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Sarah, now with pink hair and an updated outfit!

Sarah, now with pink hair and an updated outfit! published on 2 Comments on Sarah, now with pink hair and an updated outfit!

Let’s see…what’s the recipe for this doll?

1 Triad Otaku head
1 standard Barbie torso
2 CG 1.0 arms
2 CG 1.0 hands
1 27cm Obitsu pelvis
2 27cm Obitsu pelvis legs
1 repaint by Corsetkitten
1 head of hair from fake pink fur wig
1 Flavas baseball cap
1 set goggles from some war dolly
1 Uneeda sweatshirt
1 Antique Dreaming Momoko apron
1 pair Yu Sai Wa Wa capris
1 pair Medicom Fujiko bootfeet

Stylistically, Sarah is obviously related to Pippilotta and Rori. She’s not mismatching enough to launch into fabulosity the way that Zinnia Pascale is, but she has enough unusual elements to her outfit to make her look decidedly odd.

I don’t really like Sarah’s shoes; they don’t go with the rest of her outfit. I also need to weather her face.   Continue reading Sarah, now with pink hair and an updated outfit!

Amassing, playing, customizing, displaying

Amassing, playing, customizing, displaying published on 1 Comment on Amassing, playing, customizing, displaying

I have collected many dolls from various sources, but I do not think of myself as a collector. To me, a collector is a person mostly concerned with the acquisition of things, amassing a comprehensive array of stuff in a certain category. Collectors may display some of their stuff, but, in my mind, they are less interested in the objects themselves than they are the very fact of owning the objects. Having a complete set of something or a rare exemplar of something provides more satisfaction to collectors than the actual objects themselves. In fact, the objects themselves are immaterial; for example, people may collect experiences, less for the experiences themselves than for the thrill of pursuit and the sense of accomplishment derived from creating a complete set of something.

I do collect things, but not dolls. For me, dolls aren’t just physical objects, but confluences of several of my interests, talents and hobbies. They are kind of like lenses that allow me to focus my skills in writing, photography, set construction, painting, figure customization, sewing [?!], etc. I have a lot of them because I have a lot of characters. I’m not collecting a full set; I’m making a cast so I can play with them.

In contrast to a collector of dolls, I would call myself a user of dolls, in the same way that collectors of computers may be contrasted to users of computers. While collectors may fetishize completeness and the concept of certain objects, users fetishize interactivity. They debox; they customize; they pose; they photograph their dolls. They use them as dressmakers’ dummies, stress relief, story characters, construction experiments, etc. They may have lots of dolls, but they don’t think that they have collections; instead, they think of their dolls as works in progress. They can always develop a character’s personality or find a better outfit or repaint or re-pose…. To an untrained observer, a doll user looks pretty much like a doll collector, when, in actuality, the doll collector’s dolls don’t move, while the doll user’s dolls are constantly fidgeting.

FS/WTT: 60cm ShinyDoll first ed. Thaasa body, modded to accept CP etc. heads, $350.00

FS/WTT: 60cm ShinyDoll first ed. Thaasa body, modded to accept CP etc. heads, $350.00 published on No Comments on FS/WTT: 60cm ShinyDoll first ed. Thaasa body, modded to accept CP etc. heads, $350.00

For sale: ShinyDoll first ed. Thaasa body, modded by Elisa_Maza.

Continue reading FS/WTT: 60cm ShinyDoll first ed. Thaasa body, modded to accept CP etc. heads, $350.00

Sarah, shy trans girl in progress

Sarah, shy trans girl in progress published on 3 Comments on Sarah, shy trans girl in progress

Sarah is an experiment in doll Frankensteining. She has a Triad Otaku head, painted by the lovely and talented Corsetkitten, a Barbie upper torso, CG 1.0 arms and hands and Obitsu legs, all held together with my trusty friends hot glue and electrical tape.

All I know about her so far is what I see. Given her expression, she is shy, anxious, inquisitive and very soft-spoken. Given her very broad shoulders and narrow waist and legs, she is a no-op trans girl. Given her barely matching outfit, she has no fashion sense, but that’s not really a character trait because almost no one in the LHF universe matches. She reminds me of Jennifer Connelly from the movie Labyrinth; Connelly played a character named Sarah, hence the name.

Sarah, Sarah
Storms are brewin’ in your eyes
Sarah, Sarah
No time is a good time for goodbye

–Sarah, by Starship

Nothing to do with Sarah here, but I’ve been singing it to myself as I’ve worked on her.

I call her a work in progress because I need to replace her hair with pink awesomeness…or add pink awesomeness to the existing brown. A character this beautiful needs pink hair!!!  Continue reading Sarah, shy trans girl in progress

Faceup instructions for Little Will doll

Faceup instructions for Little Will doll published on No Comments on Faceup instructions for Little Will doll

Concept: Will is a young boy, between 6 and 8, growing up in the 1870s. He is a semi-invalid, due to chronic, acute asthma. He also squints a lot because he’s really near-sighted. He worries excessively.

Execution: Faceup should be done with a light touch in "nude" or "natural" shades, nothing too heavily applied. Slight shading around bridge of nose to make it appear narrow. Slight shading also in hollows of cheeks. Shadows around eyes to indicate fatigue. Worried eyebrows, high as if raised, pale in color to match hair [pale yellow]. Mouth should be pale pink, either in a neutral, slightly open expression or a small frown. No blushing on cheeks, nose or ears.

I like the shadows under the eyes on Planetdoll Riz [below Unoa Lusis] and the lips on toydogz4’s Planetdoll Roseanne.

