Jenny's Paper Doll News

The Original Paper Doll Artists Guild celebrates 100 issues!

2011-12-20T09:33:00.004-05:00

In 1984, several artists gathered together at the Denver, PA, paper doll convention, to form the Original Paper Doll Artists Guild. Judy M Johnson was selected to publish a newsletter to keep the group informed of paper doll news, share ideas, drawing tips, promotional information and, of course, paper doll art. The very first issue was a two-sided single page typed newsletter, and photocopied on Judy's home office copier. Since then the quarterly publication has grown to a full color, 48 page glossy magazine!

The 100th issue could be the most spectacular of all, filled with more than 45 paper dolls by 33 artists of today! The cover art is by Darlene Jones, who created a delightful fairy paper doll to illustrate the theme, Flora and Fauna.

Since 1991 I've had the pleasure of publishing this specialty magazine and to this day I my heart swells with pride to provide a venue for sharing and encouraging the art of the paper doll.

If you love paper dolls, I hope you'll give this magazine a try. For more information, please visit opdag.com or paperdollreview.com.

2011 Convention Update

2010-11-15T09:35:00.003-05:00

August 17-21, 2011, Philadelphia, PA

Whether you're new to paper dolls or have been attending paper doll conventions for years, organizer David Wolfe has planned a fun time for everyone!

As always, lots of souvenirs will be presented throughout the convention. There will be 3 banquet dinners, and the hotel offers complimentary breakfast and happy hour each day. A sandwich bar will be offered at lunchtime for a modest fee. To give you an idea of what to expect, here is the preliminary schedule for the convention:

Wednesday, August 17, 2011
10:30 a.m. Optional Tour of QVC Studios
7:00 p.m. Registration Reception Party

Thursday, August 18, 2011
Morning: Color-and-Cut Bee
All Day: Variety of Workshops, Programs and Talks
Afternoon: Raffle Room, Artists' Gallery & Dress-a-Doll Display
Evening: Red, White & Blue themed Banquet Dinner and Trivia Contest

Friday, August 19, 2011
Throughout the Day: Competition, Workshops, Talks and Programs
Afternoon: Silent Auction, Raffle Room & Freebie Table
Evening: Colonial Themed Banquet Dinner and Colonial Fashion Program

Saturday, August 20, 2011
All Day: Sales Room
Early Evening: Raffle Drawing
Evening: "The Philadelphia Story" Themed Banquet Diner, Presentation on Grace Kelly, Fanny Gray Awards, Top Raffle Item Drawing, Silent Auction Winners

Sunday, August 21, 2011
Morning: Farewell Gathering and Vintage Fashion/Paper Doll Program

To sign up, visit the Convention 2011 section of the Paperdoll Review website. A special early-bird discount is available until December 1, 2010. Plus, early registrations get an extra souvenir! If you have questions, email David Wolfe directly.

If you're unable to attend, you can still get all the fabulous convention souvenirs with an absentee registration. Only 50 absentee registrations are available so we recommend purchasing early. (Souvenirs will be mailed after the convention).

Upcoming titles from Paper Studio Press now available for pre-order

2010-10-30T20:21:00.005-04:00

Our upcoming titles include works by some of today's favorite artists plus a reprint of the nostalgic 1951 Big 'n' Little Sister paper doll book featuring matching outfits for two sets of sisters.

Movie star paper doll books are instant collectibles and three top artists have turned their attention to legends of the silver screen.

Favorite paper doll artist Marilyn Henry has created a lovely ode to ballerina actress Leslie Caron with costumes from Miss Caron's biggest hits. Esteemed fashion illustrator, Jim Howard, has immortalized exotic Dorothy Lamour, the sarong-clad glamour girl of the famous "Road" comedies. And fashion expert and artist, David Wolfe, turns his attention to Doris Day's impact as a fashion icon and role model with a book featuring many costumes from her decades-long movie career.

More movie clothes can be found in David Wolfe's Hollywood Confections with some of the most outrageously gorgeous costumes ever seen on the screen. Each has inspired a matching culinary confection by dessert chef Archie Bridge, plus tips to make your own fancy dessert concoctions.

Making her debut with Paper Studio Press, Sandra Vanderpool's Masquerade Party captures the giddy glamour of a fancy dress party in the Roaring Twenties with themed costumes for four Art Deco dolls, all presented on lavishly designed backgrounds.

2011 International Paper Doll Convention to be held in Philadelphia

2010-06-03T09:00:00.004-04:00

Although this year’s Paper Doll Convention has not as yet happened in Kansas City, next year’s event is already in the early planning stage. Chairing the Convention will be David Wolfe, paper doll artist, fashion authority and popular emcee at recent paper doll conventions. The 2011 event, “Let Freedom Ring!” will take place in Philadelphia from Wednesday, August 17 to Sunday, August 21, 2011. The venue will once again be at an Embassy Suites hotel, this time located at the Philadelphia Airport and easily accessible by plane, train or car.

David has shared some of the exciting plans that include a welcome Registration/Reception Party to kick off the Convention, a convivial Coloring-and-Cutting “Bee” get together, the Sales Room, a Raffle, a Silent Auction of artwork and a newly concepted Competition plus several Workshops and special Presentations. David, who has designed a “Liberty Belle” logo for the Convention, says that he intends conventioneers will receive a “bumper crop of paper dolls and a special souvenir tote bag.”

For the first time ever, registration and payment will be available online. Details coming soon!

Fashion illustrations by Jim Howard entered into Boston Museum of Fine Arts Permanent Collection

2010-04-07T10:29:00.008-04:00

Known for his dramatically lit fashion illustrations for top department stores in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Jim Howard was invited to donate 39 of his works to the permanent collection of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.

