Aileen Doll Ashes Recast Identifiers [revised]

New information about recent Ashes dragons at the end of this post. (As of Jan 2014).

Restringing Aileen Doll Ashes

Here is a tutorial for restringing an Aileen Doll Ashes. This guy is a recast, just to let you know so you don't share this where it's not welcome.

As usual, my disclaimer: Don't ask me where or how to buy. I don't distribute.

To start, I should note that I didn't do this right…when the tutorial says to put the wings on first, DON'T. Instead, do the arms first then the wings. My dragon's wing snapped because I put it on first.

Second note: You will use one piece of elastic to string both arms and the wings. I tried to take clear pictures of this, so if you need more explanation go ahead and comment here.

I haven't been checking emails due to anxiety (I hate dealing with email), so if you have emailed me, I'll get to it eventually, I promise!

Another bjd dyeing tutorial- this time with LOTS of pictures

[Note blogger was being stupid and I can't seem to get rid of some of the weird linking. T___T]

Minion needed to be pink. I bought two boxes of RIT Petal Pink for this project.

Time needed: 1-3 hours
(Depends on your water to dye ratio, the size of your pot and amount of pieces you're going to fit in there, and how vibrant you want your color.)

Okay, so see this post here for materials and stuff. I tried to take much better pics this time.

Warnings:

• This is pretty much permanent. I don't recommend this unless you're a fairly seasoned modder or have an easily replaceable doll just in case something goes wrong.
• Someone asked me why their dye turned their doll a bizarre gray color- I don't have an answer for that, but I do think it either had to do with the metal in their pot or that the dye was old.
• Some areas aren't going to take the dye evenly, and some will end up darker and lighter than others. How noticeable this is depends on how saturated your color is. You can usually hide this via blushing, but I think it adds character.
• Wear and tear is going to happen, and the dye, just like paint, will wear away over time. You'll have to do touch ups on occasion if this bothers you.

Amaranth's Guide to Filter Masks Part 1

I am by no means a professional. I did some research on DoA (there are really great threads with good information there), as well as on the internet. Knowing that many people don't have access to DoA, I thought I'd do a simple hobbyist's guide to filter masks. I tried to keep it really simple and not wordy.

Here is part 1, just some basic Q & A and terms. I'll go into detail about numbers and what they mean in the next post.

Sealant Comparison: For When You Just Can't Get MSC

 Army Painter Matte:

• It has very little tooth, so it takes a lot more layers to achieve good color with it.
•  It is also prone to snow flaking. 
• It is good priced. 
• I will update this post as I finish a face up using it. It does hold up really well to handling, which I would assume for a sealant used for miniatures.

Testors: If you have to use something other than MSC, this is what you want. 

• Testor's gets a lot of crap, but it's pretty good. It has good tooth.
•  It does tend to appear more yellow, and if you use too many layers it can get cloudy. 
• For the price and availability it is a good choice. 
• It also seems to get a bit dirtier than MSC. 
• I can get Testor's at my local Walmart.

Plaid: Please, please, please do not use this. 

• It is gummy, collects dirt, doesn't hold color well, and just looks unfinished. 
• It is very, very cheap and available at a lot of places so if you have no choice, go ahead.
•  It is safe on resin dolls.

Modge Podge: I have heard conflicting reviews about this, so here is my experience:

•  It is great for joint areas in full body blush, not for face ups. 
• It's far too thick to even consider for a faceup. 
• It's sturdiness means it's pretty damn difficult to remove, but it does appear to be safe for resin as far as I can tell. 
• My centaur's hooves are varnished with this. 
• It gives them a bit of a glossy touch and they haven't chipped yet, compared to other areas of her body blush.

Next sealants I want to try:

Volks' sealant

Citadel Matte Sealant

Just my initial thoughts on them. I will provide some pictures of face ups done with these sealants at a later date.

Thanks for reading and happy collecting!

On Scammers, and why it's not your crusade

Here's the thing- for as long as there have been replica dolls there have been a few assholes selling them as legitimate dolls.

Recasters often provide fake paperwork and fake headplates. Scammers may have used these to sell recasts as legit.

Why this isn't your crusade: A scammer can use a legitimate set of papers or plates to sell a recast as legitimate. Are you going to tell a company to stop producing these things? In my opinion, the reason FL is one of the top recast companies is because they have no papers, no plates, no logos on the dolls.

Some recasters are now offering boxes. Scammers will use these to sell recasts as legits…because scammers are scammers and that's why they will do.

Shit That Happens in my Skyrim...with a lot of swearing.

Ok this post is seriously off-topic, but I don't want to make a blog just for this stuff (though I might if I get bored enough), and I wanted to share it with my Skyrim-loving friends. You will be returned to regularly scheduled shennanigans eventually.

My Skyrim is a bizarre place, especially on Legendary difficulty apparently. I routinely find more glitches and bugs than most people even think possible. These range from faceless people to floating wagons. I've even resurrected a dead bunny only to have the corpse of said rabbit slide about on the ground as if it were alive although the game clearly thinks it's dead. Lately dragons have just been dropping out of the sky, flopping on the ground, and dying right as I get to them. It was creepy as hell. I've decided to document some of the strange shit I've found in my world.

This is Brila. She's my current character. She started out as this lovely orc warrioress here:

I feel pretty. So pretty.

Happy Halloween!

Jack and Jill went on a pumpkin picking date.

Taking things personally- the origin of our cattiness?

 

I came to a realization via a post on Facebook the other day. It was that people personalize the doll hobby, internalize it so much, that any little comment or critique about the dolls or the hobby becomes a personal attack against the hobbyist.

I first addressed it when I was writing my post on why dolls are creepy.

How Customs in the United States Works: An Unoffical Guide for Doll Owners

I am not familiar with the customs of other countries, but I'll definitely be researching more into that to hopefully write about in the future. For now, this post is about US Customs, what they do, why we have customs, what items can be taxed in the US and what can't, as well as how long you can expect a package to take once it enters customs.
It will probably have some errors, and I'll corect these as I find them or they are pointed out to me. Do you  have an experience with customs? Share it in the comments below. 

What is Customs?

