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Posts from January 2017

Leia has pants!

Leia has pants! published on No Comments on Leia has pants!

I made palazzo pants for my HT Princess Leia, following Nadira037’s guidelines. Of course, since Nadira037 is very polished and glamorous and I am not, the pants came out looking mediocre. However, I am proud to have successfully sewn my first pair of pants, thus proving that I can make bottoms as well as tops. Other wardrobe elements include default boots, tank top from unknown commercial source, and hoodie by Glissando on Etsy.Continue reading Leia has pants!

To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…opposition to HR 7

To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…opposition to HR 7 published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…opposition to HR 7

HR7, passed by the House earlier this week, codifies the evil Hyde Amendment and further restricts access to abortion by prohibiting abortion coverage through multistate insurance plans. Millions of people could lose coverage for abortion. Obviously this is an incursion on human rights and bodily autonomy that could, if passed, could jeopardize people’s bodies, health, and lives. Anyway, I called Senator Peter Welch and Senator Bernie Sanders at their district offices to tell them this and to ask them not to let it get through the Senate.

Note: This was my first set of live calls, so I was very nervous. Therefore I made a quick script with the key points I wanted to make: my name and address, the fact that I objected to HR7, my biggest problem with it [restriction of abortion access and thus threat to constituents’ bodies, health, and lives], and what I wanted the Senator to do about it [filibuster it and keep it from passing the Senate]. I stuck to the script and made the calls very quickly, in like under 2 minutes each.

In both cases, I expected to just deliver my speech and walk away, but it didn’t happen. Anyone who calls a Congressperson’s office and gets a live response should be prepared for a little bit of conversation. Here are some aspects to a live call that you might not have considered:

  1. They might ask who you are and where you live again, even if you state that in your intro. The staffers specifically asked for my name and town again, which I gave. [I think they were making a record of that.]
  2. They might ask for your contact info [mailing address, phone number, and/or E-mail]. Leahy’s staffer asked if I had called the office before; I said no; he asked my contact info, which I gave because I am okay with being on a mailing list.
  3. They might ask for clarification. Leahy’s staffer was unfamiliar with HR7, so I added that it passed the House earlier this week and codified the Hyde amendment with even more restrictions on abortion.
  4. They might put you on hold. Sanders’ staffer said in the middle of my spiel that she had another call and had to put me on hold. She came back shortly after, and I finished my speech.
  5. Remember to be polite to the staffer and thank them!

When You’re Evil by Voltaire

When You’re Evil by Voltaire published on No Comments on When You’re Evil by Voltaire

I am so late to the party on this, but I love this song. I’m always interested in villains’ songs; this sounds kinda like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and @natalunasans introduced it to me with accompanying images of Roger Delgado playing the Master in Doctor Who, and Roger Delgado is nearly up there with Pete Burns in terms of scenery chewing and fun having, only with more eyebrows.

To the Bat Fax V: posting about The 65

To the Bat Fax V: posting about The 65 published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax V: posting about The 65

Posted on Facebook and Tumblr about The 65.

 

The 65, taking its name from the at least 65 million US voters who rejected the current President, offers one way to act for liberty and justice for all.

With its tagline, “Making Congress Work for Us,” the 65 posts Weekly Calls to Action, topics on which people can call their Congresspeople. Suggested scripts are included, as is contact info for your local leaders.

Check ‘em out!

