her face paint is all her original, default paint. I made her shirt, but not the hat. The hat is from CheeryDoll, a site that sells clothing for Asian ball-jointed dolls, here.

This wig is rocking my world right now

2010-06-21T19:16:00.015-05:00

This is a Monique Gold Collection "Destiny" wig in burgundy, size 6-7. The first moment I put it on my Delilah Noir, I thought it didn't suit her. Then I decided to take pictures of her in the wig. Wow! It looks er-MAZing in pictures. I was very pleased.

The sweater is by Robert Tonner. It came with a doll called "Winter Whisper Sydney." Delilah Noir can wear all the sweaters that were ever made for the 16-inch Tyler Wentworth and Sydney Chase dolls. The skirt from the set fits Delilah perfectly as well (it's a fitted pencil skirt), so I'm thinking most Tyler and Sydney skirts will fit her. Their shoes will be too small, though.

Delilah News

2010-06-16T13:59:00.031-05:00

I just got a heads-up from the Ashton-Drake company that in the near future they will start sending out Delilahs with two extra pairs of eyes with every doll you buy directly from delilahnoir.com. The eyes will be in several different colors, and the colors for each pair will be chosen randomly. I'm not sure if this will be a promo for just a set period of time, or if this will be a permanent thing. I was told it should begin next week. Anyway, it will be extra eye colors for no additional cost.

Also, delilahnoir.com now has an accessories section up on their web site. Right now it has the 4-shoe pack and the hat/purse accessory pack up there for sale. You can take a look at the page here. I'll be interested to see what accessories pack they choose to offer next. My dream accessory pack would have two pairs of shoes and two pairs of socks. It'd have blue sneakers and a pair of tall, gothy-looking black boots, with a short and a long pair of white socks to go with them. Hey, A.D., did you hear that? LOL. I'll just cross my fingers and wait.

I have to say, I do like all the shoes in this first shoe pack with the exception of the Snow White slippers.

Hogwarts Gear

2010-06-10T23:43:00.006-05:00

I just realized I'd never posted these old pictures on this blog before. I posted them on Flickr a long time ago, but not here. It's my debut Delilah Noir repaint wearing an outfit from a Hermione Granger doll. The doll I stole the outfits from is a 17-inch Robert Tonner doll from his amazing Harry Potter series. I suspected the outfit might fit Delilah Noir. It sort of fits. The fit is close, but a little baggy on her. The shoes don't fit her at all (much too big). Although the outfit is a little loose, it still manages to look crazy good on her. It's a nice-quality doll outfit.

I've heard Ellowyne Wilde's clothing fits her perfectly. In fact, if you sew, you can use Ellowyne Wilde patterns to make clothing for Delilah.

The wig is a Monique Gold Collection "Buttercup" wig in size 6-7.

A doll lingerie shop

2010-06-03T19:43:00.016-05:00

If you've looked up "Delilah Noir" on eBay, you may have seen these lingerie sets made especially for Delilah. They are made by a mother-daughter team in the United States. Pat and Dana Merrill of Retro Shoppe sell them both as ready-made garments ("ready-to-wear") and as pattern kits, which include the pattern for the clothing plus the materials needed to make them. A lingerie shop for dolls!

They have an eBay shop here, where they also make lingerie for Tyler Wentworth, DeeAnna Denton, Antoinette, AvantGuards and Sybarites, Tiny Kitty and the 18" Kitty Collier, Cissy and resin Asian-style ball-jointed dolls of various sizes. I thought it was worth a mention.

Pictures posted here with permission from Pat and Dana Merrill.

Alternative look for Dark & Defiant

2010-05-27T11:19:00.013-05:00

Gothaliciousness!

I've been playing around with Dark & Defiant's look.

I adored her original look, but couldn't help trying her out in a new wig and eyes. This is a Monique Gold Collection "Buttercup" wig in size 6-7. The wig has blue streaks in it, but I'm not sure they are very obvious in these photos. Her eyes are 12mm Masterpiece polymer (acrylic) eyes in "Stormy." She has her original face paint and clothing. She didn't come with the bow on her head, though. I made that. I live for 50% off ribbon sales!

I just had to share. Now I'm wondering what Delilah Noir would look like with golden eyes? I knew someone in real life once who had gold eyes. ...She literally had amber-colored eyes. It was the most interesting, unusual eye color I'd ever seen. I bet this doll would look smashing with amber eyes.

Lady Onyx in Haute Doll magazine

2010-05-20T09:43:00.004-05:00

I just got my Haute Doll magazine in the mail today, and there is a really nice "live" photo of Lady Onyx on page 47 (June 2010 issue). It's part of a wonderful spread about IDEX 2010. If you were looking for "live" pics of this doll, then you should really check out the photo in this issue. Onyx comes out in June.

Hannah Montana clothes fit Delilah Noir

2010-05-18T09:34:00.013-05:00

Dolls magazine is showcasing two Delilah Noirs this month (July 2010 issue). They're showcasing "Lady Onyx" bumped up against pictures of a nicely detailed Princess and the Frog doll, and "It's 10 O'Clock" on a page with LeeAnn, Hannah Montana and a Cyndi Lauper doll. I was told that Ashton-Drake's 16-inch Hannah Montana doll can share clothes with Delilah Noir, so it's worth a mention for people searching for a more extensive wardrobe for their Delilahs. The clothes are cute, modern and teen-ish. Two different people have confirmed for me that these two dolls can share clothes.

