QuasiMiddleAges, or What year is this Court thing supposed to be?

In case you're a new guest to my little corner of the blogosphere, I should mention that I have this medieval sort of fantasy story I've been working on for years, and a majority of my dolls are characters belonging to that story. Specifically they belong to the Court of Dun Elisedd, the group of people who are the movers and shakers of a castle in a small northern kingdom.

It draws inspiration from many, many sources, not the least of which are things like The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Prydain, Beowulf, the Arthurian mythos, and histories of many actual kingdoms. It is a fantasy story, but like Tolkien and other authors, I have something of a passion for world-building and cultural anthropology, so I have done a lot of thinking about the cultures in this world and how they interact, and what their clashing or melding means for their society.

I have trouble sometimes with keeping my historical & locational influences to one period or place. I am madly in love with the Arthurian era of war-torn, Saxon-invaded Britain, with kings and chieftains and warriors, and the simpler architecture and gorgeous celtic artistic forms they had. I also like the "Ivanhoe" period of Post-Hastings England with the Saxons and Normans uncomfortably mixing, and all the cultural awkwardness there. There are lots of things in fashion and clothing, however, that I like from as late as the High Middle Ages, 1300 or so. I try to keep my main influences in fashion, art and architecture somewhere between the Roman British era and theNorman Invasion, just for the sake of clarity and some vague unity in the whole mess.

It is well worth pointing out that I have only barely begun a dabbling study of British and European history compared to many authors and illustrators, and there's a lot more to study. It's one of the things that makes this story a work in progress.

Why base a fantasy novel on history, you might ask? Because I've seen what happens when you don't, and it looks like Dungeons and Dragons. *twitch* Not that I have anything against High Fantasy, as it's known, but it doesn't feel as real to me. The appeal of Fantasy is that you can imagine somewhere, somehow, once upon a time, it was real. My story is about real people, even if there is a bit of magic involved and they use swords and horses instead of iPhones and Toyotas. These people live and love and bleed and die, and I can't cheapen that by making everything up and having it not make sense. Their world needs to be solid, and have real weather, real troubles and real life in it.
My fantasy world cannot have everyone on the continent under just one king, they can't all speak a Common Speech with no good reason for it, and they can't have an economy based on unrealistic amounts of gold pieces everyone has and everyone values exactly the same, and they can't all have conveniently enlightened modern views on property, citizenship, women, and slavery. That's how it is in many Fantasy settings, but not in mine.

The Grindbox - Resin is Toxic

Resin dust is like silica, coal dust or other things tiny, particulate and inorganic- once it gets into your lungs, it never comes out. It can cause cancer like Mesothelioma, or simply Miner's Lung just by being in there. Cancer can be fought by horrible chemicals, but there is no way to cure Miner's Lung. It is a slow death sentence.

Sounds dramatic, but that's the truth. Lots of things that we deal with every day can totally kill you if you do something stupid, and resin dust is no different. Arc welders and industrial power tools are just as deadly, but the right equipment makes them safe. With the right precautions, you can make resin safer to work with. One vital way is to wear a properly fitted respirator of N95 rating or higher and make sure it is always fitted and has fresh filters. There are lots of ways to keep resin dust out of your environment and under control.

What I have for my setup is a thing I've been calling the Grindbox. (Pictures coming later!) It's like a sandblasting box used industrially or a chemical hood, except it's built out of hacked together parts and caulked foamcore board because I couldn't be bothered to try to cut wood in an apartment, and wood is heavy. Metal was out of the question. I plan to post images of the thing to my blog eventually but I'd recommend building this thing to serious modders only, since it takes a lot of work and buying a dedicated shop vac and expensive HEPA filters- Also, I have not yet perfected the design and cannot in good conscience vouch for its efficacy yet. I still wear an N95 mask while working with it, just in case. (Mesothelioma is a horrible way to go. Not for me, no thank you!)

What the Grindbox is made up of is a big ol' box with a wide, tilted lid on top that has a panel of clear acrylic in the lid so I can see what I'm doing, and big sleeves and gloves that are caulked into their holes and extend into the box. The gloves are rubbery non slip gripper things that help me not drop things when I am working with the Dremel and they are thick enough to protect my fingers when the toolbit slips accidentally. (Never work with a Dremel without gloves- we like our fingers' flesh!)