Customs is an agency that intercepts all packages going into a country. The full agency name is the office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).They inspect the packages, sometimes opening them, to ensure that the items coming into the country are legal or fall into a taxable category.

There are 329 ports of entry in the United States. It is at these ports that US import and export laws are enforced. There are also 20 field offices that seem to do most of the processing of packages, based on what I can tell from the CBP website. For me, because I am in the Western US, most packages pass through Customs in California before heading to me.

Amaranth's Guide to Fairyland (under construction)

*Updated 1/19*

Some of the information about Fairyland is just plain confusing, and it was confusing as hell for me when I first got into dolls too. Some of you may have even tried finding this info on FL's site, but found it too overwhelming.
 

I've put in as much information as I can recall off the top of my head, and I will update as I find out more.

I do not know much about the smaller sizes. I'm more versed in Minifee and Feeple 60, since I own both. 

To find a specific section, either search the blog or click Ctrl/CMD+F and type in one of these keywords: Wigs, Eyes, Clothes, Hybrids, Tiny, MSD, YoSD, SD. You can also search the specific sculpt or size you are looking for (example: Chloe or Minifee).

I hope this helps. It'll still probably be a TL;DR situation, but it should at least help newbies get a better handle on the information out there about Fairyland. It can definitely be intimidating!

Edit: Do not ask me how much these dolls go for or where or how to buy them. This is to help doll collectors be aware of what is and is not available recast currently. It is also to help the new fairyland fan find their way around this amazing company.

Restringing a Pipos Cheshire Cat with poses

My little helper here is Grimalkin. He needed to have his blushing touched up, and I thought a tutorial may be useful. Here goes!

First, you will need a length of elastic about 20in long folded in half and tied in a knot. Your mileage may vary, and you may need shorter elastic to get him tighter.

They are very top heavy, and benefit from sueding the head/neck area.

Rant: Why You Should Know Your Doll Companies and Why Reading is Good

There shall probably be irony in this post. I accept that. Please withold judgment until I'm through ranting, tyvm.

I'm going to be up front here and say one of the things that irritates me most in the doll community is people who don't know anything about the dolls they are buying. This will probably offend some of you, and I'll apologize up front about that, since I like you. But since this post is about reading and why reading is good, I'm just going to offer you a virtual cookie, pat your head, and tell you to keep reading. You can hit me if you want to. I'll even hold still. Feel better? Good. Moving on!

Doll Chateau Alberta/ Mnf Chloe Hybrid - old recast I no longer own

So I took some pics for a lovely gal on the Haven, and my Rose stole herself a body…a DC Alberta body. In the process, one of Alberta's feet hooks broke, so I'm restringing the body to fit the neck piece, mnf hands, and mnf heeled feet.

My eventual plan is to get another pair of white skin minifee legs and replace the DC legs with the mnf legs. This will make her a little shorter and increase her posing ability. I will update when I get around to doing that.

First, I have to mod the neck wider to fit the neck ball. I get out my handy dremel tool and get to work.

1. I place the ball on the neck to see how much I need to remove.

2. I wear proper face protection, and start to remove resin, testing the ball now and then.

Restring a @%%#!!! DC Alberta

You should know I literally cried during this, and once threw a leg across the room. I strongly recommend a glass of wine (for you peeps 21 or older) and a helper. I could find little no information, even on DoA about this process, so I hope this post helps. This is just how I did it, and there's a tiny pair of holes I didn't use and have no idea what the hell they're for. At one point, three times in a row, the ankle hook slipped off the foot and shot up into the shin. Boy was I PO-d… anyway, onto the tutorial! Oh, and this Alberta is recast, so don't link or share this where recasts aren't welcome yadda yadda. If you want this done with a legit Alberta come November, let me know.

You will need:

Wire (my usual restringing cord was too thick)

Possibly a dremel or exacto knife (if you want/need to widen or reshape string channels)

Possibly extra 1/4/MSD elastic (If you are stringing a recast, cutting the string L/S gives you in half should be long enough. I will get better measurements…)

Amaranth's Face Up Rules

These are the rules I personally follow when painting face ups. Just some food for thought, and of course you don't have to do any of these.

1. Never paint with acrylics on the same layer as pastels.
   Why: If you try to use water to wipe away the acrylic or the acrylic smears, you will ruin the pastel and have to redo it.
2. When you like something, seal it, then keep painting.
   Why: If you like the way something looks, you can always add more. If you end up adding more and hate the result, you'll have to wipe all your work including the part you like. Seal often.
3. Never touch a face up before sealant or paint is dry.
   Why: You'll end up with smudges, smears, and tacky parts and sometimes your sealant will completely come off in spots, ruining your beautiful blushing. I hate when this happens.
   

   

   My face up was ruined because of this....

4. Wash your hands, and often.

They're Creepy… and You Shouldn't Care

People who have little no self-confidence are easily hurt and swayed by the actions and opinions of others. In the desperate need to find value in themselves, they turn to others for their approval. When they share something like a doll picture, the comments on that picture could spell doom for that person.

They're creepy.

My response: So fucking what?

Seems to be a trend for me lately....

Seriously. Why does it bother you so badly to have someone tell you they find your precious little resin munchkin creepy? Tons of people have doll phobia. Tons of people have no tact. If something is posted and comments are an option, people are going to assume you're sharing that photo for one or more of the following reasons:

• You want to draw attention to it
• You want attention by sharing it
• You want opinions on it

Why else do we share photos? We want acknowledgement. Don't want comments? Post them on another site and disable commenting. Problem solved. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't make them rude or cruel. People often say things in type that sound harsher than they meant. This is because we don't have the benefit of voice inflection, tone, and body language to tell us what was meant by a particular sentence.

Box Opening: Ulla- DC Ada, legit

Ipod photo of the sketch, since scanner is packed...

I could not sleep waiting for this girl. I've been so stressed and busy, I was afraid if I slept I would miss the mailman and wouldn't get my girl until Tuesday...turns out I didn't have to sign anyway, haha.

(Ulla's name is actually from a series of short stories I wrote about a Swedish-American family in magical realism style. The main character's name is Ulla (pronounced Ooo-lah). I just liked the name for Ada.)

