Skip to content

Funniest Rements ever!

Funniest Rements ever! published on No Comments on Funniest Rements ever!

My full set of Rement Jumbo Food mascots [= cell phone decorations] came today. Isabel is making smart remarks about my favorite pieces of the dozen because the whole concept — big food, free from petty constraints of gravity! — cracks me up.
Continue reading Funniest Rements ever!

Oh Jesus, they’re back!

Oh Jesus, they’re back! published on No Comments on Oh Jesus, they’re back!

Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, authors of The Rules, a 1995 book of relationship advice for hetero women gender-policing blockbuster of retrograde shit, have repackaged their stale turds in Not Your Mother’s Rules: The New Secrets for Dating. Of course, the "new" "secrets" for dating are, in fact, your mother’s Rules, assuming, of course, that you had a mother and that she loathed herself enough to take the original turds seriously.

I’d like to check out this "update," if only to see what Fein and Schneider are saying about queer couples. As I recall, there were some vague statements about folks like us in the original Rules books. However, without the "war of the sexes/genders" framework in which to slot each of the players and their "opposite sexes" paradigm with which they make sense of romantic relationships, their comments amounted to, "The Rules are a good guideline for all relationships, even queer ones. Because of reasons. Yeah, and, um…stuff." There was a lot of tokenistic, slightly panicked hand-waving in that dismissive paragraph or two, as I remember. It was actually pretty hilarious.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1456506.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

What do you call a little hard piece of candy on a stick?

What do you call a little hard piece of candy on a stick? published on No Comments on What do you call a little hard piece of candy on a stick?

A smallipop, of course!

I finished making a bunch of 1:6 scale lollipops last night and tonight by modifying a tutorial by Linda Chang on WonderHowTo. She uses polymer clay for both lollipop sticks and the candy parts themselves, but I used toothpicks painted white, trimmed down and sealed with matte varnish for my sticks. I also lacked any colors of polymer clay besides white, so I tinted my clay with shaved chalk pastels, which worked really well! I was able to get surprisingly vivid colors, especially in my second batch of pops [red/white/purple].

These smallipops were really fun to make because they required very little effort to create a really cool spiral/swirl effect. My favorite smallipops are the green/yellow/white swirls and the red/purple/white ball pop.

Here’s Peter and Isabel showing off my smallipops. I love taking pictures of both of them because they have so much expressiveness in their faces. Peter’s all "Oh shit!" and Isabel’s all "No shit." Continue reading What do you call a little hard piece of candy on a stick?

The history of curry

The history of curry published on No Comments on The history of curry

Mostly Slate pisses me off, but occasionally it publishes something interesting. Today’s find is an article on the history of curry.

Archaeologists from the US and India are working in the Indus River Valley. They analyze the microscopic signatures of food remains to determine what people ate thousands of years ago. The ingenious methods are fascinating to read about.

Surprise surprise — they were currying the heck out of their cuisine, just the way we do today. [Well, not in exactly the same manner, but surely with the same amount of enthusiasm!]

…Now I want curry…

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1455650.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Zombieville stats

Zombieville stats published on No Comments on Zombieville stats
Name M/F PWS POC Self ID Fat
Anna F PWS   queer ex-fat
Béatrice F     lesbian fat
Blaze         fat
Carter M     bi fat
Isabel F PWS   queer fat
Arine not tan, currently Mazzy          
Arine tan     POC    
Chaz F PWS POC    
Dillon M        
Dr. Z. F PWS POC    
Elin, currently Avery          
Koit tan     POC    
Megan F   POC    
Novella F        
Peter M PWS   straight  
Rose, currently Jamisia          
Sylvia F   POC    
Theophany F        
Toxic Waste denizen   PWS      
Reaper          
Killer          
Charlie M     straight  

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1455268.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Fat doll clothes???

Fat doll clothes??? published on No Comments on Fat doll clothes???

I wonder if Groovy Girls clothing would fit Isabel? That would be awesome, as Groovy Girls epitomize my signature style and are available for $15.00 for a dressed doll. ^_^

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1455039.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Chaz and Dandelion!

Chaz and Dandelion! published on No Comments on Chaz and Dandelion!

Chaz, a denizen of Zombieville [my future storyline], is a Batchix Nan Sook BJD in tan resin. Her spondis [fictional condition that causes people’s body parts to fall off, which can only be arrested by a diet of 50% fresh human brains] has cost her her right hand and forearm, as well as her left foot and calf. Ideally she should use an electric wheelchair, but I only have one, which is currently occupied, so :p.

Chaz rescued her Russian tortoise Dandelion after Dandelion lost her leg in a car crash. Chaz nursed Dandelion back to health with a steady diet of dandelions…hence her name. Chaz and Dandelion love each other very much. ^_^

Dandelion is a custom Russian tortoise figurine sculpted by theTurtlePond on Etsy. She is anatomically detailed down to the accurate patterns on her shell. She is stylized, though, with a bigger head and eyes than true scale, as well as an overall larger size. [Female Russian tortoises rarely get over 8 inches long, from beak to rear feet.] She’s also smiling. I plan to put some wheels on an elastic strap that fits around Dandelion’s shell so that she can have a tortoise wheelchair.Continue reading Chaz and Dandelion!

Because the absolute worst thing in the world is to be femmey.

Because the absolute worst thing in the world is to be femmey. published on No Comments on Because the absolute worst thing in the world is to be femmey.

Here’s a perfect example of that bigotry in this BJD-related confession.

See Julie Serrano’s Whipping Girl for an analysis of the bullshit going on here.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1454287.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

2-inch figures!

2-inch figures! published on No Comments on 2-inch figures!

Disney makes a bunch associated with Tinkerbell and all her groupies. Cheap!

Do you know how hard it is to find 2-inch [1:36 scale, i.e., 1:6 scale for 1:6 scale] figures?

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1454018.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Beyond my wildest dreams

Beyond my wildest dreams published on No Comments on Beyond my wildest dreams

I added a few more Rement lots to my list to get rid of, for a total of 34, and 17 of them [50%] have been claimed by Figurvore members, MWD members and my personal fan club. I’m very pleased. Yesterday I posted the remaining lots on DOA for the first time in hopes that a few more might go away. I might just shove everything into a single lot and stick it on Ebay.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1453818.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Now that legality has caught up to reality…

Now that legality has caught up to reality… published on No Comments on Now that legality has caught up to reality…

…and women are officially allowed [gee, thanks!] in combat in the US armed forces, are we going to be drafted?

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1453386.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Speaking of Disney 12″ dolls…

Speaking of Disney 12″ dolls… published on No Comments on Speaking of Disney 12″ dolls…

The dolls of John Smith [from Disney’s Pocahontas] have fabulously smirky headsculpts. If Lucian were plastic, he’d have that head. Since he’s not, I’m free to make other associations with the sculpt. I have seen a fellow Figurvore member’s repaints of this head that look roguish, charming, quietly amused, even cheerful, but, after I thought, Lucian in plastic!, my mind immediately went to the type of character who thinks that he’s God’s gift to the universe.

You know the type: a straight, white, heterosexual, upper middle class, able-bodied, tall, muscular dude with a privileged life. He thinks he’s an objective observer who knows better than everyone about anything, even when people are talking to him about their marginalized experiences that he has no clue about. A liberal and progressive, he donates to various charities regularly, but his use of such words as "ghetto," "lame," "pussy," "bitch," etc., etc., etc., demonstrate that his public progressive performances are not accompanied by actual open-minded, respectful behavior. Yup, he’s the sort of person who wonders why "the gays," "the disabled," "the poor" and "the transgenders" are "so angry." He thinks that, if they were more "reasonable," they would "make more progress."

