Lots of pictures below the cut. Id’s eyes came this morning… and when I wasn’t running around on errands today, I took some pictures. Pic spam, ahoy! (Will crosspost to DoA as well).
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This morning I applied to go to the Volks Tea this morning. I see how many people have said that they signed up for the painting class… and I am just filled with pessimism. I have terrible luck with lotteries, and I have a sneaking suspicion that neither I nor Mandy will make it into the painting class. I’m trying to be optimistic, but… well, I don’t want to get my hopes up. I am really hoping to be pleasantly surprised though! :)

Either way, I’ll be in NYC that weekend, and I hope to go to a meetup on that Saturday. Hopefully there will be some going on… I should probably start stalking the meet-ups threads. Staying at the Gershwin again… aside from the creepy, unhelpful staff, I really enjoyed it last year. The room was pretty and bright, the lighting was cool. The elevator was slow… but I guess that wasn’t a huge deal since it wasn’t like we were going up and down all the time!

I am planning to bring Rory… since he’s my Dolpa/Event boy. I’ll also be swapping his head for an option head I’m going to mod for the costume contest… I need to start working on that, amid all my other projects!

I don’t remember if I’ve written about it before, but my office is making a transition to being open to 6 as a convenience to our West Coast advisors. So far, it’s set up so that one person from each department needs to be there that extra hour. Since there are only two people in my department, the other girl and I alternate weeks. Last week was my week to stay late. Yesterday the other girl got jury duty, so I stayed till 6. I will be staying late tonight too.

This extra hour really kills me – I get home and I’m just worn out. I mostly just sit. I am still working on commissions, but not as quickly as normal. I don’t get as much done each night, and over the last week I’ve gotten considerably behind where I wanted to be by this week.

Tonight isn’t going to be super catch-up night or anything, but I want to get things done!

Tonight?

• Shape Fran’s ear for symmetry
• Take pics, send to Weslie
• Final sanding on Wujee mod
• Take pics, send to mendokusai
• Work on Fukubukurou #1
• Box up Swift

Tomorrow night?

• Continue dremelling out original head? Ear?
• Remove and reposition Fran’s ears
• Airbrush Wujee ears (with approval to continue)
• Blush Ollie
• Pics to owners

I just did my taxes. I’m so relieved – they’re done and I don’t owe the state or feds any money. In fact, I’m getting refunds from both. I’m so reliiiiiiiiiiiiieved.

On to modding.

To do tonight:

• Ploof out Fran’s withered ear
• Find Swift’s magnets (Head box?)
• Have a glass of wine
• Redo inside of ears on Wujee mod
• Dremel out inside of original head’s ear?
• Make rest for Ollie’s S-hook
• Fukubukurou #1
• Write up notes on fixing Fair Girl’s kicky leg
• Shower

Id’s wig also came in the mail from Michelle and it’s very very cute. It needs a little hemming around the front edge, but otherwise it’s pretty much perfect. Now all she needs is her eyes… then it’s PICSPAM TIME! XDDDD

The doll market is so weird… and it’s getting to be a bit overwhelming. The Western Market is trying to branch out into BJD, the Eastern Market is expanding to more western-styled faces. Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about starting a small forum that’s just for “old school” BJD. (But like all small forums, it would die a quiet, unattended death because no one would post there.)

The latest frustration with Goodreau dolls has me a little bit disparaging of the hobby. I don’t see them being at all stylistically like ABJD. The faces are more like Madame Alexander or American Girls, and the bodies are more like Teen Trends or one of the other Western tween fashion dolls. I have no problem with the fact that they’re American… I guess my issue with them is that they don’t look like any of the ABJD that DoA is based on. They’re very… I don’t know. Their faces remind me of something so cookie-cutter, out-of-the-box American, like something I could just go into Target and buy off the shelves. They’re like porcelain dolls made in resin (or vinyl)… like something you’d see on the Monique website modeling a child-styled wig. Some people have PMed me to say that we’re denying the artist exposure, but we’re not her primary, target market anyway. She markets her dolls extensively to the American fashion doll world, especially toward purchasers of Tonner and American Girls. Either way, DoA isn’t responsible for providing free advertisement for ANY company – and if people don’t buy the dolls just because they can’t post them on DoA, well, I strongly doubt the depth of their interest in them.

From working on a Haute Doll feature, I’ve seen high-res pictures of Goodreau dolls. They don’t look more BJD when you look closer. They look more plastic. With their joints covered, they look absolutely nothing like ABJD.

And half of the things are made of vinyl. The vinyl ones don’t meet the criteria, for certain. But how could you allow the resin ones and not the vinyl ones? I can only imagine the outrage – “You’re not allowing the vinyl ones because they’re cheaper! Because you’re all rich snobs!”