This Ulla awoke in a meadow filled with flowers and butterflies, so she is feisty and bouncy. She dreamt of wolves in the centuries before she was born, so she took the name Ulla.

Her "mothers", Saga and Alfie, can't wait to find her (e.g. arrive at my house lol).

Taobao Order Box Opening

This is my third taobao order. I thought I would show you some pictures of what I ordered and give reviews of the items and the shops. My total for this order was: US $117.80 (699.49 CNY), and that's with agent fees. The shipping cost for this order from them to me was an additional $30. Only mentioning this so you can estimate shipping for yourself.

Also, I will post pictures of the items with/on the dolls when I get around to unpacking them. I'm still moving so the only doll I have on hand is Hugin, and he refuses to model purses….

*Edit: I went and pulled Jack out of his box, so he's going model the purses, whether he wants to or not. Pics of the wigs on a doll to follow.*

First a review of taobao trends:

Taobao trends is really nice, and really great about communication. They aren't so great about paying attention to sizes though. Often I have received wrong sized items, but it's usually not too big a deal, and it's usually only like one or two things out of every order. In this order, it's the shoes and the blue Happy Chamille wig.

I may try a different agent next time, just to see what the differences are in terms of service, agent fees, shipping, etc. Taobao trends isn't bad, by any means. You just have to be really specific.

New Doll Concept Sketch- DC Ada (legit)

I did a quick sketch for my incoming DC Ada. I snagged her from MoC yesterday. I was lucky- there were only two or three listed (1 by the time I got there), and they sold out with an hour. I wanted a legit for awhile, but when they were discontinued, and I couldn't snag the last one at DDE, I thought I was out of luck. I had planned on a recast at some point, but S/L wanted far more than the Haven suggested they should be. He wanted to charge me $120 instead of $89...well that's only $30 less than legit, so I thought I might as well save up for a legit in the future.

My Nanuri, Alora, needs a body of her own, so this money was supposed to go to that. I couldn't resist little Ada. So now I'm back to square one saving for my conjoined twins and Alora's body.

I have a legit and a recast DC Alberta on the way home (the legit is on layaway so I won't have her until November or December), and one will be modded into a boy. I'm thinking little Ada will be their daughter. None of them have names yet. XD

Anywho, it's not coloured yet, but here's the sketch:

I have no idea how I'm going to make shorts that tiny, what I'm going to paint on her antlers, or where I'm going to get a size 3-4 wavy mohair wig. I'll probably have to make it.

Thanks for viewing. ^_^

Face Up Tips: Lips

As you know, I'm still working on improving my techniques so I thought I'd share what I've learned. Here is my trick for lips.

I'm addicted to shimmer powders.

A little background on this head: She's a recast Volks SD16 Kira. Her original owner tried to blush her to match a yellow skin body, and despite all my scrubbing, I can't completely remove it. [Edit: I have since removed it and redone the faceup.] So, this is making one eyebrow look really goofy. Please ignore that for the sake of the tutorial.



 

1. Block out the face up colors. On the lips, dab some color in the middle on the bottom and on the sides of the upper lips. (For a more solid lip, dab color over the whole thing).

Terms list, acronyms, and some FAQs

Awhile ago, I had the idea for a big terms list which included abbreviations.  I'm posting all that I have done so far on it. Enjoy!Links are not live yet.

I thought it might be handy to gather up a list of basic ball jointed doll terminology and acronyms. It can get really overwhelming, especially when you're first starting out. I know when I first got into dolls I made a list of each term I came across with its definition. It really helped! Fortunately, you guys won't have to do that, as you can just read this post.

Restringing a Feeple 60

This tutorial is to show you how to string a Feeple 60 the way Fairyland does it. You could probably string them the normal way, but I prefer the FL way. I'm going to rehash some stuff from the F60/SDgr hybrid tutorial post, so if you read that don't be surprised to see some of the same stuff here. On we go!

Ok first of all, this is a pain in the ass. Probably a bigger pain in the ass than restringing a pukifee, no joke. You WILL want help for this, or else you be looking like a dork like I was doing this.

You will need two lengths of elastic for the body, both about 2ft 4 inches.

Each piece should be around 2 ft 4in.

Unstringing the body:

This was a surprise. F60s need two lengths of elastic, one for each side of the body. To remove the neckpiece, first remove the feet.

A Reiteration: My Stance on Recasts

Every now and then I feel compelled to reiterate this in order to protect myself:

• I do not sell recast ball jointed dolls or any other product.
• I do not purchase recast ball jointed dolls for the purpose of reselling them at their value or for profit.
• I do not recast ball jointed dolls or any other product, nor do I even know how to do this.
• I do not help purchase recast ball jointed dolls or other bootleg products for others, but I will point people towards that information when I know where it is.
• I paint dolls, including recast dolls.
• I do not sell recast dolls as legitimate dolls, nor do I condone such behaviour. 
• I have no intention of engaging in any of these activities. 

Feeple 60/Volks Lorina Hybrid

Ok first of all, this is a pain in the ass. You WILL want help for this, or else you'll be looking like a dork like I was doing this.

This first tutorial is to show how to remove the neckpiece on the F60 body and restring it so you can use it with another head.

Note the First: You will want help for this.

Note the Second: Also, I kinda messed up on this leg. You will actually want to tie the knot and leave it towards the torso. DO NOT untie it like I did or hold the knot at the bottom. It makes things seriously difficult.

Face Up Tips: Eyebrows

I'm still learning and improving my face up techniques. I'm not the best or anything, but I have figured out some things that help me with my face ups.

I <3 shimmer powders!!!

A little background on this head: She's a recast Volks SD16 Kira. Her original owner tried to blush her to match a yellow skin body, and despite all my scrubbing, I can't completely remove it all [edit: I finally got it off and redid her faceup]. So, this is making one eyebrow look really goofy. Please ignore that for the sake of the tutorial.

Here's my technique for eyebrows. Update: Scroll to the bottom of the post to see recent eyebrows done with this method!

Photostory thingy: mature content

Alora's Dream

Alora has long dreamt of seducing the famous hero, Jack. She slept one hundred years in a castle surrounded by roses, cursed, dreaming of him.

He awoke her from her slumber, but he had another love: his childhood sweetheart, Jill. So Alora weeps, waits, plots, and often dreams...

