「マジックじゃない」

just for fun

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:18:49 GMT

The picture was blurred anyway. *shrug*

faceup: DIM Rain

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:43:46 GMT

Recently (in a plan that took over a year in the making) sunsetway and I gifted impishfox with a fully loaded (i.e. wig, eyes, outfit, etc) doll in a gesture of gratitude for all the help she's given us in getting our own doll families together. She is trying to act like she never saw it coming. XD

Since I did the faceup, I am ganking a photo to put on here. You can click on it to see the rest of her photos. :)

I am slowly getting the hang of my new materials, though I am fighting against the pastels turning out grainy. I think that actually has a lot more to do with how clean my working surface is and how well the MSC lays down more than the pastels themselves. A new brush would probably also help. On the bright side, eyelashes are so much easier now.

dorky sitting in box picture

Fri, 09 May 2008 19:03:18 GMT

faceups

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:52:26 GMT

Well, the last three faceups I did were out of my house before I had a chance to get any pictures of them (perhaps mercifully?!), but tasu has taken some pictures of her Ayumu with my work here. If I remember right, she asked for bratty, punky yet natural, and monochrome. Yeah, that's it. XD

edit: tamayaki gave me pictures to post of hers!

She gave me a long list of things that she wanted me to do so it was a bit intimidating, but I like how he turned out I think. Overall I kind of took "earthy" and "smokey eyes" and ran with them.

Anyway I have a whole new collection of reasons why I should never take commissions for money, not the least of which being my very low threshold for pain, so when I am hurting from an illness or arthritis or whatever the last thing I want to do is spend hours bent over a doll head failing at itty bitty eyebrow strokes. :P Fortunately, everyone I've worked for has been uncommonly patient with me, and I am really grateful for that. I also really enjoy the opportunity to practice and work on others' dolls so I'm glad they aren't totally turned off by the idea of commissioning me in the future.

So yeah. You guys are great!

(in related news, I am sick to my stomach again... haha whyyy)

weakness

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:43:04 GMT

Well okay, in an almost embarrassing moment of weakness I purchased a LatiDoll Special ver. Tanned M last night. I want to tell myself this isn't an impulse buy for the following reasons: 1) I've always kinda liked M, and after seeing many photoshoots of a particular M on DoD I had pretty much decided I needed one to represent the character formerly embodied by my Lune, with which I have lately become disenchanted, and 2) I had always wished for a tanned doll to represent aforementioned character. So, when I saw tan M, I basically flipped?

So I want to pour out my endless gratitude towards impishfox for buying that Lune head, which I had really intended to give to you anyway so I will definitely make it up to you later, and to sunsetway for her generous offer to donate as well, but frankly I would rather see you again at least once before I leave North America. XD

I will kind of miss that Lune, since he was my first, but it just wasn't the same after I came back home to him--and I think I can trust Belle to take much better care of him than he's been getting lately. :) I hope that doesn't happen with the rest of my dolls, because I know it would be impractical to take all of them with me. I don't think it will though, because I think I know exactly what caused it the last time, and I won't be repeating that. Not to place the blame on others, since it doesn't really concern anyone but myself if I fall out of love with a doll; I just don't trust myself to do it again. *shrug*

In any case, when he arrives I think I will drop the thin veil of disguise that I haphazardly threw over "Takumi" and just be honest with myself - he will be Kajimoto Takahisa. lol pathetic right? But I think I will be a lot happier with both myself and the doll if I'm just out with it. I've ordered his wig and hopped on a group order for a pair of Lavender Smokey Mystics, and I still have all of Takumi's clothes, so getting him together will be a snap... though a bit expensive. No more buying things until I'm out of the country!

.... haha yeah right

honest observations of FDoll bodies

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:25:51 GMT

So, I got my Fantasy Doll boy body the other day. I would have to say my final verdict is it is "all right." What I like about them is that they are shorter than 60cm without looking like the body of a 5-year-old, which is why I got this one in the first place (in addition to being a cheapass). Here are some observations:

The match to WS CP isn't great, and I imagine it wouldn't match a lot of other WS resins as well as the body has a definite eggshell/tapioca pudding tinge to it. It is a nice color, but not that distinct paper white I see on a lot of other dolls. I will live with it though.