The Vainglorious Man Who Wanted to Rule: a tale of reality distortion and resistance

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Once there was a vainglorious and mediocre man who wanted to rule the land. So he used his talents for trickery and promised the people that he would make their country great and powerful, if only they would let him lead. He’d defend the land from foreigners without and suppress the influence of evil woman within. He scared people enough that they chose him as their leader.
The vainglorious man set himself up in the capital city. He made his home in a opulent mansion with servants at his beck and call. He postured and blustered at them, and they scurried to obey his whims. His lackeys could not recognize the man’s insecure bullying for what it was, for he had the power of appearing strong.
Realizing that he couldn’t fool everyone by intimidation alone, the vainglorious man used different tactics on the capital city’s inhabitants. He developed reality distortion fields and forced everyone to use them. Through these devices, the capital denizens perceived the world as rich, prosperous, safe, and successful — all thanks to the vainglorious man. He had surrounded himself with unquestioning adulation, and life was good.
Then he began to hear reports of the girl. They started as whispers, but soon gained momentum; soon news of her exploits was on everyone’s tongue. Even among his most fervent admirers, gossip surfaced about the young woman and her agenda of democracy, transparency, and honesty in government. She was on the road straight to the capital city and the vainglorious man’s door.
No one really knew where the kid had come from. The first news of her appeared in a remote rural district that had, until lately, been under the authoritarian rule of one of those nasty women that the vainglorious man so despised. Citizens of that district claimed that the girl had pulled a deus ex machina and neutralized the dictator, but the vainglorious man couldn’t believe the word of such credulous people. The girl was probably the mascot of an underground terrorist cell that had chosen that particular moment to demonstrate its might. The formerly oppressed citizens mistook her for an assassin just because she happened to be nearby. Surely she could have done nothing.
But other incredible stories joined that one, and a picture soon emerged. Despite [or perhaps because of] the calamity that had left with pretty much nothing left to lose, the girl was fearless. Nothing stopped her. A lion menaced her pet, so she yelled at it and punched it in the nose. She entered an opium den, the ambient drugs of which felled even the fiercest of beasts, but somehow she, a mere kid, emerged unscathed. The vainglorious man was forced to revise his opinion. She was no mere figurehead, but a frighteningly competent agent, perhaps even the leader of the resistance herself.
Later stories confirmed the young woman’s disturbing militancy. In yet another district, yet another nasty woman had brutalized her way into command and compelled the once-free inhabitants to serve her. This second autocrat kidnapped the young woman in an effort to gain the terrorist’s strength for herself. I mean, who wouldn’t? the vainglorious man thought. The kid clearly had an almost magical invulnerability.
But then, something happened; the vainglorious man was not sure what, as intelligence was unclear on this point. In any event, the young woman spoke truth to power, and the second autocrat essentially shriveled up and melted away. No longer under her tyranny, the citizens of the second autocrat’s district enthusiastically supported the girl. They sponsored a flight for her and her friends that brought them even closer to their target: the capital city.
There was the real problem with the kid, the vainglorious man mused. –Her friends. With a combination of charisma, kindness, and straightforward friendliness, this death-dealing terrorist charmed suckers effortlessly. He could sort of understand how all those bumpkins, sick of being under the thumb of their respective nasty women, easily transferred their affections over to their savior. Less comprehensible was the rumor that non-human animals [besides the dog] now followed her, and even inanimate objects [?!] supported her grassroots democratic movement.
Now the vainglorious man had grown up in Tornado Alley, and he knew well those whirling storms for which his region was named. Intense in their focus, relentless in their pursuit, they swept up everything with irresistible force and destroyed all obstacles in their path.
In a skin-tightening clutch of terror, the vainglorious man knew then that there was a tornado bearing down upon him now. It would shatter his sphere of fawning flatterers, lay waste to his reality distortion devices, and destroy his illusions. In short, it would reveal him for the trumped-up humbug that he was.
And the Wizard of Oz feared that tornado, for her name was Dorothy Gale, and she had the power of truth.

To the Bat Fax IV: posting about Black Lives Matter VT

To the Bat Fax IV: posting about Black Lives Matter VT published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax IV: posting about Black Lives Matter VT

Posted on Facebook and Tumblr about Black Lives Matter Vermont and tagged some locals on Facebook.