The lid is sealed by velcro straps to hold it tight shut when I am working in the box. The box has an air intake made of a hole with HEPA filter over it caulked to the side, which I will have to replace periodically. The air outlet is a caulked on funnel in the opposite side, to which has been sealed a vacuum hose attachment. This is connected to a just-for-this Shop Vacuum that has been fitted with HEPA rated filters that also have to be regularly changed, but this thing sucks up all the dust and shavings from whatever I work on inside the box and does not allow particles back out into the air.

There is also a hole in the side of the box to allow me to place a Dremel in the box, then run the cord out of the box. This currently has a valve-like sealing around the cord made of layers of rubber and Gorilla tape, but I'd like something less kludgey eventually. Currently the Dremel just kind of stays in the box and I open the lid to put new bits in the box, then close the box promptly and use my gloved hands inside it to change Dremel bits.

I am still perfecting the whole thing but it does make it possible for me to do lots of stuff I could never contemplate doing in an apartment. I wear an N95 mask when I use it anyway, and have air purifying filter fans running in the studio pretty much all the time just to be extra safe.

About Copernica

 ( Click on the "About" Label for more of my characters and info about the dolls that portray them! )


This is Copernica.

I did her aesthetic design, but she kind of made herself. It all just... happened.

It all started with a Doll In Mind Secret head I was keeping around for some reason. I received it for free, if I recall correctly, because the "Secret" head was a free gift given as part of an event done by Doll In Mind, a doll company in Korea. I liked the sculpt, but all my bigger "SD"- sized dolls have made themselves a realistic group, and the Secret head was just too childlike and stylized... but the perfect, heavy white resin and beautiful sculpture was so lovely I couldn't bring myself to sell her.

Then I was dyeing another doll, and sanding his head to re-dye for even tones, and I looked at the way the dye appeared, half sanded off, as if it were worn away, like antique pottery or ivory or bone...
I set him down, ran upstairs, seized the DIM head and dunked it into the dye, then sanded like a mad thing. I knew all of a sudden what she had to become, exactly how she should be.

Here she is in her beginning.


I went to a local yarn shop and hunted for a good hour to find the perfect thing to make her wig from. I knew it had to be soft, huggable, touchable, and preferably resemble hair or dredlocks. I knew this stuff would be perfect:


I sewed a wig cap out of felt and stitched locks of the yarn to the wig cap.

Some are stitched on the inside so that her wigcap won't show when the hair is pulled back from her face.


Here she is wearing the wig; little moonface. I thought Copernica would be a whimsical name, and now I can't think of her as anything else.


Next: her faceup, or lack thereof, placing her very special eyes, and modding her hands and body.

***

I gave her glass cabochons in 16mm for eyes. I got them from a jewelry supplier.

***

We have a body! A kind soul sold me a body for a great price, and it was in great condition, though being a Domuya Flexi body it needed some work on the stringing channels, some tightening and some sueding. She was comically floppy, which was nice to hug but tricky to pose.

I also made her a little smock to wear until I had finished her mods and could make her more fitted clothing. She liked the embroidery, I think. Here she is finally looking like a proper doll!
She hopes you'll pardon her showing up in her nightie.

Nude shot! Dolly Nudity, nothing explicit.
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This body was obviously much too mature for her, and there are things about the shapes of the torso I wasn't too fond of, so I reshaped her, and her neck was juuuuuust a touch too short, so she got some Apoxie on the neck top to help how her head sits.

Here's how she looked after those mods-


I took the body apart, reshaped the breasts to be smaller and higher, recut all the stringing channels to be wider, replaced the hand wire bits posing as s-hooks with actual hooks, replaced the failing lanyard hooks inside her feet with new twisted wire parts, and sanded some of her larger sharper seams.

Then, with her still in pieces, I dyed the entire body in Rit dye on my kitchen stovetop. She's uneven, but I wanted her to look a little rough, and somewhat wooden. The colors I mixed gave me a nice rich mahogany or cherrywood color. It photographs very orange but is more wooden looking in person. The thing about her legs is a doll stand to help her remain upright, since she gets played with and moved about so often that her elastic doesn't stay very tight for long.

