BJD Addicts Written Prompt #25: Style!

I'm probably going to end up doing these individually for my dolls as they all have quite unique styles. However, for the first one I will discuss the new doll's style since she's the newest addition. 

I'm still figuring out all of her "likes" and "dislikes," but overall I'd say that her normal style falls between mori girl and grunge.

Yeah.

So on one hand, the style is very earthy. She wears a lot of browns, greens, and some blues. Mori girl style (translated it essentially means "forest girl") is what I think of as fairy tale forest wear. It's often not really practical for traipsing about in the woods, but it looks like what a fairy tale character would wear. It often involves multiple layers, loose fitting elements, lace, and patterns. There is also a form called dark mori that has a more gothic sense to it, and mori boy which features more masculine elements. I think that the doll/character would comfortably fit into all of these, although her dark mori definitely has more traditional mori roots.

I've included some examples of my own interpretation of the fashion here for reference. For the most part I tend to see the character in a lot of skirts and dresses with leggings, much like what I tend to wear. Her fashion sense at least is somewhat based on me, so I've tried to incorporate some of the reality of mori girl in to her wardrobe as much as possible.                                                                                                     At the same time, SC also wears a lot of what I like to call 90's grunge teenage boy fashion. This is again taken from my personal style as I favor this look on my dressed down days. It can be described as if Xander and Oz from Buffy had a baby who liked Nirvana. This includes more t-shirts, jeans (more baggy than fitted, but both will do), sneakers, and plaid shirts. 

In regards to whether she will change style much, that's something only time will tell. I know that there are certain things she wouldn't wear, aside from me putting her in them because I like the look. That includes the lolita style dress and even the blue star dress I created for her. She's not so much a flashy, frilly individual. Rather her style involves more earthy, practical clothes with a smattering of dresses.

Dolly Sewing/Dolly Haul: Forest Style

I haven't had a chance to sew much as of late since I've been quite sick, but I'm finally starting to feel a bit better so I managed to get some sewing in!

Some of the new doll's style is greatly influenced by the forest, primarily due to some elements in the story that relate to it. So I've been keeping en eye out for foresty pieces of clothing and accessories. I stumbled upon this dress by anekochansdollies and realized it was perfect. It is shown here in her photo, on a mannequin of sorts as it is custom for the new Resinsoul body. It's fairly simple, which is actually nice as it can easily be accessorized.









To go with this dress, I wanted to find some accessories that were more in the realm of green. I found this pair of lace leggings on DoA, and hemmed and hawed over them for a bit before finally going back and purchasing them. They arrived this week and are quite lovely all around Well made, and they have a distinct "fairy tale" sort of feeling to them. The item pictured on top is what I worked on today to go as a sort of waist clincher/faux corset. Again I wanted something green, with a bit of a whimsical feel. The nice thing is I have plenty of both the plain green and patterned green fabrics left to make some more items with. I think they would actually make a pretty nice dress as well together.

A small detail shot of it!

BJD Addicts Written Prompt #1: The Wait

Since I am in the waiting period right now, I thought this would be an appropriate question to answer! It isn't going to be a superbly long wait, but still some time. I expect to have my Resinsoul Mi's layaway completed in about two weeks or so.

Usually when I wait for a doll I...don't wait very well. I know, I know, patience is a virtue. Yet sometimes I have a hard time honoring that! I like to try and keep busy with other things to make the time go faster, or in the case of my most recent doll, make/collect dolly things in anticipation. My plan for Mi has been to get a wardrobe, wig, eyes, and accessories together before she arrives so that I can play around with her right away. I also really enjoy making things for dolls as I feel it helps me bond with them. So for her, I have worked to make clothes and a wig to start with, but there will be more to come.

I also like to do some creating behind the scenes if I have a character who I have a sense of already. This can be tricky because sometimes a doll arrives and is completely different than you expected. However, I really like the planning and imagining process as well. For my incoming Mi, I have a pretty solid idea of who she is and what she's about, though I'm trying to leave a little wiggle room as well. So in the interim, I've been working on writing prompts focused on her, and have also started putting together a playlist. That's one thing I like to do for all my dolls, as I feel it helps connect me better with my interpretation of their character. I also have a ritual if you will where I make sure that when I first pick up/open the doll I'm playing "their song." 

