Category: Dan Antion’s Annual Door Challenge

Dorabella & Dorinda do Doors

On By ResaIn Dan Antion's Annual Door Challenge56 Comments

It was the social event of the season. Announced in all forms of media, it would raise a lot of money for GIFFT (Global Initiative for Flora & Fauna Trust).

photo ©️ Teagan R. Geneviene

Scandalous gossip ran rampant. Apparently 2 Cafe dancers from the Kit Kat Club, (Dorabella & Dorinda) had been selected to headline the entertainment.

photo ©️ Robbie Cheadle

How could that have happened? Simple. Dorinda pointed out to the board that their smash hit act, THE MIRROR, was drawing in hundreds every night.

Dorinda, wearing a vintage hand crocheted dress, told the board to think of all the money their act could generate. That was all the board needed to headline the 2 girls.

When the hoi polloi found out that Suzette was doing hair and make-up for the girls, ticket sales soared.

It was near impossible to get a beauty appointment at Suzette’s Pink Place, as she only took 2 each week, tops.

photo ©️ Suzette Benjamin

The Mirror

by – Holly Rene Hunter

In the mirror
nothing comes nor goes 
without passing
A woman admires 
gold baroque and the 
form inside it.
When she dances 
the image moves with her.
Over her shoulder
The sad café is still and silent

filled with sacrificial shadows
of devotion in repose, and so
she dances for no one but
the mirror.

The big night came

A car was sent for the girls.

photo ©️ Teagan R. Geneviene

They arrived in style to the hotel.

An overflow crowd was being held back behind velvet ropes.

photo ©️ Dan Antion

They took an elevator to the Grand Ball Room, where a special stage had been set up for their performance.

photo ©️ Robbie Cheadle

The show was a massive hit.

Dorabella and Dorinda had helped to raise a lot of money for GIFFT . A dinner and Gala followed.

The Gala

Everyone gasped when the girls made their entrance to the Gala.

Dorinda wore a hand beaded strapless black voile gown.

Dorabella awed in a cerulean silk with interwoven gold thread gown and floralette styled tail.

An orchestra began playing waltzes. Dorinda & Dorabella’s dance cards were filled.

A big Thank You to Dan from No Facilities for hosting this Annual Doors Challenge. He has a weekly doors event on his blog, with many participants.

Click on above badge to go directly to the 2026 challenge and check out all the entires!

The Gowns in this post were designed and hand made in the spirit of Art Gowns Sustainable Glamour especially for this challenge. Photos ©️ Resa McConaghy -2026

Special Thank you to Holly Rene Hunter for her contribution of poetry for this post. I love the way her poetry and my gowns work so beautifully together.

Please note: GIFFT (Global Initiative for Flora & Fauna Trust) is a fictitious charity!

One Door leads to the Other

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Events, Dan Antion's Annual Door Challenge149 Comments

The Invitation?

It was a nothing, no where, no how day. No one seemed to know who sent the invitation?

Up for adventure and treasure, Genevieve donned her favourite party dress. Arriving at the address on the back of the invite, she found herself in beautiful garden that lead to a porch with 2 cats on it.

Image © Teagan R. Geneviene

She stood in front of the door on the left, and wondered if it was the right one to knock on? This One, or the Other?

Using the knocker, she rapped on the left door, the one she was standing in front of.

The door opened, she walked in and suddenly began to feel herself fade.

South Africa

A few seconds passed, and Genevieve began to feel herself recover.

But where was she, and why was she in new gown?

A beautiful woman in another fabulous gown informed Genevieve she was at a wedding, in South Africa. It was very special, and being held at….

“Helen Martins’ Owl House, an extraordinary, other-worldly home of concrete and ground glass sculptures in South Africa.

She was gifted turquoise-blue glass beads made from left over bits of glass.

It was a wonderful party and she danced what seemed forever under the blue celebration sky. Then someone took her hand.

Photo © Robbie Cheadle

They said “come, come see”, and they walked through the door of the outside room.

Whereupon Genevieve found herself in blackness.

Tokyo, Japan

As darkness yielded to light, she found herself wearing an elegant kimono with obi.

It didn’t take long for her to realize that she was in …

The Mori Art Gallery which Robbie had visited while in Tokyo. It featured a giant spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois.

Photo © Robbie Cheadle

Suddenly the giant creature came to life. Like a gargantuan thin, wiry Godzilla it began to attack, sending people fleeing out of the door.

Genevieve began fleeing, then espied a massive red net, just outside the door.

She grabbed the net, and deftly threw it over the spider.

After finishing off the spider with a few martial arts moves, she began feeling cold. She became so cold, she began turning blue.

El Palazzo dei Pinguini

Genevieve was in a blue frozen land at the bottom of the earth.

She walked with 2 Pinguini through a door and into an ice manor.

Image © Teagan R. Geneviene

She adored the Pinguini. She held them and hugged them and kissed them.

The Pinguini gave her an icy blue velvet gown, a boa made of snow and diamonds made of ice. Genevieve was made Principessa del Pinguini.

Principessa del Pinguini.

She never felt so warm.

Through frozen tears, she told the Pinguini she could not live with them forever. She asked them if they could help her get home?

Sad as they were, the Pinguini told her to look up into the sun!

As she looked up, she felt a ray of sun capture her.

Treasures

Next thing Genevieve knew, she was back on the porch, by the garden. Her treasures surrounded her: Ice diamonds, a snow boa, glass beads and an obi.

She had gone in One Door and come out of the Other Door. Genevieve was back where she had started. In the end, One door led to the Other.

The snow boa and Ice diamonds began to melt, yet she was happier than she had ever been.

It was evident that things were ephemeral, and that the only lasting treasures were inside her memories; inside her mind and heart.

A Thank You Rose to Dan Antion!

Visit Dan at the Annual Doors 2025 Challenge! OR Check out his fab blog in general!

Teagan, thank you for your doors and the inspiration they fostered!

Visit Teagan!

Thank you Robbie for your fab doors from your travels, and the ingenuity they delivered.

Visit Roberta Writes or Robbie’s Inspiration.

Quote by Jim Morrison

Helen Martins Owl house & Mori Art Gallery sentences are hot links.

All outfits are one-of a kind designs hand-made by Resa.

Except Doors images, all photos are © Resa McConaghy.

Of note: Opening party dress is made from a batik silk scarf made by my m-i-l, Yuki (RIP)

Kimono fabric is from a 100 year old piece made from pineapple strands – A gift from Diana (Myths of the Mirror)