My computer is in the shop, so no pictures today. I'm typing on my husband's computer right now. I should get my computer back next week. I'm planning a photo shoot with my Delilahs. Among other things, I want to show off an alternative look for "Dark & Defiant."

More later,

Spring Photo Contest Winners Announced

2010-05-11T10:07:00.003-05:00

The winners of the Spring has Sprung photo contest have been announced. You can find the page of the winners here. The Laurie Lenz pics posted below won for "Best Design," Donna K. won for "Best Setting" and Angela W. won for "Best Story" for her "Delilah Through the Looking-Glass" story and photo. I love that there are three winners! Check the link to see the three winning photos.

VIP Club

2010-05-10T13:20:00.004-05:00

There's something new on the delilahnoir.com web site. Ashton-Drake has introduced a "VIP Club" for Delilah Noir fans. It looks like if you join the club, you can get four dolls plus a special accessory set for each doll for the same price as a regular Delilah. ($149.95 U.S. each) The fourth doll in the series will be an exclusive special-edition. It sounds like a good deal if you plan to order more than one doll anyway, particularly with the extras you'll get. You can read more about it here.

Laurie Lenz's Delilah

2010-05-09T17:28:00.009-05:00

Laurie Lenz designed this custom Delilah Noir and took these photos for delilahnoir.com's "Spring Has Sprung" contest. I saw that she posted these on the Prego doll forum, and I asked her if I could post them on this blog. She graciously gave me permission.

The delilahnoir.com site says the contest winners will be announced tomorrow (May 10th)! The contest page is here.

Dark-Hunter dolls

2010-05-03T18:51:00.012-05:00

DID YOU SEE THESE DOLLS?!!

It seems that Ashton-Drake Galleries and Integrity Toys have been teaming up a lot lately to produce some coolness. First they worked together to make the Brides of Dracula doll series (coming out soon), and now THIS. The dolls are vinyl and will be 12 inches tall, like the Brides of Dracula dolls. I've known about the Dark-Hunter dolls for a month now, but the first pictures have only just popped up. Vogue Collectibles says these pics are "artist renderings" and the actual production dolls might be a little bit different. That's always how it is with prototypes.

I haven't read the Dark-Hunter series of books, but I saw that the author has a web site here, where she mentions these upcoming dolls. According to the author's web site, there might be FOUR MORE Dark-Hunter dolls coming in the series. It makes me curious to take a look at the books.

You can look at the Dark-Hunter page at Vogue Collectibles here. There will be several other online doll shops who will be carrying the dolls as well, such as Cherished Friends. ... Probably any of the stores that also carry Ashton-Drake and/or Integrity dolls.

Look at this ....

2010-05-01T23:28:00.009-05:00

I thought this was hilarious. Angelic Dreamz has all their Delilah Noir dolls marked down ... by one penny! I think the store owner is just having some fun.

Here are their markdowns:
"Lady Onyx" is marked down from $149.99 to $149.98, with a "SALE" notice in red next to the new price.
"It's 10 O'Clock" and "Pretty in Pink" are also marked down from $149.99 to $149.98, with that red "SALE" sign pointing to the new price.
The upcoming shoe pack is marked down from $60 to $59.99, also with the red "SALE" arrow pointing to it. The Delilah Noir accessory pack (with the hat and purse) is marked down from $30 to $29.99.
Here's the link. Look at it quick before they take the "sale" prices down:
Link to Angelic Dreamz

EDIT: They took it down. Awww. Too late.

Do you know what they got me? Malibu Barbie!

2010-04-29T15:00:00.007-05:00

"My parents, Sharon and Dave. Generous, doting… or were they? All I ever wanted was a ballerina Barbie. In her pretty pink tutu. My birthday – I was ten. And do you know what they got me? Malibu Barbie! That’s not what I wanted! That’s not who I was! I was a ballerina! Graceful, delicate. They HAD TO GO."

LOL "Addams Family Values." I saw this mini Malibu Barbie at a store and had to get it for this exact purpose. It was just too tempting. It was at Wal-Mart, if anyone is curious.

The two together at last

2010-04-26T10:41:00.003-05:00

I got to take some pictures of my two Delilah Noir girls together at last. Both of them have their original, default wigs and original clothing, but I've changed their eyes. Both now have 12mm Masterpiece polymer eyes (In "Stormy" and "Forest.") Dark & Defiant has her original face paint, but my Debut Delilah Noir (the blonde) is a custom repaint. I love my girls to be a bit edgy.

I need to get better lighting for my photography. In any case, I had a blast taking these pictures.

Delilah Portrait

2010-04-19T15:11:00.012-05:00

I saw this pic posted on one of the Delilah Noir Flickr groups. It's so charming to see so many Delilahs in one spot, so I asked the photographer, Tiffany Frazier, if it was OK to re-post the photo on this blog.

From left to right is Red Velvet, Dark & Defiant, Debut Delilah Noir (first outfit), Debut Delilah Noir (second outfit), Once Bitten, Twice Shy (first outfit) and Once Bitten, Twice Shy (second outfit). That face paint on Red Velvet is so nice! Tiffany said it is the doll's original face-up, but it almost looks like a repaint in her pictures because the doll is so striking.