For those who are curious, here are some of their songs as follows:

• Uriel- "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones *
• Nowell- "Noel/What Child is This" by Tori Amos
• Emmanuel (old)- "Rhiannon Live" by Fleetwood Mac
• Emmanuel (current)- "Emmanuel" by Tori Amos *
• September-"Don't Go By the River" by Voltaire
• Nashuat- "Tesselate" by Alt J
• Resinsoul Mi- "The Woods" by Daughter *

The dolls with an asterisk also have a full playlist as well.

Inexpensive Dolly Finds: Hair Bows

The items found in this post were inspired by this video by Swandzz/Pintsizedpalace:

I went to my local dollar store and managed to find the same "tie" as she did, along with some similarly styled bows. They were just a dollar each, and very cute. I won't use all that were in the packages as some are not really the style I'm looking for (at least not right now), but they're certainly worth the price.

All of ones I'll be using (sans two that didn't really fit any color schemes). The "white" one in the corner is actually more of a creamy color, which will look nice with some of the clothes I already have.

Poor Nick Wilde got roped into doing some modeling for me since he was already close by. This is to show what the style itself looks like for the "tie" ones.

A style shot for the bows as well. 

Starshine Designs Review

I received my package from Starshine Designs on Etsy this week, and I'm very pleased with the results! Starshine makes a lot of fun MSD (mostly) and SD clothing items including shirts, outfits, and of course some amazing leggings. I like them in particular because they're not just your run of the mill leggings, they're sparkly, shiny, and even patterned. The prices are also extremely reasonable, which I can appreciate. I purchased a pair of the Halloween print leggings for the incoming doll, and the package arrived this week. I thought I'd do a little review as well to showcase my experience and the leggings themselves.






The leggings were shipped out within the proposed timeline (roughly 2-3 weeks), and arrived wrapped nicely in both outer and inner packaging. They were placed in a sealed plastic sleeve along with a piece of pink paper (which matched the order slip as well). I also noticed that they had included a free gift as well, which was in its own sleeve.

The gift was actually a set of cute little handmade "notebooks" that had covers made out of various colored paper. The books are stapled together, and the insides are blank. These are a lovely little touch, and a nice surprise addition to the package. They are in scale, so I will certainly be using them for some photos in the future.

 On to the main event! The leggings are the "Halloween Ghost Town" leggings in SD size. They retail
for $9.50 plus shipping. The pattern features a number of Haloween-themed images, from ghosts and pumpkins, to cats and candy. Very cute overall. I took these photos of the leggings by themselves, but I did also try them on one of my SD dolls to get a sense for the fit. They fit well, and do not come up short on the legs as I find can sometimes be a problem. The fabric stretches, but the designs themselves don't fade out when on, which I think is attributed to careful fabric placement.

Here is another shot of the full leggings.

Review time!

Pros:

• manufacture time is accurate (and maybe even quicker than stated)
• the items are shipped quickly and packaged nicely (tracking is also included)
• the leggings are well made, and fit the size accurately
• The design doesn't warp or disappear when it is stretched over the doll's body

Cons:

• I really only have one con, which is more tied to my own personal preference rather than anything else. Starshine Designs does state in the listing that the pattern placement can and will differ with each pair which makes sense. Myself, I found these leggings to be *very* different than the ones in the sales image. So much so that I actually did quite a bit of comparing to make sure I'd even got the same pattern. I did, it is just a very different part of the pattern shown here. Since this is stated in the listing and can often happen, I'm not going to leave bad feedback by any means. I do however think it's very important for people to realize this when they purchase, in case you're looking to get something very similar to what is listed. That may be possible, but you would probably have to ask for it specifically.

Overall I would buy from Starshine Designs again, though I will probably reach out in advance before ordering if it is a similarly patterned pair. I don't think that some of the other types of leggings would have this same problem since the patterns are more even overall. That one con notwithstanding, I had a great experience with the company, and am happy with the quality of their work.

BJD Addicts Written Prompt #8: Doll Sizes

Is there a particular Size that you cling to? Which one and why?

I am very much a SD person. Not to say I don't own dolls of other sizes, as I obviously do. But I do tend to prefer the larger sizes, sticking mostly with MSD and (my favorite) SD. I like 70cm like my big Dollshe boy, but I probably prefer the 60-62cm size a little more as they are still big but not overly so.