 

The fledgling Black Lives Matter Vermont group http://blacklivesmattervermont.com has hit an obstacle. They have spent recent months renovating their space, coordinating actions, recruiting and training volunteers, obtaining merchandise, etc., and now they have unfortunately reached the extent of their resources.
BLMVT needs our support more than ever now. Vermont is one of the whitest states in the nation, so BLMVT might seem irrelevant to some folks, but that’s not true. We absolutely need a diversity of social justice groups like BLMVT if we are going to make this state respectful of human rights and dignity for ALL people.
You can empower BLMVT to continue the important work for which they have built a foundation. The best way is to head on over to BLMVT’s Web site and become a sustaining member for $23.00 a month: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/sustaining-membership/ That way, we can guarantee the financial stability that BLMVT needs to flourish.
If you cannot give monthly, you can make one-off donations here: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/membership/ Every little bit helps!
There are other ways to get involved as well. Check out BLMVT’s Volunteer page: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/volunteer/
Here’s the Events calendar: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/events/
And here’s the store: https://squareup.com/store/black-lives-matter-vermont

Thanks in advance!

To the Bat Fax VIII: haranguing government officials on…respecting NODAPL water protectors

To the Bat Fax VIII: haranguing government officials on…respecting NODAPL water protectors published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax VIII: haranguing government officials on…respecting NODAPL water protectors

Sent letters to Morton County [ND] Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier and ND Governor Jack Dalrymple, calling for humane treatment of NODAPL water protectors. Mailing addresses from YES magazine. Letter based on Amnesty International template.

I write urging you to respect the human rights of all water protectors gathered at Standing Rock in opposition to DAPL.

US citizens, including American Indians, have the right to express their opinions. Don’t demonize peaceful public assembly.

–Impress upon law enforcement that they should facilitate, rather than restrict, assembly.

–Don’t use riot gear unless absolutely necessary.

–Disperse assemblies only when there is no other way to avoid violence.

–Don’t use chemical irritants to prevent peaceful assembly.

Again, respect the human rights of ALL people in your jurisdiction.

Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair

Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair published on No Comments on Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair

It took me all afternoon, but I successfully altered a size 6-7 fur wig to be a size 7-8 for Fritillaria, whose concept is vacillating somewhere between clown of death, doll, jester of death, and escaped marionette [of death, natch]. The wig was originally orange, yellow, green, and blue. I added red, magenta, and royal purple. Results look promising! Continue reading Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair

All my dolls, 01/15/2017

All my dolls, 01/15/2017 published on No Comments on All my dolls, 01/15/2017

All my dolls as of 01/15/2017.

Tags denoting which universe dolls belong to are as follows:

 

  • [No tag: Not assigned to any universe.]
  • Bug[s] me: my universe.
  • LHF: Love Has Fangs.
  • M3: Me and My Muses.
  • SciAdv: Julian the Scientific Adventuress.
  • Zville: Zombieville.

 

Continue reading All my dolls, 01/15/2017

Glasses from Eye Doctor Barbie fit Julian!

Glasses from Eye Doctor Barbie fit Julian! published on No Comments on Glasses from Eye Doctor Barbie fit Julian!

Specifically, the glasses included for the Kelly doll fit Julian, which just goes to show you how comparatively small and narrow the She-Ra head is to an average Barbie head. P.S. I love you, @natalunasans!
Continue reading Glasses from Eye Doctor Barbie fit Julian!

Barrett, the heavily modded FR guy: a custom 3.5 years in the making

Barrett, the heavily modded FR guy: a custom 3.5 years in the making published on No Comments on Barrett, the heavily modded FR guy: a custom 3.5 years in the making

I purchased Barrett back in the summer of 2013, well before Zombieville started, because I thought that Isabel might fit into FR dude clothes. Also the secondhand price of something like $75.00 MIB for a London Calling Kyu was a great bargain.
Continue reading Barrett, the heavily modded FR guy: a custom 3.5 years in the making

I broke Julian’s chair.

I broke Julian’s chair. published on No Comments on I broke Julian’s chair.

