The ^ < v Game! - Part 7

^ I'm probebly the least trendy person here. But I think those little Blind Box dolls are pretty cute. I've only gotten one Blind Box doll so far, but I have been looking at those adorable ⅙ CAT TV headed dolls... I kind of want to get one. I think I would also have to order her a normal head to go with it , it would dive me crazy being a full time TV, I think. I am going to wait on this, although they are cute look at.

> Four dolls on order the most I ever had without any of them being home. The wait is starting to make me anxious. Time to watch more anime or do something to keep myself occupied.

v If you could have a conversation with any of your dolls, which doll would it be? What would you talk about?

 

^ I'd love to have a chat with Michi because I really want to know what happened to her head! I spent a lot of time cleaning and repainting her from her previous mysterious and stained state but I'm still curious what paint was used underneath that it didn't even budge with acetone
I'd also like a word with the body she's currently on - it originally arrived to me with some very strange modifications on the feet that I can still not to this day figure out.

< Quite a few of my dolls are older than the legal drinking age I hope they've had a good life also before coming to me!

v do you ever wonder about the dolls you've sold in the past? Or do you ever wonder about your dolls past lives?

 

^ I don't wonder about dolls I've sold: I've cut mental and emotional ties and moved on from them. I occasionally think about one former doll -- or her OC, because I invested a great deal into that doll in hopes that she'd spark in my imagination (she didn't), and I've since repurposed her character traits/archetypes into several new doll OCs. That former doll still gets compared to my crew, and when I look at some current dolls I'm reminded that they carry a bit of her OC.

Most of my dolls were bought new (no past life), but one of the secondhand ones came with a wonderful faceup. I do wonder who painted that faceup and whether there are previous owner pics floating around the Internet somewhere. A friend and I once did a deep-dive through social media to try and unearth owner or faceup pics, to no avail. So it's still a mystery.

< Trying to get back into sewing doll clothes... just gotta sit down in front of the sewing machine and go!

> Apropos of cobaltconduct's Michi and my doll with that mystery faceup... Do you have a mystery associated with one of your dolls? Did you manage to solve it?

 

^ usually just the usual, Where did that mark come from?, and the answer is usually me touching things and then handling the dolls. Upon occasion I'll pull out a doll and have to check my spreadsheet (I have a spreadsheet for insurance purposes, that's how big it has gotten) to make sure I have some record of what the doll is, as well as to help me recall how I came to obtain it (usually a re-home from a local leaving the hobby and not wanting to deal with shipping). This doesn't happen much with the full dolls (except for the ones who have been in pieces for so long), but the heads are a constant "who are you?", especially for the event heads or random faceplates for dolls I have not finished acquiring yet.

< Currently trying not to let work suck out my soul, I'm so tired and have so much cleaning needing to be done...

V what like foundational memory do you have of joining the hobby? Mine would be seeing bjds in person at a convention and learning that the outfits I had been seeing on Dream of Dolls website were in fact on dolls and not people. (Tbf, I did zero research and was very into that clothing style and didn't see the joints so I just thought they were very pretty people and it was a listing for outfits)

 

^ Probebly the moment I saw Soom Gluino. I was looking for Barbie's, I have a huge Barbie collection, and I was trying to find some of the older ones online. I was also just looking at random other dolls as well. -This picture suddenly crosses in front of me, I am thinking 'I like vampires, but why is a random one appearing while I am looking at dolls?' Then I see this is a doll??? I'm thinking it has to be a just a sculpture, but a pretty one. I look up the doll, still thinking this is misinformation about it being a doll. I go to look at the 'sculpture'. Ah... this is really a doll??? It's 75cm??? That's huge!! Not to mention the price it sold as fullset, and the fact is was no longer being sold. My mind was blown, there was no way way I would ever get one of those, let alone him. (I did eventually get him.) It did get me looking for BJD's. I knew I now had to have one with teeth, and got Dollzone Carter as my first doll.

< Both wanting and dreading a doll that I have on order from China to be shipped soon. I am past 3 full months on the order, the doll is supposed to ship 3-4 months in, and with the current state of affairs, I want the doll home, but I have no idea what to expect when it comes to the tariffs, and the stupid tariff war that is currently going on.

v What was your first doll? What drew you to the doll that made you take the plunge into the hobby? Do you still have the doll?

