taking time to breathe...

I'm glad to say that everyone really seemed to like the shorts that I decided, basically on a whim, to make; and I managed to save up enough money to buy my first dslr, a Nikon D3100 ;3;

I mean I'd already saved up quite a bit before my fujifilm point and shoot started to crap out on me, but I never thought that I'd manage to save up the rest of what I needed as quickly as I did; so I'm very grateful to anyone who purchased anything at all from my shop the past several weeks 'cause I wouldn't have been able to do it without them.

I've had several requests from people for SD size dyed shorts, and I most definitely want to work out a pattern so I can include them in the next batch. But for right now I'm going to be taking a bit of a break to work on some personal projects 'cause I feel like I've just been so busy the past several weeks trying to make things to sell so I could afford a new camera that I just keep shoving stuff that I want/need to do for my own dolls off into the "I'll get to it later" pile.

So for the next couple weeks or so I'm going to put new things for the shop on the back burner and give myself a little time to just take a break and get to work on some things that I've been putting off for far too long, like clothes for poor Egg 'cause she's seriously lacking in that department even though I already bought a whole bunch of fabric awhile back to make her stuff.

I mean I may still make some things to list here and there, and commissions will still be open as always; there just won't be any big updates like there had been with the legwarmers and the shorts.

but yeah...

list of the things I'm planning to try and get done.

various clothes for egg (she kind of needs a little bit of everything)

bathing suit for lena

printed and solid color jersey shorts for lena (and probably some to sell)

various clothes for livi (she needs some more summery tops)

extended list that only applies if I can get some msc ordered, and the humidity goes down.

new faceups for pan

new faceups for avery

repaint ava (stupid testors is getting sticky :/)

paint ava's twin (base doll is skull shores frankie) that I'm going to sell/auction

maybe open up egg and start working on her, but idk 'cause I didn't want to open her until I can start her reroot too.

I'm also going to have to spend some time learning how to use my new camera when it gets here probably sometime next week.

I'm very new to the whole dslr thing, and frankly have no idea what I'm doing.

the only times I've used a dslr in the past I basically just had it handed to me and I did nothing but push the shutter button, so it was kind of just like a really expensive point and shoot xD

so it may take me awhile to get the hang of it and figure everything out, but I'm really excited to learn; and it'll be nice to have more control over the photos that I take 'cause that was why I'd always been planning to upgrade to a dslr when I had the money to spare anyway, the upgrade just happened a little sooner than I thought it would.

mission accomplished!

so my birthday has come and gone.

over all it was a really good day.

one of my best friends surprised me by stopping by with a gift, a beautiful snow globe with two cute little pandas in it ;3;

and my dad also surprised me with a handful of gifts. he got me the muppet movie on dvd, breaking dawn on dvd (it's going back to the store shortly xD), some really cool sharpies for writing on fabric, a set of canvases and easels "for the dollies", and an artist manikin "because you like those jointed things" xD

I really do appreciate that he's trying to be more tolerant of the dolls and even a little supportive.

 

and I managed to finish my not so super secret project in time, and am now finally completely finished with it since I've got the video detailing the assembly process all uploaded and ready to watch.

the set will change and evolve each time I use it, just like Lena's room does; but I'm happy with what I did get done in time for the photos yesterday.

it was definitely a challenge, and ended up more work that I'd thought it would be; but I think it was well worth it, and I hope that everyone else enjoys the pictures and getting to watch how I put everything together.

-WHERE I GOT EVERYTHING- 

walls are two large foam project boards purchased at walmart and taped together in an L shape

door was added to the back wall with spray paint and a balsa wood door frame

floor is a large piece of dark grey fleece

counter is a miniature wooden dresser purchased at hobby lobby and painted/customized with spray paint and scrapbook paper

corkboard is from hobby lobby flyers were made up in photoshop and printed to size

metal nail art decorations were used as fake tacks for the notice board

computer is from nightfall, but you can buy them nearly anywhere

sheet music was found online and printed to size

various knick-knacks on the counter are either made by me, iwako brand erasers, or re-ment

feel free to ask if you're curious about something specific ^_^

what's up buttercup?

it's technically still winter I guess, but it definitely feels more like spring here.

the annual flowers we have in the front yard are already in full bloom and our tulip tree is starting to bud.

I know that daffodils and buttercups are actually two completely different types of flowers, but I always remember calling daffodils buttercups when I was a little kid. I think it may have something to do with how in Willy Wonka there's that candy in the factory that looks like a daffodil, but he calls them buttercups.

anyway.

I've been on such a livi kick lately...

partly I think because I've been playing with new eyes and new clothes, but also because as much as I love lena and all her bright colors, it's been really fun to play with all the softer neutral tones for a change.

I had started working on a pair of eyes for her after I got the glass ones that weren't what I was expecting.

after I put the glass ones in her they kind of grew on me, but I had already made the blue acrylics so I decided to go ahead and at least try them out; but now I kinda like them too so I'm torn :/
so basically I'm open to opinions if you want to give them.
I left the acrylics in her for the shoot I did today, and I'm going to leave them in for at least another day or so to see how I feel about them after she's worn them for a bit.
I also decided to play around with editing on the picture that I submitted to dA for my 365 today. it's different from how I'd normally do things, but I kind of like it.

you make me happy...

when skies are grey.

I love my liviface ;u;

she really is just so perfect.

I can't wait until I'm not so pathetically broke so I can get her more proper clothes.

even though I've made her some things, most of the pieces don't really have matches.

she doesn't even have pants of her own, really she'd wear lighter wash jeans than these probably; but I had to stick her in lena's since they're all I have for now.

but hopefully soon I'll be able to afford to get her some nicer things, and will get done with the commissions that I'm currently working on/going to start working on, so that I can make her some more things.