The ^ < v Game! - Part 3

^ Mostly make. I made the sectional and end table and am working on more furniture for them. There are a few things I've bought because they were perfect for my dolls and things I couldn't make.

< I should finish the chaise lounge two of them are sitting on, and make them more clothes...

v Do you buy or make your dolls' clothes?

 

^ I prefer to make them rather than buy them nowadays. It isn't only because it costs less. I learn a lot by making clothes that are specific to my crew. Nothing annoys me more than purchased clothes that don't fit properly. My sewing skills are not great compared to the professionals' but the clothes I make convey their personalities better.

^ If only I could freeze the TV screen and have better drawing skills!

V which film decor would you love to make for your BJDs?

 

^ Hmm... I'd love to do a Lord of the Rings fantasy kind of thing, 'cause I love LotR. Or something more sci-fi like the Matrix. I could go a lot of ways!

< Resisting the urge to make a want to buy thread for a Ducan head... He was my first dream doll. Whyyy did I have to look at him again?

v We all know you'd want to say you don't have one, but...if you had to choose, which doll of yours is your all-time favorite and why?

 

^ My favorite for YEARS has been my Dollmore Kara Klum.....but.....recently my Ringdoll K is my favorite, and probably the one I'd pick if I had to.

> I'm not a fan of Iplehouse dolls....so why am I looking to buy another one? :P

V If you were going to pick a character to make a fan doll of, which character and which doll would you pick? (if you already have fan dolls, make another one.)

 

^ Hmm, maybe Sailor Mercury? I see a lot of really cool 90's fashion reinterpretations of the Sailor Moon girls, and I think it would be a lot of fun to try and design a doll using that aesthetic. Plus, I really love Sailor Mercury.

> Trying to find specific head sculpts for shelling OCs is... difficult orz

v For your favorite doll, is there still something about them you would like to change? Or do you love them exactly how they are?

 

^ Took a few quick photos:


< Why is vacation over? So not ready to be home yet...

v What's the farthest your doll('s character) would travel to visit a family member?

 

^ Well, Ilya travels from above the Arctic Circle to Seattle and back in his story, so...he'd pretty much go anywhere for his family. Aelic doesn't like planes much, so he'd be a bit more limited. Thankfully, his only real family is his mom, and they live together.

< Dear Gunnar,
Stop making me want to shell you so badly. I don't wanna look for a Larina head second hand. And a body to hybrid with. Ug.

v What is the strangest sculpt you have or want? (Define "strange" any way you'd like! But explain.)

 

^ Probably the strangest doll I want is a Doll Leaves Puppet 02. She has a mechanism in her head which allows you to open and close her mouth, which makes her face look a little strange but I think it's part of what gives her character and charm. The strangest I own is probably my DollChateau Larry; he's literally a snail with a human head and torso (off topic here on DOA though!)

< As much as I like the rain I really want it to stop so I can try out a new face up style on my WithDoll Adriana blank head.

v Carrying on with the strange theme; what is the strangest mod you've done to a doll? Did you give them an extra eye? Extra arms? Or something even stranger!?

 

^ Two-Face mod. Half the face totally untouched, half really janked up.

> The crow shipped!! Technically a raven....but I like crows.

V If you could have any animal made into a BJD, what would it be (I'm still looking for my long-haired cat...)?

 

^ A proper "big dog." There's some really cute little dogs around (I need that little corgi I keep seeing), but the only big dog I've seen so far has some really messed up jointing that's just a deal-killer for me.

< augh, this presentation... does anyone have a flickr gallery they'd be willing to let me raid for photos? (I'm legit asking, PM me if you are willing!)

v Do you have any deal-killers when you're looking at sculpts? That one little thing that, no matter how much you liked it before, you just can't get past now?

 

^ For bodies, it's single joints. I really dislike them them. For faces...I'm not sure! I'm so specific about characters that I could probably make anything work if I had a character for it. That being said, I don't like round faces with very pointy chins (sorry 95% of Fairyland girls...), or super big eyes. (I say even though Aelic's eyes are like 50% of his face. Like I said, I can like almost any thing in the right context!)

