Shoe Making

 I'm going to be taking St. Christopher with me to our local ren faire for my birthday this year, and I've been working on an outfit for her. I shall post pictures of the finalized outfit soon enough, but I decided I needed to make her some simple shoes.Initially I wanted to make them to be tall boots (hence the first two pictures), but decided I really liked them as booties instead.

And the finished product! They're very simple, but I like that. I used the lace that is present in other parts of the outfit, and the brown felt will work well with the theme (Sort of wood elf/fairy). I do need to make some additional tweaks to the outfit and perhaps make her some wings, but I'm undecided on that yet.

Birthday Gifts Part 2

The second item I purchased for my birthday was one I had toyed with looking for before, but I wasn't sure how reasonable the pricing would be. I poked around a bit and with some luck I found one! Introducing the Build a Bear Howl-o-ween Werewolf!

This is the second version of the werewolf they've released (the other being the Moons-a-glow Werewolf), and he has grey-brown fur and glow-in-the-dark fabric on his ears and feet.

Unlike the other werewolf, this guy has just one little fang poking out of his smiley little mouth.

He is so cute and cuddly, and he sits very nicely due to his little tail. I had him stuffed pretty solidly as I like my bears to be a bit firmer. He's dressed in fairly simple clothes as I wanted him to have a more casual style, and also because one of the things I wanted for him wasn't available. He doesn't yet have a name, though I have a few in mind for him,

Bonus picture!

They have these adorable little camo bear boxers that I've been wanting to get for someone, but they haven't worked for any of my prior bears. They seemed to suit him well enough, so I decided to get them as well. I liked them peeking out a bit just over the top of his pants.

Birthday Gifts Part 1

This year for my birthday (which is tomorrow!) I decided to purchase myself to little presents and they arrived this week! (For the second one check in on Wednesday!)

The first item I bought was an outfit from Build a Bear's "International Collectiwear" series. I had glimpsed it online in a few pictures, and decided to seek it out. I did manage to find a reasonably priced one on eBay, and ordered it last week. It took a bit of a roundabout route shipping wise, as it somehow detoured once it got close. However, it did arrive, and I put it on Spock as he's just a wee bit spoiled.

This is the "Kimono Boy" outfit complete with hakama pants (attached to the top as well) and geta. It's quite nicely made, and fits Spock very well.

Making Pip

I had mentioned previously that I wanted to turn my Build a Bear "Bear-o-Lantern" into Pip from The Halloween Tree, and I started on that project this week.

For those unfamiliar with The Halloween Tree, Pip is the young boy in the center here. He wears a green/blue shirt, red overalls, cuffed jeans, and red high tops to complete the look. I wanted to try and modify some existing items if possible, though I didn't have a chance to make it out to BaBW as I live about 45 minutes away from the closest one. I think the shoes will definitely come from there, but the other items are ones I could pick up or create from thrifted items. So I made a trip to my favorite thrift store on their 50% off Wednesday sale to get some basic items.

Here is Pip dressed up in the unaltered items I thrifted. BaBW bears do fit into some children's clothing, usually in the newborn-3mo range. I was able to get the shirt and pants for a total of $3, and the suspenders for another $2.

The shirt needs to be hemmed and dyed, the suspenders cut down and re-sewn, and the pants need a tail hole at the very least. I may end up doing some of the weathering/patching as well, though I don't really want to cut the pants.

I have started some work on the shirt (and cut the tail hole in the pants), so see below for the initial steps.

I used Rit Dye in Emerald for the shirt, and just gave it a light wash over in it. I wanted the color to be blue and green, given how the shirt in the movie is interpreted as both.  Once dyed I pupped it in a pot of cold water, and then hung it to dry. This is the finished color.

Wig Making

I did purchase a wig for St. Christopher while I was waiting for her to arrive, but I also started making a wig. It was done with a self-made hard cap base, and brushed out yarn. I'm not always a huge fan of yarn wigs, depending upon how they look. However, this was a great way to make a wig, and it came out even better than I thought for my first time attempting it.

Essentially what you do is cover the doll in plastic to protect them, and then stretch a thin fabric over the head and rubber band it down. You add layers of glue (I used modge podge) over this to harden the cap, and can eventually cut away the excess. From there you would add your yarn wefts (made by brushing out and sometimes flatironing the yarn) with the same glue. There are some great tutorials out there including this one on Youtube.

Here is my finished product!

I will definitely be doing this again as I'm really pleased with how this came out. Even more so because her head seems to be an odd size, and the wig I purchased (and literally every wig in the house) is too big. She is just over the 8inch size, but an 8-9 wig is much too big for her while 7-8 may be too small. This is a much better, if time consuming, solution to the problem.

Introducing St. Christopher!

So I will admit that I kind of cheated when it came to a box opening, as I did it very quickly in my car. On one hand I was impatient, but on the other I wanted to make sure she arrived safely. There were a lot of horror stories of Mis arriving with broken fingers or other parts, and I was hoping to not fall in that category. Thankfully she arrived safe and sound, and I did take some blank doll photos after the fact.

I'm putting this beneath a cut because of dolly nudity.

