Let's Have A Happy Valentine's Day! (Also some news)

I made some cards for all my cutie readers, yay! Also, I got a job! That is why I've been so busy and haven't posted much. I actually have quite a few posts with pictures lined up, I just need to find time to finish them.

Also there is a sneak peak in the Valentine, something I've been working on! You'll see these girls again in a future post and find out what!

Happy Valentines day! I hope you all had the greatest ever!

Let's Play With Dolls!: Building Fae

Hi everybody! I'm busy with a lot of things so I haven't been able to write blog posts for a very long time, also happy December! I have a few ideas lined up for posts, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back on a regular blogging schedule!

This is a new segment of my blog for my doll related posts, because my doll collecting has been really picking up lately.

For this post I will be introducing you to Fae!

Fae is my new doll and I am absolutely taken with her! Do you recognize this doll? It may be hard to guess exactly who she is because she is one of a kind!

Let me explain! Fae has the head of a Moxie Girlz Sophina and the body of an original fully jointed Barbie.You see, I was at the thrift store yesterday and I had a boat load of luck! (I may do a haul soon to show what else I bought.) Just to list a few things, I fell for the sweet face of a Moxie girl Sophina and I picked up a couple of articulated Barbies and some doll accessories. Mostly accessories to fit with an 18in doll because I have been planning on getting one soon, hopefully around Christmas.When I went to check out I was a bit worried because I filled my basket to the top with goodies and I didn't want to spend more than 14 dollars, but SURPRISE all the toys were not only a quarter, but buy one get one free! Though, I was a bit sad that the very cute Sophina doll was naked and had no feet! (I assumed they just had feet like an old Bratz doll, feet attached to the shoes and a peg leg I mean.)

Before I left the thrift store I'd decided I would try something I'd been wanting to try for a long time, a head switch! I was nervous, but with the help of this video Sophina's head popped right off! I had considerably less luck with the Barbie head. I had two bodies and chose the old jointed body over the ballerina jointed body because the skin tone was a closer match and I preferred the flat feet over the molded ballerina shoes. I have no pictures before the head switch because I was too excited to wait and I don't have my own camera.

The jointed Barbie head came off fairly easily, but I split the delicate neck. I thought I could just push the Moxie girl's head down to conceal the split part of the neck, but when I went to put the head on I learned something disappointing, it didn't fit! The peg for the head was far too large for the hole in the Moxie girl's head! I tried as hard as I could to fit on the head, but her neck joint flopped discouragingly, but I'm not one to give up.

I asked Mckinley's dad, who was in the kitchen, if he could help shove the head on any further, but he offered a different solution. he took the head off and took out  the neck joint and went to work. He cut the split part of the neck off with a real tiny bone saw! It made a scary noise and I covered the Sophina head's eyes and gritted my teeth. He tried trial and error with the neck joint. We didn't have a hot glue gun handy (I really need to pick one up!) and none of the glue was holding so he just decided to melt it together! It really surprised me when he set my doll body's neck on fire and the neck lit up more than he was expecting. I rushed to get the dress off for the rest of the surgery, but then I noticed it had a spot of blood, he was bleeding, he must have cut himself on the saw so he took care of it before continuing and Aunt Louise helped me get out the spot of blood before it stained, so the dress was wet and drying for the first half of the pictures and she is wearing a different dress.

Here she is with the head attached to the new body!

Ta-dah! The head doesn't really move because the joint is melted to the body (Also she has some light burns on her neck, battle scars.) I hadn't fixed her hair at all at this point, I just pulled it into very messy pigtails. The skin tone of the Sophina head actually looks perfect on this body, which is really strange because the heads were not even close to being the same skin tone, weird! Her neck is also a better size for the head after the split part was cut off. The proportions of head to body are also better. She looks like her head belongs on this body!

Bobble-head Barbie!

The Barbie head and Moxie body look considerably less good together. See how these skin tones don't match at all? I didn't like the Moxie body much, but the painted pink underwear are cute.

Close up, I love this torso joint!

Here is her old body on top of her new body because I didn't have any before pictures! The old body is a lot smaller compared to the new one! (A lot smaller than it looks here, also ahh peg feet!)

Here is one of Fae dressed in a temporary barbie outfit I had next to my original Draculaura doll!

I'm holding them to show the height difference better.

She was looking very good and her head was staying on wonderfully, the surgery was a success!

Another picture of Fae with her old body and her friend headless Barbie.

