The ^ < v Game!

^ I have had a couple dolls change styles gradually over the years-- these were dolls I never had a seriously clear-cut fashion outline of, and never shopped specifically for them so they'd wind up wearing whatever fits & looks good. One day, I'd just try a totally different style on them and find out it worked beautifully. Even if it was the opposite of what I'd intended for the character.

To wit: Stavros, who was supposed to be super-suave and smooth, and Samir, who was supposed to be uptight and kind of nerdy, just never got used to the clothes I'd give them-- both of them have turned into hippies. Howdat happen? I dunno, but they look great in earth-tones and stone jewelry.

< Six days till I leave for Japan! : I am such a nervous pre-traveller... the week leading up to any kind of travel is an OCD hell. Shopping and packing and re-packing and fretting and making lists and crossing off lists and making new lists. But as soon as that plane leaves the ground with me in it, I will be cool as a cucumber. And ready to drop zillions of dollars on doll stuff.

v Is your doll a list-maker (must have every detail taken care of before proceeding with anything) or a free spirit (I know it when I see it, and it'll work out when I get there)?

 

^ Well, I've come to the conclusion that I prefer big dolls. That's...kind of drastic considering that I started out dreading large dolls and had a lot of 1/4 size ones. Other than that, I still love realistic sculpts and I style my dolls more or less the same.

^ Too slow! @JennyNemesis question - Reid is my list-maker. He's obsessed with organization and making sure everything has its proper place. He's very routine oriented and likes things to be organized and orderly. Andromeda is also like this, but not nearly to the extent that Reid is.

< @VampireAngel13 - dolls in suits = I seriously want to buy All The Tailored Menswear for my boys, and for Aubrey (IMPL Tony) and Gabriel (IMPL Gnaeus) in particular.

V Do you have a doll who is "spoiled" more than all the others? (you know, the one who gets the most stuff, whether it's clothes, shoes, wigs, props, accessories or even resin companions lol)

 

^ Alex. And Alex. And pretty much everyone named Alex. Also Joker. It's the green hair. I heart it.

> @SapphireStargazer Right?! I have three at least in the 70+ group who could use a lot of tailored suits but literally there are none that I want for sale anywhere. I just have too many skinny guys (everything is made for Iple these days. If I ever order another EID I'll be in great shape!). Plus deargodthemoney D:

V What doll style of doll (would be good to add) do you prefer in the land of BJDdom?

 

^ I was a bit confused by this question, but here goes... The style of doll I prefer is realistic face sculpts. What I think the hobby needs more of are realistic sculpts in smaller sizes such as 1/4 and 1/6. I am in total love with my Lumedoll Blaze, who is a perfect little grown man at only 30cm tall. I'd really love to see more realistic and mature sculpts in the 1/4 size though, along the lines of Dollshe Fashion and Dollmore FMD16.

< @VampireAngel13 yeah...the money is always an issue. Have you checked out Stacy's Pink Ocean and Freedom Teller? They both do suits in SD17 and 70cm sizes, and Stacy does custom sizing for their products, so you can get them in sizes other than hte "standard" ones. Pink Fantasy (mybayer2008 on eBay offers some custom sizing as well, and I think Freedom Teller does some custom sizing on some products. I should not be looking at suits for Gabriel & Aubrey right now, considering that I just paid my law society fees....

V What are your doll plans for the rest of this year? Any goals you really want to meet?

 

^ Bodies! Bodies, bodies, bodies, and finishing off the floating body situation. I have a head on one floating body now, and a body on layaway for one of the floating heads, but I would really love to get a few more heads dealt with and a head for the other floating body. Anything else is a bonus this year. Except more heads or whole dolls.

< I need to take some photos today. =n= But it's such a huge hassle...

v What is on your "I really should *not* do this for this year" list?

 

^ I really should not buy any more dolls. I might make an exception for this one release tho, but after that it's full.stop.
< I almost got a house on FFXIV, but grinding to house-buying-level took a few hours and someone else snagged the plot >/
v Do you have a naming theme your doll names follow? (eks: elfish names, names that start with P, etc)

 

^ I'm trying to give all my dolls unisex names! (Or at least unisex sounding. Sometimes spelling changes slightly.)

< I hate going to school or work, but I don't know what to do with myself on my days off X__x

v what are your plans regarding this hobby for this year?

 

^ New clothes for everybody! And faceups or faceup re-do's for those who need them. Those are basically my goals for this year. That and no new resin. So far, so good. It's March and I haven't ordered any dolls in 2016 yet.

< I finally convinced my internet service provider that I need a new modem.