 

Restringing a Pukifee- My Technique

There is pretty much no information available on how to restring these little buggers, so I put together what I could find and took mine apart. I do not have a legit to compare to, so I'm just going off what few tutorials did exist and what owners of legit ones have said. This method I'm going to show you works really well for me, as you'll be able to see in the pictures, so hopefully it works for you too.

(Pardon for the messy background. That's my painting table so paint is everywhere.)

My victim is Rumpelstiltskin ('Stilts), a Cheshire Cat Minion. Before this, he could barely sit upright. I'm not happy with the results of this restringing, but my fingers hurt too damn bad to do it again for awhile.

Stilts is a recast pukifee Pongpong from Steven.

NOTE: Make sure you keep the knot in the legs either in the shin or up in the hip area. DO NOT let it get stuck in the knee, like mine did. This will really make it a pain in the neck to pose.

Pukifee Poses!!!

Click here for the pukifee restringing tutorial!

Note: After these, my knot got stuck up in Stilts' leg, so I couldn't do any cool one-legged pose. Those will be tried eventually! Enjoy for now~!

On selling your first doll- I finally understand....

I sold the very first doll I ever purchased in the hobby this morning. I have some surprisingly mixed feelings about it. I never saw myself as attached to my dolls; I've never  really given them any kind of emotional value. I'd always kind of knocked and joked about the sentimental sales posts I'd seen on the marketplace, but now I understand why they do it.

I have empathy for those posters now.

My first doll was an Iplehouse JID Tania, legit. I didn't even know about recasts at the time I bought her, not that it matters.

I chose her because she was the closest match I could find to the then-unobtainable Luts Delf Spica and because I couldn't bear to spend money on an SD or a minifee. I've seen Spica a few times since, but I'm not sure she's (yes, she; I had planned on mine being a girl) my grail any longer. I found a good deal on her and a seller willing to do layaway.

I made things and bought things in preparation for her arrival…only to find out how oddly sized she was.

Comparison Heaven: One the Best Resources Around

I often link to this wonderful site: Comparison Heaven. I thought I'd write up a blurb about it and tell you to go check it out! All the pictures are screen caps from the site.

http://kihaku.fi/heaven/ (No direct links, per my personal policy, just remove the space after Home.)

What is it? 

This is a photo database put together to allow you to accurately compare heights and proportions of dolls.

How do I use it?

First click "add dolls". Each doll you click is it's own layer, so you can move it around on the page.

The Big Mnf vs JID Comparison

I see this question happen so often, I decided to do a post on it. This is just my opinion, so feel free to take it for what it's worth. Some people won't be bothered by the proportions, so I'll leave it to you to make up your own mind!

The cast:

Poe, a Legit JID Girl (based on my JID legit/recast comparison thread there is little shrinkage between legits and recasts). She has a pretty bad tattoo from when I first got into the hobby as well as a broken elbow. Poor neglected thing really needs some love. She also has the old style large bust, not the new glamour bust (the body S/L have). She desperately wants that new body….

Snow, a recast mnf Rheia: she is a bit smaller than a legit body but not by much. The size comparisons should still be accurate. She has her heeled feet on, so I had to support her in a few pics.

Conclusion:

• The Mnf is obviously the better poser for the dancer-ish poses, but the JID is more sturdy.
• The JID has a more useful mobility joint, and she can almost hug her knees.
• The Mnf body is better sculpted. The new JID body, the one L/S have, is much better, imo. This body is supposed to have additional posing modifications, but JID still can't compare to Mnf.
• If you're going with this hybrid, you will need to mod the mnf neck shorter to accommodate the JID.

I had some serious formatting issues, and I don't know why. Something was up with Blogger I think, so I could not rearrange pictures, nor could I add text between them. Weird!  In any case, I hope this post is useful. Let me know if you need more pictures.

Thank you for reading, and happy collecting!

On Doll Eyes and Eye Positioning

Hi there everyone! It's been a little while, so I thought I'd post up a tutorial on how to position eyes. I, quite frankly, am terrible at it, so I set off to learn what I could about positioning eyes. Follow along with my adventure!

I wanted to avoid this….

Which looks suspiciously like this….

And if that's what you're going for, great! (I think.) If not, read on!

On Scalping

There is something in this hobby referred to as "scalping"…usually this is someone complaining that the seller is charging a higher price for an item than that someone thinks they should. 

Take this recent confession:

http://confessionsofthebjdkind.tumblr.com/post/51317121650/it-literally-disgusts-me-how-much-people-are

From Stephensmithfx.com

Firstly, anything that is rare, limited, or sold out is bound to go up in price as the demand for that item exceeds the supply. It's simple economics.

Secondly, why would someone charge lower than market value or nothing at all for such an item? Aren't they entitled to receive the value of the rarity of that item?

 

Thirdly, the market dictates what an item is worth. You can post a doll all you want but if the price isn't what the market is looking for it will sit there for months, even years, waiting to sell until you lower your price.

Fourthly, this is what scalping is defined as: "Someone who purchases large quantities of goods (usually tickets) early with the sole intention of re-selling them at a higher price at a later date (closer to the event)." [Urban Dictionary.com]

Feeple 60 Head Comparisons: Nanuri A, Chloe, Mirwen

This comparison post is just to show and F60 Chloe and Mirwen. Their heads are pretty different in size and shape. I am including the Nanuri A head as well, since she's a dreaming elf Chloe.

Above is the Nanuri A (left) and Mirwen (right) side views.

Jill, pus ramblings

I normally don't post much non-useful stuff on here, but felt like sharing a photo. I'm feeling a bit stressed/overwhelmed in real life, and the spot of drama I caused with my ranty post didn't exactly help. Painting made me feel better. And my gosh do I love this girl! Her eyes are definitely too bright for my taste though. Going to have to see about swapping them out for some softer pale blue, like the photoshopped version below. I've been exploring some new face up techniques, but I'm still planning on going on faceup hiatus at the end of the year for awhile. Hopefully I'll have better/more interesting stuff on the blog soon.

Also going to redo my face up removal experiment, just to see if my results stay the same. anywho, thanks for viewing!

