Ms. Mariko No Longer

It took me a very long time to name my poor Dollfie Dream girl! I’ve been agonizing over her name for weeks now. Nothing seemed right, and I kept flip-flopping. Did I want a floral name? A Victorian name? A Japanese name? I had a whole list of suggestions, but just couldn’t make up my mind. I like to wait to name my dolls until I’ve settled on a name that I’m satisfied with, but I also don’t like leaving them unnamed. Continue reading »

A Triumphant Return

Surprise! Some Boxes

Last Monday, after coming home from a long day, I received quite a surprise: two packages! After a hectic day at work and presenting a final project during my evening class, it felt like quite a reward~ Claire had been off with Zingor, receiving new makeup more suited to a little girl, and my portion of a Volks full-choice system split. I really adore a lot of the FCS wigs–especially the pigtailed ones. (I think I’ve already complained about pigtail wigs not being parted down the back…) Continue reading »

Off She Goes!

It feels a little bit odd knowing in the house right now. I’ve finally made the decision to do it, so Claire is on her way to a customizer for new makeup. I was lucky enough to be able to commission one of my favourite face-up artists–Zingor! :3 I really admire her work–particularly because of her eyebrows. She paints some of the loveliest eyebrows I’ve seen–good shape, good detail of the individual hairs, and good placement. Even though it might sound silly, the eyebrows really matter to me! The default “Nagisa in Preschool” eyebrows bothered me so much. I couldn’t stand how they are thicker and darker on the outer edge; it looks so unnatural. Continue reading »

Adjusting the Elastic Tension


Beyond the Glass
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

When my doll arrived, she was strung very loosely. Ball-jointed dolls are strung with elastic, which gives them the tension to move at their joints and hold poses. I knew that she would arrive with very loose tension, as it stated such on the Rosette Doll website. However, I was unprepared for the actual task of tightening her elastic cord, since I have never owned a doll before or done maintenance on one.

I avoided it for a week or so, afraid of breaking her and unsure of exactly how to go about the process. Unlike most dolls that I have seen, the knot for the loops of elastic within her body is not inside of her head. It is actually inside of her upper torso. This meant that I could not (as I had thought) simply pull up the elastic a bit through the head, re-tie the knot, and all would be well. Continue reading »

Making a Doll Your Own


Rosette Doll Eyes
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

The setup from Rosette Doll is one in which each doll arrives with a specific wig, specific eyes, a specific body, a specific outfit, and a specific faceup. This is not common among ball-jointed dolls–most dolls arrive with random eyes and a random wig, naked and unpainted. Sometimes they can be purchased as a “fullset,” where the doll should arrive as shown in the promotional images–usually a limited edition. Although Rosette Doll does issue limited edition dolls, even the basic dolls are fullset.

While there is something fulfilling about receiving a doll exactly as shown in the promotional images, part of the fun of ball-jointed dolls is customization.

The doll that I purchased was a limited edition Violet. Fitting of her name, she arrived with a violet eyes. Her wig was a lovely pale brown and ivory blend, styled with curls and pulled back from her face. However, those eyes and wig, although beautiful, did not seem correct for the doll I wished to own. When I first noticed Violet’s face sculpt, I envisioned her with dark brown eyes and blonde hair. Continue reading »