Pictures of Little Will before he became a doll below.  Continue reading Faceup instructions for Little Will doll

Best Microman ever: Fyana from Votoms

Best Microman ever: Fyana from Votoms published on No Comments on Best Microman ever: Fyana from Votoms

Well, I think it’s the best Microman ever because it’s basically a super-articulated, naked female figure with a painted face, no hair and a broad array of hands, waiting to be customized. Unfortunately, she comes with some sort of electronic coffin, which exponentially jacks up her price. Yes, I know she’s a character from an anime series, but I don’t care. It’s a little naked doll waiting for a kitbash! Also did you see that she has articulated feet?!

Elfdoll Doona Ryung

Elfdoll Doona Ryung published on 1 Comment on Elfdoll Doona Ryung

Just as I apparently have a weakness for BJDs by Soom [having had in my house at one time or another a 30cm Uyoo and an 80cm Sabik], I also apparently have a weakness for the Elfdoll tinies, having had in my house at one time or another a 15cm Jin dal Rae [Geordie], a 20cm Hana Devil [Submit 1.0] and 2 20cm Kathlens [Absinthe, Little Will and Submit 2.0].

Anyway, I just recently caught some closeup pictures of the 20cm Elfdoll Doona Little Ryung. She is very charming. She looks more mature than her small, toddler-sized body. Her pointy chin and her petulant pout make her attractively expressive. My favorite faceplate is the one with half-closed eyes, which reminds me of Baozha. The annoyed faceplate reminds me of Cory [with the removal of the stupid leopard faceup].

Bad idea! No need to spend $400.00 to upgrade two minor characters who are already successfully enplasticated! Besides, I just upgraded Susie.

I wish that Elfdoll, like Fairyland, sold faceplates for the tinies separately. [Incidentally, Pongpong is my favorite Puki.]

Tanned Roxydoll Lucy = Susie

Tanned Roxydoll Lucy = Susie published on 2 Comments on Tanned Roxydoll Lucy = Susie

Susie Langdon, minor LHF character, is currently enplasticated by an Only Hearts Club head with a 23 cm Obitsu body. She will soon be upgraded to [yet another] 1:6 BJD, a tanned Roxydoll Lucy. As you can see from the photo below, taken by DOAer cerisey, the seller, she’s an innocent, serious, soulful doll with impressive posability for such a small [20cm] creature. She looks more serious than Susie’s original enplastication.

Anyway, because I’m paying $175.00 for her, Susie 2.0 will, like Absinthe 2.0, get a whole side plot devoted to her in my feeble attempt to justify spending that much for a minor character.

I notice that several of the young or young-appearing LHF characters are BJDs now: Absinthe, Little Will and now Susie. Michaela, however, is an action figure, as is Baozha. So is Little Anneka; well, more specifically, she’s an OHC doll with a haircut. She may upgrade to a mini BJD or BJD hybrid [as Absinthe technically is].

Also I have an extra sleeping Kathlen faceplate to work with…Hm….  Continue reading Tanned Roxydoll Lucy = Susie

Spike stole Nikki’s coat.

Spike stole Nikki’s coat. published on 1 Comment on Spike stole Nikki’s coat.

This fan-made BTVS/Angel vid, Origin Stories by  [info]giandujakiss,  argues that the ID of Spike with the Black Leather Coat of Bad-Assness glosses over the fact that he stole it from Nikki the Slayer, one of his kills. The connection of Spike and the BLCB-A runs over the story of Nikki and her son, Robin, who saw her die and ends up helping Buffy and co. fight Uruk-Hai uber-vamps in season 7. Even when Spike dies out of BTVS and reincarnates in Angel, he still gets the damn BLCB-A, a deeply problematic privileging of the pouty Romantic WHITE monster anti-hero at the expense of the interesting and complex characters of color. untrue_accounts  writes in words what the video shows in pictures, for those of you who are more verbally oriented.

I find these complementary commentaries deeply incisive and deeply disturbing, especially as they portray the actions of a fan favorite character to be the worst form of appropriation. It’s an especially bad form of appropriation because the show is constructed such that the audience is supposed to suck it up because a) Spike is so awesome!!; b) Buffy defends Spike, thus throwing her support behind his usurpations; c) did we mention that Spike is awesome?!!  We’re not supposed to criticize the characters everyone likes, even if they are doing morally wretched things, because the popular characters are Good Guys, thus inured to criticism.

Why yes, I am late to the party. What else can you except from someone who just discovered Men Without Hats at the end of last year?

4.3: “My Horny Friend”

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http://oddpla.net/lhf/?p=261

In which Will catches Mark in a compromising position and they have a serious talk. 

Comments: This is the first ep filmed with my new camera, a Kodak EasyShare Z712. Certainly, I could have purchased an even more expensive one with many special features for super close-ups and sensitivity to light, but this mid-range, slightly outdated model serves my needs well. I don’t do a lot of fussing with the focus, so I like its macro auto-focus feature, as well as its image stabilization, since I can never hold the camera completely steady. The higher pixel count in my photos results in greater sensitivity to light, more accurate color representation and finer detail. Hurrah!

“Get in the tub! In the tub! IN THE TUB!!”

“Get in the tub! In the tub! IN THE TUB!!” published on No Comments on “Get in the tub! In the tub! IN THE TUB!!”

Gary Takes a Bath is the funniest Spongebob episode ever. All the little details of Gary the snail’s character really make it. I especially like how Gary meows and Spongebob interprets it as actual words, how Gary can read books and move ladders though he has no arms and how Gary has a smile with little teeth in it. My favorite moment in the ep comes when Gary refuses to get in the tub. Spongebob releases him over the tub, but he just hovers over the tub, then teleports right back to Spongebob’s side. The conversation between Spongebob and Gary when Spongebob is up in the tree is also comedy gold, hitting all the right notes of "pissed off parent" and "defiant kid."

