Hello!
So, as you may know if you read my commentary about which posts are next, I recently received a secondhand Impldoll Iris. She's lovely, and her resin is of high quality, but she came unstrung and hoo boy.
Today the Boston community had a meet! This marked left leg stringing attempt number four, and it should've been good! Two people offered their help, and one of them even had a restringing tool (which seems super handy and I kinda want one).
No one could do it. She came with elastic, but the one for her legs isn't long enough, so at this point I just need to buy new elastic. It's not like it's an expensive thing, but I was hoping to have her be strung and ready to go after today so I could finish the post about her, so it's pretty irritating. So now she's a completely unstrung bag of parts, and her review's been pushed off for at least another week.
See you Wednesday!
~Theo
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Silly Wants: Doll Underwear
Hello!
Sorry for no post on Saturday, it was a weird week and I haven't had much chance to write. So instead of the box opening post I've been working on-- I really want photos of her together and the ability to talk about her posing before I post it and trying to string her has been a nightmare-- here's a "silly wants" post.
Doll underwear. It's impractical, unnecessary, and so cute, and I'd love to have at least a pair for each of my dolls. Maybe this is a weird thing, but I like thinking about what kind of underwear my dolls would wear if they were people. I think it's a neat little character detail, and I think doll underwear is adorable-- like most doll clothes, honestly-- so it's something I'd like to have at some point, but don't presently because I'm still building up things I consider wardrobe "essentials" for my dolls, so right now, while cute, it's pretty low on my priority list. So, without further ado, a little post of undergarments I like for each of my dolls!
Bridget:
Bridget really does not do feminine, and I feel like she'd be most comfortable in boxers and a tank top! Alice's Collection has some nice options for boxers, but I've also been loving some designs from etsy. This one, from Shiraya's Wardrobe, is my current favorite. I love the stock image design, but it's not currently listed as an option, so I'll either wait, message the seller (it's an option on some other listings, so maybe?), or just order in black if I do decide to buy it. The same seller also does tank tops, and a black one would be ideal. Starrshine Designs, also on etsy, does some PJ sets that could potentially be used as underwear, but they're surprise sets, which is a little bit of a non-option for me.
Amelia:
Amelia, on the other hand, very much does feminine. If I bought underwear for her, I'd definitely prefer to just do matching sets. Honestly, I don't love most of the options I've found from the major places I usually go to for doll clothes-- I have scoured etsy, I have seen everything-- but I really like this Fairyland set for Minifees, which should fit her:
I've also poked in some other places, and MR.D:D has some options I like as well. Their newer things are more expensive, but some of their re-releases are more in the "Fairyland expensive" range rather than "excuse me while I cry" range. I like this set a lot for her!
Cassandra:
Cassandra wears Gothic Lolita, so I tend to think of her in black bloomers and an overbust corset. I've had a really hard time finding just a simple black overbust corset for SD girls, but I'm still hunting. I've had okay luck trying to find bloomers, but it's a little weird-- most people don't seem to make bloomers for SDs, and the people who do mostly make fancy ones or ones with odd patterns, not simple pairs. For overbust corsets, I really dig this one from Seventh Soul on etsy:
And for bloomers, I found this cute "and chemise" set from Sweet Gyrl Two on etsy! I don't know that I'd have a use for the chemise, but I could potentially use it as a night shirt.
Hopefully by Saturday I'll have Cassandra properly strung! If she is, expect a post about her, otherwise, I'm thinking a general collection post.
See you then!
~Theo
Sorry for no post on Saturday, it was a weird week and I haven't had much chance to write. So instead of the box opening post I've been working on-- I really want photos of her together and the ability to talk about her posing before I post it and trying to string her has been a nightmare-- here's a "silly wants" post.
Doll underwear. It's impractical, unnecessary, and so cute, and I'd love to have at least a pair for each of my dolls. Maybe this is a weird thing, but I like thinking about what kind of underwear my dolls would wear if they were people. I think it's a neat little character detail, and I think doll underwear is adorable-- like most doll clothes, honestly-- so it's something I'd like to have at some point, but don't presently because I'm still building up things I consider wardrobe "essentials" for my dolls, so right now, while cute, it's pretty low on my priority list. So, without further ado, a little post of undergarments I like for each of my dolls!
