Garden of Delights - Custom Blythe

Garden of Delights

First Prize Winner - BlytheFest 2014 Australia

For Adoption

Garden of Delights - my very special custom Blythe who made her extravagant debut at Blythefest AU in Sydney, winning first prize in her category. She is an exquisite art-custom, her body and head fully covered in intricate hand painted floral vine motifs. She wears a large floral crown atop her spring green hair. She has been given "sleep eyes" and gaze adjustment, and has two of my crystal-resin glazed illustrated cameo pull-rings.

Front and Back face-plates feature a bouquet of beautifully painted garden flowers, roses, leaves and hydrangea blooms. Her entire body is encircled with vines and blooming roses, wrapping around her arms, torso and legs.

Her eyelids also feature floral continuation of her facial design, so that when she closes her eyes she can merge into her floral background... a wallflower, a perfectly camouflaged nature spirit. Eye-chips include 4 custom sets: one pair Takara pink, one pair Takara forest green, one pair hand-painted metallic silvery green, and one pair human-iris prints.

She has been meticulously sealed between each layer to protect her extensive painted designs. None the less, I would recommend she is handled minimally, and displayed in a clean dust-free environment, preferably enclosed within a glass dome or show cabinet to ensure her everlasting beauty. 

Garden of Delights

First Prize Winner - BlytheFest 2014 Australia

Diorama Competition

OOAK fully hand-painted art custom by Orchid's Designs #005

~AVAILABLE~

The Madam - Meraki Dolls

It is our pleasure to be joining soon with fantastic Doll Artisan, Meraki Dolls, to collaborate on future OOAK fully costumed porcelain dolls. More information on these collaborative delicacies will be unveiled gradually, watch here for information and of course our Facebook Page.

For this first doll available for adoption from Meraki Dolls, we were given the honour of concocting a delightful back-story for "The Madam". Doll Photography (aka the "other" half of Orchid's Designs!) has captured The Madam through his lens, to showcase this exquisite prize-winning doll. 

The Madam

(Written by Monika Viktoria of Orchid's Designs, for Meraki Dolls)

Reclined on a priceless patterned silken couch (a special gift from the former Sultan himself) the Madam peers up from her reverie to survey her decadent receiving parlour; her private office to discuss meetings and book appointments for her dangerous and wealthy clients, to entertain and delight them with her small, but highly exclusive brood of girls. 

The powerful scent of poppy fumes and hundreds of indistinguishably scented candles heavily cloud the air. Thin trails of smoke from incense burners dotted around the room dance and writhe snakelike in the air. Soft chatter, an occasional stifled giggle and barely audible moaning escapes from the various enclaves hidden by thick velvet curtains dripping with tassels and eastern embroidery, golden threads glinting in the flickering candlelight. The floor is no longer visible, every corner of the dim room filled with expensive rugs and silken cushions neatly arranged into little groups. A majestic portrait graces the wall behind the main dais, the thick golden frame carved intricately with forbidden fruits and rare tropical flowers, lovers hidden amongst ferns and palms, glimpses of ferocious mythological beasts intertwined with masterful scrollwork. The majestic portrait is unmistakably of the Madam herself, porcelain white skin framed by ebony locks piled high on her head, extravagant pins and combs holding the midnight trestles defiantly in place. Arched brows painted high on her forehead, as was in vogue in the courts of emperors, lips rouged like bruised plums in her signature quivering sneer-like pout. Her slanted eyes pierce through even the boldest of brazen visitors, quelling arguments or disagreements, installing her absolute power here. 

Low gilded tables, small shelves and a few heavy wooden chests contain an assortment of miniature glass vials and crystal vessels, gleaming in the dim light. They contain an array of perfumes and specially mixed scents, to enrich the sensory experience of visitors to her establishment, and she plucks one of the tiny glass vials now from her collection, peering through the multicoloured glass at the oily contents swirling within. Her heavily jewelled fingers delicately remove the crystal stopper, golden rings weighed down with swelling jewels clinking together like tiny bells. She has been expecting a new girl to enter into service, rumoured to be a delicate flower, an unsurpassed beauty. The tiny glass vial now freed from it’s topper emits no scent at first, then slowly, unobtrusively, a fragile glimpse of innocence and purity escapes, reminiscent of early lilies and untouched blossoms. She returns the stopper to the vial, and in the quiet and near dark a tiny smile hints at those bruised plums, as the lingering scent from the vial slowly, just as unobtrusively, reveals a deeper, stronger undertone, heavy with musk and dark fruits. 
Perfect.

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The Madam

Extravagantly costumed in a permanent gown and matching leggings, with a removable fully lined velveteen cloak, complete with working clasps, embellished chains and belts. Her styled hair (finest Suri Alpaca) features a permanent head-dress with tiny adorned pins and jewelled accents.Her makeup and jewellery is permanent fired China paint. The Madam comes complete with her decadent couch, tasselled cushions and an assortment of her tiny perfume vials. Each aspect to this exquisite costumed doll has been hand crafted and finished to perfection by master doll maker and artisan Jayne Mateljan of Meraki Dolls. 