The neck is a bit long, and being as picky as I am about neck-to-head ratio I'll have to sand it down. In width it is a cm or so too small to fit my Volks boy heads (so if you have a head that needs a 10cm neck watch out) but my CP head rests on it nicely, aside from the fact that I need a neck donut >:F

The feet are about a cm or two shorter than SD13 feet but just as wide, which I predict causing problems in the future.

It's not very poseable. The torso joint doesn't budge (though will be handy for restringing) and the waist joint pops easily just like Dolkot bodies. It's strung extra tight so it kicks and buckles instead of standing; this could probably be fixed with restringing/sueding/wiring, but I don't feel like messing with it right away in case it just needs a bit of play to calm it down.

I like the hands but I read somewhere that they are a direct copy of CP hands so I'm not sure that counts for anything. XD

The resin quality is interesting. It's very velvety smooth, almost to the point of being plasticky. When I touch this doll it feels distinctly different from my other dolls, which I find strange and bizarre! I'm not 100% sure I like it.

It seems light as far as 60cm doll bodies go; that might have something to do with the makeup of the resin. It doesn't seem to be any less sturdy.

The sculpt is all right. It is overall a cute, slender, boyish sculpt that works for this character especially well, though there are some pokey nips going on. The body (torso and waist) joints don't have a very large range of movement, which is all right if your doll doesn't plan on doing any gymastics, but one of those things I like about the SD13 bodies is that you can move them every which way. The limb joints are very simplistic. It unfortunately seems to have a little bit of that same "uke in the throes of ecstasy" back arch that CP dolls have, but just a bit.

It has a cute butt! And for those of you who are extremely concerned about how much their boy dolls are "packing" (don't look at me, this is actually an issue for some people I think) he's not too bad off.

So in conclusion, it's not an excellent or even remotely impressive body, but it's all right. It's not like it's falling apart and it is only a little under $180, so you get what you pay for. I think I will still get one for my future Bliss head seeing as I would like him to be under 60cm, but I'm going to have to spring for a SD13 body someday for my Tohya. He needs tabi toes anyway.

Miyuki - fly away (AZ Doll Meet 12.16.07)

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:47:00 GMT

tasu took some pictures at the meet the other day. Really good pictures. XD

Faceup Commission Thread

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:44:20 GMT

Since it is winter break, I am offering free faceups for dollowners local to Arizona for practice/to build up a portfolio after I finish up my stuff for impishfox. :B This is my commission post!

Materials

I've had a few questions about my materials. I use pastels, acrylic paints, Windsor & Newton gloss varnish, and seal with MSC UV-Cut Flat. My paints and pastels are not brand name but they are artist quality, and I've never had a problem with them staining or wiping off on my dolls, so I feel confident that they are good enough to use. For faceup removal I use Windsor & Newton Brush Cleaner and Mr. Clean Magic Sponge. I do not use acetone or any oil-based materials.

I have a variety of fixings (jump rings, little metal balls, tiny rhinestones) that I can use as facial piercings/decoration so just let me know if you want something like that. I don't do mods; they will be attached with regular Elmer's Glue. I don't have spare eyelashes so if you want eyelashes with your faceup, please send them to me and I will be happy to attach them when I am finished.

Drop Off & Pick Up

You can arrange drop off and/or pick up in person, ship the head to me/have it shipped to you, or any combination of the two. I do ask for cost of shipping, if applicable. Sending a doll head via insured priority within the state costs about $7 - I will not ship via any other method. If the cost is too much or if your doll is especially valuable, please arrange for drop off/pick up in person.

Turnaround

Expect a turnaround time of up to a month. I will be working all day, 5 days a week during winter break and will be schooling/working all day come next semester, but I will make every attempt to return your doll as soon as I can. Should something unexpected occur that would delay your doll's return, I will contact you immediately.

Signing Up

I am willing to work on dolls of all sizes from any local owners. If you would like a free spot, please comment here and/or (preferably and) pm me on DoA at Brynn and let me know 1) that you want a spot, 2) what kind of doll it is for, and 3) how you would like to arrange the head's journey from you to me and back. Once I have confirmed your spot we can discuss what kind of faceup you want and when I can do it. I would very, very much prefer heads to arrive to me blank, but if for some reason you can't do that yourself just let me know.