I suppose it’s a testament to the detail and realism pursued by Hot Toys that I thought that the Sweeney Todd barber chair really did function, with movable footrests, armrests, and back, only to find out that NO, it doesn’t. Everything that looked articulated was, in fact, cleverly molded and perfectly stationary plastic. So I broke it. Stay tuned for modifications so that footrests swing in and out and the back goes up and down, as they both should have in the first place…

Incidentally, I don’t understand why HT would go to all the trouble of modeling all the individual pieces and pistons and gear teeth, only to make them stationary. It seems like it would be an easy enough modification to go just a bit further for real swinging action. >:

Continue reading I broke Julian’s chair.

Julian the scientific adventuress and her carebot Cara in progress

Julian the scientific adventuress and her carebot Cara in progress published on No Comments on Julian the scientific adventuress and her carebot Cara in progress

Behold Julian and Cara as they currently stand! For those of you that haven’t been following, Julian is the center of my latest 1:6 scale universe. Wry, Gothy, and lonely, she’s a brilliant inventor with an affinity for steampunk. She became rich when she developed a personal carebot for people with mobility impairments, of which her clockwork friend Cara is the more sophisticated and independent prototype. With the luxury of economic stability, she devotes her time to the invention of steampunk devices to make the lives of other disabled people not only easier, but also infinitely cooler.

Because she has spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, Julian can move only her head, neck, and right arm [and her right leg if she gets really angry and has to kick someone]. Thus she uses a power wheelchair, which she, of course, has steampunked out, for mobility. She is nonverbal, so she communicates with a tablet computer for text-to-speech.  

Julian is a Mattel She-Ra heavily modified to reduce height and increase poseability. Repaint and wig by me. The base of her power chair is a Hot Toys Sweeney Todd barber chair. Cara is a Character Options Clockwork Droid, currently default, except she doesn’t have a face mask. The Fiendish Device 2.0 with which they are messing around is part of the innards of a record player/stereo/tape deck combo that I salvaged.

Continue reading Julian the scientific adventuress and her carebot Cara in progress

Jareth and Jennifer in an object lesson in not judging the weather by the window

Jareth and Jennifer in an object lesson in not judging the weather by the window published on No Comments on Jareth and Jennifer in an object lesson in not judging the weather by the window

Jareth thinks it’s nice outside. The weather begs to differ. This story is inspired by earlier this week, when the temperatures had warmed up by morning enough to melt much of the ice, but not all of it. Thus invisible ice lurked beneath the puddles, making my walk from the bus stop to the office extra slidy. Continue reading Jareth and Jennifer in an object lesson in not judging the weather by the window

Side eye to the YAY INTROVERTS trend

Side eye to the YAY INTROVERTS trend published on No Comments on Side eye to the YAY INTROVERTS trend

I harbor deep suspicion about the YAY INTROVERTS trend that has gained some traction in recent years in mainstream US culture. For the purposes of this mini rant, an introvert is a person who derives physical, mental, and emotional nourishment primarily through time spent in solitude, and an extrovert is someone who derives it through socializing with others.

General US culture values many traits of social extroversion and pathologizes many traits of social introversion. Indeed, it’s really not much of a stretch to claim that we culturally maintain the belief that  introversion is a disability.

Because introversion is treated as a disability, depictions of introverts in popular media tend to have the same objectification and paternalistic curiosity as depictions of people with disabilities. And my suspicion of the YAY INTROVERTS trend derives from seeing the same condescension and objectification in the movement that the movement is ostensibly trying to overcome from the mainstream culture.

Women’s March on Washington DC ignites “contentious dialogue” — a.k.a. “white people whining”

Women’s March on Washington DC ignites “contentious dialogue” — a.k.a. “white people whining” published on No Comments on Women’s March on Washington DC ignites “contentious dialogue” — a.k.a. “white people whining”

The New York Times misses the story yet again. In a piece about the Women’s March on Washington movement, Farah Stockman focuses on white women whining about having to deal with the intersectional feminism propounded by women of other races. The white women become upset when the women of other races tell them that their racial privilege inures them to trials that women of other races face, so they take their toys and go home. God forbid they take the opportunity to learn anything about their privilege, how to acknowledge it, how to speak and think about it, and how to use their unearned powers for good. No, their individual hurt feelings matter more than the systemic, programmatic, societal, wholesale oppression of entire colors of people.

