Arkadian Dreams

Bringing home Kai

2009-01-08T05:35:00.001Z

On Friday I'll be making the final layaway payment on Kai (KisakiSama's Kaitou); it feels weird to think that in a couple of weeks or so, I'll be holding in my hands the very first BJD I ever saw, on the fourth anniversary of the day I saw him and first got into the whole BJD scene. If I hadn't seen his photo on wtf_inc, of all places, I might never have gotten into this whole hobby. I wouldn't have 14 dolls (soon to be 15!); I wouldn't have an Etsy shop (from which I've made my first sale), I would never have created the obitsulovers community on LJ, and Arkadian Dreams wouldn't even exist.

Can't begin to describe how I feel right now. "Excited" doesn't even come close!

This is a dream come true. I am so looking forward to Kai's homecoming.

I think Eric is too. ;-)

Arkadian Dreams blog and Etsy shop

2009-01-03T03:19:00.000Z

Apologies to anyone who has the Arkadian Dreams blog by RSS feed and who may have just been flooded with past entries - I had some security issues a while back due to a PHP vulnerability hack, and stopped using the blog for a while until they were resolved - and afterwards forgot to go back to posting there again.

I've since discovered that Semagic has the facility to post to multiple journals at once - including cross-platform, which means I can post to LiveJournal and Blogger simultaneously.

So I've been doing a little "catch-up" blogging this evening to bring it up to date; from now on content will be posted to both the LJ and blog simultaneously.

The other piece of news concerns Etsy; I have now set up an Arkadian Dreams Etsy shop, which will be opening shortly!

Dressmaking

2009-01-02T01:14:00.001Z

Gabrielle has been playing clotheshorse for me; first there was her Christmas dress:

And now my latest creation I've been working on - "Lilac Faery":

Gabrielle's normal default eyes and hair didn't really suit the colours of this outfit, so I swapped out her green glass eyes for a pair of blue Eyeco silicone eyes, and her wine-coloured wig for this white one.

Handsewn over 2 days, the dress is inspired by the Lilac Fairy character in the ballet "Sleeping Beauty". The dress consists of a long tulle skirt overlaid with three layers of lilac crystal organza lace spangled with rhinestones; the front panel of the bodice is lavender satin and purple velvet, trimmed with white and gold cotton lace. The front ruffles are white chiffon trimmed with lilac silk ribbon, and the sleeve ruffles are lilac crystal organza.

The outfit will be completed with a pair of shimmery gold stockings, matching undies, a ribbon lace headdress, and a purple organza choker - and, if I can pull it off, purple velvet ballet pumps. I'm hopeful it will be finished in time to go on sale this weekend.

Gabrielle at Christmas

2008-12-24T23:12:00.000Z

Gabrielle wishes you all a very Merry Christmas on behalf of all here at Arkadian Dreams. :-)

Up now on eBay; BW CP Kid Delf Elf Ttori boy (free shipping worldwide)

2008-10-23T15:00:00.000+01:00

Further to my last post, I have now put my BW CP Kid Delf Elf Ttori boy up for sale on eBay. Click here for the auction listing. The auction finishes on 27th October at 15:12 GMT, but you can buy him now for the BIN price of £5 (that's currently $382) with free shipping worldwide. Which is a saving of $18 on the original price of $400 I was asking originally both here and on DoA. ;-)

Click here for DoA sales thread or here for the eBay listing with more pictures, including naked body pictures and full terms and conditions of sale.

FS; KD Elf Ttori boy, Nanuri 07 head

2008-10-15T14:58:00.000+01:00

For sale is my BW Cerberus Project Kid Delf Elf Ttori boy. He is on the original Kid Delf boy body and is no longer produced. He is in excellent condition with minimal yellowing; he is from the "beauty green" era. He will comes with the Monique Gold "Ginger" wig in black shown here, SoulDoll Premium acrylic eyes, light blue velvet tunic, white DollHeart jeans and purple shoes as shown here. He has a custom face-up done by me in Inscribe and I Kan Dee pastels, sealed with Testors Dullkote. I have pierced his right ear twice, and he will come with the sterling silver hoop earrings shown. He is otherwise unmodded and is in excellent condition.

Asking price: $400 + shipping (worldwide)
DoA sales thread

Also up for sale is my BW Cerberus Project Nanuri 07. I have opened his eyes slightly and given him a custom face-up with Inscribe and I Kan Dee pastels, sealed with MSC. He will come with the olive glass eyes and Monique Gold Jojo wig in Auburn and Strawberry Blond as shown in the photo.