< Today was waaaay too busy. Ug.

v Do you prefer more realistic or stylistic sculpts and why? Do you only have one or the other in your collection?

 

^ I can't really put my finger to it ... anything that would make him (or her, but at this point I'm mostly on the hunt for guys) look mature, as in 30+.

< @Ashbet's cat is cracking me up like nobody's business.

v What ages are your dolls' characters? (e.g. my youngest is 5, the oldest currently home is in his 40s, the majority are late 20s/early 30s.)

 

^ The dolls I'm planning are all early/mid 20's!

> If I would actually start packing, then maybe I would finish packing, and them maybe I would be less worried about packing.

v What is your dream sculpt? Could be a sculpt that already exists, or one you would love to see made!

 

^ Right now, I suppose the closest I have is Foveo Vincent, because I love him for a character that I've had for a long time and who is cery special to me. Other than that...I'm really not sure! My "omg this is the best doll ever and I need it" doll changes frequently, though if they reach that status then they stay on my wishlist and will eventually get got (as they say). I guess I don't really have a dream doll or grail or anything. (Not anymore, at least; DoD Ducan used to be my absolute dream doll like six years ago, but now he's more "I'd like to have this sculpt if given a good opportunity.")

< Whyyyy is it so hard to find eyes for Ilya? Is it really that hard to find realistic greenish-blue eyes with that cool follow-me quality? Apparently.

v If your dolls/characters could dress up as anything for Halloween, what would it be?

 

^ Eva would be a witch, because she was Withdoll's Witch Emma. :P
Eshne would be a fancy vampire (think Lestat from the Vampire Chronicles), and Ichibod's already pumpkin head and named for the main character of Sleepy Hollow, so he'd obviously be the headless horseman!

< I'm contemplating buying the K-12 body in DC's old white since they're offering it for a limited time.
I have a K-12 in the new white (without realizing they had changed it) for one of my dolls, but it doesn't match his head. The old white body would.

Buuut mooooooney, I dont know if I should. :T

v Have you ever bought doll parts for a hybrid thinking they'd match (maybe saw someone else hybrid the two companies and have a good match?) and come to find out, they didn't match at all?

 

^ Yes, a head. Luckily I was told the potential body's Skin colour wasn't going to be a match before I bought it. I need to sell the head as it cannot be made into the character I imagined.

< Sunshine!

V What subject would your BJD choose if it had to study?

 

^ One of my girls studies ballet. My cyborg girl would study robotics, to build more of her kind. I have a pirate boy who would study cartography if he ever studied anything.

< Going to Kansas City to see Sleeping Beauty ballet tonight, but I'm lolling lazily in bed right now.

V What is your favorite thing about owning BJD in general? What do you enjoy about it the most?

 

^playig With them to help me when I'm stuck for inspiration on my writing. I love that I was able to recreate my characters in a 3D form, and that I can use them to help me write, because that's my passion in life.

< @PumpkinKings i feel this so much... I'm trying to justify buying a Dc doll in the old white right now.. also, I love your username!

V What's your favourite company and why? Are they the company you have the most dolls from?

 

^ Ringdoll is my favorite because I love their esthetic and their bodies are great to pose but I have more Dollshe heads because Saint.

< Fluffy clouds floating by I want to go out and play but I'm lazy.

v What company do you favor and do you have any of their dolls?

 

^ My favorite dolls right now are from Ringdoll, but Dollmore is up there still as a favorite. And I do own (several) dolls from each. And one hybrid of both (which might be why he's my #1 right now...)

> I have nothing that I'm working on right now. I don't know what to do with myself....
I actually have a huge project list. Just not doing any of it.

V Moving along with favorite companies: do you have a favorite company(ies) and why?

 

^Well fav. Doll company is luts, I love their sculpts. For over all dolly stuff company it has to be Alice collection, I've bought dolls, clothes, eyes, etc through them. They have great customer service.

<Why am I wearing this sweater in this heat?

v what is your favorite. Doll that you own? And why? ( yes re-asking kiyoshisenshi's question)

 

^ I've actually got 3 favourites I've got 26 dolls it's too hard to choose one, so here we go.

