The ^ < v Game! - Part 7

^ Silicone kips. I find they're little better than unsueded joints, and not suitable for the way I play with my dolls. I tried them out in a few of my dolls, and they annoy me so much that I'm going to pull them all out and replace with my usual pleather-stuck-with-hot-glue sueding. I guess shortcuts to easier sueding won't cut it for me! I'll never use or buy kips again.

< I finished a photoshoot yesterday, and it's inspired me to continue that photo theme!

v Flipping the question - what's the most useful BJD-related purchase you've made?

 

^ twofold: I bought a set of Mungyo pastels off Soom, for like $5 and I still use them in my faceup kit! They get a lot of use for colours I haven’t bought “good” hand-rolled pastels in, like deep blue. The other thing I bought at the same time was a stringing tool. Holy hell, stringing is easy now. I can string any doll. I have become very powerful.

< excited to finally be selling dolls haha. Maybe I can afford some of the bodies I need to order

V passing this down so I can learn from others’ wisdom: what’s the most useful doll-related purchase you’ve made?

 

^ Giant s-hooks for getting the smaller s-hooks out of doll heads. Oh my god my hands have thanked me so much. Having that extra leverage, without having to use string and plyers and such is really helpful. Get the large s-hook. Get proper restringing tools and your whole hobby changed. I used to loathe restringing but now its a breeze!!

< new doll body incoming, and doll north stuff in progress!

v if you could give advice to you newbie self, what would it be?

 

^ I think I would tell myself that it's OK to be more open about my hobby, even if it's just on-line. My family didn't support my hobbies (and they still don't, really), so I kept my doll literally under wraps for many years. It wasn't until I settled in a place where I can take them out and see them again that the hobby came back alive for me. I sometimes wonder if I was more active in the doll hobby in the cyber-space, I might have had more active and fun-filled years.

< Doll North is fun! I missed last year's activities (due to some work-related obligations, unfortunately.) But I really want to make it this year!

V Have you ever travelled for a doll convention? Are they worth it?

 

^ Haven't, but want to. The UK convention hit last year and I just missed out on tickets, hoping I can go to one of their mini or [even better] full events this year.

< I've temporarily put a bunch of boxes in front of the cabinet I've sat my dolls on, I should move those so I can bring them over to sit with me more.

V If you were to have an ink black BJD, would you prefer to give them a faceup in white pearl, gold or silver?

 

^ I do have an ink-black bjd, and I went with metallic red

Zariel by Indifferent Red, on Flickr

with that said, if I could only do one of the colours you mentioned, I would do gold!

<I’m almost out of chocolate almonds, the absolute travesty!!

V if you could make any doll be any size, what doll would it be?

 

^ if all those cool 1/3 sculpts could be 1/4... Pls. Same for doll shoes.

< Clearly at the busiest time I also get tons of ideas to make doll clothes. Why can't my brain operate normally!

v What was the last doll-related "hyperfixation" you had?

 

^ yesterday I could not rest until I dyed Ireena’s body. There was to be no peace nor rest until her body was dark tan like her head, instead of having a dark brown head sitting on an NS fairyland body. Suffice it to say, all of her is brown now, even though I had to wait until like 7 pm to dye her due to family needing the kitchen. I love hyperfixations.

< she… kinda matches her head, so I’ll call it a win. I’ll just have to blush her a little warmer when I redo her faceup!

V what’s the next doll-related skill you want to learn: faceups? Sewing? Prop making? Photography? Something else entirely?

 

^ I wish I could learn how to style wigs, but I suck at doing hair no matter if it's human, wig or my pet's. Maybe if I keep trying o.o"

< My therapist has no schedule for the next two weeks. I'm so tired of living in late capitalism.

v If you could have any doll ever made in your hands right now, wich one would you choose?

 

^This may sound silly, but I really, really, really want one of the LE30 Volks Mana doll. I know the chance is damned near close to none. But since the question took out the chance of probability... yup. That one.

< Today's been a rough day at work! I hate that we live in such a scary world.

V How do you see your hobby? It is something that fosters your sense of creativity, pique your sense of aesthetics, something to help you make friends or, are you like me, and see it as a form of escapism?

