So I didn't mention this yesterday when it happened

     I got boxes! I got two big boxes!

     During the day there was a slip left for a package, and we figured it was my DD. Then when I went to pick up the slip at my mom's house, there was already a box! That was my DD. So then what was the slip? I didn't recognize the tracking number, but nobody else had ordered anything from China. So I took it down to the post office and when the lady brought it up to the counter my eyes got really big.
 
    Really, really big.

    It was a box with a big ol' "Ringdoll" printed on the side in fancy font. I would've gotten all giddy and done a dance in the post office, but seeing as the couple waiting in line behind me just came from a funeral, I found a way to restrain myself. The post lady asked what it was and I was like "Oh, I collect expensive dolls" I bet she was thinking some big antique porcelain lady-doll in period dress. Imagine what the look would be on her face if she saw what was really inside >3< After that, I giddily made my way across the parking lot (while trying to be careful--have you ever tried to be careful when you're giddy? It's a little weird) and gosh, it was like Christmas but better.

     Imagine if you didn't get everything on your wishlist, but instead something that was better than all those things combined and that you didn't see coming. I mean, I never got an email to say whether he'd shipped, so that slip was completely out of the blue.

     It was a good day.

 My DD already has her faceup sorted out and I stain-proofed her dress for now. Frankie needs some work done before I can paint him, though. I actually started on some of it just after getting him out of the box and throwing away all the extra bubble wrap (don't worry, I got all the fancy pieces out first)

     What I've started on him is eye-opening. Because I'm not used to taking mods as I do them, I only got a pic after I started work. I'd gotten most of the left eye done (though it still needed some light sanding) and started on the right eye when I took these pictures:

   

     Those eyes in the second picture are Kiwi's eyes. Her tiny little 10mm eyes. He was sent with something like 14mm or 16mm. Waaaaaay too big, even on the 2013 head (which I won't be using, so it's already sold) The thing that gets me is that the pupil size is perfect....but the sides are gappy. I have some 12mm eyes, but they look big and doey. I don't want big and doey. So I'll have to find a way to make my own or something (or just live with gappyness)

     It's been rainy this week, though, so his faceup is gonna have to wait a while...

     My DD got a faceup last night because it was clear out (for once) and wasn't too cold, but I waited on his face to do the mods. I'll find something else to work on in the meantime, I guess. This is my DD, by the way. Her eyes don't fit all the way in that head...even though that's the size Volks recommended. I'll have to figure it out once I can get that head open again.

     I hope everyone has a good week, and if it's rainy for you it's perfect weather for a cup of hot cocoa at least. I'm having some. If you're waiting to work on your doll because of the weather, why not pull up a mug and join me?

~~Aronzo~~

Floating heads and headless horsedolls on day 14

     I have had one floating body before. It was an Angel of Dream MSD boy body that I got in a partial trade, and it was old, dirty and yellowed. I'd only had one BJD before at that point, which was a girl, so this was very different for me. Being a silly girl, I waited a couple days after the body showed up before I bought the head, so it was sitting around for about a month, headless. 

     And what did I do with it? 

   

White vinyl experiment

     Hi, all. I'm trying to gather the supplies and parts for a special experiment. I want to find a sure way to remove stains from a white vinyl doll. That means I'll need broken parts and ideas.

     The kind of parts I'm looking for are any broken or torn pieces of white or very light colored, rubbery vinyl. This can be from Dollfie Dreams, Obitsu, and other types of doll made from the stuff. It's also called "soft PVC" in some cases. I'm willing to compensate for some of these pieces, and I will at least pay shipping for them (unless you're kind enough to simply donate them for a better cause)

    The methods I'm going to try are graffiti remover, CLR, and I've even heard of hairspray working on Barbies. There are definitely more I can try. I want to find a way to remove stains with everyday chemicals and methods that can be found in the average household (or easily picked up at the store)

     If you have any suggested methods or damage pieces, please let me know. I still have to gather the parts, and I'd hate to have to try all this stuff on my new doll. Thank you.

~~Aronzo~~

Day 4--Your first BJD

     My first BJD. It's kind of funny because when I was looking for a first doll, I was trying to go with the absolute cheapest option--a Bobobie Lucky. I was looking everywhere for one, but being the admittedly stingy person I am I never settled on one because they were all "too expensive" for me. And then I just randomly googled "BJD for sale" and this was literally the first result I got: More expensive doll.

Plans for Arale

     All right, so I've got that Littlefee Madeleine paid off, and now I'm starting to get serious planning her outfits and such. Her wig is already here (I believe it's this one, in purple, but I bought it secondhand) and her clothes are slowly being rounded up. I have lots of Little Miss Matched clothes that fit very poorly on my Resinsoul Li, and I'm hoping they'll work better for a Littlefee body because they're so cute and colorful. But that's in case those clothes actually fit. What I want to show you is what I've actually planned for her based strictly on her character in the series.   So, firstly, what I specifically got from Fairyland was a Littlefee Madeleine, natural skin, no faceup and no sleeping faceplate. She's a relatively new sculpt from Fairyland, and I haven't been able to find any owner pictures of her, so all I have is her default pictures, in tan. This is what her face looks like:

     So, firstly, what I specifically got from Fairyland was a Littlefee Madeleine, natural skin, no faceup and no sleeping faceplate. She's a relatively new sculpt from Fairyland, and I haven't been able to find any owner pictures of her, so all I have is her default pictures, in tan. This is what her face looks like:

 

     It looks like a pretty close match already, but I'm thinking I may even open Madeleine's eyes just a tiny bit more to make them taller (that all depends on how big her eye wells are already and whether it actually turns out to be a big deal at all). Her lips, I think, would be cute if I parted them a little bit. Arale is always smiling or making some sort of face, and it's generally her mouth that changes the expression. She's rarely seen with her mouth closed. Luckily, I won't have to round out the ears (I saw that a few of the Littlefees had pointed ears, but Madeleine doesn't) and overall, she won't need too many mods. Except for sanding away that bellybutton. Arale doesn't have one--she's a robot!

     Anyway. I also found Moopandy on Etsy, who makes and sells Arale outfits in a couple different sizes. She's going to make a Littlefee-sized outfit for me that'll look like this:

                  

     It comes with the overalls, shirt, and hat, but no glasses. I did actually find a pair for pretty cheap (just some generic doll glasses, but they turned out to be the right size and shape). I also found some red sneakers with white laces that will go well with a few things I already have (and hope will fit her). And then, something that (even though she doesn't seem to wear it in the manga) totally suits her character. Godzilla Kigurumi. Arale loves movie monsters, especially Godzilla and Gamera. When I saw this, I knew she had to wear it as pajamas. It just fits really, really well with her personality.

                   

     So, yeah. That's what I have kind of floating around in my head as far as what I want to do with her (at least to start with) and I'm hoping it'll be a lot of fun. Dr. Slump is my favorite manga, and Arale is so goofy that I'd love to have a doll version of her. Hopefully Fairyland will keep up the speed they've got going now with their dolls (lately I've seen people getting their dolls within two months of ordering) and I won't go crazy with impatience. I hope everyone else's doll plans are coming along well, too. That's all for today, I think, so goodbye everybody. Thanks for reading.

~~Aronzo~~

A small rant.

     Why don't people use proper respiratory protection when they work on their dolls? Why do they spray their dolls inside their house with MSC or Dullcote or whatever and then complain that they don't like the sealants because it hurts their lungs? Why do these same people explain that they don't have a respirator because they're expensive? I got mine at Harbor Freight for 15 dollars! Fumes, dust, smoke...these are all things that aren't supposed to be in your lungs--these are all things that DAMAGE your lungs! Some of the chemicals in sealants (and even pastels) have been linked to lung cancer, COPD, and all sorts of other bad stuff from prolonged exposure. People die from this stuff. Cancer isn't fun. I shouldn't have to tell people this. Your life is worth more than 15 dollars. You can afford 15 dollars. Hell, you can afford to go for a 35 dollar respirator and it still won't compare to the medical bills that would be incurred later on without protection.

     Not to mention the people who might be in your house when you're spraying inside, unprotected. It's often recommended to spray outside (or in a well-ventilated area) and not to let people/animals near the area unprotected for at least 30 minutes AFTER you're done. So, not only is there potential to harm yourself from this exposure, you could also be hurting those around you. It's just not smart, and it's irresponsible. If you know the consequences and still choose to put yourself at risk, that's on you. But putting other people's health at risk, knowingly, is just... I mean, this stuff kills people. Do you really want that on your hands? Instead of paying for decent protection? Even if you don't get a mask because it's still "too expensive" for you, could you at least spray where you can't harm anyone else? And if you start to feel your lungs hurting, you should STOP right then--not continue until you're done with the faceup and about to pass out! You shouldn't keep doing this for three more months and refuse to see a doctor about it! Please, everyone, just be smart about it. Be considerate. Protect yourself, and protect those around you. No matter how much you love this hobby, it's not worth serious health issues like that. It's not worth shortening or even accidentally ending your life.

     I'm going to stop browsing the workshop threads now, because it just keeps getting worse.

Why I love BJDs

      Generally, my dolls don't tend to have backstories--they're more like "personalities" I guess. I don't even really bother to name most of them properly. I do write stories, but when I pick sculpts it's usually because I just like the doll or it looks like something I want to play around with.

Frankenstein

     I think I've mentioned this before. I bought a Ringdoll Frankenstein, and I've probably got about a month or two to wait for him. Well, I feel like sharing my plans for this boy from head to toe.

More updates on Kiwi

     Finally, I put my little girl back together. Kiwi is now a human and all the whitening trials, for the life of me, would not work.

     Peroxide, baking soda, nothing did the trick. I did some light sanding on parts of her, but the yellowing is just too deep-set to work with.

Update on Kiwi

     I may or may not have mentioned that Kiwi is currently the subject of one of my latest little tests. I've been trying to keep most of it a surprise. I'll try to keep this all in order.

BJD Modification Tips and Advice

     Some people really enjoy customizing their dolls--a few of them have previous knowledge from other, similar crafts and carry those skills over to their dolls. This guide is generally geared towards budding modifiers who find themselves without any real direction, but I hope that it can be a suitable guide for those with a basic knowledge, or who are even proficient as well.