Making miniature food

Making miniature food published on 3 Comments on Making miniature food

Not that I need any more miniature oranges, here is a tutorial from miniaturist Angie Scarr about how to make miniature unpeeled, halved, peeled, even sectioned oranges! She writes a whole book about making miniature foods, for which she relies heavily [and cleverly] on caning, or making a tube of something to cut into slices of fruits, vegetables, eggs, etc.

The Clay Store has a bunch of tutorials, which can be modified and refined to suit my capabilities. Those that catch my interest are:

“Sans contrefacon, / Je suis un garcon…”

“Sans contrefacon, / Je suis un garcon…” published on No Comments on “Sans contrefacon, / Je suis un garcon…”

I liked Mylene Farmer’s music before I saw her music videos, but now, having seen a few vids, I like her more. In this music vid, Live a Bercy, she sings Sans Contrefacon to hordes of rythmically waving, singing-along groupies. Well, I think she’s singing. Given her sinuous dancing, she could be lip-synching. She radiates a great amount of energy, charisma and simple joy to be performing. At the end, when she is singing out to the audience, who answers her, I think she’s laughing; she appears to be elated.

Also I like the back-up dancers.

Click below for lyrics to a defiant genderfucking song!

Continue reading “Sans contrefacon, / Je suis un garcon…”

HLJ’s tempting sales

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HLJ has really slashed prices on some of their items. Though I probably won’t get any of these because shipping from Japan is prohibitively high, here are those that tempt me the most:

Medicom made a 1:6 Jack Sparrow from Dead Man’s Chest before Hot Toys started putting out their figs from the same license. This dude originally ran about $200.00, but now he’s down to $82.62, which is a steal considering the beautiful outfit [I always like historical clothes] and the lifelike headsculpt. Even with EMS shipping from Japan, he’s almost affordable…or at least more justifiable to me than he was at his original price.

All the Aoshima Girls’ Mission dollies are on sale too for 40% off at approximately $58.00 each. I like Rei’s outfit the best, but Miki’s open mouth gives her a cuteness not seen in the others.

Meyrin Hawke, who I think is on an Obitsu body, is 80% off at approximately $28.00. I don’t know who she is, but I like her because she’s a cute anime dolly with bouncy hair.

Victorian-ish possibilities from Renderosity’s marketplace

Victorian-ish possibilities from Renderosity’s marketplace published on No Comments on Victorian-ish possibilities from Renderosity’s marketplace

Cheaper than Daz’ stuff, but also of lower quality. Could be serviceable.

Assembled room 3, $9.90, http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=61941&Start=211&TopID=11219.34536.36591.

Old England Room, $6.50, http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=32346&Start=661&TopID=11219.34536.36591.

New Boudoir Furniture Pack, $5.53, http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=21194&Start=721&TopID=11219.34536.36591.

MW’s photos, now with silky fresh scent!

MW’s photos, now with silky fresh scent! published on 3 Comments on MW’s photos, now with silky fresh scent!

To soften the light from my desk lamp, I put fabric softener sheets over the bulbs…not because they are supposed to soften things, but because they were the only appropriately translucent papers I could find. [I wonder where the tissue paper went…] Not only are the results much easier on my eyes for all desk-related tasks, but they also produce photos with lower contrast and better, unwashed-out detail. As a bonus [?!], my desk smells like a dryer sheet. I deem this experiment successful!  Continue reading MW’s photos, now with silky fresh scent!

Rockin’ the ridiculous clothes [and a note about light]

Rockin’ the ridiculous clothes [and a note about light] published on 2 Comments on Rockin’ the ridiculous clothes [and a note about light]

So Doctor over on MWD picked me up some $5.00 Uneeda fashion dolls from an Indianan clearance store. He had previously posted pictures of the outfits from said finds. Amazingly enough, all pieces fit CGs, except for shoes and underwear. Attracted by the neon colors, I sought the Uneeda outfits for those characters of mine without fashion sense. Results are shown below.

Oh yeah…and a note about light. As shown in this photo, my spiffy full-spectrum lights are much too harsh, focused and intense, creating dramatic shadows that I don’t need all the time. I must figure out how to diffuse my light sources. And now back to our show.  Continue reading Rockin’ the ridiculous clothes [and a note about light]

Dead Girl’s Diary 2: “Calamity Follows?”

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In which Margie gives Absinthe a package, but it is not as exciting as anticipated.  http://oddpla.net/lhf/?p=258

Comments: Introducing Margie Lafayette, a marked contrast with Absinthe. After Dead Girl’s Diary 1, an entire episode of serious moping, I enjoy writing about Margie because she’s so cheerful and insouciant. She knows that Absinthe is a vampire burdened with painful memories, yet she still treats her with the same casual tenderness as her other kids.

The Undead Unitarians are Davry’s clan.

Dolls for my dolls

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Anneka and Will are each supposed to have some dolls of their own in 1:6 scale, but I’ve had a horrible time finding affordable figures in the 1:36ish range…until now. The Homies series of plastic figures, all 2" high or less, presents models of various urban characters, one set of which, the Micro Icon Punks, would be perfect for Anneka and Will’s dolls. But I still need to make at least one mermaid for Anneka and a Bru for Will…maybe out of paper…

Barclay’s O Gauge Corner sells O gauge [1:48] civilian figures for reasonable prices.

Here’s a 1:12 scale girl doll [by Sophie Drummond?] that might work as Will’s Bru.

Scribbling on my dolls’ faces makes everything better!

Scribbling on my dolls’ faces makes everything better! published on 1 Comment on Scribbling on my dolls’ faces makes everything better!