This particular one works at a boutique investment firm, Champlain Investments, and drives a Hummer, even though the roughest terrain he’s ever encountered are those frost heaves on Pearl Street in the spring. His interests include fishing and hunting, although he has never actually caught or shot anything; he prefers to chat with his friends and drink beer. He also avidly follows whatever UVM sports teams are active in a particular season [Go Cats!], as he graduated from UVM with a BA in economics. He gets along really well with his fishing/hunting/drinking buddies, some of which are from college and some of which are from work. He doesn’t get along well with women, which confuses and frustrates him, especially since his buddies are "settling down," and he would like to find a woman to marry and have kids with. He’s operating under the assumption that women are foreign, mysterious creatures that require user manual/decoder key combos.

Charles — called Charlie — White is really, really, really ashamed of his family. He grew up "outside of St. Johnsbury" — he won’t get more specific than that — in a trailer park in a small town. His mom raised him and his older sister with help from his grandmother. His grandmother’s Social Security, plus his mom’s minimum wages from her fast-food job, barely covered their expenses. [Charlie can’t eat fast food; it makes him sick and gives him nightmares.] When he was 12, they were evicted from their trailer, and he lived with one of his friends till he was 14. He got an under-the-table job sorting stuff in the local junkyard and reselling it to flea market dealers, and they eventually moved into an illegal basement apartment until he escaped to college and never went back.

Charlie, the first one in his family to go to college, pretends his family doesn’t exist. He’s ashamed that his grandmother is on disability for arthritis and that she spends her days smoking and watching Lifetime movies. He’s ashamed that his mother is still at the same fast-food place where she was working a decade ago, only now she’s an assistant manager, and she almost always works 40 hours a week. He’s ashamed that his sister dropped out of high school weeks before graduating because she was pregnant by her boyfriend. She and her daughter now live with Charlie’s mom, as the child’s father proved to be an abusive asshole. She’s going to cosmetology school and working on her GED. They love him, and they’re so proud of him, and his niece adores him, and he visits them and talks to them on the phone regularly, but he never talks about them at work or with his friends.

Okay, back to work.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1453310.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Disney is making 12″ dolls of everything these days.

Disney is making 12″ dolls of everything these days. published on No Comments on Disney is making 12″ dolls of everything these days.

And by "everything," I mean "humanoid characters from their animated films." Interestingly, a lot of these dolls have basic articulation [head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees]. The cartoony style of the headsculpt actually agrees with my stylized, exaggerated aesthetic, so this information could be relevant to my interests.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1452882.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Some Rements are going away…

Some Rements are going away… published on No Comments on Some Rements are going away…

I posted 31 lots last night, 13 [42%] of which have already been spoken for. As excited as I am to get rid of stuff, I’m also quite excited at what my trades will yield: an upholstered chair to replace my current faded, stained, pink/white floral one annnnnnd clothes for Zombieville denizens.

I’d like a few more lots to go away, but I’m pretty pleased with the results so far.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1452760.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Isabel’s clothes

Isabel’s clothes published on No Comments on Isabel’s clothes

I have a few people with whom I am trading stuff for clothes for Isabel, so I figure that I should consolidate all the information about her measurements and style in one place for convenient reference.

Isabel is a 1:6 scale resin BJD made of an Elfdoll Doona Ryung head on a modded 5StarDoll tiny girl body. 5StarDoll’s measurements for that body are all still the same on Isabel; I just reduced the length of her neck and tapered it a bit at the top.

The only significant difference besides the neck is that Isabel has breasts, but they are made by stuffing tissues in a cropped tank top, which means that they are compressible and do not add much to her chest circumference. If you need any other measurements from me, please let me know!

For comparison’s sake, tops and jackets for male action figures fit her well, especially if stretchy or baggy. Pants/Leggings for female action figures fit, but only if they are really stretchy. If it helps, I have a post showing her in some clothing made for "regular-size" 1:6ers.

Like most of my favorite dolls, Isabel adheres to my signature style. You can find a discussion and examples of this style here. Other sources of inspiration may be found in Motylalka’s Etsy shop [I love the stuff with pink, green, yellow and orange!] and Manhattan Toy’s line of Groovy Girls, who know how to make multiple patterns work!

Isabel wears the following:

  • tank tops
  • vests
  • T-shirts
  • arm warmers
  • short skirts to mid-thigh
  • leggings, lots of leggings
  • legwarmers to knees
  • things that stretch

She does not wear any of the following:

  • white
  • sheer tops
  • low-cut tops

This is because she has a red cropped tank top for a bra, and I don’t want her bra to be visible through her shirts! [Bra straps can be visible, though, if she’s wearing a tank top.]

Just remember…bright…stretchy…patterned…obnoxious! You can’t go wrong! :p

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1452399.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Eating local is yummy!

Eating local is yummy! published on No Comments on Eating local is yummy!

I waited outside for 15 minutes today [estimated windchill factor negative a billion] because the Hindquarter, Cloud 9 Caterers’ former fire engine and current mobile food van, was parked in front of my building today, and I had to test out their burger ["House Grind, Smoked Country Bacon, Lettuce, American Cheese, Tomato Jam"] and onion rings ["Buttermilk Soaked, Malt Vinegar Aioli"].

First I ate the onion rings. They were light and crispy, with no sogginess that I usually associate with larger, cheaper versions. Their noticeably salty flavor [which I liked] was cut by the mild aioli. That’s glorified mayonnaise for you philistines. :p

Then I ate the burger, which came on a toasted, buttered bun. I appreciated this detail, as untoasted buns distract me from my burgers with their chewy texture. The meat was juicy, tender and done medium, as far as I can tell [outsides definitely cooked but not hard, insides lightly cooked but not red]. The bacon added a nice smoky note, and the cheese and lettuce were fine. Everything merged together into a hearty mess of flavors, except for the tomato jam, which did not overpower the burger, but definitely had a slight medicinal aftertaste. Could’a’ done without that, but, for $11.00, I was very pleased with my meal. Definitely worth waiting 15 minutes in the cold for!
 

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1452279.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Unusual journal citation

Unusual journal citation published on No Comments on Unusual journal citation

I came across the following citation in a manuscript today, notable because all the authors share a surname:

Huang X, Huang Y, Huang T, Huang W, Huang Z. Individual pulmonary vein imaging by transthoracic echocardiography: an inadequate traditional interpretation. Eur J Echocardiogr. 2008;9(5):655-660.

I wonder what the odds of that are? To calculate them, we’d have to factor in the number of people in China [authors’ country of origin], the number of people named Huang in China, etc. Even if it’s a really common surname [which it is, according to Wikipedia, which knows all and is always accurate], that’s still unusual.

P.S. Huang/Wong is pretty popular, ranking seventh after Wang/Wong, Li/Lee, Zhang/Chang, Liu/Lau, Chen/Chan and Yang/Yeung. Names are fascinating!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1451841.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

FS/T: Food, appliances, plants, pets, decorations, rare Rement, etc.

FS/T: Food, appliances, plants, pets, decorations, rare Rement, etc. published on No Comments on FS/T: Food, appliances, plants, pets, decorations, rare Rement, etc.

Food, appliances, plants, pets, decorations, rare Rement, etc.

I’m clearing out my Rements and other 1:6 scale small accessories. Please see the lots below. If you are interested in anything, please refer to it by its letter code. I will not break lots.

If you REALLY want me to put prices on things, I’m gonna say $4.00 per lot, but I am somewhat flexible, as I would like this stuff GONE. Those lots with ** by them are higher than that; please make offers. S/h extra, to be calculated by where and how it’s shipped. Paypal, concealed cash or check. If you send cash or check, you send it first. When I get it and it successfully clears, I will send out your items.

