Discussion August 2: How have you grown this year, DoA?

Nifty question Truffle

learned how to paint decent eyelashes and make my brushstrokes smaller in general
learned how to make my sewing machine not eat all of my pukifee sized fabric
learned to use the camera I got last year enough to get some good pictures

And so many other things besides, but those are the big ones! Hopefully when you ask this question next year I will have gotten even better at stuff!

 

Fantastic question that I always love answering!

My two "major" feats this year involved getting over my fear of customizing. When I entered the hobby in '09, I was super intimidated by the thought painting a doll, but this year I decided to give it a shot!

Not only did I recently attempt my first face-up, I also took a stab at my first fantasy part customization. While the face-up has a long way to go, I'm super happy with my blushing. I would've never known I could do it if I didn't try!

 

Since last year, I've made new friends here on the forums and at meet-ups. Bought my first tiny and LOVE her to pieces! Entered my first swap and had the best of times with it. All in all, a great year!

 

well, the automatic focus on my camera broke, so that forced me to learn how to focus my camera manually.

I also started doing my own face-ups and have gotten to a standard that I'm quite proud of.

 

This past year has been busy on the dolly front for me, at least when i get the chance! My major accomplishment is that I've finally gotten over my fear of sewing for ultra tiny size and I have also started to be able to make actual real patterns which are then turned into pretty clothes! I really do have to get in the habit of taking pictures of said pretty clothes.

 

As far as the doll hobby itself, it's been a pretty good year!

- I sold a boy I thought I'd never personally sell, but glad I did.
- My spontaneous Unoa hybrid I bought finally has a character and feels more like herself each time I play or work with her.
- I bought a Mikhaila and I love her to pieces.
- I taught myself how to properly sew pants AND button holes! <= excitement~
- Lastly, to spoil myself since my new job is amazing, I bought a WITHdoll Taren.

All in all a good year indeed! I can only hope this year will be just as amazing!

 

Well I got a new hobby! XD (I wasn't here last year)

Also I got my second degree, moved to my first house, and married my BF of four years, something I swore I'd never do but I couldn't be happier (he was very convincing with his proposal!). It's been a wild year!

 

Love this question! ffering gourmet biscuit to the Dread Princess:

I branched out and tried some fantastic dolls that I wouldn't have looked at a few years ago . . . a NotDoll Belladonna and a Peak's Woods Briana.

I finally found a Tiny that I think will stick around!

And after a lot of frustration and guilt, I gave up the fantasy that I would ever learn how to use a DSLR well enough to satisfy myself--I'm just not that interested, but it took awhile to swallow my pride and admit it. Three cheers for bridge cameras!!

 

Well think I have gotten better at photography
and my doll Alexander has gotten a big leap towards being
his perfect self so I'm super happy on that part
though sadly this year I have kinda ignored my Pandora
and her need for a body but this year I have gotten eyes and a wig
for her

Most productive year for me I think

 

I have only been collecting kaye wigs dolls so far and have actually embraced the concept of other bjd's. I like iplehouse and raurencio studio dolls too. I have made alot of new friends in the bjd world.

 

Let's see...I was able to complete a doll who had been a floating head for almost a year. I improved at painting eyebrows and lashes when doing a face up. And I've made sure to take the time to photograph and play with my dolls more often.

 

I thought I slowed down with my doll buying... But not from the count... sigh. But I got my first dolls that play double duty as Harry Potter characters and my original story characters. Most importantly was that my best friend is back in the United States again. Sure hundreds of miles away but she's atleast in the same time zone, we can talk about doll stuff again.

 

*comes out from lurking*
So...it's been a pretty good year as well for me! (doll hobby wise.) Let's see..

- I came back to fully being active in the hobby again!
- I sold/traded my girl I never thought I'd sell even though I never bonded. Big step!
- I got the cutest little demon boy! (who will probably be my only tiny evar!)
- Got my grail doll after years of searching!
- Did my first ever customizing..scars!!
- Made an amazing new friend who I probably talk her head off.
- And moved out of my mum's for good! Whee!

I'd say that's about it but I'm going to attempt to start teaching myself how to sew again so that shall be fun. ^.^'

Whoo fun game lol.

