30 Day BJD Challenge- Day 5

5). What/Who was the very first bjd you saw?

Technically the very first dolls I ever saw were some EB Beauty models of Volks.  Not exactly the one pictured here as it was a few years ago, but you get the idea.  I can't even remember how I had stumbled upon them, but I know it had something to do with deviantART and probably some "Sailor Moon" search.  At the time I didn't have the means or the understanding to really figure out what I was looking at, partially because the website was in Japanese.  I just knew they were cool, even if I didn't get them.


The next time I encountered a bjd was on a craft forum, and she was a Soom Beryl.  I had vague memories of the first dolls I'd seen, but this was so much better in every way.  Not long after that I joined Den of Angels, and the rest is sort of history.

30 Day BJD Challenge- Day 4

4). What/who was the first bjd you ever owned? Do you still own them?

The first bjd I ever bought was a  WS BBB Ju.  I don't even have photos of her anymore, but she was pretty.  I bought her as a test basically, to see if I liked the bjd hobby.  She was shipped from a local business (Denver Doll Emporium) so it didn't take long, and she was inexpensive.  I reasoned that if I didn't like it, at least I wasn't investing too much time and money, and I could always sell her later.  After her came a BBB Apollo, that was my next step up from her.

In the long run while I liked both dolls (Apollo more so), I really didn't like the dolls' designs.  Nothing against BBB or RS as they have both come a long way, but they weren't to my liking.  I hadn't really researched posing enough, or even considered other companies enough.  Which on one hand I was okay with for the money aspect, but on the other had I done more considering I might still have my original dolls.  I eventually sold the Ju after giving her some mods and unfortunately the Apollo's old body was damaged by my puppy (no hurt to the dog!).

After that dolls came and went with a pretty quick frequency, until I got to Uri.  Even though he wasn't my actual first doll, I still consider him a "first" because he made such an impact on me.  And he is still with me.

30 Day BJD Challenge- Day 3

3.) Post a picture of all your dolls!

I unfortunately don't have a recent shot of my guys together as everyone is in one stage of disarray or another, but if you check out the Muses section, you will find shots of just about everyone.

30 Day BJD Challenge- Day 2

2). Do you own any? If so how many and if not, do you have any plans at the moment?

I do indeed.

If we're talking active dolls I have four (Uriel, Ghost, Nowell, Fumiko).  Inactive dolls I have four as well (Drusilla, Connor, Liam, Faolan).  So the total number is at eight.

30 Day BJD Challenge -Day 1

In an effort to post more...here's a thing!

1). Why do you like bjds?

Toys have always been my thing since I was little, though oddly enough not dolls as much.  But I've always found them comforting and interesting.  Bjds have that same feeling, but they take it a step further with their ability to be customized in every which way.  I love art, and the idea that I can have a doll I can repaint, redress, and refashion constantly is extremely attractive.

Admittedly I'm sure some of my love for them also comes from my undying fascination with Japanese culture.  The first dolls I ever saw were from Volks, and despite the fact that I had no idea what I was looking at, I couldn't help but see the similarities between them and my beloved manga characters.  The aesthetics of many companies, Volks and CP/Luts included come off as very anime-inspired to me.

In the end though, I just get a very wonderful, unique feeling from bjds that I don't from other toys or dolls.  Before I ever got a doll I spent a lot of time researching them, and one statement that stood out to me was the notion that these dolls were somehow different.  Some posts talked about their being made resin which caused them to hold heat and therefore feel warm (which sounds odd, but I understand it).  Others commented on the fact that bjds walk a fine line along the uncanny valley, sometimes veering one way or another.  For me it was just the feeling of finding the right doll, and realizes that this was important for me.

It's a good thing this blog isn't a living thing, or I'd be charged for neglect. :/

Thankfully my reasons for being away are mostly good.  Two very good friends of mine got married, and I was sort of overtaken by wedding prep and parties.  There were dress fitting parties, pre-wedding party parties, a day of pampering with the bride, the wedding, pre-honeymoon party, and finally a post wedding party.  All of which were very fun, but I kind of pushed everything else to the side for those weeks (month?!).

But I'm back now, though without much to offer up.  No new photos of the boys yet, or even any projects.  I've been fairly lazy.

The one thing I have been doing is playing and singing a lot of music, both original and cover songs.  I actually have a lot written about Uri's storyline, and a little bit about Ghost.  But I don't have much of that recorded.  Instead have a video of me playing one of the song's on Uri's mix: Sympathy for the Devil!

30 Day BJD Challenge- Day 10

10). Post a picture of a doll and an animal!