Friday, September 26, 2014

Dollism (part 1)

I got back from Dollism Monday, but mentally I'm still in limbo lol
I have yet to even unpack!! I've been useless at work, and I really just want to play dolls, but have to get back to real life, as it were.

I was putting this post off until I had pictures to post, but I still don't have them all edited!! There's so many D: I didn't think I took a lot, but apparently I did, I'm not half through yet. A lot of them are horrible, my point and shoot does a good job, but nothing could function well in the horrid lighting EVERYWHERE in that awful hotel. So some turned out, others did not.

I will try and do a more detailed post, but for now, a few highlights.

Room Sales
This was the first thing we did Friday. We literally checked into the hotel, checked into Dollism,  tossed our sales on the bed and opened the door. XD People were shopping as we organized. The good thing was we had everything but the resin priced, and I had price tags pre-printed for the dolls, and a sign, so I did that kind of leisurely as people looked.

Room sales was honestly one of my favorite things all weekend because I am a very social person, and having people come in my room all hours of the night was a lot of fun, especially since they were all doll people, and a lot of them friends I've known for years and never met! It was like a giant party! With doll stuff! And money! XD I do regret not being able to shop more, I would have loved to visit everyone's room, and talk to those I missed, but I was selling most of the time, and unable to leave :( Plus the hotel's crap with shutting us down early, then before we even started....well, I'll leave most of my opinion on the Hyatt out, at least for now, other than to say I am NOT disappointed that they're looking at other venues for the next Dollism already.

Room sales were also fabulous for the most unexpected and wonder reason of all: they paid for my whole trip minus the Hotel and plane ticket. I am not kidding. I used my card for one small purchase, and my initial spending cash, and that's it. Room sales covered everything else. Including the doll I bought, most of the clothes and all the many pairs of eyes. Among all the other stuff, I sold two dolls (both bunnies), a body and a head. I consider that to be a major success.

Dollmore
If you know me at all, you know that one of the biggest reasons I was so incredibly excited to go to Dollism was to see Dollmore in person. They did not disappoint.

Friday night I escaped room sales for 5 minutes and took the elevator to their room. While in the 'vator, I chatted with another con-goer (who's name I didn't get and I regret that so much!!!), who it turned out, had a Judith on her. She stripped the poor girl lol to show me the body - because I'd mentioned I was interested in one (which is true, I'd been considering a Judith to replace the Souldoll as Mini Isis). I was so impressed I decided that that was definitely the way to go, but still wasn't thinking about immediate gratification so much as "OMGI'MRIGHTOUTSIDEDOLLMORE'SROOM!!!!!!!" In I went.

It was moderate chaos, dolls were set up on all the cabinets, all fullsets, looking amazing, and people were everywhere. Running around, talking, buying things, going through piles of stuff. It was sensory over-load. Being the total dork I am I teared up from just being in the room with all the dolls and the Dollmore ladies (who I was too afraid to talk too), and I didn't want to get involved in the mess (someone knocked over a doll and there was much noise) so I just looked at the dolls set up on display. I noticed two dolls right away. One, they had a Kara Klum sitting on their bed amongst all the sales stuff holding a sword and looking (as they do) disgruntled. He had brown hair, which might have accounted for his mood...they do like to be blond. XD
The other doll I saw right away was a blue-skinned Dollpire Shiloh, which I wanted SO FREAKING BAD!!! But I was "smart" and didn't bring my wallet. So no way could I buy not one thing. I was waiting to see how the sales turned out first.

While I was there, the Shiloh sold, which made me leave before I could start begging them to let me buy it XD
I didn't talk to them at room sales. It was a madhouse and I didn't have my identification with me (meaning I had left Alex in my room) so there was no point IMO. My roommate went after me, and confirmed that someone bought the blue vampire. Boo. One of the friends I went with ran down and actually bought one of the Judiths they had....so I got a good look at her too and was double-sure I wanted one at that point, but since I knew one had sold for sure and thought maybe another had sold, I didn't really think about buying one....

