I did her back at the beginning of the year around January or February but it took a long while to actually bother with taking any photos. I actually re-rooted her head back in 2007 or 2008 while on a vacation in Yorkshire… and it shows. I’ve gotten better at it since then.

Historically, AJ is one of my least favorite CG sculpts since she always looked a bit long in the face and rather bland. I think it was because of that (and my feeling I wouldn’t get anything better on that sculpt) that made me leave it in the head box for so long.

So here she is: (I know I need to snap more and clearer photos–but cut me a break since we’re packing for the move, huh?)

Anyway, I’m looking forward (if I can get the time) to shooting a few outdoor pics with her. And maybe after the move working on a variant custom of her. We’ll see since finding a new place to live will be the real priority. After that–then I can dive back into customs!

Anyway, the first step was to remove her hair. NO great shakes there. Like with the other alpha, I found it was made easier by using the handy dandy heating pad. Looking at her bald head you really, really have to wonder WTF Triad Toys was thinking when they rooted her?!!?!!!! I mean, really??!

Ok, Now, I’m not being snarky here, but with that rooting pattern….she look a lot like a man suffering some severe male pattern baldness. And this head has gone way, way beyond being a “fiver” I think she is closer to being a “Tenner”

Luckily her previous rooting pattern didn’t make a bit of difference to me!

I’d decided (before I got her actually) that I was going to re-root her with dreadlocks. She is slated to be my artist-in-residence at Quinlan and I’ve really been looking forward to having her interact and get involved in plot lines.

The downside to her having such a hard head (and the fact that I need to keep it soft while rooting it) meant that I’d have to wait to repaint her until I had her dreads in-place. Doesn’t sound like an issue, right? But those tiny fibers can always find their way into paint and can be a bit of a hassle. I ended up wrapping her finished hair in saran-wrap. After removing her default paint her face has become shiny….and will need a matte sealant applied (but not now, it’s too damp here and my 1st attempt clouded up and meant I had to repaint her face a second time…which is good cos she went from being “meh” to someone I really am liking the look of!). Not pleased about the shine, but I’ll cope for now….But yea, it needs to get fixed since it makes photographing her difficult.

Here is how she’s turned out after all that! *as usual click on the white X to see larger images*

I know in the photos her eyes look green but actually they’re brown-ish!

What do you think?  Personally,  I think she’s much improved over the original version……And she’s already demanding that I get busy finding and making her a funky, eclectic wardrobe to reflect her tastes. I like it when a figure seems to have that spark to them!

Some customs are easier than others….Some are better than others. This one is not one of “the others” IMO. The Alpha was a little more labor intensive than I’m used to. The hard vinyl head (on par with Fashion Royalty doll heads) was difficult when it came to removing the hair plugs and re-rooting it was a bitch. Like with the FR dolls I found using a heating pad made it a lot easier. Still a bit of a hassle, but ok.I decided to re-root her with dark hair (using a mix from Restoredoll). I gave her a boil perm with the intention of giving her curly, wavy hair–anything had to be better than what she started with IMO.

I want to say also, that without any hair, and with no face paint the Alpha head (hispanic version) could pass for a gender neutral sculpt or yes, as a man. It’s not a soft sculpt and despite my best efforts I’ve ended up with a manly-female.

Before:

She’s Been Face Wiped. I ended up being so dissatisfied with her that was the only option. The remainder of this post is here for my archive purposes only.

After:

Personally, I am so disappointed by how she turned out that I really don’t even want to look at her. I think I made the mistake of building  up how I wanted her to come out in my mind–and it just didn’t match up with what I hoped would shine through. Definitely not loving her even with all the effort I put in to make her better than her stock origins.

Am I being too hard on her? 

Should I even bother to name her? Make a character slot for her in the photostories?

Would she look better if I chopped her hair short to the shoulders?

Notes: the overhanging / deep set eye ridges were really annoying/ a pain to work with. If I’d had more patience I might have tried sanding them down some so they were less prominent. (I hated them mostly because they dictated how/where I could place the brows) and the tiny eyewells = urgh. Although that is also due to the fact all my paint brushes are completely knackered and really need to be tossed….

Let me preface this review with the following: I don’t knock Triad Toys as a company. I think they have good intentions (if somewhat off the mark). My biggest concern, and the main reason I generally avoid buying anything from them is the Quality Control issues that seem to have plagued most of their releases.

So I wasn’t too certain what to expect with this doll/action figure other than that I should be prepared for her body to fall apart in my hands.

Purchased: Triad Toys Alpha (hispanic version).

She comes with:

• Black bathing suit (ala 1980)
• Flat feet
• Semi-high heel feet
• Flat hands *default on figure*
• Trigger finger Hands

First Impressions:

The body is considerably lighter than I expected (weighs 136 grams). I expected it to be a bit heftier, and to feel a bit more like a Takara CG. However, it is nicer than I expected and has an evenly dispersed tone/color in the plastic. The face sculpt looks considerably better in person than in pics online and I think there is a lot of potential in it. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the appearance of the knees but IMO they seem ok. After all, in real life not all knees are sexy!