Tiffany Frazier has a web site, here, where you can see lots more doll pictures. This photo is posted here with her permission.

More characters?

2010-04-12T10:37:00.004-05:00

I wanted to post something intriguing I saw on the Vogue Collectibles web site. On the site's Delilah Noir page, they have reserved two spots for dolls the store is calling "Devlyn" and "Delilah's friend #2." Squeee! In August 2009 I posted here that there were hints of two more characters in the Delilah doll line that would be appearing in 2010 ... but then I didn't hear anything more about it. Could these be the two new characters? Wow, I hope so.

You can see the Vogue Collectibles page here: LINK

Adventures with eyeballs

2010-04-09T11:25:00.008-05:00

Well, I just HAD to replace my Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir's eyes, although I won't be touching her face paint. At first, I tried 10mm Volks acrylic eyes in two different colors. ...

I didn't like the slightly blank stare the 10mm Volks eyes gave her, so I switched to 12mm Masterpiece polymer (acrylic) eyes in "Stormy." And ... voila!!! She sprang to life.

I'm very happy with the results. I think it's just a matter of finding the right eyes to keep her from having that porcelain doll stare. Once you find the right eyes, she's amazing.

Like I said earlier, changing out the eyes is very easy because the doll has a removable headcap under her wig, and the eyes are held in with putty. You can't see any part of the headcap when the wig is on.

I wish Masterpiece made their polymer eyes in 10mm, too, but actually 12mm is the smallest size in that type of eye. You have to be careful about ordering doll eyes, though. A 12mm eye from one company will not necessarily be the same size as a 12mm eye from another company. Sometimes sizes will run big or run small. If you are ordering doll eyes blindly (LOL) without ever having tried out that company's eyes before, then you should probably get a 10mm instead of a 12mm, because it's more likely to look good. If the 12mm you order runs larger than the Masterpiece polymer 12mm's, then the eye might be too big for Delilah Noir and not look right. I like sticking with a particular doll eye brand, because that way I'll know the eye sizes will be uniform and that they'll be the size I want.

I hope that was considerably clearer than mud.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T13:16:00.004-05:00

My Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir with 12mm "Stormy" Masterpiece polymer eyes. She looks AMAZING with blue eyes. Everything else about her is factory default, though, including her face paint. I'll post some closeups later, but in the meantime, you can click on this picture to make it larger.

Brides of Dracula web site, Emily the Strange

2010-04-01T11:21:00.016-05:00

FYI: The upcoming Brides of Dracula dolls have their own web site. It's here: Brides of Dracula web site. I haven't seen anything about this on any of the doll forums I frequent, so I thought I'd mention it. I wasn't sure how many people knew about the site.

Anyway, as much as I TRY to keep this blog on Delilah Noir, I've also noticed another Goth-type doll by Ashton-Drake. She's an articulated, 12-inch tall Emily the Strange doll. Moody Gothness! She is vinyl. She has bending elbows, and I'm assuming she also has bending knees because she is advertised as having "nine points of articulation." I first saw her in the February 2010 issue of Dolls magazine where she was featured in a Stephanie Finnegan article about Goth and horror dolls. The writer also covered Robert Tonner's "Sinister Circus" series of dolls, some Addams Family-ish Goodreau dolls and several dolls by lesser known (but fantastic) doll artists. It's funny how Emily stood out even amongst all those crazy-looking dolls. She will be coming out later this year.

I want to use the word "Gothalicious" here. I really, really do.

Pretty In Pink is up!

2010-03-29T20:12:00.016-05:00

Pretty in Pink is up at the www.delilahnoir.com web site!

She has several costume pieces that would be great for mixing-and-matching. I'm already imagining that plaid skirt with a white tank top, and the pink T-shirt with the jeans from "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." The ferret on the leash is cute.

She has '80s-style earrings. I never really noticed before, but my two Delilahs (Dark & Defiant and the debut doll) have pierced ears, but no earrings. For some reason, it never occurred to me before to give them earrings. Perhaps their personalities just didn't demand it. LOL. I think I'd take the earrings off Pretty in Pink. They're a little distracting, but I thought the same thing when I was looking at fellow teenagers wearing them back in the '80s.

The bunny-eared hoodie is CUUTE!

Ashton-Drake did something new for Pretty in Pink's page. The main photo of her on the site shows her holding a scrapbook. If you click on the scrapbook, it takes you through several pictures of her you don't get to see any other way. I thought this was a nice touch.

Also, here are the first pics of the accessory pack that will be sold this year. It comes with a purse and a Delilah-sized black suede hat. Toonaroona already has the accessory pack available for preorder, I've noticed, here for $29.99. Not that I'm meaning to plug any one particular store, but they do have pretty good prices for the Delilah doll series.

Next Delilah is on the way

2010-03-25T11:39:00.007-05:00

The third 2010 Delilah Noir doll, "Pretty in Pink," is starting to show up for preorder in online doll stores. I contacted Ashton-Drake Galleries about posting photos of the doll, and they told me "Pink" will be available for preorder on their official web site in a few days, and I can use the photos from their site then. The doll comes with a pet ferret, pink tennis shoes, a bunny-eared hoodie jacket, a blue and pink plaid skirt, and a purse. Her wig is pink-streaked blonde.

I've also noticed an accessory pack for Delilah Noir in addition to the shoe pack mentioned in an earlier post. The accessory pack consists of a black suede newsboy-style hat and a purse.