 

Last year at this time I got involved in my very first swap ever (Truffle's DoA Anniversary Swap)...and it was so enjoyable, that it got me heavily involved in doing swaps. I've already lost count of the swaps I've done this year, but it's nice to be able to use my sewing skills to make some people happy. To me, it's my way of interacting and giving back to the DoA community. And because I force myself to always make an outfit for one of my own dolls in addition to every swap outfit I make (not to mention the ones I receive from others as part of the swap,) my dolls' wardrobes have certainly grown! It's been great because not only have I been accumulating doll clothes, but being involved in the swaps themselves has helped develop and add extra dimension to my doll's characters. In fact, I became so fascinated with the theme of a recent swap, 3 of my dolls underwent complete makeovers to perfectly fit the theme (which instantly solved all their various character issues I'd been having!)

 

It's been an amazing year for me.

I finally figured out how to use my camera. I am no expert, but I have improved and I'm not embarrassed by my pictures any longer.
I figured out that I am pretty good at face ups! All I have to do it practice to gain confidence and I think I will be in a very good place. My husband is the most generous man in the world and did everything he could to make my dolly dreams come true this year, even the unplanned "OMG dolpa" ones.

 

I've really enjoyed the year here on DOA. Can't believe its already anniversary time again!!
Seems like only yesterday I was voting on the human doll photo contest...
But when I look at the dolls I realize time has indeed passed as there are twice as many now on the doll shelf, maybe more! I made Chrom/Ezra Larkin Wolff an amazing time travelers suit, I now own 3 2005 Juri's!!!!, and Acacia Rose not only talked me into buying her Emerson but I've almost gotten used to her fancy new faceup.
As to growing, I actually took Rosy/Sayomi apart, glue sueded her joints & sanded her legs before restringing her the other night. Last year I never would have tried it. Maybe this next year I'll manage to blush her body!
This has been a fun year for meeting & chatting with fellow sewing fiends here on DOA.
Oh so glad we have this fun space.

 

A lot has happened to me since this time last year! All four of my dolls and the floating head arrived in that time. My first had arrived last August, on the 11th.
I learned how to do face-ups
I learned how to blush
I learned how to restring
I got over a fear of sanding my precious dollies (though I still only do it minimally, when absolutely needed)
I made new friends at meets
Learned how to ship internationally
Figured out my grail doll, then delighted as he became available from the company any time I have the funds to buy him
So many things I can't even list them all

 

Things are always rapidly changing, so everyone's constantly growing.

This year I:
Found a "new" hobby.
Got my first doll.... dolls. ^^
Learned to do face ups.
Reignited my love for making clothes (Thanks to my dollies).
Found subjects (both flesh and resin) that are willing to be guinea pigs for my photography practice.
Discovered I like talking to people in forums for something other than virtual currency and items.

And not at all DoA related, I:
Narrowed down my career path.
Got my first job interview.
Grew plants (My grandparents plant tomatoes every year. This year, they weren't feeling well, so I took over. I don't particularly like tomatoes, but growing food myself and seeing the outcome was particularly satisfying.)

I can't even think of everything to list out. ^^

 

Well in the past year I've brought home my dream boy(Volks Michael), added more dolls to the collection. Gotten my only resin girl a proper body, brought my half-brother boys home and learned how to sew much better both by hand and with machine. It's been a good year all around.

 

I finally did a full face-up by myself! WHOO! Now I can save money doing face-ups since I have paint and pastels lying around from art class stuff anyway.

I got a third doll. A very unexpected doll as this is probably the first raffle I've won ever and finally learned that SD is not too darned big for tiny little me... I don't know why, but SDs felt bigger when they were other people's SDs. xD I don't think that makes any sense at all.

And I ordered a 4th doll, but she's not here yet.

Been improving at sewing, but I still don't think I'm as good at it as I want to be.

 

Well last year was spent saving up for my dream doll and this year I finally got him. I've also bought and sold an insane amount of dolls this year and decide to keep only 3 out of the nine or ten I had. ^^

 

Not much has happened to me since last year as far as the hobby goes. However I was just accepted into a medical coding program at school and I'm hoping to start adding to my doll family soon.