V What's the biggest doll you've ever owned? The smallest?

 

^ The biggest doll I've ever owned is tricky. My biggest boy Marek (AprilStory New Fall, 65cm?) I think is taller but somehow looks runtier than my 62cm boys. The smallest by far is Reji, my Pukupuki Cupid 2 event head.

< Food smells good. I keep waking up for short periods, eating, and feeling like I need to go back to bed. x_x

v Passing the question down, what are the largest and smallest dolls you have ever owned?

 

^ My largest will be my incoming April Story Stella at 54cm. My smallest will be my incoming Doll Family A Pan at 12cm (that is if you don't include the 6cm Angel Studio pets, but they aren't jointed)

< It's pizza Friday! Gonna get some pizza tonight!

v Passing the question down again because it's a good one. What are your largest and smallest dolls?

 

^ It would be my off topic MH doll for tallest and makie for smallest, but on topic would be my Minifee for tall, and Asella dolls for small

< considering seeing zootopia alone

v is there anything you've been eyeing but it's too expensive right now?

 

^ I want to commission Grim a lovely green pirate coat. i know who I want to commission, and it's well worth what they charge. I just can't do it now, with my finances. And a feeple angela head (though now I need it in NS)

<my shipping fiiiiinally updated. I love ordering second hand. So fast to ship. But the usps is the bane of my existence.

V are you expecting anything in the mail any time soon?

 

^ i am not :-(

< Wish the snow would all melt away !!!

V Where do you keep your doll stories?

 

^ The ones that I've shared are on my blog and LJ. I have notebooks and slips of paper and a multitude of works-in-progress on my computer. I'm a compulsive writer. ^^;

< I'm not sewing...what's wrong with me?

v If you do have doll stories, do you share them?

 

^ Generally I do not share the stories I write, as I am embarrassed at the quality of my writing. I do have vast intricately layered and interlocking stories though most have yet to be written down properly.

< I need to sew or knit and take more photos today.

v Passing the question down, do you have doll stories, and if so do you share them?

 

^ I do have doll stories, most of my dolls are embodiments of different characters from the books I'm hoping to someday get published. I don't share them too much or too often, as some parts of their stories would be considered spoiler territory, but the people in my writing group and my roommate get the bare bones of them, at least XD

< Why must there be no really good reference pictures of Captain Blood's ship the Arabella? I want to start constructing plans for making a scale model for the upper shelf in my bedroom... *Sigh* Guess it's another excuse to watch the movie >w>

v Passing down the story question again: doll stories - do you have them and if so do you share them?

 

^i have one or two little character blurbs on my tumblr, and in here in response to questions, But mostly the actual chapters are on my laptop and my girlfriend's iPad. And hopefully soon in book stores. Hopefully being the operative word.

< i don't have dolls of my mains in the series I'm working on...whoops.

V are your dolls all from one story or different ones?

 

^ Different ones, but in groups. The original set of dolls I started with (mainly elves, with some other "fantasy" types) are my own original characters, all from one overall story, though they live in different parts of their world and don't necessarily interact as much as they do on the shelf. The second set is mainly character dolls, inspired by an online RP I was in a while back, and that I'd already been working on a doll of one of the characters. There's also a couple of small additional groups, one that doesn't really have any story at all, one that's chibis of larger characters (and one that's larger still), and one that's one of the OC characters as a child with his "imaginary/fae friend."

And one more in progress (as in, whenever I order the body and the second doll) that'll be expies of the RP characters from a special event in that RP. Because it's an excuse to use an event head.

< I am becoming overwhelmed by how much moving stuff is left to handle.

v Passing the question down: are all your dolls from one story, or multiple stories?

 

^ They are from the same story. Although most of them originated from proboards/jcink roleplaying sites back ages ago, and were not originally related or even made for the same type of universe (some was made for forums based upon things like harry potter, pokemon, fairy tail and final fantasy). The forums inevitably died after a while, but I got attached to the characters, and ended up taking their main traits and braid them into one big fantasy story. They still might not directly relate to eachother, or even ever really meet, but they exist on the same plane.

< I need to exercise some patience and self-control in terms of retail therapy.

v What was your biggest impulse doll-purchase? do you regret it?

 

^ Not so much my purchase as a friend's, but someone purchased a doll for me that wasn't on my wishlist just because he thought it was cute! I tried my best to bond with him but it just didn't work out. I don't speak to that person anymore, so I can't even return the doll to him... Oops!

< I should have studied more today...

v Out of all of your dolls, do you have a favourite? If yes, who and why?

 

^Meep because she's a foxy little lady. She reminds me of myself when I'm feeling good about myself.