Saturday we stood in line waiting to be let in to the vendor room. When the line finally moved we split up, my roommate and I went to Oscar (pausing by DM - more chaos. They were really busy the whole time) so we could buy eyes and our other friends got in the long Switch line.

Four pairs (Four!!) of Oscar Eyes later, we went back to Dollmore. I sneaked in to their booth, and was caught by Abby...She saw Alex and recognized him as a Kara Klum right away (I'd always wondered if they would). She pointed him out to the other two (one of which is the DM CEO!! MRS DOLLMORE!) and they fawned all over him! I of course had to mention how much I loved his mold and all their dolls, and that I had one on order, so they fished him out for me and handed him over - wrapped in bubble-wrap and a blanket (he has his own blanket!! lol) and in a Dollmore Shopping bag (yay!!). I didn't want to leave, so I kind of stuck around and with help from my BF convinced myself I did need a new doll (even though I was not supposed to get one) since room sales had been so successful, and bought the last Judith Zinna. My CC didn't go through ( a whole other story - ugh) so I paid with cash. They let me have her for $20 less than price, which was less than actual price on their site. Yay! I was to come back in an hour to get her (her fullset is insane. I'm not kidding.) so they could pack her up.

20 minutes later Abby came running after me down the hall to tell me she was ready for pick-up XD so I followed her back to their booth. She asked me a little more about Alex and if I wrote about him...so I told her about the comic. I had brought them with me, both intending to sell them and to give some to Dollmore as a thank you for, well for Alex. He did get me into the hobby, and I love it, so they deserve something IMO. Unfortunately me being me I'd forgotten to bring them down....so I would have to grab them later.....

Fast forward through a bunch of other con stuff, and I went up to my room, grabbed the comics and brought them down...I only had one set with me, because in all honesty I wasn't sure they'd even care. I handed them to Abby, and she saw what they were and gave them to the CEO (I wish I'd gotten their names!!! I am so fail) who got really excited and handed me a box with their amazing solid metal headphones as a gift!! I'm still shocked. I must have thanked her a million times while I stood there like an idiot - those things are expensive and they weren't marked down for the con. Abby asked if she could have some too (again, didn't think they'd care so much *fail again*) so I went up and brought two more sets down for them.

I will forever be so touched by how happy they were to see my art, and to realize that the doll they made plays such a huge part in my artistic life. And by how wonderful they were to me. They smiled and talked to me every time I walked by, and really loved Alex. I had been worried tbh. I had III with me most of the time - and I've always been a little afraid that they wouldn't appreciate how I took a very limited fullset doll and.....well, turned him into something else. But they loved his faceup and that I'd made his wig (they asked). It really made me happy. And when I had Alex I they liked him too, especially when I mentioned he was my first doll ever. He's not quite as flashy as III (who is?), but he's my baby lol (he got spoiled rotten too - a super-expensive outfit just for him. Though the new one is wearing the pants right now...).

I really can't thank them enough for being so friendly to me, and going out of their way to do it (I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I have like, nine-thousand DM dolls lol and just bought one while I was there, but still!!). They made what was already a fabulous weekend that much more memorable. Something I'll never forget.

And now I have a new Alex!!

Look, there he is now
Three Alexes 

I probably don't have to point out that he's the middle one XD
Their all wearing their new loot (III has on the headphones) but the new one is wearing the underwear he came in (which for some reason, I really like. He's still got the shirt on), one of the many "Alex-wigs", a shirt I bought at room sales, and Enchanted Doll eyes I got in the vendor room. Yep. I finally caved and bought super-expensive urethane eyes that aren't Oscar. And they really are worth it. Just look how much they show up in my crappy photo!! Of course, they may not when he the Alex "eyelashes of doom" they all get. But for now they look amazing. III got Oscar eyes like I's, so all three of them have special eyes now.