For now, I will only take three commissions. Those who have already expressed interest to me in person get first priority; after that it is first come, first serve. :)

Current Commissions:

Yuubaby~ (oneshot)

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:09:08 GMT

Taken for someone curious about his Zouks. Of course one eye is slighter higher up than the other and he has a fuzz on his shirt haha hilarious.

Progress Pics: Belle's CP Elf Chiwoo & My CP V.Elf Chiwoo

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:40:22 GMT

Plugging away at the faceup for impishfox's CP Elf Chiwoo. This is before the final touches, a coat of MSC, and gloss - mostly I wanted to compare how our eyes looked with the colors. :)

In a hilarious twist of fate, only the darkest pictures I took actually turned out, so these are all horribly shopped...

First, Belle's Chiwoo:

eye detail!!

Note that I am not the best eye setter in the world, especially when it comes to SOOM eyes. :|

Next, both Chiwoos together. Daww, creepy:

I think they're done.

Kuranosuke

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:33:12 GMT

Finally got around to taking pictures of Shiradoll.

And some extras with Yuuhei? Not that these boys have anything to do with each other whatsoever but they usually sit together and I think they're really cute :(

Jayden, Miyuki, Yuuhei

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:29:52 GMT

Faceups

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:05:39 GMT

NS CP MNF Shiwoo for me - 6.??.2007
Other photos: 1.2.3
Comments: This one was pretty fun, though I ended up painting the eyebrows a little too high up - good thing the wig covers that. o.o

NS DIM Persia for me - 6.??.2007
Other photos: 1.2.3
Comments: I didn't have any particular character in mind for this head, so just kind of did whatever. I eventually sold him. I wonder if the new owner kept the faceup?

Wait & Wish List

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:31:05 GMT

Waiting for:

Dolls & Doll Parts

LatiDoll Special ver. M (tanned skin)

Clothes

None

Accessories

Enchanted Doll 12mm S26 and S28 with S26 rim and cat pupil
Mystic Eyes 14mm Lavender Smokey

Wishing for:

Dolls & Doll Parts

CP SDelf Bliss head
NS Fantasy Doll boy body
Soulkid Apple boy
SD13 girl body

Clothes

Luts Bleu Monde set for Senior Boy
Luts Avis set for Senior Boy
Luts Sniper set for Senior Boy
Luts Autumn Rain set for Senior Boy
white trench coat for SD13 boy
blue/silver Chinese outfit for SD13 boy

Accessories

Gumdrops 18mm Totally Taupe
Gumdrops 18mm Warmth
Enchanted Doll 16mm S33

Heads & Parts

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:15:43 GMT

Heads

CP BW Vampire Elf Chiwoo
Volks Tohya II
Volks Cristal mod
Volks Kun

Parts

BW Fantasy Doll boy body

Doll Profiles

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:53:23 GMT

Name: Jayden Mistral
Type: Volks School Head C on old Dolkot boy body
Age: looks 18, actually much older
Completion: 11.30.06
Eyes: Ethereal Angels Gumdrops Stormy Blue 16mm
Hair: LeekeWorld L-104_L Limited Milk 1001
Mods: none yet (planned: chest scars)
Esthetics: Shuui

Jayden's past is a long and sad tale. The orphan child of a beautiful human woman and the white wolf demon who terrorized their village at will, Jayden spent many years in the servitude of a malicious demon family before being rescued by his elder brother (a Demon Hunter) to Hunt by his side. He suffers from a magical affliction of the heart, an old binding spell cast by his former masters that now causes his chest to ache when evil is near - a condition he uses to his advantage in he and his brother's quest for vengeance against the supernatural beings that scourge their world. Though once a bright and talkative young boy, Jayden no longer speaks, and his melancholy blue eyes speak of a lifetime of pain - even so, he is a determined Hunter, ruthless towards his enemies yet endlessly kind and caring towards those he considers family and friend.