Though I’ve specified prices, I’d prefer to trade. I will trade heavily in your favor for the following, in no particular order:

1. Hutch/large bookshelf/pantry thing [for the kitchen — to display all the stuff I AM keeping!]

2. Vehicles, particularly a Volkswagen Beetle and/or a SmartCar [hah!] — no RC needed — Mattel okay — practical, roadworthy stuff — no roofless and/or doorless stuff, no convertibles, no fantasy vehicles

3. Custom clothes for fat 1:6ers in my signature style — to be discussed if you’re serious about this — signature style explained here http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1425705.html

4. Clothes for female fashion dolls [e.g., Barbie] or female action figures [e.g., Cy Girls] in my signature style

5. Dolls for my dolls. Ideally, they should be 2" high, as my dolls like 1:6 scale too! I’ll consider anything between 1 inch and 2.5 inches, though. Bonus if there’s any articulation! Extra bonus if they are zombies!

6. 1:6 scale mature BJDs or BJD parts. PM for details.

7.  Articulated fashion doll body to match Sterling Silver Rose Hispanic Barbie’s head — see her here http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1446577.html

8. Realistic, modern 1:6 scale camera

9. 1:6 scale tools suitable for 1:6ers to customize their dolls and action figures!

Continue reading FS/T: Food, appliances, plants, pets, decorations, rare Rement, etc.

1:6 scale things that bore me to tears

1:6 scale things that bore me to tears published on No Comments on 1:6 scale things that bore me to tears
  1. Disney, Hello Kitty or Rilakkuma sets from Rement
  2. Bruce Lee dolls from Enterbay
  3. Iron Man dolls from Hot Toys



1:6 scale things that I would be very interested in

  1. Sets from Rement that contain the kinds of things that made the company so popular in the first place: food, appliances, toys, school/office supplies…heck, even candy!
  2. Anything by Enterbay other than a Bruce Lee doll
  3. Basic female action figures by Hot Toys…they keep coughing up basic males, but they’ve only done one line of basic females.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1451474.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Lazy bathroom finished and lazy kitchen in progress

Lazy bathroom finished and lazy kitchen in progress published on No Comments on Lazy bathroom finished and lazy kitchen in progress

I made a bathroom today. From left to right we have a wooden box [once held gift condiments] supporting DripClips paperclip holder sink, various Rements [soap dispensers and tissues], some Barbie bottle, Japanese t.p. erasers by Itasho, unknown trash can [helpfully labeled RUBBISH BIN!] and a squirting novelty toilet with the squirt removed.
Continue reading Lazy bathroom finished and lazy kitchen in progress

All 1:6 scale kitchens should have these.

All 1:6 scale kitchens should have these. published on No Comments on All 1:6 scale kitchens should have these.

It’s a lighter in the shape of a fire extinguisher. Pretty realistic too!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1450649.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Sticky balls

Sticky balls published on No Comments on Sticky balls

I’ve been a fan of contact juggling ever since I first saw it in Labyrinth. This individual does a stellar job of it, accompanied by smooth cinematography and pleasing score. I’ve always liked how the balls appear to stick to the jugglers and/or defy gravity.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1450406.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

I r either lazy or a genius.

I r either lazy or a genius. published on No Comments on I r either lazy or a genius.

I don’t feel like springing for a hutch for my renovating 1:6 scale kitchen, so I’m going to see if one of my small plastic Rement storage bins put up on end will suffice as a pantry substitute.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1450171.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Exaggeratedly large 1:6 scale food

Exaggeratedly large 1:6 scale food published on No Comments on Exaggeratedly large 1:6 scale food

By Rement, of course. I’ve been lusting after the Jumbo Food set for years, primarily because it is hilarious, but I’ve never found any place that sold it.

…Until now. etradersplace has it in stock! I’m most interested in the exploding bacon cheeseburger, the listing stack of pancakes and the huge swirls of soft-serve ice cream.

*covet covet covet*

Continue reading Exaggeratedly large 1:6 scale food

“Spare me the bullshit.”

“Spare me the bullshit.” published on 1 Comment on “Spare me the bullshit.”

I improvised a sports bra for Isabel using a stretchy cropped tank top. Then I cut up a quarter of a tissue into strips, balled it up, then stuck it in each of her cups. Look — breast forms! And she’ll still fit into most of the clothes that I tried on previously.
Continue reading “Spare me the bullshit.”

Testing clothes on the fat body

Testing clothes on the fat body published on No Comments on Testing clothes on the fat body

Here’s Isabel with no added fats. I tested some of my existing 1:6 clothes on her to see what would fit. Some of this stuff may not fit Isabel when she gets on her final body, as I have yet to decide where to add fats on her. This is useful as a starting point, however.
Continue reading Testing clothes on the fat body

Gougity gouge gouge: or, The State of the Fats

Gougity gouge gouge: or, The State of the Fats published on No Comments on Gougity gouge gouge: or, The State of the Fats

I broke out my N95 respirator and my safety goggles today and went outside to do the final rough-in of the first fat doll’s neck with my Dremel. I started off with a cutting disc, which was not a good idea. Then I ran out, bought some deburring bits and used them. I doubt they should be used for my purposes, but they work, so :p.

Here’s Isabel on the fat body after I reduced the height of the neck and tapered it further. Now I just have to sand to reduce the most egregious gouges. Woo hoo!
Continue reading Gougity gouge gouge: or, The State of the Fats

Salutations, Sylvia!

Salutations, Sylvia! published on No Comments on Salutations, Sylvia!

Souldoll Soul Little Metel arrived this morning, along with some 1:6 scale accessories and set pieces. Thanks, Christina/allurose!

I named my latest arrival for ease of filing, even though she has no background or role yet. Her name is Sylvia Blomqvist. Interestingly enough, Sylvia comes from Latin silva, meaning forest, while Blomqvist is Swedish for bloom + twig, so she has a very arboreal name.

Here she is next to Isabel [an Elfdoll Doona Ryung head], who is temporarily on a Soom Mini Gem old style body. Sylvia’s proportions are much more robust than the Mini Gem’s overall. While the Mini Gem has a rather flat body back to front, Sylvia’s has more depth. I feel like Sylvia was sculpted with reference to an actual human being, while the Mini Gem was sculpted with reference to a Barbie [just look at the minuscule hands and feet!].

Sylvia also has beady little eyes compared to Isabel. Isabel has 8mm eyes. I think Sylvia has 6mms, maybe even 5mms?! Her facial proportions are closer to that of Lumedoll Lumelights, who all have 6mm eyes. I much prefer 8mm over 6mm eyes in 1:6 scale BJDs. 6mms just get lost in shadows.

The Mini Gem body is also taller than Sylvia, mostly in the legs, abdomen and neck.
Continue reading Salutations, Sylvia!

Visible articulation in doll photos

Visible articulation in doll photos published on No Comments on Visible articulation in doll photos

There’s an interesting discussion currently on Figurvore about the above subject. Seneschal, the initial poster, asked why people don’t erase/hide/edit out the articulation in their doll photos. He finds it a distracting problem that’s easy to fix.

My response below:

When we engage with fictional realms, we agree to suspend our disbelief. I assume that, in most cases, when people see pictures of dolls, they agree to suspend their disbelief and therefore consider the dolls as representations of actual people. People can suspend their disbelief about pretty much anything if the story and characters interest them enough, so I operate under the assumption that my stories are cool enough to make visible joints pretty easy to ignore. People don’t read my stuff to watch for obvious joints, so we [author and readers] are all in agreement that we are going to focus on other aspects. In conclusion, I think about articulation a lot because it facilitates realistic posing and body language, but I don’t worry about visible joints.