It's a wonderful honor for Jim, and an honor for paper doll collectors to have such a celebrated artist drawing paper dolls for us today. In 2009, his classic fashion illustrations were transformed into the paper doll format in Jim Howard's Fashion Illustration Paper Dolls, and he soon moved on to illustrating paper doll books of Gene Marshall and Her Glamorous Friends and Ida Lupino. Upcoming titles titles include Dorothy Lamour and Dandy Dolls.

Paper dolls on NPR!

2010-03-28T08:02:00.004-04:00

Tom Tierney's interview with NPR about paper dolls is available on NPR's Weekend Edition Website! Scroll half way down and click on the headline: "At 81, Artist Still Playing With Paper Dolls."

Congratulations to Tom! Shown here is Tom's new Rosie the Riveter paper doll for Paper Studio Press.

Paperdoll Review's Gone With the Wind Extravaganza Issue

2010-03-17T15:59:00.007-04:00

Paperdoll Review Issue 47 is officially in the mail, so most subscribers should receive their issues by the end of March, 2010. This is a super spectacular issue with FOUR articles about Gone With the Wind including Ralph Hodgdon's personal account of Gone With the Wind costume designer, Walter Plunkett. Marilyn Henry provides a behind-the-scenes look of the movie, Linda Deitchman tells us about author Margaret Mitchell, and David Wolfe invites us to a Twelve Oaks BBQ with some fine recipes. For visual delights, we have a beautiful plantation scene on the cover by Darlene Jones and two full color paper dolls by Marilyn Henry and Ralph Hodgdon.

Also, Kathy Lawrence continues her story about her mother, famous paper doll artist, Queen Holden; and we have features on Hilda Miloche's Judy and Jim books and a look at Little Red Riding Hood Paper Dolls. In our Readers Page section, Barbara Ruiter shares special paper doll memories and Johana Gast Anderton offers more storage and archival tips. It's a super fabulous issue that our readers are sure to enjoy!

Paper Dolls Hit the LA Art Scene

2010-02-12T10:46:00.002-05:00

If you're in the LA area, check out the fabulous Paper Doll Exhibit at the FIFTY24LA Gallery. This group exhibition of 35 artists offers a great variety of art pieces representing the theme, Paper Dolls. Check out their website to see all the cool creations.

Paper dolls enter the world of fashion

2009-11-16T11:18:00.003-05:00

I'm very pleased to have been invited to be a featured speaker at the forthcoming "Heirloom" Conference to be held in New York City, December 4th and 5th. Along with paper doll artist David Wolfe and vintage fashion expert Scott Jorgenson we will discuss "The Allure of Fashion Past." David will talk about the growing importance and awareness of nostalgia in fashion. Scott will discuss his 800-piece clothing collection and how he accumulated such a trove of fashion treasures. And in my presentation I will reveal how my publishing company is reviving the interest in fashion and celebrity paper doll books.

This seminar is just one of many scheduled to take place during the annual two day conference organized by Initiatives in Art and Culture. The conference, 11th in the yearly series, will also include lectures and presentations by experts and authorities on various heirloom subjects including pearls, watches, jewelry and textiles. Several evening events are also planned.

The Heirloom Conference is open to the public and a very special discounted fee has been arranged. Please visit the website for more information and contact me directly for information about the special discount offer. It will be a fascinating conference for anyone interested in fashion and nostalgia.

Super cool, clever paper dolls!

2009-10-25T13:42:00.006-04:00

Congratulations to Kwei-lin Lum on her first published paper doll book! Kwei-lin's has a wonderfully clever approach to her paper doll art, choosing subjects and designs that are surprising and unique. This is especially evident in her colorful Day of the Dead paper doll book, representing Mexico's celebration honoring the memory of the departed. The book provides two whimsical skeleton dolls and a colorful wardrobe of traditional costumes. My favorite part is the bonus sticker poster showing vignettes of skeletons doing a variety of everyday things like baking bread, repairing cars, selling tacos and even going to the spa. The book is available from Paperdoll Review, and you can see more examples of Kwei-lin's intriguing paper doll art on her flatdoll website.

Cool new interactive paper doll site!

2009-10-23T16:44:00.003-04:00

Our own David Wolfe has gone digital! His popular line of paper doll books caught the attention of the Essex-Peabody Museum in Salem, MA, and he was asked to illustrate a paper doll to represent a special exhibit of clothes worn by fashion legend, Iris Apfel. Rather than the traditional paper format, this paper doll is purely digital, with two interactive kiosks at the museum and an on-line version with mix-and-match separates from the exhibit, Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel. A digital closet is provided with dozens of fashion items including pants, skirts, jackets, blouses, hats, boots, and lots of big, chunky jewelry to build your own ensembles on three mannequins. So click over and have fun!

Paper Doll Convention in the Las Vegas News!

2009-10-08T13:33:00.005-04:00

I'm thrilled to announce that our paper doll convention made it into the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Thanks to his media connections, David Wolfe, arranged to have reporter Xazmin Garza visit our convention during the Artists Showcase afternoon. Ms. Garza spent at least a couple of hours talking with artists and collectors, resulting in a lovely article about the convention and the art and hobby of paper dolls. It's fun that a photo of Dee Radcliffe was included, taken at the time she was surprised with a custom paper doll of her and her friend Paula Sherrick, drawn by Norma Lu Meehan.

Las Vegas resident and entertainment legend, Phyllis McGuire, was also featured in the article, with information about her extraordinary clothing collection and the soon-to-be-published Phyllis McGuire Paper Doll. Also included in the article are photos of Hedy Lamarr paper dolls by Gregg Nystrom and David Wolfe's original art for the Grease Paper Doll.

Thanks so much to Deanna Williams and her team for putting on such a wonderful convention. Next year's convention is scheduled for July 1-4, 2010 in Kansas City. Visit OPDAG's website for details.

Grease is finally the word!

2009-09-18T07:45:00.010-04:00

I am happy to annouce that our Grease Paper Dolls are in stock! We are busy filling advance orders, so customers should receive their orders by the end of September.