I picked the name Fae because I wanted something like Frankenstein because she is a bit like a Frankenstein monster herself, but I wanted something a bit cuter and more original! I decided on Fae! Starts with an F and means magical creature, close enough right? I think she really likes the name.

Here she is sitting on the counter! She sits very well and has decent articulation in her body, though her arm flexibility isn't too good, she can't touch her face. She doesn't have articulated ankles or wrists, but is much better articulated with this new body than with her old Moxie body. Later in the day I brushed out her hair with a wire brush as you will see.

The next morning I woke up, walked my cute doggy, and put Fae in her actual dress that had been drying after it's wash and she looks very cute in it.

It's hard to see, but here she is in her dress with her hair brushed out! See what happened to her hair! Yikes! That will need some extra work and maybe a boil rinse. The frizz is kind of endearing at some angles, but I plan to boil it and cut it evenly because her cut is a bit uneven in the back. I also want to give her some bangs.

Also as a bonus tip, I made those shoes! I didn't have any shoes that would fit her large flat feet so I made my own with the help of this video I HIGHLY recommend her doll craft videos! I made them with a box from a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper, clear school glue, black finger nail polish, and duct tape! I made a few mistakes, but I'm hoping the next pair of shoes I make will be better. (I thought these turned out pretty nice though!)

My doggy snuck in this picture, do you see him?

Cutie!

Here are a few more shots of my little Fae!

The little shoes I made and a little piggy I bought that day at the thrift store. CUTE!

I am very pleased with the results of this project! Stay tuned for more of my doll projects and reviews! What do you think of Fae? Tell me if you try a head switch like this!

This was the first time I've ever seen a Moxie girl up close and I think they are very adorable in person! They have sweet faces.

See you next time!

Sugar

Let's Join the Lolita Blog Carnival! (Episode 2- 5 Super Fun Themed Meet-up Ideas!)

Dear Gummy Bear Stars,

Another Lolita Blog Carnival post! I was very happy this topic won, this is something I have previously thought a lot about and would love to hear the ideas of others also! This should be fun so let's dive right in!

(Typos are possible when I wrote this the keyboard was REALLY glitching!! If you catch any please tell me~!)

1. Murder Mystery Meet-up! 

 

Support the artist  http://www.flickr.com/photos/waltstoneburner/6879677636/

To start off, this is my oldest and also my favorite idea that I remember having for a themed meet-up. The scene starts off at a tea party, good friends are together again talking about the latest brand pieces. When suddenly a scream is heard from the other room, everyone rushes to investigate! The scream came from the party host who had moments earlier left the tea party to visit the powder room. She was looking in horror at her favorite teddy bear ripped to pieces on the ground. Everyone looked around at one another. Who could have done this? So then it begins.

Of course any number of plots could be developed, this is just my example. Before this meet-up could take place a lot of  planning would need to happen. I think a good way to host a meet-up like this would be to give each guest an invitation with critical game information. It could include a silly fake name for them to use and character traits, alibis, et cetera. The most important thing is to include whether they themselves are 'innocent' or 'guilty' of this crime. If your invitation says innocent your job is to look for clues and find the culprit. If your invitation says guilty your job is to not look suspicious and even find out more about others to set them up to take the fall. If the wrong person is accused by several people or if no one has discovered the culprit by the end of the party the guilty person wins. If someone does accuse the right person, that innocent person is the victor. The party may include a few NPCs that aren't there playing but to guide the party, such as the host who knows who the culprit really is because she/he passed out the invitations. If the host wishes to play she could think of some way she could both set the party up and not know the culprit. (If anyone has any suggestions for that leave then in the comments, I don't know if drawing from a hat would work because clues have to be left to lead to a specific person.) Even if they don't play it can be very fun for a host to host this kind of a party and if they wish to play next time they can ask a friend to play host next time. 

In the event the game is over early it would help for the host to have a second game plot ready to start or plans in the event the game was over early. A rousing game of clue would fit right into the theme. 

Guests can be given their silly name and personality early to help them get in character and decide what to wear. Guests could even be shown the names and personalities on your local Lolita group early enough for participants to pick for themselves (without knowing who is guilty). The character cards can be a fun way to get comfortable around the others because you know everyone will be acting silly. When the game is over have around 30 minutes prepared for everyone to talk as themselves and exchange information.

Example of a character card

Lady Frilly Bottom the Third

Refined and poised she never lets the business of others affect her. She does things at her own pace and always does everything with an element of grace. She is afraid of needles and rodents. She doesn't like to get dirty. She loves books and tea sets.