BJD Addicts Written Prompt #7: Names

How do you choose your names for your dolls? Do you have any favorite names that you like?

“That's just the first part. What others call you, you become. It's a terrible magic that everyone can do — so do it. Call yourself what you wish to become.” ― Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two

I think the question of names is an interesting one, especially where dolls are concerned. Every doll owner has their own way of doing it, and some can be equally as simple as others are complex. Myself, I think I end up mostly doing it by instinct, with a side of choice at times. My most successfully named dolls (i.e. those that were not later re-named) have been those who very plainly told me their name. This usually happens before I even lay eyes upon the doll, and is akin to how many of my characters name themselves as well. Given that the dolls often either embody or inspire characters, this is fitting.

So what do I mean by this? I'll give you an example.

Before I got Uriel (CP Delf El), I had been working on a story line for my then angelic character Drusilla. I would write bits and pieces about her background and story, but inevitably every time I did I got sidetracked by another character. Now this character didn't have a name at the time or even a fully formed identity, rather they would just burst in and steal the show, leaving me wondering "Who was that?!" Eventually I began to pay more attention to the character, and I discovered that they could be called both Uriel and Beloved (a nickname for Uri in his story). Uriel just kept popping up in my head for seemingly no reason, but I continued to come back to it. Around the same time I was looking at obtaining my El, and realized that the two coincided perfectly and poof...there was Uri.

Since then I've found that music also plays a big role in the naming of dolls. I've mentioned music's importance before in this post, but it is important to note that music doesn't just come after a character is created. Sometimes it is the impetus for a character, or a name. Dolls I've named this way include:

• Nowell who was named after a song on Tori Amos' Midwinter Graces album. The song was "What Child is This/Noel," and I happened to be listening to it as I drove home after picking Nowell up from the post office.
• Emmanuel- oddly enough his name also came from the same Tori album, stemming from the song of the same title. This was less intentional, as I already had a song picked out for him. Yet as soon as I heard this song after obtaining him, I knew it was his.
• Nashuat- This interesting little fellow's name came from a song by Alt J called "Tessellate." It's not an actual word in the song, but rather a misheard lyric. "Chunks of you will sink down to seals/Blubber rich in mourning, they'll nosh you up/Yes they'll nosh the love away but it's fair to say/You will still haunt me." The actual phrase is "nosh you up", but I always heard it as nashuat (nosh-ooo-awt). I dug around for that word for a long time until I realized it wasn't actually a word, my mind was just obsessed with it. So when my creepy boy appeared in my life, I knew it would be his.
• St. Christopher- The most recent addition to the crew came to be named such because of a song by Daughter called "The Woods." The opening lines of the song are, "I asked Saint Christopher/to find your sister/and she ran out in the woods/and she ran out in the woods." As I listened to this song I kept getting a nagging sensation that I needed to write about this character that began to form in my head. Thus St. Christopher was born in all of her glory. Her story line involves her having the practical magic-esque ability to find anyone or anything, hence why she would be asked to find someone's sister.

Names can come in a lot of different ways, but overall they are an important element of the character and doll designing process. Naming has power, and by giving my dolls these names I connect them to their characters and the stories that they portray.

Belated Posting

My apologies for the delayed posts! I've been suffering from a migraine for the last several days, and being on the computer tends to make it worse. So I do have a few real posts coming once I'm back to 100%, but for the moment I wanted to share some photos I was able to take over the weekend.

 This first photo is one I took before heading out to the Labyrinth 30th anniversary screening I attended with some friends. I decided to dress up, and to dress St. Christopher up, because I figured if I could get away with bringing a doll to the movies, this would be the movie!

The next photo is of a new addition to the group here, just in time for the Halloween season to The Halloween Tree since I was a kid, and once I saw this fellow he instantly reminded me of Pip from the movie. For those unfamiliar with the story you can check out the Wikipedia page here, but essentially it revolves around a group of young friends who are trying to save their friend Pip and learn about Halloween along the way. I have some work to do on his full outfit, but for now he's wearing a fun little Halloween costume.
commence. I have a specific project in mind for some fun photos this year, and this guy will work well for my plans. I've been a big fan of

A sneak preview!

So...I did a thing.

A good thing really. Just not something I was planning to do quite yet.

I decided earlier this week to switch my RS layaway to a Mi with a face up instead of blank, as I'm not sure I have the space/time to paint her right away. As I did that, they also asked if I wanted to pay her off and well...I did.

Before doing so I did a little poking around in terms of her zodiac sign/"birth date" which may seem a little silly, but it's important to me character-wise. I had originally planned for her to be a Libra, simply because that's what I am and I thought it would be fun. In truth though, being a Virgo actually suits her character so much better, and fits in with a lot of what I'd planned out already. So I decided I would pay her off and have her arrive in the Virgo time period. Which is why I'm currently refreshing (and refreshing!) my tracking page as she will arrive today.

It feels kind of crazy for four months of planning to suddenly come to fruition, but I'm really excited. Of course today I have a million other things to do, including a Halloween party and some errands to run. But I will be able to open her at the part if I so desire, which is nice. Now I just need to relax for a bit (year right) and pack her bag. So barring any strange and unfortunately occurrences, my next post should be a box opening!