I deplore the divergent trends in male and female action figs. Basically, the male figs have craggy faces with a variety of ages, expressions and personalities [go to War Toys and look at the nudes if you need examples], while the female figs have stylized, generic faces with a tendency toward bland neoteny. I myself am not free from this bias, at least for female figs, but I actively fight it by scribbling on my dolls’ faces!!  Continue reading Scribbling on my dolls’ faces makes everything better!

Podunk, Vermont and other places

Podunk, Vermont and other places published on No Comments on Podunk, Vermont and other places

"Podunk" exists in the U.S. imagination as a mythical town of such remoteness and emptiness that it epitomizes hillbilly rurality, but, interestingly enough, there are several places in the U.S. actually named Podunk. One, a subdivision of the extremely small town Wardsboro (population 854 as of 2000), exists in my home state, Vermont. A few years back, the Washington Post gave an interesting, if cursory, look at the place with the folklorically charged name.

Podunk, located in Windham County in the extremely southern part of the state, flourished during the mid-1800s, peaking at 1000+ residents, most of whom were subsistence hill farmers. The population dwindled as residents of Wardsboro moved to better land or more industrialized places to live. By 1916, Podunk’s schoolhouse closed, and the forest began to overtake the once-cleared fields. Current residents sometimes happen upon abandoned foundations in the underbrush and, more poignantly, little cemeteries, mere family plots with a few markers. The population now numbers half a hundred full-timers, though that number may be increasing, at least on a seasonal basis. With the Mount Snow and Stratton Mountain ski areas nearby, Podunk now attracts vast vacation homes for skiers. Though Podunk is not an especially significant place, it is one with an interesting history, one that currently is being paved over by oblivious gentrification.

Anneka and Will in low light

Anneka and Will in low light published on No Comments on Anneka and Will in low light

I am playing more with my new camera. I learned how to turn the autofocus off so that it loses battery power more slowly. I also note that my new camera does much better in low light than my old camera. Both of these pictures are taken with my desk lamp pointed up at the wall to the far left of Anneka and Will.  Continue reading Anneka and Will in low light

Because pink is the awesomest hair color

Because pink is the awesomest hair color published on 1 Comment on Because pink is the awesomest hair color

Since I have finally figured out how to force my new camera to default to memory card use, I hereby present the Pink Squad [not actually a real group] of the LHF cast. Continue reading Because pink is the awesomest hair color

Marquis 1.0 and Dom 2.0

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Marquis will be enplasticated by DiD’s Ultimate Realistic Head 30003. Marquis has a very angular face, a large nose, full lips and an expression of disgusted cruelty that the aforementioned head captures.

Dom 2.0 will be enplasticated by the DiD scowling Timo Ducca sculpt [the top large picture on this page]. If this head reminds you of Davry, it’s no coincidence, as the Timo Ducca doll comes with three heads, one with a squinty expression, one with an open mouth and one with a scowl. The open-mouthed sculpt is the base for Davry. I selected the scowling Timo head for Dom because his salient characteristics are a round, soft, childish face and a conviction that the world is out to get him, both accurately transmitted in the sculpt. I’ll need to strip the paint, sand off the hair and repaint, but the essence of Dom is in there.

Why are the obnoxious characters — Dom, Marquis, Zinnia Pascale, Justine — always my favorites?

Boring clothes incoming!

Boring clothes incoming! published on 2 Comments on Boring clothes incoming!

I just bought some boring clothes for my dolls from War Toys, my preferred loose parts dealer. The damage was just around $54.00.

  • Carl Hages jeans: a baggy pair of blue denims with silly paisley accents. For Will and Anneka.
  • Attila the Hun shirt and pants: a simple loose white shirt and baggy black pants for figs who don’t care about fashion. Pants possibly for Gemini.
  • Roscoe shirt and pants: light brown long-sleeved shirt and dark brown pants for conservative figs. Shirt possibly for Max. Pants possibly for Mark.
  • Dr. J. shirt: blue/grey long-sleeved shirt for conservative figs. Shirt possibly for Max.
  • Det. Chow outfit: light blue T-shirt and blue jeans for anyone that fits into them. Pants possibly for Sibley.
  • CJ7 shirt and pants: white long-sleeved shirt and black pants for slender, smaller figs. Shirt for Mamie. Pants for Chow.
  • Mme Marie skirt: a long black skirt for a conservative female character. For Teodora.
  • 4 pairs of cheap, nondescript boots. Slip-ons for Chow. One pair for Max.

Glasses or spectacles for 1:6 action figures or fashion dolls

Glasses or spectacles for 1:6 action figures or fashion dolls published on 4 Comments on Glasses or spectacles for 1:6 action figures or fashion dolls

Kotobukiya sells a series of several styles of eyeglasses for figs. Each set comes flat-packed and cut out of a sheet of very thin metal, ready to be removed with wire snips and bent into shape. Hobby Search appears to have all styles in stock.

I swear Volks made some for Dollfies [27cm ones], but I can’t find a link. EDIT: Andrea, who is God, says that these no longer exist.

Forever Virginia sells sunglasses and eyeglasses at about 5 pairs per sheet of transparency plastic. You cut these out and then hook them around your figs’ ears.

Toymania has a tutorial on creating your own 1:6 glasses using wire, a paintbrush and wire snips.

Toybiz Xena for Teodora?

Toybiz Xena for Teodora? published on 2 Comments on Toybiz Xena for Teodora?

A suggestion on MWD says that Toybiz Xena might be a candidate for Teodora’s headsculpt. Wow, that takes me back. When those dolls were still on the shelves [2000/2001], I used a Warlord Xena head on an original character, Patti, the gruff, Red-Bull-swilling junkyard owner. Incidentally, she was trans. I still have photos of her somewhere with her custom Red Bull can, painted sloppily by yours truly…. I always liked the sculpt for its no-nonsense, pissed-off expression. Maybe this shall be my choice for Teodora, if only for nostalgic reasons; she has the same imperious front that Patti did.

