Craziness

Hi guys!! >.<
Goodness me, it has been a while!!

Well, let's get this show on the road!  Welcome to another edition of the Ball-Jointed Baby! Brought to you by The Ball-Jointed Boutique!!

Please forgive my epically long disappearance... Life became... Well, hell... >.> But let's stick to the cheery parts, shall we? ;)

So!  First things first!  The girls~!

 A friend of mine who loves BJD, but does not have one as of yet started asking me about C.C., so I decided to take her out for a photo... Which ended up being a GROUP photo. XD  So here they are, my full-body girls (from Left to Right) Chiyo, Fallen, C.C., Talia (in C.C.'s lap), Lettie, and Rolly.  As of right now, I have two floating heads, Arturia (Saber from the Fate series) and Meiko, but hopefully they will have bodies soon.  Arturia is a Fairyland LittleFee Nanuri (2012) in normal skin, and Mei is a VOLKS Mini Dollfie Dream, 04 head in normal skin.  I don't have a picture of Mei yet, she is eye-less and I want to redo her face-up, but I DO have one of Saber.

 Even though I prefer both Fallen (my elf-faery) and Lettie (my girl from the 1890s) in their birthday suits, I did decide to let them try out clothes again.  Fallen's was an accident.  I wrapped her up in a bit of cloth to keep her from getting marked up, and then switched the cloth out for something else when I realized I liked that look for her.  Lol.  So, Fallen ended up wearing a Sari-type outfit with a sash to keep it all together.  Lettie, on the other hand, ended up in an outfit (AND SHOES) I got from a friend.  It is destined for Mei, but Lettie can borrow it for now, even if "school girl" outfits DO NOT fit into the 1890s.  Lol.

Secondly, on May 1st, 2013, the BJB turned 1!!  One whole year old!!  XD  Has it really been that long??

Now, I know I said I wanted to have a give-away for the first anniversary, but yeah, that didn't happen... What DID happen, was my machine giving out on me, finally, after surviving 4 generations of seamstresses.  I am looking, but I have yet to get another one.  :(  Right now, I've been mostly making stockings, we've had a few orders for them, but it's been difficult to make much else and have it turn out lovely enough to sell.  :(  Too many bad test results.  Lol.  So, back to the drawing board.

Now that school is out and I've decided on not going back until Kole is in school, I should have more time to design and make outfits.  I'm still debating with the OOAK outfits on top of the others or just instead of the other sets.  Hopefully, between Kole and working (HELL YES!  I GOT A JOB!! XD), I will have time to make more for the shop by hand.  Hmm, maybe I can take some to work... Some women do their knitting... >.>

On that note, I managed to get my hands on a pack of Indian-looking fabrics from Joann's.  Not sure what the plan is for them yet, but I adore the prints already!  They remind me of henna mendhi designs for hands and feet.  XD  I've been wanting henna for a while now, so I think I was drawn to the pack from that internal longing.  I miss my hands covered in gorgeous, deep brown henna... Even if some people think it's weird for me to have it.

But alright... Time for me to get a move on... I hear the little man waking from his nap. ♥

Thanks for joining me, once again! :D

Until next time!
-The BJD Addict

Life

So, since I wanted to get a larger entry in for this time, I've decided to do it in parts.  I'm going to date each part for the day I do it, and post when I'm done getting everything I want put into the entry.

Monday, March 25th, 2013 - Regular Things & Event News
Well, as of today, I barely have sewing done...  I'm praying I will get everything banged out by Easter Sunday, if not ON Easter Sunday...  I mean, c'mon, all I need to do that day is cook, clean, and take care of Kole...  I should be able to at least finish one shirt and two pairs of pants in that time.  Lol.  It just means I'll be sewing by hand.  XD

I have my math exam tomorrow, the one I've been studying relentlessly for since the week before last... :(  Math isn't my strong point... So, hopefully, I can pass that.  @_@  Plus, I have some Chinese HW to catch up on... x_x

Click here for image details.

