DollsArtCats

Usually when I part with a doll, it's because I need money. Occasionally it is because one arrives, I look at it, I put a face on it and try to develop a character for it...and it doesn't work. Topaz simply isn't a gothy fairy. I mean, look how cute she is... even in the blank eyes and gritty makeup. I knew when she came that she would be highly tradeable, which is why today she was packed up and sent to her new owner, and in return I will get a second Cream White Migma head, who may not be willing to be a goth fairy either, but whose sculpt I really love (I already have the purple version). I also have a matching CW body in a box downstairs for the Migma head. It's true it's a Breccia body, but it's close to the Migma's default body. I still need to find a purple Migma body for less than 800 dollars, though.

This is what finally came out after a bit of mudging and fooling around. I am hoping that the type at the top for the series title is a placeholder only, and not the final type. I am not a type person--it's a whole different skill set than painting, and just as hard. My art director is brilliant at type, but I am not. Luckily she takes pity on me and cleans things up!

...were once worn by Stripey Cat when she was a kitten.

The background is some tiny photoshopped leaves. I should have just repainted Anthracite the Topaz's eyes entirely, as the ones she is wearing are about a size too large. Her real glass ones were last seen in a small bag, being carried off by my stripey cat. I suspect they are under the couch.

Beryl has been here for a while, after making a long trek from Oslo, Norway. I occasionally look at Oslo harbor from a webcam they used to have up (it may still be up, I have misplaced the link). It looks like a nice place to visit, and in the summer, a nice place to live. Beryl has the same cranky face no matter where she lives, which is one reason why I like her. This one was the Love Me or Die release.

I have an actual Soom Beryl head, the "Love Me or Die" reissue, and eventually, thanks to a split,I will have the hoofie body; maybe in March. In the meantime, I am trying to decide what horns to make for her head. I think I can make these in paperclay, and glue string on them and then paint them to look like tarnished silver; that way they should be light and easy to manage. I did paint the image in Painter, rather than Photoshop, and it just reminded me again how much Painter is no fun to use compared to Pshop. It's probably because I know where the buttons are in Photoshop.

Myrtle, my Frog Fairy (really a Soom Coquina) has had to wait months to get tightened, wired and her eyelashes put in properly. Since I had to borrow her body to take pictures of the Topaz, I felt it was time to fix her up. I don't know where that amazing wig came from originally; I got it from Las Vegas, or more precisely, from Aceinit in Las Vegas. Aceinit has an amazing collection of Soom dolls, including a really nice Sphaler I covet. I doubt she'll sell him.

Well, at least at my studio they start out with a ball-point pen and a lot of silliness. (Marie Dees is a good sport about this, btw) I think we are going with a simpler look..thank goodness.

Cat (an artist friend) sent me a couple of mohair wigs as a gift, and the grey one was a perfect wig for another gift I received this week, a Soom Topaz head. I'm going with a split with another Den of Angels member to get one of the Free choice mix n match fantasy bodies, and she sent me this head since she is getting the fantasy head instead. I like this head better, (its the Special Order version) though I wish I could see all my painting mistakes before I use a macro lens on a doll head. I need to find a better magnifying glass. And new glasses, too!