So, lots more to come.

You may have noticed some changes

2010-03-21T21:41:00.009-05:00

Sorry, but I had to change this blog's color scheme. The white-on-black type I'd been using for the main text was making my eyeballs go buggy. I thought the new colors would make the blog easier on the eyes, particularly if you're like me and don't have a very big (or good) computer monitor.

It's 10 p.m. ...

2010-03-20T16:29:00.028-05:00

There's a new doll available on the www.delilahnoir.com site. She's called "It's 10 p.m., do you know where Delilah is?" and she is the second of the 2010 Delilah Noir releases. She comes with two outfits in keeping with the "Honor student by day, Gothic siren by night" theme introduced with the debut Delilah Noir. One outfit is sweet and the other edgier, like the two costumes that came with Debut. I suppose if you had the clothing from both dolls, you'd get a complete wardrobe with pajamas, a school outfit and two evening/party outfits. To balance it out, I'd love to add a sweet "day" dress to that mix.

"10 p.m." comes with one pair of metalhead-type buckled boots, and two pairs of slippers. Like the debut doll, she comes with two wigs, blonde and black.

Here's the second outfit that's included with the same doll:

I like the skull shirt. I need it in my size. The blonde wig is SO CUTE, but I'd replace that black wig. (In my mind, I'm picturing her in a sleek black Monique wig. ... Their "Pretty Girl" wig would look gorgeous.) It looks like the black wig is gelled to get that wild look. Not really to my taste, but I have several size 6-7 wigs here that could fit her nicely and look great.

It looks like "10 p.m." comes with a lot of costume pieces for the same price as the other dolls in the Delilah series.

The faces on the slippers look embroidered (as opposed to painted or glued), which is a plus. I like the "evil bunny" slippers. They remind me of a children's book I read as a kid called "Bunnicula," about a vampire rabbit.

And once again, I feel like I NEED the boots.

You can find 10 p.m.'s page here, with more pictures and info (click for the link)

My Dark & Defiant ... first pics

2010-03-15T22:59:00.030-05:00

She was a long time in coming, but I finally got Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir. I'd been wanting her for the past seven months. She has a paler skin tone than most of the other Delilahs, and she's decked out in Goth gear. She is protected from staining by a white-lined bodice and white tights.

I don't feel the need to repaint this one like I did the debut Delilah. The paint on the debut doll was OK, but I'd just wanted to give her more of an edge. This one already has that Gothy look I like, so her paint stays. I think eventually I'll try her in different wigs and clothes, but her original look will always be her main one. She's just too awesome as is.

My first view of her:

Once again, though, I feel the need to switch out her eyes. If I were to change one thing about the Delilah Noir series, I'd give them better quality eyes. The eyes they come with are just OK. They don't photograph well. ... They actually look better in person than they do in photos. They have a bit of a dull sheen to them, which doesn't translate well in pics. Last year, I changed the eyes in my debut Delilah and - WHAM! - she sprang to life. The transformation was astounding with just that one detail changed, even before I repainted her. (You can see the pics by seeing my earlier posts.) So, I'm afraid Defiant is doomed to have her eyes swapped, too. Oh, yes. It will happen. Luckily, it's easy to switch out the eyes, because they have removable head caps like resin Asian ball-jointed dolls do, and the eyes are held in with putty.

The dress is made of cotton. The quality is all right. Pretty decent, but not totally high-end.

THE SHOES!!!! Me lurvs the shoes. For some reason, the Delilah dolls have the best shoes, comparable in quality to those $20 shoes you can find on eBay for Super Dollfie (the Asian ball-jointed doll). I love doll shoes, which is really funny considering that in real life I've been wearing the same dirty pair of sneakers for the past four years. I think my shoe obsession only applies to tiny doll feets.

Spring Photo Contest

2010-03-08T15:12:00.011-06:00

Ashton-Drake Galleries has announced a second Delilah Noir photo contest on their official Delilah site (delilahnoir.com). The theme this time is "Spring," and there will be winners in three categories: Best Design, Best Story and Best Setting (backdrop). You can submit up to three photos. The deadline is May 1st, 2010.

You can find more details on their official contest page, here:
Link to delilahnoir.com contest page

I just thought I'd announce this new contest while I enjoy my new doll. ... I just got Dark & Defiant Delilah Noir! I've only been wanting her for the past seven months. LOL. I finally got her. Now to make some time to take some decent pictures of her. I took a not-so-good pic of her that I GIMPed to make the above art.

Later,

Vampires!

2010-03-02T14:01:00.008-06:00

Vampire dolls.

I just had to mention these 12-inch Brides of Dracula dolls, because they're pretty darn close to being the coolest dolls I've ever seen. They are being produced through a collaborative effort between Ashton-Drake Galleries, who make Delilah Noir, and Integrity Toys, who make the Fashion Royalty dolls.

The dolls are available for pre-order right now. I e-mailed Ashton-Drake about when we can expect the Brides of Dracula to make their appearance in stores, and was told that The Contessa will arrive in late May/early June, and Lucy and Mina will arrive in late June/early July. At USD $149.99, I won't be getting all three of them any time soon, so I'll just have to drool over the pictures for a while.

