Changing Faces

Before moving on to the next year, I'm looking back to my little accomplishments this year. Aside from making doll dresses, I have customized a number of doll faces this year. By customizing, I don't mean just repainting. Most of them underwent head shrinking. A couple had dental extraction. I'm currently happy with how these dolls look for now. Taste change in time so I might modify some of them later on.

As much I like expressing myself by changing the faces of my dolls, hopefully next year, I don't have to repaint a new doll. Repainting new dolls means I'm not satisfied with what I bought. Who buys something only to be not satisfied? Plus, I have a number of old doll heads that could use an update.

I want to be able to use these dolls more, not necessarily to model new doll clothes (as I plan to do doll clothes for other body types) but for something else. There's gotta be more to life than modeling, right? And I don't mean beauty pageants. Excuse me, Donald Trump!

These faces nor the doll dresses are not what I consider my biggest doll accomplishment for this year. I'll talk about that some other time.

Just another head

And I like how it's called. Mine.

Another Look

Let's have another look at this redhead Fashionista before I store her and desire newer dolls. I like that she can look sultry if her hair partially covers her eye. I posted a photo (not mine) of this dress on another doll and thought no other doll can wear it any better than that pink-haired Nikki. Although Nikki's vibrance matches the dress, this redhead brings a certain maturity to the youthfully colored dress, not there is anything wrong with being youthful. I like things a little mature but not too matronly unless, I'm dealing with vintage molds. I didn't want the dress before. I just bought it specifically for this OOAK doll.

I really like this closed mouth mold for Barbie, especially that they offered it in a littler skin tone and red hair. I wanted to compare it to another redhead I also like and to another mold which is not my favorite for Barbie. The goddess mold looks fat while the Barbie basic looks dead in the eyes. They all have their own charm so I'll be keeping all three.

Playline Faces

Just a comparison of two playline face molds associated to the character of Barbie in recent years. I'm partial to the mouth closed. I only like the rightmost because of the skin tone and the black hair.

Spot the Difference 105

How many differences can you see?

Clue: At what age will Barbie grow up?

Adria

Slowly but still with uncertainty, things are going back to normal. I have some time to play with my toys again and not just play but also customize.

Since I bought her, I have been wanting to remove her teeth and shrink her head. I like how my Nikki turned out when I did those. I figured, I can do the same to Adria.



I expect Adria's head to shrink further to the size of Nikki's head. Maybe after a week. I like how she turned out so far.



Now, if only I can get back to sewing...

Token Blonde Barbie

Since the Fashionista line came out, I have been throwing out blonde playline Barbie heads. I have head molds identified with Barbie (the character) but none are blonde, except for one which I have styled with a big bun limiting its versatility. I know that if I have to pick a mold for a current quintessential Barbie, I'll pick this 2010 closed mouth head mold. I had to repaint it, of course. I have to balance the Barbie-ness with my taste. That means a little less perky, less makeup, but still Stepford material.

Something for the blue moon

A broke girl in the making

Barbie sales is still falling but it is no surprise, really. All that fluff about diversity, well... it wasn't as successful as planned. Barbie is really a big problem for Mattel now. I wonder how low the sales have to drop before they drop the doll from their roster of toys so they won't go broke.

I'm not worried about the end of Barbie. Some other doll will emerge eventually. Plus, sometimes I think I have enough dolls already. I have too many dolls that I plan to customize and they keep on piling. These days, it's hard to find a Barbie doll that's acceptable as is.

It's hard to be inspired to work on a doll these days. Like this Max Black (2 Broke Girls) doll I'm making. I kinda like her now but she needs more work.




I know it's ironic to take a character like Max Black who is so unlike Barbie in every sense and turn her into a Barbie size doll but then she has a friend who is like Barbie so I guess it's okay to make her a Barbie-friend doll.

More on bootlegos and more

Apparently, there is a bootlego following in my city. In one store, I overheard how the seller explain to one hobbyist why the stock ran out for a certain set. From what I gathered, there are people who hoarded it after it was posted in their online community. So, there's an online community where fans can get updates on what's available in what bootlego store and there are people who hoard bootlegos. Here I was thinking that I'd be safe from self-serving people in the bootlego scene. It's good that there is ample supply, no limited edition drama. There is no need to stress out about running out of stocks if you know where to look, that is. There might just be a problem if one is looking for old releases. 

I don't belong to their online community so I get my bootlego intelligence from other sources (and there are already a lot of info online about this toy, reflecting its popularity). I don't really get to know right away what's available locally but I get to know what will be available, just not the when part. The good thing about bootlegos is that almost all sets have been released locally. There's no ek-ek exclusive, something I really hate about other toy lines. I visit nearby stores (Cubao, St. Francis Square etc.) to see what's available but I don't buy from them. They usually sell it for 50% more. I go directly to their source, Divisoria, when I know it's already available.

I'm looking forward to getting and building this set:

I still don't know if I'm going to get two. I'm quite sure my nephews will love that. I can't wait for this weekend.

We love bootlego

Spot the Difference 104

How many differences can you see?



Clue: How many African-American Barbie dolls were prevented to be sold outside America?

Lull

There's a certain kindness to her beauty that can keep me staring mindlessly. As some of the best stories go, nothing needs to happen.

Spot the Difference 103

How many differences can you see?



Clue: How many dolls were you tricked to buy only to dispose of the heads?

Spot the Difference 102

How many differences can you see?

Clue: How many layers of makeup does one need to be beautiful?

Spot the Difference 101

How many differences can you see?

Clue: How many times has Skipper been prettier than Barbie?

Almost Forgotten

When we have dolls that we have almost forgotten, does that mean we shouldn't have bought them in the first place?

Yeah, sure, we can always have an excuse that we enjoyed them when they were new and that they gave us happiness and that made it worth it. That was then. What about now?

Or we tell ourselves that maybe, just a big maybe, we can use the doll in our future projects. Maybe our interest in that doll will be resurrected someday. You can never tell, right?

No matter how we delude ourselves, the doll is there and you don't want it now.

Two Princesses

If you want to call me baby



Just go ahead now

On Taste

Bad taste creates many more millionaires than good taste.
- Charles Bukowski

I applied my personal taste on Kira's face. Now, will I be a millionaire?

Jean

Barbie doll (Generation Girl face mold) inspired by X-men Jean Grey wearing her classic color.

I like her pale lips and light gray eye shadow which is really shimmery in person.