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~AVAILABLE~

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Fine porcelain ball-joint articulated doll, leather lining, permanent china paint, Permanent OOAK costume and props all courtesy and copyright of Meraki Dolls by Jayne Mateljan
All Photography © DollPhotography AKA FourFingerPhoto

BJTales Collaboration

Nifer - Spring Flower

Orchid's Designs is proud to announce an exciting and very fruitful collaboration with two other incredible artists: Bjtales and LightpaintedDoll.

A very limited of completely OOAK dolls will be released over the next few months. Each doll will be a unique version of Nifer - this new ethnic beauty sculpted masterfully by BJTales. Each Nifer will be hand-painted by the talented LightpaintedDoll to breathe life and warmth into these art-dolls, and I will be creating a few incredibly decadent Haute Couture costume ensembles to bring each of these gorgeous Dolls to elegant life.

The first Nifer went up for sale last night and was only online for a few minutes before she found her new home. It is my great pleasure to be a part of this fabulous trio to bring such a rare and beautiful doll to life.

Please watch here and LightpaintedDoll for each new release.

You can see more of this delightful collaboration doll on my facebook and initially modeled on my own BJTales doll Ophelia.

Forest Minuet

For picnics in the forest, days dedicated to picking flowers and watching the clouds slowly creep across the sky, listening to the hum of cicadas and the trilling of birds.

This tiny dress for BJTales Alyona dolls is beautifully hand constructed, made from LE designer fabric from Liberty in London, with a fully lined bodice and re-enforced waist. A gathered frill at the hemline, and a tiny button and hidden snap enclosure at the back.

Will fit the darling resin "Alyona" dolls by BJTales, as well as the porcelain beauties with the "Ophelia" body.

**Available**

Champagne Songbird

The songbird, prized for her enchanting and melodic voice is asked to perform again and again, taking listeners to far-away places, breaking hearts with her notes and weaving dreams with her words.

The latest couture creation from the House of Orchid's Designs has been hand-crafted to fit the exquisite new limited line of Resin Enchanted Dolls.

The Champagne Songbird design is a high-waisted skirt-corset with ruffles and decadent trims in varying shades of gold, ivory, and creams. Ivory lace is formed over a hand-painted stiff canvas structure, a matching necklace of beads circles her delicate neck.

A lace-up back ensures a skin-tight fit for the resin beauties, tiny beads decorating every aspect of this glorious corset.

~Available~

Dust - Custom Dal

Many things can fall into ruin and over time, turn to dust. Majestic empires, vast cities, exotic beauties, our hopes and dreams. 

But new life can rise up and flourish, transformed and altered, different but no less beautiful.

As this year comes to a close and we welcome the new, it is a time to reflect on changes, gains and losses, things achieved or unachieved. It is a time to let go of the past, bid it a fond or bitter farewell, and turn our shining faces to what is yet to come. It is a time to strengthen resolves, make plans and set goals.

As the old year dissolves into dust and the new year rises up, we introduce our newest custom doll, "Dust".

Dust is a fully customized Dal, built up to fully embody this special character: the spirit of Dust. Her face is carved and modified, sweet lips blushed berry red and tear-ducts for when she hears sad songs. Her make-up has been applied in many layers of artist and shimmering pastels, sealed in-between each layer with MSC. Her eye-chips are pearlescent tawny shades with flickers of gold, to match her heavy golden lids. Her pupils shimmer with dark metallic dust, deep as the night sky.

Dust wears an exclusive OOAK exclusive Orchid's Designs couture garment - tatters of chocolate silk and gauzy shreds, hidden beads and shimmering sequin details. Like all Orchid's Designs couture garments, this gown is made up from pieces sourced from my travels round the world: a chocolate scarf from wild Africa,  silk from a blouse that belonged to a Countess, tapestry thread from a renowned artist in Hungary, trims and laces from Paris, London and Budapest. She wears matching fishnet stockings and gloves edged with tawny trims. Her hair is an extravagant wig made from many hundreds of tiny soft brown feathers, each individually applied to a thin gauze skullcap. She wears tiny lace-up vintage boots by Gotall, sturdy enough to help her find new paths to explore in this great big world.

Lace-up back with tiny copper eyelets

~SOLD~

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Changes to Orchid's Designs in 2014

The new year is almost here! A time to reflect on the year gone by, and make plans for the new one ahead. At Orchid's Designs I took some time to reflect on my brand, my goals and the direction I want to continue with.

When I began Orchid's Designs back in 2009, it was to create beautiful one-of-a-kind haute couture for dolls - elegant high fashion for elite and incredibly precious art dolls, usually made of fragile porcelain. 2013 saw me venture into the world of art resin BJD, Blythe and Makies, which I will continue... but differently. Blythe fashions seem to be characterised by identical dolly dresses made quickly and cheaply, produced in high numbers for a quick turnaround. This is not the direction I want my brand to go down, and so changes are to take place in what I will be offering from now on.