I think the whole set, illustrated by David Wolfe, looks great and I hope you'll think so, too! I'm especially impressed with the die-cutting of the dolls, making them easy to punch out and attach to stands. This is our first envelope style paper doll, featuring four dolls (Sweet Sandy, Cool Sandy, Frenchy and Rizzo) and eight pages of clothes representing outfits as seen in the film along with additional retro 50s fashions—over 55 items in all! Thumbnail images of the clothing pages are shown on the Paperdoll Review website.

If you haven't yet ordered your Grease Paper Doll, you may order directly from paperdollreview.com, or send $14.95 plus $3.50 shipping to Paperdoll Review, P.O. Box 14, Kingfield, ME 04947.

Grease TM & © 2009 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Our new books are here!

2009-09-04T12:16:00.004-04:00

After much anticipation, our new books are in! The beautiful Esther Williams paper doll by Marilyn Henry—done in collaboration with Miss Williams herself—features movie clothes and swimwear. The legendary Greta Garbo is depicted in three dolls and a luxurious wardrobe of clothes by Norma Lu Meehan. Mel Odom's glamorous Gene Marshall doll and her friends, Madra, violet, Ivy, and Trent have been incorporated into a spectacular paper doll book illustrated by Jim Howard. And David Wolfe brings us two books—one of the fabulous funny lady Phyllis Diller and one featuring the fashions of Hollywood Designer, Adrian. For a sneak preview of each book, thumbnail images of the inside pages have been added to the Paperdoll Review website.

Rhonda Fleming Day on TCM

2009-07-30T11:42:00.003-04:00

Today is Rhonda Fleming day on Turner Classic Movies. Hollywood's flame-haired beauty is featured in several movies today including Gun Glory, Out of the Past, Cry Danger, While the City Sleeps and Spellbound. Tune in!

For more Rhonda Fleming news visit her website and check out the Rhonda Fleming Paper Doll from Paperdoll Review!

Paper Studio Press in the New York Post!

2009-05-20T11:52:00.007-04:00

Sandwiched right between "Sex and the City" and Stevie Nicks is me! Well, not exactly me, but my publishing company was mentioned in today's New York Post! Following her comments about the St. Martins Press "Barack and Michelle Obama Paper Doll," I notified Cindy Adams about our brand new Michelle First Lady paper doll by David Wolfe.

Published in conjunction with Paperdollwyood (David's own imprint), this paper doll is a lovely tribute to the first lady, with two dolls and eight pages of clothes. The book is currently available for $14 from Paperdoll Review.

Phyllis Diller Paper Dolls

2009-05-20T10:32:00.037-04:00

I just received a lovely note from Miss Phyllis Diller approving the final designs for our upcoming Phyllis Diller Paper Doll book. In fact, she said David Wolfe's artwork was "magnificent"!

In February David and I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet Miss Diller in her Beverly Hills home. She was gracious, down-to-earth and she really is funny in real life. Sharp as a tack, she was quick to make a joke or laugh at one of ours. When David and I got ready to tour her closets, she jokingly told us to leave our bags behind so she could go through them when we were gone. After our meeting, complete with cocktails and caviar, Miss Diller's assistant, Shelly, led us throughout the house to various closets filled with racks of those zany outfits so identifiable to Phyllis Diller and her stand-up performances.

Shelly left us to rifle through the racks and choose outfits to photograph for paper doll book reference. While David fussed over costume selections, I perused the charming paintings, done by Phyllis Diller herself, lining the walls of the long hallway. Once David made a costume selection, he'd bring it out into the light of the hall (which overlooked a beautiful courtyard) and I held it up for him to photograph. I even bought one of her paintings! It's a portrait of a girl who looks just like me, with straight blonde hair and wearing a big pink hat. It was a wonderful day and such an honor to meet the legendary Phyllis Diller.

Based on the dozens of reference photos, David completed the artwork for the book. The front and back covers show three dolls, representing Miss Diller at various stages in her career, all with her signature wild hairstyles, and the colorful clothing pages show costumes worn for various TV appearances, on stage and movie roles. For extra fun, the paper doll book includes many of the classic one-line zingers that became legendary in Phyllis Diller's stand-up act and innumerable guest appearances on TV. Phyllis Diller Paper Dolls will be available in August, and advance orders are welcome from Paperdoll Review.

Paper Dolls in the New York Times!

2009-03-15T09:37:00.005-04:00

Linda Ocasio just gave me the hot tip about this nifty paper doll shown in today's New York Times. The photo-format paper doll accompanies an article about pink being the shopper's comfort color. We love it when paper dolls make it into mainstream media! If you get the TV Guide, take a look at the February 9-15, 2009 issue. An article on page 48 shows Eliza Dushku wearing tabbed clothes. It's not exactly a paper doll, but pretty close!

David Wolfe Returns to Phyllis McGuire's Closet

2009-02-26T08:25:00.007-05:00

David Wolfe (a popular artist in Paper Studio Press' growing stable of talents) told me about his trip to Las Vegas for the MAGIC fashion convention. While there, he met with Phyllis McGuire of the legendary McGuire Sisters singing trio. David and I first met Phyllis a few months ago to present her with the idea of becoming a subject for a new paper doll book. She agreed enthusiastically and now the project is moving along.

David told me about working with Miss McGuire's charming assistant, Sandy, and her fashion curator, Jan Rude. The reason she needs a curator is that Phyllis McGuire, one of the world's best dressed fashionistas, has an incredible collection of creations by famous designers, a collection that David said rivals many fashion museums. Galanos, Chanel, Pauline Trigere, Bob Mackie, Nolan Miller, Norman Norell, Bill Blass, Sophie of Saks, Pucci, Halston, and more! Many outfits are on display in the gigantic room that is really the star's huge bedroom. Phyllis herself moved to another room in her stunning home while the collection is being assembled and photographed.

