OOAK Spectra Vondergeist full body custom - SOLD! Pre-Christmas commission spots now OPEN!

 

 

My latest full body mod, Spectra, has SOLD. Congrats to her new owner, Wendy. I am so glad she  went to a good home ^-^. Please excuse the blurry pictures they were taken hastily with my phone!

  

I now have just a couple of commission spots open before the end of the year so please get in touch ASAP if you want to get in before Christmas!

Depending on the doll and what sort of customisation you are looking for prices range between $125 (for a basic face up) to $250  for the 'full works' (full body mod, face up, hair re -root and OOAK outfit).
If you already own a doll you would like to get customised you can send it to me. Anyone wanting BJD face ups or body blushing will need to supply the doll as I do not stock BJDs.
I can also do repair work and re-root hair for Monster High and Barbie, Blythe and other fashion dolls and make OOAK outfits.

Most commissions take about 5 weeks to complete, depending on availability of supplies (such as hair) which may need to be ordered specially for your OOAK doll.
I like to work closely with my clients to ensure the greatest satisfaction possible. Each design is different and unique. If you have ideas or specific requirements, for example, if you would like the doll to resemble a loved one or a certain character, I am happy to oblige and can work from photographs. It is especially cute when dolls replicate tattoos, hair and style of real people and makes a truly special and treasured gift.

Please e-mail me at live_transmission@hotmail.com for any inquiries.

 

Halloween Doll Extravaganza!





What an awesome day!
I have been so busy preparing for this that I have totally neglected this blog! But it was definitely worth all the effort.
A big thank you to Mary and everyone who worked to hard to put the event together, and if you didn't make it, there's always next year. Details can be found at glamgal.net.
I was so lucky to take away one of the prizes in the Doll Fashion Awards and met some incredible and talented people so hi to all my new friends, too ^-^.
The stalls had a huge array of dolls, from BJDs to vintage and collector Barbie and Jen as well as recent releases like Monster High, just to name a few. If you are into fashion dolls in any way I strongly recommend you look this event up.

Removing Deuce Gorgon's Snakes and Hair

Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of the Monster High boys. Their bodies have a beautiful sculpt - they are quite effeminate, really. The torso is lithe and eschews the bulky, muscular features commonly associated with male dolls (and 'action figures', which are really just dolls with a tough name). However, I can't say that I am as thrilled with the their 'hair' styles. Deuce and Gil have plastic 'helmet hair' with snakes and fins respectively serving the role of Mohawk.
I really struggled to find a way to remove Deuce's snakes and scales in one piece without completely destroying them but eventually came up with this technique. I hope it helps.

What you will need:
Boiling water in a small jug (you will probably need to boil the kettle a few times)
Pliers
Small flat-head screwdriver
Cotton wool

Step 1

Using the pliers, grasp the snakes at the base close to the scalp and carefully twist until they become loose and can easily be pulled out.

You will need to work from the front and back, slowly twisting until they become free. If you try to just yank them out in one go they will stretch and break.

I would highly recommend placing a small bit of cotton wool on either side of the snakes to protect them. Here I have just used the pliers which have left marks on the snakes. I can fix this up later, but cotton would eliminate the problem.

 

The front of the snakes actually embed into the scalp, the back is held in place by the cap.

Step 2

Immerse the doll's head in boiling water for about 30 seconds.

 

Carefully take him out of the water and lie him down on a towel. He will be very hot so watch you don't burn yourself. There will probably still be some water in his head so make sure to handle him with the towel.

Take your screwdriver, place the end flat against his neck and work it up between his scalp and hair. 

 

 

Work your way around his head, slowly and carefully separating the hair from the head.

 

Again, this will not happen in one go. If you get impatient and rush either the hair or the doll itself will surely get damaged, so take it slow.

 

"Ahhhh!"

Step 3

Now you just need to glue the snakes back into place and voilà! You're done.

I was able to lightly sand out any marks left by the pliers. Perfect! Now who wants to be Deuce for Halloween?!

 

 

Please  comment and let me know if this technique worked for you ^-^.

New Blythe Neo Bianca Pearl

Fixing Curls in Doll Hair

Any doll that is styled with curled hair is going to come out of the box looking a little worse for wear. But never fear! Fixing it is easy and - dare I say - fun!

Before you start you will need to decide what kind of curls you want your girl to wear. Tight ringlets will require little straws while voluptuous curls will need big thick ones.

Maddie is modelling the smaller curls while Briar has gone for a more glamorous full bodied look.



Step 1
Boil wash your doll's hair and let dry. (For directions on this just scroll down to my Boil Washing Tutorial).

Step 2

 

Comb the hair, starting at the ends and working your way up to make sure there are no tangles.

Use a rat-tail comb to Separate the hair into about 6 sections. I generally do two on the top (one on each side of the part), two at the back and one on each side but this may differ depending on how much hair your doll has.

 It is probably best to use little clips to hold each section but here I have used elastics. If you use elastics be sure to just loop the hair through loosely so you can easily pull it out without pulling out a bunch of hair at the same time!

 

Step 3
Take one of the back sections of hair and clip the rest out of the way. Each section will take 3-4 curls. I generally start at the bottom and work my way up , it just keeps things neat and reduces the chances of the curls getting caught and messed up.

Take a small lock of hair and comb it through.

Starting at the ends, curl the hair around the straw and roll it up towards the scalp. I don't want Maddie's curls to start at the root so the straws will stop 1-2cms from her head.  

If you want spiral curls do not overlap the hair as you wind it around the straw.

For Maddie, I wanted the curls tight at the ends and becoming looser as they go up so I overlapped the hair as it was wound around the straw.
Bobby pins are used to secure the hair in place on either side of the straw.
   

Never one for subtlety, Briar's going more for a full bodied style. 
Her curls go all the way to the scalp and alternate direction.
Make sure the bobby pins are close to the scalp so the curls don't become loose.
         

Step 4
Fill a small jug or bowl about half way with boiling water.
Dip your doll's hair into the water and immerse for about 15 seconds.

Carefully take your doll out of the water and gently place her onto a towel to catch all the drips.
Be careful! It's easy to get distracted and burn your fingers (trust me!).

 

Place her on a stand (or prop her up somewhere) to dry. This can take anywhere from 5 to 12 hours. The thicker the curls the longer they will take to dry but generally overnight is plenty long enough.
Don't be impatient! It is important to make sure the curls are completely dry. If they are still damp when you take them out there's a good chance they will just fall out.

 

Step 5
Sleep! Take a break. You deserve it.

 

Step 6
Take out the bobby pins and gently slide the straw out of the curl without unfurling the hair

 



Carefully brush the curl out paying special attention to the ends. I brush the curls over my finger to keep it smooth. If you have set the curls properly brushing won't ruin them.

Once brushed, wind the hair in the direction the curl it set.

Step 7

Okay, you are almost done!

Use your fingers to separate out the curls and style the hair as desired.
At that's it!


I added C.A. Cupid to the final line up to show how you can have a more wavy result while still using small straws. I put more hair onto each straw and didn't separate the curls as much.
I think the result looks great and complements the more dramatic, blunt-fringe cut.