Future Plans

As the summer makes its way towards fall, I've been starting to plan ahead for a few different arrivals, events, and other things that will hopefully be coming to fruition in the near future. I thought I'd share some of these plans to mock up a sort of schedule and keep things on track.

• Doll clothes- There are still quite a few projects that I've been working on slowly over the last few weeks due to illness and of course the wedding. I'm hoping to ramp those projects up a bit to finish them before Mi arrives. Still on the docket are a skirt, a dress based on one from Practical Magic, and at least one pair of pants.
• Resinsoun Mi arrival- This should be at the very end of the month as my layaway ends around the 20th. I was going to pay her off earlier, however, if I wait and pay her off then her arrival will fall into the Libra time range. I'm also a Libra and my birthday is at the end of this month, and I thought it would be fun to have her come in around the same time.
• Renaissance fair- The fair I go to every year just started this week, and I'm hoping to get out there for my birthday again. I went with a whole pack of friends last year and it was quite epic! I would like to bring Mi and dress up, probably in some elf-themed outfits.
• Weekly October posts- I'm still planning to keep the same schedule up for October of M/W/F,
  
  however, I  am hoping to make the Friday posts special. I had previously done the Haunted Vessel posts before which were fun, and I think I've got some new ideas to carry on that legacy for the impending spooky holiday.
• Salm, Ma. trip- Speaking of, I think my friends and I may make one more trip to Salem before the holiday craziness completely gums up the works. If so, I'd like to bring Mi and do some photos.
• Build a Bear Workshop- I'm hoping that BaBW will re-release their Halloween bears as they have in past years as I'd really love to get the werewolf (I've been eyeing him forever) and possibly the bat. 

That's the short list for now, but hopefully I'll be able to cross most of these things off and have some great content to show for it.

There be dragons!

I thought that since I featured Mr. Spock in my last post, I might as well bring up my other Build a Bear friend that I've had for a while. I give you Toothless, the most sparkly dragon around!

I got Toothless when I was going through some difficult times and needed a little extra cuddling in my life. I went with one of my very best friends (coincidentally the one whose wedding I just attended), and it was nice to have her present to give the trip even more meaning. I ended up picking out all sorts of fun clothing and accessories that didn't have much rhyme or reason, but looked good nonetheless. Toothless is a little harder to dress given their body shape, but I made it work. Here are a few more candid photos of my favorite dragon.

Yes, I am in fact dressed like a unicorn in this picture. I think I should bring dragon selfies back, they were fun!

And now for something completely different...

Okay so not completely different, but it's not a doll!

I went out with my sister before leaving for the wedding to get lunch and also to visit one of my favorite places...Build a Bear Workshop. Silly maybe, but I find it to be such fun. The one I go to also has really fantastic staff who are great with kids and adults alike, and always super helpful and personable. I had planned on taking pictures of my new friend while I made him, but they were just too much fun and I completely forgot!

I was initially going to pick up their new Eevee, but I knew I wouldn't get there before it sold out (it did in roughly 6 hours!), and I saw another option that I actually really wanted to go with first. So I present to you, Spock Bear!

I don't know how I didn't come across the existence of such an adorable creature earlier, but thankfully they still had quite a few in stock. My love affair with Star Trek started when I was very young as my family watched it, and despite not understanding everything, I loved it. I didn't watch the original series until some years later, but I was well-acquainted with the original characters through books and movies. Spock in particular has always been a character close to my heart for personal reasons, and I was pretty excited at the thought of being able to bring my own Vulcan home. 

I did of course purchase his traditional science blues and a phaser (not pictured), but I also got him a few other items of clothing as well. Some of it I had to order as it wasn't in store, but this "dressed down" outfit was.

Little Vulcan tail!

I have some grand plans for Mr. Spock here, so I expect him to pop up on this blog at least from time to time. Especially with Halloween and conventions coming up. I have my own built-in cosplay buddy with him!

Funny little addendum: After I purchased him and all his goodies, my sister and I continued to shop for a bit. At one store I sat down, and a little boy came up to me and stared into the bag. He didn't say anything at first, but after the third time he all but climbed into the bag I smiled and asked him if he wanted to see my bear. He answered enthusiastically, and I pulled Spock out to show him off. He was delighted with the bear, if a bit confused by the ears. The best part though was that he loudly exclaimed, "He looks like you! You have the same hair." No better compliment than that! One final shot of us together in (unintentionally) matching shirts. Maybe there's more to this resemblance than I thought.

Live long and prosper!

Dolly Haul

A quick dolly haul to round out the week! I'm headed off to a weekend wedding for one of my best friends, so I may be a little delayed in posting on Monday depending upon how busy things get. I should be taking a small "field trip" tomorrow that should provide some blog-worthy fun, but we'll just have to wait and see how everything goes.

Today's haul involves the pretty wood-patterned dress from Anekochan'sdollies (paired with my handmade belt piece and the lace leggings) and a pretty plaid shirt and scarf combo I purchased off DoA.