The Christmas Gift

Story under the cut! <3

Merry Christmas!

We'd like to greet everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! <3 Cheers!

Manika Manila Halloween Meet 2012

Late post is late! This post has been in my draft for almost a month. OTL I would like to apologize in advance if there are any typos, grammatical errors, and overall randomess in this post.

***

The Manika Manila Halloween Meet is the most challenging (and craziest!) event of the year. Dolls are required to come in costume, so everyone must come up with their best costume for their doll. We don't really celebrate Halloween here in the Philippines, but it is the perfect excuse for us to dress up... our dolls. We held our meet at Camelot Hotel in Quezon City.

Last year, Alice went as the Black Swan.

This year, with two dolls in tow, I wanted to make 'matching' costumes for them and ended up choosing Hiccup and Astrid from How To Train Your Dragon.

But wait, there's more!

Carry Me?

I never thought they'd be able to do this. Ever.

Axis: Hold on tight.

Manika Manila Themes: Memory

Manika Manila Themes is our local community's way to encourage members to practice their creativity with their dolls. Every month, a theme will be posted on our LJ Comm and the members would apply the theme onto a photo or a set of photos.

I wasn't able to participate in last month's Autumn theme due to busyness. :( Fortunately, I was able to spare a few hours last weekend to sit down and pose my dolls for a photo. By pose I mean make them stand together. XD My idea was very very simple - a tad bit too simple. But it comes with a small story from Axis' memory.

Once upon a time, I was afraid that a simple camera would steal my soul.

But you wanted a memory. Of us.

And convinced me that it'll take more than that to take my soul away.

But you easily gave away yours.

 ***

Thanks for looking!

Random photos + a costume preview!

The past few weeks has been deadly busy. Right after the sales meet, I started working on a few costumes for the Manika Manila Halloween Meet (which will be on the 17th!!!). I swear, after I finish these costumes, I'll take some serious time off from my sewing machine.

Anyhoo, some random photos:

This is Maki, a.k.a. The Machine Gun. Ruffling like a boss.

There's a slightly NSFW pic after the jump. Please be careful. XD

The Manika Manila Tiangge 2012

* Tiangge - a bazaar or a flea market

...added the year on the title because we will definitely have another one next year! Woohoo!

 The sales this year was simply awesome! As in AWESOME BALLS I'M ALREADY SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT SALES MEET!!! XD We had over a hundred participants from all over the place. Aside from the active Manika Manila members, there were a LOT of unfamiliar faces. Hello random BJD owners popping up from nowhere!

It was my first time to join a sales meet and my first time to pre-make clothes for sale. As I mentioned in my last post, I made skirts, dresses, accessories, and crocheted hats in various sizes. It took me countless hours to finish a decent number of pieces. I was even sewing 'till 4 in the morning on the same day due to cramming and too much excitement! LOL. I think I ended up with, er, too much things to bring to the venue that is almost two hours away from home.

Two large carriers with one doll each plus most of my merchandise, a small leatherette bag for personal items, a shopping bag for more merchandise plus booth decorations, and a plastic bag for decorations. Yep, I somehow managed to bring them all. And I don't have a car. OTL 

Click for more pics!

I Love Shopping!

Well, not really.

Random Post: Alice at Ayala Triangle!

A few months ago, Alice went with me to meet some friends at Ayala Triangle Park.

Gray Areas

Went out with some awesome people yesterday. <3 We went to Little Tokyo for some Japanese food. I've always seen people having shoots there, so I thought it'll be the perfect opportunity to make new clothes and do a little shoot with Alice and Axis.

Photos by me and Daddeh M

More photos after the jump!

10 Things About Axis

Now it's Axis'turn! <3

What is overused favorite picture. XD

1. His ~real~ full name is Alexis Fall. Only a few selected people are allowed to call him by that. The name Alexis means "defender".

2. Axis speaks mainly English or Filipino. He also speaks a bit of French.

10 Things About Alice

To tell you the truth, I had a really had a hard time figuring out ten things about my resin kids. Of course I know their personalities, their quirks, their story... but somehow I find it hard to actually finalize everything. Maybe we're still in the process of getting to know each other. Or maybe, I just don't know which ones I should put here. lol 

Anyhoo, first up is my girl Alice! Here are ten random things about her:

1. Alice's full name is Alice Elizabeth Midgard. Alice means "noble, exalted" while Elizabeth means "God's promise".

2. She speaks mainly in English, but knows basic Filipino. She's always baffled by Filipino slang words or gay lingo.

My Boy

Every once in a while, I bring my dolls to work or wherever. Just because.