 

^ For me, it's a way to make my fashion designs and wardrobe plans a reality, without having to deal with such pesky issues as "wearability" or "fitting into my lifestyle" or "that lace costs how much per meter???" Also: it's an entry point into an active, yet comparatively-low-drama online community, at a time when those are getting rarer and rarer.

< I'm getting to the "crawling up the walls" stage of waiting for my doll... and it's not even been 2 months!

v What's the most expensive bjd accessory (anything other than a doll or doll parts, basically) you've ever bought?

 

^ A pair of Daikin & Oscar Mary Janes that cost more in total than some of my own shoes and we're way too big of even for the biggest feet in my gang. I passed them on for a little more than half of their value a bit later and still regret purchasing them a bit.

< I'm so tired today. Why is fatigue?

v Do you prefer your dolls' resin to look perfectly coherent or do you not care about resin matches between parts that much?

 

^ I'm not that bothered by an imperfect resin match. When I first joined the hobby, resin matches worried me greatly. Then I bought a head and a body a few years apart from the same company thinking that the resin match would be fine - oh boy, was I wrong! At some point, the company had changed their resin. Even though I bought the same resin based on title, it was not the same color; a scarf is good to cover the worst of it. Now, as long as a poor match is coverable, I really don't care.

< The wait of collecting that no one talks about: the shelves for my collection have been out of stock for over six months!

v All of your dolls' proportions remain the same, but they have now either grown to the size of an SD or shrunk to the size of a Yo. Which would you prefer?

 

^ Shrunk!! It would be awesome if everyone went down a size. So the kids are all YO sized and the SD is now MSD I guess? They'd take up much less room lol. Don't know where I'd put that many SDs.

< Man I need to dust everybody...

v What's the last bit of dolly maintenance you did?

 

^ Do repairs count? My idiot cat son is obsessed with knocking things off my bedside table, and I had my brand new Resinsoul Wu there and so he was abruptly tossed off. And the little hook on his headcap broke off and vanished. I made a new one with hot glue until I find where the nubbin went to and can glue it back on.

< I need to restring and repaint some of my dolls. Restringing is easy enough, but I feel like my faceups have gotten worse over the years...

v Also curious about the dolly maintenance!

 

^ I changed the elastic for Michi and the body finally poses without flopping and kicking. I can't recommend sizing up elastic gauge for difficult bodies enough.

< Me: no more dolls for now!
Also me: longingly looks at second hand listings

v What was your latest bjd temptation?

 

^ Glass eyes by Japanese dealers. I got it into my head that I was displeased with my gang's resin eyes, and giving all of them glass eyes would make them and their photos look better. I was this close to joining an auction for a pair by a certain Japanese eyemaker, and dropping a big chunk more on another dealer's eyes. Thankfully the smelling salts (read: common sense) kicked in and I made myself close Y!JA. My dolls are just fine, they really don't need new eyes -- at least, not until their resin ones yellow, if they do at all. It's me who has to learn some contentment.

< I have a work break coming up, so I hope to spend most of it doing outdoor photoshoots.

v What is your favourite fantasy skintone for a doll? (Define "fantasy skintone" however you want.)

 

^ Probably lavender/lilac color. I saw one recently and it just looks so pretty!

< I can't wait for this class to be done so I have more free time. Im in my undergrad capstone/final thesis class right now and its slowly destroying my soul.

v Which of your dolls is your favorite? Do you have a favorite one?

 

^ I don’t tell my dolls that I pick favourites but I totally pick favourites. Shrike is my favourite 100% of the way. She’s my longest running OC, on my favourite head sculpt (Twigling ingenue) on my favourite body (Twigling b-bust/short torso/long leg). She’s always gonna be my favourite, just by virtue of who she represents in my story, but it helps that she’s also my very favourite existing doll sculpt.

<why is all insurance hell? Why can’t they be straightforward for once in their lives?

V passing this down—who is your favourite doll in your collection and why?

 

^ It's Lorina, one of my Bambicrony Emilys. She's my favorite sculpt (I have 3!) and her styling is prettiest and most doll-like out of the trio. She's also basically the main character of the story my main doll group is based around. Poor thing.