Their costumes seem to have the same sort of elaborate attention to detail you'd expect from Fashion Royalty dolls, which isn't surprising considering the Integrity team was responsible for the design. The price is about on par with the high-end Fashion Royalty dolls, and I'm sure the price has a lot to do with the painstaking work that went into the costumes. I don't know how people can sew costumes that small with that much detail. ... I'd go blind hunched over my sewing machine. ("My eyes! My eyes!") I'd rather sew for 16-inch dolls.

It looks like two of them have red eyes and one has golden eyes. And that black outfit on Mina! *Wants*

I'm wondering right now whether there will be any more produced in the series. Because if so, I'll be watching this series like a hawk watches a bunny.

From top to bottom: Mina, The Contessa, Lucy, and Mina again.

Shoe Pack for Delilah

2010-02-23T22:52:00.012-06:00

Blogger Terri Gold recently posted some pictures she took at IDEX, the annual doll trade show. Among the pictures is a shoe pack for Delilah Noir that was being displayed near the 2010 Delilahs. The pack includes four pairs of shoes: white boots; some nice sneakers with real laces; dress shoes that look like something Snow White wore; and a fourth pair that look like the type of short boots you would wear with jeans and a winter coat.

Photos of the shoe pack and the 2010 Delilahs that were displayed at IDEX are found in the link below. The Delilah pics are #33-#38 in the photo lineup, not labeled.
Link to Terri Gold's IDEX pictures

I like the sneakers a lot. I remember people asking for more doll shoes on Ashton-Drake's Delilah Noir forum, so I guess A.D. was listening. One of the reasons I got the debut Delilah was that she came with two pairs of shoes. Hey, you can't go wrong with more shoe choices, eh?

Amazing Custom Work

2010-02-14T15:48:00.005-06:00

I saw this on the Prego doll forum, and asked the artist if I could post this photo on my blog. It is an AMAZING custom Delilah Noir by Stacy Leigh. I practically fell on the floor when I saw it. By the way, Stacy also mentioned that she tried an Ashton-Drake Miley Cyrus outfit on this doll, and it was a perfect fit (I assume from their 16-inch Hannah Montana doll). Click on the photo to make it bigger.

Custom Delilah and photo by Stacy Leigh. Posted here with her permission.

Goth Girl on the Block

2010-02-11T22:49:00.013-06:00

The white-haired Delilah that had appeared as a preview in Dolls Magazine is now on the Ashton-Drake web site available as a preorder. They've named her Lady Onyx. The site says she'll be coming in June, and is a limited edition of 500. I hope they continue this line of Gothic Delilahs, because they ROCK! I really think this sculpt works nicely done with a Gothic theme. I was a big fan of Dark and Defiant last year.

I have the debut Delilah and thought her clothing and shoes were very well made, so I'm expecting this one's outfit to be a nice quality, too. Look at the boots! The BOOTS! LOVE the boots. It's interesting that they gave her white tights. I've heard of so many dolls that have been stained from black tights or socks, so the white is OK with me. Looking at the picture, it looks like the bodice is lined in white as well.

I noticed she seems to have black or dark gray eyebrows. That means she'll look good in black wigs. It makes her more versatile than wigged dolls who have brown or red eyebrows, who then look funny wearing black wigs.

The BOOTS!

IDEX and the Upcoming 2010 Delilahs

2010-02-11T22:45:00.008-06:00

I was on the Prego doll forum recently and saw some pictures some people had posted from their trip to IDEX, the mega-huge annual doll trade show that took place in Florida Jan. 28-31. At the show, Ashton-Drake showed some of the Delilah Noirs that they are planning to release this year. The Gothic Delilah I mentioned five posts down with the white hair and blue eyes and lips was there at the show! She was some serious Gothic goodness, and looked like she might be Dark and Defiant's sister. Since Dark and Defiant was my favorite from last year, I'm really excited about this one. I have to say, I adore the Gothic girls.

You might have to scour the internet to find pictures of all of the new Delilahs, but there are some pictures on the Angelic Dreamz Flickr page (link below), although the photos aren't labeled with the type of doll on them. The Delilahs are on Page 2. You'll have to search a bit to find them.

Link to Angelic Dreamz's IDEX 2010 photos

I'm Back

2010-02-11T10:33:00.010-06:00

Well, last month I'd posted that I was going to "more or less" retire from this blog, but I guess it's going to be "less." I can't help but get excited when new dolls come out, and I feel I have to jump on here to tell everybody. It looks like I'll start posting here again regularly from now on, since I've managed to find more time on my hands to post. Yay! And my daughter's potty training is going well, too.

I'm going to come back with some information about the new Delilahs that were displayed at IDEX, the annual doll trade show that happened a week and a half ago.

Luv ya. I'll be back later with some new information.

Photo Contest Winners Announced

2010-01-08T13:21:00.003-06:00

Ashton-Drake has announced the winners of the holiday photo contest. You can find the winners and their photos at this link:
http://www.delilahnoir.com/Articles.asp?ID=148
The Grand Prize winning photograph is gorgeous!

Holiday Photo Contest

2009-11-30T10:23:00.010-06:00

Ashton-Drake Galleries has announced a holiday photo contest, with a Grand Prize of $1,000 and two second prizes of $250 each. Customize your Delilah in either a "Naughty" or "Nice" theme for the contest. Entries must be submitted by Dec. 31. You can find more yummy details at www.DelilahNoir.com/Contest.
Edit: Contest is now closed.