 

^ My first doll was a Bobobie Apollo! I still have him, his name is Rai-Xun and I love him to the moon and back. He wasn't my original first choice. My first choice was a DoD Ducan but due to my age and lack of income at the time, i had to find something more affordable, and Bobobie Apollo was super handsome (in spite of the...promo photos on the site) and definitely affordable enough for teenage me and I do not regret the decision at all. I love the sculpt so much i have two of them now!

< Finished the edits to the Name that Sculpt gameshow that will be happening at Doll North! (Shameless plug lol) My BJDs on a Budget panel is also good to go, I'm so hyped!!!

v Have you ever gone to a doll show or doll convention? If so, what was one thing you loved about the experience? one thing you didn't enjoy? If you've never gone to one, are you planning to in the future? Do you have one in mind that you really want to go?

 

^ I never went to a doll show/con, but I'd love to! I'm in EU, so I'm looking at the Barcelona meet for the next time it happens My resin boy is coming a month or so before this year's meet, and I'd love to bring him but I don't think he'll be ready yet, so I'm looking foward to the next one. I did have a nice experience at a local anime con I went to that had a vendor who sold her handmade art dolls (I got one!) and she loved the blind box tinies I had with me^_^ They were in those clear plastic cases, and a couple other people said they were nice too!

< I'm really happy that it's starting to get warmer! It's gardening time finally

v How long does it take you to decide on getting a doll? Do you search for months to find something that works perfectly with your vision, or do you fall in love with sculpts on first sight?

 

^ I fall for sculpts I see - looking for something to fit a vision has never worked out for me. I think I just need some sign of a tangible existence to get excited! Plus I prefer buying older dolls second hand, too, so it's often the matter of browsing in the right place at the right time.

< Now the real problem is falling in love with rarer dolls months after I'd spotted them for sale and didn't go for them

v What are you looking to buy (dolls or for dolls) currently?

 

^ oh egads, if you look at my incoming list, it should really be nothing. But when all my layaways are paid off, I’m going to start getting bodies for heads. I need either an Abidoll or a telesthesia body for one head, a male body of some sort for another, a Granado 70cm vigor for another floater, a Supia for another floater, and a bunch of resinsoul bodies, and maybe a couple of full dolls if I’m feeling spicy. But that’s all after my layaways are paid, which would be September at earliest.

<lads, I love my girlfriend so much. I just wanted to say that

V what comes first, the character/concept/aesthetic, or the doll?

 

^ Character concept, It usually starts with me needing a new character in the story. I might even write part of the character into the story getting a feel for the character. When I start to look for the dolls I get more of an idea on the overall appearance of what I want the character to look like, I kind of bounce between the aesthetic and the doll until I find something that suits the character concept.

< I really need to work on my sewing project today.

v Which of your dolls is your go-to for cuddles and chill time? What draws you to them, specifically?

 

^ My msd Myu! She's the chonkiest doll I have and her simple joints are so foolproof to engage with it's fun just to hang with her.

< I tend to go through cycles of preferring to play with my old school dolls or slim minis, though. Never 2 at the same time.

v Is there anything with your dolls (or a specific doll) you keep redoing? A faceup, a wig, a styling or do you keep reshelling a character maybe?

 

^ Reshelling one character concept is my vice. It starts in 2016–I’m in a really bad place mentally, and I create a very scared, vicious, trapped little pastel goth demigod named Tacet, shell her as a f60 lacrima. In 2020 I sell that doll, and retire the character.

In 2021 I bring the character back with a way less dark backstory, as Aura, who I shell as an aselladolls raspberry, then an amadiz virginia hybrid, then elf doll Lydia, then Supia tan heeji, then ns Juah, then Rose pink Tabitha, then DDD charlotta, and finally she lands on her current shell, MDR zuri.

but there’s more. That lighthearted arc doesn’t go the places the original did. I write a darker au arc, that I eventually decide is its own character, and Aura gets a twin named Amor, who gets 2 shells: zaoll luv, and MDR Zuri.

But there’s more: aura is pink but not pastel goth, and Amor is black and red, so I create Cole, in a totally different universe, to have Tacet’s old aesthetic, and her post-series arc. Only, Cole takes the opposite role in the post-series arc, so I create a vampire, Toni (short for Atonement!) to wear literally Tacet’s old outfit 24/7, which, lovely. I’m satisfied.

…Until I’m not. I reread the 132k novel Tacet comes from, and she’s awful but I have to save her from the person she becomes. So I start another new character, name her Lavinia for the graphic Shakespeare reference, and she’ll her as a doll a friend of mine sculpted and 3D printed. I promise her, I’m writing her a better ending.

