Dolly Plans... revisited

So it's nearing the end of the year. I don't plan to buy any more dolls, but I thought I'd reflect on the complete lack of plans that I managed to adhere to and how many dolls have been bought/started to have been bought this year. Remembering that I only planned really to buy 2 dolls this year - Argus and Magnus. As you will read, that plan kind of fell apart rather fast...

BTW: when Fairyland releases its Minifee gift and if its a good one, I will participate in it, but not until after Christmas - just before the end of the event most likely. I'll try to space it out as much as I possibly can.

So to the count down...

I have given bodies to seven dolls (* at this point their body has not arrived):

1. Mati
2. Hyperion
3. Bellona Lua
4. Sirona
5. Caesair
6. Vulcan*
7. Theia*

I have picked up 12 new dolls: (*At this point has not arrived)

1. Nemain
2. Magnus
3. Angelu
4. Anubis
5. Argus
6. Janus
7. Cassius
8. Violet
9. Li Na
10. Seth*
11. Nephthys*
12. Corvinus*

And I have picked up a number of floating heads:

1. Arawn
2. Delf Juri 05
3. Hades
4. Poseidon
5. Zeus
6. Veja*

And I had to sadly, say goodbye to my reshelled Arum, and have placed one more doll on layaway to arrive in the next year... a SOOM Shoshon (still unnamed... 2 votes Augustus, 1 vote Pallus).

By the end of the year (anticipating that the shipping on Corvinus comes through and he, plus Seth, Nephthys, Vulcan's body and Theia's all arrive before Dec 31) I would imagine the list will look like this:

At home:

1. Morrigan
2. Magnus
3. Marcheline
4. Sirona
5. Nemain
6. Caesair
7. Argus
8. Corvinus
9. Bellona Lua
10. Vulcan
11. Janus
12. Violet
13. Cassius
14. Ianthe
15. Icarus
16. Ares
17. Li Na
18. Isis
19. Osiris
20. Ma'at
21. Anubis
22. Seth
23. Nephthys
24. Angelu
25. Hyperion
26. Theia
27. Persephone
28. Mati

Floating heads:

1. Arawn
2. Delf Juri 05
3. Hades
4. Poseidon
5. Zeus
6. Veja

With one on layaway:

1. Yet unnamed - SM Shoshon

So what is the plan next year going to look like? Who knows! I only really have 2 planned purchases for 2011 - the Shoshon, who technically I started to pay off this year and Sol Invictus, who will most likely be placed on layby within the Event time before Jan 31 2011.

Watch this space... who knows what's going to be released in dolly terms? I'm already planning a Feeple65 body for Arawn, and possibly another Feeple65 girl body for another Lishe head...

Need votes...

My newest boy needs a name...

1. Lucius
2. Pallus
3. Ignatius
4. Augustus...

Any votes anyone?

For the questions... yes, I mean the Shoshon.

Marathons...

Need to rock through an update I think... hold onto your hats as a few things have happened since I last did so!

We left off with the entrance of Cassius, my darling little Silt and I was anticipating the arrival of Violet. And well... there have been a few things going on since then.



Violet



Violet has arrived in all her arrogant evilness, and on the same day both Li Na and Arum were also delivered.

I have no regrets with Violet, she looks simply fantastic and her outfit just surprised me no end – the detail is as good as Angelu’s and the stockings are simply incredible. She made her place fairly promptly, and has been showing off with how easy she is to photograph and how good she looks.



Li Na



There was no such fanfare (or photostories) with Arum and Li Na. As they arrived in a rather large delivery box along with another two SDs and three dragon babies (including LillyKitten’s Odina, Sheng and Meiling), and LillyKitten, as the dealer, had to check them, I had to wait for her box.



Arum



Arum was all I thought she was and she was quickly dressed and had some quality time with her master. Li Na was beautiful – with some great default blushing and a gorgeous little outfit, even though it took a while to figure out which way it went on!!

I also received my prize from when Morrigan won the modelling competition at SMASH 2010 in Sydney, which were the default outfits for two of the newer Dollzone girls – the Tulip and the Stranionium. I had a quick search through them, and was happily surprised by the detail – the feathers, the material... it just blew me away!

Unfortunately, after her first photo shoot, I started to realise that Arum had to leave. I had organised a swop with another girl for a Delf Juri and I was originally getting another Clovera which would have been part of the swop (yes, I know, two Cloveras!!).

But, I finally made the difficult descision to send Arum to her new home and owner in NSW. Her outfit has been tucked away for when I save up enough to get her again, but never fear, she will most definitely be back!

However, this opened yet another door!

I had originally organised the swop for the Delf Juri for the beautiful Type 1 White Skin body she had, which I was hoping was the infamous Beauty Green. This would mean one of two things – either Nemain, my startlingly green girl who was residing on an Angel of Dream body would get a proper Delf body, or Caesair, my Elf Lishe head would get a body. (for the discussion about the beauty green and some more info about Caesair, please trundle over to Lished.)