I don’t care about the whiny white women. I want to hear the story of this event developing from a narrowly focused, exclusive event, to a more intersectional one, with a broader base. The white feminists should not be the focus of coverage. The women of other races should.

On a personal level, I’m not sure how I feel about this event. Participation on some level would certainly bring me together with other people who feel similarly impassioned and wish to change the world, as I do. But it’s still a Women’s March, and I don’t care how inclusive their principles say they are, because it still looks to me that it privileges people who are white, and/or non-disabled, and and/or women over people who aren’t one or several of these things.

New sock sweater design, modeled by Julian

New sock sweater design, modeled by Julian published on No Comments on New sock sweater design, modeled by Julian

I’m testing out a new sock sweater design. Mainly the front comes from the sock, while the grey parts are T-shirt material. This design makes the front graphic stand out more boldly. The result also looks more like an actual real live shirt [that I cut up and crudely sewed together], as opposed to a sock that I cut up and crudely sewed together. Continue reading New sock sweater design, modeled by Julian

To the Bat Fax VII: haranguing government officials on…recent activism and Senate confirmation hearings

To the Bat Fax VII: haranguing government officials on…recent activism and Senate confirmation hearings published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax VII: haranguing government officials on…recent activism and Senate confirmation hearings

With information handily provided on Kara’s “We’re His Problem Now” calling sheet, I left a message for Senator Bernie Sanders thanking him for speaking out against Bannon and other Prez-Elect-appointed appointed bigots. Reminded him to oppose the following at Senate confirmation hearings this week: Jeff Sessions as Attorney General because he’s a racist and bigot, Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State because of his COIs with Exxon, and Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education because of her lack of experience.

Left a message for Representative Peter Welch thanking him for speaking out against Bannon and other Prez-Elect-appointed bigots.

To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…supporting Elizabeth Warren’s call to investigate Presidential transition team COIs

To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…supporting Elizabeth Warren’s call to investigate Presidential transition team COIs published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…supporting Elizabeth Warren’s call to investigate Presidential transition team COIs

From Fight for America, here’s a quick E-mail [modified from template] that I sent to the GAO to support Senator Elizabeth Warren’s call to investigate potential COIs in the Presidential transition team:

Hello. I’m writing because I support Senator Elizabeth Warren’s request for a GAO review of the President-Elect’s transition activities. Several possible COIs have already been reported, including those among his business holdings, his dealings with foreign leaders, and lack of transparency.

Since the transition only lasts officially till January 20th, I support the Senator in asking your agency to please investigate the topics above and other potential COIs as soon as possible.

Inspiration for Julian’s steampunk power chair: 1883 von Sauerbronn-Davis steam velocipede

Inspiration for Julian’s steampunk power chair: 1883 von Sauerbronn-Davis steam velocipede published on No Comments on Inspiration for Julian’s steampunk power chair: 1883 von Sauerbronn-Davis steam velocipede

I was looking for evocative diagrams of steam-powered things to decorate Julian’s walls, and I came across the von Sauerbronn-Davis steam velocipede of 1883. [Not sure why it’s termed a velocipede, incidentally, as a velocipede, by definition, runs on human power created by pedal pushing. There are no pedals on that thing.]