And then I have a dream, about a man with long pink hair, fighting the evil magics that were used to create him, and I go “oh, gender bend!” And so now Lucian is Tacet but male, because some interesting elements come out when we make him a man.

so this one character lives on in: Aura, Amor, Cole, Toni, Lavinia and Lucian. All because I couldn’t stand to leave a fictional girl I made up in a bad place.

< yes, I was the child that couldn’t put my dolls away because what if they were scared in the box all by themselves, and it shows that I haven’t really changed.

V I think this was a cool question, so I’ll pass it down: Is there anything with your dolls (or a specific doll) you keep redoing? A faceup, a wig, a styling or do you keep reshelling a character maybe?

 

^- I would have to say wigs, eyes, and the general look of most of my characters. I have one who sat in the outfit, wig, and eyes that her previous owner had her in until a Friend joined the hobby and I pulled her out to model an outfit, wig, and eyes for her and was like WHOA .... You DON'T have to look like you have resting B face! The actual character in design is pretty different from the resin version, but I like her as is now, switched her wig to something softer and curly, changed her eye color, the outfit is on backorder but I changed her sitting around outfit to at least look more comfortable. (She went from grey eyes, a grey wig, and a brown/beige outfit to a pinky brown wig, blue eyes, and a pretty dress, and I'm still blown away at how different just putting her in shorter teal wig with pink and green eyes made a difference!)

< It's been a long week. Yes it's only Monday. No that doesn't change anything. (Been trying to find an outfit for my Realfee Pano, and I finally got one outfit but the pants don't fit his bunny legs (physically speaking) and the Yo-sd outfits I've all bought are too big and I'm not good at making alterations...

V-is it taboo to pass along the same question again? (Tbf it's a great question!). Eh, screw it, Is there anything with your dolls (or a specific doll) you keep redoing? A faceup, a wig, a styling or do you keep reshelling a character maybe?

 

^ Maintenance, and hand/foot blushing. I play with my dolls a lot. They work very hard: they wear out their sueding and elastic, their hands and feet constantly get scuffed and rubbed. I keep maintenance records on every doll (yes I know, I'm crazy), when I last restrung/sueded/wired them. When I feel it's time - usually once a year - they go through R&R (refresh & restring). And when their painting gets too chipped I'll wipe it off and repaint. I recently did R&R on half the crew, and two have their hands/feet wiped and are waiting to get repainted.

< Been doing a pretty long photoshoot with the whole crew and I have one scene left. I hope to finish it off today!

v Have you had a doll that, despite your efforts to style them one way, insists they want to look a different way? You know, the doll that wants to look cute even though you want them to look sassy, or vice versa, etc. Tell us about it!

 

^ Probably Asher... I got him at first because I thought he could do this smoldering vampire look. Turns out he's a nerdy professor. He's a good looking nerdy professor, but he somehow just refuses to be anything but some weird scientific guy. I like him this way.

< I managed to get most of my sewing done for this months sewing project, so, yay.

v Do any of your dolls enjoy video games? If so, what are their favorites? If you enjoy games, too, what are your favorites to play in the company of your dolls?

 

^ I have a couple that likes videogames, one of them Mei, she loves fighting games and graphic adventures. She plays games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Elden Ring, Souls or things like that. Halley, on the other hand, is addicted to Cyberpunk.
I like all of those, but I also play The Sims or farm games like Storie of Seasons, Coral Island, Stardew Valley. A little bit of everything.

< I should be sewing and writing my kids' stories, instead I'm listening to music on the couch.

v What motivates you when you buy your dolls? Do you usually write stories with them? Or do you just give them a name and dress them up?

 

^ I don't write stories of/for them, and while my dolls probably do flux into certain characteristics, I don't shell ocs either. I'm really not interested in writing or storymaking but I do love the aesthetic or crafty parts of the hobby (faceups, clothes, photos). I don't really know what motivates me when buying them, perhaps a sense of nostalgia?

< Grrrr it looks like a pair of shoes is starting to peel! They were a nice second hand find but I guess that's what I get for pre-owned....

v Are there any companies or doll lines you're sad are discontinued? What do you think they'd be like if they had continued releasing?

 

v Are there any companies or doll lines you're sad are discontinued? What do you think they'd be like if they had continued releasing?

DO I?? I think most (if not all) of my favorite molds are from inactive companies or are discontinued. I have 2x Oasisdoll Natalies who were discontinued shortly after her original release. I'd buy 5 if I could have her again (and especially in other colors).

