Discussion Den of Angels Mods: Ask Us Anything!

To any/all: have you competed in a DoA Triathlon? Anything amusing or notable to relate about a past triathlon (as competitor or as a mod)?
Please give your words of wisdom to this year’s competitors.

 

@mimimontoya I did actually enter once, don't remember what year though and I only did one challenge for fun. Let me see if I can find a photo, I know it's still up but probably hidden x3

Oh found it!


As for anything funny or interesting, I can't think of anything at the moment but I might get back to you on that one.

And for a bit of advise, I was talking about making a flower wig for the first challenge in the chatroom earlier today, but it's not a very good idea to use real flowers considering you'll have to use the wig in all challenges(so they wouldn't last for the whole month). So that's a tip for you, remember that the wig needs to be in the other rounds too!

 

To any/all: Do any of you own a doll that's 15 years old?

 

@Sillypeach No, my oldest doll is the one above (she's also my first doll) and I got her July 4th 2011 so she's only 8 years old

 

Yes, I have! A few times, actually, before I was a mod, and once just for fun as a mod, though that's the one year I didn't finish.

I'm still pretty proud of the wings I made in my very first triathlon (2014). They were primarily made from popsicle sticks, with joints made from copper wire and milliput, but they were actually posable! I thought they were really cool. I got very few votes though.



In fact, I think that's my words of wisdom: Be proud of everything you accomplish during the Triathlon, even if you don't finish all three rounds, even if you don't get a lot of votes. It's really hard. You're working under strict constraints, especially that of time, and the competition is always really fierce. I'm constantly amazed at what my fellow hobbyists manage to create in just one week. If you're going to enter, do it for yourself and your dolls, first and foremost. Do it for the challenge, for the chance to really stretch your creative wings. Make something you're proud of, something you think is cool. After all, you get to keep it when you're done! I think the most valuable Triathlon prize is proving to yourself that you can do it.

No, I don't. My oldest dolls were made in 2008. I joined the hobby in 2010.

Here's a pic of one of my 2008 babies

 

No, I have never competed in a Triathlon. ALL Triathlon competitors are so way beyond me in skillz!!! Every time I look at the entries I'm just so blown away with all the beauty and creativity. I just love looking and being in AWE!!!

Tip from a lazy, unskilled person: Just DO it! Don't be afraid if you have something you don't think is good enough or finished enough. There are people like me who will still love to see your work!!!

I own several that were made in 2004--but they are still a few months short of 15 years (or at least they didn't arrive until October '04 and early January of 2005). I'll leave my Elf Lishe for next year, I guess!

Wiki: Delf El Elf (LUTS141) – LE 68 – July 15, 2004
Wiki: Delf Lishe Elf (LUTS_161) – LE 68 – January 2005

My first! Here are my CP Elf El (2004) on left, purchased from CP through Liria. Original CP makeup with some touch-ups.
Came with CP Elf El Vampire head (2004), on right. Faceup years later by me. On 2005 Elf Yder body. Both wearing DollHeart.
09-08-april-elelfvampB205 by aprilllee, on Flickr

 

@mimimontoya unfortunately I've never competed in the anniversary contests. I think if I were to resign from mod duties I might compete after.
@Sillypeach This is only my 9th year in the hobby so any old dolls I own I haven't personally owned that long.

 

Question for any/all mods! What is your personal favorite BJD brand today, and was it always your favorite ever since you joined the hobby?

 

Sculpt-wise-- I own 7 or more dolls from Soom, Iplehouse, and Dearmine.

But I have dolls from around 40 different companies and I haven't had a bad experience with any of them!

I have to mention Volks, since they made the first bjds (as we consider them for our DoA purposes). They have been a strong bjd company for all this time. They continue to have their doll cons (Dollpas), faceup classes, dolly doctors. I have been going to Volks events for 14 years held nearby me in CA, and used to go to the store when it was open, and have attended cons and meetups where Volks reps were present. I have to say that the Volks people sincerely love their dolls and their customers and show this in everything they do. When I was first looking around at bjds, of course I was looking at Volks (because they were about the only bjd-makers). I was looking at Shiro Tachibana, but he was sold out. In 2006, I went to the Los Angeles Volks Mansion Tea Party and won the lottery for a Shirou Tachibana One-Off. Later this year, I will go to the Volks L.A. Dollpa... so the Volks involvement continues!