Things I like:

The face sculpt: is a nice change from Triad’s usual fare of “angry” women. I’d say it’s a good relatively neutral look, and is something that could easily be tweaked in Photoshop for alternative expressions. IMO Neutral = Good!

The body: looks a lot nicer in person. The joints are reasonably firm and most of the joints aren’t eyesores. I like the way the bust has been sculpted and the fact that the bust joint allows for a pretty good range of motion when it comes to turning the torso. The  hip area is nice as well allowing a smooth transition  which I can see will make costuming & clothing the doll a much nicer experience.

Alternate Feet/footwear options: A definite plus is the fact that she comes with flat & Semi-HH feet. It’s also worth noting that the Alpha can wear/ use the boot feet etc from Takara CGs.

Clothing options: the Alpha can wear Ken clothes/pants. I’m not sure how well it fits the Dollsfigure clothing or CG default clothes.

Things I don’t like:

Stumpy neck syndrome. She’s got it. But to be fair it is no where near as horrible as it was with Triad’s first releases (the ones that were on the hotly contested triad/ Soldier Story bodies). Those were horrible!

The default face paint & hair: I understand that Triad was probably going for the “Neutral” look–but they could have done so with some lighter shades and had a better looking default face. The current paint applications along with the “meh” hair (reddish brown mix) doesn’t do much for the figure.

The Eyes: have been sculpted fairly small. IMO the sculpt might have looked a bit better with slightly (1 mm) larger eyes. But hey, some people do have small eyes in RL.

Hip/Leg joint Range-of-Motion: This seems pretty limited (not terribly, but enough that it’s noticeable to me). Generally in this situation I’d take the action figure or doll in question and shave out some of the hip joint & ass area to allow the upper legs more ROM. However, since the alpha feels rather light I’m suspicious that that area might actually be hollow pieces fused together…which means if I pare it down I’ll end up with a hollow hole which would suck more than the limited articulation.

Quality control Issues: Right out of the clamshell box —Some kind of melt marks on the leg, as well as what appears to be stress fracture/discoloration on the knee. Also a lot of flashing is either still on the figure or has been removed in a really haphazard (and messy) manner (I am not surprised, just a bit disappointed.)

Also a couple of random paint marks on her face (nose & chin). These don’t matter as much to me since I will be stripping her face & repainting her. *fingers crossed the paint stains come off*

In Comparison to the Takara CG 2.0 body:

Oh, I’m not going to apologize for the fact that I am biased toward the Takara CG 2.0 bodies. They are IMO the best thing out there and will likely be the gold standard until someone makes something better. I’ve done a basic (not overly intensive) comparison between the 2.0 and the alpha. If you have questions or want more pics let me know and I’ll try–but no promises with the move going on.

For comparison I’m using a Takara 2.0 body from Catwoman (the comic version) with an AJ head, and the Triad Alpha Medium bust. CLICK THE IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION (easier to see)

1: The neck posts--The Alpha has a considerably thicker neck. This means that if you want to use non-Triad heads on it that it will take extra work and customization on your part. (Watch Silent G’s blog for a tutorial on how to do that–he’s working on one!). It’s also worth noting that the Alpha has a limited downward tilt to her head/neck. That _is_ easily fixed with a scalpel knife (you simply need to make the channel wider that the neck knob goes into).

2: Elbow joints– The Takara 2.0 has a double jointed elbow which is superior to the single joint that the Alpha has. Why Triad, did you do that when you had the double joint on the Otaku? Why downgrade the ROM?

3: Waists — The Alpha is long waisted compared to the 2.0 body. This is possibly part of the reason her legs look weirdly dumpy(knee joints not included). The actual joint on the CG 2.0 is cleaner/closed and generally speaking neater. I’ve had the Alpha waist joint pop at weird angles leaving a large area of “open” to her interior.

4: Busts/bust joints — The Alpha has an undercut bust joint which is rather nice. It will make fitting clothes a little easier and is a nice design feature. The Takara 2.0 has a combined bust/torso joint which functions well although for aesthetic purposes isn’t quite as nice as the undercut bust on the Alpha.

5: Hip/thigh joint — For movement & practicality the Takara 2.0 body edges out the Alpha in this area. The 2.0 has a wider range of motion and posing.  Aesthtically the  Alpha is better as it is shaped more normally and will look good in skimpy clothing & lingerie.

6: Hands/Joint — The Takara 2.0 wins hands down (LOL) as it has a superior range of motion without having to adapt or adjust the joint in any way. Other pluses are that the 2.0 can use hands from TTL, and Earlier versions of CGs (in this photo is using the hands from a 1.5 cg). While the ROM for the Alpha’s wrist is limited you can adjust it with some customization work. Another plus for the Alpha is that Triad has made an accessory pack of hands in different poses.