Jill, legit Feeple 60 Chloe

Face Up Removal: Windsor and Newton vs Isopropyl Alcohol vs Nail Polish Remover

I've removed a lot of face ups in my short time in the hobby (I've been around for about 4 years). I've used nail polish remover, Winsor and Newton (referred to for the rest of the post as W&N), and various strengths of rubbing alcohol to remove face ups.

I have a few dolls I've been meaning to redo, and I thought while I was at it I might as well take some pictures and do a few comparison/tutorial posts. The next post will be my face up tutorial. I may film it, but I haven't decided yet.

I've decided to do a comparison/how-to feature for these so you can decide which is best for you.

I'm not getting into the acetone/no-acetone debate thing though. I don't know enough about acetone to say either way. I've heard horror stores, but then I've used products with acetone and had no issues myself. So, it's best for me just to avoid that subject for now.

 

Rant: On being a stay-at-home mom in the doll hobby and whiny teenagers

I just had a teenager say this to me:

Name and other stuff in the posted edited for privacy.

So let me see if I understand this right…being a mother who stays at home, who cooks, cleans, and cares for children (well one infant in my case) is somehow easier than being a fifteen year old who lives with her parents? I'm going to assume that this was not meant to offensive or dramatic. I'm going to assume the person was merely expressing sadness at her lack of doll situation and difficulty finding a job. That really does suck. However, it brings to mind a larger problem in the doll hobby, and that's technically what I'm ranting about at the expense of this poster.

Edited to reinforce what I've said on Facebook and in this article because some apparently didn't understand: This is NOT about the girl that posted. She inspired the post, but it is not about her. "You" is a general "you", not YOU specifically reader, and does not refer to the girl who inspired the post.(And if she's reading this, I admit I don't recall your name, and I apologize if you are hurt.)

Secondary edit: The young lady responsible has stepped up and explained herself, and just as I thought and mentioned at the start of this blog she was NOT trying to be dramatic. She was trying to be funny. As I thought. This is just to stress that the post was NOT about her. It's about teenagers in general. She's obviously much more mature than the subject of this post, as she showed by stepping up and explaining herself in public. Good for her!

Also, this is not a pity party about being a stay-at-home mom. This was written in response to things I have had said directly to me, about me, and about other stay-at-home parents who have hobbies, especially expensive ones. There is no intent to compete here, neither with other moms nor anyone else. I used my personal experience to provide evidence and basis for my opinions, so that I'm not talking out my ass.  It helps the reader know where I'm coming from. I am not mentioning hardship to garner pity or to seem as if I am feeling bad for myself. It is simply to give examples of how your life will change and encourage young people to appreciate their youth while they have it. This is not to belittle the situation of working parents (whose jobs are even harder than mine, since they work both outside the home and in it) or of younger people, many of whom work hard and are responsible. You simply cannot compare being a child with being an adult. Both have their own struggles.

I hope that summarizes everything and accurately responds to some of the posts we've had. I understand that this is a bit of a drama-inducer, something I generally try to avoid and rarely instigate, but I may often misinterpret others' responses incorrectly and respond defensively. 

Feeple 60 vs Minifee Boy Comparison: Nudity/Peen Warning

Hey there, sexy.

Time for another comparison post! (Or as I came to call it, "Anything you can do I can do better" in honor of their apparent rivalry.) This is a comparison/review of the two bodies, minifee and Feeple 60. Both are legit boys. They are not sueded or wired. The recast minifee boy I sold recently could pose nearly as good as the legit boy once he was strung tight and sueded. It is possible to get recasts to pose well; they just take a little effort.

Give up Jack. I'm prettier.

When posing dolls, the trick is to find the doll's center of gravity. Then you slowly start adjusting the arms and legs until you get them into position, maintaining the doll's balance at all times. As with the girls, the boys were a bit unstable in some poses. I would not leave the doll unattended or in one of these poses for a long time, as they will most likely fall. Super duper crazy poses coming when I have a doll catcher.
 

Feeple 60 vs Minifee Comparison

Here is the promised Feeple 60 vs Minifee Review!

As always, please pardon the crap lighting and the pile of games/doll clothes in the background. Someday I'll take nice pictures. I have to reuse some of the photos from my minifee posing thread here, since both my girls need to be restrung, and I don't know when I'm going to have time to do that.

At first, I was really bummed out by the Feeple 60 body. It seemed unfinished, less refined than the boy body. It still kind of does, but I underestimated it's posing abilities. All of these pictures are taken without sueding, but I will be doing a posing post with both the F60 and girl and the F60 boy after I've sueded them. I didn't have a doll catcher, so I couldn't do a lot of really crazy poses with them, so I hope this works for now. (My designated doll helper is MIA for awhile, and my husband, bless his heart, is terrible at it.)

My helpers are a recast/legit hybrid minifee Chloe Sp mod named Zoey and a legitimate F60 Chloe.

Zoey on the left, Jill on the right.

Feeple 60 vs Feeple 65 Comparison!

Hi all! I had a request via Flikr to do a Feeple 65 vs Feeple 60 vs Minifee comparison! I didn't have a Feeple 65, so the 10thsdirtylittlesecret and Cpmasse helped me out. I have put some comments on the pictures themselves. I have tried to match up the dolls pose for pose, and if I have left any out or you'd like to see more, leave a comment and I'll see what I can do. Due to space issues, I've put the Feeple 60 vs Minifee comparison into it's own post, and I will link to that as soon as it's up.

Please pardon my crappy photos. I have a baby, and while that's no excuse, I do have to take advantage of any quiet moments I have to take pictures. In this case, it's midnight. With crap lighting.

Dolls in the photos not to scale- Since I could not put the F60 right next to the F65, pictures where they are next to each other are not accurate for height. 

Recast girl belongs to the10thsdirtylittlesecret: http://the10thsdirtylittlesecret.tumblr.com/ and http://instagram.com/desu_kirakishou

I'm legit! I'm a Soom Topaz on an F65 body.

Legit girl belongs to Cpmasse. Check out her photos here !

I'm a recast, and I'm adorable.

The recast F65 girl belongs to the10thdirtylittlesecret.

This F60 girl is legit, and belongs to me.