I should post some pictures and descriptions of my first wave of figs, their names, personalities and relationships. I had quite the soap opera running on my desk, pictures of which can still be seen in my photo album [before the advent of my digital camera]. As I recall, there were lots of queer characters, drag kings and queens and BDSM aficionados. And who could forget the hard-rockin’ band Flaming Hot Pussy? [As I recall, Patti was the drummer, and Velvette was a guitarist.] Obviously I translated most of these concepts into LHF, although FHP never made it.

Justine in P.F.E. Albee Barbie clothes

Justine in P.F.E. Albee Barbie clothes published on 1 Comment on Justine in P.F.E. Albee Barbie clothes

Surprisingly enough, I’ve had lots of luck jamming wide-assed Cy Girls into clothes from collectible Barbies. Today’s successful experiment shows the outfit from the Avon P.F.E. Albee Barbie on a CG 2.0. The dickey to which the ruffles are attached fits with no problems, as does the bodice with train attached. The hobble skirt, a separate piece, did not fit over the CG butt until I ripped the seam a little bit, then pinned it back up after I hauled it over her hips. The train covers up the quick fix on the skirt, so the overall result is a historically approximate outfit and silhouette from the mid-1880s.  Continue reading Justine in P.F.E. Albee Barbie clothes

And lo, the earth was desolate and without toy stores…

And lo, the earth was desolate and without toy stores… published on 2 Comments on And lo, the earth was desolate and without toy stores…

…and the cities were barren of purveyors of playthings. The people were sore afflicted, and great was the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This call of distress has been brought to you by the fact that there is a toy store in Fall River, MA, Tony’s Toys, where I would like to browse. [I would like to purchase ZC Girls Janice there, actually.] However, public transit does not extend to Fall River, and I feel ridiculous purchasing something from this store and having it shipped from so close [yet so far away].

In the past 10 years, opportunities to buy toys have really dwindled around Boston metro. There used to be an FAO Schwartz in the middle of Boston, but that closed in 2002, I think. There used to be a Toys R Us by Alewife in Cambridge, but I think it might be closed. After years of financial hardship, Kaybee Toys is going out of business, which means that its location in the Cambridgeside Galleria is closing. At this rate, there are no major toy-focused retailers in the area!

One can purchase one’s toys from mega department stores such as Walmart or Target, but the selection there tends to be haphazard and disorganized. One can also purchase one’s toys from comic shops, but their selection tends to be small and marked up. One can also purchase one’s toys from small independent retailers — I really like Henry Bear’s Park, especially since they started carrying Iwako erasers — but small, independent retailers shun fashion dolls and action figures.

I get a lot of my toys online now.

Dead Girl’s Diary 1: “Irredeemable Mind”

Dead Girl’s Diary 1: “Irredeemable Mind” published on 2 Comments on Dead Girl’s Diary 1: “Irredeemable Mind”

In which Absinthe, the one who vamped Will, reflects on the pivotal moments of her life.  http://oddpla.net/lhf/?p=242

Comments: Welcome to another side plot for Love Has Fangs. Like Tale of Two Sisters, Dead Girl’s Diary follows the story of certain people who have fascinating adventures in the LHF universe outside of the main plot line. This particular parallel adventure concerns Absinthe, a vampire who died at the age of 13 and the one responsible for turning Will undead. What has she been doing in the century after biting her boyfriend? Find out here.

Absinthe ain’t your typical action figure. Her head is actually from a small Asian ball-jointed doll made by a Korean company, Elfdoll. The sculpt’s name is Kathlen, and it comes in open-eyed and close-eyed versions. I chose the one with closed eyes for Absinthe since it seems to give her a dreamy, thoughtful air appropriate to her character. Because the resin body that Kathlen comes on is just 20 cm high and not well-articulated, I put Absinthe’s head on an Obitsu body, a masectomized torso from a 27 cm Obitsu with a pelvis and legs from a 23 cm Obitsu. Her hair is a wig made of white mohair.

Oh yeah, and the snowy forest backdrops are from the Winter Wonder set of textures for Daz3D’s Woodland Realm Playset One. I would use actual forests, but I live in a densely populated suburban area and do not have any woods to take pictures of, so these graphics will have to suffice.

Otaku repaint by CorsetKitten = mine!

Otaku repaint by CorsetKitten = mine! published on 1 Comment on Otaku repaint by CorsetKitten = mine!

Corsetkitten and I are doing a trade in which we each think that we’re getting the better end of the deal. She’s getting some stuff that she wants, and I’m getting Birthday Party Fun from the Re-ment American Kitchen set and a beautiful Otaku repaint by CorsetKitten. The default Otaku looks stoned, but CK’s repaint gives her an inquisitive look with expressive eyebrows and a slightly open mouth. She has loads more personality. She has no planned character in the LHF universe, but I couldn’t resist her charm.

Doll notes

Doll notes published on No Comments on Doll notes

Looking for a better head for Teodora.

Pippilotta needs a better body. Her left arm is kludgy, and her ankles are loose and weak.

Sibley’s default paint is wearing off his hair. I am dismayed because I don’t use him strenuously. I guess I’ll just have to paint his hair pink and induct him into the elite club of awesome dudes with pink heads.

Teodora’s head? Opinions, please.

Teodora’s head? Opinions, please. published on 1 Comment on Teodora’s head? Opinions, please.