7: Crotch area — The Alpha wins this one for Aesthetics. It is a more natural looking shape. The 2.0 has what I call “the man crotch” which requires more care in designing clothing for to minimize that MC look.

8: Knees — Without any doubt the Takara 2.0 is superior. The ROM with the Alpha is very similar but aesthetically the 2.0 is just cleaner and flows better witht he line of the body. The way the design was done for the Triad Alpha it seems to draw attention to the joint which is a No-No IMO.

9. Feet — People have complained about the Large size of the Alpha’s feet. I don’t really think they are that large. they are hard plastic so if they really bothered you (or you wanted to use some smaller shoes) you could carve or sand them down.) They seem appropriate to the rest of the body. The plus is that Triad included a semi-high heel pair as well as the flat feet…I’ve been told that they will fit the shoes for some of the Tonner 16″ dolls. (I don’t have any so I can’t check!). Also another nice aspect is that the feet can come off on the feet cup instead  of at the base. That makes swapping out the feet/footwear a considerably easier experience.
Another positive is that you can remove the peg and foot and use feet/shoes/ bootfeet from the Takara CGs. You’ll need a pair of pliers for that though.

10: Sitting — not as important to those of you who plan on just having your figs standing around…but pretty damned important to me! The Takara 2.0 sweeps this one. The Alpha is unable to sit down with her knees together (so un-ladylike!). Pushing the Triad Alpha’s knees together results in her torso/hip area laying backwards…..This may be adjustable with some judicious scalpel work and paring (there was also an issue with standing up straight with legs–possibly related to the same area). Because the Alpha feels hollow I’m not certain how much scalpel work can be done on it without leaving gaping holes.

The Alpha Overall:  They seem to be decent for the amount they cost—bearing in mind that it will be a continual crap-shoot about the QC issues. When budgeting permits I’m willing to add a couple more Alphas to my collection.

Said friend told me that I (we, since friend is too!) an Elitist. When it comes to the hobby anyway. That we want to see better quality work being done, that we want to see people putting more effort into things than propping your doll up against a cereal box.

But I made the argument that we’re not elitists.

What we are is perfectionists!

I say this because while I know I don’t do anywhere near the best that can be done, I do keep trying to improve myself and my skill levels. I’m embarrassed by some of the photos or things that I put out there but I continually keep trying to do a better job. I guess that’s where the perfectionist comes in though–since I expect other people to keep striving to improve their skills and I guess…well, they just don’t want to.

The important thing for them (and me too!) is just that we’re all enjoying the hobby–whichever part of it we’re into, and however we go around it. Yes, it does frustrate me to some extent (ok, a LOT) but life is full of things like that and although I do my best I can’t really see myself as being the sort to inspire other people to think about or change the way they do their hobbycraft.

Things I know I need to work on include my construction skills, my photography (which pretty much sucks) and developing more patience to allow me to do more of the first two items!

Of course, you could actually argue the fact that I am a 1:6 elitist since I am only interested in dolls and action figures that are in 1:6 scale. Anything else is “nice” or “interesting” but not enough to make me bother switching or juggling scales.

Anyway, just food for thought.

Here’s the thing: Aside from Mark and the cats my dolls are the biggest thing that I worry about getting back to the states with me. I might be looking at them with the “lover’s eyes” meaning that I assume everyone would want them, and assume that they are naturally desirable…..I’ve been doing my homework and apparently there’s a moderate percentage of  bags suffer from pilferage (they take things from in them) and of course, some whole bags end up being lost. So that means I have to work out the following:

My airline allows me 1 carry on bag (weighing 12 lbs or less) that is 9x14x22 or smaller in size.

Now, bearing in mind that I’ve been doing my absolute best to clear out and whittle down the amount of stuff I want to take with me….How do I decide which of my dolls go in the ultra-limited space of the carry on?

How fat are my dolls?

There are 1000g in a KG/ 1 pound = 453.5grams/ 12 pounds = 5.5Kg

• Volks EB doll (A,B & N bodies) (with head) = approximately 100grams
• Fashion Royalty Giselle (nu face body with nut) = 166 grams
• Fashion Royalty Kyori (reg body) = 160g
• Volks Goh Guy w/ head = 149g
• Volks EB doll (E,D,J bodies) (with head) = approximately 110 grams
• Hot toys True-type Guy & head = 240g
• Takara Cy Girl body & head  = 145g
• Takara Cy Girl–Head only = 28g
• Volks head (long hair) =50g

So….How do I decide who’s special enough for the carry on?

Do you have any favorites among my dolls?

(You can see most of them here:http://www.quinlan-chronicles.com/profiles and you can find more info about some of them in the Friday Monologues )

What do you all think?Who would you be sad to know went MIA?

I’m having a really difficult time deciding!

If you’re one of the folks who bought stuff thanks for being patient, and really, truly I appreciate it!