Friday Fluff: Head Size Comparison

 

Here is a random pic to show the differences between head sizes (all those pictured happen to be recasts for no other reason than that's simply what I was working with at the time). From left to right the heads are:

• Recast Volks Lorina (SD or 1/3 size, 9"-10" wig)
• Recast Minifee Rheia (MSD or 1/4 size, 6"-7" or 7"-8" wig)
• Recast Soom Aloa (YoSD or 1/6 size, 6"-7" wig)
• Recast Pukifee Pongpong (Tiny or 1/8 size, 5"-6" wig)

As you can see, the minifee heads run pretty small. It's usually a toss up as to which size they wear best, whether 7"-8" or 6"-7". It depends on the specific sculpt as well as the brand of the wig, and you can honestly go either way. I prefer 7"-8" for fullness. With a wig cap they fit great. 

Next week I will do a comparison between some different SD and MSD sized heads, both recast and legit. 

Thanks for viewing, and Happy Collecting!

Grendel of Trollhalla- The Stuff of Nightmares

 

Self-depreciating humour is still funny right?

SDgr vs Feeple 60 Comparison Part 2

I was able to do this sooner than I expected, since I had someone to help with the baby. I've got another pose-off in mind for later (Part 3, I guess) with trickier poses once I can find someone to be my dollie-catcher. For some of the poses the girls are standing on game boxes. This is just because I was having issues on the carpet for some poses and not for others. If you are posing your dolls and they seem finicky, try either switching to carpet or to something solid, like linoleum. When posing your dolls make sure they won't fall and break or have someone nearby to catch them.

Lorina has a really useful double-jointed knee that, when used right, makes her able to do a lot. Her mobility jint isn't useful in the way the Iplehouse mobility joint is; all Lorina's is good for is to twist the leg. You can't pop it out to make her hug her knees like with an Iple.

Note on standing with one leg: Both bodies can do this, but I couldn't snap a picture and play doll catcher at the same time. I'll try to get pics soon.

Note on crazy pics on the FL site: Obviously, Lorina couldn't pull all of these off, but neither could Chloe on some of them. With some sueding I'm sure Chloe could do all or most of the ones on the site.

Without further ado-

Let's begin!

SDgr Girl and Feeple 60 Girl Comparison Part 1

The SDgr girl body is a really popular recast. I thought it might be useful to show a comparison between the SDgr girl body and the Fairyland Feeple 60 girl body. I had to do this in the living room real quick while the baby was sleeping, so please pardon my husband's board game collection in the background. It seemed a better choice than anywhere else in the house. XD


The cast:

Recast SDgr Lorina from Steven, Roslynn (Little Red Riding Hood)
Legitimate Feeple 60 Chloe, Jill
Legitimate Feeple 60 Mirwen, Jack
Legitimate Feeple 60 Nanuri A, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

First, a little FAQ:

Q: Do any recasters have feeple 60s?
A: No, they do not. They do now, and they only have Mirwen on the large bust with pointy finger hands.

Q: What sculpts are the two girls in the picture? What is the boy?
A: One is a Volks SDgr Lorina, recast, with heeled legs. The other girl is a Feeple 60 Chloe with the medium bust. The boy is a Feeple 60 Mirwen boy with muscle body.

Q: Will you be showing comparison pics of the girls with Lorina's more poseable legs?
A: yup! I just have to restring her to be able to do that, so it may be a little while. Stay tuned!

Q: What are the measurements of these two girls?
A: Here ya go!

On the Importance of Confidence

A quick post inspired by some discussions on Recast BJD Haven....

Just like in the animal kingdom, predators tend to prey on the weak. They see an easy target, and they go after that target. They tend to avoid the stronger, more confident people because they don't really want a challenge. As an ex-bully, I can attest to that. It is much easier to pick on someone you perceive as less intelligent, less pretty, less strong than you. A person with little confidence is not likely to stand up for themselves, and if they try will back down pretty quickly; you come away the "victor".

Yes, yes they are.

Commitment in the doll world- a major issue?

Let me preface with this: I am in no way ungrateful to pretty much everyone I have dealt with in regards to my face up shop. You guys have given me a wonderful opportunity to paint dolls, see sculpts I've never gotten to hold before, and to expand my portfolio and build my reputation as reliable and trustworthy. Thank you also to everyone who has ever bought or sold from me. This post is not about you- you know who you are. It's not really about anyone in particular.

The problem:

Flakiness. People in the doll world seem to have problems with commitment.

Fluff: Concept for my Future Doll Chateau Alberta (legit)

Did a rough sketch while feedin' the baby last night. I was trying to decide between two dolls on my wishlist, either a recast Soom Zinc centaur or a Doll Chateau Alberta. I've sold enough crap to put either one on layaway.

It was a tough call. There are many dolls on my wishlist, but I'm sort of burnt out with my minifees. I am into the bigger and more unique dolls right now, so I defnitely wanted something weird or with fantasy parts.

I thought about a little Ada...she's just so weird and cute. Then I decided to just try to get the Alberta. I missed out on the body I wanted that was such a good deal, due to a buyer backing out (future post coming on flakiness in the bjd hobby).

So here's my concept sketch for my Alberta.

I will definitely need a floofy wig by Natrume. I have one on my F60 Chloe. Just need to pick a color. (must. resist. pink. I have too many pink dolls.) No idea about eyes or a face up or anything. I only know she'll need a corset, bloomers, and little boots or ballet flats.

I'm thinking she'll be a little neo-Victorian fairy thing. She will probably not be a specific fairy tale character like most of my other dolls (she'll be like Zoey, who is just Zoey and doesn't fit the theme).

Possible name ideas: Fortuna, Fable, Whimsy, Sidhe, or something like that.

A Mostly-Text BJD Repair Tutorial

Sometimes dolls get cracked or broken. This sucks. Sometimes you can order replacement parts from the company, but other times you can't (you bought it second hand, too expensive, it's a recast, it's sold out, etc). You CAN fix your doll and make it good as new.

What you need:

Milliput or other Epoxy, Super glue, or epoxy glue
Tools to spread the milliput
fine sandpaper

Epoxy is amazing stuff. You can make pretty much anything out of it, you can sculpt it, modify it once it's dry, and paint over it.