< I'm distracted from my science studies

V Do you do your own faceups or commission others

 

^ In the past I have done my own faceups, but I mostly have @Osaka paint my dolls for me now, if I have something in mind that is different from what I can get through the company, or if I get the doll secondhand and the faceup is not to my taste.

< I am so relieved to have gotten the paperwork I was waiting on. Now I can breathe easier and focus on schoolwork again.

v Have you ever paid for a faceup that you REALLY didn't like when you saw it in person?

 

^ Yes.

< It's Saturday night and I'm bored

V Have you ever gotten a free faceup for a doll from someone who just wanted to do faceups for the practice?

 

^ No, but SDink is always sniffing around Shinji-- the Volks SD17 Genji I bought from her many years ago-- asking me am I bored with his faceup yet, when am I gonna let her redo him, etc etc. I have to keep shooing her away because I like 'im as I bought 'im. When he was hers, he went through at least 3 or 4 faceups/personae, and she just really likes painting Genjis! If I let her do it, I know that whatever new faceup she'd give him would be just as stunning, but-- I'm sentimental, I'm attached to this one.

(I know, I know, this is a real first-world problem to have.)

< Iplehouse, I am Not Amused at the way you so often make things that don't fit the dolls they're intended for. What ARE you using for fit-models, and what are they smoking? Why do I keep giving you money?? But goddamn, those JID clothes just look so freakin' good.

v Is there a company you just can't stay mad at?

 

^ughhh. Ringdoll. Their delay last year was difficult. That was my first doll and he came so much after I paid. It was my fault for buying him despite knowing there was a delay, but holy cannolis. I said "never again." I said "I'll just buy second hand." And today, I said "hey, that head would suit my doll, and this body for my other doll." I have a problem.

<so, I was going through some doll shells I'd picked and ended up redoing a character, and aaaargh. I had to pick the expensive one, didn't I?

V what is your favourite company and why?

 

^ Souldoll and Dollmore. I love their sculpts and bodies more than just about anything. Don't ask me to pick between the two, though.

< Ooh, I found some sleek, sexy, slightly stretchy black material in the fabric stash~!! Severus is getting some *obscenely* tight trousers to go under his wizard robes.

v What's a headsculpt that you just love to bits but will probably not get?(Wrong size, old limited, not sold separately, etc.)

 

^ Granado Uranus (especially in Tan) because I missed both preorders somehow and I never seem to see him in the secondary market.

< I am in so much pain. whyyyy???

V Which of your dolls is your favourite one to photograph, and why?

 

^ my Miracledoll Baiye because he is such a little imp and he makes every picture adorable!!

< I need to start working on 4 projects for uni, but I'm gonna keep looking at dolls instead....

v do you think that companies should offer more "fantasy colours" as part of their main resin lineup?

 

^ I'm actually quite pleased with the colors available from most companies, but I would love if more companies offered grey, violet, blue, and green as semi-standard or more easily available.

< I forgot to take photos for an ongoing project when I took photos for a photostory today. Oops~

v Do you have a crew with standard Humans, fantasy dolls, or a mix? If you do have a mix are they part of the same doll universe or separate?

 

^ Giant mix, and they're all part of the same universes. I just added another universe - so far only one doll, but he's both fantasy and normal human all on his own...

> Forgot how much fun it was to develop a character who isn't overly developed already.... @SapphireStargazer I have checked out Freedom Teller - sadly they have nothing I want (and I'd pay! I would!), but not Stacy's Pink Ocean! I'll have to look there, thank you! I did manage to find one I like second-hand. It's Hound-size so it should fit most of my group, who are all Hound size in theory. Ish.

V What kind of fantasy dolls (if any) do you like the most?

 

^anything with wings. I have a whole universe of characters with wings of all kinds, and I want them all in resin form (this means I'm making a lot of butterfly wings, angel wings and one set of steampunk ones.)

< I have family here.... Too much family

V what's one doll accessory that you hoard?

 

^ Do eyes count? I hoard eyes like a crow hoards shiny things.

< I hate daylight savings time. It doesn't feel like nearly 4am, but I have to get my sleep schedule back on track because Spring Break is over and I have class tonight. @_@

v Are you the only doll lover, collector, etc in your family, or you do have siblings, kids, parents or other family that have BJDs?

 

^ I'm the only one in my family who even tolerates dolls, yet alone collect them everyone either hates them, are scared of them or merely tolerate it

< oh boy! I wonder when the next time my local doll group will have another meet

v passing down the question because i really like this one: Are you the only doll lover, collector, etc in your family, or do you have siblings, kids, parents or other family that have BJDs?