I ate some bad food the other day which has had unfortunate impact on my health. I’ve also kind of been panicking with things going on here and scrambling like a mad thing because our timeline for things happening seems to have suddenly jolted forward.Cue: booking appointments, GP visits, and trying to avoid biting my husband’s head off with the amount of stress I’ve got (on top of which–asking me an endless series of questions that I just don’t have/can’t find the answers to doesn’t help). I know this will all pass (really I am never going to doubt myself again next time I think that something may be “off”.  No amount we save on me eating leftovers is worth the way I’ve been feeling. *color me green and icky*

I’m happy (really, except for the being nauseated thing, and the not sleeping & not being able to shake this headache I’ve had for the past week straight (maybe it’s a tumor?)

Anyway, I’m getting my ass in gear, things are shipping out tomorrow.

Next week I’ll clear out the last of my stuff to go (the things not going to the thrift shops) and I actually start really packing my bags. Did I mention I feel sicker than sick? Ugh.

After all the hemming & hawing has been done here’s the first of the clear out sales posts: (lot of photos so please be patient!)

Please be aware of the fact I am located in the UK so all shipping is going to be from there (and consequently more expensive for those who live elsewhere!). Prices of items are open to reasonable offers/negotiation (and reasonable timescale–I can hold onto a piece for a little while ie next paycheck–but not a couple of months)

Prices are in GBP & payment is ok via paypal (in GBP) or if you’re in the UK via bankdraft, check or paypal. You can check the current exchange rate here

All items will stay on here (the blog) until March 7th *unless sold* that gives y’all 10 days to figure out if you want any of it.  After that I’ll be putting it on feebay *hence the watermarking*  (If I lose all patience I might just set all on fire in the backyard. It really depends on how I feel… )  I’ll be posting the 2nd batch in another couple of weeks when I’ve completed some more culling/sorting.

IF you want something or have a question: Email me! (I don’t want to clog the blog with that stuff)  corsetkitten AT gmail.com

***ALL items are in played with/used condition. Most of these were bought second-hand and or pre-owned. They’ve all got dings, dents, scratches and the like.***

 My scene vanity set seats:

Art Nouveau style cabinet (resin & mirror=Heavy):

Barbie my house armoires :

Set of 2 My scene customized beside/end tables :

Barbie butcher block table set :

Student Dorm Black couch :

Bust up Sindy sink :

Vintage Sindy Dressers (all drawers open) :

My Scene couches :

Set of 4 My scene tables :

 My scene magazine rack/table

Barbie my house bathtub:

Barbie tables & chairs :

Barbie Camping Set :

 My scene claw-foot bathtub:

 Re-Ment Bakery Counter (scuffs on plastic) :

 Bratz arm chair, Sindy chair, Re-ment & blanket :

 Vintage Sindy table & Chair set (one chair was repaired) :

Barbie coffee and end tables (set):

Obnoxious Pink Bathroom Set:

 Barbie cabinet :

Chests :

 7-11 Coca Cola rack, Icee Machine & Pretzel rack:

 Re-Ment Grocery Store Shelf Unit (NIB) :

Vintage Sindy China Cabinets :

Misc Barbie Purses & Bags:

Maroon Couch:

Misc Barbie props & Bags:

Misc Barbie radios & props:

That’s the end of the first lot. As I said above, if you’re interested in something please email me at corsetkittenATgmail.com

And I apologize for the crummy pics and watermarking (due to the last bad experience I had on ebay I now have to watermark everything I want to put on there due to phototheft).

In my clearing out stuff I realized that while I don’t have much in the way of 100% cotton Fat Quarters or yardage, I did have an entire box (like a copy paper box) filled with strips that I had bought over the last couple of years with the intention of making 1:6 quilts…mostly ticker tape quilts since those were the only ones I knew how to make. Of course, I ended up making a patchwork quilt too….and then for X-mas for my friend Carmen I made a 1:6 string quilt. I hadn’t blogged any pics of it at the time (wanting her to have gotten it and it being a surprise and all that…).

So here are a few photos: (this was my first time making a string quilt) I’m still learning (and fumbling with making bindings and stuff but I’m getting a bit better with every quilt I make.

here’s a detail: It is hand quilted but you can’t really tell in the photos.

At the moment I just can’t seem to work on anything 1:6 related. I’m too stressed out and on edge. But…I don’t want to just give away (or try to sell) my scrap pieces. So what am I supposed to do? (I don’t want to use valuable suitcase space for it either!) I decided that I’d take all the scraps I’ve got and see if I can cobble them together into a 1:1 scale lap quilt (more or less in size anyway). That way I can just do it without thinking so much, I can get away from my desk and all the paperwork and phone calls I have to keep juggling (now that the internet is working again), and hell, actually make my first human scale quilt.

It probably sounds a bit insane (especially after I spent all of last night ironing the scraps LOL). But I’ll share as I go along (although I’m sure it’s not going to turn out as nicely as the miniature version—since I’m using random slices and remnants of fabric!)

Ok, that’s it for now (and Saturday AM I will update with the furniture and stuff for sale. I forgot I need to take a photo of the Kenmore Kitchen set for it).

  It’s great that things finally seem to be rolling along here! YAY!!