I Love Those Monique Gold Wigs

2009-09-18T11:49:00.004-05:00

I had to show off this wig that I thought was perfect for Delilah Noir. This is a Monique Gold Collection "Buttercup" wig in size 6-7 modeled on my custom Delilah. The eyes are her usual 12mm Masterpiece polymer eyes in "Stormy." This is the default outfit from the debut Delilah.

Upcoming Dolls

2009-09-17T19:52:00.008-05:00

Ashton-Drake's official Delilah Noir web site now has the blank-faced basic Delilahs available to order. They're calling them "Mannequin Delilahs" because they don't come with face paint. They do come with one pair of eyes (changeable), one wig (changeable) and a babydoll-style nightie that looks bluish-gray in the photos, at least on my monitor (no shoes). One version of the basic Delilah will have peachy Causasian skin, a blonde wig and brown eyes. A second version will have pale-toned skin, a black wig and blue eyes. Gorgeous!

The above photo shows one of Ashton-Drake's publicity shots, showing a Mannequin Delilah next to a custom doll.

Also, be sure to check out Dolls Magazine this month (Oct. 2009). They have an excellent article on Delilah Noir dolls. Included in the article is this photo of a goth Delilah prototype, with some hints that this doll might be in production soon. Yes, the doll has blue eyes and blue lips.

More Pics Of My Custom Delilah

2009-09-10T14:25:00.008-05:00

I just can't help myself. I've decided I really like this doll, so I've been inspired to photograph her. I have to wait until my 2-year-old takes her afternoon nap, and then I have a couple of hours of free time to do doll photographs! Yay! The wig is by Yitouzhu Zhutou of China who sells on eBay. I'm not sure if that's the artist's real name or just their eBay name, but anyway ... the wig is awesome! It's a size 7 and a little roomy for Delilah, but not so big it can't work for her. The pink sweater is a Tyler Wentworth garment by Robert Tonner. Eyes are my usual 12mm Masterpiece polymer eyes in "Stormy" ... I love these eyes so much on her that I think it'll be a long time before I change them. So, here's my repainted Delilah Noir again. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to stop playing with her and do some housework.

Click on the pics to make them bigger.

First Official Pic Of Delilah Basic

2009-09-10T12:01:00.005-05:00

Earlier I did a post about Ashton-Drake coming out with Basic Edition Delilah Noir dolls. They just posted this picture in their Delilah forum of the basic doll without faceup (face paint). She will be so much fun to paint! I just found out that none of the basics will have face paint. Great for people who would love to mess with the faceup, anyway.

My Delilah Makeover

2009-09-08T18:18:00.019-05:00

Well, now I've done it. Delilah Noir is no longer the sweet, innocent girl pictured in previous posts. I got out my paints, and never looked back. LOL! I mixed mauve and dark brown acrylic paint to create her new lip color, and finished them with a gloss varnish. I gave her more dramatic eyeliner with dark brown acrylic paint (I thought black might be too harsh), and redid her eyebrows with black oil-free watercolor pencil. I was happy with all these changes with the exception of the eyebrows ... once I took off her original eyebrows I thought, "Oh no, what have I done? I've ruined her." Her original brows were beautifully painted, but they were the eyebrows of a blonde and I wanted them darker. At first I was mortified that I'd changed her eyebrows, now I like the look. She now looks like an angsty 16-year-old instead of a sweet 13-year-old. That's my baby! I told someone on the Delilah Yahoo Group that she looks like a teen girl who's wearing makeup against her parent's wishes. LOL!

She definitely has a whole new personality with the new faceup! I gave her mouth just a tiny bit of an upturn at each corner. The sweater is from a Tyler Wentworth doll. Tyler sweaters fit her great because they're stretchy. I may start buying up more of these awesome sweaters.

The wig is from a Bambicrony doll. (A resin Asian ball-jointed doll.) I was surprised the wig fit Delilah (tightly), because Bambicrony dolls' heads are a little smaller. It was one of those "just barely fits" kinds of things. I'm glad it works, though, because I adore this wig.

Click on the pics to make them bigger.

My Last Photoshoot Before The Makeover

2009-09-07T17:15:00.015-05:00

I've been deciding between 10mm and 12mm eyes for my Delilah, and 12mm won! Both look good, but I LOVE how she looks in these 12mm "Stormy" Masterpiece polymer eyes. This is her original, default wig and her original face paint. Click on the pics to make them bigger.

I used Ellowyne Wilde patterns to make the sweater and pajamas. Ellowyne patterns fit her perfectly, even in leg and arm length. They really are perfect! I didn't have to adjust the patterns at all. Hey, I was just glad to find a use for this purple bunny fabric I've been saving.

Owner Pics And Some Thoughts

2009-09-07T16:57:00.006-05:00

All of these pics show the debut Delilah Noir in 12mm "Stormy" Masterpiece polymer (acrylic) eyes, with her original face paint. I've discovered that any hat or wig made for Latidoll Green ball-jointed dolls is perfect for Delilah Noir, because they have the same head size. The eyeglasses are from a 10-inch Ann Estelle doll! They are a great fit. I made the sweater.

I was having a whole lot of fun photographing Delilah, even though my poor photography skills limit me to flash pics sometimes. I have a suspicion that it’s better to photograph her from a slightly higher angle than a lower one, because when photographed from below, she can have a surprised look. Eeek! Don’t want that.

