Dolls and More Dolls

I went to a BJD Expo last Friday and Saturday and had a great time there.  I think the best thing about it was the fact that everybody was carrying around a doll, including myself.  It was fun to go up to someone and say how pretty their doll was and then start a conversation about dolls.  It was so easy to talk to people I had never met.  I just can't do that normally.  But the dolls were the connection that brought us together.

I did a wig making class and made a mohair wig.  That was cool.  I've made these kind of wigs 30 some odd years ago, but was totally out of practice and this refresher was very helpful.  The wig turned out ok, but I think I can do better with some more practice.  I put it on a new little doll I acquired just this week and it looks so cute.  Here's a picture.

This is a 10 inch Lorina from MYOU dolls.  I bought her blank and did her face-up.  I'm still working on getting better at doing face-ups, which is the term used for painting the face.  I want to especially improve in doing the eyebrows.  The expert's eyebrows are amazing, painting each stroke with such precision.  I have a ways to go to get there but I know, with practice, I will be able to do it.  I have seen improvement in my painting just since I started doing this a couple years ago, so I have hope.  As with most things, it's just a matter of practicing.  And I have two dolls being shipped soon that I will be able to practice on.

Collecting BJD's, as opposed to other types of dolls, gives me so many opportunities to be so creative.  Not only can I sew for them, but I can customize them through doing their face-ups and changing their hair and eyes.  You can basically remake your doll as often as you like.  And on top of that you can make props for them and create dioramas to display them in.  Such fun!