Please, please make my internet reliable soon! There’s too much to do and I need to access it to get things rolling!

I’ve cracked open my boxes of doll furniture, barbie stuff and sindy pieces and have realized that it’s never all going to fit in my suitcases. That means that the vast majority of it has got to go.

I’ll be including a couple of dolls and action figures in the clear out as well as some craft supplies and misc. barbie stuff.

I’ll be posting it on here first in one post (It’ll be titled something like : FOR SALE) and whatever doesn’t go will be stuffed onto Feebay.co. uk because well, I will need money to replace things like my paints and sewing machine.

Can I just say how much I really don’t want to do this? I know it’s good for me, and will help to replace stuff after we move….but at the same time….I know all the various lots of furniture I bought on feebay to get multiples….I know what I’d planned to do with particular pieces. Grrrr.

On the other hand, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to use anything within the year so it might as well move on to someone who can use it. Even if it is a little kid with ratty haired barbies whose Mom buys the stuff off feebay!

And ok, the other upside to all this is when my workroom/office is empty I’ll have plenty of room to work on the wrenwood hall stuff!

Of course this is GREAT news!
But it means a whole crap load of work and really throwing ourselves into high gear to get all the thousands of little things (and big) done in time.  So unfortunately most of what I am working on has pretty much got to grind to a halt.

I’m so torn at the moment since I’d actually started to make good headway with the Wrenwood stuff I’m not going to ditch it just yet, since it’s the simplest of sets reallllllly….and maybe I can sneak in working and using it if all the other roomsets are gone? I mean, after all, it’s only one roomset, right? And it would be a complete shame to take it apart now that it’s started to take shape, right? Plus once the room’s emptied out there will be room enough for it, right? *I’ll manage to justify it somehow!*

I’ll UPDATE with a Wrenwood post at the end of this week so you  can see how it’s going so far.

I’m not looking forward to deconstructing my sets and ditching 2/3 of my remaining 1:6 stuff but at the same time it’s a good exercise in really seeing what I have and what I’m going to use.

My personal challenge in all of this (aside from trying to keep my head from exploding) is to try to fit all the stuff I want to take with me in my suitcases. I know, insane right? But the good thing is that with the carrier we’re using I can buy space for upto 10 additional bags (not that I will because that would be nuts!) but I think I can manage all my clothes(I have way more 1:6 clothes than 1:1) & 1:6 stuff in 4 . Maybe 5 at a maximum. I know there are risks doing it that way, but at the same time I think it’ll work out better.

So today is the day I start the final sort-out. I’ll be updating the show & sell site I guess with pics of stuff soon.  I’ll update the etsy shop sometime soon with the last bits and things I had made to sell, and that’ll be it.

I am so freaking stressed and excited that if this move doesn’t kill me I’ll be completely shocked!

The closest you can get within 1:6 is to buy the various action figures from the Ignite line of figures, or possibly the ones from that other series (Timeline? I forget what it’s called except there’s a girl in it?And I think time-travel?)

Of course, you’re still left hanging on a lot of things.  Occasionally you’re lucky and can find small bits & pieces that could be worked into it because scale on some things is varied. But I haven’t exactly got much on hand that will make the crossover from modern day use to fantasy/ medieval use.

If you can’t beg, borrow or steal it–that leaves you with Making it! So that’s what I’m left to do! (Darn it!) Ideally I’d like to be able to switch pieces between the two sets *partially so I don’t have to make more than the minimum right now; and because I really want to get these stories off the ground ASAP and not get too held up by making furniture and props!*

What’s on my list of things to make?

• Benches & Chairs (2-4 of each) also 2 window seat benches
• Chests (probably 2 will be enough)
• Scribal desk/table (1)
• Bed  (1)
• Soft furnishings: banners/ tapestries, cushions, etc.

Of course I still need to make things like the doors & windows that go into the sets themselves. *sigh* so much work but I really do think it’ll be worthwhile when I’m done.

Anyway this weekend I’ll take some time and photograph how the roomsets (bases & walls have come along so far.)

It took a few tries–I was feeling very fussy about the kind of look I wanted her to have. I was getting more and more frustrated since my painting brushes are pretty much shot (and they do really affect how my painting turns out). I also did a repaint of an old re-rooted AJ jead, and touched up the face paint on the FR Giselle and Ayumi heads….photos to follow at some point!

I need to find a name for her and to decide about how old she is.  How old does she look to you folks?

So what kind of impression does she make?

Okies I gotta go but I’d really love to hear your ideas on how old she might be!

I sorted through my remaining CG heads and bodies to decide who I’d use.  I have a fondness for the Ice headsculpt but I wanted to have some variety.  I narrowed it down to a re-rooted AJ, Catwoman 2.0 (with the prussian blue hair), Midori (in need of a re-root), or Electra who I’d gotten off feebay a few years ago.  It was a toss up between Electra & Midori and I chose Electra because I don’t have any other characters currently using that sculpt.