I am....way more enamored by the new one (I'm already referring too as Seven) than I thought I would be. I thought it would be like the others...but I had forgotten how long it's been since I've gotten a full one and not parts. And I've never gotten a blank one. Even the heads have had faceups. He looks different too. The first thing I said when I had a chance to inspect him in my hotel room was that something was different about his body. It's more detailed than the others - making me resolve to change my order around. I don't want to mod this one - he's special. My friends, as usual, think I'm crazy and that he's the same, but I will swear on my life he's not, and yesterday I suddenly realized why. He's the only one I own who isn't sanded.

I didn't know what seams were when I bought I(one) so I had them sanded. III came sanded as part of his Fullset, as did IV. II's body I got sanded because the others were. Dollmore sands their dolls completely, head included, so it's an all-over perfection and there's no marks. Seven isn't sanded at all....so all his detail is just a tiny bit sharper. It's not really that noticeable except in his torso...he has more abs than the others XDD

Ok, this has gone on too long as it is and I only posted one photo!! I'll get into more stuff in the next post. I don't have all the photos finished, but what I have is on my flickr in a Dollism album.

I have to go do actual work now....hope everyone has a great weekend!!

I wish I knew how to do a cut D:

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Dolls, Dolls, Dolls

Just a quick (heh) update on the old collection.

Alex III
Needs his claws glossed again, and he'll be as finished as he's going to get. I really wish I could get a couple pictures of him before I pack him away, but there's no time and I don't want clothes on him at all because I'm paranoid he'll get chipped, so just envision how cool he is. Awesome, right? XD

He's happy to have his head back on, and his hair (giant mega-Godzilla has been holding it for a month while he's been worked on. I think he's sad to let it go.) back. Though I put a net over his head to tame it. I used some leave-in conditioner on it and it's super-soft now XD

The Kara Klums as a unit
Well, things are changing for them. I beheaded II last night and gave him his old body back, leaving 2.5 a head again. I'm putting the DC body up for sale. If it doesn't sell I have an idea for it already, but I would really just like to sell it and replace it with another Y-03 body, sans extra joints. If that happens I'll decide what to do with the other one.

So I'm down to 6 again, since 2.5 has no body. Lol. Or I will be once I grab the new guy....who may not end up with the mods I planned - I might do it to 2.5. I'm not as attached to him as I am the others, and if I can get a junk body for him I'll feel better testing out things I've never done before. The new one will still get an open mouth mod, since I want two of them, but a lesser one...hopefully better than the first one I did. I'm not happy with it. So basically I'll just be switching them around again. Heh heh.

I'm dying to work on Azrael right now (of course, when I can't.) so I might clean him off after Dollism and start him. I don't have a concrete plan, I just want to draw on him a lot. >.<
He may also be naked for the rest of his life....

Skullface just needs his one hand finished (one of these days it will happen) and he's done. So that's nice. Maybe before Halloween...

I and III are as done as they're going to get, more done than they've ever been. It's a little scary...I'm terrified for them now D:

I think II is happy to be on his old body again XD

Speaking of Halloween
I have four dolls to faceup and blush before the Halloween meet.
Ghost, Damien(Still not sure about his name) and two Boo's. Ugh.
I'd love Skullface and Chibi Skullface to be finished. So that's the plan....yeah.

Even better if Angelbattle Cream would get here by then!! But I doubt that'll happen.

Gambit
Is now a Migidoll River.
Seriously, I couldn't have picked a better head if I'd totally done it on purpose. It looks like him! I'm not kidding. I just got him yesterday and I can't wait to have him together. But he's going to Dollism to be my Faceup Workshop head, and then I'll probably have to wipe that faceup and give him a real one someday next week...so it might be a while.

But he looks amazing on the body (not a resin match sadly), the wigs look great on him and I love him with Jean. So a big huge and excited yay!!

I'd still like to attempt Wolverine 2.0 with different mold, but for right now I just want the two of them. I'd like to finish them completely. Either get Remy his own body, or one for Marcus, so there's no more sharing (though I am not in a hurry - I need to work on Marcus first. I think I just decided the Granado body is now Gambits....), and find both him and Jean some really good clothes, get them both blushed and complete before tackling any more projects....I don't want to get overwhelmed again. Ha.

Moving on...
My sales list is gianty.

