Miss Mabel Studio

Linda January 23rd, 2008

Picture of my Tifa and Adsel–sharing a moment–I really like how these dolls can pose!.  Just wish I was a better photographer!

Below are pictures of myElfdoll Hazy (Tifa) in her new dress.  It is from a Adams-Harris pattern.  It is called the “1790′s dress”.  I found that the underskirt (which is quilted) was too short for Tifa so I lengthened it. The shoes I made from the same website (free download) but I need to make ones that match better and have “spool” heels

This is Lula in a dress that I made using pattern pieces from a GraceFairy pattern.  It was originally the Gothic Lolita pattern—I changed the skirt by splitting it and then adding rows and rows of ruffles.  The tennis shoes don’t really go with it–they were pink and an Easter present from Scott, humour me LOL!

Here are the latest pics of my “wip”.  I got her as far as stringing to check out how the joints sit.  As you can see all is well but for her knees–they are splayed out.  Upon inspection I noticed that there is a big gap at the top of the knee “cup”  (you can see that in the 3rd pic close up) which in effect does not hold the knee ball in place allowing it to splay.  I will add more to this area and again-sand, sand, sand.  This is a long project and I knew it would be..sometimes I just get sick of the mess and put it aside for awhile.  I am very glad I do not have a deadline on this!  I also knew all along that this would be a proto type doll for me so it is really a big learning experience.

I finished this outfit for my SoulDoll Killian (Adsel) recently but had to wait to post pics until I bought him the right riding boots.  The  out fit  made from a Adams-Harris pattern–Beau Brommel.  The pants are drop front breeches, the vest is out of raw silk and fully lined, the shirt is a ruffled front shirt out of cotton  lawn material and the coat is light weight wool and again, fully lined.  Next time I will line it with something that matches better–I did not realize that the lining would show so much. The pattern suggested muslin so that is what I used…I know better now.  I made the top hat on a whim–to see if I could actually do it.  I think he looks like a river boat gambler though ;0)

This next picture is how my homemade BJD is progressing.  The hands are almost done (not pictured) and then I will move onto the ball joints in the knees, ankles, elbows and wrists.  This has been a very messy project–lots of adding clay and then sanding clay–whew, dust EVERWHERE!!!!!!!!!!

This is Lula wearing another recent invention.  The corset is pre-made and so are the wings but the rest is mine.  Mimi likes shirts and dresses with pieces cut out of them (i.e. the shoulder on this dolls outfit), I did that with her in mind.  The crown is all mine and can be read more about on the main page.

Here is my latest wip (work in progress).  I decided that I want to make my own bjd’s.  I have searched the web, read books and magazines, and now it is practice and learn (sometimes the hard way LOL).  The drawing is about 24 inches tall.  I wanted her features to be thicker/plumper so I would not have to worry about breakage do to too thin of pieces (sometimes I can be heavy handed!).

Since this is a learning doll, I want to keep cost low so I am using what I already have or is cheap.  The inner core is floral foam.  I had left over air dry clays from other dolls so I have chosen to mix some stone clay (premier I think?) with some regular DAS (I accidentally picked up the terra cotta one day DUH!!!).  I am hoping that this will make it strong enough to not break but easy(ier) to cut apart and sand…..I guess I’ll find out ;0)

Next I have started fleshing out the body and legs…I think I am going to make my own balls for the joints rather than using the wooden balls as originally planned–they are a hard wood and I think will be hard to drill and cut (want to keep all my appendages!).

The head so far..I a wondering if I was to eager to cut the head cap?  My main concern there was that I would NOT be able to cut it apart.  I know my lips are a weakness in my sculpting…I find my self looking at peoples mouths–I fear they think I am a bit strange!  Yesterday there was this lovely little girl at church and wished I could take her picture.

Here is the latest installment in my experiment….I have been feeling stressed about making the hands and feet so I have taken a break for a few days and played on some other stuff.  I will get back to this soon.  I added to her face/nose and it looks better.  In the body and arms she has her rough shape and now just needs sanding and joints at the elbows and knees.  Shoulder and hips joints are roughed in.  I bought a book on BJD making and had the translation printed up so I am pouring over that to get ideas on constructions.  It is just those darn feet and hands that are making me stressed, argh!!!