Bridget:
Bridget really does not do feminine, and I feel like she'd be most comfortable in boxers and a tank top! Alice's Collection has some nice options for boxers, but I've also been loving some designs from etsy. This one, from Shiraya's Wardrobe, is my current favorite. I love the stock image design, but it's not currently listed as an option, so I'll either wait, message the seller (it's an option on some other listings, so maybe?), or just order in black if I do decide to buy it. The same seller also does tank tops, and a black one would be ideal. Starrshine Designs, also on etsy, does some PJ sets that could potentially be used as underwear, but they're surprise sets, which is a little bit of a non-option for me.
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| They'd be so perfect for my little emo baby (Source: Shiraya's Wardrobe) |
Amelia:
Amelia, on the other hand, very much does feminine. If I bought underwear for her, I'd definitely prefer to just do matching sets. Honestly, I don't love most of the options I've found from the major places I usually go to for doll clothes-- I have scoured etsy, I have seen everything-- but I really like this Fairyland set for Minifees, which should fit her:
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| I love florals on her (Source: Fairyland) |
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| I. Mentioned I love florals on her (Source: MR.D:D) |
Cassandra:
Cassandra wears Gothic Lolita, so I tend to think of her in black bloomers and an overbust corset. I've had a really hard time finding just a simple black overbust corset for SD girls, but I'm still hunting. I've had okay luck trying to find bloomers, but it's a little weird-- most people don't seem to make bloomers for SDs, and the people who do mostly make fancy ones or ones with odd patterns, not simple pairs. For overbust corsets, I really dig this one from Seventh Soul on etsy:
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| So pretty! (Source: Seventh Soul) |
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| (Source: Sweet Gyrl Two) |
See you then!
~Theo
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Chubby BJDs?
Hey everyone!
I feel like I open posts with "full disclosure" a lot, but full disclosure, I was going to have the title of this post be "Summerbird Viola" but I'm hoping to save that entry title for getting one.
Hopefully.
Someday.
But I do want to talk about something I find a little frustrating in the hobby-- lack of body diversity! The main place we tend to see anything even close to it is female busts and in level of muscle on male bodies, but what I want is fat bodies. I want to see chubby bodies, in all sizes, from the little 12-17 cm tinies all the way up to 70+ cm behemoths. And I'm not talking about the Big Baby/Holiday's Child size-- they're cute, but they're proportioned like young children, not like typical MSDs. I'm talking about dolls who are typical for their scale but aren't your typical "slim and pretty" or "absolutely r i p p e d" but instead are on the chubby side!
For tinies, I know DollChateau has the "Sleepy Body" aka B-10, which I couldn't find on their site but DDE lists as its own option. It is the body their Sleepy is on, so if you've got a hunger for a tiny with a cute little tummy and are looking for something to hybrid onto, maybe that's a place to go!
YoSDs tend to have the most possibilities for chubby little bodies. My personal theory is that it's because they tend to be styled as children, so it's more socially acceptable for them to have some baby fat. They're also bigger than tinies, which leaves more room to make them chubby, especially in their arms and legs. I've seen several cute, chubby YoSD bodies, and honestly I love all of them.
I actually have yet to see a genuinely fat SD. I have, however, seen people use theterrifying delightful pregnant Angel of Dream as an SD with a little belly. I've seen people sand the bust flat to shell male characters. I definitely wouldn't call her a fat SD by any stretch of the imagination, but I suppose she's a start?
Fun fact: I tried to upload the very cursed image of the AoD pregnant doll and couldn't. There were "problems uploading the image." If you haven't already seen it, you can check it out for yourself here.
Alright, and now the doll I'm really here to talk about, the gorgeous Summerbird Viola. Like a lot of people, I missed the first preorder for her. I was in the land without internet at my summer camp job, plus she sold out in two hours. She's 40 centimeters of pleasant plumpness, and Summerbird even provided a sizing guide for finding clothes for her, as she tends to fit better into cropped SD clothes, or looser MSD clothes. I'm hoping to get one in the next preorder-- which, according to the Summerbird FAQ, should be in the first few months of 2018, shortly after the first preorder's dolls go out. I'm really excited to start seeing owner pics of her, as well as to potentially get my mitts on one of my own.