< The human spine is a cruel joke.

v Do you have any dolls that you only have for the sake of another one of your dolls?

 

^ Asa, kind of. I was planning to use her faceplates for Vickie but one of them matched so well with Michi's old body's resin that I accidentally made a full doll out of them. I never planned on having two unoa sist hybrids but also feel like they work best having each other so it is what it is.

< How is there always a new deadline after getting through one?

v Do you ever set yourself doll-related deadlines?

 

^ I never used to, but I did earlier this year to finish a photography project. Now I need something else to do.
< I really need to find a good t-shirt pattern for my SD boys.
v Do you do your own faceups?

 

^ yes indeedy I do! I started doing my own faceups in 2023 I want to say, maybe 2022. I have a standing project where I’m redoing most of the faceups in my collection!

Dev, my beloved by Indifferent Red, on Flickr

Here is Devon, who has solidly one of the best faceups I’ve ever done!

< why did I have to buy another new head that was going to need a new body? Don’t I have enough of these little resin guys yet?

V if you could learn one doll-related skill, which would it be and why?

 

^ Probably sewing, I'm always having such a difficult time finding clothes! (or on a similar note, furniture/prop making)
< I should stop browsing random company instagrams, my doll wishlist is growing too fast!
v Do you prefer to purchase your dolls in one clear payment (even if it means saving up for a while) or going with the layaway option if available?

 

^ Definitely one payment! I'd rather deal with the monetary impact in one go, rather than spending several months going "why do I have less money in my bank account than usual?? oh right, it's the layaway"
< It's so annoying that synthetic hair photographs better, but mohair looks nicer in real life... (in my opinion!) I guess the happy medium would be human hair wigs, but those are sooo expensive, and don't hold styling well!
v Do you more so style your dolls to look good on camera, or to look good in person?

 

^ In person! They are for me first and foremost, and the camera so often lies. But then if I’m trying to convey something that the photo doesn’t show, my struggle is often with the angles, lighting and finally the edit, not the doll.
< working on display is often less straightforward than working on the doll. But it’s a pleasant struggle to have!
v Do you use doll stands or furniture?

 

^ I’d love to, but there’s just no space for either of them in my room! My dolls all sit in shelves, or stand on my desk and vanity, and I rely on them to stand (with walls to lean on) if they’re on the desk or the vanity. So far no accidents, but it’s a good thing we don’t get earthquakes where I’m from!

<this one coworker keeps picking apart my work, and I’m trying to find the most corporate-sanitized way to tell her to go directly to hell. I love being corporate and having to Censor.

V what is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your time in the hobby?

 

^ think of the overall cost (shipping, customs) and try to calculate them before buying, it's going to be a very annoying time otherwise. And think twice when buying second hand project dolls in case you want to sell them later.

< Whyyy have I joined another preorder again if I know I hate the wait???

v What's your biggest bjd pet peeve?

 

^ Wigs that just don't fit! I don't like cutting extra long bangs on every single wig I buy. They just never come out right: uneven, choppy, cheap-looking, messy. I really could go on. It drives me nuts that even when wigs are pictured as properly fitting, they still are too long! They cover the eyes. They get hung up on the ears. Eyelashes are knocked askew by overly long bangs. Leaving bangs pulled back with clips or ties leaves the wigs crimped. I could write an essay on this ...

< Surprise! I have found another Doll Love doll second hand. The collection continues to grow! I hope she is shipped safely from overseas.

v Do you have any BJD twins? Do you have a sculpt that you would gladly have multiples of?

 

^ I have plenty of characters who are twins: Aura and Amor, Chromis and Mora, Ash and Triel. None of them are the same sculpt or even from the same company! I also have unrelated characters that share the same sculpt Nira and Ouranos are both Twigling Eloy. I have 5 ingenues and 4 gamines. Two Oryxes, which Id never expected to collect. All my duplicates are Twigling sculpts.

< I just want my bodies to come in!!!

V passing this down—do you have any duplicate sculpts or twins in your collection?