Axis is a very floppy boy. I already had him restrung, but he's still a floppy boy. I don't mind though, it makes him more cuddly for me.

Single, Double, Slip Stitch

This morning while I was looking for some nice lace for a commission, I found the medium-sized plastic bag that I use to keep the bjd-related crocheted stuff I made. Out of curiosity, I decided to take them all out.

I think I need an intervention.

Sweet Day

Alice and Axis like spending quiet afternoons outside our house, pretending they're on a picnic in a nice garden under the sun.

Alice: We are not allowed under the sun Axis. Its bad for our skin.

Preview: Sweet Day

Looks delicious? Yes? Watch out for my next post! <3


***
Nope, our home computer isn't fixed yet and I still don't have access to Photoshop. I'm currently using GIMP on my BF's netbook and it's reaaaaally slow. >.> GIMP looks pretty easy to use, so I hope I get used to it soon.

Stay tuned!

We Won!

Wow. Just wow.

A few weeks ago, Sayou told me that Makoeyes is having a photo contest to celebrate their V2 eyes launch and she wants us to join. So I said, why not?

After taking some photos of Alice with her new eyes, forgetting to take new ones for Axis, editing Alice's shots, sending them to Sayou, who then posted our entries on the Gallery using Imahica's account, and waiting for Mako to announce the winners...

We won. We actually won! ~(;A;~)

Hello Panda!

Hi guys! Sorry for the lack of posts. Our home computer broke down a few days ago, which means I can't transfer or edit pictures for this blog. I'll try to find a way to at least adjust the color of my pics and add my watermark but for now, please bear with my MSPaint "watermark".

***

Over the weekend, a random panda appeared at home.

O hai thar little panda!

Mini-Review: Makoeyes V2

Delayed review is delayed! Pshh.

When Makoeyes announced that they'll be doing Launch Event for their Revamped V2 eyes, Sayou asked me if I want to join their mini-G.O. (Group Order). I was kinda broke that time but since its a two for one event (buy one, take one), I decided to give it a go. Who wouldn't want a nice pair of urethane eyes at $12.50 each right?

The eyes inside are NOT Mako Eyes. XD

Inspiration: Neil Gaiman's Address to the University of the Arts Class of 2012

This a bit of a long watch but if you're an artist (or an aspiring artist, like me), you MUST see this. 

Neil Gaiman, you are awesome.

Found here.

Commission: Short Kimono Dress

I hope its ok with the owner of the dress, but I'd like to share the latest dress I finished.

Its a short kimono/yukata dress for an Iplehouse EID girl. I hope it fits her well. :)

I used some high quality printed Japanese cotton for the main dress and plain midnight blue Swiss cotton (if I remember correctly) for the obi and the obi ribbon (?). 

My favorite part is the black ribbon detail on the obi. I found it by chance on a sale bin at a local fabric shop. The ribbon's geometric flower design suits the kimono pretty well.

Thanks for looking!

One Cloudy Day

Alice will be celebrating her first birthday with me on the 31st, so I got her an early birthday present.

A 1:3 scale Pentax DSLR!<3

And I'm kinda jealous coz she now has a nice camera. LOL I want a real one for myselfffff~

And she might still get another gift. Might. XD

Before moving on, I'd like to apologize for the crappy and inconsistent shots. It was very cloudy and it was about to rain. >.>

Anyway, Alice immediately went out to try using her new camera.

Alice: I'm really sorry for bothering you but...

Alice Goes to La Mesa Ecopark!

Hey there! How was your weekend? I spent most of my time at home sewing and watching The Walking Dead. Yeah, I'm late when it comes to TV shows. >.> It's intense and creepy but it's a must watch! I tell you, I wanted to stop half-way through the first episode, but I soldiered on because I was too intrigued about what will happen next.

But last (last last?) weekend was pretty tiring! My Mom and her officemates decided that we all should go to La Mesa Ecopark for a short outing. I thought I might get bored most of the day, so I brought Alice to accompany me.

La Mesa Ecopark is located in East Fairview Subdivision, Quezon City. Yep, its within Metro Manila! Its right beside the La Mesa Watershed, which is the source of Metro Manila's water supply. I won't go much into the details, but you can visit their website to find out more!

BJD Quiz!