 

This year has been rejuvenating for me. It's also been terribly difficult ... I lost a dear friend, and that has deeply altered everything about my life. But, even the sadness in life is a way to grow. This year I have:

• rekindled my passion for these dolls and accepted the role they have in my life (much bigger than I generally allow material things, which I've previously been conflicted over)
• fallen in love all over with dolls that have been here since the start (2005, in my case)
• scored a Soom Chalco that I'd regretted being unable to get upon issue (whee)
• made several close friendships that I cherish, deepened longer-standing friendships
• managed to pull myself off the dreary photographic plateau that was the past three or so years ... that's been exciting for me
• invested creative energy in making photostories I hope pluck at people's emotions if only just a little
• done a lot of things to encourage more members to visit and comment in Photostories, because it really isn't the inferior subforum many think it is ... there's great stuff in there, just as in other galleries!
• learned about shopping Taobao (this is deadly to the pocketbook)
• branched out and purchased my first Chinese dolls (quite happily!)

It would be churlish to the max not to be chuffed over these things! (I'm chuffed. )

 

This year, my face-up skills improved to the point that I actually feel proud of my work. My photography skills have improved quite a bit, too, albeit it takes at least 1 to 2 hours to set up a shoot.

 

Hi Truffle! You're looking cute this year...

About this time last year I had several resolutions in mind:

* trim down my collection [this year's experiment: FAILED]
* resist EIDs (after all, who needs more big boys, right?) [this year's experiment: FAILED]
* continue to resist Soom Monthlies [this year's experiment: FAILED]
* get back into story-shooting with the Kenshingumi [this year's experiment: FAILED]



On the other hand, I did manage to do some sewing, some adequate faceups, some sharing of dolls with friends, and some grand amount of squeeing with others (including my two beautiful daughters who are now BOTH here on DoA, mostly lurking around the edges). I've met some really nice folks who have helped me get over some really hard times and, most important of all, DoA has provided me with yet another tool to torment Onomatopeia. (After 17 years you start to run out of good ideas!)

 

Oh geez. XD Since last year,
I've quit my job.
Started fashion school.
Been to the Olympics!
Lost a Stanley Cup and a good reputation.
Decided to completely change careers and go back to school full-time.
Bought my first doll!
Been to my first dollmeet.
Grown my doll collection from zero to nine and counting. ^^;;

 

It's doll related and yet it's not.

I moved out of my parent's house, and into an apartment. So now they have more space to spread out and over take me. Those wily monsters, they have TWO rooms to fill. (Because no, they can't have any room in the kitchen or bathroom if I can help it, and the living room is large enough for now, with the bedroom as a spill over. XD)

And the reason it is doll related, is because my mother was going through some issues, and she began to threaten to do things to my stuff. Like break my dolls when I wasn't at home because she could swear they were 'doing things' when I wasn't looking.

I had to protect my dollies. And now my mom is doing much better because my moving out made her get help because I was no longer there to take care of her.

So in a way, they did a lot of good. O_O Yay, dollies!

 

In life, this year hasn't been the best. I was unemployed for 10 months, and although I kept my spirits up with volunteer work and crafting, it was not my happiest year. But I'll say one thing for sitting around the house with nothing to do but craft, photograph, and play, I did improve my skills in all areas!

This year I've tried sewing again, with improved results compared to the past. I'm still way out of the league of many seamstresses hereabouts, but I've made some absolutely competent basic pieces for my dolls. Yay!

I've made (I think) some pretty big strides with my knitting and knitwear design. I've released 5 free patterns now and I'm close to releasing my first for purchase, an epic feat of design sized to fit everyone from 60cm down to Soom MiniGem. That's a lot of knitting...!

This is also the first year since I got into the hobby that I will not be purchasing a doll. There are still lots on my wishlist, but five dolls fill up my space pretty well, and there are other things I really need to be saving up for, like a flesh-and-blood family! Of course, since I'm not planning to make any $400+ purchases, I've been paying more attention to the little things. Finally, all my dolls have shoes! I just got my Dollstown girl sueded and wired so she can model my knitting with a bit more panache (services by the fabulous Linzabeth!) and she's getting new wigs, one for everyday wear and one special wig that I will be keeping in a box and only bringing out for meetups or fancy occasions. I love all my dollies, but it's great to clear up these little niggling details!

 

Joined the doll hobby! I think thats a big plus! Hehe. Aquired first dolls, more on the way! Made my first ever outfit which was not half bad xD and on my way into making even more. Completed my first face-up and thoroughly enjoyed it! Ill keep going with that~ also tried my hand at making horns but i could do with more tools... Oh! And i got a job xD . Lovely question! Makes me think how much i have learned so far and with luck, i hope to of advanced even further by the next time you ask this!