I got her some White Skinned hands. I ordered them from LUTS. They're Delf boy hands but I've always loved their sculpting and the female hands were too small and delicate for her.
I dyed these hands as close as I could get to the colors I've used on the rest of her, then strapped on my respirator and went into the garage for some sanding work.

Here's before and after shots of the hands, dyed and sanded.


Here's both hands sanded and on her wrists!

And here is the result!

This body is insanely posable and natural, able to sink into poses my other dolls can't even try.



She's one of my favorites in the collection, even if she doesn't "match" with any of them. She's her own little creature.

The King's Wolf

from the Court of Dun Elisedd storyline...

His Royal Majesty Lir and Kevya the Wolf, his servant.

Corn is No Place For a Mighty Warrior

So right now my studio is halfway unpacked from moving, thanks to the fabulousness of a best friend. Since I'm not done setting up again, doll mods are slow at the moment but are at least faster than they have previously been the last four months.

I'm working on a Fairyland Pukipuki/Realpuki hybrid, giving him the sturdier body of a pukipuki but the elfin face of a Realpuki Soso sleeping faceplate. He's going to be Apple's beau and eventual husband.
So far he's had his headback adjusted to take the Realpuki faceplate, dyed a mahogany tan, and now given a teeny tiny faceup made possible by Acrylic thinner and a new paintbrush I have that lets me make ridiculously tiny lines.
Here he is, in all his tiny nude glory:



Now that he has a face proper, I can't help but think I've made a mistake. I've been calling him Sorrel up until this point, reasoning that Apple had a floral name so he should too. Sorrel is just not the kind of name a tribal-looking little hunter and warrior should have. He seems much more joyful and fierce. Especially fierce. Sorrel is no name for a mighty warrior. I must find him a new name.

About Apple

Type: Fairyland Tyni, a realpuki from Fairyland
Name: Apple Blossom
Nickname(s): Imp, fashionista, The Domestic Goddess
Sex: F
Age: Unknown/young lady
Birthdate: unknown
Faceup: Me
Skin: Normal
Hair: FakeFur from e'bay
Eyes: Glib Brown 6mm
Nationality/Species: Fairy
Favourite colours: Green, strawberry
Look: Fairy nature sprite thing.
Likes: The outdoors, her sister, exploring, collecting sparkly things, nesting, making new fashion creations
Dislikes: Being told to sit still
Secrets: Is considering finding herself a mate and making a love nest.
Personality: Cheeky, clever, sneaky, cheerful, optimistic
Background: Came here with her sister Cherry Blossom looking for fun and adventure

When the company Fairyland first released their 9cm Realpuki line, I thought the Tyni sculpt was obnoxious and kinda homely. He didn't have eyebrows to speak of and they gave him a long pointy mosquito nose. Then I saw owner pictures and I started to get ideas. Ideas about maybe modding the nose, and how cute the Tyni's eyes could be, and what if it were painted and dressed as a girl instead of a boy... (Realpuki bodies are gender neutral) Eventually I fell in love and got one, and within an hour of opening the box I had modded her nose to be less pointy and began planning faceups.

I tried several looks, but she ended up with a surprisingly feminine ladylike faceup, complete with impish lashes and strawberry lips. She also just looked best in blonde, another thing I had not expected. She was going to be my little wild fae, but she wanted gowns, frocks and dresses! Jewelry and tiaras, and maybe a few purses? Her sense of style is still very nature-based and whimsical, but I never thought I'd have a fairy who wants to be a fashion designer!

Her personality appears to be some expression of my home-maker side, because all this fairy wants to do is set up house, interior decorate, and cook and sew amazing fae couture! She's got a little pumpkin house that she's set up shop in for now, and she is a designer for other fairies who come to get gowns made by her.



I bought a tiny sewing machine and I found this wee sewing basket at Hobby Lobby with ribbons and thread and things. She has several outfits now, and teeny tiny jewelry, and two pairs of shoes from Fairyland.

I am working on a Pukipuki/Realpuki hybrid so she can have a beau, and then I have a teensy tiny micro BJD, a "Squee" from DreamHigh Studio that is 5cm high, and he's gonna be their kid after they get married. Yes, I've got it all planned, hah.

