The ^ < v Game! - Part 3

^^ Does a secondhand LLT Red Dove head count? The tracking stopped a week ago and I'm nervous. Oh, why did I go for the cheaper shipping?

^ No torso joint means I will not buy that body.

> This fan feels nice.

v Same question. Waiting for any releases?

 

too slow

 

^ Not specifically, no. I'm always curious to see what my favourite company, IMPLdoll, will release next and I'm vaguely hoping Iplehouse will release basic HID and FID that are non-limited, but that's pretty much it.

< Friday, and it's a whopping 29 Celsius out there, and it's a long weekend this weekend. Woo!

V What's currently on your wish list?

 

^ It's surprisingly empty! There are a few dolls I would be happy to get but I'm not desperate to. I don't even think I'd buy them if I could get money right away. In the future I might possibly look at Granado and Bishonen House sculpts, those look tempting.

< Why does Dollzone take so looong? I want my Merlin asap >0

v Are you the type of person who prefers dolls sitting on the shelf all pretty, or do you actually play with them in some way?

 

^ I love playing wth my dolls! Though that mostly just involves taking pictures and making things for them. And honestly they do end up sitting around a lot, just because I don't always have time to take pictures or anything, but I wouldn't be the type to sit them in a glass case and leave them there all the time. And even when I don't have much doll time, I do pose them in different ways when I can and change their clothes occasionally and stuff.

< I'm ready to be home now, vacation is getting kind of old...and I miss my resin crew a bit. (Also my dog.)

v If your doll/character got a tattoo, what would it be? (If they already have one, what would their next one be?)

 

^ Hm.. most likely something artistic. If you want a more specific answer, I'd love to give him a tattoo of The Great Wave of Kanagawa. One of my all-time favorite art pieces, and I'm actually planning to get a tattoo of it myself one day! If and when I ever get it, I think that'd be all the more reason (and a really cool one at that!) to have it match a tattoo of one of my dolls.
< Not much to say.. I guess I could say what I'm doing/about to do? I'm about to go out and get newspaper for the paper mache part of producing a huge batch of daruma dolls that I'm making for everyone in my APWH class.
v Do you mainly collect human or fantasy/other creature dolls? Any specific reason?

 

^ Humans. Which is weird. I love fantasy, especially elves. But I have felt no desire to collect them. I guess having them in my written stories is enough for me. If I started trying to shell all my fantasy characters, I'd go bankrupt.

> My head arrived! Yay! Now to open it in secret!~

v Who knows about your hobby in real life?

 

^ Everyone who knows me or knows my husband.
< Debating over faceups, which character comes first.
v Repeat: Who knows about your hobby in real life?

 

^ No one, actually. No one online that knows me personally knows about it, either. Doesn't bother me, really, it's kind of my fault that I don't tell people much about that stuff anyway lol.
< Agh. Just listened to Episode 6 of a podcast (not to get off topic but it's called S-Town and I HIGHLY recommend it) and now I'm getting all sentimental about a person I miss a lot.. Aha! Maybe if I do get in contact with them, someone will finally know about my BJD hobby!
v If you had an unlimited amount of funds to spend, which ONE brand would you choose to purchase all of your dolls, wigs, and clothes from? (Just those specific items, and they all must come from the same one brand!)

 

^ if you had just said dolls, I would have said bimong. I already want all of his dolls! But he doesn't sell wigs or eyes or clothes so that's a problem. So I guess dollmore? Big selection of everything. I want at least 3 of their current dolls.

< Despite the hot weather, I think I'm coming up with a cold! Lack of sleep and vegetables will do that -__-

v similar question but a bit more simple: if you could only own dolls from ONE company, which would it be?

 

^ I have to grapple with my love for 3 companies, Ringdoll, Dollshe and Granado. I love the head sculpts of all three so it boils down to bodies. With my taste for slim bodies, that leaves Granado out, and though Dollshe has slim bodies I don't like their joints. That means I would go with Ringdoll, their resin and joints are wonderful and they have no seams.

< It's so disappointing when you order an item online and it doesn't come with batteries but doesn't tell you that when you buy it. Grrr.

v What would be your favorite hybrids?