OR-Doll Limos/Popo hybrid "Solace": Solace has been a favourite doll of mine for years, he was my 7th doll but at the time was the only one I had to buy a separate body for (along with clothes, eyes, wigs, etc) He was a birthday gift and is currently the only doll I've ever actually opened on my birthday. So all those things made him special to me. He has this beautiful company face up that makes him look so beautiful but also very sad and I absolutely adore it; it's easily one of my favourite face ups.

Iplehouse EID Scarlet "Cassander": You know those dolls you come across and the moment you see their company photos you fall in love and there is no way you aren't buying this doll because they are just so perfect? Yeah. That's what happened to me with this gorgeous girl. I just adored everything about her from the word go; but I particularly adored her face. It's got a bit of a masculine feel about it instead of the usual sweet vibe you get from most female dolls. I took one look at that smirk and I've been smitten with her ever since.

WithDoll Adriana "Bisque": She is uniquely beautiful. I have an affinity for the circus and thus circus related dolls and the moment I saw that beautiful cracked head and gorgeous company face up I was sold. I had seen a doll previously with a face that made it look cracked and loved the idea, but at the time couldn't afford it. I'm so glad I waited because Bisque is honestly just perfect in every way. Every time I look at her face I just smile because I still can't believe I own her; it took two years for me to pull the trigger and put her on lay away and I'm so glad I managed to get her before WithDoll ended her sales period.

(Oh my goodness, that got out of hand. Sorry for rambling so much! I just love them all~)

< I ordered some MSC a few days ago; hopefully it arrives soon so I can finally paint my floating heads. I want to try a new style so I'm excited to give it a go!

v To go in the opposite direction of the last question; do you have a doll who annoys you? You don't hate them, but for some reason you can never find them that perfect wig or they just refuse to play nice in front of the camera when you try and photograph them?

 

^ Honestly, I'd probably have to say no. All my boys are angels, really. It used to be Kiyo (who is actually in line to be sold when I get around to it), because his posing was infuriating for a while, and by the time I got it half-decent, I was just...too irritated to really want to deal with him, I guess. Right now, I'd say my current annoyance is probably Ilya's body, because finding pants that fit is literally impossible. I wanted my MSDs to be able to share clothes, but that's definitely not an option.

< Speaking of which, I really hope Ilya's custom pants get here soon. Aelic's sweater dress thing does not suit Ilya.

v Do you have a go-to "I just got this naked blank doll and they need some clothes before I get the right ones" outfit? Say, a pair of silly pajamas or a sock dress?

 

^ I've got a pair of grey leggings I got from a blind bag of MSD sized goodies & a tshirt made from one of my tanktops that had ripped and was just going to be thrown out. They look awfully goofy on my boys though, so I'm just opting to keep them in their box's until 1) the clothes I ordered for one arrive, and 2) I find the time to make custom clothes for the second. :P

< I did end up buying the DC K-12 body in the old white resin because I REALLY want Eshne's head to match his body.
I think I'll give the body in new white to Ichibod, since it holds the weight of him pumpkin head a whole hell of a lot better than the RS body he's on now. :U

v What got you into bjds and what was your first doll? Do you still have them?

 

^well I was looking around the webs for a porcelain doll for my aunty originally. I came across a bjd that looked similar to a doll I'd seen in passing at a con so yes...later on I just kept getting curious about them so the rabbit hole tunnel of research happened. I never got out lol and my first doll was kid delf yuz from luts and I still have him, he's my aqua.

< I have an unhealthy addiction to soda and tea...I need to cut back XC

v OK so if you still own your first doll, has it's original intended character stayed true through out your time together or has their character/aesthetics totally change into something else?

 

^ Her character is still the same, but her aesthetic is leaning way more punk than I ever anticipated.

< I'm not sure whether or not a sampler swatch would be enough material for my current project, but I definitely don't want to buy a full yard.

v Are any of your dolls' characters from eras other than the present?