Let me intorduce my latest girl.  She is a Dollstown Estella (13 body).  She is approx. 24 inches tall and her maker is in Korea but I bought her from a  kind lady in the U.K.  She came with out face-up, eyes, hair or her seams sanded.  Below is how she looked (with vintage clothing–why are boys so weird about naked dolls?) when I got her.

This is her after I painted her face and blushed her body(and did alot of sanding on the seams).  I am very pleased with how she turned out..I do not like the light eyelashes and will replace those when I get a chance.  Her body is made to look like a young girl..I really like this sculpt and the feel of the resin–very heavy. The wig is borrowed from my daughter..she will have a long strawberry blonde wig (when I get the $$$).  Quite the difference huh?

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Pictures of my new girl.  She is a Unoa Lusis hybrid (which means that she has a Unoa Lusis head on another companies body).  I lucked upon this doll.  A third party seller wanted to “rehome” her.  It was a doll that I thought I would not be able to get so I was very excited to see her up for sale and at a reasonable price–okay, reasonable for me.  Her body was really dirty and not blushed when she came (and very poorly packed).  But after she got cleaned up and blushed, the resin in the head and the body appear to be a better match than first seen.  Her body looked so yellow and the head so pink…my husband and daughter thought she looked like she had jaundice when she first got here!!!  She is a msd size doll and fits with Vincent, Bobobie An, very well.  I took these pictures when we were on our anniversary in the room.

Queen Tifa  Queen Tifa closeup 

Scott and I finished our doll and have now shipped it off.  That left me some free time to play.  This is an outfit I made for Tifa..it is OOAK.  The “vest” is made out of a vintage apron and that was never completed.  The crown is actually a napkin ring.

The queen’s lost slippers  lost slippers

I also made these slippers–when I had taken her out in front of my favorite tree to do a photo shoot her slippers came off and I had the darndest time finding them..as you can see the leaves are about the same size and color as the shoes.  It felt like one of those “where’s waldo” experiences LOL.

found…. 

Did YOU find them?????

Adsel  and again  

My boy Adsel would not be out done–so he got new pants.  They are made out of vintage velvets.  I was going for a Haight-Ashbury look.  And have plans for making a “floppy” shirt for him but thought he looked so good with out his shirt I took him out for a photo shoot too.  The boots he is wearing are ones that Scott bought me for my birthday.  Look kinda gladiator-ish.

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My daughter and I are planning on going to a BJD/EGL convention in Aug.  I made her a carrier for her dolls and this is the one I made for my big dolls.  Scott bought me the fabric awhile ago–it was a heavy weave and if the pictures do not show it, it is more of a scarlet than a red.  It has very heavy timtexfor the body of the carrier–covered with fabric.  The ends are timetex (2x) and then I made the ends tufted–I wanted it to look like an opulent pillow.

This shows  the inside of it—I cut a piece of fake fur and laid it across the the bottom to protect my doll.  It closes with velcro. The straps are long enough so I can have my hands free and hopefully not hurt my shoulder.  There is not  a lot  of extra room but I could fit in a few outfits, wigs or shoes. I have seen BJD carriers on-line and thought I could make one nicer looking and just as good. I am happy with how it turned out.

This is my big girl Tifa in her newest outfit.  I made it from a Grace Fairie pattern…this one did turn out looking like it was supposed to, Elegant Gothic Lolita. The wig is one I found at a garage sale.  It was a bit too big but I took a few tucks in it and now it fits perfectly.

Here she is in the garden.  I made the hat and the rosary too.  Which do you prefer?  Red hair or bun hair?

Here is the latest outfit that I have made for my big girl.  It is “supposed” to be a  Elegant Gothic Lolita outfit (pattern by Grace Fairie) but either my Tifa is too mature of a sculpt or the fabric was a poor choice on my part…I don’t think it “looks” very EGL.  But….I think it is pretty on her and the color goes with her blue eyes.