 

^ The ones I own/have planned, I guess. I like putting boys heads on slim bodies. So many guy bodies are super buff now, so I have yet to buy a full doll. For example, despite a slight mismatch, I like my Migi Ell on his BeYours body much better than I would on his company body. As for the LLT Red Dove head I just got, I have some bodies planned (it's between Guu Doll and Doll Leaves, and Doll Leaves is winning so far), but I think I might want him to be shorter. But guy bodies in that size range are almost impossible to find. I also really want to put my Island Doll Sparkle on a Granado Female Nuevo body (Island Doll doesn't even sell her head on a female body), but that will have to wait.

> Buy the faceup supplies, or wait? Hmm...

v I don't know if I answered that right, so what would be your favorite hybrids?

 

^ I have several, but my current favorites, and the ones that seem to have worked out really well, are all Ringdoll heads. Norman on a Dollstown 17, Norman Dark on a Dollshe mix of Pure and Hound and K on Dollmore model. All of them get different hands depending on when they need to be holding guns.

> Not the greatest weather for faceups on my one weekend off, so I'm making wigs!
At least, I'm attempting to make them. Well see if it actually works out.

V Any characters (can be your own original ones or already-existing) you are interested in turning into dolls? Any dolls in mind?

 

^ Eheh... Tons and tons. Badically my whole wishlist is characters I wanna shell. Right now my biggest priorities are Nikos (DZ Ivan), Nimbus (Souldoll Joelle.D), Niku (AlagiDoll YouYue), Gunnar (DiM Larina on a Legend Doll MSD boy body), and Eiichi, who I haven't been able to find a shell for yet. I have a bunch of others I wanna shell, but those I want the most!

< Geez it feels good to be back on my home turf. International traveling is great, but home (and doggies and dollies) are better.

v (I've asked this question before, BUT) Do you have any characters you want to shell that you just don't think you'll be able to? If so, why?

 

^ I'd have to say - no. Probably not a very interesting answer, but these dolls are SO versatile! Extra arms or legs? Weird facial structure? Insect or animal body? Tentacles? If it's not out there off-the-rack, then it's available with some serious mods! That's one of the reasons that I love these dolls so much.

< Waiting for my very first vinyl Dollfie - so excited to enter a whole new area of the hobby after all these years!!

v If you have a relatively large collection - say, over fifteen - do you ever take all of your dolls out at once, just to enjoy looking at them? Or do you prefer to only play with one or two dollies at a time?

 

^I like to take them all out at once to see what I have because most of them live in their boxes most of the time! Plus I like to see whose clothing fits who, who can swap wigs, etc.

< I am so hungry! The panini is almost done in the griddle!

v Have you parted with the first bjd you've ever purchased?

 

^ Not yet! Even though he tries my patience more often than not, breaking his fingers and flinging his wigs and whatnot.

< It's, uh, one in the morning. Whoops. I should sleep.

v What's the last thing you sewed/crafted/assembled for your dolls?

 

^ A flower crown for Icy. Spring has come after all~ I might be able to show her off in proper May outfit and everything, I hope. Next thing on my list is a long-wanted wheelchair for her, but this might require some help.

< I miss having a good camera, pictures taken with my phone look pathetic =='

v When you get a new doll, are your existent ones happy to get a play mate, jealous or indifferent?

 

^ I think the emotions generally come more from me when I get a new doll. I don't personify my cute little resin chunks too much beyond their stories, so it ends up being more of me feeling bad for neglecting my older dolls while working out the new ones. But once they get settled in, I try to divide my attention between everyone. Which isn't that hard really, because my dolls are so different...each one a different style, so I can take pictures or craft for whatever I'm in the mood for.

<
(Well, actually I want stuff to get here, 'cause I already have a shipping notice, but I want Aelic and Toshi's outfits soooo badlyyyyyyyy.)

v Do you like your dolls to have a big wardrobe to mix and match from? Or do you dolls have a single outfit they tend to wear? And why, for each question.