Teodora, Pippilotta’s great aunt, is not a Colonial type of vampire the way that Pippilotta is. Pippilotta is an immortal, undead, sterile vampire, while Teodora is a bruxsas, a long-lived member of an exclusively female clan of Portuguese blood-drinkers who live for up to 300 years, interbreed with human men and work magic with gardening, cooking and fertility-related arts. I’m looking for a head for her because my OK Girl head, a soft, dirty copy of CG01, doesn’t really resemble her. I think Triad’s brunette fem sculpt might be good, as might their auburn sculpt, which has a rounder face. Below are front and side hairless renders of Teodora, then the headsculpts from Triad. What do you think?  Continue reading Teodora’s head? Opinions, please.

I found it! Chancing upon a book after 12 years.

I found it! Chancing upon a book after 12 years. published on No Comments on I found it! Chancing upon a book after 12 years.

In the summers between college, I worked at the Bailey Howe Library for the University of Vermont along with my sister. I got paid to be surrounded by the largest collection of books in the state, and I enjoyed myself immensely. Besides the scholarly titles available, the library also offered a selection of casual reading, which was displayed prominently, along with other new acquisitions, at the back of the lobby on the first floor. I found many books to consume by sorting through the returns, stumbling upon them in the stacks when I was ostensibly making sure books were in call number order and, finally, picking them from the new acquisitions shelf.

During the summer of 1997, I saw a book on the new acquisitions shelf called Daughter of Darkness by Steven Spruill. The cover and title showed all stereotypical signs of being a thriller, possibly with some supernatural elements. As I enjoy thrillers, suspense novels, mysteries, etc., I picked it up. I saw that it was a medical suspense/vampire novel about a hospital intern coming to terms with her peaceful vampirism in opposition to her father’s murderous bloodsucking and picked it up. I read it quickly, liked it, then forgot it.

As soon as I forgot all the key details of the book, I wanted to read it again, primarily for the convincing biological interpretation of "hemophages," but I couldn’t find it anywhere. It didn’t help that all I remembered was the key invented term "hemophage" and the subtitle, "A Novel of Unearthly Thirst." Typing either phrase into search engines did nothing; neither did skimming my local library’s catalog of vampire fiction or even that of Amazon. Rather frustrated but not obsessed, I thought I would never figure out what book I barely remembered.

This morning, though, someone requested a Paperback Swap book from me, so I sent it off, then poked idly around the site, looking for a way to use my remaining credits. Seeking an anthology of vampire viction, Blood Thirst: 100 Years of Vampire Fiction, that contains my favorite story by Tanith Lee, "Bite-Ne-Not, or, The Fleur de Fur," I didn’t find what I was looking for.

However, I did come across what I wasn’t looking for. A keyword search on Paperback Swap for "blood thirst" brought up tangentially related titles…one of which was Daughter of Darkness. The cover seemed familiar and the date, 1997, was approximately right for when I first read the book that I couldn’t fully remember. Before my prefrontal cortex registered the title’s significance, I felt a familiar rise of anticipation because the rest of me realized that I had been looking for this book for 12 years. Curious, I clicked.

Hooray! An end to my quest! As soon as I saw the subtitle, I knew what I had found.

In any event, I ordered Daughter of Darkness from Paperback Swap, then discovered that it was the second in a trilogy. I just now ordered the first book, Rulers of Darkness. When I get another credit, I will order the third book, Lords of Light, even though it sounds silly. I’m so very gratified to have found Daughter of Darkness, a gratification made stronger and more pleasing by the element of surprise, since I wasn’t looking for it in the first place. Serendipitous discoveries make me bubble.

More pink hair, or, Zinnia Pascale! Now! With 103% More Awesomeness!

More pink hair, or, Zinnia Pascale! Now! With 103% More Awesomeness! published on 3 Comments on More pink hair, or, Zinnia Pascale! Now! With 1033 More Awesomeness!

I pulled out Zinnia Pascale’s dull default molded ponytails and bangs. In place of the ponytails, I glued two buns from some Bratz doll. In place of her molded bangs, I glued doll hair bangs from the same Bratz. Zinnia Pascale may now legitimately be counted among my pink-haired dolls. Furthermore, she has crazy hair to match her crazy outfit. She is the awesomest zombie I know!
Continue reading More pink hair, or, Zinnia Pascale! Now! With 103% More Awesomeness!

Ethan gets clothes; Will goes Wilde.

Ethan gets clothes; Will goes Wilde. published on 3 Comments on Ethan gets clothes; Will goes Wilde.

Well, I just paid for Ethan’s clothes, so he will have a complete outfit of shirt [which I have], breeches, stockings and banyan [last three commissioned]. A banyan is a loose robe-like housecoat for men, often with Chinese- or Japanese-inspired designs. Popular during the 1700s and 1800s in Europe, the banyan reflected a fascination with "Oriental" culture and motifs. Don’t tell me you didn’t learn something today.

I was talking to cobroldy, who did Ethan’s outfit for me, about doing a dandy outfit for Will largely copied after the affectations of Oscar Wilde. I’m not doing it right now because I don’t have the money, but I do want to record some ideas and sources of inspiration. Will’s Wildean suit will be in shades of purple, most likely aping the style of Wilde’s suit shown in these photos:
Continue reading Ethan gets clothes; Will goes Wilde.

Disabled spider rescued and rehabilitated

Disabled spider rescued and rehabilitated published on No Comments on Disabled spider rescued and rehabilitated

I love spiders, and I especially think tarantulas are pretty cool because they are hairy, so they look cuddly. Therefore, I found this story heart-warming. Basically the writer rescued a little tarantula from a swimming pool, where it was suffering brain damage and partial paralysis after being stung by a wasp and also falling into the water. The writer and friend nursed it back to health, even feeding it by hand because it couldn’t jump on bugs and catch them. It still moves slowly, but it can catch its own food now. Isn’t that great?

