Interview with Caroline Seales

Caroline Seales of Viridian House is an artist I admire for both her distinct style in photography and face-ups. I love how her photos are always light and dreamy and how she makes the dolls she paints look so sweet and charming. She is certainly one of my biggest inspirations in this hobby. ♥

I was beyond ecstatic when she followed this blog when it started, and I was floored when she agreed to do an interview! Read on to know more about this talented lady.

Get the Look: Peach Pistachio Coffee Cake (MSD)

Here's cute little coordinate inspired by yummy pistachios and peaches for your mini-sized girls! I love how outdoors-y but dainty this looks. The colors leave me warm inside, too. Hope you guys like it! ^_^

Photos from BuyAnne and Susan Wolfe

Hat: Straw Hat with Black Ribbon from Kondoll, $11

Wig: Wig Model W062_M (ChocoBrown) from Leeke World, $27

Inner shirt: Long-sleeved Tee (Aqua) by Her Delicate Strength, $15

Crocheted top: Netted Tee from Dollmore, $10

Skirt: La Belle Creamy Dress from Little Moda, $32 (just layer it under the shirts)

Socks: Lace Tot Socks from Dollmore, $2

Shoes: KDS-28 (Ocher) from LUTS, $30

I'll try posting more coordinates for SDs and even boys in the future! Stay tuned. :)

Red Velvet Valentine Meet

Last Saturday, Blair and I attended ManikaManila's Red Velvet Valentine Meet. It was held in a darling little restaurant called Stacy's. It was a long drive up North, but the people, place and food was worth the trip!

Photo courtesy of Nix

The meet's theme was simple: just wear RED! I got a little worried about Blair's outfit since she doesn't have that much red clothes. I ended up sewing red stockings and making a cute red hat for her. Red is not her color, but it still suits her personality. ^_^

The place was really pretty and photogenic. There were lots of cute odds and ends around the area and it had a little faux-garden inside that was perfect for dolly photoshoots! The food was delicious and reasonably-priced, and the service was good as well. I recommend going there if you have the chance!

I was able to take lots of photos. Enjoy checking out the picspam (all 80+ of them) under the cut! :D

Temporal Distortion: Breathtaking Time Lapses of the Night Sky

This amazing time lapse video was shot by photographer Randy Halverson, and the scoring was done by Bear McCreary. Truly inspirational! I really hope I get to experience the night sky like that before I die. :)

Source:
National Geographic

Theme Thursday: Levitation

I love seeing levitation photos. There's something fascinating about the feeling of weightlessness. It reminds me of Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole, of touching the clouds, of floating in space, and other things light and whimsical. :3

1. Explored 2. Floating Melody 3. high expectations
4. dream room 5. an alternate route 6. Workshop
7. Gravity of the situation... 8. Levitate Composite 9. Live with no excuses...

All the photos in the mosaic have been edited to fake the levitation, but this famous photo of surrealist painter Salvador Dali by Philippe Halsman wasn't!

Amazing! *A*

Interview with AiClay

I stumbled upon Jocelyn Teo's miniature artwork a while back when I was browsing through Den of Angels' commission subforums. I was awed at the amount of detail and realism she puts into every little thing she creates. It's just... mind-blowing. They look so yummy and so real and you almost want to eat them, but then you realize that's a Pukifee holding the tart! Amazing.

I'm glad and honored that she took some time to answer some questions for my little blog! Read on to learn more about this awesome artist. :)

Get the Look: Lavender Mocha Cupcake (MSD)

I don't normally like lavender and brown together, but this sweet coordinate is an exception. It actually looks quite refreshing, just like how I imagine a lavender mocha cupcake would taste like!

Photos from Catworld and Pretty Pretty Yum Yum

Wig: Wig Model LR-050_M (BabyBrown) from Leeke World, $27

Head band: R82(brown lace) from Souldoll, $0.50

Dress: Chiffon Dress from Nine9Style , $39

Vest: Chic Mustang Vest from Dollmore, $13

Shoes: KDS-37 For Kid Delf (Ocher) from LUTS, $40

Blair's Fourth Face up: Andreja-style!

I decided to redo Blair's face-up again last weekend. Like I said in my previous post, the last one I did was too pink. I couldn't stand it anymore! So I wiped her clean and started over.

I think I did a pretty good job overall. It's still not very neat (uneven strokes, messy blushing, etc), but I think I like it enough for it to stay for a while. :)

My only big qualm is that she's not photographing as well as she looks in person. Gah. I think the gray eyes she has on has something to do with it. I'll just have to see if she will look better with her default blue-gray ones. >_<

I used too much gloss on her eyes. :c

I like how her eyebrows turned out, though. Not perfect, but it will do. :3

The bottom eyelashes look better in person.

Blair looks more like herself now!

This was the inspiration for the faceup style I did. I'm a big, BIG fan of Andreja's work, and ever since she started making progress videos, I've been itching to try out her style.

Dang. I still have a long way to go, haha! XD

Seth Casteel's Funny Underwater Dogs

Seth Casteel of Little Friends Photo has released a new set of adorable underwater dog photos. I love how derpy and eager these dogs look! So cute. :)

Sources:
CuteOverload and Little Friends Photo.

Lati Yellow Suji

Oooohh boy... I told myself Blair would be my one and only doll. But there has always been a niggling at the back of my head about having a tiny.

I originally planned on getting a tiny as my first doll, but I never really found one that made my heart skip a beat. I only felt it when I saw Fairyland's Minifee Miyu, an MSD, which became Blair. But now, Latidoll's Suji is making me feel the same way! I'm doomed!