 

^ I'd much rather have a big wardrobe to mix and match. I like variety, so only having one outfit for each of them would get boring. (Even if I am too lazy to change them up that often )

< I hate being sick 9_9 I'm just so glad the worst of it waited until after the play yesterday...

v Do you prefer having extra eyes, wigs, or shoes?

 

^ Right now I'm wishing I had more eyes ... mainly because I do have lots of extra shoes and wigs. Wish I had more eyes because while dolls can stand around shoe-less for a while and wigs are a nice side project, eyeless is a whole different matter and making eyes includes setting up the UV dryer thingy ... and I'm lazy AF.

< YEY Star Trek! Not sure if I like playing the villain though But I guess I'm stuck with this one for this "series" because no way am I making a second Son'a costume. Larp problems, I tell ya.

v Would your dolls go for a nerdy hobby / fandom? If so, what?

 

^ I could see them getting into tabletop. Despite being the quiet introverted sort, Elliot is not really into most nerdy stuff, but I can just imagine him as a DM. And I can see Ollie getting into just about anything... and losing interest just as quickly. And Ji-Han likes hanging out with people, so he might start with tabletop and start leaning into LARPing because he likes the socializing and acting aspects.

> What to eat?

v Crafting anything for your dolls right now?

 

^ Yep! I'm making a house, a full summer outfit, accessories, furniture and whatnot, and I'll probably make some summery stuff and a full cosplay. There are a lot of other things I want to make but those are the ones I've either started or I'm about to start them. I have a lot

> I should play a game.

v Are any of your dolls gamers? If yes, what kind of gamer and what do they play?

 

^ Not hugely. Aelic has some systems and will play occasionally, but he's not crazy about it. When he does play, he likes RPGs like Skyrim and Final Fantasy. Ilya would rather run around outside than play video games, though he enjoys dumb things like Wii Sports on a rainy day.

< Hmm...I might jump by the craft store tomorrow to see what I can do about a base for a bed for Aelic. I'd like to do it all with wood, but we'll see.

v What kind of doll-related things do you like making? (Clothes, wigs, props, etc.) If you've never made anything, what would you like to learn/try?

 

^ I like making dresses, I've found. Nothing fancy, just like casual and sun dresses, but I still have a lot of fun with it.

< Taking some time off homework and letting myself sew. It's relaxing today, but it won't be once tomorrow rolls around and I still haven't done any homework. Whoops.

v What's your male-to-female-doll ratio? Do you have more guys than girls, or vice versa?

 

^ Currently it's 2:1 male to female. I guess I am kind of picky about female sculpts. Most of the ones I like looking like are male. In fact, my girl is actually supposed to be on a male or gender neutral body.

> I should really start my projects back up.

v I like this question, so what's your male-to-female-doll ratio? Do you know why it's that way?

 

^ Right now I have all boys... I'm really picky about female characters to start with, and once I've got one I like I'm super picky about face sculpts and bodies, so getting a full female concept together is difficult for me. Even if I had all the dolls I wanted though, I would still have a vast majority of boys. I guess I just prefer dressing and styling them.

< Ug, why am I so hungry... It's not dinner time yet. Watching Iron Chef probably isn't helping.

v Do you prefer buying dolls new or secondhand? What parts of buying do you prioritize? (A good price, shipping time, legitimateness, etc.)

 

^ Legit-ness is an absolute must. Everything else depends on the situation - if I'm trying to shell a certain OC and the perfect sculpt is released, I buy 'em new. (See Granado Uriel.) If I'm on the lookout for something on the MP, good price might make me click the button. (See Jaz, who has finally entered the country and is being held in customs.) So far I've had good experiences with both. Shipping time isn't much of a factor to me.

< Too tired. Can't brain. And my cat smells of dog.

v Are you waiting for anything doll-related? (A parcel, a new release, company news ...)

 

^ Nope. Just got my LLT Red Dove head and I don't have the money for bodies. Okay, technically I do, but I shouldn't. For now what I really want are some faceup supplies.

EDIT: Wait, not quite true. Still waiting on those eyelashes I ordered in a GO months ago. I keep forgetting. Thank goodness my new boy will have black eyelashes, those are easy enough to find in person.

