Enelya

All this last week I have been busy putting together my first doll and making an outfit for her.  I wanted to do something Elfin out of Lord of the Rings.  I finally finished yesterday.  All I need now is a proper stand to display her.

I did this customisation on the cheap considering it was my first one.  I also had no idea about how to put a body together so I bought one already done.

This is what she started out like, in pieces.  I purchased and Obistu 27cm bodyfor around $20.  The head was about $5.  There were a lot of different types to choose from, but this one looked more Elfin to me than the others.  It also meant that I didn't have to work with eye chips either. 

I was going to paint on the eyes but it is difficult to find the soft body acrylic paint needed without paying a huge cost.  Considering it may have been something I only used once I didn't want to waste my money.  I found a variety of eye decals to choose from.  One sheet (from memory) was around $7.  Finally the wig cost about $12.  Grand total in all that I paid for was $44.  Everything else I already had.

This is not the best photo.  It was done in low light, hence the horrid looking yellow grain.  It took me a while to paint her lips.  In the end I used a plastic medium with micr powder.  I also mixed in some white paint to prevent the colour looking too translucent.  Once the paint was dry and the fourth try of the eye decal was on, I sprayed it with a mat medium that is designed to keep the decals and paint on the face.

Next came the wig.  It was the right size but a little loose so I had to glue it in place.  After that was the costume.

I actually found a website that gives away free patterns of dresses from the Lord of the Rings movies for barbie dolls.  I just had to modify it slightly to make it fit.  This is based on the dress that Galadriel wore at the well.  Like I said, I have modified it so it isn't the exact dress.  What annoys me is that I have noticed her left eye lid seems to have been scratched off a bit.

Dreamharp Musings

The place where I made my dreamharp was full of hidden little secrets in the garden and the studio.  From multi-coloured hammocks, to leaves, Buddhist flags, the ocean and so forth and so on.  I had a great time in my breaks, walking around and taking shots of the most everyday but wonderful looking items. 

Most of the photos are taken in the small grotto where we ate and chatted.  It is a great place to think and meditate on things as well.

Below is a slide show of some of those photos.  I had fun manipulating a lot of them as well.  I solarised some and inverted the colours in some also.  They make for some interesting viewing.

Combining interests

What have I got  myself into.  I think making a dreamharp has given me the impression that I can do anything.  At least with the dreamharp I had guidance!

There are two things (ok I have others) in my life that I am currently enjoying: my Blythe Dolls; and my Artistic Doll Swap.  After playing around with altering a Barbie doll for the last swap, I thought, this would be cool to do for real.  I went on line and look at dolls and doll parts like the Ooak Obitsu dolls.  I have purchased the necessary items to create a doll.  The face of this doll however has no eye holes so I will be painting them on.  It also has a wig that fits snugly so I don't need to hand stitch the hair onto a scalp.

You would think that would be enough of a challenge and that I would give it a try first before moving on to something harder.  I probably would have but I am still waiting for parts to arrive, so in my spare time I was looking at more Blythe things on the internet.  I found out bits of information all over the place on how to customise your Blythe doll.  Yep you guessed it, I have gone out and ordered the necessary items for doing this.

At first I thought of making her from scratch but realised it would be easier to work on an already made doll.  I am not so stupid however that I am going to try it on one of my current dolls.  I managed to find someone on ebay who sells the dolls nude, direct from the factory so she is still a genuine Blythe doll.  Though in hindsight, thanks to the cost of postage, it would have been cheaper to buy a Simply Mango Blythe doll with free shipping.

Unlike the Obitsu I will be working on, in order to do new hair, I will be hand stitching it.  The eyes are also movable and I have bought new eye chips.  I am thinking of sanding her face as well to make her less shiny.  At least the makeup can be done using chalks, which luckily I already have.

I am super excited and super scared about customising a Blythe doll.  I want to have all the parts now and get started yesterday.  Hmmm now what to make her.  I am thinking a fairy or an elf.  I may even put a tiny jewel on her eyelid.  Oh the options are endless.