 

^ my family tolerates mine, but they'd never buy dolls of their own. The girl I plan to marry soon loves them though, and would buy more dolls, so I guess I'm soon to have a family member in the hobby..

< yessssss! I found the right doll and he was actually for sale!

V I'm half asleep cause this time-shift is a sin, so I'll pass it down. Any family members who have bjds?

 

^ nah, they actually just yelled at me this weekend about having some.

< i have no money.. time to go bjd shopping!!

v Any dolls you've kept as the company style?

 

^ None of them. I can't stick to defaults...I actually don't like fullset dolls and if I can order them without face up/accessories, I would.

< I'm so sleepy...

v passing on the question: Any dolls you've kept as the company style?

 

^ I've kept a handful of company face-ups, but on the whole, no. I usually get my dolls naked and unpainted, and almost never as a fullset. I think there are only three who have their default face-up *and* wigs, though I did change their eyes.

< Oh boy, I'm in for a long day. =n=

v Have you ever gotten a fullset before just for one thing?

 

^ I have! I bought the MNF Rendia fullset because I wanted the antler crown (Well, I also wanted the doll, so I guess I wanted two things really. I also don't mind the rest of the fullset, but if the crown wasn't there I would have just gotten a basic Rendia instead)

< I'd like to be a better at preparing for and taking pictures, but I just never seem to have the inspiration to do anything special with it...

v Is there anyone you know (a bjd outsider) that you'd love to share this hobby with? Is it to the degree you'd be willing to buy them a BJD to get started?

 

^ I actually have bought someone a doll to get them started, my Mom. Though mine to her was not her first because my sister beat me to it. So, Mom went from, "These dolls are interesting and I will enjoy your collections from over here." to "Oh my I have two dolls, and now it's going to be very hard to resist more."

< Slightly frantic about a school assignment I wrote down the wrong deadline for. x_x;; Thankfully my professor has given me an extension.

v Similar to the above question, is there anyone you know that you have helped into the BJD world? Did you enable or purchase a doll for them if so?

 

^ yep! My best friend, we both buy each other doll stuff for each other

< aw man because of school I now have to buy yet ANOTHER sewing machine, thats all my doll money gone

v passing down the question: is there anyone that you have helped into the doll hobby? Have you bought or enabled the purchase of their first doll?

 

^ My brother and my son both.

< This day has been far too long. I either will go to bed early, or be awake all night.

v Your favorite has had a long day. How do they prefer to unwind?

 

^ Promith - with a glass of wine and some relaxing music (of the Dean Martin variety), Kle - curled up in a fluffy blanket with a good book.

< Speaking of long days, mine is in need of lots more doll time.

v What's your favourite doll activity, do you find it a good way to relax or does it get your excitement up and fill you with energy?

 

^ My favourite doll activity right now (dont have a doll yet) is window shopping, it gets me so psyched up to make wishlists and plans for the doll im saving up for right now!

< YES! My local doll group just made a date for the next meetup

v passing on the question: whats your favourite doll activity? Do you find it as a good way to relax or does it get you excited and energised?

 

^ My favourite doll activity at the moment is probably reading the forums and window shopping too :P I'm studying abroad at the moment and my doll's at home It makes me excited to get back into dolly world this summer

< Need to back to work soon. Ugh.

v Who is your favourite doll? Is there any meaning behind their name? ~

 

^ My favorite is my Volks FCS-31 Sascha, from the moment I got him. He just looked like a "Sascha" to me.

< Easter vacation ahead!

v What is your BJD cleaning routine?

 

^ If you mean cleaning all of them, I... don't have one? If you mean how do I clean a specific doll that I feel needs it, I'll brush off any dust on wigs (a couple have black wigs so every single speck of dust ever tends to show up on them!) and fluff them a bit if they're not overly long, or comb them lightly if they are. If there's any actual dirt/marks on them, I'll do a very careful magic eraser removal (more and more they're all getting body blushing), and that's pretty much it unless they're an older one getting a deep cleaning. That's a full unstringing, scrub with strong alcohol and magic eraser, and soap wash, followed by a blush/reblush, restring (with new string if they're old enough), and redressing.

< I really need to figure out why my computer's been overheating so badly the past few days...

v What's your next BJD-related plan or set of plans?

 

^ I'm currently working on a project journal for a couple pairs of overalls over here. Next step is the straps, and they are gonna be a pain in the butt, so I'm kinda putting them off. >.>"

< Roommate's family took me out to dinner to celebrate some family birthdays. I feel awesome ♥

v As a twist on a previous question, do any of your dolls have meanings or significance behind their names?