The von Sauerbronn-Davis machine looks like a bad idea on wheels, especially with the user’s seat directly over the freakin’ boiler! Nevertheless, the design, with two large wheels in front and the smaller swiveling wheel in the back, appeals to me. Therefore I will be constructing Julian’s steampunk power chair in the same style, but with much smaller tires and a much cushier seat. Continue reading Inspiration for Julian’s steampunk power chair: 1883 von Sauerbronn-Davis steam velocipede

Base of Julian’s steampunk power wheelchair: Hot Toys Sweeney Todd barber chair

Base of Julian’s steampunk power wheelchair: Hot Toys Sweeney Todd barber chair published on No Comments on Base of Julian’s steampunk power wheelchair: Hot Toys Sweeney Todd barber chair

I have discovered the perfect base for Julian’s steampunk power wheelchair: the barber chair from the Hot Toys Sweeney Todd figure a few years back!!! Like a real power wheelchair, the barber chair has adjustable footrests, adjustable armrests, and a reclining back. It also has Victorian connotations with its worn leather upholstery and embossed lion decoration. It is pretty damn cool and worth every penny of the $65.00 I paid [which is more than I paid for Julian…]. I think that, once I finish this steampunk chair, Julian will share it with Polly, who, while not part of the same universe, was also originally conceived as a steampunk power chair user.Continue reading Base of Julian’s steampunk power wheelchair: Hot Toys Sweeney Todd barber chair

Increasing She Ra’s poseability

Increasing She Ra’s poseability published on No Comments on Increasing She Ra’s poseability

Mattel She Ra doesn’t have a very articulated torso. There’s a ball joint under the bust, but she arches her back much better than she hunches. In fact, you can’t get much more than 90 degrees of forward bend. Continue reading Increasing She Ra’s poseability

Testing alternative bodies for Mattel She Ra head

Testing alternative bodies for Mattel She Ra head published on No Comments on Testing alternative bodies for Mattel She Ra head

I tested some alternative bodies in my stash for my Mattel She Ra head. I’m using the head for Julian, my steampunk inventor. Julian has a slender, frail, delicately built body with little muscle mass, especially in her lower body. As I put her head on various bodies, I was looking for, in order of importance, a) proportionality, b) articulation, c) nearness to Julian’s physical build, and d) color match. Results below.

 

Continue reading Testing alternative bodies for Mattel She Ra head

To the Bat Fax V: donating to Committee on Temporary Shelter

To the Bat Fax V: donating to Committee on Temporary Shelter published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax V: donating to Committee on Temporary Shelter

Donated 7 pairs of new wool socks to Committee on Temporary Shelter.

 

Also found a handy Tumblr post for a comprehensive overview of current and future haranguing opportunities.

Miscellaneous: new camera, sweater fronts, and Fiendish Device 2.0 pieces

Miscellaneous: new camera, sweater fronts, and Fiendish Device 2.0 pieces published on No Comments on Miscellaneous: new camera, sweater fronts, and Fiendish Device 2.0 pieces

I picked up a Canon PowerShot SX1001IS digicam yesterday so that I can take quick photos of my projects without having to set up my umbrella lights, tripod, white backdrop, and all my photostory shooting supplies. Apparently this camera was pretty sweet about a decade ago, and it works perfectly well for my purposes a decade later. Pictures below were taken with this new device, which I acquired off Craigslist for $10.00.Continue reading Miscellaneous: new camera, sweater fronts, and Fiendish Device 2.0 pieces

Clementine and Fuchsia’s bike!

Clementine and Fuchsia’s bike! published on No Comments on Clementine and Fuchsia’s bike!

Yesterday I developed the idea for two characters in Julian’s universe, Clementine and Fuchsia. They are dicephalus parapagus conjoined twins, and they ride a motorcycle. Of course this means that they have to have a motorcycle and the appropriate gear, particularly helmets. This is a bit daunting, as finding realistic helmets for sixth scale dolls is right up there with finding realistic power wheelchairs in terms of difficulty.

Some 2017 goals in no particular order

Some 2017 goals in no particular order published on No Comments on Some 2017 goals in no particular order

I think of New Year’s resolutions as recipes for failure and disappointment. I do, however, like to use the occasion of a new calendar year to establish a list of things I want to accomplish in the next 12 months.

