Spring Evening

I had a small photoshoot with Deryn this evening while the light was still pretty.

She has a new wig! She's always going to be a redhead, but this time her wig is from Little Monica. The style is called 'Simply Bob' and the colour is 'Carrot'. It's a perfect match for the Limited Edition Leeke wigs I got for her at Christmas in 'Real Carrot'. It's going to be great if Little Monica bring out more styles of wigs in this colour because this is her hair colour and anything else would look a bit weird on her now. I'd love to have more wigs in this colour so she can have more hairstyle options.


I really recommend Little Monica wigs - I recommend Crobidoll wigs too. I used to rely on Leekeworld because all the wigs I received from them were in great condition and the number of styles and colours available is huge, but I don't like that dark wigs have black wig caps because the risk of staining is really high. I was so impressed when I recieved Melangell's dark wig from Crobidoll because it had a flesh-tone wig cap, not a dark one. The overall quality of the wig is great anyway, but extra thumbs up for the light wig cap! Likewise, this Little Monica wig has a light wig cap too.

She's sat in the cherry tree in my garden - it's formed a brilliant natural seat where the trunk splits into three main branches. I can sit dolls in the fork of the tree really securely. (I wish the bungalow behind her was a bit more obscured but oh well!)

The outfit she's wearing is Dollheart's Pure Maid outfit, her stockings are by Plume Blanche Creations and her shoes are by Releaserain. The Pure Maid outfit is great for Christmas or Valentine-themed pictures and is pretty much the only lolita outfit I have in SD-size. I am interested in more loli-outfits because they're just so pretty!

Wish Wish Wish!

I've just placed a pre-order for Wish magazine, the whimsical fashion, design, crafts & cute things magazine based on the WishWishWish blog.

I've been a huge fan of the blog for a while now and I can't wait to get the magazine and read it over a lovely cup of tea. I'm very excited!

BJD Addicts Written Prompts: #4, #14, #20

I haven't done any BJD Addicts prompts for a while, so here's three more!

BJD Addicts Written Prompt #4 - Favourite Brand/Store

This is an easy one - Volks!! Firstly I can't emphasise enough how important good customer service is for BJD companies selling on the international market. With Volks you know that your concerns won't be ignored and they keep you updated easily with shipping and tracking information. I have never had a problem with Volks and that's one reason why they'll always have my customer loyalty.

Lots of people complain that Volks sculpts are boring or too conventional...and I guess if your thing is the Soom fantasy dolls or the ultra mobile Feeple 65 or MiniFee, you have a point there. However, there are over 70 different FCS heads to choose from (the Volks Full-Choice doll system, creating a doll just the way you like it!), and as for limited dolls, at the last count there were well over 290! So even if Volks' standards don't appeal to you, there is going to be one out over 300 dolls that will.

Volks dolls are occasionally let down by the plain sales pictures but I like that they are plain. I can definitely see what I'm getting in the doll and I'd rather a clear, plain photo than an overly photoshopped one, or one where the doll's wig and clothes obscure what the doll really looks like.

Volks resin is consistent from one batch to the next, so you can be sure that when you're hybriding parts of Volks dolls your doll is still going to be all the same colour. The resin has a nice density and texture, a Volks doll feels so solid and stable when you touch it.

Aside from the dolls and the customer service, Volks has a great range of clothes, tools and art supplies. There's so many reasons why they have been the best in the business since the advent of the modern Asian Ball Jointed Doll hobby (pioneered by Volks) and I would not hesitated to recommend Volks to anyone.

One of the other common complaints about Volks is that their dolls are expensive. Protip - if you think you can't afford a Volks doll, check out Mandarake (it's one of Japan's largest seller of second-hand hobby paraphernalia and they do ship internationally), a perfectly good Volks SD10 body was recently for sale there for £150! Second-hand heads can be picked up for similar prices depending on their rarity.

BJD Addicts Written Prompt #14 - Favourite Commissioners?

I don't commission a lot for my dolls, but when it comes to face-ups I do (because I've tried and although I enjoy doing them, there are others who do the work so much prettier than I can ever hope to.)