 

^ Ichigo my not so secret favorite has significant meaning behind his name. Initially it was just important to me that my first Japanese doll have a Japanese name, but as I went over different names and thought over how special he was as a Tenshi, and a Sato exclusive I wanted him to have a name with deep personal meaning, so I chose something sweet and pleasant (Strawberry) for his first name, and Tsuki which means Moon for his surname. The Moon has deep personal meaning for me, and Ichigo was the first of my dolls to have a name representing the heavens in any way.

< Dolls that I am not planning to get any time soon keep insisting on telling me all about their personalities and likes, dislikes etc.

v Are any of your dolls associated with someone who means a lot to you? Like a friend or family member or anything like that?

 

^ Nope. My dolls are only based off fictional people. Less stress that way XD
I do have dolls that were gifts from very good friends - I do think of them when I see them. That might count....

> OMG need sleepppppp

V I seriously can't think of a question...........do you have a favorite, who is it, and does it ever change?

 

^ I have several hybrids. Severus and Alan ended up hybrids because I like Alan's DF-H body better for Severus, and Sev's IS body better for Alan. Jeremy ended up hybridized because I didn't necessarily want a Doll Chateau head for him, and got one from Dollmore instead, and Tristam ended up on the Dollzone body that I had Sebastian on because I need a beefier body for Sebastian (he's a Leeke head, so Leeke bodies are just too teensy), and Tristam's color had mellowed into a good match, and I was never going to put him on a Luts body anyway, because I don't get a long with Luts bodies. Clara is another hybrid, because she's such an older DiM head that the resin would not match at all, and any excuse to get another Dollzone body is reason enough for me! Basically if it comes down to a company body being too hard to get or resin match or size-match, or if I plain old don't like it, then I'm going to hybrid.

< I seriously need to win some kind of lottery or something. There's too many heads that I want to get right this very minute.

v Always a fun question, so let's have at it: you just were given $1000 but you *must* spend it on doll stuff! What do you go get?

 

^ I drop the first $300 at Iple's for a kitty-cat, some more option parts (if I had $1000 to spend on doll stuff I'd go for the new feet to go with the hands) and a bunch of wigs for the boys. Next, Doll In Mind ... Happy Amelie, Annabeth's head, and Dollstown for Annabeth's body (I'm eyeing the Elf girl). If there was anything left after that, I'd raid the MP for heads I like.

< Got my unlimited contract, YAY! Party time!

v Same q: you just were given $1000 but you *must* spend it on doll stuff! What do you go get? You also must spend it right now, so only available stuff.

 

^iplehouse kamau (ebony) and some basic clothes for him. There's not a lot left after that, haha.

<I HATE the doctor's office. This woman does not understand me whatsoever

V what's your most expensive doll?

 

^ Arioch, my FL Sia (who for now has the FLAM head, and will end up with a Karsh head), who came with all the extra parts. No fullset, but the full body + tail + extra arms do add up.

< I hate moving so much. And my cat being sick is making it that much worse.

v Twist on the last question: What's the price difference between your least and most expensive dolls? (Not cheapest, because let's be honest, none of them are cheap.)

 

^ more in the same style.
< march madness and beer. lol
v do all your dolls make you happy?

 

^ To one extent or another. Some make me happy to play with, some make me happy because of their faces, some make me happy because they are fun to photograph. I don't keep around dolls that don't make me happy.

< Congrats, @SteamWitch! That is VERY exciting news!

v Because of this evening's hobby shenanigans here--have you restrung your doll(s) yet? If you have, what was your very first time restringing like?

 

^my first restringing was a bit of an adventure. I took three or four tries to get it right, and had no proper supplies (hemostats, etc.) I used enough profanities to befit a sailor, but I got it done.

< yay I found a sculpt..

V what was your first real challenge in the hobby

 

^ Convincing my parents and grandparents that I wasn't crazy for wanting(and purchasing) an expensive, 62.5cm hunk of pretty resin that I could use for pretty much any and all artistic outlet. 23 dolls later and I'm still convincing them... But they seem to have finally resigned themselves to having a doll collector for a daughter/granddaughter. Specifically doll related? My first foray into restringing resulted in much blood and pseudo-cursing and losing of S-Hooks right when I finally had the elastic in position.

< I have finally decided on my Raurencio Ryon's name. He will be Leopold Jacqueson Hughes. If anyone is familiar with what movie/actor his name is a reference to, I would be inclined to applaud you.

v Do any of your dolls have names or personalities or quirks that are pretty much references to some of your favourite things?