Ever since DragonGems started coming to VTDL meetups, I’ve watched her dollmaking skills develop rapidly. That said, I’ve always particularly liked her second 1:6 scale BJD, an elf, who first showed up to doll club on May 18th, 2013.

 

 

 

I just love the large, strong features she has. In a hobby where smooth, idealized sculpts proliferate, as well as dainty noses and mouths for girls, the elf’s face appeals to my rougher aesthetic. She has big, boldly sculpted features and — my favorite! — a big, wide mouth.

 

Anyway, DragonGems and I were talking 1:6 scale action figures and dolls at the last meetup. She expressed interest in a mature female figure, so I offered her a Lumedoll Arine who’s been sitting in my raw dolls bin, unused, for way too long. She accepted and said she could pay me money. I counteroffered that she could give me the aforementioned elf in exchange. She agreed, and we each thought that we were getting the better part of the barter. And that is the story of how I acquired Touralyn.

 

 

DragonGems plans to improve Touralyn — for example, giving her double-ganged limbs — before handing her over. She also warned me that Touralyn, as an early dollmaking effort, was not particularly steady on her feet or good at holding poses. I said that I did not mind and added that I could always wire her. Furthermore, now that I think about it, her inability to stand unaided does not represent much of a problem either, as I have way more 1:6 scale manual wheelchairs than I know what to do with. She can always use one of those.

 

I hope to swap the Lumedoll for Touralyn at next month’s VTDL meetup, assuming we can each prepare our end of the trade in time.