Incidentally, I’ve always suspected that, the smaller something is, the shorter its lifespan, true for birds, bugs and small rodents, for example. Tarantulas go against this principle, however. Though they are really big for spiders, they’re still small in the grander scheme of things, but they can live for decades. Longer than dogs and cats even!!

Reasons that I love Ivan Doroschuk

Reasons that I love Ivan Doroschuk published on No Comments on Reasons that I love Ivan Doroschuk

Above and beyond his ebullient, hard-pumping, catchy synth aesthetic, balanced with equal parts fantastical optimism and wistful melancholy aslant:

1. He plays air guitar at his own concerts.

2. He plays air drums at his own concerts.

3. He headbangs at his own concerts.

4. He jumps around in circles at his own concerts.

5. He incorporates these weird noises — "Wha hoo hah hoo haaa!" — into his lyrics, as if to indicate that the music is so kickin’ rad that it renders him wordless.

6. His style of "dancing" involves lots of fist-pumping, wrist-twirling, spinning in circles and hopping.

7. He never lets his complete lack of kinesthetic talent get in the way of his bodily transmission of the super awesomeness and hip-unscrewing abandon of his music. He doesn’t just sing and/or play the music; he becomes it.

8. He is a complete dork, and he doesn’t care.

Pink hair count +1

Pink hair count +1 published on No Comments on Pink hair count +1

Davry now has pink hair. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make him any less self-righteous.

I finally got a passable close-up of Will. Unlike other dolls of mine, his face is done more impressionistically, with fewer definite borders. My new camera picks up details such as this that I don’t even notice in real life. Also please note that the Cy Girl relaxed hands may not be the most detailed out there, but they are the most graceful and elegant. I think they work equally well for male and female figs. Will looks very amused by something in this picture.

In other news, the battery charger + battery that I ordered is out of stock, so I have to get one somewhere else. I also need to get an SDHC card reader. Fleargh.     Continue reading Pink hair count +1

I STILL LOVE YOU IVAN DOROSCHUK!

I STILL LOVE YOU IVAN DOROSCHUK! published on 1 Comment on I STILL LOVE YOU IVAN DOROSCHUK!

Even better now that I have discovered that RealPlayer has a feature allowing users to download videos, through which I am attempting to download the many mini-vids on YouTube of each song on the Live Hats DVD, my favorite Men Without Hats album. Then I will try to get them on a CD or DVD [I really just want the music, as much as I love Ivan’s jumping around] and put them on my hard drive.

Another for the list of Beautiful But Useless Dolls

Another for the list of Beautiful But Useless Dolls published on 1 Comment on Another for the list of Beautiful But Useless Dolls

Tonner makes a 10" friend to Tiny Kitty Collier, Simone Rouge. With a black bob and a round, pert face, the Simon Rouge Raven Basic edition is sweet and welcoming. Though fashions for Tiny Kitty and Simone Rouge tend toward the formal, fussy and mature, 10" Simone Rouge is just the right size for a teenaged girl or a petite woman in 1:6. Her price, around $60.00 in underwear, is about right for a doll that’s articulated as well as an articulated Barbie, but with bendable wrists. Like Momoko, she’s very cute, but useless, as I have no character for her.

Next! On the Cavalcade of LOLs! Also pictures with new camera…

Next! On the Cavalcade of LOLs! Also pictures with new camera… published on 1 Comment on Next! On the Cavalcade of LOLs! Also pictures with new camera…

Scratch that. I don’t have a dock for my camera. Ergo I ordered a camera charger and another battery. Continue reading Next! On the Cavalcade of LOLs! Also pictures with new camera…

Earring Magic Ken

Earring Magic Ken published on No Comments on Earring Magic Ken

Despite the fact that most of my dolls are queer and completely lacking in fashion sense, I’m attracted to Earring Magic Ken, a gay fashion disaster doll who appeared on the mainstream market in disastrous state. He would be entirely redundant, though, as I already have a character named Ken [Kenneth Sibley] and clothes that are even tackier than his default outfit.

Camera equipment

Camera equipment published on 1 Comment on Camera equipment

I just got a rechargeable battery for my camera and 2 4 GB memory cards. Since Staples was selling the memory cards for almost half off, I got a backup. Now to charge the battery when I get home…. I should probably get another battery too when I have a bit more money to dispose of. Well, there went my Momoko refund… :p

My new camera: Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS

My new camera: Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS published on 3 Comments on My new camera: Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS

Here is the page on the Kodak Web site for my new camera. I got it with a dock too. I really hope it came with a neck strap and a lens cap, but I can’t tell because I’m at work now, and my camera is at home. I also can’t tell if it came with a rechargeable battery pack, which I hope it did because then I can recharge the batteries on the camera dock. If not, it takes Kodak brand KLIC-8000 Li-Ion rechargeables. Damn proprietary batteries.

So far, this is what I have learned about my camera: Continue reading My new camera: Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS

New camera! Michaela with red hair!

New camera! Michaela with red hair! published on 2 Comments on New camera! Michaela with red hair!

I got a new camera in the mail today, a Kodak EasyShare Z712, refurbished, for <$125.00. I’ve spent the last hour learning its features and swearing at it. Its default pictures have much higher resolution, thus crisper detail, than my old camera. Witness the following picture of Michaela, who now has the red hair appropriate to her character. She’s not finished; she may get a haircut and her neck painted to match her head, but she’s in much better condition now than she was yesterday.

I hope I can work out my puzzlement with my new camera and get to work taking better close-ups.  Continue reading New camera! Michaela with red hair!