I DID learn about a couple events going on currently on a couple of my favorite doll sites to visit.  Right now, LeekeWorld (DDE link) has two events going on: Project Doll Ashley and Spring Event 2013.  As you can guess, the Ashley Event is for their Art Doll Ashley, for either her whole self or her head.  This Event is from March 4th - March 31st, so act fast if you're after her because the time is almost up! The Spring Event has many items ranging from two new heads, two new bodies, pastel colored wigs, and new glass eyes.  This Event is from March 20th - April 21st.  You have some time yet, and I've learned from Denver Doll itself that they are getting some things from this Event and will be listing them shortly. :)  Remember: DDE allows layaway for those of us who don't always want to/are unable to spend so much at once.

Currently, I am looking for a LittleFee Nanuri from last year's event.  I wanted to get one, but ran out of time trying to decide who to buy to earn the face-plate.  Lol.  So!  I'm looking for a blank LTF Nanuri face-plate, in either skin tone... And, if anyone knows of a LTF body for sale, WITH THE HEAD BACK, please let me know.  Either gender is fine, I'll toss this one up to fate. ;)

Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 - Exam, Egg Coloring, & Build-A-Bear
Uff... Took my Math Exam yesterday after studying up until test time... I could answer 23 out of 30, so hopefully that's enough for me to pass with a decent grade.

We colored eggs today too.  >.< It was actually hilarious to see Kole dying his eggs all green, and then smashing them accidentally on the table, only to say, "Oops!" in his cute little voice.  I'd say this was a success for his first try.  We have 6 or 7 (I can't recall how many survived) pale green eggs from his venture, and he looked like such an expert as he did it.  He even figured out how to use the metal-wire egg scoop that came in the box, nobody showed him how!  XD  (And of course, Mommy made a TARDIS egg, just for fun.  Lol.)

We even managed to make it up to Build-A-Bear Workshop for a very important bear, the Autism Awareness Bear from Autism Speaks.  This bear, not only raises awareness for Autism, but donates to Autism Speaks to fund research and therapy for people with Autism.  But, this bear is also my first and only Build-A-Bear, something I've had on my Bucket List since my sister got one when I was 8 years old.  Lol.  It's nice to finally cross that off.  The women working there, despite my best efforts to include Kole in all the proceedings, knew this bear was mine and had me go through all the steps that the children go through to make their bears.  They were actually rather joyous to do it, too.  I had my family with me (except for Justin and Dad), and my Mom decided to tell them that I had never gotten a bear as a child, but always wanted one... I think this is what made the women change how they acted towards me getting the bear.  The elder one seemed to want to make sure I had the whole experience... She even made me make a wish and kiss the heart before I put it inside the bear.  I felt my cheeks flush, but she only smiled and acted as if there was nothing silly about it.  People like her make me feel like there is still some hope for humanity.  I appreciated it more than she will ever know.  Lol.  So now, I have 'Puzzle', my Autism Awareness Build-A-Bear, and I couldn't be happier about him.  :)

Friday, March 29th, 2013 - LUTS & Progress
Well, as of today, there isn't much progress.  :(  I actually typed the "Wednesday" part of the entry just before typing this one because I haven't had time to sit down at the computer and write.  Even with homework, I'm only struggling to keep up.  >.<  Lol.  I don't know where I thought this would be easy to get into the swing of, but hopefully I can pull through to the end of this semester with my last few classes like I did with my Psych class.  Managed to pass it right at the end, thank goodness, even though I practically failed my final for it.  :(  Psychology is definitely not one of my strong points, now that I've taken it.  Lol.

I did get a notice from LUTS about a sale that begins today, however, so I thought I'd take a minute
and share it.  From today at 12pm until April 19th at 12pm, LUTS is having a Special Sale:

- 30 ~ 50% discount for Wigs
- 20 ~ 30 % for Clothes
- 30 % for Shoes
- 50%  for L.G No. Eyes

* EXCEPTION : shoes in "Special Sale" Category / Some of new released items.

So, hopefully people can take advantage of that before the sale ends.  I know I'm hoping to... Maybe I can get the girls some shoes.  Lol.  Everyone is barefoot/sock-footed!! XD  Or a new outfit for C.C. ... She does look silly as a maid... >.>

Well, I'm going to get back to work.  Hopefully I can figure out what I need to do school-wise before it's too late... The due date is tomorrow night, I think.  Lol. 