Caesair



It turned out that the body was just a normal White Skin and matched Caesair rather than Nemain. I can’t say I mind much, it means that I now have four big Lishes, and no Lishes waiting around for a body (except for Nemain, who I still planned to try and find a greenish body).

That changed the doll planner – for once instead of adding dolls to the list, I actually took one doll off! That’s right, I went BACK! Arum has been placed back on the wait/save list, while Caesair was moved up into her spot on the planner.

I was feeling satisfied with myself.

Was.

Then suddenly I heard about a new development at Cerberus Project... the new Feeple65. I was definitely exited, I had asked for an A-line Feeple as a part of the survey which had been carried out earlier in the year. I admit that I really wasn’t expecting them to produce anything like that – it seems not many people buy the Feeple, but I wanted to try all the same.

... CP has made an A-line, muscular Feeple and a really nice girl as well. Damn them. And considering the latest shot of the beautiful scar arm on the girl... damn. I can see some Fairyland Christmas spending and another Lishe – hopefully that will go easily onto the new 65cm body with a scar arm.

(watch this space for more ranting at Fairyland since there is more than two new dolls on the list for the coming Event)

And that of course is not all... is it ever?

I have been safe from SOOM for a little while now. Since they bought out the Tuff, I haven’t particularly wanted anything.

Now they’ve released the Shoshon. A Mega Gem – I’ve wanted one since the Monzo. I was happy with letting him go (although it’s always tempting to get one second hand because I LOVE that face). However now that I know that SOOM will allow 5 and 6 month layaways, I think I’ve just been SOOMed for the 4^th time. Yes. Fourth.



Shoshon



Those I’m waiting for? I have this sneaking suspicion DDE hasn’t been honest with me and my Pukifee are currently at their shop. I’m waiting for Seth and Nephthys to complete the Pukifee Army (for now....) and am about to start bellowing at them to dig them out and actually tell me they’re there!

I’m also waiting for a GO – which includes Vulcan’s body, a body for Theia and Veja’s face. I’m hoping it will come soon, I’m already more than frustrated with the entire GO.

Plus, I have a SOOM Tuff on layaway – I was blackmailed into it. I wasn’t going to buy him until LillyKitten told me that she would buy the second head and a Dark Cheshire if I bought Violet and the Tuff.

She’s an enabler. My Tuff’s name is Corvinus, while hers will be Julius.

Watch this space... its coming up to Event time and who knows what will happen next?

It has been awhile since I properly updated Softskin Tales. Many things have happened since I last updated and I would like to bring all those who read this back up to date with the developments in my resin family.

I last explored the wonderful feeling of “on shipping” with my Soom Silt, Cassius having his status changed. Cassius has since arrived (and I did mean to post about it), along with my friend’s Soom Keny.



The Soom family - Aurelius (Keny), Magnus, Cassius (Silt), Dorian and Lalana.



But what has brought me here is two other developments – I discovered earlier this week that DDE had received my Pipos Dark Alice, Violet, and I paid her shipping (she is currently flying somewhere above the Pacific on her way home); and the Dollzone order which includes Arum and Li Na is also on shipping, somewhere out of China.

I crossed my fingers to receive Violet before the weekend, but since she hasn’t landed yet, that might not be a possibility. I keep randomly checking the tracking and nothing has updated yet...

I don't think they travel on strength of will unfortunately.

So that's all so far...

well, except for some more changes to the Planned doll list and Dollzone releasing something ELSE that looks good...

On Shipping

Are there any better words in the doll community? When the script or email tells you that your long wait for your doll has ended? As most in the doll community know, a wait for a doll can be anywhere from 2 months – for the quickest; to 6 months – on the rare occasions. You never forget how many dolls you have incoming – most doll collectors will be able to reel off the dolls that they are waiting for.

I am waiting for:

·         Cassius – a SOOM Silt

·         Arum (Mk II) – A Dollzone Clovera

·         Li Na – A female Dragon Event baby

·         Vulcan’s body - FL MNF A-line muscular

·         Veja’s face – PukiPuki Sugar

·         Theia’s body - Pukipuki

·         Seth – PKF Ante

·         Nepthys – PKF Luna

·         Violet – Pipos Dark Alice

·         Corvinus – SOOM Tuff

And I got the beautiful news just yesterday that my Soom Silt, Cassius, was on SHIPPING!

I almost squealed. I didn’t (I’m not really that kind of person), but it’s that kind of feeling when you get a shipping notice. A squee moment.

You can also have the same type of Squee moments for other doll owners... especially when its dolls that you are getting or want to get. SOOM MD waiting threads (once the shipping notices come out) are endless squee sessions, especially for that first doll!

A girl on DoA has eagerly announced that her PKF Luna, one of the first Lunas out, has shipped. Everyone wants to know what the new Luna looks like in owner pics (one of the true measures of a dolls sculpt...).

Shipping simply is the best moment for anyone... knowing that your doll is flying on its way home...