Goals for this year include the following, in no particular order:

  • Obtain satisfying job that pays what I’m worth, provides diversity of tasks and intellectual engagement, offers career development and opportunities to work with respectful, friendly people, does good in the world, and is less than 45 minutes away one way.
  • Move out of parents’ house and in with sister.
  • Promote social justice. Donate monthly to nonprofits promoting civil rights. Volunteer in person monthly for a nonprofit promoting civil rights. Harangue goverment officials and other public entities weekly. Blog about actions.
  • Sew. Make as many sweaters as possible out of current hoard of novelty socks. Use sewing machine wherever I can. Make at least 5 collared shirts out of the fabrics I bought about two years ago. Also make leggings.
  • Finish BJDs in progress, Delmar and Fritillaria, or sell them. Faceups and wigs are first priority. Outfits are lower priority.
  • Do Zombieville regularly. Keep main plotline and Meanwhile going. Repaint Isabel.
  • Get Julian and her lab up and running. Complete Julian. Complete Julian’s steampunk wheelchair. Complete Fiendish Device. Post stories about Julian.
  • Play with other doll lovers. Run VTDL, publicizing, recruiting, and inventing themes for meetups. Attend 2016 NERDS doll show in Lowell, MA in March.
  • Improve digital skills. Catalogue all 2016 acquisitions. Avoid discount club memberships and spending orgies as in 2016. Find better way to organize content. Work more with Carrara. Model a simple thing in Carrara. Learn how to render Carrara scenes quickly and efficiently. Do a mini universe photostory using Carrara digital assets for the set.

Julian’s steampunk stuff

Julian’s steampunk stuff published on No Comments on Julian’s steampunk stuff

Ever since I got the idea for a doll version of my steampunk inventor Julia/Julian, I’ve been brainstorming scientificish stuff and characters for her and her lab.

For characters, there’s the Clockwork Droid, who helps her with personal care. There’s also Viktor, who is more of her friend.

There’s Julian’s wheelchair, which is going to be an overstuffed wingback chair, a hearing aid case for the main electronics, some wheels, and various steampunk scrapbook supplies.

There’s Julian’s tablet, which does text to speech and also functions as a universal remote. :p

There’s the Fiendish Device, made primarily of record player innards.

And, in my latest brilliant idea, there’s a bunch of Julian’s smaller machines made from diecast pencil sharpeners. Metal knockoffs of the original Spanish Play Me brand can be had for relatively cheap. I’ve identified the following as useful steampunk elements: coffee grinder, Roman numeral clock, sewing machine, table fan, phonograph, box camera, balance with weight, blowtorch, pot belly stove, kerosene stove, candlestick phone, French phone, cash register, floor safe, slot machine, bingo cage.

While I’m thinking of it, other things that look scientificish include music box innards, calculators/innards, circuit boards, vacuum tubes, radios/innards.

Improving the dead version of Isabel

Improving the dead version of Isabel published on No Comments on Improving the dead version of Isabel

@natalunasans passed along one of her early Coo Model skeletons, the type with plastic joints, not metal [as used currently], so I upgraded the dead version of Isabel’s body. Unfortunately, I broke both Coo hip joints, so I decided to swap out the Coo pelvis and thighs for a set from a Sideshow male body that I had hanging around. Since this area will be covered by the dead version of Isabel’s clothes, I don’t really care what it looks like.

I used my new friend Instamorph plastic to hold the Coo spine in the Sideshow pelvic girdle. Instamorph also holds the knee sockets onto the bottoms of the thighs and fills in the thighs to make sockets for the Coo knees and calves. She still needs her head and the rest of her clothes.

 

Continue reading Improving the dead version of Isabel

Jessyann’s got knee joints!

Jessyann’s got knee joints! published on No Comments on Jessyann’s got knee joints!

