doll-a-day

Limhwa Half-Elf and Soom Io, owned by DoA’s Marilyn in NY.
Picture reposted with permission. [Source thread]

These pictures were taken in the snowy Adirondak mountains where Marilyn lives.  The main difficulty, she said, was that it was really dark and she had used a high ISO setting…. so they were a little grainy.  (I can’t tell, if they are.)  But having the combination of the snow and the new outfits from Domuya was too much to resist!

I love these pictures because the details are fantastic.  Everything is so wonderfully scaled and the dolls themselves are just lovely.  The snowboards and outfits are great!  (I am also just smitten with Soom Io….)

Thank you, Marilyn in NY!

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Puki PongPung, owned by onnawufei
Picture reposted with permission.  [Source thread]

I can’t fathom why PongPong isn’t more popular.  We went in together to get one for a friend’s sister… and when it arrived, we took turned just opening and closing his little book-box.  It was like *open* :D *close* *open* :D! *close* *open* XD! *close*  And each time you open the box he seems to get happier.

Or more evil, as the case may be.

This entry showcases onnawufei’s evil little O’Malley DuFresne (named after characters from the web series Red vs Blue).  By her description, “he’s the product of a bored scientist who created an experimental AI and never really finished it. O’Malley exists primarily in the internet but leaves when he gets bored enough and wants to cause some trouble. He also likes to chew on things… and people.”

Pretty freakin’ cool.  And check out the little goggles!  Ms. onnawufei makes them!

Thanks, onnawufei!

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Dollshe SA Saint, owned by DoA’s Zagzagael.
Picture reposted with permission.  [Source thread]

I don’t think this shoot needs much of a lead-in, though I did have a tough time choosing which teaser shot I wanted. :)  Conceptually I find the shoot wonderful as well, very rich in imagery and thought.

Zagzagael said that the concept that she was working with was an Angel of the Armageddon! “The idea of the world ending with us not being able to “breathe” - insects don’t have lungs…and don’t breathe….water creatures have gills…it’s all a bit complicated, but I liked the idea that angels, too, need Air to exist!”

Creepy, Zag.  Definitely creepy, and definitely some haunting images.

Thank you!!

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Iplehouse Amy Gray, owned by DoA’s karamba.
Picture reposted with permission. [Source thread]

I love pictures like this.  Where they manage to look alive and self-aware, but still so small and fragile.  This series of photos gives the feeling of a gray autumn day where there’s not much to do except think.

karamba says that her girl’s name is Alice.  Alice is from a good family, but has a bit of a defiant streak and is eccentric like many teenagers are.

Thank you, karamba!

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CP Delf Soony, owned by DoA’s River.
Picture reposted with permission.  [Source thread]

I have a weakness for red-haired dolls.  (And men, but that’s something else entirely.)  I notice, though, a lot of times people shy away from putting redheads in red or pink clothing, and stick instead with violet or green.  I think red can look really awesome on redheads, and this photoshoot is no exception.

This lovely girl is one of the Art Delf Lolita Soonys offered a year or so ago.

Her character is still being worked out, so for now she’s mostly just a name (Noriko) and and a pretty face. ;)  A very pretty face with a very pretty faceup.  I’m sure, though, that when River comes up with a story for her she’ll be great.

Thanks, River!

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Dollmore Pado SP, owned by DoA’s alison_sky.
Picture reposted with permission. [Source thread]

Soyu has a lot of attitude! This lovely little fellow is egotistical, ironic, and sensible according to his owner. He enjoys singing, playing guitar and reading. His wonderful faceup was done by alison_sky herself!

I really enjoyed these pictures because of the in-scale props and the careful use of the hand pose to make it look like he’s playing guitar. I also like his wig and outfit. I have not seen many of this sculpt, but I have to admit I really, really like this one.

alison_sky’s blog can be found here.

Thank you, alison_sky!

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Teaser thumbnail links to full-sized image. (It lost it’s impact when I resized it, so I’m just providing the large version behind the thumbnail.)

Dollshe Saint. Photo by DoA’s Bwiel, reposted with permission. The source thread is here, if you like the pic please leave her a comment! :)

This picture is just stunning, and a one-shot. I asked what had been the impulse behind this picture, and Bwiel said she had been looking through her clothes for something for him to wear… and a scarf had fallen across his face. And it went from there!