Asking price: $150 + shipping (worldwide)
DoA sales thread

Please PM me on DoA or comment below if interested.

Vita Ersatz: Underwear Ads

2008-09-28T16:20:00.000+01:00

Matresca in an Arkadian Dreams corset

Making a name

2008-09-15T11:42:00.000+01:00

It seems I'm making something of a name for myself in the doll world for my handsewn outfits; I put up the latest outfit for sale on ebay last night, and before I had a chance to spam it everywhere like I usually do with my auctions, it's been snapped up by a US buyer for the Buy It Now price of £40! It had one watcher and about 30 hits on the auction within an hour of my posting it last night, and this morning I came down to find it had sold overnight. I'm just waiting for the payment to hit my PayPal account before shipping it out.

It's very cheering that my hobby is starting to pay for itself like this. I'm also rather glad that I'd already started work on the next couple of outfits - I finished the blue corset last night, and the black and gold Chinese brocade corset just needs a final row of topstitching. Most of the work in these outfits is the corset, followed by the skirt. If I can keep up this momentum, I should have another two complete outfits up for sale by the end of this week. I think it's time I started looking into woven labels with the "Arkadian Dreams" name on for my outfits. :-)

So, yes; a nice start to my week!

"Sugar Plum Fairy" for MNF and other slim minis on ebay

2008-09-04T19:07:00.000+01:00

presents

"Sugar Plum Fairy" for slim MSD

Modelled on Gabrielle [Minifee Shiwoo girl]

A 5-piece set for 1/4 scale slim BJDs, designed and handsewn by Arkady Rose of Arkadian Dreams

"Sugar Plum Fairy" is an outfit inspired by the Sugar Plum Fairy in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. The corset is lavender silk, with a cream cotton front panel printed with a fine gold branching leaf pattern; it is trimmed with white and gold lace, lined with ivory Thai silk, and embellished with a cream crystal organza rose.

The skirt comprises of three rows of organza ribbon ruffles, trimmed with lilac silk and finished off with a layer of white and iridescent cotton lace; it is elasticated for a good fit on smaller minis.

The outfit also includes a pair of white lycra shorts, lilac headband and a purple organza choker embellished with a rhinestone gem.

All items except hairband are handsewn. This outfit was made in a smoke-free home.

Please note that doll, wig, earrings and shoes are not included in this auction. This sale is for corset, skirt, leggings, choker and hairband only.

Close-up of corset front

Rear view

This truly one-of-a-kind outfit will fit CP Minifee girls, AOD and DZ 1/4 girls and other similarly-sized slim 45cm BJDs. Shipping is free world-wide.

Ebay Auction

Sneak preview

2008-09-03T01:48:00.000+01:00

A sneak preview of the finished corset for the set I'm working on for my next eBay auction. It's for MNF girls, but should also fit DZ/AOD and other similar-sized minis.

The outfit is inspired by the Sugar Plum Fairy in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. The corset is lavender silk, with a cream cotton front panel printed with a fine gold branching leaf pattern; it is trimmed with white and gold lace, lined with ivory Thai silk, and embellished with a cream crystal organza rose.

Vita Ersatz; Shadow-dwellers

2008-08-31T12:14:00.000+01:00

Two older ones of Perseus I'm fond of and a new one of my smallest shadow-dweller. :-)

A real Wild Child. ;-)

2008-08-30T21:32:00.000+01:00

And finally, my little werewolf boy - who seems to be pretty adamant that he's a Lucien. :-)

Lycanthropes are sexy.

Don't deny it. ;-)

The daring hunter and the fearsome tiger!

Very daring. But also very small.

I don't think the cat is impressed....

In his element.

A fresh look at Neph

2008-08-30T21:15:00.000+01:00

Gabrielle isn't the only one who got the beauty-spa treatment today; Neph finally got a new face-up. He was my first resin BJD over 4 years ago, and the only one who had a company default face-up. The face-up has faded and chipped slightly over the years, so I decided it was time to redo him. I still wanted him to look like Neph though, so I kept pretty close to his original look.

But what I had never realised, is that the Dream Of Doll Hoo actually has teeth! I'd never seen a close-up of a Hoo's mouth with the teeth showing, and in the default face-up they're just airbrushed over - so if I hadn't wiped his default face-up, I would probably never have known!

Anyway, I picked out Neph's teeth delicately with white acrylic, so now if you look at just the right angle, you can see them. :-)

Look! TEETH!

Ickle teeth!

