Some Detail Shots :)

So many things I want right now 😫

Abdab Season 2016… it’s coming!

I’ve been getting questions coming through about what Abdabs are and where to get them, whether they can be preordered and so on, so I put together this info sheet to help clear things up.

It’s light on the lore, if you’re interested in a fun story and the character of each abdab then head over to the Abdabs section of my website for more info!

It starts on the 1st September but Abdabs will be available in unlimited quanities until the 30th November so there’s no panic to get your order in on the first. However, if you wanted to give an abdab as a Christmas gift I would recommend getting your order in as soon as possible, as shipping around the festive season gets weird and irritating!

Some things I haven’t mentioned on the info:

There will be a special “grab bag” style blind box release of CRYSTAL caberfeidh – they are caberfeidh with transparent heads! I have cast 35 in loads of different colours with glitters, iridescence and some glow in the dark. They will be packaged in an opaque box so I don’t know which you will get, it’s a surprise! They will be £35 each.

There will also be a grab bag blind box release for crystal corvies too, I’m still casting them. I have over 50 and they will be £20 each!

 I will be releasing 100 enamel abdab pins this year! Yup, jumping on the pin game. But I love them and they’re little affordable fun things. They will be £7 each - $9

Just 16 days to go!!

These made Rowan especially happy. I love them, too.

The scarecrow roots are out in full force this season! Some of you expressed an interest in Made To Order scarecrow roots, so there are a handful of slots available in the shop now! Full details in the shop listing. Thank you so much to everyone who pokes their head into the shop!

thebeastpeddler.etsy.com

Finally have sandpaper and wooooow, what a difference it makes!

I feel the same way. I know from looking at this blog, one would assume I was new to the community, and in ways I am because I've always been a lurker, and never joined any forums or anything because I didn't own any dolls myself and knew it would be forever before I did. I have admired ball jointed dolls since I was a teenager. I'd say I first stumbled upon them when I was 14 or 15. I have finally reached a point in my life where I feel my creative ability may allow me to make my own ball jointed doll. Note that I am 25 now, going on 26. I still can't afford a legit doll (I'm sure if I'd been saving for one in particular I could have found a way to make it happen but that's all hypothetical.) and I can't even afford a recast but even if I could, I'd rather MAKE MY OWN doll than ever pay for a recast!

It's hurtful to actually sit here and do the work, to see for myself how much time and effort and skill goes into making these dolls, and to think people believe it's okay to ignore all that, because they feel ENTITLED to it for the price they want to pay. They cost so much for a reason. Would you work for pennies an hour? Probably not unless you were forced to! Yet there are those who look at a doll that took hours, days, weeks sometimes months or even years to come to fruition, and they think, "that's too high a price." Basically you're saying what you want is more valuable than honoring the artist.

I know it sucks to be poor. I know it sucks to see others with luxury items and it's hard not to feel less-than when others have so much of what you'd like to have. I know because I've been there. I never had the newest toys or clothes. As an adult I never have the newest phone, I own no gaming systems, etc. I know it sucks!!! But why would you want to spread the suckiness? Do what you can to change your situation but don't take your shitty situation and make someone else's life shitty as well. Sorry if that seems harsh but it's true. Life is not fair and you could act like an obstinate child and say, since it's not fair to you, why should you be fair to BJD artists? But then that makes you childish.

If you buy recasts knowingly and willingly it's the same as admitting you love yourself more than the community you're trying to be a part of. And it's okay to love yourself, but it should never come at the cost of another. Loving yourself should never come at the cost of stealing someone's hopes and dreams and hard work.

Casting

I normally don’t write/respond much to the recast debate, particulary because some people can word the resonse I agree with much better then me. But this time I kinda want to write down my thoughts on it, especially because it hits close to my heart. So I heard Haru Castings Adori has been/is in the progress of being recasted. I’m not sure how true this is (since I haven’t seen any evidence) but the idea alone really upsets me. They are a family run company that tries to make pro-casting availeble for smaller artists, they are in that way helping art and artist around the world to make this little bulb of matter a bit of a more beautifull and creative place. They also, out of love, had their son portraited as a doll, something that super relatable for me since I also portrait my friends and family out of love in the shape of dolls (although in porcelain). It’s so commendable that they are willing to share their love and intamicy with us, it’s beautifull that they have been gifting him/her away… it’s nausiating to think that someone is willing to defile that love, to defile that willingness to share.  To think that there are people in this world that are so selfabsorbed/selfcentered and selvish hurts me. I want to make this place more beautifull, I want to ad my little two cents to this world to make it a better place for everyone. It’s like there’s a fight between people who try to make this a better place and people who are only willing to look at themselves. At one hand you would think, I don’t want to share my work anymore, I don’t want to make it in such way that it’s possible to steal, etc. But at the same time that makes them win… so, I have been toying with the idea to have my African girl casted, mainly because my boyfriend, father and Snow-and-Resin have been very supportive/pushing me. But now I’m certain that I want to have her casted, because if I am willing to go out there, and support Haru by giving them work, and share what I make with the world to hopefully bring a little bit more love and acceptance in it. So I just wanted to say to all the artist out there, do not be discouraged, work hard, try hard and fight! Things won’t always be sunshine and rainbows but if we don’t try to make things better no one will.  This kinda got like a long emotional rant but I can’t help it, it just makes me so angry and dissapointed. But I will take that anger and turn it into energy to create and finish my girl. I will work really hard to make her the best I can!  ps: is you are of African descent and are willing to help me with feedback drop me a message tl;dr: recasting makes me angry enough to get myself out there as an artist and do what they are discouraging, the fight is on! 

doll painting design/idea I made for @mismantisbjd! Lineart by Mis, the rest by me.

I'm so excited for @offalteeth 's Familiar Exchange, I figured it would be nice to upload some of my work so people have an idea of what I do :) I know my Tumblr has been dead for a while :/ but I have been crafting despite that! This was my first serious attempt at a plush. I wasn't able to do all that I wanted to within the timeframe I gave myself. It's a Sandshrew!

My favorite thing to draw, the Creepy Moon. Woodburnt clay painted with glow in the dark polish, and polymer clay (the light parts also glow.)

This is the drawer she hides in with her body and a pendant I was working on.

I really do feel awful about the lack of updates. I am still working on the commission and so I am not left with any time for personal work, really. I did pick up a dremel, though! So, that's exciting :)

This is a doll head that I started and was very passionate about but this year was a lot busier than I had anticipated. I hope to finish her someday but she has a long way to go!