And, perhaps more relevantly, the success she's been met with so far delights and excites me. I'm hopeful that her success will lead to more body diversity in the hobby, and I am especially hoping to see more fat dolls in the future.
Can you think of fat dolls I missed? Do you have a particular body type you'd like to see more of in the future? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Until next time!
I feel like I open posts with "full disclosure" a lot, but full disclosure, I was going to have the title of this post be "Summerbird Viola" but I'm hoping to save that entry title for getting one.
Hopefully.
Someday.
But I do want to talk about something I find a little frustrating in the hobby-- lack of body diversity! The main place we tend to see anything even close to it is female busts and in level of muscle on male bodies, but what I want is fat bodies. I want to see chubby bodies, in all sizes, from the little 12-17 cm tinies all the way up to 70+ cm behemoths. And I'm not talking about the Big Baby/Holiday's Child size-- they're cute, but they're proportioned like young children, not like typical MSDs. I'm talking about dolls who are typical for their scale but aren't your typical "slim and pretty" or "absolutely r i p p e d" but instead are on the chubby side!
For tinies, I know DollChateau has the "Sleepy Body" aka B-10, which I couldn't find on their site but DDE lists as its own option. It is the body their Sleepy is on, so if you've got a hunger for a tiny with a cute little tummy and are looking for something to hybrid onto, maybe that's a place to go!
YoSDs tend to have the most possibilities for chubby little bodies. My personal theory is that it's because they tend to be styled as children, so it's more socially acceptable for them to have some baby fat. They're also bigger than tinies, which leaves more room to make them chubby, especially in their arms and legs. I've seen several cute, chubby YoSD bodies, and honestly I love all of them.
I actually have yet to see a genuinely fat SD. I have, however, seen people use the
Fun fact: I tried to upload the very cursed image of the AoD pregnant doll and couldn't. There were "problems uploading the image." If you haven't already seen it, you can check it out for yourself here.
Alright, and now the doll I'm really here to talk about, the gorgeous Summerbird Viola. Like a lot of people, I missed the first preorder for her. I was in the land without internet at my summer camp job, plus she sold out in two hours. She's 40 centimeters of pleasant plumpness, and Summerbird even provided a sizing guide for finding clothes for her, as she tends to fit better into cropped SD clothes, or looser MSD clothes. I'm hoping to get one in the next preorder-- which, according to the Summerbird FAQ, should be in the first few months of 2018, shortly after the first preorder's dolls go out. I'm really excited to start seeing owner pics of her, as well as to potentially get my mitts on one of my own.
 |
| LOOK AT HER |
Can you think of fat dolls I missed? Do you have a particular body type you'd like to see more of in the future? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Until next time!
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Character Chat: Jonah
Hello everyone!
I want to do little things about my doll's characters, and I'm aiming to do them around once a month. I'm most excited to do one about my character Gil, but I also figured I should start with a character I actually have at least partially shelled, so I'm doing Jonah's character chat today! Fair warning, I'm really bad at staying on track when I get going, so this is a bit ramble-y and all over the place.
My dolls' universe has four kingdoms, each associated with one of the four elements. Jonah is the prince of earth, and the middle of three children. His older sibling is his sister, Hannah, and his young sibling is his brother, Lawrence, who was initially the crown prince. Jonah is trans, because who would I be if the first male character I shelled wasn't trans, and came out when he was around fifteen. This isn't an issue for the Earth Kingdom, who embraced their new crown prince with open arms. It's a job he was somewhat under-prepared for, but he's been learning quickly, and he's pleased with himself and how far he's come.
In general, Jonah's a pretty happy, confident guy. His family is supportive, including the brother he replaced as crown prince. Lawrence strikes me as infinitely more anxious than Jonah, so there wasn't really that same drive to be king someday, and there was definitely a sense of relief when Jonah became the crown prince. He'll be ready to be king when the time comes, Lawrence wouldn't have been.