Gabrielle's new face-up

2008-08-30T21:04:00.000+01:00

It's like having a whole new doll. :-)

Goodbye Xavier, hello Gabrielle!

2008-08-29T23:09:00.000+01:00

The fun thing about the one-touch system used by Luts and Fairyland is that you can swap heads.

Like this:

In the process I found that Luspira makes a very effective little werewolf boy (pay no heed to the gold lame trousers; they're for a commission) - and Xavier makes a very cute little girl! So Luspira has now become Lupin (still tempted by the thought of calling him Lucien, though that's the "real" name of 's Hound, Corpselight...), and Xavier has become Gabrielle - and much happier they both seem to be as a result!

Anyway, having a pretty little girl to sew for (and three hours with no internet last night!) inspired me to complete this little outfit up for her - corset is dusky pink raw Thai silk, lined with pink satin and topstitched in silver. Skirt is actually a tutu, with underpants of burgundy cotton jersey and ruffles of burgundy organza, with a top layer of organza trimmed with dark rose satin ribbon.

Her over-the-knee socks were also handstitched by me, and I made the necklace too. Shoes are from Luts. :-)

When the weather isn't quite so humid, I'll be redoing her face-up to give her a softer, more feminine look. :-)

"Aurora" for SD/CP/AOD 1/3 girls

2008-08-20T13:03:00.000+01:00

Up for sale now on eBay:

"Aurora" for SD/CP/AOD girls

A OOAK handsewn creation from Arkadian Dreams

A 5-piece set for 1/3 sale BJDs, designed and handsewn by Arkady Rose of Arkadian Dreams

"Aurora" comprises of the following:

Pink taffetta corset, lined in pale pink silk, laced with pale pink silk ribbon through stainless steel loops. Front panels are overlaid with pink crystal organza.
Pink taffetta skirt lined with pale pink silk and trimmed with pink crystal organza ruffles and white cotton lace. The rear of the skirt is decorated with pink crystal organza bustle topped with a pink silk bow.
Pink crystal organza puffed sleeves trimmed in white cotton lace.
White cotton lace choker decorated with a white rhinestone gem.

Ebay auction

Faux Fer

2008-08-02T23:13:00.000+01:00

Inspired by the Dollhert Fer design but to my own pattern. Myrddin very kindly agreed to model for me. :-)

Mostly testing how well the design works; this prototype is handstitched from cotton jersey, but next I'm planning a version in burgundy silk with gold-trimmed organza ruffles, and another in black velvet with silver-trimmed black organza ruffles. It zips up the back with a very small zip fastener. The prototype is designed specifically for the CP boy body, but it would be simple enough to make versions to fit a girl body. It would also be very easy to scale down the pattern for 45cm dolls too.

The strips forming the ruffles are 2" wide, and if laid end-to-end would measure about 25m!

Red Hair

2008-08-02T02:05:00.000+01:00

Title: Red Hair
Rating: G
Dolls: Eric (CP Shiwoo), Xavier (MNF Shiwoo), Sophie (RL Beige), Galhaia (CP Juri05), Taliesin (Obitsu Haruka elf), ?

Author's Notes: This is an entry originally written for the LJ community "bjd_30minfic", where the purpose is to write a short fic concerning your doll character(s) in only 30 minutes, with a theme set each week. This week the theme was "Twist". Not only was this my first entry in the community, but it was also the first time I'd ever written a fic about them of any length. I've rewritten Rps into storyform before, but writing a fic from scratch is rather different - particularly when trying to write it in only 30 minutes! The response I've had to it thus far has been positive and encouraging, so I thought I would repost it here so it could be enjoyed by a wider audience. Who knows - I might start writing more, longer fics about my characters. :-)

"Boys!"

Eric and Xavier looked up curiously as Galhaia walked slowly towards them, holding the hand of a small girl who hid slightly behind the elven woman's long velvet skirt. Eric straightened and bowed politely as she paused. The little girl eyed him warily, her eyes incredibly bright blue beneath her dark red hair. Eric smiled at her reassuringly, but she shrank back nervously. He sighed quietly and strightened, one hand involuntarily rising to the scars that marred his right eye; he knew all too well that children were often frightened by sight of them.

Xavier was oblivious to his older brother's discomfort as he grinned up at Galhaia. "Eric's showing me how to fix the chain on my bike!" he said proudly. Catching sight of the little girl, his eyes widened. "Ooh, look, Eric! She's got red hair too!"

Eric laid a warning hand on his little brother's shoulder. "What did we say about manners, Xav?" he prompted gently. The younger boy blushed.