DoA’s description has always said that it was a forum for discussion of “Asian Ball-jointed Dolls.”  I don’t get why people are up in arms because, gasp, an AMERICAN doll is not being considered an ASIAN ball-jointed doll.  We must be racist!  9_9 Some people have suggested in the past that DoA’s description to be changed to include a broader scope… for “resin ball-jointed dolls” or “modern ball-jointed dolls.”  The fact is, the focus is already broad enough.  DoA is will will continue to be for Asian-made ball-jointed dolls and some dolls that are Western-made but are in line with that aesthetic and customization intent.

DoA does afford special consideration to artists who work on their dolls in the Artist Subforum… mostly because customization is one of the most important aspects of ABJD, and creation is an extension of that. It’s a courtesy to those who have the dedication to create their own dolls that we let them post them on the forum even if they’re not a perfect example of an ABJD-styled doll. I am frequently frustrated by the Artist subforum, but I don’t think it should be closed or that the homemade dolls should be barred from the forum.  At any rate, these dolls are the exceptions rather than the rule. 

With regard to dolls such as Unoa 2nd, those were grandfathered in because of Unoa 1.0 and 1.5. I think they’re very fashion doll, but the faces are very Araki to me, as are the hands and joint structures. In many ways they’re fashion-doll bodied, but at the same time, they also remind me very strongly of anime figure kits. I’m on the fence about those. If they had happened without the prior existence of Unoa, I would have probably voted against them.  And what about Iplehouse? Cocori and Ian are definitely not in the spirit of traditional ABJD (I find them extremely fashion doll-esque)… but it’s another one where I see it becoming an issue of widespread outrage. “You’re banning them because they’re black!” And to be honest, I like that the major companies are trying offer different skintones with sculpts that actually suit them… even if the sculpts themselves are a little bit token.

Ian and Miso from RnD… I would have to say that I find them to be off-topic. I don’t know if we voted on that yet or if I just missed the vote. I should really look.

From the opposite side, the two Asian companies that used to be my favorites, Volks and CP, have been disappointing me a bit lately. I haven’t liked any of the new CP head sculpts (excluding the ones that were elven re-hashes). They have gone off on this really off-putting track of making smaller, narrower heads with very close-set eyes. Like, the Juri 06 head was practically a cyclops… and Danbi is just awful. The newer Volks heads have been totally hit or miss for me – I like Williams, but I really really don’t like the new Yos (Piccolo/Anne and then these two new ones from Osaka Dolpa). I think Luna is probably the ugliest doll Volks has made in awhile. It’s been awhile since either company made something that really made me swoon.

I find my tastes running more with the smaller Korean companies, like DIM. I’m in love with several of their newer sculpts. Achenar and Sergei, specifically. I want them both very much… and maybe someday I will buy Sergei just because I like him so much. I’m into rarer heads, too, because I love seeing the care that the artist put into the work. I think that’s one of the things that is truly important to me about the ABJD hobby – the artist, and the artist in oneself. I like knowing that the pieces are cast by hand, I like knowing that the price is based on the quality. I like the open-ended aspect of ABJD; I don’t look at most Western dolls and think “Well, who could she be?” I look at them and I think “Gene. She can be Gene. She can be Gene in a red evening gown or she can be Gene in a power-blue bathrobe.” But she is always Gene, even if you rename her. Her clothing is the focus, her personality is plastic.

Anyway. Just in general, I feel very BLEEEEEH about the direction in which the doll market is heading. I am much more of an old school, “traditional” ABJD person. I also am looking down the pike at other creations coming from the Western world… such as Tonner’s summer BJD fashion doll release: Evangeline Ghastly. Hurrah.

DoA status symbols that I don’t understand:

• Post count
• Being the one to start a database thread
• Being the first to post a new item from Luts
• Owning a vapid Chiwoo
• Proclaiming your own transexuality
• Proclaiming your boyfriend’s crossdressing
• Having seen/touched/smelled the newest J-pop album

The question is “Why?”

Exhausted again… this week is interminable!

The Bambicronies arrived yesterday… and they’re pure sugar fluff. Id is a very very bright pink, though I can’t think of what she’s comparable to. Bubblegum comes to mind, maybe… I just asked Mandy what she was the color of, and Mandy said “Pink.” So she is the color of pink. Ninam is a sort of blueberry shade, sort of the color of blueberry muffin batter if you stir too hard and mix in the juice. It’s a snazzy color… though having him dressed as he is in Constantine’s kitty outfit, I keep looking over and going “OMG WHY IS CONSTANTINE BLUE?!!?” And then reminding myself that, oh yeah, we have other Yo-sized dolls now. All in all, they’re very cute and I’m eager for Id’s new eyes to come in the mail so I can start taking lots of pictures of her. I don’t like her with green eyes at all. Her new eyes are very pale gray with reddish pupils. They should be interesting. In general, she doesn’t look so much like the spun-sugar Kumis so far.