I've also been getting hints of a romantic relationship between Jonah and Gil, the prince of air. I tend to categorically refuse to make straight characters, and once I actually had Jonah's head, I started to get the immediate "Okay, your other dolls have friends and significant others, I want a boyfriend" from him. I didn't have one planned for him initially, but as I got a little deeper into his character and he decided he wanted to be 110% Prince Charming, Gil started to pop up a bit and say he might be interested. And now that I have a potential sculpt for Gil in mind for 2018, that's starting to potentially be quite feasible. Jonah's definitely a sweet charmer, and I think Gil's definitely a guy who can appreciate being romanced. I have hints of story for them, and honestly even I'm excited to see how that's going to develop.
Jonah's also very dapper. I've been working on developing his fashion sense, and I know he definitely loves suits and ties, and his definition of 'dressed down' is still pretty fancy. His color palette takes cues from mori kei, with browns and off-whites, along with greens, being the majority of his wardrobe. I'm leaning towards mori-inspired fabric choices as well, I'll be needing lots of white and off-white lace to make his clothes. He's taller than most of my squad-- he'll be my tallest MSD when his body gets here, and should come out about 5 centimeters taller than my girls-- and I'm hoping to be able to accentuate that with his clothing choices.
So yeah, tldr, Jonah's the happy and confident prince of earth, he's at the very least crushed on by the prince of air, and he's definitely a pretty stable character within the story I have going for my dolls. He's defined much less by who he is on his own than by who he is with others, and I'm excited to write about him going forward!
Until next time!
Theo
My dolls' universe has four kingdoms, each associated with one of the four elements. Jonah is the prince of earth, and the middle of three children. His older sibling is his sister, Hannah, and his young sibling is his brother, Lawrence, who was initially the crown prince. Jonah is trans, because who would I be if the first male character I shelled wasn't trans, and came out when he was around fifteen. This isn't an issue for the Earth Kingdom, who embraced their new crown prince with open arms. It's a job he was somewhat under-prepared for, but he's been learning quickly, and he's pleased with himself and how far he's come.
In general, Jonah's a pretty happy, confident guy. His family is supportive, including the brother he replaced as crown prince. Lawrence strikes me as infinitely more anxious than Jonah, so there wasn't really that same drive to be king someday, and there was definitely a sense of relief when Jonah became the crown prince. He'll be ready to be king when the time comes, Lawrence wouldn't have been.
I've also been getting hints of a romantic relationship between Jonah and Gil, the prince of air. I tend to categorically refuse to make straight characters, and once I actually had Jonah's head, I started to get the immediate "Okay, your other dolls have friends and significant others, I want a boyfriend" from him. I didn't have one planned for him initially, but as I got a little deeper into his character and he decided he wanted to be 110% Prince Charming, Gil started to pop up a bit and say he might be interested. And now that I have a potential sculpt for Gil in mind for 2018, that's starting to potentially be quite feasible. Jonah's definitely a sweet charmer, and I think Gil's definitely a guy who can appreciate being romanced. I have hints of story for them, and honestly even I'm excited to see how that's going to develop.
Jonah's also very dapper. I've been working on developing his fashion sense, and I know he definitely loves suits and ties, and his definition of 'dressed down' is still pretty fancy. His color palette takes cues from mori kei, with browns and off-whites, along with greens, being the majority of his wardrobe. I'm leaning towards mori-inspired fabric choices as well, I'll be needing lots of white and off-white lace to make his clothes. He's taller than most of my squad-- he'll be my tallest MSD when his body gets here, and should come out about 5 centimeters taller than my girls-- and I'm hoping to be able to accentuate that with his clothing choices.
So yeah, tldr, Jonah's the happy and confident prince of earth, he's at the very least crushed on by the prince of air, and he's definitely a pretty stable character within the story I have going for my dolls. He's defined much less by who he is on his own than by who he is with others, and I'm excited to write about him going forward!
Until next time!
Theo
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello!