I'd love to see what Dream of Doll's sculpts would be like with modern engineering/face-ups.

< Finally took the leap to order some custom eyes! I'm very excited.

v What's the hardest accessory/piece of a doll to find for your characters? Eyes/wigs/etc?

 

^Wigs. I have a bad luck finding them.
< I'm debating selling one of my dolls I'm not bonding with.
V Who is your rarest doll?

 

^ I just bought her today, and I don’t have her in my hands yet, but cedarheart Lillian. She was done by a small artist, who I don’t think still sells heads. I’ve only seen one other user with on on DoA, and she’s not wildly popular being a sculpt based off a more mature face than average. Before I had her, I have a few dolls I’ve never seen anyone else post about—Dollzone white snake springs to mind, as does Light Limner Letisha. I also don’t see a lot of Magic Mirror’s SD Maeve, or Dikadoll Katherine, and I have both of those. I also bet my Radioactive cupcakes Do Dolls Dream lullaby (winking) lily is the only doll in that order of that configuration, which makes her rare even if DDD is decently popular!

<hhhhhh should I be buying more dolls right now? No. Am I? Well, Lilian is a special case.

V opposite question: which of your dolls do you think is the most common/popular sculpt?

 

^ either my unoas or my volks myu - there are so many of them made but they are all still so special all the same!

< Ughhhh I tried making a wig differently but it wasn't a very successful attempt, maybe I just give up and buy a wig for once.

v what's your last worst doll-related purchase?

 

^ got scammed by Dollection... wheeeeee

< making a cute little bow only 90% done realizing how am I going to attach this to my doll's head, who has no hair to clip or pin to eye putty, don't let me down!

v who is your favorite doll to pose and why?

 

^ My Doll Love Enen. He's by far the most easy going.
< I really need new shoes for the two boys, the pleather is cracking so bad it's nasty.
V What size do you prefer? SD, MSD or Yo-Sd?

 

^ i would have to say that i prefer handling msd dolls , they are far easier though i do admit look wise i like looking at sd molds more XD
< @Princess_Sarah_Em I have the same issue but with my dolls pleather pants and shorts XC
V What is your go to pose for a doll or if you have none what is the most difficult pose for your doll to execute?

 

^ I think I usually just put them in sitting position with their hands resting in their lap.
< Now that I think about it...I like sitting while hugging knees pose but barely any of my dolls can do this well...
v How many orders for dolls or doll related accessories do you currently have so far?

 

^So far? I absolutely refuse to count Currently? Just 2, some extra hands and some crafting and sorting materials.

< How is doll-related stuff just so inviting and lucrative? Never in any hobby have I been so obsessed with shopping before.

v You meet a resin witch and they tell you to redo your whole collection or they change you into a string puller. You can keep the number of dolls but they have to become different ones - what will they be?

 

^ I cry a lot and then become a DearSD octomom of Nono, SWD Nono, Mimi, SWD Mimi, Una, SWD Una, Kun and SWD Kun Please don't make me a string puller!

< I'm going to attempt making a simple photo backdrop, too annoyed trying to share my dolls with my friend and having to edit out my room cuz there's no cute spot to photograph in this wonky rental

v I love the above question so I'm going to riff on it. You come across the resin witch and they tell you they will bring one of your dolls to life. If you refuse, every pair of doll shoes you own and will ever own will fall apart. What will you do?

 

^ give life to Rose. She’s human and fairly normal. We have similar experiences of gender and trauma. I could let her live at my parents’ place cause they’d help her acclimate to being real. Or she could sleep on the couch at my and my girlfriend’s place. But I think she’d be the happiest and the easiest adjustment to being real.

<I gotta go out and do errands but all I can focus on is going to my girlfriend’s place.

V Alright, we love the Resin Witch, and she’s on a roll. As a gift to you after she’s made you make hard choices, she’s offered to conjure up your ideal hybrid—any head (of any size) perfectly fits any body (of any size), in any resin colour you could dream of, and your preferred scale/height. What doll does the resin witch conjure you?

 

^ In my squeaky string puller voice, I ask for a 120cm Doll Chateau Y-03 with a Peakswoods Gumiho Miro head on top, in a stark white resin that doesn't yellow. Thank you resin witch!

< I still need to work on the new shoes. This week I've been really forgetful. Brain fog?

v The Resin Witch is not so kind after all, and is going to mess with you once more: she's going to turn your favorite human doll into an anthro. What kind of strangely colored fursona are you going to take home?