 

In Nov it will be one year since I got my first doll. Though I was in the hobby for a few months before that. I have taken strides at face-ups and now can restring my dolls with out fear. I have a blog I do for my dolls and have learned more then I could think of. I only hope that this year will be just as amazing.

 

Great question Truffle I've learned, well, just about everything in the hobby in the past year. August is my DoA anniversary too - one year! In that time, I got my first doll, and second.....and fifth lol. I've tried my hand at faceups, eye mods, sewing for my dolls, and learned a lot about photography. Its been a great year!

 

I've grown so much this past year!
I have my first doll!
I can sew a decent pair of pants and shirts.
I've made armor, books and scrolls,and I am slowly getting the hang of taking photos of my boy.

I remember joining a couple months before the 6th anniversary, and wishing I had a doll to participate. Now I do have a doll and I am pondering on joining the contests.

 

-I've come back to the hobby and gotten over my dollie fears.
-I've made dollie friends.
-Going to get my first ones soon!!

Can't wait for more!

 

I joined the hobby around April last year... and since then, I've...

&#10006; grown my doll collection even though I expected to have only one to three dolls overall. OTL
&#10006; made new dolly friends on DOA! &#9829;
&#10006; learn how to make outfits, even though I'm still an amateur
&#10006; pick up photography just for my little ones
&#10006; learnt how to do (crappy) faceups
&#10006; successfully attempted to restring and sand the seams off one of my doll.
&#10006; gotten poorer. *sigh*

 

I actually went from being a doll admirer to a doll owner! That was very exciting for me. It started with one giant second-hand doll, who wasn't a dream doll, but was perfect once he was mine. Now I have two skulls, two JIDs, two Pukifees on the way (even though I swore I didn't want tinies), a centaur body coming, and my grail lady doll in transit to me right now. I'm thrilled to have been able to join DOA and get wonderful advice from so many people, and I've even made it to a couple meet-ups with another on the way this weekend. Overall, I've felt quite welcomed, and I am enjoying my dolly experience. While my face-ups aren't quite professional yet, I've definitely been enjoying the learning process, and I'm about to send off my first swap stuff! So yes, it's been a full year (read: four months *smirk*)

 

My family got bigger.
I got a better camera for better pictures.
Still not learned to make clothes yet though..

 

This year I got the courage to order from my dream company, fairyland.
I have 2 littlefee and a pukifee and couldn't be happier... well except maybe with more dolls but...

 

Let's see, this year I figured out that tiny size dolls are really the best size for me. I learned how to crochet (badly, I need much more practice) and I began to learn how to sew.

 

Hmm, for me the biggest thing would have to have been that I finally attended my first ever anime convention (my dolls had to come along too). It was a great experience and I had so much fun (not to mention all the prints I sold at my artists table). To others it may seem like a small thing, but to me, who's always dreamed about attending a Con, it was just one more thing to cross off on my list of things I want to do in my life.

I also just found out that some of my art made it into a large circulated art book. So that was also a huge accomplishment for me. I've always wanted to be officially published and now I can say that I have!

 

I would say I have grown, immensely. The year of 2010 was a horrible and emotionally draining year for me & my family. Issues with stepdaughter & other people, plus finances.
On the bright side I learned to make the best of it, and focus on my dolls and I started to challenge myself. One thing I had always wanted to do was learn to sew better for them, especially roccoco styled gowns for my MSD's. I am quite pleased how the items I have worked on came out, for such a novice as me.

I did acquire more bjds- mostly tinies. So I have a total of 7 BJD's and counting....I am hoping to acquire an SD next.

I also learned to be more patient, if that is possible. Oh, and try to acquire more dolls on my wishlist...

 

- Well, I finally had the courage to JOIN DoA after stalking the forum for a few years. x'DD *wasn't around for last year's anniversary*
- I now feel perfectly comfortable posting here, aha. x'D *is easily intimidated* And enjoy it very much so~
- I learned everything else I needed to know about BJDs that I didn't know before, ehe.~
- I finally was able to get my first BJD, whom was the best 300 bucks I have ever spent; he ended up being PERFECT ( aka exactly everything I wanted, aha. ) Also experienced the toughest months of waiting for something ever....but experienced the most rewarding package-arrival ever. x'D
- I have gotten much better at making clothing. I used to sew prior to getting my boy, including real clothes, but my sewing and understanding of how to make certain things has drastically improved.
- Which means all the scrap material I always save is finally being put to use! x'D

And then for non-DoA things....