 

^ I have two Unoa Sist variations that I've ended up with accidentally! I'm happy with the situation although I would not choose to have duplicate heads or bodies ideally...

< ... unfortunately I have two heads that fit best on the same body so I'm now either having to bodyshare or get a duplicate of that, too. I wish there was a doll store where one could try heads on bodies before buying

v Have you ever been to a physical doll store?

 

^ Yes, when I lived in New Orleans there was a couple doll stores in the French Quarter near where I lived. I hadn't gotten into BJD's back then yet. When I was younger my grandmother and I would look at doll stores together. She collected dolls.

> I really hope my doll order doesn't take 6 plus months to get to me, please let it come quicker.

v Are you waiting on a doll right now? Which one? If not, are you planning one?

 

^ Yes, my first BJD! A Maskcat Yael. I'm waiting for her to ship!

< I really need to get a mohair wig...

v What is the oldest doll you own?

 

^ My Iplehouse Kamau was from the sword dancer release and is from 2010–I think that makes him the oldest doll in my collection!

<why do I feel like I’m missing someone to count him as the oldest?

V what’s your favourite resin colour you’ve encountered on a doll?

 

^ I really like the colour of the Doll Legend normal yellow head I have (it doesn't match with anything I have sadly, though )

< How on earth will I match the yellowed dollmore head I have to a new body?

v What's your biggest doll-related headache?

 

^ selling, the second hand market is ded.... already making heavy losses on the prices I have set, some half of what I paid

> been avoiding face ups and really need to start before this amazing weather takes a dive my last few faceups were quite bad which is probably where my cold feet have come from

v anything you have been avoiding/putting off?

 

^ Also face-ups for me. I have a lot of blank dolls, and very little experience, though I do have all the supplies. Both my lack of experience and not being sure which doll to start with is fueling my procrastination.

> I'm off tomorrow, so maybe I'll start on tackling the goal of getting more of them painted.

V Got any ongoning/planned doll projects?

 

^ I have three project journals for mod projects, and a handful of faceups that all need doing, all of which I’m putting off. I also have to update my project journal for one of those projects that I finished dyeing her.

< boy, who woulda thought that rereading something really dark written at a very low point in my life would be hard??? Surely not me???

V do you create characters for your dolls? If so, who is your favourite character that you have?

 

^ I've always created characters for my dolls, can't help it.

Spoiler: This one is my favourite character. He's become pretty central in the story.

< I spent the afternoon taking more doll photos. The pics are coming along nicely and I have no end of ideas!

v Do you prefer jointed hands or a variety of static hands?

 

^ I prefer elegant static hands! There is something about the joints that don't look as pleasing and I feel like they are hard to pose naturally. My dolls don't need a lot of hand poses so I'm fine with the few options they have.

< That being said, I really hope the fist hands I ordered don't *actually* take 5 months like quoted...

v Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to sculpting in bjds?

 

^ A lot of them... Spherical breasts that are too large at S size, chest joints too far up. It's much rather have the cut at the base of the ribcage because it's where the spine actually bends and it gives you a little bit more range. I don't like it when the extra hand options are meme-y like a peace sign or "heart" hands. I'd much rather have expressive generic poses. Single jointed elbows and knees are a deal breaker, I want joints that bend! The way some companies sculpt abdomens puts me off quite a bit, it's like they're trying too hard to make the sculpt sexy.

< I've found a great doll at a very tempting price but I don't want to start a layaway on impulse... I've only got a few days to decide.

v What's the feature you like the most in a sculpt?

 

^ Haaaaaands. They create so much expression! I love when a doll body comes with hands already in different poses, and well-sculpted hands are such a delight. I also have a thing for big hands (but not exaggeratedly big) on dolls, regardless of gender... I love that my two girl dolls have large hands~

< Recently received some new wigs for the gang, and 3 of 4 dolls look great in their new hair. My hit rate for wigs has been quite abysmal, so I'm surprised by this success.

v Pick one of your dolls and gush over your favourite feature of their body. What do you like most about how they look and/or how they pose?