Here is my Tifa’s newest outfit.  It is “supposed” to be a steampunk outfit.  The pattern is from “Grace Faerie” patterns.  Almost the whole bodice is lined–it was alittle tricky at first until I got used to how she does things..all her skirts and slips have “yokes” on them to cut down on the thickness at the waist.  They are good patterns and I recommend them for your BJD’s.  The “hat” was supposed to go around her waist as a kind of decorative piece…Mimi didn’t like it.  I tried it on her head and it became a really cool hat/crown.  She looks like the “Queen of Hearts” to me.  I beaded around the edge of the hat/crown, the sleeves and the shirt hem.  She is soooo pretty ;0)

Below are pictures of my new big girl Tifa (She is Elfdoll Rainy, Hazy)

Big box.  Mimi was very excited too and had to be in on the opening.

Shiny box–all very exciting.

She came with extra hands (fists), elastic, hair and certif.

Isn’t she lovely?!

Here she is standing.  I am so happy to have her.  She stands right out of the box–not kicky at all.  Her hands are very pretty and dainty.  I have since painted her nails.  I had thought about buying another doll just because it was cheaper but I kept coming back to her and knew that I would always compare anything I got with her.  She was a lot of money but I am glad that I did not cheap out.

I had some vintage doll clothes sitting around and some of them fit her-ha, half the fun it trying on clothes!  I also put Jaynies wig on her and liked how she looked.  It is so funny that a change of wig can make a doll look so different.

My 11 year old daughter decided that she wanted a BJD too–she saw a doll called Nekkomimi on fdolls and had to have her.  I told her that if she saved up half I would pay for the other half–after babysitting money, xmas money and lots of allowances she was finally able to order her.  It took what seemed forever but the doll finally came on the 25th of Feb.  I let her sign for her (she said she felt like a grown-up).  Below are the pictures of the box opening and her face when she got her–she was so happy that my daughter has tears in her eyes.  She is very proud of her doll and thinks she is the most beautiful doll ever.

I had been looking at these lamp post lamps at a craft store I work at for years but they were $60 and I could never justify the expense at Christmas (they have a Xmas wreathonthemnormally–well unless you take a heat gun and rip the wreath off LOL).  My dear husband was at the store after xmas and they were on close out at $15.00!!!  Whoopeee!  I think it is a bit too big for my msd’s but when I get my Elf Doll Hazy, I think it will be perfect.  Oh, and the lamp does light up!!

My Xmas present (well Scott paid him off LOL).  His name is Vincent.

Vincent and Jaynie–she is in her (sorta) steam punk outfit (new shoes via Bearzaboutbears) and he has tight pants, sock sweater, hat and skull tennis shoes.  I may have brown eyes myelf, but LOVE LOVE the blue eyes.

What a sweet face, huh?   I made Jaynie a pair of flannel jammies for Christmas. The contrast between her hair and the material is striking.

I bought some eyes from  www.pupapa.com. The eyes have blank pupals and you make your own to insert.  I have been wanting light blue eye for her since the beginning, so was able for  $1.80 to make my own–I scanned some photos in a taxidermy catalog and had Scott re-size them on his laptop. We printed them on photo paper.  I carefully cut them out, put them in, popped the lenson top and behold!  I highly recommend this company–they do ship out of Hong Kong but it only took me about 10 days to get them.  I was given a tracking number  and the communication is good between seller and customer. (And if you want to buy shoes for your doll, they cost anywhere from$10 to $15 dollars-not  a large selection, but I was pleased.)

These are the boots that I bought from Pupapa (see above).

New outfit, new hair, new name?

This is the first set of clothes I made for her.  All of it is made from vintage hankies; camisole top, tap panties and a bed jacket.  Posing in my dressing room closet–yes it is very big and there is a chaise lounge in it–but Scott informed me that the lighting was harsh there are lots of shadows, sigh, gotta learn to compose better pictures.  The wig I made.

When I bought her, she can with just a pretty camisole.  I made the peasant blouse out of an old hankie.  The corset is my design.  It is old glove material that is sewn, turned and quilted.  The grommets are the srcap booking kind.  Skirt material is a japanese print, the weave is a rough cotton.  I intended her to look cyber punkish, but I think because of her sweet face, she just looks like a waif or a street urchin (her being bare foot probably helped that  LOL.)

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