davidd's A Doll A Day Challenge 2020

[davidd]

Calling it early, it’ll end in tears.

  Close! It'll end in... stairs!
(Tears, stairs... same thing, really)

---

8 May – A Doll A Day 2020

"Addie, can you help me and Triv move this bag? It might be a little bit heavy!"

"The tricky part might be ..."

"... going down a few stairs."

"Stairs?"

"Yeah. There are always stairs!"

[Elfy]

Nice to see Triv educating Addie in the little things about the job.

[neon_jellyfish]

Yes! There are always stairs! There should be some laws for this, before all the rowdy stairs take over the planet!

Wonderful posing, as usual.

[werepuppy]

Your posing is always so fantastic.

Danger: there always be stairs.

[Lejays17]

Always stairs, even on places that look flat before you start the project.

It looks like a good start to things.

[davidd]

9 May – Yeah Whateverz kind of day... and week... and world

[Lejays17]

interesting perspective with the clear tunnel above her.

[neon_jellyfish]

I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned this, so sorry about repeating myself, but be careful with storing them in plastic bags. They're more prone to getting devoured by mildew, and the plastic of the bag can (and if you give it enough time, it will) draw out the plasticizer from the doll, making it brittle and fragile. That's something that cannot be fixed once it happens.

[davidd]

I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned this, so sorry about repeating myself, but be careful with storing them in plastic bags. They're more prone to getting devoured by mildew, and the plastic of the bag can (and if you give it enough time, it will) draw out the plasticizer from the doll, making it brittle and fragile. That's something that cannot be fixed once it happens.

Good tips. Thank you. 

But then... how can they be stored safely?

[neon_jellyfish]

I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned this, so sorry about repeating myself, but be careful with storing them in plastic bags. They're more prone to getting devoured by mildew, and the plastic of the bag can (and if you give it enough time, it will) draw out the plasticizer from the doll, making it brittle and fragile. That's something that cannot be fixed once it happens.

Good tips. Thank you. 

But then... how can they be stored safely?

I'm afraid there's no ultimate solution that would allow you to just store them without additional care, but when it comes to 1/6 dolls like MH or Barbie, it's best to wrap them in acid-free tissue paper or kitchen roll (without colorful prints, of course) and store them standing in cardboard box with dividers for wine bottles (or for packing cups and glasses for moving). Even then you have to check for mildew every few weeks (more often if the place is humid), clean the dust, and now and then replace the tissue paper or the box. Constant care is a must whether you want to store your dolls away or keep them displayed. It's a high maintenance hobby, isn't it?

Edit: that box should have a lid, to protect them from dust. Also, it doesn't really have to be specifically a wine box, you can just use normal box and make your own dividers.
Another edit, because focus is my middle name: beware of the heat! I found that heat can cause yellowing even when the doll isn't ex™posed to light, especially if that doll has a glue seepage issue! If you can, keep them cool (you don't have to put them in the fridge, though)!

[werepuppy]

There's a sense of the psychadelic to this photo. Perhaps the angle?

[davidd]

Another edit, because focus is my middle name: beware of the heat! I found that heat can cause yellowing even when the doll isn't ex™posed to light, especially if that doll has a glue seepage issue! If you can, keep them cool (you don't have to put them in the fridge, though)!

Yes, the heat, combined with humidity, was a big issue for my toys and dolls when I lived in Hawaii. That's why I ended up selling most of my toys I'd kept since childhood, they were deteriorating as a result of the climate. Where I live now, much cooler with lower humidity, seems to be less harmful.

[Alliecat]

Another Smart Doll project!   ...I wonder if the guests at your properties appreciate how much work these girls have put into construction....
That's a really spooky moody shot, and a lot of metaphorical stuff could be said about its portrayal of sinking, smothering, struggling through the sometimes-overwhelming tangles of life.
...or maybe that's just me.

[davidd]

... and a lot of metaphorical stuff could be said about its portrayal of sinking, smothering, struggling through the sometimes-overwhelming tangles of life.
...or maybe that's just me.

It's not just you.

---

10 May – TBLeague S26A body with Firegirl FG071C head
wearing Pullip clothing

I don't like doll joints. They look creepy. And the so-called "seamless" figures have too many joints: unattractive wrist joints and unattractive ankle joints. And the heads fit funny, and they're never quite the right size. To me, this head looks just a little bit oversized. Not enough to be "cartoonishly cute" like a Pullip or a Monster High. Just enough to look not-quite right. Other heads tend to run small, giving a "pinhead" look. Fine if you're Tod Browning, maybe. And granted, here at The Dungeon we sometimes work toward that type of moody, Browning-esque mise en scene. Nevertheless, I think my interest in these seamless figs is waning rapidly.

I touched up the wrist and ankle joints using a photo editing tool on this fig. I couldn't find any shoes to fit her. I see here that I left the hem of the skirt kind of tucked under itself, and I had trouble getting the tops of the stockings to be smooth. Maybe I'm not giving TBLeague gal here enough of a chance to shine.

This wasn't going to be her final look anyway. I was simply curious if this dress would fit. It mostly fits, although the figure is not as "busty" as she appears here; that's partly the dress poofing out. It even does that on Pullips.

Because these things were popular over on the GI Joe forum to which I belong, I thought I'd dabble in them. Well, I've done dabbled, and I'm not impressed. They're too much work, they're challenging to dress, and the combination of "seamlessness" with very obvious seams at some points is visually jarring to me.

I wonder if it would be a travesty to try Cousin Monday's Momoko head on this body? I wonder if I can remove Cousin Monday's head without damaging it? I wonder if Cousin Monday's dress would fit this seamless figure? Monday the Momoko also has unsightly weak ankles, and not particularly attractive wrists, so would there be any point in attempting such an eksperiment?

I'm rambling. I'm tired. Sorry.

[werepuppy]

She does look lovely. I think that body is too big for Momoko clothing, however. I like the dress you've given her

edit: on whether Monday's head would fit - I think you would need to widen the neck hole, and there might be that issue of it looking too small for the body? Having compared Monday next to Wonder Woman - who is on a seamless body, well these bodies are generally much bigger / thicker. Though that could just be the one example I have.