 

^ I'd like to sing an ode to the soulkids' new double body thigh joints. It was the first body like that I encountered and nothing has measured even slightly against those joints since. They are cut at the perfect place, and the engineering inside lets them go up to the chest easily. They have locks so they don't rotate out of the way! They are so good I am willing to overlook the body's limited elbow mobility... although generally the body is so much fun to pose anyway, it's my favourite!

< The incoming body better match that mobility

v is there a type of joint you love and/or a joint you absolutely cannot live with?

 

ˆ I love the shrug mechanism on Unoa Rowan/Zero dolls so much I'd love to have one just for that. It's done so simply and that kind of shoulder movement adds a lot of expression to arm poses. When you have a doll that's leaning on one side it can really enhance the feeling of weight. I absolutely need double jointed elbows if I had to choose only one joint.

< In the end, I didn't start that layaway... I bought more clothes instead. The wardrobe is growing out of control and I've decided to start sewing as well.

v Do you lean toward moody sculpts or cheery sculpts?

 

^ I'd say my collection falls somewhere in the middle. I've got some dramatic boys and some frowny girls, but I've also got some cheeky grins and toothy smiles!

< What do you do when you buy a doll second-hand and it comes with a surprise fantastic wardrobe? Do I need more dolls so all the pretty clothes can be on display? It seems a shame to put a corduroy jacket and a raw silk shirt in a drawer ...

v Dolly fashion! Do your dolls fit into particular styles? Do those styles mirror your own or are they completely unique?

 

^ I'm not into fashion at all, so I may not know how to name all styles in existence, but overall I'd say they fit particular styles but they're not similar to what I wear at all xD My wardrobe is a mess of comfy clothing while my MSD girl style moves between rocker and sporty outfits in black and her partner is all about suits and elegant pieces.

< Tonight I dreamed I was organizing a wedding between two dolls and I was sending invitations to other doll owners so their dolls could assist as guest O.o It was my first dolly dream in a while and it was stressing xD

v What and when was your last dream with dolls in it?

 

^ Last night! I dreamt I was watching YouTube videos of someone doing face-ups using... interesting methods. (Diluted glue as highlighter?!) Their dolls were part of a story about 7 different girls, all called Naomi.

< Really getting bummed out about my inability to take good photos My phone camera sucks, and I don't have good lighting or a decent backdrop anywhere in my house. But I don't have the money to spend on equipment!

v What is a doll project you'd like to pick up, if only you had the right materials?

 

^ less about the materials and more about the necessarily set up space - I'd love to do sanding and dyeing projects if I could do them safely.

< I know the doll parts I ordered are in the warehouse but I wish they were in my hannnnnds already

v Have you ever tried to upgrade anything only to realise it was better before?

 

^ Kind of. I tried to partially wipe my FID Doria's faceup just to change lips and eyebrows and it proved much harder than I'd expected to integrate the new eyebrows into her existing faceup because of the eyeshadow. I know I probably need to wipe her completely and start over from scratch so she absolutely looked better before with the professional faceup as opposed to half-that and half-my attempt.

< Why is resin colour matching so hard. I know the hands will be under gloves but still. Also still need to find the right material for quarter size doll gloves because I have no sense of self preservation.

v What quality of life feature do you wish was included on every doll (eg magnetic hands, a faceplate system etc etc)

 

^ Definitely those eye cradles to make moving the eyes easier. I wish they were standard, 'cause I'm not touching the eyes as long as they're fixed with putty...

< I've got the basics of sewing from bookbinding, but actual sewing is a lot harder.

v Have you ever drastically changed your mind about a doll when you saw it IRL (for good or for worse)?

 

^ kind of. I bought a doll to reshell a particular character because the shell he had originally no longer matched with his boyfriend’s new shell. When I got the doll I tried to fit the style of the original character onto the new shell, and it just didn’t work. So he got a style/small personality change to match the new shell better

< I just bought a new doll for my birthday and I am super stoked. I’m already making some of his stuff so I really hope I don’t change my mind on his character when I see him lol.

v What’s something you with you knew about the BJD hobby before you got into it?

