BJDs for Beginners

Dreaming of dolls...

2013-05-25T11:25:00.002-07:00

So... do you dream of BJDs? I do. And apparently I do better than that! Last weekend, I did some shopping in the night as well. I've been doing much better this year (or at least I had been, until now) with budgeting--taking my own advice and selling dolls before purchasing new ones, and doing careful planning as to which dolls would be next on my list, instead of just piling up dolls in my cabinet.

Imagine my surprise and embarrassment when I awoke Monday morning to a sizable charge on my Paypal account for the lovely white skin Aria, with make-up style A, small bust, no mobility joint. Just like I'd planned, I might add. However, I'd planned to order her once my current dolls had sold on the marketplace--which they have not yet. Ugh!

I could have cancelled the order, but after a rather painful conversation with my DH, I decided to go ahead and keep her. I believe it will be about five months before she ships anyway, and chances are, my other dolls will have sold by then--I hope.

Ack! This is a bad, bad thing--when the obsession with BJDs carries over from just dreaming of dolls to buying dolls in my sleep. I wish I would restring them or suede them instead! That would be so much more practical. ;)

Flowne hybrid

2013-05-24T18:08:00.001-07:00

Flowne hybrid, a photo by alington on Flickr.

The lovely Doll in Mind Flowne--a hybrid version on a white skin Iplehouse JID body--dressed in a OOAK dress by My Own Little World and a Peak's Woods wig and Mint on Card glass eyes.

I think she's just too cute.

Megu, a new project

2013-05-23T09:36:00.001-07:00

Megu, after refereshing, a photo by alington on Flickr.

I found a 2004 Volks SD10 Megu on the Dollpage for a great price. I've got a fun project in mind for her.

She's already got new string, and I've given her resin a once-over with a little light sanding and Magic Eraser. Next, we're waiting for her face-up time slot with Leah Lilly.

I'm very excited about this project!

Nico's girls.

2013-05-17T08:33:00.001-07:00

He loves his girls., a photo by alington on Flickr.

This is Nico Pea, one of our sneaky kitties. It seems doll collecting goes hand-in-hand with cat collecting. We have four cats (and four kids, too). Nico is such a handsome, sleek boy. I usually love when the cats get involved in my photo shoots, though this one ended in disaster.

Chanel, who is not in this photo, had a serious case of the rubbies. During this photo shoot, she was rubbing all over my legs, the coffee table, and so on. I tried to get those rubbies out, but nothing I did was enough.

The girls usually spend their time behind glass, so the cats love to sniff them when they come out for photos. Chanel decided to rub against them, and my usually lightning-fast reflexes weren't fast enough. She knocked both dolls over--and Yur (on the right) fell right on her face on the wood floor!

Yur's face-up is chipped--right on her nose. I think her nose feels a chipped, too. I was so upset. Not at the cat--since she was just being a cat--mostly because I hadn't planned very well.

My lesson: put down a soft cloth or towel when working on the floor, suck it up, and use a zoom lens. (Like that's ever going to happen.) Brush the cat before the photo shoot.

Ugh. What a mess!

Cuteness!

2013-05-16T12:58:00.001-07:00

Cheshire Goon, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Just a quick shot of Miss Cheshire Goon. I finally found her body (I ordered her head some time ago) and was able to assemble her and get her all dressed.

She's simply adorable--she's a Peak's Woods Fairy of Fairytales, about YoSD size--and super sweet.

Hybrid heaven...

2013-05-11T12:09:00.001-07:00

My morphing collection, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Oh, there's something especially satisfying (to me) about a hybrid BJD. Even when the resin colors don't match perfectly, I do love it when the dolls come together perfectly.

Front and center, it's Peak's Woods gorgeous (and rarely seen) white skin Viyol (with a special Glamour face-up (by Peak's Woods, when they were still offering custom face-ups). She's been placed on a white skin Zaoll body by Dollmore. This elegant body is slim and short, perfect for Peak's Woods demure and sweet faces.

It's quiet a stark contrast to her rock 'n' roll outfit, which partly belongs to Kisha (also by Peak's Woods, created by Corona, I believe), with the shirt by Beach Girl Nikita. Her boots, wig, and choker are from DollHeart, and earring from Tonner Doll.