Name: みゆき (Miyuki)
Type: CP Mini Fee Shiwoo
Age: 23
Arrival: 01.30.2007
Eyes: SOOM Chaos 14mm
Hair: Leekeworld L-055_M Black 1B
Mods: none yet (planned: various piercings)
Esthetics: by me

Though his real name and where he came from remains a mystery, it can be said--quite literally--that Miyuki is simply not of this world. The point is, he lives here on the planet Earth now, and to him that's all that matters! Playful and effeminate by Earth's standards, Miyuki looks to be in his teens (and acts even younger) despite his age. He is naive and sometimes a little devious, though rarely ever mean-spirited. He found his niche in Japan's visual kei movement, with his myriad of piercings and natural adoration of playing dress up, and after a bit of practice he and his band hard+candy quickly made themselves known as one of the best on the scene. He keeps a pair of black feathered wings hidden from human eyes, the only hint (other than his deceptively young appearance) that he is not quite like them.

Name: 前田悠平 (Maeda Yuuhei)
Type: Volks FCS SD13 F-20
Age: 22
Arrival: 03.08.2007
Eyes: Zoukeimura GE-6 Golden Brown B 18mm
Hair: Volks W-104-D Short Shaggy Gold
Mods: none
Esthetics: Volks custom

Part-time computer geek and full-time rockstar, when Yuuhei isn't programming or hacking away, he's jamming on his guitar with the rest of the members of Tokyo indies band Velvet Masquerade. His short stature and youthful round face make him the perfect "token lolita" for any visual kei band, and correspospondigly, his onstage ensemble usually consists of the fluffiest, laciest dresses he and his best-friend-on-vocals Sakiyo can find (his favorite color is baby blue). Offstage, though, he's his own man and very fond of comfortable, baggy clothing and all kinds of hats. Though his stage persona is elegant and aloof, the real Yuuhei is actually a pretty easy-going guy, with a generous smile and a healthy love of good food and quiet cafes.

Name: Kuranosuke Shiraishi
Type: Volks Amakusa Shiro Tokisada on oldskin SD13 boy body
Age: 21
Completion: 10.21.2007
Eyes: Enchanted Doll S39 16mm low dome
Hair: DollGa WL-026 L.Caramel
Mods: none
Esthetics: Volks default

Born in Japan and raised in the United States, Kuranosuke is a half Japanese, half Chinese troublemaker and a prankster with a heart of gold, quick to make friends and long in keeping them. His favorite pastimes include practicing martial arts (especially aikido), watching B-grade samurai movies, drinking with his friends, and stupid antics that may or may not have him falling off the roof again. Though he may at first glance appear a bit of an idiot, Kuranosuke is actually a very intelligent individual and somewhat of an artist; his Japanese brush calligraphy is good enough to sell. He was something of a playboy in his youth, but now he is steadfastly dedicated to his middle-school "sweetheart," Kenya Oshitari.

Name: 雫 (Shizuku)
Type: Luts WS Vampire Elf Chiwoo on Fantasy Doll body
Age: ???
Completion: 02.14.08
Eyes: Ethereal Angels Gumdrops Periwinkle Albino 16mm
Hair: Luts DW-170 Blue
Mods: none
Esthetics: me

Name: Takahisa Kajimoto
Type: LatiDoll Special ver. Tanned M
Age: 22
Arrival: 05.09.08
Eyes: Mystic Eyes Lavender Smokey 14mm
Hair: Leekeworld L-024_L Brown 12
Mods: none
Esthetics: LatiDoll

The only son of an affluent Japanese family living in the heart of San Francisco, Takahisa is tall, smart, handsome, mature, and impeccably fashionable. His naturally diligent and responsible nature has found him captain or president of various clubs and organizations since childhood, and though he has always been widely acknowledged as a school heart throb, he has spent most of his youth with very few close friends. Though he may at first appear cold and aloof - the typical Fearless Leader type - those who do find their way into his inner circle soon find that he is not exactly Mr. Perfect. Rather, Takahisa is just your usual somewhat socially awkward, sometimes hot-headed, occasionally arrogant, but every now and then very sweet guy struggling to meet the perpetually high expectations of his parents and peers... as well as himself.