 

Oh that's tough. I think I almost have to say Soom is my favorite brand, considering how many dolls I own from them. But I also want to give a shout out to a couple smaller companies I like. I really adore ANother Secret (though I only have one head from them, a Mr. Hat), and I also really like Immortality of Soul. I wish they hadn't discontinued their old 70cm body. It's one of my favorites in my collection. Anything made by Triffony Arts is gorgeous (I want one of their Sphinxes someday).

The first doll I ever saw that made me say, I want one of these dolls!, was CP Luts Delf Lishe. This was back in maybe... 2006, 2007? I started obsessively researching. Then I discovered that these dolls came as boys too! I knew then that if I could ever afford one, I wanted a boy. I found Soom Sabik and fell in love, but his price seemed completely unattainable to me at the time. I searched around for cheaper companies and found Dollzone, and loved Yuu. I still couldn't afford him, but I decided that if I could ever afford one of these dolls, my first would be him.

I continued to look at BJDs off and on, though I still couldn't afford one. I joined DoA in 2009, though I wasn't very active.

Another year passed and I was finally in a better financial situation. I saw another BJD somewhere and remembered how much I had wanted one. I did a search on eBay and there was a Yuu! Used but with his box and fullset outfit and everything. I figured it was a sign, and I bought him.

 

@ker246 lame answer I know but I really can't claim a favorite brand. I tend not to have brand loyalty and like to sample a little from lots of different companies.

But, that being said I have the most parts from Volks at 1 body, 1 full doll, and 3 DD heads. Volks is also the brand I noticed first which brought me into the hobby and there are definitely a few dolls of theirs on my (impossible) wish lust.

But there are some artists which have been my favorites to admire, where nearly every face they make speaks to me, like Nabarro and Little Rebel.

 

I have entered a couple of events, but not the Triathlon. So I'm not a lot of help there, sorry.

Maybe? I have an oldskin SD10 Volks Kira. I'm not sure exactly how old she is, but...old. She has the old style tiny headcap on the top of the head with 1999 on it.

It's a tie between Volks and CP (Cerberus Project). CP (then sold thru Luts) was my first love, but now most of my dolls are Volks.

 

Question for any/all mods: Is there one doll in your collection, which is your ultimate No.1? Or might there even be more than one? Or are you still on a hunt for your number one? I'm really curious! Would also be nice to know if your No.1 has changed over the years^^

 

I could write a book about my doll favorites :P

For many years my favorite doll was my Volks YoTenshi Hinata, Ducky. Then it changed to another Yo. Then to my DearSD. My favorites change like the weather (lol)

 

@Lornica yep, I definitely have my absolute favorite dolls. My favorite girl is Marina, my Aria Doll Narvy and my favorite boy is Sven, my Doll in Life Rydel. Of course I have periods where I'm madly in love with any doll I keep around but when I close my eyes at night those are the ones who always bring me happy thoughts.

 

Well, I think it's always been Fairyland if I'm completely honest. I like a lot of other brands too, and I've owned dolls from other brands throughout the years in the hobby but I still keep going back to Fairyland. It's mostly just that the style goes so well with my personal preference, and I think it goes well with my own style of dolls too :3 (which would be important to me if I ever end up making a full doll in the future, so that all dolls kind of look good together to a certain degree)


Totally showing off my little Signe, I'm allowed to do that, right? \ >w< /

Yes, I have favorites, or just dolls that I like more than others from time to time, but my all-time favorite is my very first doll, and that hasn't changed since I got her. She's very precious to me, my beloved Pocca

 

Haha, sorry this got kinda long with lots of pictures. I have had a couple grails, and have a lot of favorites, for various reasons.

My favorite sculpt is Soom Breccia, so unsurprisingly, my favorite doll is my MD Breccia, Brigh. I uh, also own two other Breccias (a FCE in gray and FCE Soul Stealer Breccia/Odette in NS), but Brigh is my favorite of the the three. Breccia was my first grail doll. I managed to find her after about a year, with everything included but her fox ears. I then found her ears for sale from another seller shortly after. Her gorgeous faceup and blushing was done by my wife


A later grail was ANother Secret Mr. Hat. I couldn't believe it when I was browsing Etsy on my birthday about five years ago, SDink had put her Mr. Hat up for sale! He was a very special birthday present to myself.


Though I adore Johannes, my Mr. Hat, my favorite boy is a very difficult tossup. It's either Edison, my IoS Jaguar, or Cassius, my AngelToast Hawk. Edison's grin never fails to make me happy, and so does Cassius's gentle smile. Plus they shell a couple of my favorite characters from the storyworld that my wife and I share.