New Supia Doll - Muriel

2013-05-10T02:05:00.002-07:00

Image property of Supia

Supia announced the release of a new Elf-Type doll today, and she is absolutely gorgeous! Muriel will have be able to switch between human and elf ears, and SHE IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN TAN!

Muriel is an SD-sized girl and is available for purchase on either the old Supia body, or their new double-jointed body.

Muriel starts at just $490.00 before extras.

Goodness gracious - she's just too pretty!

Check her out here!

Registration is live: Atlanta BJD Convention!

2013-05-09T08:06:00.002-07:00

Atlanta BJD Convention registration site

Registration is open now!

Atlanta Ball Jointed Doll Convention
October 18-20, 2013
A doll convention for the fans by the fans
Eat. Sleep. Play. BJD.

It will be held at the Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter in Atlanta, GA. Room rates are $79 per night, with up to four people in the room, and this rate includes breakfast.

Tickets for the convention are just $30 when you purchase them now through June. Rates go up to $35 when purchased July through September. At the door, tickets are still only $40.

Guests include:

Perish Dignam (model and performer--one of his amazing performances was in Kerli's video, Tea Party)
Berdine Creedy (doll artist)
Lady Saiyuki (doll artist)
Ashbet (doll artist and one of my favorite BJD photographers--OMG!)
and me (I'm hoping to have my next book finished, A Little More BJDs for Beginners, finished by then, too)

Follow this convention online via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I'll hopefully see you there!

New articulated monthly fairies from Peak's Woods and special!

2013-05-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

Moonie Monthly Fairy

A new special and announcement from Peak's Woods: Brand new articulated bodies have been released for Peak's Woods tiny (only about 10 cm--so cute!) Monthly Fairies, formerly only articulated at the neck. Plus, there are twelve! Check out this announcement for the special. This special is going on from May 7 through June 7, 2013.

Buy five Monthly Fairies, get one of your choice for free!
Buy ten Monthly Fairies, get two of your choice for free!
Buy all twelve Monthly Fairies, get one fairy of fairytales (white skin, girl body, no makeup) of your choice, for free!

Peak's Woods will also send a monthly fairy and a birthday or special occasion hand-written card to your loved one, as you request.

For each Monthly Fairy purchased, part of the proceeds will be donated to Greenpeace.

Fiona Monthly Fairy

Additionally, several new hand parts (victory, scissor and fist/rock hands) have also been released.

I'm just so excited to see real Peak's Woods teeny tiny dolls! Wow--and what a special!

Here's the low-down of how these babies are priced:

Basic dolls start at $110. It looks like the each Monthly Fairy is white resin, and you don't get to choose the skin tone. Random eyes are included--and it looks like most include a pair of 8mm eyes. Basic dolls are bald with a smooth head-cap, with wigs available separately.

Several options are available as well. Make-up is an additional $20. You can choose whichever head cap you like for $20-25. Painting the head cap is an additional $5. (I think sometimes the painting is included for some of the head caps.) Additional hands are $10 per pair.

Bow Jiang Monthly Fairy

There are seven different wigs available, most for $15, one for $17. These guys wear a size 3/4, or the same size as PukiPuki. Additionally, Peak's Woods is offering all twelve tiny outfits available, for $30 per set. The sets for girls include a dress, cape, hat and leggings. For boys, they include overalls, cape, hat and leg warmers. I wonder if these would fit PukiPuki, as well!

Measurements:

Height : 9.8~10cm

Eye size : 8mm

Circumference of head : 3.8 (inch)

Width of shoulders : 2.2cm

Length of arm (without hand) : 3cm

Length of leg (without foot) : 3.5cm

Circumference of chest : 4.5cm

Circumference of waist : 5.7cm

Circumference of hips : 6cm

Length of foot : 1.4

Months and themes:

January - ShuShu - sun cap $20

February - Moonie - moon cap $20

March - Shooting Star - star cap $20

April - Cloonie Coon - cloud cap $20

May - Wingky - wind cap $20

June - Coco Rain - rain drop cap $20

July - Woody - wood cap $20

August - Fiona - flower cap $25, including paint

September - Bow Jiang - rainbow cap $25 including paint

October - Leonardo - thundercloud cap $20

November - Fiyah - fire head cap $20

December - Sugar Powder - snowflake cap $20

Snow Powder Monthly Fairy

All photos are property of Peak's Woods.