Well this is how she’s looking now.

Since I got her off feebay, used and out of package with only a smattering of her original accessories  she wasn’t in the best of shape and her hair was pretty awful. D’oh! I didn’t remember to take any photos of her before starting the re-root process!

I’ve started re-rooting her with some saran from Restoredoll.

I’m rooting it in long and planning on giving her wavy or even curly hair when I’m done. At least that’s the plan! It might change as I go along.  If I manage to get her rooted & styled to my satisfaction I’ll repaint her this week.

Wrenwood Hall is the name of the fictional Costume Drama that the actresses work on. It’s also the reason I’m making the pseudo-medieval / fantasy dioramas. I’m hoping to have a lot of fun with it and weirdly enough I’m looking forward to the amount of work I’ll need to put into making costumes, props and furniture for the sets. Just call me weird, ok?   I mentioned in my last post that I’d made a paper model (very rough) so that I could get a better idea of how I wanted the set to be laid out. It is not done to scale just off the cuff for my brain to play with. Here are a couple of pics. It’s nothing fantastic but you get the idea. (This is only the one set, I haven’t done the 2nd, smaller one yet.)

No, those aren’t really round colums–I just didn’t want to be bothered to make 1/4 columns) for the mock-up. The walls won’t be bare either. I had thought of doing them ala rendered plaster (like you see in some tudor homes) but I think it might be better to do them as stone.

It’s not as large as I’d like but you have to make do with what you can manage. And for now it’ll be using the large roomset base (which means it’s 22inches Wide x 30 inches Long).

You can see there’s a large alcove and of course that there’s a wall missing. I may, or may not add a second door into there. Not too sure at this point. Maybe I should add a window or two on that wall instead?

Main consideration of the alcove is that one of the side-walls comes off (the rest will likely be  permanently attached) to allow for better camera angles & ease of access for arranging figures. I’m thinking the alcove area will be approximately 12x12ish.

On my To DO list for the diorama this weekend (and into Monday/Tuesday):

• Make additional base for the alcove area (modular).

• Scrounge mark’s wood scraps for pieces I can use for the flooring. (I was going to do flagstone look, but since I decided that I am going to do the walls as semi-dressed stone I thought that with the stone floor it might be overkill.)

• Cut the remaining MDF for the walls. Cut out the apertures for the door & alcove.

• Cut the MDF pieces for the alcove walls & cut out window apertures in them.

I’d like to get a lot more than that done but I need to be realistic–after all I have to do cleaning, laundry, try to take care of the garden which at the moment is in a state because we’ve been hit with some awfully harsh winds. (Yesterday Mark & I were picking the garden fence off of the ground and trying our best to reinforce it–it’s not the best stuff for dealing with gale force winds.)

Now here’s a question for the rest of you—do you want me to take any pictures as I’m going through the process of making the diorama set? Or do you all just want to see it when it’s constructed (but empty)?

So, as I mentioned in the last post I am starting work on the dioramas for The Actresses. I Really need another tag to call them by since it doesn’t truly define all they do or what all of their stories will be about. Anyway, I should also mention that I am also working on the diorama  for the pseudo-medieval costume drama (Wrenwood Hall).

So far I’ve managed to:

• Realize that I should indeed still use the old living room base for the Actresses’ living room. I’m still debating about actually finishing the fireplace or just pulling together a 2nd plainer one to do what I want. I just don’t see the fancier one working since I’m de-glamorizing the place considerably.

• Scrounged around and found some old wood that I can use to modify the remaining roomset base into something I can use for the apartment (the kitchen–which will be a medium size between the base I use for the LR and the small base I use for the University Dorm rooms, offices and student lounges).

•  Bought a box of spackling compound , a large container of white PVA glue and a bit of doweling.
• Made a rough paper model for me to visualize how I want the 1st Wrenwood Hall roomset to look. (yes, I said 1st. If I manage to have enough supplies left over I may try to make a 2nd smaller room (on the new kitchen base). Maybe.

I’ve also been thinking about the actresses themselves. I forget how nice it is to sometimes step back from your main projects (like the University themed photostories).  I have a rough cast of Actresses and support staff pretty much ready to go — unless I decide to customize some of them a bit more….(which, yes, we know I’m going to, Don’t we?)

I’ll check back and try to update with some photos in the next day or so!

I’ve been giving them a lot of thought but it hasn’t translated into a whole lot of action. There are a few reasons for this… The main one being that space is still limited and I really have some pretty grand ideas in mind—which while commendable (hey, I do have high standards, what can I say?) aren’t practical when it comes to making a transatlantic move.

So It’s left me thinking about 1) what to do, 2) how to do it and 3) why am I bothering?

1) What I’m going to do: Along with giving things some more thought (and working out the details for the photostories themselves) I’m going to push on-ward and try to get the living room and kitchen done. I’m also going to throw together a basic diorama to use for generic scenes on “the set” of the tv series the actresses work on.