"Sorry, my Lady," he apologised and sketched a hasty and unpracticed bow, his young face red.

Galhaia laughed. "It is all right, Xavier; we are all friends here! Ah, but wait, you do not know little Sophie here, do you?" She encouraged the little girl forward. "Eric, Xavier, this is Sophie. My daughter."

"Your... daughter?" Eric frowned a little in confusion. "You mean, like Alaric and Neph - she's your foster daughter?"

"Nay, Sophie is of my blood, though she takes after her father more in looks," replied Galhaia smiling, as she knelt down and enouraged the little girl to step forward. "Sophie, this is Eric, and this is Xavier. They are your -" She broke off suddenly as she espied Taliesin, the Court Bard, making his way across the manicured lawn towards the house. "Oh, there is Taliesin - I've been looking for him; Eric, would you and Xavier please watch Sophie for me?" Without waiting for an answer she straightened and hastened across the grass to intercept the lavender-haired elf whose nose was deep in a book. She took his elbow and steered him swiftly off towards the arbour and away from the two boys and the little girl.

"We are her what?" wondered Xavier. Eric's answer was merely a groan as he knelt down on one knee to be closer to Sophie's height.

"Just look at her, Xav. Look at her hair. Who does she remind you of?" He held his hand out to the child. "It's OK. Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." He smiled gently.

"Like us," replied Xavier. "You mean... she...?"

"Just like us." Eric groaned. "Our father did it again. Just how many of us are there? How many of his progeny - how many more Asmodeys, sired here and there? How many more halfbreeds?"

"But Galhaia said Sophie is hers," pointed out Xavier, giving Sophie a reassuring smile. "Isn't that right? She's your mummy, isn't she, Sophie?"

The little girl regarded Xavier solemnly, then nodded her head. "Yes. She's my mummy. And that's my daddy!!" she added with a joyful shriek before running towards the tall figure who had just come out of the house and was walking towards them. "Daddyyyyyy!" she yelled happily as he swept her up into his arms with a cheerful grin, never breaking his stride as he carried on towards the two brothers, who straightened up, faces blank with shock.

It was Eric who found his voice first.

"Marius??"

Tinies and Dollshes - the Rule

2008-07-25T20:40:00.000+01:00

When tinies meet a Dollshe boy for the first time, the Dollshe nose must be honked.

Proof:

Hound with Banji

Hound with Rosen Lied Beige

Any questions? ;-)

Fatherhood

2008-07-24T18:03:00.000+01:00

Marius recently discovered he was a father; and newfound fatherhood appears to agree with him!

Introducing Sophie

2008-07-23T00:19:00.000+01:00

It suddenly occurred to me that of all the places I've been spamming Sophie, my little Rosen Lied Tuesday's Child Basic Beige, I'd forgotten to post her here! Most remiss of me. So let me introduce you to her - my smallest doll, at only 27cm!

Face-up: Me
Yellow dress: RL Beige default outfit
Pink dress, lace-topped socks: Handsewn by me
Shoes: Mimiwoo
Wig: Can-can J-Series 6" SP10a in Wine (styled and trimmed by me)
Chair: Vintage 80s Hasbro Sindy armchair from personal collection
Bear: Clinton Cards

In the Garden III: Luspira

2008-07-06T17:29:00.000+01:00

In the Garden II: Taliesin

2008-07-06T17:14:00.000+01:00

In the Garden I: The Twins

2008-07-06T17:08:00.000+01:00

Photography: Gel Filters

2008-06-15T00:09:00.002+01:00

Sam dropped by yesterday, having been to a theatre tech expo recently, and gave me a swatch of Lee gel filter samples to play with. Gels are usually used for lighting effects, but I decided to play around with the camera to see what effects I could get.

The following were all shot on a Canon Ixus 400. All photos were taken indoors on Cloudy setting with Macro, no overhead artificial light. No photomanipulation apart from rotating 90° CW and resizing to 600x800.

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #052 Light Lavender
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #793 Vanity Fair
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #720 Durham Daylight Frost
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Scrim Filter #270
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #075 Evening Blue
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #410 Opal Frost
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #228 Brushed Silk
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #004 Medium Bastard Amber (yes, it really is called that!!)
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #207 C.T. Orange +.3
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

Filter: Lee Gel Filter #156 Chocolate
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7.4 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
ISO: 400

I think I shall be mounting these gels in card frames to make it easier to mount them in some form of lens cap to fix over the front of the camera lens. I think I'm going to have lots of fun experimenting with these!