Update: Virus

The Haunted Vessel posts have been delayed a bit by a virus that completely devastated my computer. It deleted everything (programs, files, etc.) in under a minute. :( However the system is almost back up and running, so expect posts again soon!

Tattoo update!

Just a quick update concerning my most recent tattoo. It was my birthday this week, and it's my tradition to try and get some art on or around my birthday. This year I chose to get a Voltaire-themed tattoo. If you're unfamiliar with Voltaire, he's a goth musician who is also a bit of a renaissance man. He's done everything from stop-motion animation to toy designs to music of all kinds. He's a fantastic artist, and also a very down to earth, nice person.

I actually went to see him last week as a sort of early birthday celebration, and after such an amazing show, I felt a tattoo was appropriate. :) The piece was done by the very talented Frankie at Scorpion Tattooing. I credit him with the real design work, as I basically brought in a mock up and he turned it into something really amazing.

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.

Back from hiatus/vacation finally!

I'm back! Life tends to throw me curve balls when I least expect it...often right before I have a planned vacation as well. So here I am, refreshed and ready to blog once more!

This post will just be a "coming attraction" for the next few weeks. I've got Fumi pictures uploaded and ready to go, new pictures of Uri in his Vocaloid outfit, a traveling Vessel doll report, and a jewelry review! Not to mention the fact that October is fast approaching and that means the Haunted Vessel shall return with weekly posts. So keep your eyes peeled...or don't because that sounds positively gross. :P

More Fumi Updates

Despite being in the path of the hurricane, everyone here in the house of many dolls is okay. We had a lot of rain, some strong winds, and because of that no work today! As you can tell I'm not exactly broken up about it...

Fumi has her second face up which is much better than the first, and she is awaiting a new wig. She'd been borrowing an old one of Uri's (his blond synthetic one) for the time being, but that's just not cutting it. I found a Leeke wig on Denver Doll that's actually the same exact style I have, so I bought her one in a rich brown. Even though it's SD dolls that are supposed to be "another you," I think Fumi is quickly turning into my lighter twin. We actually might go as Lolita-esque twins to the convention in October if I don't decide on something else for her.

Pictures to come, but not tonight. I'm actually off to bed early for once!

Queen Fumiko

Well Fumi has quickly taken over my entire dolly kingdom and crowned herself queen indefinitely. She charms just about everyone despite her continued lack of face up. Aside from my sister who is quite convinced that Fumi is going to kill her in her sleep...

My problems with the Volks order were corrected, and her items should be arriving today along with the MSC I also ordered. That means that Fumi will finally have a face up either this evening or tomorrow. Knowing me I'll want to do it tonight, but we'll see how awake I am after work and puppy class.

Overall I am loving having another Volks doll in the house, and especially a DD! She is so fun to pose and play with, and she's got such personality. I'm sure she'll get her own Haunted Vessel post here at some point, but she is really full of life in a way that a lot of my other dolls aren't. As I've said before, Volks dolls are different from all other dolls. It's the way they feel, and the personality they bring with them, and Fumi is no exception.

I do have some shots on my camera to prove that she exists, but of course now my camera cord has gone missing...

Still Dollfie Dreaming

I am so enjoying having a DD girl! :) She's lightweight, and soft, and oddly enough warms right up when I carry her places or sit her in my lap. I don't have a lot of clothes for her yet, but she's stealing some of Uri's things, and fits the grand ball gown I have rather well.

I ordered her some MSC so I can do a face-up some time next week, and a few things from Volks. They had a DD restock, so I got her some underwear and two sets of optional hands (peace signs and kitty "paws"). Of course being me and Volks, my order was never confirmed even though the money came out of my account... They won't be in until this afternoon so I'll wait until then and see what happens.

Otherwise everything has gone really well. She poses like a dream, especially when not restricted by Uri's clothing which is a bit small for her. I'm thinking I'll spend this weekend making her some dresses and maybe a pair of pants.