2) I know I’m going to be pretty harsh when it comes to breaking down the dioramas to move.  It doesn’t mean I’m not going to do them, only that I’m going to avoid investing too much effort in this batch.  I’m simplifying them.

I’ll be putting most of my effort into the details –like furniture and props– etc rather than worrying sooo much about the set ups. Because I do (worry about the logistics of how an apartment is set up! No one will ever see the whole thing but I get very nit-picky about details like fire escapes, landings and front door locations). Plus that makes it less expensive and right now less expensive is a very, very good thing. Once we’ve relocated and are settled then I can really dig into making them as good as I want.

3) I’m doing this because I have to.  If I just fritter away my time and don’t have something worthwhile to show for it I’d be pretty bummed. And it’s criminal to waste your time when you never know how much you really have left.  Not to be morbid, but I might be dead next week. Or tomorrow. You just never know.

It might not make sense and I’m probably babbling but this is what’s on my mind.

Here is the list of my Top 10 Toys of 2011!

Counting down to my favorites–beginning with #10

#10 Ishani rebodied on a Hot Toys Female True Type body

Description of Toy/Toyline: Ishani’s got a Fashion Royalty Isha head that I repainted, but I’d been struggling to find a body that was going to match her skintone and give her a better range of motion than the default FR body. Will was kind enough to send me the True Type body to see if it would work (he’s a great guy!). I did some operating on the HT body to make it workable with the FR head.

So why did she make my list? Ishani (rebodied) made the list because she’s now got a much more posable body with an increased range of motion. That is a very good thing!

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): Well the truth is that I have a few issues with the Hot toys body. While it is IMO a vast improvement over the Fashion Royalty default body, I can’t say that I love it. For one thing, nothing I have fits it with the exception of some Ken clothes! I had foolishly thought that the clothes I made for my Takara CG female action figures would fit. I was wrong. So Ishani has moved up into the ranks of “needy” dolls. Meaning I need to sew a mini wardrobe for her before I can start using her in photostories and shoots. The other thing that makes it rank low for me is that the torso is vinyl and is prone to staining, and it’s kind of a pain to wrestle into and out of clothing.

Here is the original post dealing with Ishani: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4540

#9 Tristan

Description of Toy/Toyline: Tristan is a Neo Goh Guy body & head made by volks. I re-rooted him with a mix of restoredoll hair and NDR hair.

So why did he make my list? Strangely enough Tristan has made the list because I think he’s my best “guy” custom this year. I don’t do so well when it comes to painting guy faces and his is one that I didn’t get the immediate urge to wipe off! Also I have a serious shortage of guys and Tristan helps lessen it a bit.

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): He’s still pretty girly and there are some flaws with his face-up. My rooting skills are only so-so and it shows.

Here is the original post dealing with Tristan: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4575

#8 Art Nouveau vase in 1:6

Description of Toy/Toyline: Who made it is a mystery although it does have “Germany” stamped on the backside of it. It’s made of metal–possibly tin or lead/or an alloy. It’s a hefty little vase for its size–which makes me think it could be lead. It was an ebay find that was listed under 1/12 dollhouse stuff. It may be 1/12 but I find that it works perfectly well for 1:6. It’s 1 3/4 inches tall (about 43.5mm)

So why did it make my list?: Come on! It’s art nouveau and 1:6? What could be better? You’re bound to see it making various “background” appearances. I love the cattail design! (see it in the background pic of Tirrem?)

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): Frankly it’s in pretty poor condition (although not so bad when you assume it’s probably more than 15 years old, right?). When I move and have a proper workshop I may try to determine what it’s made out of and what the chances of me applying enamel to it. Depending on what I find out I might try to sculpt and cast something similar that I can then enamel. It’s certainly a nice excuse to get into metal enameling!

#7 Nerissa’s & Mallory’s Quilts

Description of Toy/Toyline: Err..I am the toyline, I guess? They were all made out of 100% cotton fabric, sewn and quilted by myself.

So why did they make my list? Two reasons: 1) They are needed pieces to complete other dorm room set ups and 2) They’re just nifty. I learned a lot in the process of making them and I like it when i manage to do that.

Downside to it: (aka why they aren’t #1 toy on the list!): There were a lot of mistakes I made on both of them, especially Mallory’s quilt. Because of those mistakes they really aren’t up to the quality I expected of myself.

Here are the original posts dealing with the quilts: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4826 (nerissa’s) and http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4843 (mallory’s)

#6 Ezio : Hot Toys head

Description of Toy/Toyline: Ezio is the head from one of Hot Toys action figure releases. I’m not too clear on what he is except that he’s a video game character. He was a great gift from Will when things were going spectacularly crap (and even if the head had been a flaming piece of crap I’d have appreciated it for the intention behind it). His sculpt makes him look like a moody bastard.

So why did he make my list? As I mentioned earlier there’s a chronic shortage of the male species in my 1:6 collection. Ezio (I keep wanting to refer to him as Enzio LOL) is slated to be a rival of Cass’s and a sometime lover. He might come to a bad end I don’t know yet. I do know he’ll be getting a new name.