Her head is slightly big for the body, but not in a bad way. Her body sculpt is really pleasant-looking and nicely accomplished … She doesn’t look scary and awkward naked like some dolls do. She seems to be a teenager rather than a grown woman. Although at first I thought the name “Noir” was a little silly, now I think it rather suits her, because her face sculpt really seems to be suited for gothic, alternative and avant-garde looks. Steampunk and goth work for her, as well as this cute 1930's newsboy look.

Click on the pics to make them bigger.

Pics of Delilah In 10mm And 12mm Eyes

2009-09-05T16:06:00.012-05:00

I was playing with eye sizes and wigs today. The photo above shows Delilah Noir in 10mm Volks Green-Gray eyes and her default black wig. I haven't touched her paint yet, so all these pics show her default face paint. Click on the pics to make them bigger.

Below: 12mm Masterpiece polymer (acrylic) eyes. On the left is "Stormy" and on the right is "Forest." By the way, she looks awesome with side-glancing eyes.

Below: 10mm Volks acrylic eyes. On the left is "Pale Purple," on the right, "Green-Gray."

Below: 10mm Pupa Paradise glass eyes. Pupa Paradise sizes seem to run a little big, because their 10mm eyes are somewhere in between a 10mm and 12mm (I guess that would make them 11's. LOL.) I'm not loving the Pupa eyes on Delilah; I think she looks better in the more realistic acrylic eyes shown above, but it's a matter of taste.

At Last!

2009-09-04T19:21:00.008-05:00

Got her! Now that I'm seeing her in person for the second time (the first time was at a doll show last month), her face is even nicer than I remembered, but she's also bigger than I remembered. She's a big girl! LOL! Here are the first pics while still in the box. (I couldn't help myself ... I just had to post them.) I'm really happy with her. I love that she was tied in the box with big wide white ribbons instead of wired to death like Mattel and Jun Planning dolls are. The ribbons make it a pleasure to free her from the box instead of a struggle.

She came with the faintest amount of staining on her right knee from her stockings (but not on her left). It's so faint that it will be very easy to get rid of. I expected it. ... It's not the seller's fault at all. It's just how the debut doll is. I'm going to be sticking those socks into a soapy sink and washing them about a thousand times to get rid of the excess fabric dye. THEN I'll use them again. Tomorrow I'll play with changing her hair and eyes.

These are actual owner pics! Click on the photos to make them bigger.

And now to loosen her hair. ... Ah! That's better.

My Husband's 40th Birthday Doll

2009-09-03T21:39:00.003-05:00

Well, my Debut Delilah is set to arrive tomorrow ... on my husband's 40th birthday! I certainly didn't plan it that way. Maybe if I shower him with enough presents and take him out to dinner, he won't notice that a doll is arriving for me. LOL! I can only hope. I won't be able to post pics of her until Saturday because of this. As soon as I can, I'll post pics of her in both 10mm and 12mm eyes so people can see the difference.

I got my acrylic eye order from Volks USA yesterday. The eyes are amazing! They really are fabulous … extremely similar in both appearance and quality to Masterpiece Polymer Eyes, but Masterpiece doesn’t yet make their acrylic/polymer eyes in a 10mm (their smallest acrylic eye is 12mm). Volks USA makes their acrylic eyes in very tiny sizes, including size 10mm. I actually e-mailed Masterpiece and humbly requested that they start making their polymer eyes in 10mm as well … I hope they do some day. Ask an’ ye shall receive … if we’re lucky.

When the eyes arrived, I held them up so my toddler daughter could see. "Look ... EYEBALLS," I said. She was unimpressed.

Pics on Saturday!

Delilah Forums

2009-09-01T20:05:00.012-05:00

There are two groups so far that I know about that discuss Delilah Noir:

1. The official Delilah Noir web site has a forum here:
http://delilahlover.websitetoolbox.com/

2. There is also a Delilah Noir Yahoo group here, which is definitely worth checking out.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Delilahnoirgroup/

EBay Hell ... And Finally, Some Satisfaction

2009-08-31T23:01:00.008-05:00

I ordered Debut Delilah exactly a week ago from Metroplextrading on eBay. After a full seven days without a shipping notice, a doll or communication from the seller, I was finally issued a refund for the doll today. Their explanation was that the doll wasn't actually in stock, and that they had her backordered from Ashton-Drake. Not in stock! The auction hadn't mentioned anything about it being a pre-order. In fact the auction had stated that they had eight Delilahs available. Where did they all go?
Oi. So, no doll.
SO ... I went ahead and ordered her from Toonaroona a few hours ago. They gave me a personal reply to my order right away (like within an HOUR) and said they could ship the doll to me tomorrow. Lightning-fast. Just like that. Yay! So it looks like I'll finally be getting my doll after all.

I can't wait. I made her jammies already. Jammies with tiny purple bunny rabbits all over them. Yup. I probably shouldn't admit that I do such things, though.

Delilah Prototype

2009-08-25T17:33:00.008-05:00

Here is a pic of a non-produced Delilah prototype that Joanne Marrazzo sent me. Thanks, Joanne!