David and Sandy first picked out photos to use as reference for the dolls that will appear in the book. That wasn't easy since there were hundreds of photos from which to choose. David, who is almost terminally star struck, was thrilled to see photos of Phyllis with so many great celebrities including Bob Hope, George Burns, Sophie Tucker, Dean Martin, Robert Goulet, Richard Nixon and the Queen of England! David wants the three dolls to represent three different looks . . . one from the 50s, another the 60s and the other, the 70s/80s.

Then came the difficult job of deciding which of the fantastic fashions to include in the paper doll book. David will eventually paint about 25 outfits for it, but he photographed many more for reference. He wants the clothes in the book to be as detailed and absolutely authentic as possible. Since Phyllis has been a star for decades, the finished book will cover her style as it evolved with fashion from the '50s when "Sugartime" and "Sincerely" were hits to more recent stunning glamour gowns.

Following the planning session at the star's home, David, Phyllis and Jan Rude went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant overlooking the famous Bellagio water show. Of course, many of us will be in Las Vegas later this year for the National Paper Doll Convention. If only Phyllis McGuire might be willing to attend, too!

Paper Dolls in the Portland Paper!

2009-01-18T15:49:00.004-05:00

I am over the moon about the article in today's Maine Sunday Telegram. The snappy writing style of Meredith Goad makes the article fun to read, and I feel honored to be featured in Maine's biggest newspaper. Surprisingly, the article got front page billing and ran on page A5!

Appearing with the article is the the photo shown here by staff photographer, John Ewing, with the "Jenny" paper doll by David Wolfe in the foreground and me showing off Norma Lu Meehan's upcoming Rhonda Fleming paper doll). Additionally, I'm pleased that the entire article appears on the newspaper's website along with readers' comments.

Publicity for Paper Dolls

2009-01-12T11:01:00.013-05:00

Those of us in the paper doll world know all about paper dolls. We love to collect them, create them, read about them, talk about them, and attend parties and conventions. Many, many friendships have been made through the common interest of paper dolls, and even careers have been created for paper doll artists.

Paper dolls have given me a new career as a publisher through my company, Paper Studio Press. With the help of fabulous artists and encouragement of friends and advisors, in just two years my little publishing company has grown to 24 titles of vintage paper doll reproductions and wonderful new paper dolls by artists of today.

Through the Internet, our paper doll world has had a chance to grow. With a simple Google search, someone can get reunited with a childhood paper doll on eBay, find a new Tom Tierney paper doll on Amazon, connect with other paper doll enthusiasts in a Yahoo Group, become an instant collector through websites like Paperdoll Review, and discover new artists with their own websites like Brenda Sneathen Mattox and Kwei-lin Lum.

To let the rest of the world know what we have to offer, I've enlisted the help of my friend and public relations guru, Nancy Marshall. I recently signed with her successful PR firm, Nancy Marshall Communications, and with the help of Nancy and her support team Paper Studio Press has been given a new, more professional look. The Paper Studio Press website has been enhanced to include artist bios, press releases and publicity. Nancy's associate, Lissa Gumprecht was very helpful in the creation of fact sheets and press releases for my new press kit. Shown here is the press kit cover beautifully designed by Pierre Hale. Nancy and Lissa initiated a media campaign in the hopes of attracting attention to paper dolls. Although we have our sights set high with hopes of national coverage, we have already interested two newspapers here in Maine.

The Kennebec Journal just ran a nice article, "Stars of the silver screen come alive on paper" by Sada Reed. I wish I could show you the layout... they did a great job! And I was also interviewed by the Portland Press Herald for an upcoming article. They even sent a photographer all the way to Kingfield, and that's a two hour drive! Coincidentally, I had already met the photographer, John Ewing, last October on my flight home from Los Angeles. He was my seat mate on the leg from Detroit to Portland and we had a nice conversation about his longtime job as a staff photographer and my paper doll ventures. Little did I know that he'd be on my doorstep just a few months later to take pictures of me.

I hope 2009 will bring many more publicity opportunities for paper dolls. Our paper friends with their ever-changing tabbed wardrobes deserve the exposure!

Ginger Rogers and Betty Hutton Websites

2009-01-09T15:22:00.024-05:00

Our two newest star paper dolls of Ginger Rogers and Betty Hutton are now available from our Paperdoll Review website. These are two of my favorite stars I'm honored to have had a part in commemoratng their lives and careers as paper dolls. I'm happy to say that the official websites for each star are generously promoting the books.

The Ginger Rogers website offers a biography, filmography, quotes and fun facts (which I especially like). There's also a nice photo gallery as well as a library of movies, books and posters that can be purchased. A little known fact, Ginger Rogers was an accomplished artist and sculptor and several of her paintings are shown in the artwork gallery.

Satins and Spurs, the official Betty Hutton website, offers a treasuretrove of goodies for Betty's fans and soon-to-be fans. In addition to her biography and filmography there's a jukebox to listen to her songs, a press center complete with magazine covers and article reprints covering more than six decades, a link to the Betty Hutton store, and extras like desktop wallpaper, ringtones and quizes. My favorite part of the site is the Reel Room with detailed descriptions of films, publicity photos, film stills, lobby cards and advertisements. I was surprised and delighted to find links to watch several of her full-length flms including The Fleet's In, Incendiary Blonde, The Stork Club, Dream Girl and Let's Dance. It's a perfect way to match up the clothes in our Betty Hutton paper doll book with the clothes in these movies!

Stars Galore!

2008-11-25T07:15:00.006-05:00

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of proposals and contracts, and I'm thrilled to say that I have signed deals to produce paper dolls of silver screen icons Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich; classic Hollywood's flame haired beauty Rhonda Fleming (shown here); Phyllis McGuire of the legendary singing sister trio, and legendary funny lady Phyllis Diller. These paper doll books will be produced in 2009 along with the new Jane Powell and Esther Williams paper dolls.

