Happy Valentine's Day

Gene wears "Rendezvous," a Sandra Stillwell Presents creation.

It's also Rudy's 11th birthday. Happy Birthday, Rudy! Wishing you a healthy second decade.

Betcha Can't Buy Just One!

Ai Plum joins Ai Lagrus and a Rudette for a photo op. It doesn't get much cuter.

I haven't put eyelashes on Plum yet but I will get around to it. Neither doll is wearing all the outfit pieces they came with.

Have you gotten one yet?

Nelson Goes Brunette

I've been trying out wigs on Nelson. She looks great in every color but I have such a mish mosh of sizes, not all of them fit properly. Here is a Cheryl Wood wig. I was a bit small so I think it was made for Avantguard Dolls. I put it in my heating pad for a few minutes to soften the glue and it went on beautifully. It's a good technique to reshape your hard cap wigs. Just don't leave it in the pad for too long.

I am having difficulty with her lower leg stability. She's giving me the same instability problem as my Ficons. The knees keep getting into an awkward position. They need an improved design.

Nelson, Domina and Plum

Today is a good day to show you some new additions to my collection.
First up is Kingdom Doll's Nelson. She is the newest 16" resin BJD to hit the doll scene. 
Here are several prelimary (iPhone) images of her. (Actually all the images on this page are iPhone images.)
Nelson is wearing the full length black sequin Sybarite gown from the Basique Black Giftset and a random blonde wig. Neckpiece is a Tonner product. Her ears are pierced but are quite small and the matching earrings do not fit. She has a well-defined sculpt which will photograph beautifully once I get her down into my studio. Her resin feels wonderfully smooth and her joints are neither kicky nor loose. I am going to enjoy this doll for a long time.

My Sybarite "Domina" decided that she wanted to wear "Gateau's fashion. She wears it very well.  So often the Sybarite shoes are a pain to put on, especially over hosiery, but these were made properly to my delight. I love this ensemble.

 In the first photo of Domina, her lovely pink nipple was positioned at the opening of the silver parts of the bodice. Photoshop came to the rescue. Did I ever admit something about my pictures? If you see me using special effects it's most often because the picture sucked. I take a lot of pictures of my subjects from all angles and with the lighting moved around. However, when I use the phone, I have much less control of the results compared to when I use my professional equipment. That's when Photoshops filters other than sharpening and exposure come out to play. Even then, the idea is to make it look as if you meant it to be that way in the first place.
Ahhh, the tricks we evil Photoshoppers play. I prefer to get it right in the camera anyway.

Two adorable vinyl BJDs have come to live here. They are Ai Ball Jointed Dolls from Jun Planning, the same company that makes Pullips.
Here is their description:

Precious and posable, personable and perfectly palm-sized, each 12.5cm (about 5 inches) doll in Jun Planning's Ball Jointed Doll Ai series has been created with care and is exquisitely detailed, complete with wigged hair that can be removed if you choose, and inset eyes that can be repositioned from within using putty.  Packaged in a sturdy gift box designed to keep safe in travels.

 My first was Lagrus.

The left shows how she comes packaged in ther padded box. I added eyelashes and enhanced her coloring a bit.  On the right, she is wearing a short blonde wig. I used different putty than what she came with. Actually I use moldable silicone earplugs that come in a multi-package available at CVS and I'm sure at most other drugstores.

 My second Ai came today. She is "Plum." I haven't taken her out of her package yet.

I think she's even cuter than Lagrus.

These tiny dolls are fun impulse buys and would also make great gifts for doll friends of all ages. Their price ranges from $29 (so I've heard but have never seen) to much higher from the rip-off artists. I paid the normal going rate of about $34.99 with free shipping on eBay. For that price, these are great bargains and a fun introduction to the tiny BJD. The quality is very nice. They pose better than Amelia Thimble. Their vinyl is nicer than her resin! I don't have Amelia anymore so I can't compare their clothes to see if they can share.
Amelia is only 4" tall. A basic doll like this costs $175. You do the math.

Happy Hunting!

Lady Gaga Dolls

There are some pretty awful looking Gaga dolls out there. I'll let you choose which of the following fit that description. These are all on eBay today.

This is a OOAK sculpted head with a piano dress.

OOAK Ficondoll "Gaga" inspired by "Versace Campaign"
Starting bid $800.

Lady Gaga "Grammy Awards 2010" OOAK Doll
Starting Bid $75.

Lady Gaga doll OOAK Custom Barbie #2
Buy It Now $39.99

Lady Gaga Fame Era OOAK Doll
Starting Bid $70.

Voodoo Doll, Lady Gaga, Lucky Charm Key Ring
Buy It Now $9.78

 

Lady Gaga Art Doll

Buy It Now $160.

Lady Gaga Doll aka Vaughn's Workshop
Buy It Now $600 or Make an Offer

None of these dolls compare to the adorable Gaga Barbies we've seen in the past.
Here's a link to the many Gaga dolls that have been produced over the course of the last few years.  

GAGA DOLLS

Of course you will need to waste time and care about this topic.  

Who Needs New Dolls?

There's always one more temptation as I spend countless hours scouring the doll boards looking at sales and pictures and wanting the next great doll or the one that got away. While I'm doing this, all the (last) great dolls are hanging around in my doll room waiting for someone to play with them. I often wonder WTF I'm doing with all of these dolls. Well, today I followed my own advice and played with the dolls I already have.
First was Heart on My Sleeve, a Tonner reinterpreted Tin Man from Oz. She's been dressed in her adorable, original fashion since I got her. I thought she was so perfect.

She's even more perfect now dressed in the Theatre de la Mode Noir #99 gown sans shrug. This doll uses the Duchess head sculpt on the Antoinette body.

Quite the transformation, right?

I never paid much attention to Hearts Aflame after I got her because the collector that sold her to me under-described the defects on this doll's face. She's got part of an eyebrow sanded off and there are three tiny green spots happening. She has the Queen of Hearts head sculpt, Tyler body. (2006)

 But I needed a full busted Tonner doll to wear Forbidden Forest Winter Stroll and she was it. This is one of those fashions that I had when it first came out, sold it and then bought another one. It's truly one of Tonner's most magnificent creations.

Here it is on Elphaba for whom it was designed way back in 2005.

Going back through my own collection and comparing photographs is so interesting. It's a history of what I've been doing for the past 12 or so years.

Follow your own Yellow Brick Road right into your doll room. Step back from the computer and put that credit card away. Take out a doll and redress it in something wonderful and admire your 'newest' toy. One day at a time.