My favourite person to commission is Caroline of Viridian House. Her work is truly lovely and really brings out all the sweetness in a BJD sculpt. She's painted Mafonwen, my Megu, and Morideryn, my School B. I know that whenever the next doll needs a new face-up I'm going to be booking a slot with Caroline. I just adore her work. She's a great person to commission too, she owns dolls, so she is in the hobby and understands dolly people foibles about keeping in good contact during the commission and she really knows the medium. Her paints and sealants are all resin-safe and her background in illustration is brilliant for understanding the requirements of the face-up and the 'look' that the owner wants to achieve with the doll. 

BJD Addicts Written Prompt #20 - Selling

I've sold a few dolls now and sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's difficult. I firmly believe that if a doll isn't working out, you should let it go. It's easier on you to try and find something else that works for you and in a way, it's also kinder on the doll - someone else will get to buy it and enjoy it. The hobby should be fun, so if you have a doll that drives you mad (a bad poser when you want them to be a photography model, for example), you aren't having a fun time with the hobby.

I've only found it difficult to sell a doll when I still love it. Usually when I decide to sell a doll I've made a conscious decision to stop thinking of it as mine and I've already started the separating process, it makes it so much easier to think of it as someone else's doll rather than keep calling it by the name you chose for it, etc. Sometimes I've had to sell a doll because although I still like the doll, the associations the doll has are upsetting. That was difficult, but I also knew that the buyer was really into the doll and that did help me make my decision.

The only sale I've ever flaked on was when I thought I should sell Rupert. This was not long after I got him and I knew that boy dolls weren't really my thing. I thought that because he sat on my shelf looking pretty all day I wasn't playing with him and I should probably move him on. I had a buyer all ready and I tried packing him up and I just cried. I just couldn't let him go and I had to apologise profusely to the buyer. Thankfully she was understanding. It was then that I realised you can still enjoy a doll without having him or her on your lap all the time or dressing them up and photographing them. I haven't photographed Rupert in a year, but every time I go to my bookshelf he's there and beaming, so I know I made the right decision.

Incoming!

Incoming! Clockwise from top; Pink rockinghorse shoes (MSD-size) by Releaserain, patterned skirt by Fyrd8th's Etsy shop, white rockinghorse shoes (SD-size) by Releaserain and the 'Move On Aubrie' steampunk set by Dollheart.

More clothes and, as usual, they're not for me! Of course I'm excited for all of them, but my coup purchase was the Dollheart outfit (there's a better picture of it on my Pinterest.) Dollheart is expensive, but the quality is undeniable and I don't mind paying for that. I also love that there are so many pieces to one Dollheart outfit (this one even includes boots!!) so it's easy to mix and match. This outfit has hat (with steampunk goggles), shirt, jabot with cameo brooch, corsetdress, skirt, cuffs, shorts, stockings and gaiters.


Why two pairs of rockinghorse shoes? Well...rockinghorse shoes are a Lolita fashion staple and I think it's a really cute look, especially for dolls.


The pink pair are for 1/4 scale BJDs (MSD/MiniFee/Kid Delf/Lati Blue...) and they're going to my Volks Kurenai, Melangell. The pink shoes compliment the pink in her patterened skirt from Fyrd8th. For a proper, prim loli look she'll wear white stockings, white bloomers, a petticoat and a white Dollheart shirt. I have a pink ribbon in the same colour as the shoes and accent on the skirt that I'll tie in a bow under her shirt collar.


As for the white pair, they are for 1/3 scale BJDs (Super Dollfie/Delf/Dollfie Dream...) and they're not going to belong to anyone in particular. They're going to complete my Dollheart Pure Maid outfit.

(picture not mine!)
 
I got most of the pieces of this outfit in a Dollheart Fukubukuro (lucky bag) a few years ago and my dolls usually wear it with burgundy Dale Rae flats, but I think it will look a lot cuter with rockinghorse shoes.

Please check out The Vintage Pearl, it's a fashion blog run by the lovely well-travelled and well-dressed Miss Iffa!

Shoe Post!

I'm feeling poorly sick today, so instead of going to my friend R's house later for curry and cuddles with my godson, I'm at home and feeling sorry for myself. One thing does cheer me up when I'm sick and that's shoes!!