I'm very proud to announce that I've signed a deal with Paramount Pictures to produce a paper doll of the movie Grease! Sandy and the Pink Ladies will be featured in this set illustrated by David Wolfe, and we expect to have it available by summer 2009.

There are other projects in the works with more stars and fabulous new artists, so there will be more to report in the months ahead.

Back from LA

2008-10-27T15:03:00.011-04:00

I recently returned from a fabulous trip to LA for the Fall Frolic paper doll party hosted by Gene Maiden and Deanna Williams. It was a lovely day with special star guests -- Marsha Hunt, Ann Rutherford, Jane Withers, Peggy Lennon and guest of honor, Rhonda Fleming. It was a delight to meet the stars that were new to me and enjoy nice visits with Marsha and Jane. One of the highlights of the weekend was spending time with Mel Odom, creator of the Gene® Doll Collection and his partner, Charlie. I love the Gene Dolls and have one of my own overlooking my office.

My trip was extended a couple of extra days with a stay at the home of Deanna Williams who very kindly drove me to me to meetings in Hollywood. I came away with lots of paper doll possibilities, but I can't announce them quite yet. Since returning home I've been preparing contracts and proposals for numerous new paper doll books. My to-do list these day is looking more like a who's who list! As the new projects are confirmed, I will happily announce them on my blog.

My husband points out that I tend to come back from a trip with a ridiculous purchase, and this trip was no exception. This time I returned with a suitcase from Oilily. Although it was designed for a child, it was so fabulous I couldn't resist buying it for myself. I'm not sure if I'll actually wheel it through the airports, but it will be fun for car trips to visit family and friends

A New Jane Powell Paper Doll to be Produced by Paper Studio Press

2008-10-08T09:07:00.011-04:00

Celebrating the talented actress, singer and dancer, Paper Studio Press will produce a new paper doll book of Jane Powell featuring clothes from her musical movie roles including A Date With Judy, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Nancy Goes to Rio and Royal Wedding.

It was a delight to meet the lovely Jane Powell and her charming husband Dick Moore at the paper doll convention in New Jersey last August, and I'm so pleased to be working with them personally on this very special project. Illustrated by Marilyn Henry, we plan to have the book, Jane Powell in the Movies Paper Dolls, out by summer 2009. Shown here is the preliminary cover design.

Paper Studio Press to produce a new Esther Williams Paper Doll featuring her movie clothes and swimwear!

2008-10-02T09:44:00.008-04:00

We just signed an agreement to do a fabulous new paper doll of Hollywood's swimming sensation, Esther Williams. Her beauty an talent was showcased in more than 25 films during the 1940s and ‘50s, beginning with 1942's "Andy Hardy’s Double Life” with Micky Rooney, and continuing with the many "aqua-musicals" such as "Million Dollar Mermaid," "Dangerous When Wet" and "Jupiter's Darling." A boxed set of these films is available from Amazon.com.

Whether dressed for performances in the pool or attending posh parties, Esther was a model of perfection for MGM's wardrobe department. Many of her memorable costumes will be featured in the new paper doll book, illustrated by famed artist Marilyn Henry, who also illustrated the Marilyn Monroe and Ginger Rogers paper doll books for Paper Studio Press.

Some of the swimwear costumes featured in our new paper doll book have been reproduced by Esther Williams' own swimwear company and are available at boutiques and on the Esther Williams Swimwear Website. We expect to have the new book, Esther Williams Movie Clothes and Swimwear Paper Dolls, ready for summer 2009.

Paperdoll Review Issue 43 is at the Printer

2008-09-24T20:47:00.005-04:00

Time sure does go by quickly between issues of the Paperdoll Review magazine. But for subscribers, it must seem like an eternity! There are just two of us (Marilyn Henry and myself) putting these issues together, so we do our best to put out a top-notch publication between our many other paper doll projects.

Marilyn went all out for Paperdoll Review Issue 43 with gorgeous cover art and a full color paper doll. David Wolfe provides a fantastic look at fashions of the 1960s with lots of great photos and paper doll examples. Also, Gina Bridges Clarke talks about her childhood paper doll memories of the 60s and 70s.

We have feature on Quirky Paper Dolls, ones with roll-around eyes, "real" hair, cling-on clothes and other unusual features. Our featured artist is Barbara Bradley who had a talent for drawing children for both the advertising and paper doll world. For Merrill Publishing, she illustrated several paper dolls including Heavenly Blue Wedding, B is for Betsy and Pink Prom Twins.

We also have a short biography of Suzy Parker, our In the Kitchen segment, The Readers Page (including the 2008 New Jersey Paper Doll Convention Report), New Book Reviews, and more!

Ginger Rogers Paper Doll Coming Soon

2008-09-24T20:31:00.006-04:00

I'm delighted to report that Marilyn Henry is busy working on the long-awaited Ginger Rogers Paper Dolls & Movie Clothes book. Over the past year, Marilyn has been studying Ginger Rogers’ films (an enjoyable task for her!) to fill the eight clothing pages with glamorous, memorable costumes from films such as Top Hat, Swing Time, Carefree, Fifth Ave. Girl, Kitty Foyle, Flying Down to Rio, Lady In The Dark, Follow The Fleet, In Person, and Roberta.

Ginger's beauty and grace delighted us on the silver screen, and this paper doll book is sure to delight fans of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, as well as those who love classic movies and paper dolls. Although this is a preliminary cover design, I think it looks gorgeous! Thanks to Pierre Halé for his help with the title lettering.

Published by Paper Studio Press, we expect to have the paper dolls ready to ship in December 2008.