Step 1:
Wash your hands, your work area, and your doll thoroughly. There is little worse than getting little bits of lint stuck in your epoxy after it's dried. Epoxy also best adheres to a clean, dry surface.

My Thoughts on Ipernity and Flikr [Profanity warning: I swear a bit in here.]

A lot of other bloggers have written on this topic, but I'll chime in anyway. 

My random thoughts on the new Flikr:

1. The CEO said some stupid shit. I say stupid shit all the time. If the product works, I'll excuse it. At least once.
2. Some facts: the home page defaults to your friends' photos, not your stats. This is annoying, but dealable. On the plus side, you get to have a neato cover photo and pretty much unlimited storing and upload capacity. And if you're old kind of Pro, you get to stay that way.
3. I'll be staying with the old Pro account, at least for awhile. I like not having ads, but I don't know if paying $24-ish per year is worth not having them. I'll have to check my free accounts to see how intrusive the ads are. They can't be worse than facebook.

Recasts and Fake Certificates or Headplates

Recasts sometimes come with fake certificates or headplates. The recasts that do, that I know of offhand, are Iplehouse, Soom, and Volks dolls. This is not a legal discussion, but just a helpful guide.

*new info added at the bottom of the post*

Volks are probably the number one recast doll, perhaps possibly tied with Soom. The recasters often include fake plates with Volks dolls. The metal plates can be determined as forgeries fairly easily (though I don't have access to a legit Volks for further detail this should help):

Plate reads: 1012/DP24

• Plate is ill-fitting
• Plate is of low quality
• Plate lists a Dollpa that never happened or won't happen until a future date
• Plate lists a Dollpa that does not correlate with the Volks doll (a year when the doll wasn't produced)

Here is a pic of my fake Volks' plate (I did not make this plate, nor do I even know how to find them).

Jack and Jill, Double Box Opening: Legitimate Fairyland Feeple 60 Mirwen and Chloe plus other stuffs

(The lighting is really bad in my house despite the sunlight, so apologies for the weird lighting in the pics. I decided against doing a video, since I figured I'd have to cut and pause every five seconds for the baby.)

So I ordered these guys around tax time this year. With no pressing obligations, I was able to do a dream order without feeling guilty. I got two Feeple 60s and all the Valentine items to go with them. After nearly three months waiting, they arrived this morning!

I woke up early to wait for the postman. I figured he'd show up with the slip in hand, ready to just leave it and take off without having to carry the package (I don't blame him, the box is heavy!). He was surprised when I opened the door. He had the form already all filled out and everything and was a bit annoyed he had to go back to the truck for the box.

The box, by the way, was huge.

How Choose a Doll

Really, no one can tell you exactly how or what doll to choose. Yet, people still ask all the time. So I've decided to put together a small guide to help those of you who want some help.

There are a few places you can go for handy links. DoA has a list of dolls under $300 as well as a database full of sculpts and companies. Be sure to check these out.

FAQ: Items to have on hand for your first doll and What is a Box Opening

This is another question I find frequently on forums. I've put together a simple list for those who are interested. It's just my opinion, and nothing is really mandatory. I will add to it as I think of more things or get suggestions. Hope this helps!

You'll want basic things to clean and maintain your doll.

• Mr. Clean Magic Erasor or other magic sponge
• Isopropyl alcohol (for cleaning smudges and stuff)
• Elastic- not a must, but handy especially if you're buying second hand
• Eye putty- not a must, but handy to have

Face Up FAQ and Tutorial

This post is to highlight some of my face-up techniques. I'm by no means the best, and there are lots of face-up tutorials out there, but hopefully you will get some use out of this tutorial. :) I will try to update this post as I come across more face up questions. First, the FAQ, then the materials list, followed by the tutorial.

Note: I don't update this as I improve my faceups because that's a pain in the butt, so if you want to see my latest stuff you can always check my flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/

Face Up FAQ

Q:What materials do I need?
A:See below!

FAQ: Ordering a Doll From a Company or Dealer

How do I buy a doll?

Buying your first doll can be really intimidating. It's a lot of money to shell out at once, plus a long wait…it can be scary! The following post should help you feel better about purchasing a doll.I'm including some screenshot of the process for Fairyland, but it's the same basic process no matter where you shop. All screen shots are of FL's page. I've merely used them to illustrate the points.

Miniature Book of Shadows Tutorial

You'll need:

• Cardboard (thickness is up to you, but I like to use corrugated cardboard)
• Glue (Elmer's white glue or glue stick, hot glue or super glue or other strong glue)
• Dark tea bag, steeped (but don't burn yourself!)
• Match or lighter
• Water
• Decorative objects (flowers, scrapbooking materials, stickers, etc)
• Printed pictures
• Ribbons
• Decorative paper and/or fabric
• Stapler or thread and needle
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil

Fluff with pics: Rain storm!

We are having a huge rain storm here. I love the rain. I find it soothing, romantic, uplifting...so I had to take a dollie out to go play in it. Didn't have time for too many photos, but I took a few of Roslynn, my Little Red Riding Hood. This is her new look (she's no longer my pretty little Lolita girl). I'll list the info about her outfit and hair and stuff at the end of the post. I'm a terrible photographer and queen of the unflattering angle, but thank you for humoring me; I hope you enjoy her. Oh, and a bit of shameless self-promoting: I've still got 14 free face up slots left in total, so if you want one, snatch it up!

60 cm Shoe Review!

60 cm Shoe Review! (For dolls such as SD16/SDgr heeled feet, SDgr flat feet, and Feeple 60)

I adore shoes. I love them in my size, and I love them miniature. I'm especially a sucker for adorable heels. I'm making a list of different shoes and brands that SDgr girl flat feet, Feeple 60 girls, and SDgr heeled feet. I will note where I got them and what I thought of them. I will update this as I get more shoes to review. Hey, I need an excuse to buy more right? Check back for updates.

Thoughst on two recent bjd confessions...plus, NO MORE HATE

There is a confession about pro-recast hypocrisy here .This confession is worth discussing.

Firstly, as Resinmuse noted, simply wishing for the existence of a certain recast is NOT the same as buying it for the intention of recast. No one in the thread discussed buying the doll to send it to be recast.