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): The head is nicely sculpted but the coloring was way off to use on one of my regular HT true type bodies (did I mention he looks like a linebacker with those shoulders?) so I had to give him one of my 2 Hot Toys True Type Asian bodies. It was a much, much better match (although that now means that Gill’s only got one body–but he’d be ok with that since it means one less rival for Viv’s attention).

#5 Volks Excellent Base Bodies

Description of Toy/Toyline: Volks 27cm/1:6 scale dollfie bodies.  These are old bodies made pre-2005. These 2 bodies in particular are gifts from the IFDC convention.  For more information about the bodies (volks) check out The Volks Perfect File.

So why did they make my list?

They made the list for 2 reasons — 1) they’re more bodies for me to make customs out of, and 2) they have the bust types that I have been trying to get for a long, long time. The busts on them are smaller than the Volks EB-J and have a more natural look to them (you can’t tell from these photos, sorry!)

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): These are the old version of Volks excellent base bodies. That means that they have big gaps around their hip/thigh area (where the joint-age is). They’re shiny (which means I will have to sandmatte them) and chances are that if they are going to one of my more beloved figures that they’re going to need thigh/torso surgery. But that’s down to my personal preference. Of course the biggest downside to these excellent body volks is that volks has discontinued their production! Which means I scoop them up whenever I find them (and can afford to. These were my xmas gift for this year).

 #4 My 1:6 dorm beds

Description of Toy/Toyline: Set of 2 flat-pack able 1:6 beds that I made for my dorm room sets. Pretty Basic and meant to be a stop-gap until I get back home and can make proper ones.

So why did they make my list? Like the quilts they were needed for the Dorm room sets. The best thing about them is that they’re flat-packable so I won’t have a hard time packing them up.

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): The biggest gripe I have with them is that I made the bottom out of wood…I wanted to make them with metal and springs but didn’t have the $$ at the time to buy the supplies I needed so I went with the wood. They work as they are, but they’re not exactly how I want them so they’ll get re-vamped in the future. Also, my application of varnish wasn’t so even and I’d consider sanding them down (eh, maybe) in the future.
Here is the original post dealing with the beds: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4565

 #3 Chair & table from Carmen

Description of Toy/Toyline: A lovely arm chair & table set from Carmen. From the get-go she knew that I really loved the colors used in the armchair and it was among my faves. We periodically swap and make stuff for each other and these were just perfect! (there were also some 1:6 sheep pillows for Raven but I didn’t pull them out in time for this post)

So why did they make my list? Durr! They’re great stuff! I love the fact that they’re nicely made and I didn’t have to make it myself, or beg Mark to make it for me!

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): There isn’t really a downside to the pieces–only the fact that I had a few other things that edged them out of 1st place!

 #2 1:6 Dresser & Desks

Description of Toy/Toyline: Custom made Desks & Dressers made by Mark of MHModelmaking .Yes that’s his blog but it’s mostly about airplanes–I’m trying to convince him he needs to start a 1:6 blog for making stuff! He doesn’t think anyone would read it or comment…IF you folks who read this blog would be interested in him writing about 1:6 stuff please leave a comment on his most recent post on his blog!

He made them all out of wood and spent a lot of time on them (they were my Valentines Day gift for 2011–they do indeed last longer than a box of tasty, delicious chocolate!)

So why did they make my list? I’d think it’d be pretty obvious that the build quality, the detailing and the overall usefulness made them hit really high in the rankings. All the drawers open and close, and the desk can be reconfigured 2 different ways. I might complain about how hard it is to get Mark to see how much I neeeeed something –but once he decides to do it he does a freakin fantastic job. I mean amazing.  The guy could be building 1:1 furniture with the care and precision that he puts in. I just wish I could clone him!

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): Hmm, if I told you that I might have to kill you! No, seriously, the only reason they’re not #1 is that I fell in love with 2 of the customs I did this year. They beat everything.  Anyway, here is the original post dealing with the dorm room: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4262
and you can check out the website for more info about the process:  http://www.corsetkitten.com/dioramas/

And the #1 slot for 2011 goes to…… Astrid  & Nerissa

Description of Toy/Toyline: Both Astrid and Nerissa are custom volks dollfies. Astrid is an Old Type C head on a hybrid Neo-Excellent J body. Nerissa is a pale Neo volks head on a volks pale excellent A body. She was rooted with restoredoll Black Orchid saran.

So why did they make my list? They made it to number one on the list because there’s something about the way they’re painted that just speaks to me. I get a lot of joy out of posing them and planning storylines for them. They’re usually located somewhere in my desk-workspace.

Downside to it: (yes even at #1 there’s a downside!): I think I could have painted both of them better/more cleanly. I don’t however want to wipe their faces and try again since I might lose that little spark that makes them so special!
Here is the original post dealing with Astrid: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/3971
Here is the original post dealing with Nerissa: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4677

There you have it. My Top 10 for 2011.Comments anyone?