Besides dolls, my favourite things are shoes. I probably have everything from flats to trainers to boots to heels to sandals...the list goes on.

I don't really have enough time to wear all the shoes I own, which is pretty sad. A lot of my shoes were quite expensive to track down (I have a passion for Doc Martens, Irregular Choice and, annoyingly, sold out Topshop shoes), which means I probably should wear them a lot more than I do...but where would I wear platform mary janes? Around the house? ;)

Inspired by Carrie's WishWishWish fashion blog, I fell for Swedish Hasbeens clogs/sandals! I think they're gorgeous and perfect for summertime. I'm more of a closed toe girl, a sandal has to be something special if I go for a peep toe or open toe shoe, and I think these are cute. They also remind me of the shoes Saffron is first seen wearing in the 'Our Mrs Reynolds' Firefly episode. (Another part of my shoe collecting is buying shoes that could work into a cosplay...and never actually doing the cosplay!)


In other shoe news, I'm eagerly awaiting my pair of Doc Marten Mary Janes in Mint QQ Pearl leather. To cut a long story short, my order got misplaced by the company and my emails weren't getting picked up, but eventually, hopefully, they should be arriving today. I love the colour on screen, so I'm hoping I love them in person. Mint green is quickly becoming my favourite colour!

I always seem to buy shoes in colours other than black, which is a bit silly because I need black shoes for work. I always seem to buy the cheapest black pair of flats I can find, which is false economy because they're ruined in four weeks and I have to get another pair. If I saved up and bought a pair of black Docs specifically for work I would save myself so much money in the long run.

BJD Quiz

BJD Quiz~
Taken from Armeleia's blog.

List your Crew!

Mafonwen Enku (Volks SD10 Megu)
Mefyswen Enku (Volks oldskin white F-03)
Morideryn (Volks SD13 School B)
Momoko Jones (Volks Dollfie Dream)
Melangell Shigeta (Volks SDC Kurenai)
Prince Klemens-Ruprecht von Klessel (Volks SDC Kurt)
Mari-chan (Volks YoSD Yuh)
Fflur (Seed Dolls Inkling)
Arthur (Camellia Dynasty Wong)


Who was your first doll? Do you still own him, her, or it?
My first doll was a Soulkid Snyder. I recently sold her to a lovely girl in Germany because she no longer fits in with my current doll family or plans.

Who is your favorite doll?
It rotates. My favourite is the one I spend time with the most over a few weeks or months - at the moment it would be Morideryn, but it's always subject to change.


Which doll do you hope or plan to buy next?
I'm quite happy with my doll family as it is, I'm thinking more about scaling down rather than adding to the crew.

Quick! You’ve instantly got $800 and must choose a doll to spend it on right now or it’s gone forever! Who do you pick?
For $800…?  I don't really know what that would get me! Er. Perhaps I'd put it towards an SD16 Ami Ayase and stump up the rest myself.

Quick! You’ve instantly got enough money for any one and must choose a doll to spend it on right now or it’s gone forever, but this time you have to buy the doll for someone else! Who gets the dolly, and what do you get them?
I think I'd pick the newest member on DoA without a doll of their own and buy them something cute and fun like a Minifee.

Are you currently waiting on any dolls, heads, or bodies?
No.

Do any of your dolls seem to like you to the point that they are infatuated with you?
Ha! No.


Do any of your dolls seem to dislike or even hate you?
Not at all. If I got a vibe that my dolls didn't like me, I'd sell them asap.


Who’s your most expensive doll at the time you purchased them, not counting items you bought separately for them?
Prince Rupert, my SDC Kurt, but he was expensive because I paid for him in one go, rather than on layaway.

Who’s the least expensive doll you own?
Arthur, my Camella Dynasty Wong. He's a very cute doll and I'm glad I've got him.

Is there a limit to what you’d spend on a doll?
Yes, it's not so much a set price, but rather there's a limit to how much I'd pay for a doll by size range, availability...things like that.

