Not Doll Related

For my Aunt, Thelma Harchik 

August 1,  1930-November 16,  2011

 

Death Be Not Proud

Published in 1633.

By John Donne  

Death be not proud, though some have callèd thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better than thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more, death, thou shalt die.

 

 

 

I need this doll.

I need [want] Sybarite Geometry. She is gorgeous.

Mike aka "laughon45"

Inti

 waterfallfaerie

I love everything about her!
I am aware that someone has her listed for $1300. on eBay but I'm not going there.  I would be very happy with a nude or even a nude, bald one. Maybe Santa is listening.


Check these links for more pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25447537@N04/6011754908/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21410637@N02/with/5818096643/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=SG&feature=related&hl=en-GB&v=ST45VVbLWbA

Fun Photoshoot

I had lots of fun taking pictures today. In the back of my mind I kept hearing "Believe in the power of play." I believe it.
First - my Portuguese shipping buddy bought two new Vanessas. Delivered here first, they had to be photographed with their twins.
Ignore the stand in the first picture. These dolls have such wobbly bodies and I was lazy. After all, it was play, not work. My Miami Shine is wearing one of Eugenia's 2011 convention gift set outfits. Her shoes and handbag are La Boutique POM. My Obisidian is wearing a dress made by SL Doll Fashions and her bag and shoes are also La Boutique POM. I never liked Obsidian's original outfit with the chest-baring jacket but I still love both dolls. They are beautiful.

When the Dolls in Oz Monogram exclusive doll was released, I did not buy her. Ultimately I did get the doll but it wasn't until the other day that I got the ensemble. I hated the oversized bow so I removed it and stuck it on Dreamscape's head. I'm thinking of attaching a little tulle to create a hat. I like the outfit much better now. I do not have a single doll outfit in this shocking pink color. The fabric is lush and the cape is enormous. I'm glad I waited until one came along at a good price.

Last but not least, I played with the Queen of Hearts and the most recent Theatre de la Mode doll. Both are wearing Antoinette fashions. The silver crown is a Franklin Mint item. The rest of the jewelry is from varied sources.
I have decided that they are sisters. I rarely give my dolls specific personae but these dolls have great sculpts with strong personalities. They both have wonderful high cheekbones and are fantastic to photograph. I am so happy that I got this centerpiece, not just for the doll which anyone could have purchased but also because I got the throne. It's a wonderful prop.

Seen On-line

Freddy Tan, doll repainter extraordinaire posted his repaint of Draculaura, a Monster High doll. This is fabulous. She looks so pretty now. Now my MH girls look so boring. Sigh.....

She is on eBay for sale at this time. I'm looking forward to seeing what this little gem goes for.

Freddy's photography is pretty spectacular, too.

Seen on Studio Commissary

"What a difference flash makes," said Vicki Walker, who posted these identical images of Ivy Jordan. In the first, no flash was used.  The immediate difference one sees are highlights and shadows but there is much more.
I'm guessing her camera was on Automatic. When a camera reads the available light (even when using flash), it will adjust the length of exposure and aperture opening to properly light the subject. The longer a shutter stays open or the wider the aperture, the greater the effect on sharpness of the image.  With a camera that's not on a tripod, there is more of an opportunity for a blurry photo.
I'm trying to explain this simply but I realize that many will not understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture opening and the like. These images speak volumes.
The reason I think these photos are so important is that many collectors are afraid of using flash. There are many more reasons to be afraid of not using enough light or only using existing light.

Focus is soft, distracting spots of light and shadow on nose, chin and chest, eyes are dark.

Face is beautifully clear, eyes have enough light, highlights on hair sparkle, vinyl and dress fabric look like their actual color, overall sharpness is very good.

The only issue in this photo is the shadow cast by the flash behind the doll, but that is a topic I cover in my next FDQ article.

If you blinked, you missed it.

Quick as a wink, two new Sybarites were posted on the Superfrock.com site and were sold. Gone. I never even got to see good pictures of them. There are four dolls in this wave - two are evil and two are good. The two that disappeared this morning are DeHood and Heroette.

I just know that in a few days I will see one or both of them offered for twice the price with the lame excuse that the poor buyer just got some car repair bills, needs a new roof and can't keep the doll. I'd like to see them just come out and say that they beat out the other speculators. Just sell it and quit the lies.

Images from the site.

A friend was able to capture these images and graciously sent them to me.