 

^ It’s okay to sell dolls. It doesn’t mean you failed to bond with them, or you’re letting the doll down. The doll is inanimate. It doesn’t have feelings. If it doesn’t work for you, sell it to someone who will like it, and then use the money to buy something you’ll actually enjoy.

Also, don’t shell your partner’s characters, even when they interact with yours. Whenever you break up with your partner—and you will break up with that partner, and the next one—you have to either sell the doll or redo the character. You’ve had to do that three times by now, and you’d save a lot of money if you didn’t have to do it. Shell your own characters. Shell your dnd party. Don’t shell your partner’s roleplay characters.

< I mean, if I had advice to 2015 me, it would be to buy so many twiglings, and break up with that ex asap, but that’s a little outside the question

V What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in your collection since you started in the hobby?

 

^ My collection has shifted from old school bigheadedness to more realistic proportions.
When I was a newbie there weren't many dolls that fit my Goldilocks taste (kinda realistic faces, but still youthful & idealized too), so I leaned more stylized and got bigheaded dolls (9-10" wig / 16mm "normal iris" eyes). Now there are more sculptors making faces to my taste, and they all happen to have smaller heads (8-9" wig / 14mm "small iris" eyes) with more realistic head-to-body proportions. My dolls aren't proportionate with each other now, but I don't really care and I think it's endearing.

< Probably won't get to play with dolls for the next couple weeks... but that's life and it's fine.

v If your doll/s could speak, what would they say about you as their owner?

 

^ "It's very sweet of you to wave hello every time you walk past, but could you maybe put me somewhere other than a closet?"

< I really need to get around to moving the living-room display case out of the sun, so I can use it for dolls... But given how much I messed up my neck & shoulder by just hammering on a fence for 10 minutes, perhaps I should ask someone else to do it for me...

v What would be your dream photography set-up?

 

^ I'd love to have a box room that I could adjust depending on which doll I wanted to photograph. It would be a little interesting considering the size range of my collection.

< I really should look into getting doors for my doll shelves.

v Do you have one doll that is far more spoiled than the others? If so, which one?

 

^ Aura gets spoiled with all the clothes, because I feel guilty for constantly reshelling her, and because her aesthetic is fun and easy to shop for, and most of her reshells have been in common sizes. She’s also the girlfriend of my very favourite doll, so she gets some extra favouritism that way too.

<latest aura reshell should ship soon!!!

V what’s the most you’ve ever changed one of your dolls/characters?

 

^ Billie went through 3 bodies - but I decided to sell her after the last one was still not quite right, I'd rather pour money into a doll who doesn't send my head through regular thought and research loops like that. As for most hybrid parts, it must be Mitchi - head from dollzone, body from dollmore, chest from souldoll, sometimes fist hands from alchemic labo - nothing matches but she's still a perfect lil goblin to me.

< the incoming project doll should arrive tomorrow morning!!!! exciting!

v Do you prefer dolls that need a lot of tlc and customisation or do you rather buy the whole package from the company?

 

^ I like both, but if asked to choose I’ll take TLC every day. It’s why I have so many mod projects and why I never sell dolls I mod. I just find I bond with them better when I’m doing something with them. At a minimum, these days, I have to be the one to do their faceups, though I have a few dolls that are exceptions to that that I thought were too pretty to wipe

<yayyyyyy my doll cleared customs! He’s gonna be on his way soon!!

V what’s the next doll related skill you wanna learn?

 

^ I want to build on my pattern making skills. I know some, but it would be nice to be able to do more complex designs.
< I want to get home and play with my dolls. I’m stuck on campus today for some major orientation stuff.
V What’s the biggest obstacle you have to doing doll stuff?

 

^ Right now, the heat wave. With this temperature, I feel dizzy all day and I can't do a thing without sweating so my dolls (and my doll-projects) have remained untouched for a whole month now.

< My WIP doll head is sitting on a box with a half done wig and no eyes. Maybe it's the heat messing with my brain, but I find kinda funny to imagine it talking to entertain itself. I bet it's got strong opinions on me not having even ordered a body for it yet.

v Do you have that one doll that you love to bits and would never sell but you find yourself not doing anything (taking pictures, buying stuff for, etc.) with it?