Secondly, as Resinmuse also noted, not all people who buy recasts have the same code of ethics. People have different morals and ethics no matter what groups they are a part of. Just because you disagree with those ethics doesn't necessarily make them wrong.

Things will always be at risk for bootlegging, theft, piracy, and copying when they are subject to limited availability and high prices. It's just the way things are. We are allowed to voice sadness at this and get excited about the possibility of attaining things, even if there is no way we could or even would (I think the Kinoko Juice doll is just darling, but I would not personally purchase a recast of one).

Then there is this confession.

To compare recast buying with such hot button issues shows a lack of common sense and is nothing but extremism, no matter what side of the debate you are on. Do not bully people for their views and beliefs or else you become exactly the things you hate. (I believe Nietzsche said something to that effect….and I apparently can't spell his name sooo...)

There are pro-recast people who are pro-life, just like there are anti-recast people that are racists. Having one belief does not preclude another. This is like the antiquated atheist vs Christian debate, as in just because you don't believe in a god all the sudden you're a child-sacrificing cannibal who kicks puppies and wants to murder everyone. Or alternatively… being a Christian automatically makes you an uneducated moron who wants to return to the Dark Ages and burn people at the stake. Or you're all Westborough Baptist Church. Seriously? Assuming does make an ass out of U and ME, so let's avoid it, okay?

I'm a pagan, I'm privately pro-life, politically pro-choice. I don't steal (even though some of you might disagree), but I have done so to survive. I don't lie. I don't cheat; I cheated once in 3rd grade, got caught, and had to go to confession so I never did it again. I did, and still do, stack the Candyland deck to make sure I make it to the Lollipop Princess first just because I think she's cute. I also happen to be very anal about Scrabble rules. I'm not racist. I have no opinion on the sex trade (when it is choice not forced). I've never attempted to summon the devil by sacrificing a black cat (though I had a black cat who recently died due to coyote attack), though I do tell fortunes via tarot cards and use Ouija boards. I try to be the best person I can be, though I know I have flaws. I've had a parking ticket, but I never speed. I also purchased bootleg dolls once upon a time. Yeah. I'm a real monster.While I no longer own the bootlegs and have since ceased buying them, the point of this remains the same:

Everyone has a story, a reason for their morals, a reason they are who they are. The fact that they are pro-recast or anti-recast doesn't mean a fucking thing. Both sides need to grow up and remember this.

Please, let's just stop the hate. 

I apologize for the rant.

Thanks for reading, and happy collecting!

Slim Mini Shoe Review!

I adore shoes. I love them in my size, and I love them miniature. I'm especially a sucker for adorable heels. I'm making a list of different shoes and brands that fit minifee, Unoa, and JID girls (and similar sized minis), where I got them and what I thought of them. I will update this as I get more shoes to review. Hey, I need an excuse to buy more right? Check back for updates.If you have Den of Angels access, be sure to view the shoe thread for slim minis there as well.

Fluff Post: My Addiction to Multiples of the Same Sculpt...Especially Chloes.

I have this thing for owning multiples of the same sculpt. It's like, I get one and suddenly I need fifty.

It doesn't help that my favorite sculpt is the sculpt I first fell in love with but tried to avoid. It's like I'm compensating by buying tons of them.

I have a Vampire Chloe (Nanuri 10) boy from Fairyland….and I'd kill for another to be his sister.I have a modded sleeping Chloe…and I'm saving for like three other minifee Chloes in white, normal and tan skins, plus a Feeple 65 Chloe. I'm lucky I don't like Chic Line dolls or Littlefee much anymore. They make a pukifee Chloe and I'll have to add her to the list…

I managed to snag a Nanuri A Chloe (dreaming elf) and found myself scouring the MP for more…I'd love to own like…three. At least. My Nanuri A doesn't even have a body yet (I also do this weird thing where I buy floating heads of the size/make of the dolls I have incoming).

Friday Feature: Willow

This week's Friday Feature is Willow, my personal favorite girl Karsh, who's owner is AtticFlowers.

"Meet Willow! She is a recast Fairyland MNF Karsh on a female body.



 She was purchased secondhand from another collector who needed to thin out the herd, so to speak.

Sewing Tutorial: Minifee Sundress (Large bust, but can work for small bust)

Hi all! Sorry for the delays in posting. I've had a busy last few weeks (we're trying to buy a house and let me tell you, it is a pain in the butt), so I haven't been able to write anything. Here is a delayed but fun tutorial in time for spring for a Minifee Sundress (I'm sure this can be modified to work with any doll).

The minifee version of this pattern was inspired by an existing pattern called Robe Soleil, located at MHD Designs here. "This ensemble is based on a fashion pattern from MHD Designs." The originator of the pattern has asked to be credited, so there ya go!

This pattern is incredibly versatile. As the original creator noted, you can change the length of the skirt panels, add more panels, change the shape of the halter, add ruffles, hem the skirt, leave the skirt to fray, etc.

10 Minute Fur Arm and Leg Warmers

I have a guest post this week from Scarlet Study. She wanted to do a sewing tutorial for the first of my Tutorial Tuesdays (hey, it's still Tuesday!). This tutorial uses swatches of faux fur like those from Distinctive Fabrics online or from your local fabric shop. These arm and leg warmers are great for your ravers or scene kids. This tutorial is easily adjusted to work with other types of fabric or styles. 

Thanks Scarlet Study, and I hope you all enjoy. Now, on to the tutorial!

SDgr Girl Posing

A gal on Castaways asked for some pics of Lorina posing. Here are a few quickies I snapped the other day. I plan to do more and take better ones soon. Enjoy for now!

I hadn't originally planned on  blogging these, but I thought it might be useful. I had to crop myself and a couple Pepsi cans out of the photos. XD 


Tomorrow we will begin our Tutorial Tuesdays, and I hope to have one up at least every other week. It will be a sewing tutorial from a guest writer, Scarlet Study (her Munin was featured last Friday). And remember, if you'd like your doll to be a Friday Feature or you've got a tutorial you want to share, drop me a line! I'm also looking for people willing to assist with some recast legit comparisons. 

Enough blabbing and onto the photos!