Rogita in Vintage AM lingerie

2013-05-07T08:28:00.001-07:00

Rogita in Vintage AM lingerie, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Have I mentioned lately how much I adore the Absolute Beauty body by Peak's Woods?

Well, let me just restate: I love it!

It's stylized just enough to fit my personal aesthetic. Don't get me wrong: I love realistic-looking dolls as well. But there will always been something in me that's attracted to the super-slim waist that only a doll can have.

I love curves. The angular curves of the bust and hips are just enough to bring the shape together perfectly. The hip bones are visible (on Type A), which I think is a great sculpting detail.

The body is heavy and sturdy enough to stand on its own, and still able to pose well. A lot of times, when you have dolls that are double-jointed, you lose some of the rock-solid standing ability of single-jointed dolls. In the case of the Absolute Beauty body, you still have both.

The proportions of this doll are perfect for Tonner Doll's fashion doll clothing for their 22" doll. Here, my lovely Rogita is dressed in the outfit from Tonner's latest release, Vintage Basic American Model. It's a fantastically detailed set. It includes:

a white cotton Swiss dot one-piece bloomer with blue ribbon trim
sheer white striped tights
a satin pink corset with white lace trim and blue ribbon faux boning

You can see additional photos of Rogita on my Flickr photo stream.

Volks Dolpa 28 begins May 18!

2013-05-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

Now that I've seen how well Volks outfits fit the Iplehouse nYid large bust body, I've been stalking their website. I've discovered the latest Dolpa release is scheduled May 18, beginning at 11 AM PST. You can either go to the LA store and start lining up at 10:30 am to receive your lottery number, or go online.

You're limited to one of each item per customer, and you can read the rules here. Plus, you can see a preview of the items here. Some of the items I adore are:

Whipped Mint Cake Dress Set - MSD sized
Raspberry Chocolate Cup Dress Set - MSD sized
Raspberry Chocolate Cake Dress Set - this is the size that Rexy can wear!
Bittersweet Chocolate Cake Pants Set - and another one!

And while I'm looking, I found this from the regular line:

Wine Red Party Dress

*Sigh*

I think it's time to stop looking!

Rouge Rococo

2013-05-06T17:29:00.001-07:00

Rouge Rococo, a photo by alington on Flickr.

I never thought the day would come in which I'd sell a Rococo dress from my collection. But it has, and it's not the first dress I'm selling. It's actually the second. Ack! Can you believe it?

This is a limited edition Volks dress set from the Dolpa 26 from last year (I think), and it's called Rouge Rococo. It's sized for many dolls: SD13, SD16, SDG, Dollfie Dream, and Dollfie Dream Dynamite. My model is Iplehouse nYID Rexy, who can wear this size pretty much perfectly--she has the large (not quite glamour) bust size.

If you're interested, check out my listing on Den of Angels or the DollPage Show & Sell.

Casual Kisha

2013-05-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

Kisha, a photo by alington on Flickr.

My casual kick continues with Peak's Woods Kisha (on a standard Fairies of Color body) in a DollHeart wig and boots and another wonderful new outfit by Little Moda, also on Etsy. Just perfect!

It's stretchy, so it will fit many of my larger girls, too. I'm simply thrilled.

Little Moda
www.etsy.com/shop/AizawaRei

See more photos on Flickr.

Claudine, casual.

2013-05-03T14:12:00.001-07:00

Claudine, a photo by alington on Flickr.

I'm morphing my collection from Rococo to casual. That's one wonderful thing about BJDs: when you get sick of one style, you can (usually) easily switch to another.

Claudine (Peak's Woods Goldie) is dressed in a new outfit from Little Moda, an Etsy shop I recently discovered. I'm really liking the style and easy fit of the clothing. Everything is stretch, so my larger girls should be able to wear these as well. The clothes are layered--a sheer long-sleeved shirt, vest, skirt, leggings, plaid skirt, and hair bow--and well made, and all for $50. Not bad at all!