- My drawing improved a ton, thank goodness. ^-^;;
- My figure modding has improved.~
- I finally had the courage to join and make my own roleplay group on deviantART. xD
- I have attended my first year in a new school and made it through!! *laughs*

 

This is fun! I'm enjoying seeing all the things that people have done/discovered/changed since last year ^_^

For me:

I started learning to crochet! (It's really relaxing, but cricks my wrists!)
I started learning face-ups
Found a grail doll at an impossible-to-resist price (though I'm still paying her off!)
Made some new friends
Decided to move to Australia
Quit my job
Got my first big Soom
Was delightfully reunited with a doll I regretted selling~

And I think that's about it... I'm sure there must be more, but I can't remember

 

Oh yeah, I've definitely grown!
I've learned a lot about resin, thanks
to DOA as it is the material that our dolls
are made of.

I've learned patience and not to buy
EVERYTHING doll thing I see. LOL!!!

I even like Menards now, and don't just
get bored while being there(no offense to anyone
who loves Menards!)

But most of all I learned that I can still keep
learning MORE and MORE as this is a hobby that
has lots to give and lots to teach!

 

I'm opening my horizons to super tiny dolls (and thereby, dolls of ALL kinds I didn't appreciate before). I'm crocheting clothes and accessories. And this year, I'm working hard on my photography- especially lighting!

 

Several spots of growth for me over the last year.

Doll-wise, I managed to acquire my holy grail (Tsukasa! ) and -
*insert drumroll*
Bought a girl? A girl!? Wow. Definitely didn't see that one coming.
I also finally bit the bullet and admitted to myself that I *hated* my Nikon DSLR... and sold it for a brand new Canon which doesn't weigh 50 pounds that I actually *enjoy* using.

Life-wise, I graduated from my second round of college with a nifty diploma of Graphic Design and a spot on the Dean's honour list.
I now know the joys of downtown Toronto public transit during rush hour *intimately*... >.>
And I can officially state that I have traveled to every single continent on the planet. Short of Antarctica.

 

This is my first year into BJD and I am very exciting to learn new skills ^__^. So far Three dolls are at home with me and still waiting for three more to come. I learn so much from DOA, still learning and there are so many out there.

My pocket hurt a lot since I joined this hobby but I learn how to manage my money better ^____^

I never expect to be so in love with BJD. I tried to do some sewing but failed badly and gave up for now. I am currently learn to get better at photograph, story and maybe face up. Hopefully I can contribute something to DOA and show off my dolls ^____^

 

I learned of the lovely hobby of BJDs! Which will probably be life-changing for me since I'm cut off from my usual hobby of video gaming because of terrible internet since I moved.

I hope to feed the addiction for a long time.

 

I feel like I grew a lot this year! While I still have a long way to go, I am quite pleased.

- Not only has my collection grown, but my size range grew as well. I went from MSDs and SDs to 70cm and tinies.
- I also learned how to take advantage of layaway.
- Soon I will have a dream doll that I never thought I would be able to afford.
- I learned patience, which I had before, but its been really tested this year waiting for that dream doll to ship. I'm still waiting, but I'm content. So my patience level has definitely grown.
- My face ups have gotten much better.
- I lost some friends, but made some new friends that will stay with me for a while.
- While my sewing still isn't very good, I can make things that are wearable! So that's growth!

- My art has grown, though I know I have a long way to go, and I have a new direction I want to go in my life.
- I made it to my 21st birthday and have one more year of college to go. It is going to be a difficult year, but I feel like I have grown enough to be able to handle it better than I handled last year.

With all the growth, there are a couple things that haven't changed:

- my injured knee still acts up- ouch!
- still buying too many dolls
- still only 5'0" tall ...

 

What a crazy year it has been ^-^


I discovered i have a talent for faceups! (to the shock of everyone, i've never been talented at anything artistic in my life lol)
i found out that i'm actually pretty decent at making clothes
a doll i hadn't bonded with has found its way back to me twice this same year! (i'm going to customize her and see if we bond this time it feels like a sign )
I finally found the perfect doll for my most elusive character
I have become a pro at restringing!

not dolly related:
i tried a year of college
didn't find what i was looking for there
discovered my true career, being a military doctor
joined the military
realized that i'm really happy, there have been several things that have happened that i thought would hurt me but i've realized i'm happy with who i am and that my true friends love me unconditionally

 

Well! I didn't even realize another whole year had gone by. When you get old, those months do somehow turn into one big blur.