Heads
CP Fairyland Luts Delf Dark Elf Soo Art Delf (Anarchy in Heaven) with default $250
Dollzone Mo3B with COA blank $100
Dollzone Fei with COA and custom faceup $100
Dollzone Ro with COA and custom faceup $100
Leekeworld LE SP Honey head $100
Volks Heath head $400
5Star Tong Tong (no horns) with COA $50
Dollzone Cosmo $100

Full Dolls (OBO)
Volks Midori In Preschool version - custom faceup $400
Angel Region SOLD OUT Cien $275
Mushroom Peddler Fluff $230
Mushroom Peddler Floppy the lop $230
Luts Mini-me Delf cat on Dikadoll body $175 (with extra parts)
Luts Mini-me Delf cat on Dearmine body $175

Bodies
Doll Chateau Youth Boy body NSP/Dollmore hands $375
Mirodoll 60cm boy body ns $125
Dikadoll 1/6 body with extra hands TAN  $175

COMING SOON (feel free to ask me about them if you're interested)
Iplehouse Kamau Sword Dancer (modded)
Dollmore Catcher Ripley Days LE10 Fullset (minus eyes)

I can't sell my Afi head. I can't. I tried, I really did....but I would rather he sit in a box forever and never get used than sell him and regret it. I am planning currently to attempt to join the next Soom Teeny Gem free choice or whatever they call it, and try to get another one, with maybe the bunny parts if that's an option, in tan to replace Hopscotch. If that happens I'll sell my head, but maybe I won't...I love the modded eyes on mine.  I just don't like him on the DK body. Of all my YO sized dolls it was my least favorite.

And I feel SUPER guilty selling my Ripley days. I mean really. Other than one DMK I don't sell Dollmore resin. But I can't deal with all the big guys anymore. Ryuji stays, Israfel stays, they can sit on the top shelf together and I will hopefully be ok with that. I just keep thinking "if" with Metatron...and I can't think about "if" anymore. He just needs to go. I'm glad I never wiped his LE faceup now XD

I hope I can sell this stuff. I think the key is going to be to just put it up and keep it up...and lower the price if I have too. It has to go, I feel better just having the bulk of them off my shelf.
The funny thing is, I don't even know what I'll use the money for!! Maybe a body for my last floating head? A body for the newly bodiless Kara Klum?? Who knows. I am thinking of shelling Sage's brother, I have a list of heads that might work as him....so that could be fun. We'll see.

Anyway, that's what I've got! I hope everyone has a good week! :D

Monday, September 15, 2014

The Road to Dollism and other things.

I leave Friday for Buffalo. I'm hitting panic mode now as I don't really feel like anything is ready.

Over the weekend my roommate and I went through all our things and pulled out everything we're selling. Holy Mother of God. It's so much we need to bring both our allotted two suitcases. one for things like clothes, and one for sales! D:

I feel like I'm literally cleaning out half of what I own. It's a good feeling. It'll be even better if some of it sells.

My Resin sales list has doubled. I really looked at my dolls over the weekend and added some to the pile that I never thought I'd get rid of. After Dollism I'll be putting even more up for sale. It's time. I need to cut my collection down, and even if I regret it (I adore my Afi, but he's just not right) I need to try and sell them. Most are going with me (a lot are just tinies and anthros) but the three big guys might now. Well, I'll take the head from one.

Everything is listed in my sales page if you're curious. I may be adding my Doll Chateau Youth Boy body to that list. I haven't 100% decided yet. I just really like Skullface's body and Alex II is just too tall like that. He will of course get his old body back - leaving 2.5 just a head again XD That's it goes guys!! You start out a head and end up one in the end...or something like that. In the future I might try for another DC Y-03, without the joints for II. I still want one. But there's the price to think of *dies*

Metatron is another one I may regret - but I can't have the bigger dolls laying around anymore. They take up too much space. Ryuji is getting a chance at survival and I have no desire to get rid of Israfel (who knew I'd like that stupid Hound so much?!) as he's the only one of the big guys I like. I'll have to take a huge loss on the Ripley Days and Kamau. No one wants them and they were both LE's and really expensive when I bought them. But I have to get them out. Someday I may buy another Ripley Days (a basic, with no frills) but I probably won't. I do NOTHING with him, and I can't find him clothes I like. And I would much rather concentrate on other dolls.