Thanks for joining me!  I'm glad to finally have a long entry... Maybe I need to do all my entries this way.  Lol.  Separated by dates and such... It might make for a better entry.  :)

Hope to see you again soon!
♥ The BJD Addict

Reopened Shop

Hello again! :) Welcome back! Or, if you just found us, welcome! Thanks for joining us! Pleasure to have you! :D

As you can see, the shop has been reopened!  :)  Newly listed are Art Doll stockings, MSD Stockings, and Yo-SD socks.   I'm currently in the process of making shirts for all three sizes and those will be uploaded by March 1st.  :)  Art Doll clothing is coming along swimmingly, really.  I made adjustments to my test projects (the clothes Lettie has on currently are hand-me-downs and a bodice in-progress). 

So far, homework has been eating me alive, so if I happen to be late with responding to anything, please forgive me. :(  My professor informed me that my class workload is currently the equivalent of a full-time job paired with a part-time job... And I have a toddler on top of it.  Lol.  I've already been told I'm nuts, but most people are encouraging me, so I'm very grateful to them for their support.  Now if only I could finish homework faster, I'd be happier with everything.

 I am, however, doing well with making patterns for the Art Dolls.  Now, please don't misunderstand, this is a learning process, I'm not going to have a full shop of Art Doll clothing in less than a week, but I can still make the patterns and alter them as I test them each when I have a moment or two.  So far, I have patterns for shirts, skirts, stockings, sleeves, cuffs, and dresses all done up to be tested.  Her bodice pattern had to be taken in, so I'm sure her shirt patterns will as well.  Please bear with me as I make this happen.  It is all trial and error until things fit Lettie perfectly.  (No one wants a baggy dress or pair of pants for their doll.  XD)

I DID do Lettie's face-up finally.  Two weekends ago, actually.  My new can of ZM Powder came in two Fridays ago...  And then Justin found my missing two cans in another room's closet just yesterday...  And HE put them there...  -_-  Ah well, at least I am stocked for whenever I get a new doll that needs a face-up or body blush job.  Lol.

I actually had to do some research for Lettie's face-up.  She's a character from my story that is set in 1891, so I had to see what types of make-up they wore back then.  Thank goodness I chose a snow skin doll because fair skin was the goal in the 1890s.  I applied a light bit of "rouge" to her lips and cheeks, and even gave her a pale powder blue rim of "eyeshadow".  It's barely noticeable, but that's how they wanted it back then.  Lips and cheeks only, IF they could get away with it.  Lol.  Now I just have to learn how to make a bustle for an Art Doll... My greatest idea ever...  x_x  Putting Lettie into the 1800s...  -_-

Well, happy February everyone.  :)  Justin worked with me to already get my Valentine's Day present... But shhh!  I'm not supposed to know!!  ;)  Lol.  I'll give you a hint, it's one of my "Grail Dolls".  :D

That's all for now!  This entry has gone on long enough!  (I started it on the 1st!  x_x)  I hope you're all well!!  As always, thanks for reading!

Until next time! ;)

-The BJD Addict

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone!

Sorry I have been away, this time of year is busier than normal now. :/

Well, my New Year's Resolution this year is to make and list more clothing. I started out with an enormous goal that I had the audacity to believe I could finish, however, now I know and now I can adjust things to sew faster and make better patterns. Everything has been trial and error here, and now I see how silly I had been thinking, how inexperienced I really was. This year, I vow to do better. I vow to finish the Steampunk outfit in time for the one year anniversary, and to have more outfits as well as more separates. :) Hopefully I will have some sets that fit Leeke Ariana as well. :) (She'll be here soon! I'm so excited!)

I DID finish Rolly's cute little snowflake outfit, however, I had to remove her head to put her shirt on, but now I know how NOT to make that shirt. XD Ah well, it's a learn-as-you-go type of thing. I feel like I will need to cut the neck seam a bit and then take it off, fix the stitches I may have destroyed, and then add snaps. >w< I should have done snaps to begin with, but I'm just too stubborn. Lol. I plan on making more sets like this, OOAK or limited sets, however, because this outfit was actually very difficult to sew by hand, let alone attempting the machine. Lol. I will definitely have sets like this up by the 1 year mark. I already have different fabrics selected for it and I plan on making before listing with this one, since it takes about 3 weeks to complete and school is already just around the corner again. >w< Hopefully I can have some OOAK ones for springtime up soon, at least one for sure. I even got new sewing supplies from my mother for Christmas, so I have more to work with now (and a bigger sewing box, I was working out of an 11" by 5" by 5" box, and that is NOT enough room).