Grabbed from... a lot of people. XD


List your crew!
Alice Midgard - Doll Love Alice
Axis Fall - Iplehouse Mars

How to save up for your first BJD Part 2: Saving

Note: This is the second part of my How to save up for your first BJD posts. :) See the first one here.

Now that you know your target for your first BJD, here comes the difficult part: saving. This can get quite difficult, depending on your attitude on spending and saving.

Write down or print-out the details of your future doll purchase. Make sure you have all the details on paper: the doll mold, the items you'll be buying with your doll, prices, and shipping. Place it somewhere you can always see it - this will serve as your constant reminder on why you're saving up in the first place.

Face-up Trial, Take Two!

Almost a month after doing Axis' first face-up, I was over with how happy I was with how he looks. I kept on seeing the flaws in my work - the messy eyeliner, the trapped dust, and the weird lines on his eyebrows. With a few hours to spare one hot Sunday, I decided to re-do his face.

Good bye old face-up!

Good Morning

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

Note: The alarm was on for almost an hour >.>

Sun-Kissed

Hey Alice!

One of the best ways to beat the heat...

...is by eating some yummy chocolate ice cream with banana slices. <3

Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been pretty stressed with work and had little time to shoot. OTL Meanwhile, the part 2 of my How to save up for your first BJD posts is still in the works, I have some doll clothes to finish, and I'm planning a shoot for Axis and Alice some time soon. Gah, so many things to do, so little time.

Have a nice day!

Long Weekend Day-Out

Axis went out for the first time last weekend! :D He knew he was going with Alice, so he insisted that they should have a matching outfit.

Axis was trying to have a moment with Alice, but she seemed to be uninterested. XD

I totally salute you guys who bring two or more dolls during meets. These two were heavy!!

First Face-Up!

Note: I redid Axis' face-up! Click here to see his new face. :)

After weeks of major busyness and stress from work, I finally got the chance to sit down and finally work on Axis' face-up.

Without further ado, here's Axis!

More details after the jump!

How to save up for your first BJD Part 1: Planning

Note: This is the first part of the How to save up for your first BJD posts. This was supposed to be a single post, but when I realized the the post will look like a long walls of text, I decided to divide it into a few parts. :) Though this is still a loooong wall of text so, read at your own risk?

Oh BJDs. Pretty pretty BJDs. You fell in love. You want one. You absolutely and surely want to buy one when you suddenly saw the price tag.

From quickmeme.com  (loool sorry, had to use this meme XD)

But wait! Don't lose hope yet. Aside from asking for money from your parents, who would probably say you're too old for dolls/it's too expensive/they're scary (whut)/etc. etc., there's this thing called saving. Yep, saving! 

Some of you may say that saving hundreds of dollars is hard and that you will never be able to actually save up that much. This is not true! There are several ways for you to save enough money to bring that doll home. But first, let's write down some details that you will need to map out your saving plan.

Marilyn Monroe Dress

I was looking through some of my photos on Flickr when I found a set of photos I took last December. Then I realized that I haven't featured this staple dress Alice has been wearing for months.

Pic is obviously old since it still my old watermark.

It's Summer Time!

My office held its annual summer outing yesterday at Canyon Cove in Batangas.

It was a beautiful (yet far) place. It took us almost three hours just to get there. The travel was worth it though.

An emo-ing chair. Just because.

I wasn't able to take much photos of the place and I actually forgot to copy the nice ones on my USB, wtf but all I can say is the place is so, so beautiful. The water temp was just right and the beach was wide enough to accommodate a lot of people. The water was super clear too! They also have a banana boat ride (BANANA BOAT FTW!), jet ski rentals, and snorkeling.

I always take a photo of my feet when I'm in a new place.

Anyway, this is a BJD blog right?

Axis Fall's Box Opening!

My feelings for him was unexpected.

It all started when I viewed R727's deviant art account where I saw him - Griffin, an Iplehouse Mars. He was handsome, and the character was pretty lovable. It was a harmless crush, just like how I'm attracted to Anj's Dice or Iplehouse's Asa - I like them but I don't want to have them. Or so I thought.

Right after the moment I acknowledged my crush on him, he started bugging me. His name would show up everywhere. He was so persistent that I decided that maybe I'll buy him by early 2013 since I probably have some spare money by that time. Then Iplehouse decided to discontinue their original Y.I.D. line.

That's when it hit me. I felt sad.

I didn't know why I felt that sad. I was that attached to the mold? I can just find any other guy on the market, there are tons of pretty doll boys. But this guy was pretty persistent. He gave me a story. A story that connected to Alice so much I couldn't resist.