In fact, I find erased joints very distracting. We all know we’re playing with visibly articulated dolls, so we’re all expecting [on some level] to see some obvious jointing. For me, erased joints call blatant attention to themselves. I end up getting pulled out of the fictional world and back into this one as I attempt to analyze the photographer’s Photoshopping skillz.

People play with dolls for different reasons and wish to accomplish different things with their photos.

Shorter: Because some people think it’s a feature, not a bug.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1448072.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Zombieville stats

Zombieville stats published on No Comments on Zombieville stats

These are all the denizens so far. Those names in brackets are the sculpt names of unassigned dolls. The Toxic Waste denizen is a person who has not been assigned a doll and who will probably end up being one of the people currently bracketed. "PWS" stands for person with spondis.

I’m thinking about changing Novella’s name to Penelope, but I’m not sure if I can because she’s been Novella for too long.

NO! MORE! WEIRD! NAMES!

 
 
Name M/F PWS POC Self ID Fat
Anna F PWS   queer ex-fat
Isabel F PWS   queer fat
Carter M     bi fat
Béatrice F     lesbian fat
Dillon M        
Megan F   POC    
Dr. Z. F PWS POC    
Novella F        
[Metel]     POC    
[Blaze]          
[Koit]     POC    
[Arine]     POC    
Peter M PWS   straight  
Chaz F PWS POC    
Theophany F        
Toxic Waste denizen          

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1447791.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Cheapest BJDs ever!

Cheapest BJDs ever! published on No Comments on Cheapest BJDs ever!

Well, not the cheapest ever, just the cheapest I own personally.

So the aforementioned Lumedoll Lumelight heads are setting be back a total of $200.35, so that’s about $66.78 a head.

I’ve got a 5StarDoll tiny body [$120.00] on the way for Blaze, and I’m gonna get Hujoo bodies for Koit and Arine [$20.00 apiece]. That would make Koit and Arine complete BJDs for <$100.00!

By the way, my definition of BJD at this point is a doll made of hollow parts and basically ball-shaped joints and strung with elastic. Head comes blank, with removable headcap and eyewells, but without hair. Custom painting, wigging, clothing, additive mods and/or subtractive mods are encouraged. Material can either be resin or something else [Hujoo makes some of its BJDs out of ABS plastic].

In other news, the Fairyland LittleFee body shown here is back on the market. It irritates me by being twice the price of a 5StarDoll tiny body, which is much superior for my purposes. I really wish it would go away already, but, if it doesn’t sell, I might just keep it and use my by-then-perfected fats-making techniques to make an even shorter, fatter person.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1447639.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Akinator guesses fictional characters you’re thinking of.

Akinator guesses fictional characters you’re thinking of. published on No Comments on Akinator guesses fictional characters you’re thinking of.

Entertaining. Works best with recent pop culture figures. Did not work with Willa Rahv, protagonist of the 1970s YA novel Early Disorder by Rebecca Jacobs, my favorite novel. It did, however, guess Jareth [hah!] and Candide [probably because it was developed by French people].

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1447375.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Head hunting

Head hunting published on No Comments on Head hunting

\o/ I will be purchasing some Lumedoll Lumelight heads: elf Koit in tan, Blaze in yellow and Arine in tan. I’m very excited about Koit and Arine, as I love those sculpts, while Blaze will be a challenge. He looks stupefied in all the owner pics I’ve seen of him, so I’d like to try to make him look…uh…less stupefied. Typically, I like dolls with open mouths [witness Araminthe, Janvier Jett, Lola Paprika], but somehow Blaze tends to look like his train of thought is still boarding at the station.

Woo hoo! An excuse to hit up Hujoo for some bodies, at least two chocolate ones. Are you listening, Andrea? That’s at least $40.00 of the way toward free s/h!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1447050.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

The Rements part II

The Rements part II published on No Comments on The Rements part II

After staring at my inventory photos, I have mentally sorted my Rements into three categories. There’s stuff I’m definitely getting rid of in bulleted lists. There’s stuff I’d like to keep in lists at the end of the bulleted lists. And then there’s stuff that I could go either way on, which is not listed at all.

If you’re interested in any of the stuff shown below, let me know, whether it’s from the definite riddances list, the ambivalent non-list or even the keepers list. You’ve got to really, really tempt me, though, to give up something from the keepers list. :p
Continue reading The Rements part II

The Rements [well, 95% of them, anyway]

The Rements [well, 95% of them, anyway] published on No Comments on The Rements [well, 95% of them, anyway]

I took some large pictures of my boxes of Rements. Actually, they’re technically my boxes of 1:6 scale accessories, with the exception of those currently in use or in storage. But a huge portion of them are Rements, so that’s why I’m calling them.

Some people organize their Rements according to the sets in which they were packaged. I organize mine by category.Continue reading The Rements [well, 95% of them, anyway]

MORE FAT DOLLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1eleventy

MORE FAT DOLLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1eleventy published on 1 Comment on MORE FAT DOLLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1eleventy

I have acquired a third 5StarDoll tiny girl body for the purposes of fattening someone up. At this rate, I will have perfected fattening techniques in a few weeks.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1445165.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Dyeing dolls

Dyeing dolls published on No Comments on Dyeing dolls

Tutorial on DOA: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?39703-Tutorial-on-dyeing-your-doll-(with-pics)

Discussion thread on DOA: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?50004-Dyeing-a-Doll

spamsama’s tutorial in DOA discussion thread: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?50004-Dyeing-a-Doll&p=1951682&viewfull=1#post1951682

Tutorial on BJD_WTF: http://bjd-wtf.livejournal.com/2251.html

  • Basically…Tan RIT dye is recommended for darkening a doll’s skin color. Some have also have good results with cocoa brown…not dark brown.
  • I have to prepare the dye by adding it to warm/hot water, which I then bring to a boil. Then I have to dunk each part that I want colored, making sure not to let the piece hit the bottom of the pot, checking frequently to see if I am achieving the tone I want.
  • I also need to keep stirring the dye to make sure that it does not settle to the bottom of the pot.
  • When parts are the appropriate color, rinse with hot water to get rid of extra dye, then cold water to cool everything down.

This sounds like so much fun! I am definitely doing this with Metel when she arrives! \o/

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1444913.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Oh look — concern trolling!

Oh look — concern trolling! published on No Comments on Oh look — concern trolling!

This gem is from Monday’s Dear Prudence, a trove of crap:

Letter writer: "I’m in my late 20s with a husband and a young daughter. My husband, who has a familial history of thyroid problems and high blood pressure, has gained nearly 100 pounds in the five years we’ve been married. He has developed liver problems and high cholesterol, OBVIOUSLY because he’s so disgustingly fat.

"I exercise and eat healthily and encourage him to do the same, but he resists, calling me a nag. He’s a grown man, but I’m so concerned about his health that I refuse to treat him like an independent agent. How can I further insult him by infantilizing and objectifying him?"

Prudie: "Fat people are gross. They’re also stupid lazy slobs who don’t eat right or exercise and can’t perceive that their fat is killing them. KILLING THEM I SAY!

"Oh wait…you had a question there. I strongly recommend going to a ‘bariatrician,’ a.k.a. someone with lots of letters after their name who gets paid handsomely for bullying people into losing weight and supporting the lucrative, ultimately futile diet industry.

