A day out with the girls

Now, you may or may not know that I have a certain passion for collecting cloth dolls.  Not just any old doll but a certain kind called Roldan Dolls.  They were made in Spain in the 1950s/60s as tourist dolls and each has its own character.  The dolls are highly stylised and each have their own accessories and I would say, personalities.  It was because of this that I decided that it would be a great idea to take them out and photograph them as though they were on an outing somewhere.

The main character in this sequence of photos is Finoula Bucketwash who likes to drive in the countryside in her classic car with her beloved pooch, Alfred. 

Before she set off, Finoula wanted to make sure everything was tickety boo with the car so she took it to the local garage for a service.

Bert the mechanic (who had a little bit of a crush on Finoula so liked to look smart for her) was happy to service her and said that everything was fine although it maybe an issue that the car had no wheels.  Finoula didn't care about a tiny detail like that and off she went.

As she was driving along she saw a lonely hitchhiker thumbing a lift.  Heidi the hitchhiker had made her way to England all the way from Germany and she had one last little bit of her journey to go. Hoping Finoula would take pity, she stuck out her thumb and.............

........watched as Finoula just drove on past.  Finoula didn't like the look of Heidi the hitchhiker especially as she didn't approve of smoking.  She didn't want Alfred exposed to any unnecessary bad habits.

On she drove leaving Heidi at the roadside.  During her drive she came across........

........some cows in their shed and........

........some horses in their field.  Alfred loves horses and cows and barked his head off when he saw them, woof, woof, woof.  Despite the car not having any wheels, Finoula managed to make it to the tea rooms........

........where she enjoyed a cup of tea and a flapjack.  Alfred was allowed a dog biscuit which he gobbled down and thoroughly enjoyed.

After tea, Finoula set off again towards the church.  In the distance she thought she saw her dear friend Betty.

Betty had been enjoying a stroll in the  bluebell woods with her faithful hound, Henry. Betty got to the gate of the church........

 ........where she thought she spied Finoula.  "Finoula, Finoula, is that you Finoula?" she called.

Finoula skidded to a halt, " Betty!  How marvellous to see you" she said

They stopped and chatted for a while until Betty suddenly exclaimed " Finoula, don't turn round now but you'll never guess who just walked out of the church..............married!"

"Only Jemima and that awful, dreadful bore of a man Cuthbert.  Now you know I'm not one for gossip but I hear he's rather partial to a lady's undergarment". On that statement, Betty turned, gave one last close up look at the happy couple and waved goodbye to Finoula.

Finoula was somewhat appalled by the thought of Cuthbert enjoying a too familiar relationship with a lady's undergarment so she too made her escape by carrying on driving through the country lanes.

Just as Finoula was driving along, a heavily pregnant Cynthia stepped out of her cottage with her darling little boy,  Tarquin.

Finoula being the good friend she is, stopped to offer Cynthia a lift

Cynthia decided that because the car didn't actually have any wheels she may be better off walking.  That and the fact she didn't want Tarquin pulling Alfred's tail.

With a toodle pip, Finoula set off on her way back home already planning her next trip, this time to the seaside.

The end.

All words and photos ©Faded Rose Vintage 2013

1950s Roldan Dolls in the snow

I love the snow.  I love how it makes everywhere look so pretty (as long as its not slush!) and I love how it reminds me of being a kid again making snowmen and having snowball fights so when it snowed again this morning I couldn't wait to get out and take some photos.  Only problem was I've already taken photos of all my new stock but then I remembered I have a wonderful collection of Roldan Dolls that would look fantastic photographed against the snowy background.  Mark and I set of with the dolls and some props and slid our way to the park.  Here are the results!

Waiting for a bus anyone?

Anyone for Tennis

Roldan dolls originate from Spain in the 1950s/60s and are tourist dolls.  They come in many different guises, some being rarer than others.

Off to a christening

Nice day for the beach!

I have collected them over the years but very very rarely have I found them at fairs or in shops apart from 2 that I found at the Brighton Boot Sale which was a bit random.  I have mainly found them on the internet where prices can vary greatly.  Having said that though my favourite is this lady...........

.......who I found in Wardrobe, a vintage and antique shop specialising in vintage clothing and jewellery in Brighton.  The detail is superb, right down to her seamed stockings and garters!

Pregnant lady and her little boy

Here comes the bride

Hope he's strong!

Anyone for a bit of apres ski?

And finally the secretary who reminds me of my mum only because my mum used to be a secretary in London in the 1960s.  I'm not sure she actually looked like this!

There are some other dolls which are very similar to these called Klumpe.  They too come in many different characters but their faces are slightly different and I don't think the detailing is always as good.  Roldan are my preferred choice of doll and I think they are GREAT!

Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them :)