Paper Doll Convention Updates

2008-09-06T11:04:00.007-04:00

The 2008 Paper Doll Convention, held August 6-10 in Piscataway, NJ, was fabulous! Convention organizer Linda Ocasio and her team did a fantastic job. The event was filled with paper doll workshops and talks, programs and exhibits, dress-up dinners and everyone's favorite--the sales room! Two side trips were offered, one to the New Jersey Historical Society and one to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

David Wolfe was our emcee for this year's convention. A highly regarded speaker in the fashion industry, we certainly appreciate David's willingness to volunteer for our paper doll group. Another talented speaker, Mel Odom, creator of the Gene doll collection, treated us to a lovely program on Sunday morning. Our special star guests were Jane Powell and her husband Dick Moore who attended our dinner and program Thursday evening. We all received a special souvenir paper doll by Marilyn Henry of Jane featuring her movie clothes. Artists Tom Tierney and Gregg Nystrom presented Jane with their own Jane Powell paper dolls. Look for Gregg's art in the upcoming issue of Paper Doll Studio featuring Broadway paper dolls.

Next year's convention is scheduled for September 30-October 3, 2009 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Las Vegas. Details are posted on OPDAG's website. Pre-convention activities will be offered on the 29th, but we don't have details yet. The convention host is Deanna Williams who can be reached by email or phone 626-284-1502.

Paper doll conventions are a great way to connect with other people who love paper dolls and escape into a world of paper doll delights.

Esther, Sonja, Marsha and the Steppers are here!

2008-07-25T12:26:00.004-04:00

Our newest paper doll books arrived this week! The advance orders have all been mailed so if you're waiting for one or more of the new books, you should receive your package in 1-2 weeks. All four books are lovely! I'm especially pleased with the Esther Williams book as it was a group effort and came out positively gorgeous! Reproduced from the 1953 paper doll/coloring book, it has eight clothing pages, four of which were hand-colored by Marilyn Henry. She's so skillful at rendering fabrics--her silk looks like silk, taffeta looks like taffeta and so on. David Wolfe wrote the biography for this book, as he did with our other star books. And our newest edition to our paper doll family, Pierre Halé, helped with the page restoration work in Photoshop. He also applied his Photoshop skills to our next three books.

The Sonja Henie book is lovely, with eight pages of clothes for all occasions. A highly sought-after paper doll from 1941, it's nice to offer this as a reproduction. The Six Little Steppers is another group effort with six pages of clothes, digitally restored by Pierre, plus two additional dress-up clothing pages by Judy M Johnson. The cover art by Charlot Byj is too cute too resist! Finally we have the beautiful Marsha Hunt paper doll illustrated by David Wolfe. Filled with costumes from her 1930s and 40s movie roles, this book was created in collaboration with Marsha herself.

Paper Doll Studio Issue 91 has been Mailed

2008-07-09T10:32:00.005-04:00

OPDAG's Paper Doll Studio Issue 91, featuring Lingerie, Loungewear and Sleepwear, was mailed on Tuesday, July 9, 2008, so subscribers should receive their issue sometime in the next 1-3 weeks. I'm happy to say this is our very first issue with a full color cover! This issue is filled with lovely theme related paper doll art plus a dress-a-doll. David Wolfe offers a look at "Hollywood Undressed" featuring memorable lingerie and loungewear worn on the big screen. Johana Anderton offers some drawing tips and Sylvia Kleindist provides a photo review of undergarments through the decades. Our featured artist (and cover artist) is Charlotte Krause.

New Logo for Paper Studio Press

2008-07-05T09:27:00.004-04:00

I'm delighted to finally have an honest-to-goodness logo for my publishing house, Paper Studio Press. The design is courtesy of David Wolfe. While vacationing in Palm Springs, David cut the accordion of paper dolls, which was later scanned into Adobe Illustrator by our computer guru, Pierre Halé. Next Pierre, prepared a page of different logo ideas, each using the row of dolls but with different typestyles and layouts. Some of the designs were contained inside a frame, but I chose a logo with a more open format, giving me the opportunity to show the logo rather large on our letterhead. Although Pierre had some great font ideas, none of them seemed quite right. I didn't want anything too modern, as my product line is filled with nostalgic paper dolls. But I didn't want anything too decorative either. In the end, I found a font in my own font library and set it in place. So the final logo is a group creation and I'm very thankful to David and Pierre for all their help.

OPDAG's Lingerie Issue is under way

2008-06-10T15:48:00.006-04:00

We've received lots of great submissions for our dress-a-doll as well as some nice paper dolls for our lingerie/loungewear/sleepwear theme. I'm currently in the scanning/typing stage with takes a loooong time.

To my surprise, our featured artist, Charlotte Krause, sent her cover art in color. Not only is she the first artist to send her cover art in color, she did so being completely unaware of our plans to add the extra color pages. In the past, we would have half-toned the art so it would appear in shades of grey, but now her lovely art can be shown in full color. The two additional color pages will appear on the inside front and back cover to show off some of our colorful theme art submissions.

Dress-a-doll issues are usually extra large, and it will be a challenge to keep this issue at 36 pages. It's an extra expense to add the color pages, so it helps a great deal to keep the page count down. Although, with this issue, it may not be possible.

I'm hoping to go to press in by the end of the month so the issues can get out in the mail early to mid July. Shown here: a dress-a-doll outfit by Laura Snow.

1944 Girlfriends Paper Doll

2008-05-30T09:41:00.006-04:00

Since the lovely Girlfriends paper doll appeared in Issue 42 of our Paperdoll Review magazine, several readers have asked if a reproduction is available. Nothing is available now, but we plan to do a reproduction book through Paper Studio Press sometime in 2009.

The wardrobe in this book is filled with great examples of World War II era fashions. The five girlfriends have clothes for practically every occasion in a girl's life from Victory gardening to dancing at the USO. There are plaids, prints, polka dots, military wear, beach wear and Latin style outfits. An all around great book! Check out the Paperdoll Review website sometime in 2009 for ordering information.