"I also recommend even more nagging and shaming. Project for your husband a future in which he lurches from health crisis to health crisis and where you have to take care not only of your daughter, but also his fat lazy ass. That should motivate him into the spiral of shame and self-hatred that makes people lifelong devotees of the ‘bariatric’ industry.

"Good luck…you’re gonna need it. At the rate your husband”s going, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up wheelchair-bound, never to walk again, because he’s such a tub of lard. Then he’d be fat and disabled, and that would just be…[ralllllllphgack].

"Excuse me. On second thought, forget the ‘bariatrician’ and the extra nagging. Just do the world a favor and put him out of his misery now. Poison his cupcakes."

What a sad, bitter, lonely, empty life she must lead to be so full of hatred toward fat and/or disabled people.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1444824.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Collections

Collections published on No Comments on Collections

I was reading an open thread on Shakesville about what people collect. Then I started wracking my brains about my own collections.

I’m actually not much of a collector. This may seem like a hypocritical statement, given the sheer numbers of my doll population; however, I don’t consider my dolls a collection. To me, the term "collection" denotes a group of objects that mostly just sit there being admired. While some of my dolls sit there, looking pretty, I play with most of them. They’re my toys, of which I happen to have amassed a lot.

Anyway, in the past, I have collected the following:

  • Stamps
  • Amusing epitaphs
  • Books about twins
  • Labyrinth memorabilia, especially ephemera
  • Pulp paperbacks from the 1950s and 1960s about queer women ["lesbian pulp"]

I currently collect the following:

  • Songs about queer and/or trans subjects
  • Rements

I have a small selection of my Labyrinth ephemera [novelization, Labyrinth Photo Album, French lobby cards, Japanese program, Goblins of Labyrinth, comic adaptation {I think}] on my bookshelf, but that collection is no longer active. I also still have a few of my lesbian pulps, but that collection is no longer active either.

Now that I think about it, I could easily sell or give away most of my Labyrinth ephemera. I have, can find or can make digital copies of a substantial portion, although I would keep the Photo Album just for nostalgic reasons. As for the pulps, I can scan the covers [sometimes the best parts!] and find some special collections in which they could be preserved and referred to as a part of twentieth-century queer history.

I’m also thinking that I don’t use most of my Rements either. All those detailed 1:6 scale models of specialized food etc. just sit in my storage containers. When I do use some of it, it’s the basic stuff, like plates, cups, bowls, silverware, pots, pans, kitchen utensils. If I do use the food, it’s fast food, sweets, drinks of all types.

Okay…time to clear out the Rements!

…And my closet too, while I’m at it.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1444504.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Hujoo bodies

Hujoo bodies published on No Comments on Hujoo bodies

Mimiwoo sells Hujoo dolls [26cm] in white, apricot and chocolate for ~$40.00 with s/h included, but they all come with those unappealing heads. Blech!

Hujoo itself sells bodies without heads for $20.00 apiece, but s/h for orders <$100.00 is $20.00, while s/h for orders >$100.00 is free. I’d have to get at least 2 or 3 bodies to make the increased s/h worthwhile. That said, those bodies are amazingly cheap, so it would probably be a worthwhile investment.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1444207.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Dolls of color

Dolls of color published on No Comments on Dolls of color

I forgot that Chaz is a woman of color! [She is a tan Batchix Nan Sook.]

I wonder if Lumedoll or Tinybear would sell just some 1:6 scale tan heads to me?

Ooooh, a fellow Figurvore member made a hybrid from a Tinybear Coco and a Hujoo Wings. I like that idea!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1443957.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Dolls I want

Dolls I want published on No Comments on Dolls I want

On October 23, 2012, I listed the 1:6 scale BJDs I wanted: Elfdoll Doona Ryung, Xagadoll Lara, Tinybear Bonbon, Alchemic Lab Unoa Light Fluorite and Souldoll Soul Little Metel. In less that three months, I’ve acquired all of them [counting my Alchemic Lab Azurite for the Fluorite] except for Xagadoll Lara. I’m less interested in Lara these days, so I’m fine with not having her.

With all of my previous 1:6 scale resin wants satisfied, I now covet, In no particular order, the following:

  • Soom Faery Legend Auber. White or grey, it doesn’t matter.
  • Soom Faery Legend Cylin. She’s the female equivalent of Kremer [Flower], with separate fluttery transparent ears. I just saw an owner picture of her on the DOA marketplace, and she’s really cute. She’s one of the less popular Faery Legends.
  • Lumedoll Lumelight Koit in tan.

Easiest to get would be Koit, since he’s still in print. Second easiest would be Cylin, as she appears on the secondhand market with some frequency. Hardest to get would be Auber, who very rarely appears on the secondary market.

Blah blah BLAH!!!

P.S. I have a disturbing lack of dolls of color in this iteration of my population. Pretty much everyone is "white skin" or "normal skin," with the exception of my Limhwa Sara [currently known as Kristin]. I am now considering dyeing a few people…like my incoming Souldoll Soul Little Metel. Maybe Dillon too…apparently he’s already been dyed [and then undyed — poor little dude]. And maybe some Me and My Muses secondaries like Avery [Lumedoll Lumelight Elin] or Mazzy [Lumedoll Lumelight Arine] when they’re done.

Heck…I just realized that I have an unused Soom Mini Gem body [temporarily occupied by Isabel] and an extra Elfdoll Kathlen sleeping faceplate [previously Absinthe]. I need to make a headback, and then I can experiment with dyeing that. Woooooo hoooo!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1443660.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Fat doll as of tonight

Fat doll as of tonight published on No Comments on Fat doll as of tonight

Tonight I restrung the torso and legs with thinner elastic and less tension. This made the doll a little floppy while greatly increasing poseability. I must admit that one of my favorite traits of BJDs is their stringing. It can be tight for standing and/or holding long-term positions, or it can be looser for more naturalistic seated and lying postures.

Then I gouged out the front of the ankle sockets so that the feet could point perpendicularly from the calves, rather than slightly down.

I spent most of the time mangling working on the neck. A quick test revealed that, despite my earlier hopes, the 1:6 scale adult head on the 1:3 scale unadapted toddler neck did not work. Continue reading Fat doll as of tonight

Isabel and Carter: where to put the fats

Isabel and Carter: where to put the fats published on 1 Comment on Isabel and Carter: where to put the fats

I’ve been thinking a lot about this because I want them both to be obviously fat [and approximately the same shape], but I also want them to fit into clothes made for standard 1:3 scale toddler bodies. Ideally, they’d both have flabby upper arms, breasts bigger than their heads, round protruding bellies and thick thighs, but I don’t think that’s feasible.

I’m currently contemplating a combination of sculpted fats and fabric fats. I’d like to thicken their thighs and make their asses fatter, so I would do that with Aves Apoxie Sculpt or what the heck ever.

I would really love to make them both have big, pendulous breasts [yay, gravity!], but I’m still pondering how I would achieve a combination of fatness, mobility and compressibility. Maybe really tight T-shirts with little birdseed packages sewn into appropriate areas? As a secondary with no need to be naked, Carter will never take his shirt off anyway. But what about Isabel?

I need little sports bras that I can stuff. :p

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1443080.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Today’s words: “jeggings” and “quellazaire”

Today’s words: “jeggings” and “quellazaire” published on No Comments on Today’s words: “jeggings” and “quellazaire”

"Jeggings" are leggings that look like jeans. Some neologisms are cutesy and pointless — I’m looking at you, "meggings" [men’s leggings]! — but I think jeggings serves a purpose. It signifies that the leggings in question are styled differently than your standard simple, stretchy, undetailed elastic-waist tights.