Photos from Latidoll

What's worse is Suji reminds me so much of Miette! Those big innocent eyes and cute pouty lips are just perfect for her character.

The absolutely worst part? Suji was a limited event head. Ugh. Now my only chance is to get her second-hand, and she's gonna be pricey, for sure. I'm so screwed!

Theme Thursday: Terrariums

Terrariums are a fun way to add a touch of nature inside homes if you don't have space a lot of space to work with. They are easy to make and are very portable. Just plop one down on your desk and voila! You have a mini garden right beside you.

1. Tiny terrarium 2. Table-top Oasis 3. terrarium necklace
4. Nick's Terrarium 5. an enclosed magic 6. My moss terrarium
7. Twig terrariums 8. Moss terrarium 9. Café Madeleine

When I get my own place, I'll make sure to make my own terrarium. The Hipster Home and Birdhouse provide great tutorials for making them. Check them out!

The Art of Amy Sol

If I were to define Korean-American artist Amy Sol's paintings with just one word, it would be enchanting. I find her use of subtle colors, flowing lines, and earthy motifs magical. I can stare at her works for hours.

Another reason why I love her art so much is because the young girls she paints remind me of mori girls. They look ethereal, innocent and one with nature. Below are some of my favorite pieces from her.

Midnight was a Gentle Giant

String of Light

String of Dew

Tea Leaves

You can find out more about Amy and her work at her official website.

Get the Look: Valentine Macaron (MSD)

It's cliché, but nothing says Valentine's like pink, flowers and sweets. Here's a charming coordinate for your doll inspired by the season. Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

Photos from Tokyo Fashion Co. and Pretty is Pink.

Wig: Ponytail Wig (Gold) from Nine9Style, $24

Hair ribbon: Lace-020 from Leeke World, $1.80

Top: Round Shirring T-Shirt (Pink) from Nine9Style, $16

Necklace: Antique Gold Cage Necklace from Crobidoll, $8
Bracelet: Wooden Bead Bracelets form Nin9Style, $7

Skirt: Frillnara Chiffon Skirt (Ivory Flower) from Dollmore, $10

Shoes: Suede Fringe T-Strap Sandals (Brown) from ReleaseRain, $13.99

Interview with Turbow

Thanida, better known as Turbow, is one of the toy photographers I admire the most. I first discovered her work through her photos of Danbo, but what made me a fan of hers was her BJD photography. In fact, her girls are part of the reason why I wanted a BJD of my own!

Dolly Diptych Weeks 5 and 6

These were taken before I changed Blair's face-up. It's really interesting how the mood and personality of the doll can change drastically with just a change in angle and posing. Enjoy the photos! ^_^

What is it?

Sly as a fox

Outtakes:

   

   

K-pop inspired dolls

A huge percentage of BJD owners and enthusiasts are anime/manga fans, but there's also a growing number of those who are K-pop fans. I happen to belong in both categories! ^o^b

Majority of doll companies are based in South Korea, so it's no wonder there are dolls and doll accessories being produced that bear striking resemblances to famous K-pop idols. Of course, there are also fans who model their dolls after their favorite idols. Here are some that I found:

Souldoll Tae's promo photos look a lot like Big Bang's T.O.P. Check out those eyebrows!

LUTS has wigs inspired by infamous Kpop idol hair. This one looks like BEAST's Hyunseung's hair from their Shock days.

From LUTS again, this time taking inspiration from SHINee's Key's hair from the 2009, Year of Us era.

Dream of Doll's styling for this A&D looks very much inspired by another SHINee member, Jonghyun.

The owner of this Volks Heath did an AMAZING job remaking TVXQ's Jaejoong's Mirotic album photo.

Doll Granado's V-01 looks like it was sculpted to look like TVXQ's Yunho. The eyes, nose, lips and face shape tell it all.

I also remember seeing Super Junior's Sungmin carrying around a BJD of himself in their movie, Attack on the Flower Boys!

Looks like a Volks. Can you tell the sculpt?

Sources:
Souldoll, Dream of Doll, LUTS (1|2), SharingYoochun, Miakodayo, Doll-Granado, AmpedAsia, Photo4Asian, Let's all eat candy, AbKpop, DBSKArchives, KpopStarz.

Kidrobot's Dunnys

Last year, I bought my first Dunny. It was a Tara McPherson from the Fatale Series. When I opened the box, I remember the shop owner saying, "ooh it's a Tara! Wanna trade?" Good thing I refused. Apparently mine was one of the more sought-after ones!

TaraMcPherson's Dunny from the Fatale Series.

I had no idea these little guys were a bit of a hot commodity among young artist cliques. I had just bought mine on a whim because I was attracted by the packaging and the thrill of not knowing what's in the box. Now I know better, and now I want more!

Below are some of my favorite Dunnys from previous releases. What are yours?

Anna Chambers

Tara McPherson

64-Colors

Koralie

Tad Carpenter

CW
(photos from kidrobot)

Theme Thursday: Sylvanian Families

Cute. Adorable. Darling. Delightful. Lovable. Precious...

I could go on and on with the adjectives to describe how I feel about Sylvanian Families. I absolutely love them! There's just so much charm in those beady eyes and little smiles.

1. Cutest things 2. sylvanian families 3. fly to the sky, babies
4. Small elephant, big forest 5. I love my big brother 6. sylvanian family
7. untitled 8. sylvanian family 9. Pom Pom bunny

It's so hard to resist buying them every time I pass by them in toy shops. I want to buy several, but they're just too expensive for their size in my opinion. Hopefully my friends will see this and buy me one (or two, or more, haha)! ;)