This lovely fellow’s name is Toren Mordecai Valdemar. He is a Taltos (reference to Ann Rice’s novel).

More pictures at her Livejournal.

Thank you, Bwiel!

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Kid Delf Bory, owned by DoA’s botflybaby
Pictures reposted with permission. [DoA thread link]

Dietre, the adorable doll pictured above, is botflybaby’s favorite doll.  She summarized his backstory as “Dietre’s story takes place in the late 1800’s. He’s the son of a rich business man and a socialite, who were too busy to give him much attention, so he was very lonely. When he was 13 (the age he is as a doll) his parents were killed by vampires while he stayed hidden. In the story, he was then taken in by a friend of his father’s, but in the doll world, he was taken in by me instead. xD”

I’m including it verbatim because I love the last line of that. ;)

He’s one of Luts last custom faceups and has a gorgeous, weary looking little face that suits his shy, socially withdrawn character.  The outfit shown is also from Luts, Chocolat au Lait.

Thank you, botflybaby!

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Lati Miel, owned and photographed by kittytoes on DoA
Picture reposted with permission. Thread with more photos: [Link]

Where the Wild Things Are is my favorite children’s book. I’m a dork. I can’t help it. I find my throat gets bizarrely tight every time I read the last page - “and it was still hot.” I love the idea that no matter how naughty we are and no matter how far we roam (even if it’s just in our heads), we will always return home and there will always be someone waiting for us. Sort of like leaving the porch light on in our hearts.

Anyway.

This is an awesome shoot with a beautifully made little costume and a freaking adorable little Lati. The Lati, Dig, is modeled on kittytoes’ much-adored 4 year old son, Gideon. She said “When Gideon wouldn’t dress up as Max for Halloween, I figured I’d at least make a tiny version.”

Much awesome, much win.

Thank you, kittytoes!!

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Volks Yugiri and Williams, reposted with permission.
More photos here: DoA Thread
Other lovely photos at the House of Silent Children

These photos were taken by DoA’s Lirin of Sheri’s dolls. They first picture is from a photoshoot titled “You Floor Me!” That was specifically intended to show off the lovely new floor that Lirin’s father had made for their doll room.

The room, in addition to having nicely scaled props and furniture, is also an engineering wonder. Sheri wrote:

The “You Floor Me” shoot was literally to explore the new fancy floor her talented Dad created for the doll set. He built the 3 walled set last June (2007) as per Emily’s [Lirin's] design. He created beadboard to scale and found lovely flower and vine trim for the baseboard and chair rails. Emily chose the wallpaper and Bob carefully put it up. It is about 4′ by 5 ‘ and we have been finding furniture and accessories to create believable rooms for these resin people to inhabit. Jewelry Boxes can come in very handy and some of the knick-knacks in the photos are things my mother brought me from her travels, and my old dollhouse collection from when I was Emily’s age. I love seeing what Emily finds and puts together for each new setup of the space.

My husband Bob is a professional and fine art photographer and has supplied wonderful lighting equipment, camera gear and of course his expertise in teaching Emily how to take the pictures she imagines in her very creative mind. We homeschooled/unschooled for much of our daughter’s later school years (she is now 20). Following one’s passions to the fullest is a habit that continues to give our lives depth and meaning.

The structure itself breaks down into separate wall units so it can be moved when needed. The floor is also able to be broken down into smaller components. With the new raised floor we can slide the under bed storage boxes underneath it with dolls and props are not being used at the moment. Our living room was the first place Bob set up the doll room. It was great there, but eventually we wanted the room back for Christmastime. So now it resides in our bonus room over the garage, complete with a nice stereo. Listening to just the right music is sometimes a vital aspect of these photo shoots. It is a continuing labor of love by all 3 of us. I am so pleased that we can all play dolls in our own creative fashion.

I think that the creativity of the dolls is just vitally important, and part of why they are such an engrossing hobby (and why they have held my interest for several years now): there is so much that can be done with them, and there are so many tangental arts, interests, and skills that can be brought in.

One more, since there is so much to see! (Click to make big - I LOVE this Masha [Ilse].)

There are so many talented people in this hobby. :)

Thank you very much, Sheri and Lirin!

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