A "quellazaire" is a cigarette holder, not a storage case, but a tube on which the cigarette is mounted. It’s an actual word, but I can’t find an authoritative reference online for it. I have no idea of the etymology either, but I’d love to find out.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1443035.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Doll news!

Doll news! published on No Comments on Doll news!

1. I did not win the Soom Auber I put in for. Fine, all the more money for FAT DOLLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. I’m trading Sarah [Souldoll Shiva-G who has been sitting on the DOA marketplace since mid-August] to Isabeau for two elaborate outfits for — who else? — Mr. Pointyhead McDemandypants, who is out of his mind with glee.

3. I just scored a second 5StarDoll tiny girl body for Isabel from the DOA marketplace. It wasn’t as ridiculously cheap as the first one, which was like $80.00 shipped, I think. This one was ~$120.00 shipped, which would have been the price + s/h from Denver Doll, but without the indeterminate wait time. It’s actually not just a body that I’m buying this time, but a whole doll, meaning that a head is included. I have no use for the head, so I’ll sell it off, which will essentially reduce the second body to the price I paid for the first.

I have now acquired two 5StarDoll bodies for the price that I paid for the Fairyland LittleFee body. I sure wish that LittleFee body would sell, as I have half a mind to acquire MORE 5StarDoll bodies and make more than two fat dolls!

4. I decided that Isabel, like all my major characters, rocks my signature style, marked by her own preferences. She especially likes leggings and dresses/tops in this style. [In fact, the colors and patterns in that dress are perfect for Zombieville!] Leggings for 1:3 scale toddler dolls are incredibly cheap on Etsy, so I plan to buy a bunch with which I can easily create new combos. As for tops, I’d love to work with Motylalka [maker of the pink/lime dress], sending her Isabel’s body [or at least measurements] so she could make a few wonderful pieces that would be guaranteed to fit Isabel.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1442683.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

I do believe…

I do believe… published on 1 Comment on I do believe…

…I’m on the verge of stupendous BJD fashion awesomeness, the likes of which have never been seen heretofore. I won’t say any more, though, until it’s confirmed, as I really dislike claiming a sale or an agreement or something, then having it fall through later. :p

P.S. Janna, I used "heretofore" just for you! ^_^

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1442523.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Fat doll in progress!!! \o/

Fat doll in progress!!! \o/ published on 1 Comment on Fat doll in progress!!! \o/

My original plan to make a fat 1:6 scale mature BJD body was to use a 1:3 scale toddler body and splice forearms/hands and calves/feet on it from a 1:6 scale mature body. However, I recently acquired a 5StarDoll 1:3 scale toddler body with surprisingly delicate hands and feet, so, being an eminently lazy individual, I wondered if I could just swap the 1:6 scale hands and feet onto the 1:3 scale body and call it a day.

This evening, that’s what I did. I actually complicated matters a bit by modding the 1:6 scale hands to nest in the 1:3 scale wrist balls and thus provide a slightly smoother transition between the forearms and hands. I just stuck the 1:6 scale feet on the ends of the 1:3 scale legs, though, which is why they are slightly shorter than they should be, as they do not have the extra height provided by the 1:3 scale ankle balls [which were fused to the 1:3 scale feet].

Anyway, the result looks pretty good for about an hour of work, as far as I’m concerned. The ankles need modification, though, as the shapes of the sockets are preventing the feet from standing flat. This particular body also has horribly tight stringing, so it needs to be restrung more loosely. Other than that, it’s pretty much good.

Here’s a shot of Isabel [on temp body] next to the fat body in progress. It’s obviously shorter, which I like, as it adds to the impression of what Isabel would call a "dumpy" shape. Not everyone is elongated and skinny!
Continue reading Fat doll in progress!!! \o/

Seoul, South Korea is 14 hours ahead of Burlington, USA.

Seoul, South Korea is 14 hours ahead of Burlington, USA. published on No Comments on Seoul, South Korea is 14 hours ahead of Burlington, USA.

Seoul is, of course, the approximate location of Soom. They’re actually located in Bucheon, which is less than 20 miles from Seoul, but Seoul works for my calculating purposes.

Local time in Seoul/Bucheon is vital info for BJD nerds waiting for Soom dolls to go on sale at a certain date/time or, in my case, lottery winners to be announced. I put my name in the Post MD lottery event for an Auber in WS with outfit, and the winners of the event will be announced in the afternoon of January 15th [Korean local time, of course]. There’s no time specified for the annoucement, so I just know that, at noon local time, Soom’s Web site will be inundated with enthusiasts checking to see if the winners have been posted because, technically speaking, it will be the afternoon.

I’ll try giving ’em a poke around my bed time this evening. If nothing happens, they should have the announcement up by tomorrow morning.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention that, if I get this doll, he’s going to be a 1:6 scale resin version of my Jareth. That is what I originally envisioned him as, and that’s how he’s stuck in my head. Yes, I am aware that I already have a 1:6 scale action figure Jareth, as well as a 1:3 scale BJD Jareth. I’ve given up asking myself, "How do I justify this doll purchase?" Now my question is, "Can I afford this?"

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1442013.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

The problem with the Beautiful Creatures series summarized in one vignette

The problem with the Beautiful Creatures series summarized in one vignette published on No Comments on The problem with the Beautiful Creatures series summarized in one vignette

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have collaborated on an exhaustive quaternary of YA Southern Gothic romances, the Beautiful Creatures trilogy. There was some interesting stuff going on in the first book [although I’m still not sure what happened during the climax], as well as a vivid, if rather stereotypical, setting, so I kept reading.

Recently I plowed through the last installment, Beautiful Redemption, which had significantly less plot, character development and complexity than the previous three episodes. I’ve been detecting all along Garcia and Stohl’s strangely uncomplicated and idealized portrait of the southern US, but one moment in Beautiful Redemption encapsulated all that was problematic about the series.

Toward the end of the novel, [white] protagonist Ethan has come back from limbo and reunited with his [white] angstball girlfriend Lena and his other supporters. Ethan asks his [white] friend Link what Amma [a literal Magic Negro + Mammy twofer who acts as Ethan’s maternal figure, then ultimately sacrifices her life for his] was talking about when she mentioned that she caught Link doing something shameful in the cellar when he was young.  Link explains that Amma caught him dressing up in a Civil War uniform. The uniform did not belong to the Confederate ancestors of which his family was so proud, but to some acquaintance’s Union ancestors.

Garcia and Stohl write [pp. 440-441]:

I burst out laughing, and within seconds so did Link. No one else at the table understood the sin in a Southern boy — with a father who led the Confederate Cavalry in the Reenactment of the Battle of Honey Hill, and a mother who was a proud member of the Sisters of the Confederacy — trying on a Civil War uniform for the opposing side. You had to be from Gatlin.

It was one of those unspoken truths, like you don’t make a pie for the Wates because it won’t be better than Amma’s; you don’t sit in front of Sissy Honeycutt in church because she talks the whole time right along with the preacher; and you don’t choose the paint color for your house without consulting Mrs. Lincoln, not unless your name happens to be Lila Evers Wate.

Gatlin was like that.

It was family, all of it and all of them — the good parts and the bad.

Right there the authors trivialize an entire history of racism, slavery, sexism, cruelty and oppression by equating support of it to talking in church or painting one’s home without talking to one’s neighbors first. It’s just a harmless peculiarity, a peccadillo, that causes Ethan to feel uncritically jubilant and nostalgic about his hometown. While he does acknowledge "the good parts and the bad" at the end of this quote, his laughter demonstrates that, while he may struggle with the made-up Southern history of mortals vs. magicians, the ominous real Southern history of torture, war and suffering bothers him very little.