 

^ Well damn. The resin witch gives, and then she takes away. I have two answers to this. Character-wise, Kieran would become Draconic. Big, leathery dragon wings, sharp dragon teeth, and a bout a gazillion scars. I would fidge which gods are dead to turn her into the avatar of Impera, who is the queen of all dragons. If I got to choose the anthropomorphic though, god, would I love a bigass anthropomorphic chameleon. Long, very flexible tail. Weird little jointed grabber hands and feet. Sculpted casques for male veiled chameleons, and three-horned Jackson’s chameleons, and stringable jointed flaps for flap neck parsons. I’d be in weird chameleon heaven. Bonus points if they have attachable wired rubber tongues.

<I love the resin witch!!!!

V The resin witch has grown tired of toying with our dolls, and instead wants to turn us into dolls—what sculpt do you ask her to turn you into and why?

 

^ Please turn me into a pointy-nosed yellow Volks School B, Resin Witch! The toughest densest resin and the sharpest nose in the world will be very useful when fighting against the horrors!

< Oh no what have I started

v I don't think I dare to end the streak just yet - the Resin Witch's curse on Brigadoon runs strong! The witch whips out an UV ray this time everyone gets a tan.... or well, you know - which of your dolls will yellow most unflatteringly?

 

^ Well, Syr and Justinian (old Dollstown resins) are already yellow-ivory, and sometimes I see a greenish shadow to their undertones. But since Volks resins inevitably end up quite yellowed, I'm wondering how Zhara (Volks pureskin tan) is going to fare long-term...

< Back painting faceups after half a year of not doing any. I've a stack of painting and blushing to do, and I hope to bash through them in one big hyperfocus marathon.

v Alright, the Resin Witch will now grant you your ultimate grail ... but she'll take all your current dolls as payment and you'll never get them back. Which grail doll (it has to exist) will you choose? Or will you give Resin Witch the finger, grab your crew and high-tail outta here... and forever lose your chance at the ultimate grail?

 

^ I own my ultimate grail, the Resin witch has no hold over me. I give her the finger and I hope she does t turn me into a string puller for my audacity.

<ahhh there’s so many faceups I should dooooo oh noooo.

V the resin witch offers you a gift—she can trade one of your current doll related skills for something you can’t do? What ability are you losing and what ability are you gaining?

 

^ I am going to trade embroidery for photography! Rhiannon can survive without an embroidered skirt, or I'll just commission one for her (what I will do with my embroidery thread collection is another thing entirely). Thanks, Resin Witch!

< Do I need to take pictures of my dolls? Yes. Am I going to? ...

v Tired of giving gifts, the Resin Witch's curse returns! All of your dolls' shoes are now heels - except those that were heels, those are now flat. Which of your dolls will protest the change most?

 

^ Ack! That would be a nightmare for me! I would protest the loudest, but I think all my dolls would be their right along beside me. I have mostly boys and they are not into wearing heals. My girls also prefer sensible shoes. I can hear them all screaming right along with me when I think about it! lol

< I really hope that I can fix up the broken and damaged second hand doll that I purchased for a project.

v Would you - or have you ever bought a badly damaged BJD just to fix it up or do something with it? What would be your limit of damage that you would be willing to repair? If you have done this what did you do with the doll, where you happy with the outcome?

 

^ I love fixer uppers, most of my dolls are second hand and have needed some sort of tlc. I haven't had an extensively broken doll but I've had to plot my ways around heavy staining twice. I think my limit would be something that needs heavy sanding or dremeling because I don't have the right space for that but I'll definitely take more projects on in the future.

< That being said I might have found another fixer upper oops.

v Do you collect just one size or does your collection span over several sizes? If the latter, how do you handle/play/do stuff with them? Do you take turns with sizes or somehow enjoy them together?

 

^ For some reason I think of myself as a SD sized doll collector but I recently realised I do, in fact, own dolls in at least 3 sizes (slim mini, SD13/SD17 and 75cm). I mostly play with them separately since they're from different storylines and I don't have reason to take photos of them together. I do sit some of them at my desk next to my laptop for company and for that I don't really mind if they're mismatched sizes. I have a headless mini body next to a SD17 doll beside me right now haha

< I recently learnt that Fairyland brought back minifee woosoo ughh. I don't need or want a new doll but that is a cute sculpt that I've liked even back in the days. I've always been fond of CP sculpts gahhhhh

v What's something you always come back to in the hobby, be it a sculpt/company, aesthetic, size etc.?