The pliver came too. Yaaaay, sheep epidermis. It’s thin, we’re good to go. I eed to find my good glue. Most people suggest Aleenes, but I like Sobo better…

Tonight and tomorrow:

• Fran’s ear
• Adriel’s hoof
• Design mod for NY Tea contest
• Prep Swift
• Original sculpt, neck hole?
• Fukubukuro #1

This weekend:

• Post office
• Fukubukuro #1 continues
• Order Mr. Surfacer + Mr. Super Clear
• Make fur wig for Id
• Faceup Swift
• Buy batteries (no pics till then)
• Suede and blush Ollie
• Restring Id and Ninam
• Lengthen Fran’s other ear

Okay, to work!

I’m drowsy and I find myself sort of dazedly drifting off to summer, sitting on the edge of the big rocks the lake, my feet dipped in the water up to my ankles…. the water is cool, almost too cold, and I wish it was a little warmer so I could swim.  The sun is hot and bright, and it’s easier to just sit with my cold feet and my eyes closed….

Winter is wearing on long this year.  It came late and now doesn’t seem to be in any rush to leave.  It snowed again just yesterday.

The Bambicronies are estimated to arrive tomorrow, and they’re being delivered to my office.  I’m not sure yet if that will make tomorrow harder or easier to get through… I hope they arrive.  If not, I’ll be so disappointed!  I’ve waited longer, but this has all seemed very high stress.  I picked up some pinky poofy Barbie clothes for little Id, I am hoping that they are 1) the right size and 2) a color that she won’t clash with.  Come on, Bambicronies – come tomorrow!

I’ve been thinking of trying to be more active on LJ.  I have an LJ, but I don’t post in it… I just have it so that I’ll have an LJ name to post in people’s journals.  I like the idea of friending people and following journals, though, and following my fList… but it seems like there’s so much drama involved with friending and unfriending people.  Maybe it’s safer to just stay outside the community…. Hummm.  I will think about it.

My office is sort of making the move to being open till 6. At this point, we stay till 6 in shifts.  This week Mandychu and I work till 6 M-Th… which is a full 9.25 hours.  It’s nice for overtime, but by the time I get home I just feel like sitting and staring blankly at my laptop.  It’s really killing my creative side and making it hard to come home and work on commissions… it’s getting done, but I can’t wait till the weekend.  It’s only Tuesday night and I’m exhausted!

We’re all booked for airfare and hotel for the NYC Tea.  I hope there are a lot of events going on in addition to just the Volks-sponsored Tea.  I’ll be staying at the Gershwin… so I’m hoping for another fun lobby party like last year.  That would definitely make me happy.  I also plan to enter the doll costume contest… I think I’ll finish modding this Link head I have for it.  Sexy Sweet Dreams Link! :D  We’ll see how this custom goes, I suppose… though I don’t have time to work on the mod or the costume at the moment at all!

For the second time since moving into the housepartment, I awoke this morning to the sensation of someone holding me down against my mattress.  I know I was awake because I remember looking at the ceiling and seeing how light it was, but I was just completely unable to move or make a sound.  I could hear my own fast breathing because I was freaking out, but otherwise I wasn’t able to talk or anything.  It was just incredibly creepy.  And then it stopped and I was able to move and sit up.

We’ve felt for awhile that the apartment is haunted (Mandy has seen more to make her believe that)… and so this sort of thing really creeps me out.  I would prefer to think I just wasn’t quiiiiiiite awake, like my brain was awake but my body is still asleep.  But at the same time, that freaks me out just as much if not more!  It was so scary.

Mandychu’s sister came for part of the weekend, which was cool.  The weather was shit this weekend, which killed most of our plans (and also got her into town a day late)… so next time we will have to have the big sanding/blushing/esthetics party that we had had planned.

I also am expecting fun things in the mail this week!  Hopefully the Bambicronies will arrive this week (finally)… and I am expecting a package of pliver for sueding!  Also, maybe this week I’ll get to see my MiniMee so far?  I don’t know, probably not… but I can hope. <3  Lately I just feel like I’m always waiting… *ANGST*

Last thing I’m going to say on the continuing 45/60 thing.  If you really think your 45cm MSD/DOC/Kid Delf doll looks like an adult, I am inclined to think that you have never actually seen a naked adult.  I suggest googling the phrase “underwear model” and making an honest comparison.  (While we’re at it, you may want to do this if you think a CP Mature girl body with the breasts removed looks like a boy!)

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124571

One nice thing about the Gallery and GD on DoA is that I’ve been able to compile a list of members to avoid.  That list is mostly made up of scalpers, knock-off supporters, flakes, and perverts.  At various times, I feel really disheartened by the dollery because it seems like there’s a bizarre imbalance of these negatives.

Many of the responses to this topic make me happy.  I’m happy to see that people who are on the same “side “as me are presenting their arguments so well. :)  Yaaaaay.