Way to go, Garcia and Stohl. Thanks so much for, among other bilge, perpetuating the myth that the United States is a "post-racial society."

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1441502.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Isabel shows more fur wigs.

Isabel shows more fur wigs. published on No Comments on Isabel shows more fur wigs.

I got a shipment of maybe 15 swatches of faux fur recently, including a bunch of new color schemes. I chose my favorite and made some more fur wigs this afternoon.

The ones in vibrant colors look different than the earlier set of vibrant colors because these have all fibers the same length. The first set of vibrant colors had short bases with longer spikes in different color. As a result, the first set provided lots of color without adding bulk. But the current set of vibrant colors adds bulk, thus making the hair less likely to respond to simple styling. That said, I love the tricolor zigzag pattern, from which all of the vibrant ones in this set are made. My current favorite, usurping even the white base with pink and green spikes, is a pink/purple/green zigzag at top right.Continue reading Isabel shows more fur wigs.

How not to write, part seven zillion and one in an infinitely extensible series

How not to write, part seven zillion and one in an infinitely extensible series published on No Comments on How not to write, part seven zillion and one in an infinitely extensible series

I picked up Eon by Alison Goodman after reading some laudatory reviews on Amazon and also being marginally intrigued by the concept, in which a young woman adopts a boy’s identity to compete for the chance to communicate with dragons and wield great magic, which is, of course, reserved for men. Of course, Eon wins the chance to communicate not just with any dragon, but with the super special awesome Mirror Dragon, the most powerful of all. Then she becomes involved in imperial politics, and eventually the fate of the emperor’s succession and the kingdom depends on her. Of course it does. :p

I did not expect this book to be quite so shitty. It really reminded me of The Diviners in that it was a textbook example of how not to tell a story.

Do you need to learn how not to write, kids? Okay, then pay attention to the following precepts, in no particular order.Continue reading How not to write, part seven zillion and one in an infinitely extensible series

BJD owners are really fucking creepy.

BJD owners are really fucking creepy. published on 1 Comment on BJD owners are really fucking creepy.

This is what I have learned from watching the first fifteen minutes of The Doll Master, a 2004 South Korean horror film featuring hordes of BJDs by Customhouse. As demonstrated by Young-ha, a BJD-owning character, they’re all sulky, introverted weirdos with no social skills and a tendency to treat their dolls as independent equals, rather than toys.

I’ve wanted to watch this movie ever since I learned of it, partly because my first BJD was a Customhouse Jun [Zephque], partly because the BJD community refers to Doll Master as the equivalent of BJD: The Movie. Further comments when I’m done.

If you’re so inclined to watch a horror movie about dolls, you can find the entire Doll Master film on Youtube with subtitles.

P.S. You know what actually is really fucking creepy? That life-size doll hanging from the ceiling as a lamp holder in the weirdo BJD owner’s room. It looks like it’s being tortured. 🙁 Won’t someone please think of the mannequins? :p

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1440631.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Lumedoll wants my money.

Lumedoll wants my money. published on No Comments on Lumedoll wants my money.

Eva just came out with an elf version of her first 1:6 scale BJD Koit. Maybe it’s just the more flattering photos, but elf Koit looks more relaxed and happy than regular Koit. I asked Eva if the sculpts differed. She said:

I looked at the blank sculpts and the only difference (other than the ears) is the mouth has a slightly deeper part and that might make him look like he’s a bit happier than the regular Koit! Also, I noticed that from the side profile, the nose on the elf is the tiniest bit rounder.

Hmmm…I’m feeling the desire for a Lumelight elf Koit to enlarge the eyes on and paint up all cheerful and welcoming.

CURSE YOU LUMEDOLL YOU JUST WANT MY MONEY.

I only have 4.5 Lumedolls, but they figure larger in my consciousness, probably because Lumedoll has the most numerous 1:6 scale offerings of any BJD company. Males are Koit regular and elf, Lucas and Blaze. Females are Elin and Arine. Where most BJD companies do, at most, a 1:6 scale hetero couple as an afterthought to their major 1:3 or 1:4 scale lines, Lumedoll offers a veritable diversity of 1:6ers.

Clearly I need a tan elf Koit.

>_>

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1440075.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Wait…now they drive CARS???

Wait…now they drive CARS??? published on No Comments on Wait…now they drive CARS???

Ever since I got the idea for Zombieville to start by Isabel losing her left eyeball, I’ve been wondering how this would affect her ability to drive a car. From what I can tell, people with monocular vision can still drive in Vermont if they have a certain level of vision in their remaining eye. I have no idea what that level of vision is, however.

Anyway, I initially made the assumption that Isabel’s newly acquired monocular vision would require her to give up her car and depend on public transit, a complicated proposition in Vermont. Chittenden County Transportation Authority runs a network of buses throughout the county [yay!], but they all center on downtown Burlington and are scheduled mainly to serve first-shift commuters [boo!]. I was hoping to dedicate at least one subplot to the challenges of being a carless and disabled bus rider.

Even though people with monocular vision may be able to drive in this state in certain circumstances, I think I’ll still have Isabel get rid of her car. She and Peter are going to get into a minor accident, which is how they meet and how she starts becoming part of the Zombieville community.

Naturally, in order to have a car crash, Isabel and Peter need to have cars. Great…more 1:6 scale shit. :p

Given my limited storage space and photography area, as well as my penchant for compact cars, I decided that they both drive really small cars. It would be unutterably cool to find a 2009 Toyota Corolla in 1:6 scale and spray paint it silver to make a miniature version of the FLE car. I don’t think those are made in cheap playline versions, though.

Cheap playline versions exist, however, of VW Bugs and Smart Fortwos. The first can be found on Ebay with a search under "barbie volkswagen beetle," and they even come in non-pink options! [The pink option appears to be currently in print and therefore much cheaper, though, at least on Amazon. However, deboxed ones in all colors can be had quite inexpensively on Ebay.] The second can be found on Ebay with a search under "moxie girls rc car." You can also find it for rip-off prices on Amazon. Reviews say that it’s crappily made, but I don’t need it to function as an RC toy. I just need it to sit there and look minorly damaged. Even if it’s a little small [as playline cars tend to be], it will still work.

So apparently now my dolls drive cars. Uh oh. Look out, world. If you see a little fat doll with a little wry smirk driving a little Smart Car…for God’s sake, tell her to get something more practical! Smart Cars, being small and light, are a ridiculous choice for transportation in a state that regularly contends with mushy, sloppy, heavy snow. :p
 

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1439361.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Fixer-upper acquired!

Fixer-upper acquired! published on No Comments on Fixer-upper acquired!

Just put the reservation payment on an Alchemic Lab Unoa Light Azurite. This 1:6 scale BJD, issued in 2005, is rather scarce; like his female counterpart Fluorite, Azurite commands at least $400.00 on the secondary market, especially if in good condition, with all spare parts, as well as box autographed by maker Gentaro Araki. I scored this little dude for $232.00 shipped because he has yellowed a lot and suffered uneven dyeing, dye removal, sanding, etc., in an attempt to even him out.

Anyway, I’m thinking that he’s going to be Carter’s friend, Isabel’s ex, the purchaser of Isabel’s car and a representative of some of the truly stupid shit that abnormals say about PWS. He’s not evil, like Anneka’s ex Thomas was. I think he and Isabel broke up when he started transitioning because the T really lessened his libido. Isabel got really frustrated because her sex drive was much more active; he encouraged her to have other partners, but she didn’t want to. They tried to work it out monogamously, even though he was only monogamous for Isabel’s sake. However, they eventually parted ways. He’s currently happier living in Essex with one partner that he is very close friends with. He is not happy about regularly traveling "up to the ass end of the Kingdom" to visit his regular sex partner in Derby Line.