I'm going to start more outfits today as I celebrate my New Year with my love, our son, and my family at my grandmother's house. :) (I managed to start one yesterday, but we'll see how that one goes.)

On some family-like notes: Kole is progressing much faster than most children. He is speaking full sentences, learning new words and creating his own sentences from them, reciting his ABCs, and he even used the loo all by himself on Saturday. (He had just gotten out of the tub and I was toweling him off when he says, "Mommy, I need to poopie," and runs away back to the bathroom. I chase him down to find him sitting there on his potty all gentleman-like, and then I actually hear him go (#1, not #2, he isn't really good with knowing which is which yet, lol)! I literally started jumping up and down and yelling to the rest of the family that he was going all by himself. And this was the first time he's ever tried to actually go! I was so proud of him. >w<) My little man still isn't even two and he's already surpassing myself as a child (who spoke and read at one) as well as kids older than him that he plays with. It's almost scary, really. I'm thankful he's shy to adults he's never met, or else I'd be even more worried about him. Lol. (I'm such a worrying mama.)

Well, in the news of school, I managed to get an A, two Bs, and a C, passing every one of them. >w< I truly could not believe it, especially the B in math... I never get Bs in math. Lol. (I'm more of an arts, languages, and history person.) Now I just need to get the rest of my books for this semester, hopefully by the week before, so I can be at least a little prepared. My school is kinda funny on when you can purchase books from the store, and the lines are never friendly. Lol.

Well, forgive me for not updating more, hopefully I can do that now, but that's all for the moment. This post has become long enough. :)

I hope everyone is well and I wish you all a very prosperous New Year. :) ♥

Thanks for joining me~!
♥ The BJD Addict

Midterms

Oh, my goodness! I've done it! I've made it through the first half of the semester with A's!! >w<  Midterms are all this week and next, and I've been working hard. I'm so glad I gave school a try this semester. Everything is going so well! I'm actually very proud of myself for once. Lol. I hope I can keep this up until December 15th! >w< (My last day of this semester.) Which reminds me, October 22nd opens when we can sign up for Spring Semester. I'd better remember to do that! Lol. I'll have to do it Wednesday of that week while I'm up there. x_x I hope the line doesn't make me late for class!

On a dolly note, I DID manage to get many things set for the dollies this past week. I put that LeekeWorld Ariana (snow skin) on layaway at DDE!! >w< I'm so glad! Hopefully I can have her paid off by December so she'll be here for the holidays. I also got new ZM Powder and Cleaner on its way from VOLKS USA, Talia's outfit from NiceNiece on Etsy, eyes for both Talia and Lettie (the Leeke Ariana) from Safrin Doll, a sock monkey hat for Rolly from my friend Riven from Riven's Vagaries, and a wig from a lady selling an 11in Real Red wig from Leeke on BJD Adoption on FaceBook. All I need now is new pastels and some sticky tack from Pat Catan's and I will be all set! :D Rolly and C.C. are BOTH in need of a new face-up, since Rolly's has miraculously chipped off and C.C.'s needs to look more like herself in Code Geass, especially now knowing that I already draw her kind of eyes whenever I draw eyes. Lol. So, hopefully, they will look much nicer this time around. >w< ♥ Fallen is getting one too, since her body should be here soon. :3

Halloween costumes and Fall Fashions are coming along nicely. Once I get decent pictures, Yo-SD jeans will go up in the store, and once my shirt comes out properly, Yo-SD long-sleeve shirts will be up as well. Rolly's pumpkin costume is looking cute, but her hat and shoes just did NOT want to work for me, so I've decided to just do cute little ribbons in her hair and let her go in her socks. :) She's already adorable without any extras. I just need to make sure to be done with her face up before the Halloween party on the 27th. The face-up in the picture has already been taken off, but here was a chip on her lip where the sealant flaked off, so I decided it was best to keep her in her box before anything else happened. I'm always afraid of ruining things, so I usually play it safe with the girls. I have no clue as to why it flaked off. :( I just hope I can fix it...

I also took Talia apart. I figured out her legs had been put on with the opposite shins. :( That was why her legs were so kicky, so I'm hoping to fix her as soon as I know how much elastic to use with her. Lol. She will look so cute when she's done too! I'm really excited! >w<

But alright, that's enough rambling for one day. Got to get back to studying for those midterms. >.< Wish me luck~!