Momoko auction follow-up

Momoko auction follow-up published on No Comments on Momoko auction follow-up

After learning that the auction for the Momoko I wanted was pulled, I entered a Paypal claim for the full amount of my payment. This weekend, after the seller did not respond within the allotted period, I got a refund of the full payment, thanks to the Paypal Protection Policy or whatever it’s called. I’m annoyed that I did not get the doll, but grateful to have the $82.00 back to put toward my credit card, which still has an outstanding balance because of last month’s doll-buying orgy. I’m not sure I’ll be trying again for a Momoko, unless someone’s just selling her head.

The story of Justine and her hair

The story of Justine and her hair published on 1 Comment on The story of Justine and her hair

So I finally found a use for the Mikelman Candi head that I bought from Andrea a while back. I had intended her to be Cory, but she did not resemble my earlier 3-D renders of Cory, so no dice.

A few days ago, I got into my head that I would like a doll of Justine, the evil leader of the Sods, Will and Absinthe’s former clan. I rendered some 3-D pictures of her and, lo and behold, saw that she looked approximately like the aforementioned Candi head, which, conveniently enough, even had the overdone makeup required for her character. I popped her on to a spare CG 2.0, and she looked convincingly like the portly and powerful Justine.

I then confronted another obstacle: Justine’s hair. I identified some wigs that could be historically passable, but I didn’t feel like paying $15.00 for some hair. So I poked around online, looking for information about historical hairstyles, finally discovering a small collection of photos at Shooting Star History ranging from the 1860s to the 1890s. Of all the styles roughly contemporary with Justine, the so-called "up twist with Spanish comb" looked simplest and most achievable, so I tried to push Justine’s original black rooted hair into a French twist. I failed because it was too slippery.

I ended up sculpting a French twist out of Sculpey directly on to Justine’s head. Then I dunked her in boiling water for 60 seconds to cure the Sculpey. [Note: This is an appropriate amount of time to cure a sculpted hairstyle, even with delicate parts, without it pulling away from the head.] Then I painted it a light turd brown, then scribbled all over it with Tuscan Red Prismacolor, then sealed it with matte varnish. The addition of a few loose hairs around her hairline effectively concluded the sculpted suggestion of hair.

Below are the renders of Justine’s head which I studied in order to find a headsculpt for her. They are hairless to better reveal the shape of her face and skull. There are two of them because the left represents her in Victorian times, when she was arrogant and evil, and the right represents her now, when she is less evil. Below that is a picture of Justine in plastic with her French twist, waiting for her P.F. Albee Barbie walking suit!!
Continue reading The story of Justine and her hair

After all that piss about 1:6 Catholic schoolgirl uniforms…

After all that piss about 1:6 Catholic schoolgirl uniforms… published on No Comments on After all that piss about 1:6 Catholic schoolgirl uniforms…

…I found one in my doll drawers…and it’s explicitly a school uniform from a Catholic school, even! Said clothes came with Sideshow’s Dead Babysitter, whose head I used for the indefatigably fabulous Zinnia Pascale. Pictures and 1:6-related blather below.
Continue reading After all that piss about 1:6 Catholic schoolgirl uniforms…

Sign up for credit card; get free doll clothes.

Sign up for credit card; get free doll clothes. published on 1 Comment on Sign up for credit card; get free doll clothes.

That’s the kind of offer I can get behind. Amazon keeps offering me a $30.00 credit if I get an Amazon.com Visa card, so, since I was feeling like acquiring things without spending money today, I tossed a P.F. Albee Barbie and an Only Hearts Club outfit in my cart. With shipping, my total came to $29.09, which means that these purchases will end up not costing me anything.

The P.F. Albee Barbie commemorates a door-to-door Avon rep precursor who was active in the fin-de-siecle period. She comes in a beautiful lavender walking suit for respectable sales calls. Into this outfit I intend to jam the portly Justine. Wish me luck.

The OHC outfit, a blindingly pink jogging suit, will be divided up among my small characters, such as Susie, Little Anneka and Absinthe. Poor Susie…Her lightweight and very slender Obitsu body makes her look hunchbacked and cadaverous, despite her chubby little face. Maybe she needs some plastic surgery this weekend. I tried to bulk her up with a turtleneck under her sweatshirt, but she still looks fragile.

YAY FREE CLOTHES!

When I have some money…

When I have some money… published on No Comments on When I have some money…
  • Ethan’s knickers.
  • Little Will’s hair. Clarissa, size 4, $13.95, pale blond or light brown.
  • Leonora’s hair. Martha, size 4, $13.00, pale blond or medium blond.
  • Michaela’s hair. Penny, size 4, $13.60, red.
  • Justine’s hair (Victorian). Nicolette, size 4.5, $13.25, black.
  • Justine’s clothes (Victorian). Pillage Victorian Elegance Barbie, Victorian Barbie with Cedric Bear or Victorian Tea Barbie or Albee Barbie [Avon]?
  • Dowager Lily’s clothes (1910s). Pillage Gibson Girl Barbie?

Historically approximate hairstyles

Historically approximate hairstyles published on No Comments on Historically approximate hairstyles

Breanna, curly bangs, sausage curls in back, size 4.5, $13.50. Victorian child.

Clarissa, bangs, side curls, ponytail w curls, size 4, $13.95. Victorian child. For Little Will.

Erika, curly bangs, two bunches of curls on sides, size 4-5, $12.50. Victorian child.

Martha, updo with curly bangs, size 4, $13.00. Victorian/Edwardian woman. For Leonora.

Nicolette, updo, curly bangs, sausage curls in back, size 4.5, $13.25. Edwardian/Victorian woman. For Justine.

Penny, bangs, shoulder length flip, size 4, $13.60. 1950s/1960s girl or woman. For Michaela.

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