New Betty Hutton Paper Doll in Progress

2008-05-24T16:32:00.008-04:00

Her effervescent personality, quirky character roles and lovely singing voice makes Betty Hutton one of my most favorite 1940s stars, and I'm delighted to be publishing a new, glamorous paper doll of Betty.

Produced with permission from her estate, the paper doll book will feature movie clothes from Annie Get Your Gun, The Greatest Show on Earth, Let's Dance, The Stork Club and others.

Betty's exuberance is infectious and I can't help but be happy when I watch one of her movies. My mom, Judy M Johnson, is an even bigger Betty Hutton fan, and is especially pleased to be illustrating this special, commemorative paper doll.

Published through Paper Studio Press, the books will be available sometime in November or December 2008. We're not ready to take advance orders yet, but as soon as we are I'll add the product information to the Paperdoll Review website.

Meanwhile, here is a sneak preview of the artwork. This is a preliminary back cover, showing the pretty Betty doll dressed in a costume from Annie Get Your Gun along with a pretty gown from Here Come the Waves.

Awesome New E-newsletter Service

2008-05-23T15:25:00.008-04:00

I'm elated to announce that I've signed up with an Email marketing service so I can now send out decent looking newsletters on a regular basis. Prior to this, I was using my Microsoft email program, but there were many compatibility issues resulting in a lot of bounced messages. The new service, called Constant Contact, is perfect for small business needs. I can manage my list securely, prepare newsletters with easy-to-use, attractive templates, and they have a very strict policy on keeping spammers out of their service. This was a big concern of mine, as I didn't want to arbitrarily choose an email service that may not be reputable.

Last week I spoke to a web design person who is taking over a client's website. The topic of emailing clients came up and I asked if he had any recommendations for a service that can handle bulk e-mailing. And sure enough he did! The weird thing is, I had been trying to get out of doing my client's website for a year, and after all this time, they finally got a new webmaster. It was a fluke that the topic of e-newsletters came up, and I was able to get the information just when I needed it most.

If you want to join the mailing list, there's a box in the lower right section of this page. And if you're interested in using Constant Contact for your own e-newsletters, let me know and I can set you up with a referral and we can each get a $30 credit to our Constant Contact accounts. I love the service and would promote it anyway, but $30 is $30!

Shown here, In Our Back Yard, a super cute reproduction of Pelagie Doan's 1941 paper doll. This is one of our new folio format paper dolls, digitally restored by Judy M Johnson.

New Catalog and New Paper Dolls

2008-05-20T14:33:00.010-04:00

Our new catalog No. 14 is at the printer. We've added several new folio sets of children and baby paper dolls including Pelagie Doane's In Our Backyard, Betty Campbell's Down on the Farm and Fern Bisel Peat's Mary Ann Grows Up. We also have a nice reproduction set of Hilda Miloche magazine paper dolls. These are color laser sets that have been digitally restored by Judy M Johnson.

I've included more Dover books this time. There are a few new titles such as Soap Opera Divas and Famous Movie Wedding Gowns, and many feature historical figures and fashions including Marie Antoinette and Fashions Through the Ages. There are a couple brand new paper dolls by Tom Tierney, published by Schiffer Books -- Famous Texas Men and Famous Texas Women.

Typically, I'm behind in getting new products added to our website, but this time I'm happy to report that Pierre Halé has taken care of our web updates. He's David Wolfe's son-in-law and has done David's new Paperdollywood website. If interested in Pierre's web design services contact him at Pierrehale@gmail.com.

A New Doris Day Paper Doll in the Works

2008-05-10T17:16:00.007-04:00

I've been working with Doris Day biographer, Pierre Patrick, to get permission to do a new Doris Day paper doll based on her TV series and movies. He's been in touch with the company who produces the Doris Day TV Show DVD sets and we're hoping to do a cross promotion. Pierre has been marvelous to work with and I hope we'll get things finalized soon! Shown here, Que Sera Sera, the Magic of Doris Day Through Television by Pierre Patrick and Garry McGee. It's filled with fabulous photos from her TV show. I hope to post again soon with more news about this exciting project. Meanwhile, our Doris Day reproduction paper doll has been selling so well that we had to do a second printing!

Tips on Living the Vintage Lifestyle

2008-04-18T09:20:00.011-04:00

The 1940s brought us some of the most fabulous paper dolls, and now we can capture the glamour and style of that era with the help of Amanda Hallay's how-to videos on YouTube. To get that classic 1940s victory roll hairstyle, check out Amanda's 1940s Hair in Under 5 Minutes video. Once your hair is styled to perfection and you're dressed in your heavily shoulder-padded floral print dress you can learn to prepare a perfect cocktail in Amanda's 1940s Classic Cocktail in Under 1 Minute video.

Daughter of paper doll artist and fashion expert, David Wolfe, Amanda works in the fashion industry as an editor and forecaster. She also lectures on the topics of fashion and culture.

Shown here, Betty Grable with her signature victory roll hairstyle in the 1943 reproduction paper doll known as the Victory set.

Paper doll paperwork

2008-04-16T20:26:00.012-04:00

Now that Paperdoll Review Issue 42 is at the printer, I'm focusing on those to-do items I've been avoiding for weeks, and in some cases, months! In preparation for the four new books scheduled for August 2008, I've prepared new book forms and other marketing material for my distributor, Greenleaf Book Group. Another big project was to officially assign ISBN numbers to the book through Bowker, an online service for authors and publishers.

An even bigger project has been tackling the basement. To make space for future paper doll books, I cleared out a tall shelving unit filled with over-runs of full color paper doll inserts from OPDAG's Paper Doll Studio and Paperdoll Review covers. And what better way to get rid of the covers than give them to our customers! So while supplies last, we'll include a sampling of paper doll inserts and covers with each paper doll order.