 

^ Yes! Toshimaru is from historic Japan (along with the other characters in his story), though I haven't decided which era yet. I don't want to settle until I've done enough research. For the most part, the rest of my current and planned dolls are basically from the present, though in different universes/storylines.

< Today was super productive! I can't believe Ilya's loincloth worked on the first try.

v Are you making anything for your dolls right now?

 

^ Well, I'm not making any clothing, cuz I'm kind of lazy that way - but my incoming doll is an alchemist, and I'm having a blast buying and making props for him; at the moment I'm painting an extremely realistically proportioned resin skull with ancient alchemical symbols, and dyeing paper with tea to look old and yellowed for scrolls and such (I hope they don't give my printer any problems, lol). I've never done anything quite like it before - so much fun!

< As always...why are you still awake? You have to get up at 5:30 - go to bed!!

v How long was it between the time that you discovered BJDs and the time that you ordered your very first one...and were you thrilled after you hit the 'buy' button - or terrified that you might have just made the most expensive mistake of your life?

 

^ It took 3 days between "oh, it's BJD?" to "the payment sent". I was curious but not terrified. Probably I just knew already that I finally reached _my_ hobby.

< so many parcels on the way! awwww

v How long do you prepare the photoshoot? Do you collect stuff for a while or just pick smth right now and take a photo immediately?

 

^ My parents' garden. I don't go out for photoshoots much though, because a) I'm lazy and b) I know my photography skillz are nonexistant. (And to top it off I have an ancient point-and-shoot and no manual because I "inherited" it from my sis ages back when she bought a decent cam.)

< Begone, chaos! I banish you to the cabinets from whence you came. *brandishes vacuum and waves cleaning rags threateningly*

v If you had three days for doll stuff only, what would you do?

 

^One day would be dolly spa day. The next day would be finish the pub day and the third day would be photo day and play with all the boys,

< Getting out of bed was very difficult today but I managed. I'm only on my first cup of coffee *yawn*

v Dolly toys/props or clothes or wigs/eyes, what are on your to do list?

 

^ Oh man...all of them, really, just for different characters. Toshi needs clothes, and Ilya needs a new wig and eyes. And I guess I don't need props or anything, but I'd love a little couch or something so my boys aren't sitting on my desk all the time.

< I feel like I should be doing more with my time...but instead I'm spending my afternoon reviving an old OC. Fun stuff.

v Do you prefer to find dolls for characters you already have or make a character to fit a doll you like?

 

^ Finding dolls for characters by far, here, in part because I have more characters than I can count! Though I do occasionally switch around and find a character for a doll I really, really like.

< Temporary crowns feel so weird...

v You're making a character doll; do they have to be dead-on accurate, or do you let some artistic license into the mix?

 

^ Artistic license is my BFF. But on the other hand I do like to try and be as accurate as possible. I'm lucky in that the characters I have are either comic book characters with so many different versions that I can pick and choose what I want, or book characters where you're mostly meant to come up with your image along with the authors...so I don't think you can do 100% dead-on accuracy

> Lost a teeny s-hook and now I can't string my doll. This really sucks.

V About how long does it take you do complete a doll?

 

^ I've never completed one!
I got my first doll 5 months ago, and she's still not complete. So at LEAST 5 months. :p
Also @VampireAngel13 unrelated to your question but I noticed in your sig you're getting one of Kaykedoll's Ravens - I have one too! What are you gonna do with yours?

< I really need to learn how to make my own patterns, I can't seem to find any patterns made for DC Kid boys and I'm sick of my boy bein nekkid

v When do you consider a doll "complete"?

 

^ Hand-sewing leather, apparently. I don't really do too much crafty stuff, because I'm not great at sewing and I'm definitely not an artist, but working with leather is super fun and I guess I'm not terrible at it.

< Whyyy do Souloids have to be so pretty? I don't have a character for one but those robot bodies are just amazing.

v Have you been working on any characters recently you plan to shell as a doll? Or working of character for dolls you already have or want?