I'm also irrationally fond of Turtle, my Volks Yu Morisawa, even though she doesn't fit into any of my storylines or anything. She's just one of the cutest dolls I own and she makes me squee every time I look at her.


And of course, I'll never fall out of love with my first doll, Doyle, a DZ Yuu.


I don't really have a grail right now, just a wishlist. All the dolls on it are still easily obtainable so none of them really qualify for "grail" status. It's funny, when I joined the hobby I was certain most of my dolls would be boys, and I think by sheer count they are, but my most favorite dolls are girls.

 

For all Mods!

Q: Would consider a custom made dolly-wig make out of baked cookie-dough? If so, what kind of cookie would you like it made out of?

 

Hmm, maybe if my doll had a protective saran wrap headcap on it first... good cookies can be greasy sometimes, all that delicious butter. Classic chocolate chip is my favorite (maybe with some pecans too?), but sugar cookie dough can be shaped more when it's cold, so maybe you could sculpt a hairstyle from it? Or maybe a peanut butter blossom... the Hershey's kiss on top could be like a swirl of hair... Maybe line a few kisses up to make a mohawk?

You could probably bake it around a aluminum foil ball for support, sort of like you do with polymer clay. Now I want to know if this could really work! I think the hardest part would be deciding which doll to make a cookie-wig for... who is the sweetest of them all? Like Paris, trying to decide which goddess to gift the golden apple, I fear making a judgement on which of my dolls is "sweetest" could lead to all out war!

 

@Elysion gear haha gross. I suppose though it's really just an odd shaped cookie... so maybe if I just eat it... chocolate chip please!

 

@cowpewter: I actually think that it could be done, make a mold with food safe silicone and then baking the cookie wig inside that so that it would keep its shape.

 

To all of you, What was your first doll? Do you still have it?

And, what is your favorite doll that you now own? Is it still the first doll?

 

@RabbidBunnies my first doll was a tan Angel of Dream Ruo Feng. I don't have him anymore. I actually lost him at a point when my mental health was really bad and I was moving. I do have another doll now who reminds me of him (Volks Date Masamune) because they are both very frowny.

My favorite doll is Sven, my Doll in Life Rydel. I've had him since my second year in the hobby.

 

For all the mods:
Is there any OT concepts or doll ideas you'd like to see in resin?

 

I have so many dolls because I usually hunt down and buy the dolls I really want, so I'm not really on the hunt (quite the opposite because I have too many dolls already). I don't tend to play favorites, but I usually will say my first doll is a favorite.

My first: CP Elf El... and Luts Delf Juri '05 -- two oldies but goodies!
07-02-Escondido-0390ab449 by aprilllee, on Flickr

I also really love my latest dolls! And all in-between! And my Soom Sard used in my avatar...

Sure! I love all kinds of wigs! Snickerdoodle, cuz the name is funny and I love eating them!

First doll: CP Delf Elf El, and yes, still a favorite and still have him!

Hmmm... that's a tough one. So many things are in resin already... And I like my dolls that are not resin just fine in vinyl or ABS...

 

To all: Is there a sculpt you really don’t like or that creeps you out?

 

Oh gosh, that's a tough one. It might be pretty cool to see an all-resin Blythe - particularly if the eye mechanism still works. I'm not a huge Blythe collector or anything, but I have a couple, and I do think the eye mech is very cool. I know I've seen a few resin dolls with that sort of small-body-big-head aesthetic (though I think they were animal heads? Like deer and such. Ah! I found them, they're called MocaPinoRu), but none with the eye mech.

I'm not fond of the overly-realistic mini-me heads. Without an equally realistic faceup, they just look weird and aesthetically displeasing to me. I see them a lot on bodies that seem just a little too small too... so they wind up looking bobbleheaded to me. They don't creep me out though, they're just not my aesthetic at all. With the right faceup and body, I will definitely ooh and ahh over pictures of them, but I'm not interested in owning any.

All the dolls that have ever initially creeped me out I eventually got really into over time. Some of Doll Chateau's stuff creeped me out at first, but now I love their aesthetic. Doll Leaves Puppet (with the open/closable mouth) creeped me out at first, but now I kinda want one. There was some other doll that really bothered me when I first saw it and then after a month or two I wanted one instead, but I can't remember what it was right now. I guess if a sculpt actually affects me enough for it to make me uncomfortable, it also affects me enough to obsess over.