 

^ goth/alt as majority of my life was that, but hasn't for the last decade. Have massive fondness for that aesthetic, and easier to project that onto bjds than myself

> had a project (outfit) which overtook much of my bjd project energy for months was finished last week and I feel free visiting family for a couple of weeks, then will focus on my next project, while side eyeing 6 heads which are in various states of completion for a year (this past year has been unbelievably stressful). So I need to level up my faceup skills too so I can do satisfactory faceups which these sculpts deserve.

v Do you have any outstanding projects which just need to be done but you have postponed for any reason ?

 

^ Wig making. I made my first & it turned out cute, but it was tedious and I have been dragging my feet on doing the others I need.

< I really want to work on making profiles for all of my dolls on here! I think it'll be fun and a great excuse to take photos of the dolls I don't interact with often.

v If your dolls came to life, what household chores would you have them do? (they have to earn their keep somehow! haha)

 

^ I'd make him dust! I think he could get into all the nooks and crannies

<Sometimes I wish I lived in a bigger/more populated country to have more opportunities to meet others into bjds, but at the same time I know that my introvert ass is not suited to live there long term lol

V How do you feel about others' dolls with the same sculpts as yours? Like them, don't, do you feel inspired by them or try not to make yours too similar? Something else?

 

^ I love seeing different visions of the sculpts I own! I have a couple of very popular ones and I love seeing them done in different ways. At the same time I also have some that I hardly ever see around and wish I could see more of what others have done with them. It's nice how everyone has a different vision!

< Ahhhhh can't wait for Dott's last bits to arrive. The girl needs better eyes!

v You are taking your whole collection on a trip and you're not allowed to leave anyone behind. How do you pack them and how many bags and suitcases will you need?

 

^ I've been thinking of this a lot because thinking of moving and I don't want to put my BJD's in the moving truck. The boxes yes, but not them... I am going to use one of those large storage bins, and lay them very carefully beside each other with material between each layer, packing them in like sardines. They can ride in the SUV, along with whatever overnight bags we have. I have over 50 BJD's but they still should all fit packed like that. I once stored all my porcelain dolls that way, and none of them broke.

< Out For Delivery!! My projects doll is finally arriving. He was delayed because of storms in Texas where he is coming from.

v When you take pictures of your dolls - Do you take a lot of pictures 50-100+ all at once, to have pictures to post later? or Do you take only a few 1-25 just to get the right shot and then you are done?

 

^ I discard around 9 out of every 10 photos. I'm a camera novice, I focus manually through the viewfinder, manually adjust settings like exposure and metering, and don't use a tripod. So my discards are technical errors -- over/underexposed, out of focus, or shaky -- I have to shoot a lot of the same view to get a usable photo. It's a pretty inefficient process, and I ought to learn better photography techniques...

But if you're talking about image composition... I'm quite deliberate about creating specific compositions/scenes/posing in a sequential, narrative way. Photoshoots last as long as I can imagine and sequence new scenes, and they're done when I run out of ideas or finished the story I want to tell. For each scene, I take pics of all the interesting angles and viewpoints I can find, before changing to the next scene. I want to take as many viewpoints as possible, because I like storyboarding an interesting visual sequence in my photos.


< I recently discovered an alternative to silicone wig stoppers: hot glue on a doll's headcap. (I think it was through a DoA thread that I learned this? --> yeah, this thread!) I covered one doll's headcap with spirals and lines of hot glue, and it seems to work where a silicone wig stopper failed. Another tool in the BJD toolkit! Gonna try it with other dolls and see how well it holds up.

v Did you recently learn a new-to-you tip/trick for BJDs? Can be anything ... crafting, posing, photos, dressing up, maintenance... share with us what you learned

 

^ I think I finally get layering clothes/accessories on my dolls! I've never been much into fashion myself, being more of a jeans+hoodie guy, so it's been quite hard>_< I could tell what looked good and what didn't, but had no clue as to why, or how to make an outfit more interesting. I've really been trying lately, with my (offtopic) 1/5 guy and I can finally get a nice, coordinated look using the something fitted, something wide and something colorful, something plain method Like giving him an oversized shirt with a design and one-color shorts, or maybe some wraparound pants with a cool pattern and a tank top. If making both the shirt and pants fitted, then adding a cape makes the silhouette a lot better! Or if both are more wide, a belt can help a lot.