Innocent/Guilty (Keeping mystery in case anyone wants to use this character.)

The key is to make the character easy for the player to interpret and to make the character easy to leave clues about. Signs of her being guilty would be, left out books, signs that someone tried to clean up their mess, or signs of tea. Things that would make you think it wasn't her might be a big mess, mouse holes, or needles around the scene. 

Things the host needs

- Somekind of way to send invitations

- A place big enough to host the party

- A thought about plot

- To lay out clues

- Guests

Things guests need

- Their manners

- To be in character

- To follow the rules

Rules

- Don't get out of character or not follow your card, it may throw off the game

- Be polite

- Don't be a sore loser (Or winner for that matter) 

- Don't tell anyone if your innocent or guilty, everyone will likely 'pretend' to be innocent to appear not guilty and that's fine, but don't show anyone your card!

Can be done any time of the year, but might be extra fun near Halloween.

I think that is about it! This one will have the longest explanation because it is the most complicated, but fun, of my ideas!

2. Masquerade Ball!

Support the artist! http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I00000lqwOogoiIw/s/750/750/20090710-CarnivalMask-0059.jpg

I have a mask already from when my school was going to have one, then they cancelled it. This could be a lot of fun!! Just secure an area, get music, dress fancy, decorate, and everyone will wear masks! Masks can be bought or made, try to make sure your mask is very much you and goes with your outfit for the night. This could be a very fun meet-up, but this is really all the structure I have for it. If anyone else has any ideas that could make the ball more fun leave them in the comments! I'm thinking making it a bit like Cinderella would be fun, maybe staging a little flash mob kind of play right in the middle of the party! Can you imagine how magical it would be to suddenly see Cinderella come to life right before your eyes! Magic!~

 

 http://www.collegefashion.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Cinderella-Blue-Dress.jpg

Bippity Boppity Boo!

 

3. Renaissance Faire Themed!

 http://www.faenation.com/2007/04/15/renaissancefairefairies/

I've always wanted to go to one, but I've never had the opportunity. For anyone else who wants the experience, why not make our own? Everyone could be welcome to bring something for their own little 'booth' and dress up in their most enchanted coord. I am not an expert om these fairs, but I think they could go two different ways. Historically accurate or more fantasy themed. Real being queens, princesses and knights. Fantasy being evil witches, fairies, and dragons! A mix of the two would also be quite fun. Everyone could make up their own characters and have fun! A spin off of this idea would be a meet that was more exclusively fantasy such as mermaids and fairy outfits with little stories behind them.Everyone in the group can use the idea and put their own spins on it to make it as fun as possible! 

4. Style swap meet-up!/ What else do you wear besides Lolita?

 

http://tokyofashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010-03-14-Harajuku-Fairy-Kei-Girls-001-P6207.jpg

This idea has two different possibilities.

First being swapping styles with a friend! Find a friend with a similar size as you and wardrobe swap for the night!  If you can't find someone to swap with then try your best to dress in a different lolita style than you usually do with things you have in your own closet.

Second being, show people another alternate style you like to wear besides Lolita, say you also like Fairy-kei like I do. You could dress in Fairy-kei or anything and help expand your fellow Lolitas knowledge of other styles they may enjoy! You could bring a few print outs about the style if you want for anyone that wants to know more. 

A mix of the two would be to try and put together an alt fashion outfit that isn't Lolita, but is also one you haven't tried before. This could be done similar to how the first way is done. You could ask a friend to swap with you or you could try to put something together with what you have

 Bonus meet-up idea, you could affectionately call your meet 'My Ita Days' or if you find that offensive you could call it 'Not Everyone is Great at Lolita the First time'. This isn't supposed to be an insulting idea, it's meant to be a fun lighthearted look om how we all started in Lolita. Dress in the way you did when you first started Lolita! Just for one night throw the rules out the window. Remember the magical day you first put on your first Lolita dress for the first time (That was a magical moment for me, even if I did have it on backwards.)! Look back at your old embarrassing pictures you have hidden very far under a rock. Exaggerate it even more for added fun by imitating common mistakes made by beginners. Insults or bad attitudes not tolerated it's all for fun and nostalgia. Compliment your friend's attention to detail and have a good laugh in memory of what used to be! This meet-up would be easy for anyone to do even people who are still in their beginner stages and should be very beginner friendly for anyone new to Lolita who may be a little scared to get into their Lolita community. 