News: Delilah Basics Are Coming

2009-08-24T11:55:00.011-05:00

At least two online stores are now offering a basic Delilah edition as a preorder. I'm NOT talking about the debut doll. ... I'm talking about a cheaper, basic edition that will come with eyes and a wig and a simple outfit, and nothing else. They will be offered in both normal and pale skin tones. The target date for their appearance is late September. The online store Toonaroona will be selling the basics as a preorder for $79.99 U.S. Perfect if you'd prefer to costume the dolls yourself.
http://www.toonaroona.com/store/dolls/ashton_drake/delilah_noir.htm?osCsid=9b4773a233e605b97c1263beb830cecf
The Doll Peddlar is also offering the basics as a preorder, but their price is $89.99. They have a pic up on their web site of one of the basic dolls, showing her wearing a blue babydoll-type nightie.
http://www.dollpeddlar.com/index.php?cPath=69&osCsid=939d6bfd0b6f244f6836c49225f64239

Other Delilah Dolls

2009-08-22T20:47:00.026-05:00

These are other Delilah dolls that came out after the debut doll. "Top That" seems to be sold out, but the others are available. At the moment.

1. Top That Delilah. Normal skintone. It's too bad this picture doesn't show her boots, because her boots rock the clock. A lot of these Delilah dolls have really awesome shoes.

2. Red Velvet Delilah. Normal skintone. Comes with just the one outfit and wig.

3. Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Pale skintone. Comes with two outfits, two wigs and two pairs of eyes. Removable fangs. Coolness. I think I'd want to repaint her mouth a more natural color, though. Imagine how gorgeous she'd be with no bright red lipstick! The wig is too cartoony-vampire for my taste, but that can be changed. I LOVE her eyes! And the fangs are a fun thing to scare your mom (or husband) with. Her "day" outfit comes with jeans and the cutest little winter hat you've ever seen.

4. Dark And Defiant Delilah. Pale skintone. I am so tempted by this one. So tempted. Comes with just the one outfit and wig, and some cool shoes.

Last two pics are by Tiffany Frazier for Ashton-Drake.

News: Two More Characters In 2010

2009-08-22T20:23:00.011-05:00

The latest news about this doll is that Ashton-Drake will be introducing two new characters to the Delilah Noir line early next year (2010). One will be Delilah's more demure school chum and the other will be a wilder, party-animal type. (Boys or girls? They don't say. I'm assuming they're both girls.) I’m really excited about this news! I’ll be happy to see the new clothes they come up with. The Delilah clothes have been pretty nice so far. In addition to these, another goth girl is in the works for the Delilah sculpt, according to an article in Dolls Magazine. This one will have white hair, blue eyes and blue lips and be decked out in some gorgeous black goth chick clothes. Hey, I'd just be happy to have the wig and clothes.

My Pre-Review of Delilah Noir

2009-08-22T20:19:00.010-05:00

I’m going to be buying Delilah Noir in a few days. When I get her, I’ll post here again with lots of live pics and a more detailed review. In the meantime, here are my thoughts about her:

I was always curious about this doll from the first moment I saw her picture in a magazine, but never considered buying her until I saw her in person at a doll show. It was there that I saw her potential, and I probably annoyed the poor, patient doll seller while I stared at Delilah on the sales table, not able to make up my mind whether or not I wanted her. I finally left the doll show without buying her. (I always have to think things to death first before I buy anything.) Later, I regretted not getting the doll, and after I discovered the Delilah Noir web site (http://www.delilahnoir.com/) I REALLY regretted not getting her. There I saw several more versions of her, and liked all of them. It looks like she would work with a lot of different looks.

The thing that prevented me from buying Delilah Noir at first was the open mouth. Really, if she’d had a closed mouth I would have been the first person in line to buy her. I’m not a fan of open-mouthed dolls. Sometimes when a sculptor creates a doll with an open mouth, the doll ends up looking stoned. I hate that! I think Delilah escaped this fate, judging from the pictures I've seen.

It’s all about the details with this doll. I suspect that changing the eyes to high-quality glass eyes (or even a high-grade acrylic like Volks acrylic eyes) will give her tons of personality and bring her to life. Customized with high-quality eyes and face paint, she will be AMAZING; she has the potential to look like she’s thinking. I’ve seen pics of a few different customized Delilahs online, and all the custom Delilahs are even better than the originals (not that the originals were bad). Do a search for “Delilah Noir” on Flickr and you’ll see several pics.

Delilah Noir Stats

2009-08-22T20:12:00.031-05:00

Wig size: 6-7 inch
Head size (exact): 6.5 inches/16.5cm
Eye size: 10mm
Material: Vinyl
Height: 16 inches/ 41cm
Maker: Ashton-Drake Galleries

Other trivia:

1. She has a removable head cap, and the inside of her head is hollow so you can change her eyes to a different color. You can also change her wigs. She is bald underneath the wig like resin Asian ball-jointed dolls.

2. The debut doll comes with two sets of feet, one flat and one high-heeled. Many of the Delilahs come with only one set of feet, so inquire before you buy.

3. As of 2010 there are two different skintones: a peachy Caucasian/Asian skin color, and an extra-pale shade. Many of the Goth dolls use the pale shade. When the unpainted Mannequin Delilahs came out in late 2009, they were offered in both skintones.

4. In 2010 the body was changed to a thinner, more mature-looking sculpt with a slightly larger bust so that the doll could fit into more clothing lines from other dolls. The head sculpt remained the same.