In 2010, the collection only grew by a few dolls, but they were amazing ones. At the stroke of New Year's 2011, I finally brought home a Volks Sakaki.

Then I didn't buy any new dolls for 8 whole months, which is a first-time achievement!

But just recently I figured out how to rearrange my shelves again, so I am dangerous with my creditcard again. New arrival 2 weeks ago: Dollyman #32, who is another first-time event, an Iplehouse JID (you have to clothes-shop specially for these musclebound little imps).

I bought a new camera, another little Elph point-and-shoot-- which is even smaller than the old one, but which is twice as powerful and does some lovely things.

Oh yes, and then a new laptop! Also sorely-needed modern hardware, which also makes hobnobbing on DOA much easier than before.

And in a couple of weeks I'm actually going to take one of my dolls on vacation with me, even though it's a non-doll-related vacation. I just think Stavros will look good at the particular beach I'm going to.

Uhhh, what else... bought my first pair of Dollflower eyes? I guess that counts.

Not much else new this year otherwise. Just pluggin' along.

 

The year went by fast I added a lot of resin people to my collection and I made many outfits for them
I commissioned a face up for my Soom Cass she is now perfect

I took many resins on vacations with me they swear they will not get in a suitcase again.

I am learning to paint on fabric

I learned Adobe Elements 8 edited tons of pictures
bought a Sony camcorder am learning how to edit my videos
I still have no patience for waiting my Saint is taking over 8 months

It's been an ok year

 

This year I went to my first meet, I finally learned the woes of having a much-needed item out of stock forever, got my second doll, ordered my first custom-made things and.... made lots of DOA purchases!

 

Truffle! You are so cute!

The past year has seen big changes in my bjd life.
I found DOA last April, so I've learned lots of resin stuff and made many online buddies here and on a few other sites.
I've more than doubled my collection.
I managed to nab my grail doll.
I've entered the world of faceups and managed doing five, two of which turned out half decent.
I've knitted numerous doll sized scarfs.
And I've learned how easy it is to spend money on bjd's clothing. (What? I could have bought a doll for that!)

 

I was enchanted by Marketplace this year, like last year, and was separated from my savings. No regrets on the two DM Elf Mios that I got this year! I learned I have no control when it comes to Marketplace.

I'm learning solid modeling with some applications for doll jewelry.

 

Lets see...? Hmm...

I've made a few doll cosplay outfits.
I got my hands on an ever so rare NS SOOM Sard (1 of 8)!
I'm hosting my first ever meetup... tomorrow! And I'm somewhat nervous about it...
Purchased my first home, EVAR! I'm on my own, and my dolls have taken over my office and made it their room.
I'm participating in my first Half Marathon (first ever big run) at Disneyland in a month... Which I'm terrified about.
I'm working on losing 100 pounds. Almost 40 lbs down!
I survived the 2011 San Diego Comic Con..... barely.
And my doll collection just continues to grow, with 3 more dolls on the way! I think SOOM will be the death of me.

Seem like its a good year for me!

 

After a flurry of doll-buying at the end of last year, I have slowed down to two this year and spent more of that money on clothes, more of my time on appreciating and photographing the dolls I already have.

I got kind of bored with just taking pretty pictures of pretty dolls and started experimenting more with the content and themes of my photos. Also, my old camera broke and I am now using a Canon EOS REBEL T2i.

Attended my first major doll meet-up.

Got my first commissioned face-ups, one for an old doll and one for a new doll.

Decided I must resist the cute anthros and focus on the human large and mini-size dolls.

Developed an ecru obsession.

Finally joined Deviant Art.

Started a bjd blog on tumblr.

 

Met a wonderful friend on DoA.

Blogged more often.

Discovered how to paint eyelashes!

Went to two doll meets (and I'm a bit of a shut-in, so they were a big deal to me).

Began to learn to sew for my resin people (and have made two adorably bad garments).

Tried sculpting with polymer clay (the time was worth it, just so I could appreciate doll-making more).

 

I can definitely say my hobby has grown this year: I actually bought my first doll after only 5 years in the hobby. Having a very frugal boyfriend (now husband!) will do that to you. I'm still waiting for him to ship, but I am patient and easily distracted, so that at least that keeps me sane during the wait.

Also, I got another person into the hobby, so I count that as my own contribution to the growth of the community.