 

To all mods: What's a craft you'd like to learn how to do? Doll related or not?

 

Oh gosh, I'm not sure there's one I haven't at least already tried yet. I have ADHD, and my hobbies and crafts constantly cycle and change depending on what I'm hyperfocusing on. Oh... I know! Woodworking. Someday I would love to own a lathe and other woodworking tools. I could bend it towards dolls, of course, by learning how to make furniture. But yeah, I'd love to learn how to turn bowls. I find lathe videos on youtube very soothing. I've only not picked it up yet cause you need a lot of big bulky tools and I used to live in apartments. But now I have a house with a garage!

 

@cowpewter I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes lathe videos. There's something hypnotic about those big curls of wood.

 

Hmmm... I don't get creeped out easily, so nothing really comes to mind. I'm not a huge fan of extreme gore mods, though.

I sometimes think I'd like to try sculpting a doll, but I'm FAR, FAR, FAAAARRRRRR too lazy to go beyond the thinking stage! I sometimes wish I could sew! Or make doll shoes. Or ... lots of crafty things. I've sort of tried lots of things, but I tend to give up easily...

 

@Spuggey there are not really any dolls that creep me out but there are definitely tons of faces I don't like.
@Alewife I'm one of those people who likes the idea of doing just about any kind of craft to be honest. There are still a lot more I could be trying or improving on. Wig making, knitting, crocheting, I'd like to know how to make dreadlocks, candle making, soap making, plushie making, re-rooting, sculpting, eye making, stained glass, I'm just listing whatever comes to mind. I'm interested in everything!

 

To all mods: Have you ever sold a doll, regret it, and then proceeded to buy it again?


(I'm very, very, very experienced in this realm, so curious lol.)

 

To all mods: for those of you that would want one, what would your dream FCS be?

 

I sold my Pukifee Pong (named Squee) after the company I worked for at the time went under. I knew she was easily replaceable, and I really needed what cash I could to get me through to finding a new job. I put a bunch of dolls up for sale at the time, and took them down once I'd secured a new job. Squee and my DC Ada were the only dolls that wound up selling over that time period.

I definitely missed her though, and replaced her a couple years later. She even got an upgrade! Now I have both her regular and sleeping faceplates instead of just the regular, and the doll I bought to replace her had been modded to have fangs, which was perfect for my cute soul-eating forest monster.

The original Squee just had the default Fairyland faceup, but Squee 2.0 has one I did myself. I'm not the best at faceups, but I'm really happy with Squee now.

Squee 2.0 by Katy, on Flickr

So it's not exactly that I sold her and regretted it, cause I kinda always planned to buy her back one day, but it's the closest I've come. I've mostly avoided doll-sale regret by not selling anything!

That's tough. I'm not really that familiar with the FCS sculpts. I do really like some of Volks' stuff, but I don't own very many of their dolls (at least not in resin, I have too many DDs). My dream Volks girl was Yu Morisawa, and I have her . I posted her picture earlier in this thread.

 

To all mods, totally off topic, but since fall is coming soon (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), what is your favorite hot drink?

 

Hmm... it used to be a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks, but I can't really have those anymore, since they have way too much sugar (I'm diabetic).

I think a nice hot mug of tea would be my favorite now. Type of tea? Depends on my mood, though I'm always partial to black tea with orange and spice. I mostly buy loose leaf teas online.

A handful of favorite teas right now:
Metropolitan
Low Country
Far Afield
Jasmine Phoenix Dragon Pearls Tea | Adagio Teas
Earl Grey Lavender Tea

 

To all the mods- whose idea was it please to display a picture of the doll for sale next to the thread when viewing the dolls Marketplace? It was pure genius! I want to thank them I have since learnt what many sculpts look like, whom I had no idea of in the past!

 

One more question. Where do the little cakes come from?

 

Ive always wanted to ask this question, but felt sending a PM would be a bit annoying with your duties, so this is my chance XD

@Dezarii I must know, what doll does that body belong to on your display picture? Its driving me insane trying to figure it out because it is very beautifully sculpted!

Ive looked at your current dolls and looked each sculpt up so I can identify it without bothering you

Im guessing its an artist doll body or perhaps a sculpt you are working on, because even in threads requesting for fuller figure doll bodies, Ive never seen anything like it

 

To any/all mods - Do you have any stories of the worst/weirdest/most bizarre, or just funny-related, thing you've experienced as a mod on here?