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!

Art time!

Not doll related, but art related.  My stepsister is graduating this week, and I wanted to give her something special as a gift.  She really loves unicorns, and I thought it might be neat to give her a gift inspired by them.  So this piece is sort of supposed to be reminiscent of the unicorn's horn. I have a little story written up to go with it, about the elusive North American unicorn that sheds it's horn every year like deer do their antlers. So the crystal piece is supposed to be a found piece of unicorn horn (no magical creatures were harmed in the making of this jewelry!).  I still need to make a box and a card, but I thought I'd take a few shots of it with my resident magical creature, a dragon I painted when I was in kindergarten.

Jewelry Review

I occasionally throw in posts here about things other than dolls. I think that jewelry can fall under the category of a "vessel." These are two of my newest pieces that I just received, one of which was made for me while the other was a happy accident I stumbled upon.


This first piece is made by a jeweler I have worked with before, for my vampire ring. I contacted ChYMieRa in the hopes of having a pendant made to resemble the one Paksenarrion has in the book The Deed of Paksenarrion*. Said book is my favorite book ever (which is saying something), and I wanted to do a loose Girdish** warrior cosplay for King Richard's Faire this year. So I got in touch with ChYMieRa with my design idea, and after a few days I was sent pictures of this beautiful piece.

The pictures really don't do it justice, in person the crescent is amazingly shiny and so perfect. I couldn't be happier with the product, and as usual ChYMieRa was an absolute pleasure to work with. If you're looking for some unique jewelry or to have a piece made, check out the Etsy shop here.

This next piece was the "happy accident" one. I have a habit of just browsing Etsy from time to time, using certain keywords. In particular I tend to look for Sailor Moon and Buffy items. So imagine my glee when I searched "Buffy" and came up with this stunning piece. It speaks to the goth in me, but it's not over the top. I also am fond of the rosary style necklace, as long as it's not actually a rosary. This one has enough of a mix that I loved it.

An added bonus to the beautiful jewelry was that the Feral Strumpet was fantastic to work with. I have a general rule that I don't buy a lot from overseas simply because of the extra costs and problems that can arise with shipping. This time however I took a chance on her great feedback, and was very satisfied. The item shipped quickly, and she kept in touch even after it was sent. It arrived about when I expected, but even that was quick for overseas shipments. It was beautifully packaged (which is a weakness of mine I admit) and came with a great little bookmark as an extra gift. I am just tickled pink at the whole transaction, and will definitely be buying again. Please check out the Feral Strumpet's shop for more beautiful jewelry!

*The Deed of Paksenarrion is by Elizabeth Moon, and is sort of a "Middle Earth" style story involving paladins, elves, gods, and monsters. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
**Gird is one of the main gods/saints in the book, and by far my favorite.
Photos are credited to their respective creators. I use the photos from the actual item listings.

He's so fired.

I joked at the convention that Uri was the "guardian of my checkbook," but overall I don't think he's very good at that job. :P

This week I paid for some lovely jewelry for him from orangebabydolly on DoA. I had previously purchased a piece a while back for ye olde Paks from them, and it was stunning. So when they re-opened ring orders I jumped on the chance to bedazzle Uri. I ordered an engagement style ring with garnet stone and a drilled silver band for him. They were just finished on Wednesday, when I promptly saw a beautiful opal and silver necklace they also had for sale as a limited item. Cue money flying out of my wallet so fast you could hear it whistle by.

I also just ordered Uri some new duds from Wicked Stitchery on Etsy, a red and black vest and a long sleeved red/black striped shirt. Can you see a theme here? Someday I will do a little shot of all of Uri's red stuff, and it will probably take up my whole floor. It's funny to have a doll who has such a clear preference for colors. Uri loves red and black, likes blue, and can deal with a few others if he has to. Who am I kidding though, I love my picky little boy!

Off to bed now so I can get to work early and pay for my dolly habit. :)