> What to do today...

v If you could zap one dolly related item into your hands right now, what would it be?

 

^ Aelic's new outfit! I don't wanna wait!
Though I guess if it could be anything, I'd want an AkagiDoll YouYue to be my zombie witch boy Niku. I really want my first SD.

< I am so tired of edging stuff. Dear Ilya: I hate your purse.
(It's a satchel. But...it's still a purse.)

v Have you ever tried to make a diorama or room box before? How did it go? (If not, would you ever want to try?)

 

^ Yes, big sized. I want to make more now.


< My Granado V08 has left customs in SF and is headed this way. Yay!

v Are you crafting anything for your dolls right now?

 

^ still Alex's coffee cup. It was a gift from a friend and it's exactly in scale, and something I'd been searching for since I started this hobby.

> Now I want to make a character into a doll I didn't think I'd ever want to make. Yet, I also don't want to share John with his BF. Weird, but true.

V Do you like to get "friends" for your dolls, or do they exist alone without anyone else?

 

^ When I first got into the hobby, I told myself I would get one doll and that was it, especially since my preferred size, SD, is so pricey. How naive of me. I then figured I could get him a female roommate. Then a male roommate. Let's hope it stops at three.

> It feels like the house is running out of food.

v What dolly purchase have you regretted?

 

^ Sadly, my first doll. I sprang for the cheapest thing I could find as soon as I had the money instead of saving up for something I really wanted, and now he's up for sale because I just don't really like him anymore. I kind of consider Aelic my real first doll, because he was the first one I really saved up for and got just what I wanted, and I adore him even after 5+ years.

< Toshi needs his own body. His pants are too long. (Because who needs hemming when you can just get a whole new body?) (He actually needs a body because he's sharing with my other KDF, but his pants are too long...)

v Your doll/character was stood up by their date! How do they react?

 

^ He sits in front of the fire with a glass of brandy, reading some research material and being completely unaffected...because he forgot that he had a date...and basically stood her up, as well.

< Stop. Buying. Stuff.

v Your new doll is totally disinterested in becoming the character that you created, saved for months to buy, even bought props and clothes for. Do you sell hi/her and try to reshell, force him/her into the character, or just go with the flow and let your doll be whoever it wants?

 

^ Pretty exactly perfect, not counting any major mods I might have to do (like skin color changes or adding fangs and whatnot). I've had characters that I've just had to give up on because I found stuff that was okay but not perfect, and I'm super picky about my characters. (And also characters from shows and stuff. I'm looking at you Samon Gokuu.)

< Yaaaay~ Today is picture day! Toshi looks so good in his new outfit, even if it's a little big for him (he needs his own body), and I really need some decent pictures of Ilya now that his outfit is pretty much done.

v How often do you do photoshoots for your dolls? (Not just random snaps.) Do you enjoy it, or does it feel like a bit of a chore?

 

^ I barely do photoshoots because frankly I suck at anything photography. I tried once or twice, but the results were so atrocious I decided not to do more without help. A friend of mine is a professional photographer, if I could persuade her to help me out actual photoshoots might happen. Unless I have someone qualified and better equipment with me - nothing doing.

< I'm so freaking fed up. First the mailman doesn't ring the goddamn doorbell so I miss Jaz. Next the boy cat sees fit to pee all over my newest clothes. Now my Larp con that has already been postponed due to stuff beyond my control is likely to get scrambled yet again. Dear life, get a f***ing grip, thank you very much.

v What does your doll do when they get frustrated?

 

^ Elliot would go off by himself to sulk, usually with a book in hand. Ollie would try to blow off steam by hanging out with someone or doing something physical like exercise. And Ji-Han would get snippier and snippier until he does something to calm himself, like listen to music or meditate.

> Everyone's leaving the house. Dolly time away!

v What is your doll's idea of a good time?

 

^ Leila is very introverted. She loves reading if she's by herself, otherwise she prefers to spend time outdoors in the garden with her family.

< Trying to find clothes to fit Iplehouse SID men is so hard.

v What is the first thing you buy for a new doll?