With Thanksgiving coming up, I figured it'd be a good time to do a "hobby gratitude" kind of post. So, here's five little hobby things I'm thankful for, in no particular order:
With Thanksgiving coming up, I figured it'd be a good time to do a "hobby gratitude" kind of post. So, here's five little hobby things I'm thankful for, in no particular order:
1. My local community
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| Doll table at a recent meet... 💖💖💖 |
I'm very fortunate to have a local doll community. We meet up once a month, usually on the second Saturday, and it's been awesome getting to know other collectors in person. Not everyone makes it every month, but we have a solid core group of people who geek out over dolls once a month, and it's always wonderful to see everyone again. It's also great for people like me who are newer to the hobby to have a group of more experienced collectors to turn to with my questions, as well as just to get insight on different companies from.
2. Sculptors
This almost feels too obvious, but I'm so thankful for the incredible sculptors this community is full of. I love seeing your WIP photos and getting to know your styles, from well-known folks to people just getting started. I admire the hell out of your skills, and a lot of you bring diverse faces and body types we likely otherwise wouldn't be seeing, and that's awesome.
3. Jewelers
Holy shit, guys. Words can't describe how blown away I am by the incredible jewelers in this hobby. Whether it's necklaces, bracelets, or the astoundingly ornate rings and crowns I've seen some people make, there's just so much absolutely amazing skill poured into each tiny piece. Metal work is probably not a skill I'm likely to ever be able to pick up, for a variety of reasons, and I'm so so thankful for those who have it and are willing to share it with the rest of us.
I hate having to order everything online. I need to look at colors in person, and I like to be able to feel fabrics. One of the things I kind of hate about living in Boston is my lack of access to craft stores, I have a Michael's and a JoAnn's at home, both easily accessible, but not here. Either way, though, I appreciate their existence when I'm home, and it's nice to be able to stock up with a quarter of a yard of flannel rather than three yards, the online minimum for JoAnn's.
4. Craft Stores
I hate having to order everything online. I need to look at colors in person, and I like to be able to feel fabrics. One of the things I kind of hate about living in Boston is my lack of access to craft stores, I have a Michael's and a JoAnn's at home, both easily accessible, but not here. Either way, though, I appreciate their existence when I'm home, and it's nice to be able to stock up with a quarter of a yard of flannel rather than three yards, the online minimum for JoAnn's.
5. Doll YouTubers
I really appreciate the fact that so many people with more time, energy, and presentability (and less awkwardness in front of a camera) are willing to make videos about the hobby and their experiences in it. I love hearing everyone's stories, and video tutorials are great. I have plans to try making wigs soon, and I'm definitely only going to be able to potentially pull it off because video tutorials are a thing.
And that's all for today! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Yu! (Box Opening/Review)
Hello hello!
I did something kind of dumb in late September-- I not-not impulse bought a doll. It could've been worse than it was-- god only knows how many more expensive dolls exist-- but it was still far from my smartest retail therapy move. She would've happened anyways, as she's here to be besties with the tiny I'll be getting with my DollZone order, but my timing definitely could've been better.
Regardless.
She's a green ResinSoul Yu, and I got her with a face up! She was, as I expect with ResinSoul by now, packaged very nicely in this little bag.
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| I. Kinda dig the old lady fabic |
She was wrapped safely and arrived undamaged. One thing I really appreciate is that ResinSoul consistently under-declares the value of their dolls on customs forms. I live in the US, but I know how much import fees hurt some of my EU friends, so like. That's nice.
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| Just ResinSoul things: "Yep. $7" (Her shipping was more than that!) |
And look what a cutie she is! I don't have clothes finished for her yet, but I have plans to throw together a quick little dress out of some brown faux suede I have on hand. I meant to use it for a swap project that wound up being too ambitious for me, so now it's just around, and I'll have it for future projects! And it's gonna be so cute on her. For now, though, she gets one of Amelia's tee shirts.
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| It is. Pretty huge on her. |
She seems to pose okay! She can stand, as you can see, and she can sit as well. She seems to have the same trick knee as my other single-jointed ResinSoul, Bridget, but she seems to be alright so far! I may try to restring her a little tighter, but that's a project for another day, I think.