2014 will see Orchid's Designs focus once more on high couture fashions for such elite BJD as Enchanted Dolls, BJTales, Popovy Sisters, and LightpaintedDolls. These will be special designs, completely unique and made with the highest quality materials from such exclusive sources as Mokuba in Paris, rare antique laces, and exceptional designer fabrics.

We will be releasing a few fully costumed customized Blythe dolls available to adopt throughout the year. These will be special OOAK character dolls, with complete facial carving and artist face-ups. Each Orchid's Designs custom doll will fully embody my artistic vision and represent a little being of my own design with detailed costume ensemble, wigs and accessories.

For Blythe, I will be releasing highly limited pre-orders of couture garments that can be commissioned in a small availability of colours depending on the design.

This does mean the items in my Etsy shop will be the last basic pieces available for a little while. There are a selection of tutu skirts, simple dresses and individual garments for Blythe, Makies and some BJD basics available right now for the last time.

To celebrate strengthening my direction and to make way for the exquisite future designs I am offering a clearance sale on everything in the shop until January 14th in the new year (when the shop will close for a holiday till late February) This may be the last chance to nab some favourites you've had your eye on!

At checkout you can use this code for 30% off your entire purchase

2013CLEARANCE

~ Sale ENDS 14th January 2014 ~

We are very excited for the New Year! New designs, new projects and new dolls! See you in 2014!

Items NOT included in the sale (like custom pre-orders) that are still available can be found on my website.

Citrine - Custom Blythe - Available

Citrine - the discoverer of Lost Worlds

Custom Blythe 001 by Orchid's Designs

Garbed in her shining bronze armour, Citrine is a fearless and curious adventurer. The youngest daughter of distant royalty, she shed her life of pampered luxury to go after her heart and instincts... 

wherever they may lead.

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Citrine is a custom Blythe by Orchid's Designs - the first for adoption. She is a base SBL Bait, with advanced facial carving to give her a brand new look: extensive nose and mouth work including a full carve-through and carved teeth, philtrum, nostrils and shaped nose; her eyes, forehead and chin have had light sanding-alterations. Her face has been completely painted with artist pastels, watercolours and acrylics to bring her to glowing life. 

Painted with Monika Viktoria's own signature style, Citrine has heavily blushed cheeks, cherry red lips, a rosy nose, and delicate blonde eyebrows elegantly shaped. Her eyes have had special attention paid, with tiny catlike eyeliner and many layers of pastels finely sealed. She has tiny beautyspots dotted over her pretty face, marks of her unique personality. She has two-sets of specially selected stock chips (hazelnut and coral) and two hand-painted metallic chips (Pompeian Red and Golden Tawny), and her eyelids are painted metallic bronze, whilst custom eyelashes fan her pretty eyes. She has been given the sleep-eye adjustment, as well as gaze correction. She has a tiny golden bell and a special brass vintage-style cameo pull-ring featuring a Blythe illustration by Monika Viktoria sealed under liquid resin glaze.

Her hair is her original SBL scalp (NOTE: unfortunately her hair came with a slight fault. A selection of the strands close to her scalp are "frizzed" - they are hidden underneath her helmet when she is fully dressed in her costume. They may be repairable with a professional hair spa, but I do not know. For this reason the price of this doll is significantly lower.)

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~ Costume ~

Citrine comes with her special OOAK character costume. A 6-piece ensemble that is completely unique to this doll. Citrine wears: 

~ lace ruffled leotard with seductively low back

~ fishnet and lace socks with cute bows at the back

~ a sturdy pair of Miss Yo vintage-style boots 

~ lace collar ruff lined with tawny ribbon and tiny golden beads

~ Corset frock in my signature "songbirds" style, with lace skirt, beaded hemline, and thin ribbon lace-up

~ Adventurer helmet - entirely covered in bronze sequins and beads, lined throughout in brocade, strings of beads at the back and small chains looping through her cheek-armour-plates.

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Citrine is now available for adoption.

$760 USD

(Postage Included WW)

contact: info [at] orchidsdesigns.com

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For more photographs of Citrine please visit her Facebook album or her Flickr album

Bronze Songbird

"The songbird, prized for her enchanting and melodic voice is asked to perform again and again, taking listeners to far-away places, breaking hearts with her notes and weaving dreams with her words."

The Bronze Songbird design is a high-waisted skirt-corset with ruffles and decadent trims in varying shades of gold, deep bronze, and chocolate brass. Tiny beads hover round the layered organza skirt, and a matching necklace of beads circles her delicate neck. A lace-up back ensures a skin-tight fit for the resin beauties and ability to adjust for the slightly larger elite porcelain Enchanted Dolls.

The latest couture creation from the House of Orchid's Designs has been hand-crafted to fit the exquisite new limited line of Resin Enchanted Dolls.  A decadent piece with meticulous care to attention, it is sure to suit the style of an elegant beauty.

~ Available ~