So I have a lot of dolls, clothes, shoes, eyes, wigs - the works - to sell at room sales! If it all goes it will fund my whole trip lol. Would be nice.

Alex III
He's finally a doll again. Mostly. I put him back together last night, sans head. I have to say, he looks amazing...but he chipped a few times already and I actually broke his wrist part while stringing him. He has 3 pairs of hands (plus the jointed ones) so this wasn't a huge deal, but I was still a little down. I want to spray him a million more times before he gets his head back and packed, so he's not totally done. Though it's supposed to rain tonight...so he may not get sprayed! Dammit.

Migidoll River
Got shipped just in freaking time. I asked them last week what was up (at least one River arrived already) and they said they'd ship the next day...but my order didn't update, and I didn't get a notice. BUT I got the email today, and when I tracked it it said it was in customs already! So it'll be here. Unless customs eats it. Lets hope not. I really wanted to see him with Jean and the Heath head before Dollism because heath is going along in the sales bin (I'm feeling optimistic) and I'll feel better if I'm sure River will be a good replacement. He was also intended to be my faceup workshop head. So now I won't have to worry about a replacement.

DikaDoll Aqua
The head I bought to enter the contest with. I probably would have had him done, but his ear chipped (again. What the fuck,) and I had to fix it. So now I'm not finished and have to work on him some more. Arg. At least I'll have an entry of some kind.

Chibi Skullface
His status was elevated from my not owning him (I mean I've only had him a week lol) to going to Dollism with the other two YO sized dolls I'm bringing. Lol he moves up in the world fast!! I bought him a skelly suit like Baby Alex's...and then I grabbed one for Chibs too because I was buying off Amazon and I could. So all three of them can be twinzes!! Or something. He's too fat and tall for it lol but my friend fixed it so it fits better. He can sit in it now! XD

SKULLFACEX2-2

Is that the most perfect thing ever for him, or what?? XD He's wearing it now, but might go back to the other outfit for traveling.

So these are the dolls I'm planning on brining to Dollism for sure.
Alex I
Alex III (assuming I finish him enough *prays*)
Macchi
Vanilla
Chibi Alex
Baby Alex
Chibi Skullface

DK Aqua (head)
MD River (head)

The problem is I also want to bring
Uriel
Baby Wyn
Ashes

That's a lot of dolls. The first 7 aren't too bad....but the next three just seem like too many.
Uriel is one I always want to bring places and never do. I really want to shop for him and that F60 body is awesome.

Baby Wyn also needs clothes. I am selling most of his. Plus I dressed him. Now I feel guilt.

Ashes I don't care too much about bringing, but he's my only Soom doll and I plan on going to their panel. More guilt. But I could leave him out. Maybe I will. I'll cross him off now. (He should be lucky he's not getting sold. All the bunnies but Boo, North and Ashes are going up. And Latte. But I don't count her since she's not in that universe. And I really like her now. )

Somehow that seems more manageable. I should bring Wyn. Baby Wyn usually gets to go to meets but hasn't for a while and I've never brought him anywhere else. Uriel is kind of big, but he'll pack easily and I can take off his hands for travel. I'll see what happens when I start putting them all in my bag and carryon.

So that's it. I have to do laundry and buy a couple things (hair stuff) that I need for traveling, and maybe I'll actually be ready to go ^^;;;;;;; I'm excited, but I'll be more excited when I get to the hotel with my million bags lol with nothing to look forward too but doll fun!!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Tiny Death

Work has been sucking the life out of me these days. For the last two months one person or another has been gone, either due to vacation or personal emergencies. In a four person dept, this is kind of like hell. I've had a lot of stuff of my own to do, and then I have to cover most if not all of a coworkers work as well. So I've had a lot of days like yesterday, where I went home and sat and stared, instead of doing things I should be doing, like getting ready for Dollism or finishing up Alex III's tattoos of doom. I have had no time for fun things at work, like photos or blogs. I kind of caught up today however, so a quick update.