I like their size and their weight, as they are substantial but still portable. I’ve been known to carry certain SDs of mine around with me to conventions, on trips, and sometimes in my purse (okay, so it’s a big purse). SDs fit comfortably in the crook of an arm, and they are pleasant to hold because of their larger size. They also have a certain charisma that I feel makes them different than the other sizes. Now of course I’m not saying anything against MSDs, YoSDs, or others. However, there’s just something about such a large doll that draws people in. I used to go to a steampunk convention for many years, and would bring Uriel (CP Delf El) in matching costumes. The staff loved him, which always made me laugh. Every year they would pull me aside for pictures with him, and they frequently commented on that “cool big doll.”

I think that SDs can also walk a fine line along the edge of the uncanny valley, which I like.  Essentially the uncanny valley refers to the experience of something looking very close to human, but not quite right. It can cause uneasy feelings, or even outright fear depending upon the individual. There are a lot of things which can fall into the uncanny valley, but dolls are certainly some of the more common ones.

I enjoy that SDs are large and detailed enough to look like small people, and that their presentation (clothes, shoes, etc) can help influence this as well. Smaller dolls can be detailed, but still tend to come off as dolls based on their size. Yet when you have a “small” creature in a t-shirt, jeans, and very detailed hi-tops, it can give people pause. More than once I have had people mistake my SD dolls for children which is always an interesting conversation. I guess I kind of relish in being the creepy doll owner!

Dolly Haul

Some more items I received to add to my incoming Mi's hoard. I'm going to have to build a bigger closet soon enough!

First up on the list is the wig I ordered from Funnylori/Unstrung Hero BJD. As always it arrived promptly and is really quite lovely. The fur was suggested to be challenging, but honestly I'm not too worried about it. It's even tamer than I expected, and I've worked with similar wigs before. It's a nice brown with lighter tips, which is the look I'm going for. I've also started working on a wig that is brown and white, as the character has primarily brown hair with some lighter pieces throughout. So this wig will work nicely.







The next item I received is the necklace from Vanilla Mint Designs that I had mentioned last week.
It's even lovelier in person, especially with the way the beads shine. It appears to be very well made, and I am eager to try it out on Mi once she arrives. Shipping was quite prompt and it arrived nicely packaged. My only potential complaint was that it didn't ship with tracking, which is a little odd as I've rarely come across a seller who doesn't. I prefer to have it as the mail often works in mysterious ways, but at least in this situation it worked out well.











The final two items came from the same seller off of Den of Angels. The boots I purchased because they were inexpensive but cute, and would work well for a few of the outfits I have in mind. They are fairly stained on the heels/soles (which I was well aware of), so I think I will be reworking them a bit to cover those spots. It's hard to tell in photos, but they're actually a nice sparkly purple, especially when the light hits them.








The final item is a pretty knitted cloak that has a distinctly mori* feel to it. I think it will work well with some of the other outfit pieces I have already, along with some things I am currently waiting on and working on. The pin is also removable which is nice in case I want to use either item without the other.

Dolly Sewing: Crop Top, Plaid Shirt, and Harness

The new girl does tend to wear a lot of dresses, both due to her personal style and my own wish to put her in them. However, she also needs some more laid back elements to her wardrobe both for alternatives and due to story elements. One such item is her plaid shirt, which according to her story she "borrows" from her father. Initially I looked to purchase a shirt, but I couldn't quite find the right one. Most had silver threads or strange designs, which wouldn't do. So I decided to craft my own instead. This was a bit intimidating as I wanted it to be fairly accurate to real plaid shirts (with the various overlaid fabric pieces, cuffs, and working buttons. This is the finished product, which I'm particularly happy with!

The plaid shirt here is shown over the other two items I'v recently made: a white crop top and an elastic harness. I love how harnesses look and feel (I own a few myself!), and I thought it would work well for my girl's style. It's hard to show this without having it on the doll, but this gives you the gist. Once she arrives I will take some photos of her in it as well.

A Fox of My Very Own

But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world....
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

I recently watched  The Little Prince movie, and I immediately fell in love. I have never read The Little Prince before, but this movie pulled me into its world and convinced me that I need to. It reminded me a great deal of Coraline, and even a bit of Paranorman in some ways although it was created by a different studio. The animation was very well done, the plot and action suited the story, and the music was beautiful. 

The story follows along with The Little Girl who lives in a boring, grey, predictable world. She is struggling with growing up and the pressures her mother places on her future. She meets the Aviator by chance, as the older gentleman accidentally shoots the propeller of his plane into her house. The two connect, and he shares the story of The Little Prince with her. Of course adventures ensue, with a mix of real world and fantasy that come together in a wonderful fashion. If you have a chance to watch it, I absolutely recommend it.