 

^ I would really like to get another character in the story I'm creating around my Ringdoll K, but I need something shorter than 70cm and muscular... and I don't think it exists

> @PumpkinKings nothing! *throws things* that would be doll whose shook I lost lol so he's in pieces... if I can make another one and get him together he'll be another critter in the aforementioned Ks weird and growing collection (his name is Crow and a raven is as close as I can get)

V do you have any characters you plan on making into a doll but can't quite find the right sculpt for?

 

^ I have to have a few 'bad guys' and 'good guy/victims' for my Pointless Lore group to go after. I have a few floating heads and a couple of new ones on the way that will fulfill the need.

< Pub is looking soooooo good I want to shrink down and join the boys in a drink.

v Do you try to do special effects or use filters on photos of your dolls?

 

^ Eh, not really. I have some color gradients I use for each doll, like each one has their own that enhances their faceups and whatnot in pictures, but I don't experiment much.

< Well, I still want this robot kid. Darn it Souldoll, whyyy did you make these pretty babies...

v You can only buy one more doll for the rest of your life; which doll would it be?

 

^ I cannot say, they take turns. . At the moment, my Venitu is the recipient of my sewing endeavours... while my Dollzone is complaining of being forgotten. I probably should have stopped at 10 BJDs. But it wouldn't be fun, would it?

< This out-of-the-blue phonecall put me on edge. I need change!

V Is one of your crew running after an impossible dream?

 

^ Well, Spike & Jimmy are still trying to grow a tentacle-monster in a bottle. I don't know if the dream is fully impossible, because they've come up with some pretty convincing point-versions of this thing, but achieving it is still a long way off. Spike and Jimmy are very very small (an Unoa Light and a fetal Rei-Tenshi), and their biggest bottle is only the size of my thumbnail.

< I have to start getting acupuncture for my back. >_< I'm such a chickenshit! I'm not scared of needles, but I do hope they really know what buttons they're poking. Whee. Well, it's an adventure.

v Are there any athletes in your doll family?

 

^ Yes, a bunch! (Or, it will be a bunch, once I get all of them...) Ilya and Aelic both play soccer (on the same middle and high school team in the story they're both part of, along with two others from their story, Nikos and Nimbus). Ilya's little brother does swim and dive competitions. A bunch of my other characters like sports as well; my two Chinese luck spirits, Enlai and Renshen, both love watching all kinds of sports and play rugby, and I have several characters that play on a baseball team in their story (though I doubt I'd ever get dolls of them, as they're very anthropomorphized and have some crazy designs).

< Spring is gross and I hate allergies. I can't even take my boys outside for pictures without sneezing everywhere and contaminating them with pollen.

v Which of your dolls so far has required the most customization?

 

^ I suppose Leila, my Oasisdoll Natalie. She's just had a face-up and additive mods (to fix chips from a previous owner). I did have to modify her body slightly to be more poseable.

< I have to fly later and I am not excited.

v Is there a doll you wish you could buy in multiple sizes (SD/MSD/etc.)?

 

^ there was a point I thought I wanted multiple sizes of my zhen sculpt so I could have Destiny in different ages. If not then my luts yuz so I could have his three forms but...yea no that's just giving me triple the work.

< It's too early to be reading Harada-sensei , it's just too much of an emotional rollercoaster.

v so letting my geek side out for a minute, what Hogwarts house would your doll characters be sorted into?

 

^ Elliot would be a Ravenclaw and Olive would be a Hufflepuff.

< I can't believe it, I am finally going to have my first complete doll... After Easter.

v What was it like getting your first doll?

 

^ I was completely blown away. I had never seen a BJD in person before and there was one of my oldest and most beloved OCs in resin person, in my hands.

< Watching "Sleepy Hollow" at the dead of night may not have been the brightest idea.

v What did you think your collection would be like when you started, and how has it actually turned out?

 

^ Well, I thought my collection would be one doll.

It's not one doll.

> I need to update my signature....

V What is your favorite doll's best skill?