 

^ Eyes. I don't mind a doll without a wig, and clothes can be shared with existent ones (their bodies are beautiful enough to be displayed naked anyway), but I cannot stand a sight of an eyeless head unless that's the final idea. I also don't like having default eyes - their colour just has to match the one I see the character having, even if it's not something fantasy and super-fancy. Even more so if it actually is.

< Dollshe started shipping out 18M. JESUS MARIA THEY DID.

v Do you enjoy waiting for a doll or just hate waiting times and would prefer to just get your doll straight away?

 

^ I don't mind waiting times (as long as they're within reasonable range - 12 months is far too much, but 3 months or so is perfectly acceptable). What's driving me bonkers is transit times. Stuff taking its sweet time, chilling who knows where, spending a month or two on the road is not cool. (Looking at you, Vipo 07.)

< Just a little bit of work tomorrow, then it's a long weekend and all the doll stuff!

v Is there something doll-related you always wanted to try but haven't got around to yet?

 

^ I'd love to try wig making, especially feather wigs! Also some mods like dyeing. I've been making a lot of fantasy characters recently, so dyeing would be super fun for me to try. I love dolls with crazy skin colors, and I'd like to try mixing and overlapping colors and trying different techniques.

< These bug characters are getting kind of out of hand... One character to help with a bug phobia has turned into a whole species of fae and a corresponding culture. Whelp, no one can ever accuse me of doing things halfway.

v If you could have a doll based on an uncommon animal (one that you haven't seen in a doll before) what would it be, and what would you want it to look like?

 

^ I think a shark bjd would be interesting. Maybe sort of humanoid with a flat nose and sharp teeth, with some fins...

> I stockpiled too many sewing materials to use once I had enough time to sew- now that I have time to sew I'm overwhelmed!

v how did you first find out about bjds?

 

^ I saw someone carrying one at a local Japanese festival. I was interested because I thought I could make Alex using one (I literally had no idea what it was), since I'd been trying to do it using action figures and failing. I approached her, and asked her, nicely, where she got the doll. She snapped at me and walked away, telling me nothing. A year later I found a Junky Spot ad in a magazine and recognized the dolls as the ones she'd had. With a starting point, I was able to use the google to search for them. about 8 months later I had my first doll, a month after that I joined DOA.

> I am waiting very impatiently for a head to be released....if that head is released I can start shopping for my dolls again. John needs things.

V What is the first thing you do when you get a new doll?

 

^I do my own faceups now. When I first started I got company ones so I've never sent out a head for faceup.

< The space station is going over head tonight just before ten. I hope the sky is clear and that I remember to look.

v Would any of your characters like into go to space?

 

^ Well...my twins, Kiku and Toshi, are only six, so they would think it sounds like a grand adventure. The adults are more inclined to consider things like the space shuttle Challenger, and would prefer to keep their feet safely planted on terra firma.

< Quit pouting over the things you can't afford here and now. All in good time!

v Have you ever done a planned photo shoot with your dolls and a pet or two...or are all of your pet-inclusive pictures the result of photobombs?

 

^ Mine are all photobombs so far. My dog has the uncanny ability to magically show up in the background of photos even when I thought she was on the complete opposite side of the house. I'm pretty sure she's some kind of mythical creature. A mythical creature that sheds a lot...

< I ate far too many cheetos today...

v Does your doll/character like to exercise? If so, what do they prefer to do? If not, why?

 

^ Alex is the laziest person on earth. So no.
John is a runner, more for his state-of-mind then the exercise, but with his job it's probably good he stays in shape.

> I really want those jointed hands and jeans to ship!

V Do you have a favorite doll? Which doll and why?

 

^Ash/Aalon is my favorite character. I've had Ash since the beginning of my journey into BJDs. So Aalon was another way to enjoy the character. Ash is a Ringdoll Sol and Aalon is K his demon-side who takes over Ash's body on occasion.
< Rain and thunder have ruined my chances of seeing the station fly over but I'll wave at the sky.
v Stealing the question since my brain won't work. Do you have a favorite doll? Which doll and why?