While watching the movie, I was charmed by the fox toy that The Little Girl finds in The Aviator's house. He was very cute, and I have a weakness for fox plushies (as evident by my growing collection of Nick Wilde plush...), so I thought I would try and make my own.  He is a little different than the fox from the film as I couldn't find the exact fabric, and I wanted to tweak a few things. I will also probably switch out the current buttons for something slightly different in the future, but overall I'm really pleased with how he turned out.

I drew up the pattern myself, taking into account that he was mostly a tube with legs and a tail. If I make another one in the future, I will shorten his torso more as I do think it turned out a bit too long. I would also adjust his tail attachment as it currently does not allow him to sit very well. I would also probably add weight to his bottom/legs for this purpose as well. For his back I chose to do nine stars rather than a full coverage pattern as nine is my favorite number and it was simpler to sew a set amount. Overall I think his ears were the hardest part, and I would certainly tweak that part of the pattern in the future.

Some photos for size reference, he's actually quite big! He also does jingle like the fox in the film as I added a small pocket of bells to his head. So when you tilt him this way or that, there's a soft tinkling sound.

Dolly Shopping

More dolly shopping!

I'm mostly trying to limit my dolly shopping to items I can't make, or ones that would at least be more cumbersome to create in my current set up. Since I'm currently hand sewing everything (until/if I get my machine out of storage), I have steered away from some larger items and super stretchy fabrics. I did want at least one pair of leggings for the new girl, so I've been browsing on line to see what might work.

These ones from Star Shine Designs immediately jumped out at me because...well just look at them! Amazing Halloween print that is in scale mind you, and fits the SD13 range. These may take 2-3 weeks to be made, so they may arrive after the new girl does, but they will be worth the wait I'm sure. I've been admiring designs from this Etsy shop for some time, bookmarking various listings (especially the MSD ones!) for future planning. I couldn't resist jumping on these though lest they slip through my fingers.

The second item I purchased was another one off my Etsy wish list that I'd come back to several times over. It's a lovely SD sized necklace of Czech glass and opal made by Vanilla Mint Designs. I'm particularly fond of opals myself (they happen to be my best friend's birthstone), and this necklace is quite pretty. My dolls don't often wear a lot of jewelry, but each usually has at least one piece. This seems fitting for the new girl as it's pretty, but not overly sparkly or "loud."

I shall make sure to review these items/shops once they arrive!

More dolly sewing!

The dolly sewing binge continues!

I envisioned this set once I saw the skirt fabric, as I couldn't help but see a Halloween-themed Wednesday Addams look. The two pieces are separate, which means the shirt can be worn with other items as well. I also made another similar skirt out of some lace fabric which of course I forgot to take a photo of. It would require leggings or tights of some kind underneath it though as it is somewhat sheer. More photos of that to come!

Dolly Closet

 Lately I've been suffering from a bout of insomnia that's been bad for my waking hours, but fantastic for cleaning and crafting! The other night I decided I wanted to create a dolly closet of sorts so that I could display the new girl's clothes. This was the 3am brainchild of wrapping paper, a shoe box, a plastic balloon stick, and some felt. Oh, and a lot of double-sided tape. I added the flowers after the fact, and they work well as a stopper for the bar. It's more of a temporary set up, but I quite like how cute it looks. I made the hangers out of cardboard as well, and added some little clips for the skirt. I will be making some more clothes so that hopefully I can fill up the whole "closet" before she arrives.




Another image showing the little shoes on top. I think this looks so cute! I definitely want to make a better executed one with different materials in the future.

Doll Sewing: Starry Night Dress

I just finished making this dress for the incoming girl, and while it's not exactly her style, I'm quite happy with it.

Back of the dress with the cape/train detail.

Dolly Haul Part 2

 Some of the items I've been waiting on arrived, though I have to admit I'm most excited about the eyes. There's just something about doll eyes that can make or break things. The whole "eyes are the window to the soul" adage is quite accurate. These ones are originally from Ersa Flora, though I bought them second hand. The seller shipped them in the most adorable package (box pictured below) which is perfect as I can store them in there for now. They are even better than I imagined they would be. I wanted somewhat bright brown eyes, and these fit the bill exactly. Pictures don't do them justice really, but they are awesome.

Shoes! The pink shoes are adorable, and I think they'll work well for both the lolita outfit and the lacey white one.

These ones are also quite cute, and given the price I can definitely see getting more!