Which doll did you wait for the longest for so far?
It's probably a toss up between my Soom Glot (no longer owned) and my SD13 School B, Morideryn. Deryn took a while because I was searching for the right body, the Glot took forever because she was a Soom Monthly Doll and got caught in the backlog!

Which doll had the shortest wait so far?
My SDC Kurenai arrived a day after I finished paying for her (she was on layaway with someone from the UK)

Who’s the biggest doll you own?
I'm not sure. Probably Deryn now she's on an SD13 body.

Who’s the smallest doll you own?
Arthur, the cat. Smallest humanoid doll would be Fflur, my Inkling.


Got any floating heads? If yes, how likely are they to receive bodies anytime soon?
I have Mefyswen, my on-going project. I don't know when she's going to be embodied though. Probably not this year.

Got any floating bodies?
Nope.


Do you have any extra, unclaimed pairs of eyes? How many if so?
I've never actually counted. It can't be that many, three or four pairs?

Do you have any extra, unclaimed wigs? How many if so?
I have more wigs than eyes. Still not sure how many though.

Anything you’ve said “never” to in the hobby that you later gave in to?
Haha, yes.

Do you own dolls that aren’t BJDs?
I have Monster High, Momoko, Unoa Light (Sekiguchi ver.) and Dal.

What was your last doll-related purchase?
It was today - I bought a sold out Dollheart outfit for Deryn from the proceeds of the sale of my Soulkid Snyder ;) Morideryn is definitely the favourite of the moment.

What do you expect your next doll-related purchase to be?
It should be a body for poor, floating Mefyswen...but who knows.

What was the last doll-related thing to arrive to you by mail?
Morideryn's SD13 body.

What was the last doll-related thing you purchased in person?
I bought a bracelet for a doll necklace a few months ago. Wales doesn't have very many Dolpas!

Not counting floating heads, floating bodies, and anything on layaway (paid off dolls count), how many dolls do you own?
8


The quiz is over! Any last words?
Meep!

Sales

I sold two dolls today! I have had my Souldoll Soulkids, Snyder and Harang, in boxes for a very long time and today they both found new owners within a very short time of me putting up sales threads!

I originally tried trading them for two custom kimono which fell through when the seamstress flaked and I tried again trading them for more custom doll clothing, but the trader I was working with has been AWOL for 10 months. :( These dolls have been in storage for most of the time I've actually had them!

I'm so glad that they're moving on to nice new homes! The Soulkid Snyder, actually my first BJD, is going to a lovely new home in Germany and the Soulkid Harang was my first boy doll, my third doll overall. He is going to Kent - the buyer bought him as a surprise for someone special and Harang is going to be their project.

I thought I might be sad to see them go, but I'm actually just relieved about it. They really have been here long enough. I want them to go somewhere they'll really be appreciated and be put on display as they deserve. :)

The other AMAZING thing about today is that the SD13 body I bought for Deryn has arrived! Trouble is, it's at B's in Bangor and I won't be able to go pick her up until Monday. I'm so grateful he let me have her posted to his though, it also means he'll get to see dolly-squee first hand ;) Be afraid, be very afraid! I'll need to charge my DSLR and remember to bring Deryn's head, the doll carrier and some clothes with me, otherwise she'll be naked and stuffed into my handbag, poor thing.

I can't wait for her to be in one (resin) piece. It's been nice having her as a full doll on the Dollfie Dream body, but it'll be awesome when she's on her SD13 one. I also need to buy some more BJD elastic. Mafonwen badly needs restringing - I'm such a bad dolly owner.

There are a few dolls I would really like, (LittleFee PongPong has been released and it's such a cutie!) ...But I think my focus now should really be on getting my existing collection to a point where I'm content with it. I don't really need any new dolls because I have hardly any time to do anything with the ones I already have. I need to streamline my collection so I'm only keeping the dolls I really want to keep and I also need a dolly wardrobe clear-out. My dolls have a lot of kit they don't really wear!


Ultimately, I think I would be happy with two SDs (my Megu and my School B are 100% staying), my two SDCs and perhaps one more Yo to go with Mari-chan. So I'd be looking to sell my Inkling, my Dollfie Dream and my project Volks old F-03 FCS head. We'll see. It's taken me years to find new homes for my Soulkids!