Character Interview: Kevya

From a Character Interview thingy on "Den of Angels", a BJD forum.
Kevya is a character of mine from a Novel-In-Perpetual-Progress that I've been working on for years.
Being able to make a BJD that looks pretty much like him has been a goal of mine since I got into this hobby. I think I've almost got the doll how I want it.

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Kevya
Doll Mold: Iplehouse Barron Mod
Face up: me
Eyes: Bright blue
Hair: Black
Age: Unknown

He's from a medieval world, and he's... a rather strange person. I'll let him answer but I may add comments.

If you were to describe yourself with one word, what would it be?
Wolf. That's one of my names.

What is most important to you in the world?
Right now, Lir. He saved my life, and probably my soul too.

Would you help someone who needed it while passing?
I... suppose so.

Are you very observant?
Very.

How innocent/naive can you be?
I was once. I'm not anymore, except maybe where court social life is concerned, but I'm under no illusions.

Can you entertain yourself easily?
I suppose. I can always spend time watching what's happening around me.

How well do you get along with others?
I don't... really like people. Especially not crowds.

What was the longest time you had a friend?
Before I was a slave, back in the north, I had friends I knew for years and years...

Do you have someone who knows you inside out?
Yes, and I pray never to meet him again.

How short is your temper?
That depends on what is bothering me. I am normally patient.

Can you let go of grudges easily?
I don't form them easily, but I doubt I ever let go of them. Some things I cannot forgive.

Do you read?
When I can.

How long do you stay interested in something?
As long as is needful.

Do you know your parents/creator?
No. I was found on the tideline after a storm, half drowned.

What is your birthday?
I don't know.

Do you have any siblings?
None that I know of.

Ever have to fight for what you believe in?
I've had to fight for my life. I believe in surviving. Now I fight to guard Lir. I believe in him.

When did you move out on your own?
A year or so after I was found, I left the house of the people who took me in and built my own small home.

When did you REALLY mature?
I've always looked this same age, somewhat. I feel so much older and more worn having been a slave. Years were taken from me.

Did you have many friends?
I did, before being made a slave.

Any action you regret?
Every murder I was forced to commit in the fighting arena.

What is a memory you treasure?
Everything from before the arena is vague and faint, but I remember being married to my wife. I remember loving her.

Do you have a dream partner?
I haven't dreamt like that in a long time.

Do you believe you seek someone like your parents(or creator)?
I wouldn't know.

Do you have one night stands?
Do I what?

What feature is most attention grabbing for you?
In a woman? Her temperament. If she is unpleasant, her face hardly matters.

What MUST someone have for you to consider them?
Kindness.

Older, younger, same age as you?
I don't know my own age- Who am I to say?

How do you feel about settling down?
If I could, I think I would.

How many dates before you go to bed with someone?
Beg pardon? ... I would want to be married to a woman before I gave myself to her.

How do you handle rejection?
I'm not sure.

How many times did you stop something before it developed?
...I don't understand the question.

Have you settled down and if so for how long?
I was married once for fourteen years. She died.

Any Children?
No. I could not give her children. She had born a child of a previous marriage who had died in infancy, so she could have carried a child...

What do you love most about your partner?
It's hard to remember- Everything before the arena is so hard to recall- I loved her laugh. I loved her eyes. I loved being held by her.

Any petnames?
What? No.

How many relationships have you been in?
Elrehanna was my wife's name. She died of a fever.
There was a... woman who was employed by my owner, when I was a slave- that doesn't count.

Have you ended any?
I killed that woman. Snapped her neck.

Has your heart been broken?
Yes.

Any loves you cannot have?
My wife is gone, and I have grieved for her.

Do you believe in true love?
I think I had it once.


Have you ever died?
What? No, if I had, we would not be talking. [He has died, he doesn't remember]

Can you even die?
Well, yes.

Have you seen someone die?
Too many.

Have you killed someone?
Too many to count.

Have you had someone killed?
No.

What makes you truly happy?
Now? Being safe. Being with Lir, out in the countryside.

If you could, what is one thing you would spend your life doing?
I intend to spend it serving my King.

Do you have a job, if so what is it?
I am Lir's guard.

Have you ever gone insane?
Wha-? Yes. Yes I have and I'd prefer not to talk about it.

Did you ever feel as if you were the only sane one in the world?
No.

If you had a choice, would you live a calm eternal life, or live a wild short life?
Peace doesn't sound so bad.