Thanks for reading~!

Come again soon~!
♥The BJD Addict

Getting Ready for Halloween

So, I, along with many ball-jointed doll sites, are already getting set for Halloween 2012! Whether you celebrate Halloween, Samhain, or hate the holiday all together, there are a few things you may want to know coming to a BJD webstore near you. ;)

AB Rogita the Witch

Peak's Woods is having an event this October! First 30 orders from now until Oct. 15th will get a FREE 61cm doll dress, the one their new Rogita Witch is wearing in her promo photos! The doll(s) you order is(are) also guaranteed to arrive to you by Halloween, so long as your order is placed by or before the 25th of this month. They are also holding a gate picture contest. They want you to create a main gate for the PW site with the theme of Halloween or Christmas. Contest begins Oct. 5th and runs through the 15th. Winner will receive a blank Fairy of Fairytales doll of their choice. For full information, click here! or go to Peak's Woods and log in to read their news board.

VOLKS SD17B
Shiro Tachibana

Alice's Collections has many offers going on in their webstore currently. The Free Shipping offer is the big one. ;) Check here! if you'd like to see all of the offers and their qualifiers.

VOLKS USA's Tenshi-no-Sumika Blog has announced that there will be a SD17B Shiro Tachibana Lottery going on this Saturday (Oct. 6th). So, if you want Jun Tachibana's older brother, here he is ladies and gentleman! This young man is going to take a bite out of your wallet at a whopping $1,925 before tax and shipping. Entry period ends on Oct. 27th at 3:00PM PST. Only one entry per person AND you must visit Tenshi-no-Sumika IN PERSON and speak to an employee directly about entering.

Mint on Card, Inc. is having a Fall Event with Doll Love, Illusion Spirit, Only-Doll, and Xaga-Doll.

• From the 1st through the 15th, customers who order Doll Love pre-orders can take advantage of getting their doll at 10% off -OR- with free face-up! For more on the Doll Love Event, click here! 

• Illusion Spirit's Fall Event is from Sept. 20th through Oct. 19th. Customers who pre-order Illusion Spirit products can take advantage of 1) Pre-Order any 1/4, 1/3, or 70cm Blank Doll: Receive 12% off at check-out + 1 free pair of Jointed Hands -OR- 1 free blank head.  2) Pre-Order any 1/6 or 1/12 Blank Doll: Receive 12% off at check-out!  3) Pre-Order any Body: Receive 10% off at check-out!  Or 4) Pre-Order any size Jointed Hands: Price is now reduced to $65.00 a pair, (regular price is $80.00 - $90.00)! For more information about this event, click here! 

• With the Only Doll Fall Event, like the Doll Love Event, customers who order Only-Doll pre-orders can take advantage of getting their doll at 10% off -OR- with free face-up. Going on at Mint on Card from today through the 15th. For more information about this event, click here! 

• And finally, for Xaga-Doll's Event: if you plan on ordering the Limited Hecate or Clear, you will receive a free Bobo pet (blank) with your purchase. Remember, Hecate is limited to 50 dolls world-wide, and Clear is limited to only 30 dolls world-wide! If you want to know more, click here!  

Please note that Mint on Card has now created a separate site for those outside the United States. If you are one of those people, please click here instead to go to their new global site. Also, all Events are currently going on in their respective doll companies, so if you'd prefer to order directly from them, please click the links attached to the names of the doll-sites above. (Doll Love and Only-Doll Events are both with M.o.C. ONLY.) However, the sites may be in another language.

I will try to update this again if I find anymore sites having Fall Events. If not, good luck with these ones! I hope everyone enjoys these events before time runs out!!

Also, hoping to get my hands on a LeekeWorld Ariana sometime soon. ;) (Along with miscellaneous supplies.) So, wish me luck! ♥ Her odd face has charmed me since I first started my researching of BJD earlier this year. I'm praying the one I've found will soon be mine. >w< Lest someone gets her first. Lol.

As always, thanks for joining me! Tell your friends! Share the entry! And be sure to check out and 'Like' my FaceBook page for regular updates and events! (Like: Yo-SD clothing is currently being made!)

See you again soon!
-The BJD Addict