He needs a name. Hmmm…Dillon Rayes.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1439192.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Where Zombieville denizens come from

Where Zombieville denizens come from published on No Comments on Where Zombieville denizens come from

I’m currently in the interesting situation of making up Zombieville as I go along. The exhilarating sense of discovery and possibility occasionally fades in favor of alarm at the project’s scope, but mostly I’m just having a lot of fun.

Zombieville denizens are currently pestering me on two fronts. Some of them are people that I made not specifically for Zombieville, but who are so cool that they simply demand to live there, like Anna, Béatrice, Novella and Peter. Some of them are people that I would like to incorporate into the story as subcultural representatives, like Dr. Z., Dr. Z.’s assistant, a Toxic Waste resident, a Reaper, etc. When I have unassigned, but really cool, people, I try to give them roles that need filling and work the story around them.

Of course, though, I’m also in the position of getting really nifty doll ideas, like "Groovy Sterling," who recently barged in, informing me that, not only did she have a killer sense of style, but also that her name was Megan Meehan and she was Dr. Z.’s assistant. Oh yeah, and she has a master’s in public health from UVM.

Sigh. They’re so pushy! …And I love every minute of it! ^_^

I’ve been concentrating on developing the Zombieville subculture, but I’m also realizing that I need a few people outside it to embody just what PWS are up against.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1438774.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

The first one I loved: Soom Mini Gem Uyoo[s]

The first one I loved: Soom Mini Gem Uyoo[s] published on No Comments on The first one I loved: Soom Mini Gem Uyoo[s]

As I have mentioned many times before, the first 1:6 scale BJD I ever loved was Soom’s Mini Gem Uyoo. I went through several cycles of acquiring her and getting rid of her, ultimately always unable to resist her big-eyed, wondering expression.

At this point in my life, I’ve realized that Uyoo is the BJD equivalent of Takara CG02. I have an unreasonable attachment to this headsculpt, which leads me to own multiple exemplars. Just as I have a default AJ, I also have a default Uyoo, that is, one with the Soom faceup: Theophany [the annoying]. Just as I have an altered AJ, Steampink, so I also have a customized Uyoo, Novella, my Romantic one, that I faceupped. I also currently have a third Uyoo, MacKenzie, a Quite Rabbit LE who is up for sale on the DOA marketplace and who has never appeared except in whole-population shots.

Anyway, here are my two Uyoos from the same universe, i.e., Zombieville. On the left is Novella, a Romantic Uyoo in white skin, faceup and wig by me, outfit by the grab bag with help from Andrea.  On the right is Theophany [the annoying], a regular Uyoo in normal skin [fucking racist resin color names!], with a default Soom faceup, outfit by the grab bag with help from Andrea.Continue reading The first one I loved: Soom Mini Gem Uyoo[s]

Staying warm in Toxic Waste in the winter

Staying warm in Toxic Waste in the winter published on No Comments on Staying warm in Toxic Waste in the winter

I put together the Toxic Waste denizen’s outfit today, here modeled by Isabel on her temporary body.

Not shown: magenta long underwear beneath the jeans. I have to rip up and weather the jeans a bit. Continue reading Staying warm in Toxic Waste in the winter

Toxic Waste denizen in Zombieville

Toxic Waste denizen in Zombieville published on No Comments on Toxic Waste denizen in Zombieville

In the Zombieville universe, Toxic Waste denotes a community of homeless people with spondis [PWS] who live off of Pine Street in Burlington on the site of the old Barge Canal [now a Superfund site!]. I’d like to have a Toxic Waste denizen as a character in Zombieville, but I keep inventing people with high-maintenance looks instead, none of which are really compatible to the practicality enforced by homelessness. But I am now developing the look for a Toxic Waste resident, based less on pink hair and clashing prints and more on what I have seen in my experience.

The Toxic Waste denizen wears a heavily layered, worn and weathered outfit with some combination of the following up top: T-shirt, vest, hooded sweatshirt, plaid shirt. Definitely jeans [possibly torn, with long underwear bottoms underneath] and hiking boots. Knit cap or baseball cap. Backpack. Possibly a folding cart, shopping cart or rolling luggage [folding cart or rolling luggage more likely]. Walking stick/cane/trekking pole. Hair in a ponytail [possibly dreadlocked if in 20s, 30s or early 40s]. Cell phone. Possibly a laptop. A few cardboard signs for different situations. First aid kit!

Homelessness for this person does not mean living in a shelter or with friends or on various couches. This person lives outdoors in all but the hottest or coldest weather, in a semi-permanent, illegal platform tent, built on on lakeside swampland, with unstable, intermittent access to hot water, electricity and laundry. This person therefore dresses for utility, warmth and portability.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1438180.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

And we’re back! Me and My Muses 5.1: “Meditation”

And we’re back! Me and My Muses 5.1: “Meditation” published on No Comments on And we’re back! Me and My Muses 5.1: “Meditation”

Me and My Muses is back! When we last left our fair protagonist, Ellery, she faced an ultimatum from her long-distance girlfriend Kristin. Either Ellery had to get rid of her muse, the sexy and devious Lucian, or Kristin would break up with her. Ellery chose to banish Lucian, making everyone miserable except for Kristin.

Now Ellery has no more muse…Continue reading And we’re back! Me and My Muses 5.1: “Meditation”

Need to expand my “mobility aids 1:6” tag.

Need to expand my “mobility aids 1:6” tag. published on No Comments on Need to expand my “mobility aids 1:6” tag.

I started off conceptualizing Zombieville denizens as people who use wheelchairs, canes, walkers and other mobility aids. I’ve been working on Isabel, Anna and Peter, however, all of which have obvious signs of physical damage: Isabel is missing her eye; Anna is missing patches of skin on her face, her right forearm and her right hand; Peter is grey all over and missing a whole segment of his left cheek. I therefore realized that PWS [people with spondis] also tend to have obvious signs of injury.

I’ve added some signs of injury to Peter and Anna by giving them bandaged wounds. Both of them have strips of tissue wrapped around bare body parts and secured with white glue. Impregnating the tissue with white glue also helps the bandages mold to their bodies, giving a more realistic appearance. I’ve also cut very small strips of Band-Aids and wrapped them around Anna’s worst fingers and put one on the back of Peter’s hand.

Now I’m thinking about further signs associated with spondis besides mobility aids and bandages. I’m thinking of the following:

  • Arm slings.
  • Wrist splints/supports.
  • Knee braces, either soft or with metal frames and joints.
  • Casts.

I’ll have to work on this.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1436981.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Groovy 60s Barbie…

Groovy 60s Barbie… published on 1 Comment on Groovy 60s Barbie…

…was issued in 2000. I remember seeing her in FAO Schwartz in Boston [back when I still lived there and FAO Schwartz had a store there!] and wanting her, but not being able to justify the ~$60.00 sticker price. I wanted to stick her head on a CG body, but I didn’t know if her nifty outfit would fit.

Anyway, I was poking around on Ebay this evening and came across several sales for the doll at or under $30.00 shipped.

I just got the best idea…you know what would look really cool? Hispanic Sterling Silver Rose with this outfit!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1436519.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body.

Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body. published on No Comments on Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body.

I started working on Isabel’s faceup last night, but eventually swapped her out to a Soom Uyoo body, as the Elfdoll Doona Ryung body she came with was weirding me out with its childlike proportions. Though her temporary body represents a shape Isabel has never had, it certainly disturbs me less than seeing the head of a 35-year-old on a 7-year-old’s body.Continue reading Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body.

Primary Sidebar