Also, accessories! A necklace, or a hat, or even just little socks make the whole thing come together It kinda makes me wanna re-do my own wardrobe...


< Just finished some light maintenance on my aquariums, and both my fishies and daphnia cultures are doing good^_^

v What's your favourite piece of doll clothing that you made yourself?

 

^ Possibly Avery's overalls that I made earlier this month. They are really cute and soft to touch, and they make him very cuddly. I also really like the Disney themed jumpers that I have all my little child dolls currently wearing.

< Waiting for my doll to clear customs, and right when the Orange's tariffs have been declared illegal. I'm not sure if this is what is holding up the custom clearance. But, it means I probably won't have to pay the tariffs now. *crosses fingers*

v What is the doll item that you have plenty of, but it's never the type that you want, so you keep buying more? (For me it's wigs.)

 

^ eyes!!! I’m so picky about eyes—I love specifically doll bakery urethanes. I can use enchanted doll for lighter colours, but their darker colours tend to go too dark. A friend of mine makes eyes that I like in sizes DB just doesn’t make. The problem is that dollbakery doesn’t make the size I use the most of—14/5. I have to either buy 12/5, or 10mm to get the iris size I need, which usually works. And they aren’t doing preorders, which means I just get to pick through whatever they have in-stock.

naturally, this has lead to me buying 11 pairs of eyes in the last 3 months. And I have tons of spares—cheap acrylics that I got to use as temp eyes, decent quality urethanes that just weren’t as good at catching the light as my DB eyes. Eyes that are much bigger than any of my dolls wear (I usually do 1-2 sizes down from what the company recommends!) I have a large potion-looking bottle that is full of spare eyes, that I just don’t want to use

< oh please god let the tariffs come down. It’s brutal selling secondhand out of Canada with that tariff in place.

V what’s the doll item you never have to buy—either cause your spares are always perfect, or cause you make it, or cause you just don’t find you need it?

 

^ magic erasers they creep up with every parcel and I never use them for anything other than for cleaning my bathroom. Also clothes as I make them myself.

< I think Dott's glass eyes got lost in my local mail loop - I really hope they appear soon because I never feel like a doll is finished without good eyes and it's even more annoying to order a new pair.

v what is something doll-related you refuse to buy?

 

^ whoops was late had to redo this...um i refuse to buy jointed hands, love how versatile they are but i am too scared i would loose them or break them and then it would end up being a waste of money.

< I need to sell one of my dolls but cleaning them of old faceup and body blushing is the task i hate the most in this hobby , takes so long. XC but I really need the money

v if you had a curse placed on your dolls that made them all only have one type of aesthetic (or they would crumble to dust) what would you choose it to be ?

 

^it would have to be a princely/royal aesthetic! You can get a bunch of different clothes in the style, and it can be anything from cool and sophisticated to cute depending on colors and patterns used

>I actually just ordered some fabric to try and make ouji-inspired summer shorts for myself> hoping I can actually make them look nice!

v maybe the opposite, what's a style you like but don't want any dolls like that yourself? Something you maybe like seeing in pictures, but not in your own collection?

 

ˆ I'm a huge fan of the ancient Chinese style with flowing robes and fancy jewelry, like the Loong Soul fullsets. Especially when it leans fantasy and very elaborate. My own dolls would look stylistically jarring in those outfits, and I think I just enjoy looking at the pictures better.

> Some really nice bodies are coming up and I'm starting to think again about hybriding a head I've been putting off forever...

v Do you have a doll you always go for when you're in a specific mood or type of day, like you've made an association between the two?

 

^ Mahalo (AoD, Yuki) is my go-to when I am facing something that may cause anxiety. She has come with me to so many places, from doctors' offices to concerts. I've brought her to conventions. I've taken her along when I've traveled out of state. She's seen new movies in the theater. She's also been along for tea in a few gardens. She's my compact confidence companion!

< I got the shipping confirmation for a new body at the start of the week and the tracking hasn't moved. It is supposed to arrive tomorrow but is still showing as only checked in at the post office of origin.

v If given the option, where in the world would your doll want to travel to? Would they send pictures of their adventures or would it be radio silence until they returned?

 

^ For this one I'm going to put my boys band 'Faded Flowers' on world tour. They best keep their Instagram updated, and take a lot of pictures, also at least one of them has to call me once a week to let me know that they are all doing good. I am responsible for them after all.