Goldie is not used to wearing heels this high (they are from DollHeart). I think her wig is either from Leeke or Luts. I can never remember.

You can see a few additional photos on Flickr.

Too much cute!

2013-05-03T02:04:00.000-07:00

So I am trying to be a good person and save up money for IFDC, but then this nonsense happens:

Iplehouse's PID Twinky

...Thanks Iplehouse, thanks.

What am I supposed to do with this...NOT buy her? How?!

Iplehouse released a new line of dolls referred to as the "Pixxie Doll" line, and they are all disproportionate darlings.

Which brings me to my next point:
I am obsessed with big-headed dolls right now.

XagaDoll Miki

XagaDoll has also been very unkind to my wallet.

Xaga is a smaller Chinese company that makes beautiful dolls that easily stand up to some of the more pronounced doll companies.

One of Xaga's newest lines, the Red Obsidian Series, includes two 27cm girls - Miki and Kimi. They are ridiculously cute anime-inspired tinies.

In addition to their stylized faces, they have extremely stylized bodies. There are both flat and large-chested versions of the body - which has little hearts on the joints! How. Freaking. Cute.

SQ Lab, famous for their anime-style resin heads is also making a new to-die-for tiny line.

Their new and improved 26.5cm KSG-ac body is comparable in size to Yo-SDs, and has lots of room for customization. In addition, SQ Lab has released two tiny-sized sculpts of three of their most popular characters - Moe, Ren, and Tsubaki.

To say that I am dying to own a Chibi Moe would be an understatement! Just look at that adorable little snaggle-tooth!

SQ Lab's Chibi-Moe

On the issue of pronunciation...

2013-05-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing in the BJD world that I just can't get right, it's pronunciation. A number of companies have released dolls with names that I feel I have to mumble to avoid getting made fun of.

Cuprit (Soom): (KOO-PRYT?) (KUH-PRIT?)
I am pretty sure the intention was to name this lovely girl after the mineral cuprite -- pronounced KYOO-PRAHYT. I have heard this name butchered beyond belief - and I am a CULPRIT (see what I did there?).

KoonieS (Peak's Woods):
I am pretty sure I know HOW to say it. Whether or not I SHOULD say it is a different matter altogether...

Doll names aside, there are some COMPANY names that I feel I don't pronounce correctly.

Iplehouse: (EYE-PUHL-HOUSE?) (EEPLE-HOUSE?) (IPPLE-HOUSE?) (~~NIPPLEHOUSE?~~)
I want to know how the Koreans say this. I also really want it to not rhyme with "nipple."

Luts: (LOOTS?) (LUHTS?)
One of the first lovingly doled titles that I stumbled upon in this hobby was "Luts Sluts." Depending on pronunciation, that joke kind of stops working.

LoongSoul Doll: (LAAAAHNG-SOHL?) (LOOOOOOONG-SOHL?)

DikaDoll: (DIH-KAH-DOLL?) (DAI-KAH-DOLL?) (~~DICK-A-DOLL?~~)

Heisejinyao Ziyulinglong: Um...let's just say that I'm glad they changed it to HZ Doll...

Unoa: (OO-NO-AH?) (YOU-KNOW-UH?)
You never see it written out in katakana...SO IT'S A MYSTERY.

Have you struggled with a dolly or company name? Do you know the correct pronunciation of any of these? Please, share with us!

^How do you say this little guy's name?

Pic from jciardha & IMPLdoll

Blonde Yur

2013-04-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

Blonde Yur, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Iplehouse EID Yur is trying out a different look--a blonde wig by Michele Hardy. I think she looks really cute as a blonde.

You can see a few more photos in my Flickr photostream.

Fairyland's new Minifee Ante fullset Flower Garden

2013-04-27T08:04:00.001-07:00

She's available to order now--Ante is now available in Minifee size on the new Moe Line body, with the full bust and #3 hands.

This full set also includes eyes, make-up on the open-eye head, wig, outfit, shoes and a box. Options (for an additional fee) are a sleeping face-plate and make-up for the faceplate.

As a bonus gift through May 12, customers may choose a bonus pair of normal or high heel feet with a magnetic ankle joint, or a glamour bust.