And with tons of support from my friends, I caved in.

Oh, and did I mention that I claimed that I will never buy a guy doll months ago? Right.

Soft Opening: Commissions!

Hi! I'd like to announce that I'm now accepting clothing commissions! <3

Click the link at the top of the page that says "Commission Me?". Feedback would be really appreciated. :)

Wish me luck!

Manika Manila: Red Velvet Valentine Meet

Ohai! While waiting for Mr. Fall to come home, I figure I should start working on my late account on Manika Manila's Red Velvet Valentine Meet!

We invaded the space! Yay for reservations!

The meet was held at Stacy's, located at Capitol Hills in Quezon City.

photo by Nix

Despite the fact that the resto was located far north of Metro Manila, 28 people and 44 dolls (correct me if I'm wrong) were able to attend the meet. 

The theme of the meet was to wear RED. A lot of people kinda panicked on the day the meet was announced ("My kids have no red clothes!"), but this somehow "forced" people to juice out their creativity and make clothes for their dolls.

On with the photos! A lot of my shots were blurred. >.>

The alien has landed! I repeat, the alien has landed!

On the day I changed my blog design from pink to a fall theme, somebody just had to surprise me by deciding that he's coming home waaaaay earlier than expected.

I am updating the screen cap every now and then. XD

Axis Fall is here!!! /o/

Well, technically, he's not yet officially here since his tracking hasn't updated since last night. Ugh. But he was already at Incheon last night and all flights from Korea going to the Philippines already landed here so I can assume that he's already out here somewhere. >.> 


Yes, his last name is Fall and I changed my blog theme to fall so he did haunt me yesterday without me knowing it. What. And he just had to choose an odd birthday (I'm declaring Feb 29 as his birthday). You're a man of surprises, huh.


Ughhhh why is the shipping wait harder than the production time. Update the tracking please. >.>

Sorry I'm rambling. 

Now stop haunting me everyday little guy. You'll see her in a few days. XD


Now, who is this guy? Some of you know who he is. *trollface* or see the tags

Mini-Update!

Hi guys!I just got home from ManikaManila's Annual Valentine's meet. I had a blast! <3 ILU guys! More about this meet after I upload some photos in the next few days.

Its been a while since I last pulled an all-nighter sewing stuff. I'm not really feeling well right now (been awake for more than 36 hours) but somehow I feel quite accomplished. I was finally able to finish the kimono commission and a quick red dress commission by a friend in one night. Wooh! Its not nice to feel dizzy (and high?) and hyper at the same time, but I somehow missed it since it feels like college thesis season all over again. I'm alive special thanks to Cobra Energy Drink. XD More about these commissioned pieces soon!


Anyway, I'm obviously babbling. Keep watching this blog!

New wig from Crobidoll!

Since I started my bjd hobby, I've been hearing a lot of people raving about the quality of Crobidoll wigs. They say that though the price (plus shipping) is a bit pricey, the quality's fantastic. So when my friend Sayou, placed an order for a doll, I immediately asked her to include a wig for Alice.

And when I got my order... oh dear, I don't think I'll ever go back to other brands.

She now looks like a character from one of Anne Rice's novels XDD

I originally wanted a long curly wig, but I made a mistake in my description (LOL) and Sayou accidentally ordered a different wig. At least its in Alice's color (blonde forever!). But this mohair wig looks so pretty on her. The wig is so fluffy and feels soft to touch. It also doesn't tangle much. Overall, I can say that the quality of this wig is very good!

Alice was also able to try a fiber wig (which Sayou bought for her Kamael):

The Swan Queen

Note: Majority of the contents of this post is already on Den of Angels :)

Last November, Manika Manila held its annual (???) Halloween meet. Of course, dolls should come in costume. I've gone through several designs drawing and one failed gown attempt before deciding on making a Black Swan outfit for Alice.

 

(photo by Kuro-Akira)

Everything was handmade except for the crown and the tights. I got the crown from the Children's Accessories are of a local department store while the white tights are from a Taobao shop.

Here are the costume details.

Current W.I.P.s

Hi guys! How are you?

I'm still mourning for the loss of my cat, Loki. :( He went to the Rainbow Bridge too soon. But instead of just wallowing in sadness, I decided to work on some pending pieces and edit some work in progress photos to post here.

First up, a boater hat:

To my cat Loki

My cat Loki left us today. He was only 11 months old. 

I'll miss you little buddy. :(