 

^ The doll's skill: he's my only doll who can sit cross legged!
Character's skill, in a Pathfinder session he was thrown like a harpoon by his dwarven companion while simultainously lassoing and tackling a bad guy ... so uhhhhh ... acrobatics? :P

< @VampireAngel13 I hope you find the s-hook or figure out how to make a new one soon! D:
I was considering restringing mine (his wings are really floppy) but 1) I'm bad at restringing regular dolls, 2) the s-hooks really are tiny and I know who I am, I'd lose one immediately. OTL

v what is the first thing you do when you get a new doll? (other than unbox it!)

 

^ Change out the eyes, and get some (at least temporary) clothes and wig on it. Every once in a while, I'm lucky enough to actually have the final eyes and/or wig on-hand when the doll arrives, but most of the time I'm getting out a "close enough" wig and eyes from my spares collection until I can get the final choices.

< I really need to go grocery shopping... I should maybe go get my card out of the con badge holder so I don't forget it again tomorrow. I should maybe do that right now while I'm still thinking about it.

v What kind of preparation do you do for an incoming doll?

 

^ I do a lot of planning prep, but not a whole lot of... actual prep? I enjoy spending a lot of time just looking and weighing options, considering eyes and wigs and who I might like to do the faceup, and various places to buy clothes and the like! The only actual prep I've done so far though is preordering a pair of eyes!

> I wish it was July already! ;A; Splatoon 2 finally got a release date and ahhh! I'm so excited!!

v Was there one sculpt you thought you would adore, that you turned out to hate? Or was there one sculpt you were sure you were going to hate, but it turns out, you love it?

 

^ Well, I wouldn't say hate, necessarily... But I was super excited about my first doll, a BBB Tony, and while I did love him for a while, pretty much as soon as I got a better poser I just kind of...really fell out of love. On the other side, when I first saw DZ Carter, I was kinda like 'meh, not my thing,' but I just kept going back and now Carter is probably my favorite sculpt ever. I'm so happy to have one!

< I can't wait for the LR Tenten preorder... Everyone is probably sick of me talking about it.

v You suddenly have $500 to spend on dolls! Would you get a $500 doll or $500 of clothes and accessories? (One or the other!)

 

^ I would attempt to find a Dollshe body second hand. Otherwise, I would use it at Dollmore and Iplehouse to by clothes and accessories plus an extra pair of feet for John.

> @PumpkinKings Don't do it lol! It's not worth losing an s-hook!! I tried to make more, I made probably 5 in total...some I lost again (I swear they just fly off never to be seen again) and the rest just didn't work. I finally got tired of trying and got a magnet and went all over the floor until a miracle happened and I found the original one. I literally just got him together! Mine is floppy in the wings too but I am leaving it alone for now lol

V Is there a doll you just love but missed out on? Was it a limited sculpt? Are you going to attempt to get one or pine from a distance?

 

^ Too many, too many... My biggest regret is not snatching up Souldoll's limited vito Paw in Sandy brown with the beastly parts and everything. He'd be perfect, but I was so convinced I preferred SDs when he came out so I refused to look at him. T^T

< I am so annoyed with paypal right now. Unfreeze my account I'm not a fucking money launderer, I'm just a person with an very expensive hobby and a tendency for spontaneous buying and selling. Honestly, I'd think a money launderer that could only launder about $2000 in a year would be a dead launderer, because that is less than a honest person makes in a month of working.

v On a similar vein: Have you purchased a doll only because it was limited, and then regretted it later? did you end up selling it?

 

^ Well, not new... But I did buy one of the cute little Dollzone limited Chinese dragons secondhand and then ended up selling it later. I didn't really regret buying him, per se, but it showed me that I really prefer really planning out my purchases as opposed to impulse buying just because something is cute.

< It's the weekend! Hopefully I'll be able to finish Ilya's waist cinch this weekend and start decorating stuff. I can't wait!

v What's your favorite part of this hobby?

 

^ It's a tie between the creativity and the community. (Hence why I love hanging out in the Project Journals and other Workshop forums, and spamming the place with my attempts at making stuff.)

< Enough with the adulting - rip up all the old shirts, it's BJD Recycle Wear Day!

v What part of DoA do you spend the most time in?