Once Upon a Time is one of my favorite shows and it has been since the pilot episode. For those who haven’t heard of it, here’s a quick synopsis. Once Upon a Time is a fantasy show that follows storybook characters who were taken, memories ripped from them, from their fairytale home to Storybrooke, Maine, USA.
Once Upon a Time poster
Emma Swan, one of the leads, is a woman who grew up in the foster care system and one day finds a boy at her door. This boy brings her to Storybrooke and from there, she learns that not all is what it appears to be. I’m notoriously bad at describing my favorite tv shows or books, so even if this doesn’t sound appealing, check it out (today, if possible). It’s a really, really good show.
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan in a Once Upon a Time promotional Still
Why am I writing about Once Upon a Time here on this doll blog? Well, it occurred to me that Once Upon a Time is a series I would love to have in doll form. Unfortunately, as of this post, I haven’t seen any official releases or even any gossip about any doll lines being planned. I decided a few months back that if there was to be no official line, I would just customize a few dolls myself and create my own personal Once Upon a Time collection!
I have picked up a few Pullips that I thought had the right ‘vibe’ for particular characters. For example, I purchased a Roman Holiday Pullip because I thought she was a good fit for Mary Margaret, otherwise known as Snow White. I also picked up a Taeyang Gackt, because he reminded me of the dashing pirate Captain Hook. (Admittedly, he doesn’t look a lot like Colin O’Donoghue, but until I find the perfect Taeyang, he’ll have to do! You can’t deny he has a similar vibe with the eye make up and outfit!)
For Emma Swan, I went the extra mile. After finding the perfect body and face on a Pullip Select Melissa, I sought out some talented folks on Etsy to see if they could help me with getting the outfit right.
Pullip Select Melissa
Before I go any further, let me tell you a bit about the Pullip Select line, because I think a few of you might care to know about it. For years now, you had to buy a factory Pullip with a factory outfit, making the Pullip’s price a bit daunting, especially for those that like to change the dolls outfits or customize certain aspects of the dolls look. Pullip Selects are basic Pullips, packaged wearing a doll sized towel, with a factory wig (glued on) and factory face up. Because the factory outfit isn’t included, these Pullip Selects are under $100. My Pullip Melissa was only $58.00, which I think is a bargain. It saved me from paying over $150 on a doll that I was going to re-dress anyway!
Back to my Once Upon a Time Pullip story… Last month, I contacted Lovely Cie on Etsy and asked if she would re-create Emma Swan’s outfit in a Pullip friendly size. I also contacted custom Pullip shoe crafter Milky Way Blythe to get the proper footwear. Lovely Cie was a joy to work with. She kept me updated on everything, sent me photos to show me what she’d done and in the end, she created a great Pullip sized Emma outfit, complete with jeggings, a white tank top and Emma’s token red jacket.
Milky Way Blythe had the perfect pair of shoes on her Etsy already, so I didn’t have to request a custom order. Shipping for both the outfit and the boots was super quick, which I didn’t expect as the outfit came from France and the shoes from Hong Kong!
Enough back story. Are you ready for the big debut? Here you go! Here’s Emma Swan, making her debut in Pullip form!
Emma Swan Pullip
Pullip Select Melissa Face aka my new Emma Swan Pullip
Notice the token red jacket Emma’s wearing, crafted by LovelyCie on Etsy
Boots, crafted by Milky Way Blythe on Etsy
And here’s a few with my current Captain Hook…
Custom Emma and Hook (Taeyang Gackt)
Custom Emma and Hook (Taeyang Gackt)
Custom Emma and Hook (Taeyang Gackt)
So, there you have it! My custom Emma Swan from the fantastic TV show Once Upon a Time. I’d like to send a huge thank you out to Lovely Cie and Milky Way Blythe. This Pullip Select Melissa could have never been transformed into Emma Swan without your talents!
Here’s the video reveal!
So, readers, I want to hear from you. What do you think of Emma? Is there a TV or movie character that you’d like to see in doll form? Share your thoughts below!