Alex III
He's actually almost finished. I have to do the rose on his arm, and blush him and that's it. Oh, and one of his three pairs of hands and his feets, because for some reason I save those for last.
Then he shall be sat on my shelf for the next week until I carefully wrap him up in scarves and shirts and put him in my travel bag with Alex I (who's been naked for a while now XD). I don't intend to put clothes on either of them until I'm in the hotel. Hopefully they'll make it without too much damage. I'm really not hopeful. Sitting naked on my shelf Alex I chipped his arm. >:O

Now for my most unexpected bit of BJD news.

By some stroke of uber-luck, I won the Paper Doll of Your Doll contest on DOA! I'm still surprised tbh. I put mine up early and there were quite a few posted after that I thought would win over mine. I really loved the other two winners as well, so yay for them!!

So I'm super-excited to say I won the Doll Chateau Faust generously donated by Denver Doll Emporium! I really can't believe it, I've never won anything as amazing as a doll before! And really, he's blank, WS and Doll Chateau with a little pouty face. He couldn't have been more me if he tried! lol

DDE (as fabulous as they are) shipped him out to me on Thursday, and he must have sprouted wings to get here so fast, because I had him Saturday morning, just in time to go to a Doll Meet!

Here's my little Faust, all nekkid and blank!

DC Faust 

This crappy photo is the only one I have of him from his box opening day. He didn't stay like that for long...I stripped Baby Alex out of his striped jumpsuit (he was in Jail. Don't ask.) and put it on him because it's massively huge and literally the only thing that will fit his fat butt. I tried a couple wigs on him, and went with the second one -- the mohair wig from FL that came with Latte (full set Rose) that I hated on her. On him it's perfect. I also pulled out a hat for him that I happened to have, luckily, because I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do with him -- Chibi Skullface!!

When I had found out I'd won, I had sort of been thinking of what to do with him, and it seemed appropriate. I had wanted to wait until I had him to really make up my mind, but he was doomed the second I saw him. Skullface won him, so I figure it was meant to be anyway.

Sunday I was playing with him, and mentioned to my Roommate that he would go to Dollism, even if he was blank...and she twisted my arm and made me give him a faceup.

It took me a few minutes to come up with a definite plan, but once I had it, I couldn't not.

chibisklfce1 

JACK!! I was trying to think of a way to simplify and cute up Skullface, and who's a better simplified skull than Jack?! Of course I had to watch Nightmare while working on him (and Alex. I swear he's taking me the rest of my life).

I freaking love him. Unlike big Skullface, his hand is actually finished, but it's the only part of him that is XD I had drug down my Jack Skellington action figure and the way they did the hands was so easy I went on and did it quickly. Yeah. It wasn't easy. Chibi Skullface has tiny little hands, and fused-together fingers.

chibisklfce2 

He's so chubby!! X33 and he poses really well. He stands like a rock in several positions and is really well balanced, sits great, slouches like a pro. His arm joints work really well. I seriously adore him. And how crazy is it that I had that hat?! lol

He only has this one thing to wear. My Roommate made it, copying the other one I have. Since it's Baby Alex's, I had sewn bunny ears and a tail too it, so it wasn't really skullface appropriate. The new one has no bun parts so it works better.

chibisklfce3 

He could not channel Tim Burton more, I think.
I'm hoping she'll make him a shirt and shorts. He needs this shirt, for obvious reasons. I figured he'd hang out with the rest of my "dead" dolls, but chances are he's just going to lurk after Chibi Alex, and be the creeper that his big self is. Only cuter.

I'd like to give one more giant THANK YOU to the Den of Angels Mods and to Denver Doll Emporium. I loves my creepy bebeh.

He needs a better, more in character photoshoot now. Dark and creepy. But not. And someday I need to take a pic of the other side of his face XD