Shown here, a lovely paper doll by Ralph Hodgdon for our hat-themed issue of Paper Doll Studio, summer 2002.

Paperdoll Review 42 at the Printer

2008-04-11T10:15:00.007-04:00

The proof for Issue 42 just arrived from the printer and it's gorgeous! David Wolfe's pretty Andrew's Sisters cover art sets the tone for our informative feature article on World War II era fashions. I won't show the back cover yet... you'll have to wait for your issue to arrive to see the six outfits for the girls. The issues should be in the mail April 21, so subscribers will receive issues sometime late April-Early May. Enjoy!

Doris Day's Birthday

2008-04-03T16:56:00.010-04:00

Today, from noon to 9 pm EST, Magic93.com will be have an all Doris Day to celebrate her birthday. Doris herself is listening and will call in along with many of her friends. You can listen on-line: http://magic63.com/home.php It's just wonderful to hear those great Doris Day tunes and the nice messages from her friends and fans. Shown here, the 1952 paper doll reproduction from Paper Studio Press.

New hotel for August 2008 Convention

2008-03-29T10:17:00.008-04:00

The paper doll convention venue has been moved to the Embassy Suites in Piscataway, NJ. If you've already made a hotel reservation, you don't need to do a thing. Convention host, Linda Ocasio, has arranged to have all reservations moved from Parsippany to Piscataway. The early registration response has been very good, and we simply outgrew the Parsippany hotel. So in Piscataway, we'll have much more room for our sales room, special exhibits, banquet, and other paper doll activities. There's still lots of time to register. Visit the Paper Doll Convention Blog for more information.

OPDAG Issue 90 Mailing Woes

2008-03-19T15:05:00.011-04:00

It's a woe for some, but a bonus for others. Our mailing house sent part of the mailing first class, which means many OPDAG subscribers will receive Issue 90 right away will others will have to wait a few weeks. It's a woe for me because first class mail is substantially higher than bulk rate, but at least the first class issues went to subscribers who need to renew! So I hope those who receive their issues early won't flaunt it too much to their friends who are still waiting. Paper dolls shown here are by Carol Peters and Larry Bassin.

Paperdoll Review Issue 42 is under way

2008-03-17T17:18:00.004-04:00

Marilyn Henry has done a marvelous job so far with the next issue of Paperdoll Review. I recently received her Quark document with the layouts for several of the articles. Our lead article, written by David Wolfe, features WWII era fashions and the many paper dolls representing that style. The whole issue is lovely, and Marilyn did a great job with the articles and layouts. Now comes my part of fine tuning the visuals and doing the filler pages such as Letters, Reader's Page, New Books, Ad Page, etc. I hope to get the issue to the printer sometime in the next couple of weeks, so we can have a mid-April mailing. I'll post again when the issue has gone to press. Shown here, a page from the 1944 Girlfriends paper doll featuring typical fashions of the day.

OPDAG Mailing and Deadlines

2008-03-05T15:58:00.002-05:00

Our Comic Book Character issue (#90) is at the printer and will be mailed soon. Subscribers should receive their copy sometime in the next 2-4 weeks. The deadline for the Lingerie/Loungewear/Sleepwear issue has been extended to April 30, 2008. Brenda’s dress-a-doll for this theme appears in issues 89 and 90. OPDAG members are welcome to submit theme art in addition to costumes for the dress-a-doll. The deadline for the following issue, Broadway, is now July 31, 2008.

OPDAG Comic Book Issue Progress

2008-02-23T14:46:00.025-05:00

Our comic book character issue of Paper Doll Studio will be going to press soon. I expect the issues will be mailed by mid-March. Last time I made a huge mistake and sent out several issues without the bulk rate indicia, and although I paid for the mailing, some issues may have been discarded by the postal system. So if you never received Issue 89 featuring Erte, please let me know.

I've enjoyed working with our special guest featured artist, Anne Timmons, a real comic book illustrator! Working with Trina Robbins, she does the illustrations for the GoGirl! comics, featuring a paper doll in each issue. She also illustrates graphic novels for Graphic Classics and other publishers. Visit her website or blog for more information.

The new paper dolls are here!

2008-02-07T09:09:00.003-05:00

Our four new paper dolls arrived yesterday! Well, they actually arrived in Kingfield two days ago, and had been sitting in the warehouse of a nearby welding company. Because the shipment comes on two large palates, the folks at the welding shop have been really nice to allow my paper dolls to be delivered to their loading dock.

Yesterday someone had time to load them on a truck and deliver them to our garage. I'm delighted with the new books! Debbie Reynolds, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and TV Moms of the 1950s all look great! Margie was here until 8:30 last night filling advance orders. And there are still more to go! By Friday we should be all caught up. Thanks, everyone, for waiting. I hope you will like them as much as I do!

New paper doll pages online

2008-01-23T16:09:00.001-05:00

I've just posted the inside pages of the new paper doll books to the Paperdoll Review website. Now visitors can preview the lovely costumes for Ava Gardner, Debbie Reynolds, Grace Kelly and TV Moms of the 1950s. These paper doll books are at the printer and I'll get to see the proofs tomorrow! Shown: Grace Kelly's clothes.

Color pages in Paper Doll Studio Magazine

2008-01-23T11:08:00.000-05:00

Starting with the Comic Book Issue (late Feb 2008), we are adding four full color pages in OPDAG's Paper Doll Studio! These pages will appear in the center of the magazine, and I plan to use them as a full color gallery of theme art. Based on what we have for color entries I can show paper dolls full size or an arrangement of two, three or four on a page. This feature will replace the full color insert we've been doing in the past. Shown: paper doll by Alina Kolluri.

More Credit Cards for Paperdoll Review!

2008-01-23T10:12:00.007-05:00

This week I've signed up with a new credit card merchant services company so we'll soon be able to accept not only Visa, Mastercard and Paypal, but also Discover and American Express for mail, phone and website orders