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| She's so cute |
Her resin seems pretty typical of ResinSoul. It's certainly not the best resin ever, but she's just fine. I adore the color, though, it's a nice green that I think my camera actually did a pretty decent job capturing.
I don't presently have any issues with her. She's a little patoot-- those ears-- and I am sooooo looking forward to getting her dressed up and "finished," which for me means that a doll has the right eyes, face up, wig, and at least one outfit, including shoes and, if applicable, accessories. That doesn't mean I'm done working on their wardrobe, just that the doll itself is "done."
I have some of a background planned out for her, but not all that much of a character character? Girlie needs a name, I've been calling her The Goblette while I've been waiting for her. I kinda wanna call her Gretchen, but I get the feeling that isn't going to stick for long, so I suppose we'll see! Her tag is gonna stay "The Goblette" for now, but I'm sure that will change eventually.
Because of how things lined up with doll plans and purchases, my next big post of note will actually also be a box-opening (depending on shipping speed, that could change). See you then!
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Wol! (Box Opening/Review)
Hello!
Back in July, the preorders went up for a round of professionally casted SeedArts Wol heads. I'm slowly becoming a junkie for faces with odd features-- especially noses and ears-- so she went straight onto my "oooooh, yes, that one. Soon" list (as opposed to my "ugh, someday" and "maybe?" lists). I was away and without internet for most of the preorder, which wound up being sort of a good thing, because it prevented me from potentially impulse buying. I did wind up purchasing her, but I'm still glad I waited.
Wol is a female sculpt, but the character I'm shelling is male, so I'll be referring to the head with he/him/his pronouns from here!
The original Etsy listing said the heads would most likely be shipped out in October, but unfortunately they did wind up being later than this. I received my shipping notice on November 6th, and my head arrived the 8th. This is by no means the fault of SeedArts-- she wrote that the expected working time was 4-6 weeks, and notified buyers when she received the shipping notice from Haru on October 23rd. The heads shipped extremely quickly once they reached her, and mine only took two days to arrive.
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| I cannot explain how hard it was to wait until I had time to shoot video and take photos to rip into this box |
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| Pictured: sooooooo much bubble wrap |
Without futher ado...
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| Full disclosure: my original thought was to do this as a video, so crappy still is the best we're getting here |
The head came wrapped in a little plastic bag to protect it in transit, which I appreciated. It also came with this gorgeous little neck donut, which SeedArts later told me on instagram is to help keep the body on the neck.
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| It's so pretty that I thought it was just like. A cute little desk thing |
I popped the head out of the bag and snapped a couple pictures:
I had a weird moment of "Hey, does this match ResinSoul dark tan?" It super doesn't, and I don't own their light tan to see if it matches that any better. Here's the comparison shot:
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| I am. Real bad at color guessing |
Speaking of color comparisons, let's check out the original photo of the resin colors vs. the color of the head I got:
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| Source: armeleia's etsy |
These were the three colors available, officially called tan, peach, and off-white. I ordered tan, which was said to be similar to DollZone tan. Honestly, I didn't check what DollZone tan is ahead of time, but I assumed that the tan in the photo would be the tan I got. As you can see, it's considerably lighter. But let's take a look at DollZone tan.
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| Source: Dollzone |
That looks a lot closer! It still looks a little dark to me, and I'll admit it, I am a bit nervous about resin match with his body, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm getting him a Dollzone B45-018 through DDE, so we'll see what that turns up. Based on what I've heard recently, it'll probably be heading my way in February or March.
Excuse me while I die.
The resin is absolutely lovely, as you'd expect from a caster as well-loved as Haru, but of course there is one more but.
The way the faceplate fits.
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| The gap tho |
There's some pretty noticeable gapping along the jaw and the bottom of the head. I'm hoping this will be reduced once he's on his body, or else that the neck donut will be of use. I can't currently check, as the S hooks in my girls' heads are too big to fit in his head, but we'll see in the spring. I haven't had a doll with a faceplate before, just headcaps, so if this is normal let me know.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the head! I think he'll be perfect for Jonah, the character I'm shelling, and he's super cute with the eyes he stole. They're not for him, but he can certainly keep them for now.
I'll leave you with some last photos, until next time!
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