< I love when USPS says will be delivered on 'Today's Date' and I check, and it just got to the main distribution center in my city a couple of hours ago. I know it's not going to be here until the next day, because the distribution center always takes 24 hours to kick my package out, and the mail delivery person already passed my house for the day.

v Do you have any dolls with exaggerated facial expressions? (smiling, laughing, crying, tongue out, winking, etc)
If you don't have any dolls like this, would you ever own them? Why or Why not?

 

^ I've got two unfulfilled wishes: a tan doll and a laughing/smiling doll (or both at once?). But I'm picky, I'm too lazy to hybrid (sorry Mu Yanzi), and I've cut my wishlist down to two dolls because I'm already overwhelmed and I want to take a break from new resin...
I don't shell anything specific, so I need to be lovestruck to commit. I'll have to keep an eye out for something special to come by.

< The twin's body is paid off and I hope it will ship soon! Because it's just a body I can't seem to process that I'll have a whole new doll at home soon I've been looking around for styling ideas the whole time and I can't wait to get a clothes haul for these two girls.

v Have you ever bought a doll whom you didn't like TOO much per se, but did fit a character concept or requirement that you wanted to see in your crew? Did you regret it or were you happy with the choice in the end?

 

^ haha yes - I bought a Dott because I wanted a 1/3 doll - I would definitely not have chosen her if I had to preorder her directly from the company, and would have probably left her there if the price/location weren't so good, but I'm fine with the choices because I ended up with a pretty cute doll that's been a joy to customise!

< I'm so happy the eyes I ordered a while back finally came! I'm so bad at waiting

v There are so many wonderful things all members here are good at but - what are you bad at in this hobby?

 

^ saying no to new dolls lol. I’m over 60 of these things, and my room has been fully overtaken. I struggle to say no to new faces, or anything that works for a character, and it’s getting to be an issue.

Also sewing. I’m not very good at that yet either.

< trying not to harass Alice’s collections about my incoming dolls, but like,,,,, I’m dying.

V what’s the next skill you want to pick up in this hobby?

 

^ I think I would like to learn how to craft, some of my characters have fantasy appendages like wings or creature ears or tails. It would be more cost efficient if I could make them myself that way I spend less money.

< The more and more I watch anime and play games the more i want to get dolls to make them into anime characters.

V Do you have any dolls that are made up to be as already established characters (anime, book or some type of media based character that you didn't come up with personally?)

 

^ I have a couple which were fullsets which is kinda cheating, but I do have a Domuya head which is perfect for the old school manga which I want to use for for Red River's Kail, but never started it as I need a head for Yuri.

> currently waiting (impatiently now) for a preorder which for the last couple of weeks did not want to be shipped, but as I am now back home want my moth now. The owner pics look so amazing!

v just seen a most amazing mask (human scale) on Instagram of a 3 headed rabbit. And I want to make a bjd size one now been wanting to make a standard rabbit half mask for quite a while but this 3 headed one is sooo good. What thing have you seen recently which has set your project juices flowing (so to speak )?

 

^ Does seeing shipping notices count? I'm gathering a Taobao consolidated shipment together, just waiting for a couple of stragglers ... and both items have just shipped out from the sellers (at last). The moment they hit the warehouse I'm sending everything home to me! This shipment has a variety of things including some props and a flexible goose-neck doll stand -- I've been wanting those for a while, and now I can finally start on those photos that have been burning a hole in my brain.

< Been swamped with work deadlines lately, but by the time said Taobao shipment arrives, those deadlines should be over and I'll have more free time to play with dolls, yay

v Which was the last doll (new or otherwise) that caught your eye, but you decided not to buy? And why?

 

^ I didn't buy a school c head off mandarake recently even though it was at a good price and I really do like the sculpt - I kept going back and forth about it and then it was snapped up already. I had just ordered some parts from Japan that were on the way, so it was too late to consolidate, and shelling out double the money for customs and shipping made my both my soul and wallet hurt a little
Sometimes it do be like that.

< So many wigs to make, so little will to make the said wigs...

v Have you ever made a mistake in the hobby that still makes you facepalm?

 

^ my first bjd, stood it on laminate flooring, promptly fell over as the floor was too slippy and a noob with handling bjds and broke a finger bought new hands and they have been on that body ever since.

> my Moth has shipped

v do you ever get frustrated with some companies' release schedules? My example is Dream Valley releasing a male counter part to Moth, pre order ending well before they had sent Moth. I would want Moth first to decide whether to buy the other version. Why couldn't they have held off for a couple more months?