Current Mood : Crabby
Current Image Notes : Here's Crew 2, in the sewing arena, in the box TRU gave me. It's darn near perfect for what I ended up wanting. Love it !
In a bit of a crabster mood, but it's nothing major, and there's no real reason for it - but it did get me off my butt and into my sewing arena. Didn't sew, but I cleared some space and reshuffled stuff. I finally found a purpose for that Monster High cardboard book display easel TRU gave me the other day...
But first. I cross-posted yesterday's image all over the place. I don't normally do that, but I admit, I'm kind of proud of it. Many of my alterations /customizations involve taking something apart, doing something or other, then putting it back together. Lotsa folks will comment that they like the new look, but it's too complicated for anyone else to mess with. The 'Forbitten Romance' changes involve scissors and a Sharpie, no sewing, no fuss. Anyone with reasonably steady hands could easily do this or something better, so I shared it around. Maybe I gave someone else a new idea - that's the real fun !
I'm always nervous about sharing my alterations, though. You're wide open to folks who aren't always gentle in their critiques, and I tend to be a bit edgy when I think someone's being negative about my efforts. Character flaw #532 ! I got good response, though, mostly to DracuLaura's outfit - most folks like Clawd's ragged collars and plan to keep them and that bandanna. Ain't it great when everyone can be happy ? Everyone was nice, and I appreciate the kind words.
About the same time, someone else was selling her Clawd. Like most of us, she likes the animated character, but feels the doll representation is lacking. I can understand that. We chatted a bit on LiveJournal, and it led me to today's gazing at the plentitude of MH dolls standing, sitting, leaning, propped up, all over my desk - with two more on their way from yesterday's living room photo shoot - and thinking that this wasn't what I wanted when I started out. Like the lovely and thoughtful soon-to-be former Clawd doll owner, I really don't have space for stuff I don't absolutely love.
Yet here I was, with 19 MH dolls - and as far as I could tell, I loved every one of them ! Now, I said when I started out with them, that I just wanted one doll of each character. But that hit the bricks when 'Dawn of the Dance' came out and I was desperate for doll shoes. I bought all three, mostly for new clothes, shoes, and props. What the heck, we had money and I had transportation then... The 'Gloom Beach' dolls followed, and they were cheep in comparison to the Basic and DotD ones - new shoes, too ! Some even had new hands, and I was smitten. Ended up with all five, even though only one was a new character. Just when there seemed to be a glut on the market, I scored a second Ghoulia to customize. No regrets...but did I really need two ? And that led merrily to this weekend, when I snagged a third DLaura to go along with my three Cleos, Clawdeens, and Frankies.
That lady on Hoarders last night, Phyllis with the massive doll and stuffed animal collection, ain't got nothin' on me ! Unless you count her Cabbage Patch dolls... Still, I now have four characters who each have three doll versions. And I'm looking at buying at least three more. (sigh) It's just so ridiculous ! What am I gonna do with four Frankies ?!
Thing is, I really do like each version. With variances in hair and hands and facial styling, each is unique, but...I'm starting to drown in a sea of MH. I'm really at a loss. I'd always intended to sell the new DLaura and any red-glasses Ghoulia I decide to pick up, plus the 'Classroom' three...but the real question is, can I really go through with it, and is anyone really gonna want tube-redressed, no-shoes, no-props dolls ?
It's been on my mind all day, and I still don't have a real solution. For now, though, I got all the MH dolls in one place, and started shuffling. All the first-issue dolls are on my desk. The four guys are lined up in back, the six girls are seated. They're easier to see when they're not lost in an ocean of more. The other girls were relocated to the sewing arena, which meant I'd need to do some quick moving around. Hmm. I could move the doll patterns from the open-air basket to a plastic 80s sewing tote that was holding felt under the desk...yes, that worked. The felt went into a fabric bin, and some other shuffles got more bits out of the way. Finally relocated some mat board - cutaway pieces from the custom framing department that Hobby Lobby sells cheap in baggies - to the photo backdrop drawer in the desk, something I'd been meaning to do.
Now the Gloom Beach and Dawn of the Dance dolls had a place. But I already had a semi-diorama on my desk, one I wanted to keep fluid. Didn't want another I'd never mess with on the sewing desk. So I grabbed the book holder, fitted it into the former pattern basket space, and arranged the dolls inside. Perfect. Now, when I sew for a MH doll, I have plenty of models ready to go. When she gets new clothes, she gets to hang out on my desk, with her 'sister' going into the sewing arena for her chance at new apparel. I think this is gonna work out just fine. I'll have 'new' dolls rotating around frequently - or at least, I will when I start sewing again ! - and I won't keep sewing for the same three dolls over and over.
(sigh) True, this doesn't help me 'cull the herds', so to speak, but it's a start. I'm sure I'll begin to realize which dolls I don't really like to sew for, or don't like the expression on, stuff like that, once I see them 'one on one' instead of a sea of repeating faces.
To cap off a pleasant day's 'labor', I grabbed the ultra-fine markers Beloved bought us a couple months back and touched up Basic DLaura's Fearleader costume. The one I darn near wrecked trying to get the 'stitches' decals off, the same one that made me swear to make my own blasted costumes next time. The waist ribbon is nearly totaled from being in the way of too much scrubbing and rubbing, but a bit of fresh hot-pink helped it look a bit better, and the trusty black Sharpie helped hide that blasted decal residue that never would come off completely. I've had really good luck with a Sharpie this week ! I wonder if they make a white Sharpie - and if it'd work on that ribbon at all. Anything'd be an improvement !
Well. Maybe with these new changes, I'll start to feel eager to begin again. I have plenty of new ideas...
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