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Posts from April 2011

Lola Paprika’s vest

Lola Paprika’s vest published on 1 Comment on Lola Paprika’s vest

So I got the Dollzone outfit today, removed the fur from one of the armholes and the mesh holding the two sides together, thus turning it into an asymmetrical vest with silver leather and studs. Bluish or greenish, patterned underbust corset coming to finish off the outfit. Sarah just looks weary with the whole proceedings at this point.
Continue reading Lola Paprika’s vest

Lola Paprika’s Captured in Glass eyeballs

Lola Paprika’s Captured in Glass eyeballs published on 1 Comment on Lola Paprika’s Captured in Glass eyeballs

These had better catch the light well when they're in her head — dammit — or else I won't be very happy. Note the subtle gradations of pastel yellow, pastel blue, aqua green and whitish pink. Continue reading Lola Paprika’s Captured in Glass eyeballs

Sarah in Lola Paprika’s outfit so far, minus shoes, with bonus Junebug!

Sarah in Lola Paprika’s outfit so far, minus shoes, with bonus Junebug! published on 1 Comment on Sarah in Lola Paprika’s outfit so far, minus shoes, with bonus Junebug!

The pink hot pants and yellow stockings came in the mail today, along with Junebug’s armbands. Sarah looks increasingly worried about the tackiness of this outfit, while Junebug thinks she is awesome for having bright pink armbands.

Regarding the status of this outfit, I think I’m slowly achieving meretriciousness. Needs more necklaces and some sort of belt, though.

EDIT: I have [hopefully] commissioned a waist cincher somewhere in the neon green to turquoise section of the spectrum. I have also purchased the Dollzone outfit at the link here [secondhand, so as not to support evil cheating BJD co.] with the intent of modding the top into a beautifully overdone vest.

Continue reading Sarah in Lola Paprika’s outfit so far, minus shoes, with bonus Junebug!

Araminthe hanging out in front of the sky

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Good pictures just seem to fall out of my camera when I place Araminthe in front of it. I would say that she’s the most photogenic of my 1:3 dolls, with Sardonix and Junebug being equally second most photogenic and Sarah being the most difficult to capture on film.

I really like Araminthe as a doll. She’s wonderfully balanced; as you can see in these pictures, she’s leaning realistically, balancing on one foot and the wall. She’s also strung nice and tightly so that I can pose her limbs in almost any position without having them flop or fall. I also like her wonderfully pointy face. [See profile pic.] Continue reading Araminthe hanging out in front of the sky

Sarah models Lola Paprika’s outfit so far.

Sarah models Lola Paprika’s outfit so far. published on No Comments on Sarah models Lola Paprika’s outfit so far.

Sarah: "This is humiliating."
Me: "It’s only for as long as I need to take a picture."
Sarah: "Please return me to my NORMAL clothes."

Thoughts: Needs more yellow, green, layers, stripes and patterns. Wig is also a bit too big.
Continue reading Sarah models Lola Paprika’s outfit so far.

Overalls for Junebug?!

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So I got Junebug some pants recently from the horseriding outfit set put out by Karito, but I really dislike the pants. They’re very tight, and they keep slipping down when Junebug is sitting, which she does most of the time. I’ve been looking on and off for a maker of clothes for Karito Kids, but I haven’t had much luck, since KKs are 21", not 18" like the hideous beasts from the depths of Hell American Girls. But I just found a maker who works with Karito Kids: Doll Clothes by Carole!! Look at the patterns available for overalls; I think that Junebug would find the red curduroy print simply fabulous! I just E-mailed her to see if she would make a pair of overalls for Junebug with extra-long legs, so Junebug can cuff them. Junebug will be so happy when she’s not getting a wedige AND her underwear is not falling out.

Lola Paprika concept 2.0

Lola Paprika concept 2.0 published on 1 Comment on Lola Paprika concept 2.0

Okay, here’s what I have gathered so far for Lola’s outfit. The only definite items so far are the shirt and the shoes. I’m disturbed by the amount of matching going on between the wig and the shirt, so the wig may be replaced for a light pink mohair, even though I truly adore the violent magenta. The existence of the skirt depends on how loud it looks compared to the multiple layers of legwear and armwear. Right now it’s clashing nicely with the stockings, which may or may not be in the final ensemble. Further bulletins as events warrant, say, when the yellow polka-dotted slouch socks and the pink leggings come in. Excelsior!! Continue reading Lola Paprika concept 2.0

A 1:12 centaur BJD!!!!!!

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Daisy Dayes just came out with Elise, a 17cm high centaur BJD available for preorder at jpopdolls.net. She’s thin and delicate, with oversized hooves and remarkable stability. Oh, I really want her; I’ve wanted one of Daisy Dayes’ little centaur creations ever since she started making them individually. The only thing keeping me from dropping $350.00 on her is that I just spent more than that on Lola Paprika and her stuff.

But Lola Paprika needs a doll, right? Right…?Continue reading A 1:12 centaur BJD!!!!!!

Me and my expensive dolls

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I like expensive dolls, namely, resin Asian ball-jointed dolls. For example, my incoming Lola Paprika was $309.00 including doll, eyes, faceup [painting], outfit and shipping. Because she was on a special sale, she would have normally cost more. Without the steep discount, the same items would have cost me just about $615.00. You can see why I, accustomed to such prices for 60cm BJDs, call Lola Paprika my “cheap” 1:3er.

Anyway, even as I revel in the thought of getting such a beautiful doll for such a relative bargain, I am also highly aware of the loads of money which I casually drop upon BJDs. This is obviously a luxury interest, which sometimes leaves me ambivalent about spending so much. Surely that money could go toward things either more necessary than or just as enjoyable as, but cheaper than, BJDs. [For example, think of how much 1:6 stuff I could get with $309.00! At the rate Hot Toys’ prices are going, it would just be 1.25 fully kitted figs, but I digress. I could also get scads of crack…I mean Rement.]