I made some quick and dirty knee joints for one of my Curvy Barbies today, just as a proof of concept. [I previously modded Jessyann by removing her feet and articulating her arms. For the latter, I thought about adding elbow joints by using extra ball-jointed wrist pegs, but then I found some Obitsu 27cm lower arms with Obitsu slender male hands in my raw dolls bin. Since the skin tone was an approximate match, I hacked off Curvy’s arms above the elbow and drilled out her upper arms to make sockets for the pegs of the Obitsu lower arms. I put some Aves Apoxie Sculpt in the sockets so that the Obitsu arm pegs fit by friction alone.]

To give Jessyann articulated knees, I started by cutting her legs apart. I angled the cuts so that I preserved the kneecaps in front. I started off using a hand saw, but then discovered that I could get much easier and smoother cuts by softening up the plastic in boiling water, then using a craft knife. After removing rough plastic from the cuts with some sandpaper, I made angled cuts out of the top of the calves to accommodate 90 degrees of bend. Again I cleaned the edges of the cuts.

For knee joints, I used some spare Classic GI Joe hands. I cut the hands off just above the base of the palm, then stuck the stumps into the Curvy calves. I used Instamorph plastic to fill the space and secure the stumps in their sockets. [Side note: Instamorph is a plastic with a low melting point that turns clear and pliable if stuck in boiling water for a minute. It may then be molded for projects such as this, then cooled in place till it turns opaque for a good, tight fit. It can be removed, remolded, etc., if it’s heated to clear again. It’s like a combination of quick-dry epoxy putty and hot glue, and it’s so cool!]. I also used more Instamorph plastic to fill the bottoms of the thighs and make sockets for the GI Joe wrist pegs. These allow swivel motion of the calves as well.

Proof of concept works, demonstrating that Jessyann and any other Curvies can bend their legs if you have the time and inclination to hack them up. Like most of my mods, the joints don’t look great, but they function as intended. Jessyann’s a little wobbly, but that might be because I just hacked off her ridiculously small feet and wedged her ankle stumps into shoes. Something to think about for further attempts at this body mod…

Continue reading Jessyann’s got knee joints!

Lakaysha: body modding on a Hasbro Classic GI Joe

Lakaysha: body modding on a Hasbro Classic GI Joe published on No Comments on Lakaysha: body modding on a Hasbro Classic GI Joe

For this project, I started off with a Hasbro Classic GI Joe [$2.00 from Goodwill] and a Storm Collectibles Dennis Rodman head [$7.99 from Good Stuff to Go]. I planned an experiment in extreeeeeeeeeme body modding, which, if all went well, would yield a more realistically proportioned body with narrower shoulders and shorter limbs. If nothing worked, well, then I was only out $2.00, and I could always find another body for the Rodman head.

After much modification, behold Lakaysha. She’s about 10.5″ tall, down from 12″ originally. Since the Rodman head didn’t have much neck attached, I carved down the default GI Joe head and mounted the Rodman head on the remaining base. Hot glue kept it in place. I cut the sides of the chest off, scraped down the raw edges, then reattached the arms, sealing raw areas with hot glue and Instamorph low melt plastic pellets, which are like moldable hot glue and the coolest shit ever! [Thank you, @natalunasans!] There was no substantial reduction in width, maybe 1-2mm, but the torso’s proportions improved instantly.

I hacked out sections of both thighs and calves, redrilling holes for ankle pegs and smoothing raw areas on reattached thighs with more Instamorph plastic. Knee swivel motion was lost, but I don’t care.

I hacked off a section of the wrists, thinking that the arms needed to be shortened. However, they did not, so I removed the hands, which I had to do anyway, and reglued the cut-offs back on. I spent most of my time carving out the upper arms to get more than 90 degrees out of the single-jointed elbows.

Why yes, it looks like one of my usual rushed hatchet jobs, but you know what? None of it shows when she has clothes on! Stay tuned for pictures, once I hem her pants, find her some hands, add hair, and touch up her goatee.

 

 

Continue reading Lakaysha: body modding on a Hasbro Classic GI Joe

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