5. Zombie Walk Lolita Style! 

 

 http://www.xelyna.com/ketai/zomwalk102.jpg

Best. Picture. Ever. 

You'll notice some of these are things I've always wanted to do! This is another one of those things! Ever want to try Guro Lolita, but never had the chance? This could be a perfect opportunity! Chose the role of a zombie or a hunter and dress for the role! Have fun and be creative, but also be respectful. You can get into these roles without touching anyone else and possibly dirtying their pretty dress! It wouldn't be any fun if someone decided to touch you without permission and got fake blood on you! While decked out in zombie themed frills we could walk around town and maybe go shopping at the mall! Can you imagine? 

Another possibility is  a game of Zombie Larping! An area could be secured and decorated with plenty of hiding spots. Depending on how many players there were would determine how many were zombies and how many were hunters. Anyone who owns nerf guns could bring them to share or we could think of another way of 'killing' the zombies that wouldn't really hurt the players, such as using paper wads as ammo. To keep it safe if you are tagged by a zombie twice you are bit! You could play off not being infected right away and then turning moments later for realism. Try not to hit people on your own team. If a hunter is shot by another hunter then they are out. If a zombie bites a hunter then they are on the zombie team. Whichever team is left standing in the end wins! You could play more games until the meet was over or you could play one or two games then continue to do something else. 

 Tips 'guroing up' your outfit! (Without ruining your dress!)

 - Cheap aprons are you best friend! Find one at a thrift store or just anywhere selling them cheap! (Make one if you know how.) Then add fake blood to it, make sure it's dry and only add it to one side. When added to your dress it makes it look much more gruesome instantly! 

 - Props such as an eye patch or arm sling are good to wear in Guro Lolita.

- Add blood to a bow or a cute thrift store bear and even your face and possibly some cheap socks! If you have a balance of fake blood no one will notice your dress is clean.   

- If you do get blood on your dress, tide open gets it out well! I've had a friend get zombie blood on my dress one Halloween. (I went as a doll or a Princess I forget, she went as a zombie)

- You could also tear the apron. Speaking of tears, you might get good use out of your old ripped tights for this look!  

Now for some zombie meet specific tips!  

- Look up zombie makeup tutorials and possibly even buy contacts to make your eyes more intense!  

- If your a zombie hunter you would still be covered in blood and may carry a fake weapon, but nothing you couldn't go into the mall with! Try to look more human as to not be mistaken for a zombie! 

- Get into character! 

- Don't get into character so much that people start shooting at you! If people seem afraid explain the meet-up!  

This can be a good meet-up idea for Halloween or for any Walking Dead fans it could be a fun thing to do before watching the season finale! (Or any episode) It could be fun for any zombie fans on any day and would really surprise onlookers if it was on the middle of July instead of on Halloween! Curl up after a night of fun and have a zombie marathon sleep over! 

Those are my main ideas stay tuned for a few extra bonus ideas! 

-  Disney Princess (Or general Disney movie themed) Make a coord to represent your favorite princess or character then to piggy back off of idea 5, you could have a disney movie marathon sleep over! 

- Similar to the last idea how about a general fairy tale themed meet-up! I think I would chose Hansel and Gretal! 

- My Little Pony theme! Coordinate a Lolita outfit after a friendship is magic character or any ponies from other generations! Feel magical as if you are that pony turned human! 

- I got this idea reading this blog post. A pokemon themed meet! In a world where all the Pokemon trainers and Gym leaders were Lolitas!~ Swap cute trainer cards, have fun and try to collect them all! (You could also do a human Pokemon coord! I have once done one as Jigglypuff!

- Bring your doll to your meet-up day! If you like dolls like I do then this meet would be fun! You might also have fun trying to twin with your doll and meeting some people with even more in common with you than Lolita! 

 That's all for today! I hope you had a super Thanksgiving! Please add your own ideas in the comments that might make any of my ideas better! Feel free to use any of my ideas for your own meet-ups! What meet-up ideas do you have? Goodbye for now dolls! 

Other super blogs who also joined in on the fun! 

Palace Of Frills

Beyond Kawaii

Darkly Darling

Hello Batty

Sweet Lolita Doll

Sidhe Ban shee

Päivänvarjon alla

Lolita Corderosa

Geisha Baby

Sweet and Simple

Hungry and Yours, (Going to stuff myself tomorrow! I wrote this early so tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I'm magical and writing from the past into the future!)

Skiteanna La~Sweet