Images are property of Fairyland.

Soom's latest monthly doll is saccharine sweet!

2013-04-25T13:33:00.001-07:00

This morning, Soom released a new Monthly Doll in the Doll Fairy Tales Collection. This particular doll, Sweet Witch, is inspired by the ~~frightening~~ classic tale of Hansel & Gretel.

I have seen and owned many Monthly Dolls in my time, and I have to admit, her fantasy pieces are among my favorite.

Sweet Witch comes with:
-The restyled Super Gem body in either "Baby Pink" or "Smoky Grey"
-An additional "romantic" head (which shows her cute teeth!)
-Long-nailed hands with hearts
-Little horns
-Wings
-High Heel Feet with Sculpted Shoes (TO DIE FOR)
-Original SG high heel feet

This girl also has a wealth of optional addons!
-Limited Edition Face-up
-Body blushing
-Limited "Sweet Witch" 14mm glitter eyes
-Wig
-Fullset outfit - which is so FREAKING CUTE
-Broom & Broom holding hand

There is so much to love about this newest MD. She has a very youthful style, which is vaguely reminiscent of some of Volks' latest Dollfie Dreams (Melty comes to mind). I really feel like the designers outdid themselves - she is at once both saccharine sweet and deliciously deceptive!

I really had ought to plant myself one of those money trees....

Rexy

2013-04-24T18:06:00.001-07:00

Rexy, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Rexy is also pleased to be able to steal some new clothing items from Yur--Rexy is the nYID size by Iplehouse, and Yur is the EID size. I didn't realize just how curvy Rexy was till she arrived!

This peach dress fits, though it has a slight tendency to slip down just a little now and then. Poor girl!

You can see more photos on Flickr.

Yur

2013-04-23T13:33:00.001-07:00

Yur, a photo by alington on Flickr.

EID Yur (Iplehouse) has finally gotten some clothing she can wear. She's thrilled not to have to be totally naked anymore!

She's wearing a black halter top dress, beige open knit sweater, and black glitter lingerie set--all by Iplehouse.

You can see a few more photos on Flickr.

Spring Fling wig event from Denver Doll

2013-04-22T07:31:00.001-07:00

Wig play!, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Above, Peak's Woods Skiya is modeling a new pink wig by Leeke. You can tell a great girl sculpt by how great she looks in a pink wig. (I believe I heard that from Michele Hardy!) Through April 30, 2013, Denver Doll is offering a Spring Fling wig event with Leeke World wigs.

Your $60 will buy you:

(6) size 9/10 wigs
(5) size 8/9 wigs
(4) size 7/8 wigs or
(3) size 6/7 wigs

The wigs are a random assortment of top quality wigs (not seconds), and they are all different. Each wig retails for at least $28 each.

See the wigs I got here in my Wig Play album on Flickr!

Iplehouse Cocori

2013-04-17T08:20:00.001-07:00

Iplehouse Cocori, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Another new addition to my household is Iplehouse Cocori. This is her original outfit (minus the wig, which Rexy has temporarily stolen, and shoes). In the meantime, she is barefoot--and she stands so well--and is wearing a platinum wig from Kemper. I think she's just gorgeous.

I'm not exactly sure when she was original released, but her dark resin has stayed remarkably even and warm. I think she's absolutely fabulous. I'm thinking she might want a refreshed face-up in the near future, but for now, I'll enjoy her as she is.

You can see more photos, including a few of our kitty Chanel getting to know her, too, on Flickr.

Iplehouse nYID Rexy

2013-04-16T09:53:00.001-07:00

Iplehouse nYID Rexy, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Hooray--she's here, she's here! Meet Iplehouse nYID Rexy. She's a large bust BJD in special real skin, and has the face-up option C from the company.

I'm having a bit of a hard time finding clothing for her curvy body, but I'm sure I'll be able to find some things that fit--when I pick up some stretchy items.

You can see more photos of her on Flickr.

Guess who's coming to live with me?

2013-04-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's an Iplehouse nYID Rexy! Real Skin, large bust, with Iplehouse's C Style makeup. I'm so excited! I posted a WTB post on the DoA marketplace yesterday, and got a reply within hours. I'm thrilled!