I will however confess that I have never been (so far) a victim of the dreaded customs invoice monster that so many are. None of my dolls have ever sat in Customs at the Melbourne airport for longer than an hour. Quite often they only stay in there for about 20 minutes. (I love the fact that we are super strict on customs, and they don't charge for anything that is listed as costing as less than $1000... but then my Chalco didn't incur customs charges either.)

Watch this space... Cassius is in the air and could be home before the end of the week!

New arrivals and other things...

So first things first - new arrivals.

I originally wasn't going to purchase a Chic-line during the release event period, even though they had a Lishe there and she was added to my list... (for more information about my Lishe... issues... check out Lished) but that was before I found out about the Event items.

As I have talked about before in a previous blog post, I have a small addiction to Fairyland's Breakaways and of course Fairyland had to release a Little Fee or L-line Breakaway faceplate for the new Chic line Event. I attempted to buy one second hand and placed a want to buy in the DoA Marketplace and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It came towards the end of the Event time and no one was selling the Event faceplates. Especially not the Breakaway. That made me a little worried and my new character - Hades, peeved off. So, in order to get a Breakaway, I took down my Want To Buy and instead placed a fullset El on layaway at DDE.

(Of course if you read the other post, you would know I managed to pick up two more Breakaway faceplates in the mean time).

However, I got a shipping notice for my El over a week ago, which of course was exciting, Janus and Hades were on their way home! They buzzed around for a while on a plane and landed on Monday, and were delivered yesterday morning.

I have had a few problems with Janus however.

When I unpacked him, his eyelashes looked strange... (I apologise for the blurriness of the image). One wasn't correctly stuck down and was plastered all over his eyebrows but the other seemed ok.

Unfortuantely his funny eyelash dropped off when I was dressing him, so I ripped the second off as well.  The other thing was his wig. I couldn't get it on! Now I've had small wigs before, both Osiris and Anubis have wigs that won't go over a wig cap and stretch on over their heads. I tried this with Janus, but his wig continued to simply "pop" off. There was not enough stretch in it to properly stretch over his head!

So my brand new boy is wigless for the moment until I find a suitable (and small enough) wig for him.

He did of course bring Hades with him, but that boy is still in his plastic bag until I take him out to take photos of him with his two brothers Zeus and Poseidon. Hades' wig still hasn't arrived, along with Magnus' and I'm more than slightly annoyed as two orders that I have made since I ordered Hades and Magnus' wigs (containing Poseidon and Faustus' wigs and one for a wig for Zeus) have arrived no problems!

The other things... well, I think a photo will explain it all...

And yes.... that is all of them, both mine and LillyKitten's! We'll of course be redoing it by the end of the year, as there are a number of incomings that aren't here yet... should be interesting to find the room to do it when everything is organised!

The new arrivals include - 3 SDs - my Dollzone Clovera, and Lilly's Resinsoul Ai and Dollzone Helen; 2 MNF - Vulcan and Gallagher; 3 Yos - my Soom Silt and Dark Alice, and Lilly's Soom Keny; 3 Pukifee - my Luna and Ante and Lilly's Luna; and 2 more Multihead pukis, one for each of us...

Plus there's always a possibilty (thanks Soom) for another MSD...

the Tale of Argus

When I first started collecting BJDs, I created a character called Argus. He was originally supposed to be encased in an Iplehouse Ryan and was to be my next purchase after my Pukifee Zoe.

I think this is best encapsulated in my DoA signature pics of the time. Argus features for the first couple of signatures as I saved for him... and he was placed further and further back in the line as other dolls popped to the top.



First DoA sig - Argus on the end...



2nd sig... Argus still there, but two more in front..



3rd sig and another two before Argus

4th sig and two more dolls... but no Argus

So it came to the end of 2009 and Argus was still on the wait list.

But by this time I had stopped liking Iplehouse so much (all of the sculpts disappeared off my want list) and I had instead discovered Angelheim and their affordable hoovies. A few Angelheims found their way onto my want list and Argus was reshelled into an Angelheim Luka. He then acquired hooves and horns into the bargain.

But he stilled remained fairly low on the list and other dolls were still being bought before him.

He came closer to being bought when Indollgence picked up Angelheim.

Suddenly Angelheim announced a sale... 30% off all dolls and resin parts... and I couldn’t resist. Argus was ordered along with Titus, LillyKitten’s Ciel through Indollgence.

Finally, Argus was ordered, coming home and was shifted onto the wait list.

I was told that a box had arrived from Angelheim two weeks ago, only to find out a few hours later that it was just clothes and a doll for another customer.... I was massively disappointed. Angelheim seems to ship its dolls separately!

But Argus arrived last night and was hurriedly unwrapped and looked at. He has been moved out with Titus to be some of the first dolls to be placed in the new place.

He is beautiful and looks to be a dark version of his brother Titus. From his beginnings it looks as if Argus and Titus will be involved in the protection of the King, either as his personal guard or guards of the palace gates.

Now I am awaiting Janus and Hades, for whom I now have a shipping notice...

 BONUS:

LillyKitten's Titus...