Then I think about my BJD spending in context. In general, I don’t spend a lot of money. I don’t pinch pennies, but I also don’t spend excessive amounts of money when furnishing my necessities. Dolls and their accoutrements represent pretty much my only excess. Since my finances are stable and organized, I can afford to have BJDs. I am in such a position of financial and class privilege that allows me to say that I don’t think my interest in expensive dolls is a problem.

Today’s profundity has been brought to you by Angelsdoll, purveyor of BJDs with relatively realistic and affordable shapes. Today’s profundity has NOT been brought to you by Hot Toys, whose prices I find galling for 1:6 scale. [Funny how $125.00 is my limit for 1:6 scale spending, but a mere sneeze in the bucket against my 1:3 scale spending.]

Lola Paprika concept

Lola Paprika concept published on 1 Comment on Lola Paprika concept

This is my concept of Lola Paprika as of last night. Please ignore the long arms, short legs and other misproportions. Unfortunately, the concept has problems with it:

Colors are not accurately represented.
Patterns are not shown.
Outfit is not tacky enough. Not enough clashing patterns.

I’m working on all three of the problems as we speak. The result, I hope, will be very LHFy.Continue reading Lola Paprika concept

Rement disappoints me these days.

Rement disappoints me these days. published on 2 Comments on Rement disappoints me these days.

Where the company used to have more dinners, lunches, appliances, accessories and furniture available, it now seems to be reverting to its reliable standbys of candy and desserts. A lot of uninteresting things with various Disney and Hello Kitty themes are also appearing.

When new, interesting sets do appear, they recycle pieces from old ones. For example, the Teddy Bear’s Housekeeping set, which I like, includes dishwashing, soup cooking, and doughnuts, all of which Rement has done before. http://www.re-ment.co.jp/products/teddy/index.html  Even Rement pendants are boring this year, with the new panda pendants recycling the old set of Panda Kindergarten. http://www.re-ment.co.jp/products/animal_panda/index.html

I’ve also noticed a trend: the reduction of the size of Rement sets. Instead of a complete place setting with individual pieces of food, a single package of Rement might now contain just a cup, a saucer and a cookie. Compare #2 of the aforementioned Teddy Bear’s Housekeeping – a bear, a spatula, a pan, a pancake, a plate and a pile of pancakes – to #2 of Fun Meals, a set that came out a few years ago. Fun Meals #2 contains a waffle iron, a plain waffle, a waffle with syrup and berries, a plate, two crates of berries and a syrup dispenser. http://www.nrfbqueen.com/rement/lgpics/funmeals.htm Fewer pieces for your money in Teddy Bear's Housekeeping.

I look at Rement with an eye for diversity, usefulness and quantity in 1:6 scenes, and I’m not seeing much of any in the past year or so.

Lola Paprika, my new Angelsdoll Hyang

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So today I ordered my Angelsdoll Hyang, who came, avec faceup, to $309.00. Her name is Lola, inspired by the classic Kinks song, and her concept is that of a cool, somewhat mismatching, ‘80s style girl.

I met her in a club down in North SoHo
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca Cola,
C-O-L-A, cola.
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance.
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said, “Lola.
L-O-L-A, Lola.”

I’ve been shopping for her since this morning. I chose her some 14mm Captured in Glass eyes that are colored like a muzzy pie chart in various light pastels. I hope that the light colors of her eyes will catch light, which apparently none of my dolls’ eyes really do.

Her faceup will be a custom job painted to look like this one, shown on Angelsdoll’s Cat Avatar Ieseul. Look at all that blue and yellow eyeshadow!! 

Not sure what I’ll do for her wig, but I do have a nice light pink candy floss mohair wig that Divas by Design sent me along with Araminthe’s custom order. Or the hot magenta fur wig! Or she could wear the violent pink yarn one, assuming that custom order ever gets finished. 🙁

For her outfit, she’ll be wearing some of the default pieces that come with her, namely the black stockings, red snakeskin fur-trimmed jacket, black hot pants and black turtleneck sleeveless shirt. I hope to add hot pink leggings that go to the top of the calf, matching short armwarmers, as well as yellow stockings with white polka dots, worn slouched down, and black pleather platform pumps. I’d like to fit some neon green in there somehow too. She’ll look so obnoxious! 😀 😀 😀

Angelsdoll sculpts

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So today at doll club I saw an Angelsdoll sculpt, and I fell in love with the realistic proportions of both head and body. The headsculpts look smooth, realistic and expressive. Just for the hell of it, I clicked over to the Angelsdoll site to see what they were offering. They currently have a sale for their Hyang girl, which includes 30% off list price, $100 of free clothes, free eyes and free shipping. That brings the total of a blank, faceupless doll to $259.00. Standard faceup is + $50.00. A beautiful 63cm, with everything but shoes and a wig, for just a few dollars more than I paid for Dorothy [a 14cm Elfdoll tiny, dressed, wigged and shod]. I might not be able to resist that.

EDIT: And I just found out that her head circumference is 21cm, meaning that she can share wigs with Sarah! She will need shoes, however.

Doll club, 04/02/11: others’ dolls

Doll club, 04/02/11: others’ dolls published on No Comments on Doll club, 04/02/11: others’ dolls

Other people had some really striking dolls at doll club today, and Breck showed me how to improve the quality of my close-ups, so here are some detailed pics.
Continue reading Doll club, 04/02/11: others’ dolls

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