Iplehouse Felix

RUGGED REALISM

Doll type: Felix
Skintone: White
Manufacturer: Iplehouse
Faceup skin option: Clear

Owner: Marien J
Date completed: 22 November 2015
Materials: Acrylic paint, Rembrandt & Schminke Soft Pastel, MSC UV Cut Flat, Humbrol Acrylic Matte Varnish.

Note: This is one of Marien’s original character from her novel/story https://projectdianthus.wordpress.com/tag/project-dianthus

Nil is  “a clone of an original human specimen designed to be more bioweapon than actual human. He has a tendency to exhibit aloof, detached behaviour, and is only somewhat expressive when interacting with his Great Dane, Gambit. Nearly everyone is in awe of him due to the extent of his abilities, all of which he uses freely to accomplish what is expected of him.”

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Tête-à-Tête: Proust and The Rebellious Princess

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to the Proust series! I acquired Ballad not too long ago, and realised today that she did not get to have her turn at this just yet.

Ballad has been a delight to shell. In my opinion, she is not as fleshed out as her companions as of the moment; her character was created to fit the Marien sculpt (which I was quite adamant on getting because we shared a name!) What I did know from the get-go was that I wanted Jin to have younger siblings. I have always been fascinated by the dynamic between and among the Crawley sisters of Downton Abbey; I wanted to have something similar present in my own characters.

Much of Ballad was inspired by the youngest Crawley sister, the late Sibyl. Ballad, though much younger than most of the characters in the novel, certainly knows her own mind. She is effervescent, kind-hearted, and adventurous, and has little to no regard for authority figures that try (in vain) to temper her spirit. She is close to both Jin and Maddox, and often takes the role of being the glue that holds her eternally feuding brothers together.

I still have to take some new photographs of Ballad (as well as the rest of the crew so they may have matching profile photos), so bear with me for a bit while this remains blank.

Your Friend and Author,

Marien

Tidbits: Absolutely Awkward

Dear Reader,

Bob is staying over for awhile. I hardly own any normal-sized dolls, so I often turn to friends for help when trying to make clothes for standard sizes.

By now, you may have heard that Bob isn’t exactly on the best of terms with Sierra, who has gotten not only frisky but also emotionally involved with her first love, Val. For the most part, it’s a one-sided battle–Sierra harbours no animosity towards her because it isn’t really a big deal on her end. Bob is a teenager, after all, and teenagers eventually outgrow their issues. She just wants it over and done with, because it can get a teeny bit annoying to be hated on.

Lucy simply sticks around to keep the peace.

Your Friend and Author,

Marien

You are super adorable. (Please don’t brick me.)

DOLLVIE 2015

Dear Reader,

This year, with some good friends, I decided to make the (short) pilgrimage to Hong Kong and take part in my very first Dollvie.

Dollvie used to be known as Hong Kong Dollism. Many of my friends have been going in the span of five years, but I’ve never been able to come along due to other big trips. This year, my slate was clean–when the skies are clear, you fly.

I had such a great time at the event! Alek, Krishna, Chin and Carissa, my Manika Manila trip buddies, were also Dollvie “virgins”; it was a very new experience for all of us. Only MK, a dear friend from Singapore, was a Dollvie veteran in our small group. There were so many amazing sponsors, exhibitors and dealer booths this year. I (thankfully) did not wipe out my entire budget, but I’m happy with the loot I brought home because I got so many amazing deals. Imagine Taobao shopping minus the agent assistance and the shipping fees!

I didn’t get to take much photos. I was too busy soaking up the experience and draining my wallet of its contents. I’d love to be able to go again next year if the opportunity presents itself.

Warning: Incoming photodump ahead. You’re welcome.

Your Friend and Author,

Marien

This is the decent group photo. Wee.

Dynamic Duos: Nil and Lu (Segment One)

Dear Reader,

Once upon a time, I was hell bent on making Nil and Lu a canon pair. Further plot development led me to realise that things would turn out for the better if they didn’t.

So, yes, that idea is now in the bin. It is for the best, plot-wise.

This, of course, does not mean that they do not care for each other. Lu is a meddler by nature; he pokes his head into people’s business, even if it is often unwarranted. Nil? His feelings for Lu go beyond mere tolerance, at least. He is a sentinel by nature, and Lu is someone important to his boss.

I found some photos from an old shoot. Do enjoy.

Your Friend and Author,

Marien

Nil kind of lives and breathes the stalker-bodyguard thing.

Tidbits: A New Look for Sierra

Dear Reader,

Having the right faceup (and, consequently, the right artist) on a doll has always been important to me. As this hobby is bolstered by the novel my characters live in, they end up growing into their own over time, and I feel the compulsion to allow their resin forms to grow with them.

For the longest time, Sierra has been defined by a certain degree of bitterness that stems from her past. Somewhere down the road, she found love, and that love mellowed her out a little. Her faceup was starting to look too harsh for her character, so I decided to sent her to one of my favourite artists, Alison / Marison, for a much needed update.

I have a lovely history with Marison as an artist. I sent Lu to her late last year for a new faceup. Unfortunately, this happened during the time that Hong Kong ended up becoming embroiled in the country-wide crisis called the Umbrella Movement. Marison and I lost touch for several weeks, and while I was concerned for the state of their country, I was also concerned about my doll.

When we finally got in touch with each other, Marison surprised me by offering to do Lu/s faceup free of charge since it was well past her turnaround time. I had insisted on paying her for her services, but she had been equally adamant about doing it for free in return. In the end, I relented. Lu made it back in time for my birthday with a beautiful faceup that I am absolutely determined to keep until it goes beyond repair. At that time, I also promised that I would eventually send another head her way so that I could finally pay her for the wonderful work she does. Sierra ended up becoming that perfect opportunity, and I could not be happier with how she looks now.

Your Friend and Author,

Marien

GRAND RENDEZVOUS: SO LONG, SCORCHING SUMMER

Dear Reader,

First off, a thought I want to get off my back: SUMMER IS OVER. FINALLY. /does a somewhat uncoordinated victory dance I’m not a summer person in the very least. I don’t enjoy being under the sun. I’ve lived in a tropical country all my life, but have always fared much better jogging down the streets of sleepy little New Jersey suburbs in the dead of winter. This past week, rains have started to fall, and the sweltering heat has eased up in almost miraculous measures. Here’s to hoping it keeps up!

Last weekend, I left the confines of Metro Manila for a fun weekend out with some fellow doll owners. Our wonderful community mods were able to arrange an overnight stay at a lovely home in Tagaytay City, and some of us jumped at the chance to be able to take photos of our dolls at a scenic venue in the absence of onlookers. It was still quite hot when we arrived, so I decided to spend the day lazing around in the pool and leaving the shooting for the next day. (I am secretly Gudetama.)

All in all, it was a lovely experience. I got to rush sew summer outfits for my dolls, cook dinner, take nice photos and participate in the grandest game of Cards Against Humanity ever. Fifteen players – can you even imagine? More importantly, I got to spend some time vacationing with good friends.

I will cease rambling now and get to the photos. I now belatedly feel bad that I didn’t get to take photos of my friends’ dolls! Everyone looked wonderful in their summer wear, so I wish I had time to shoot them, too. (You never have enough time when you bring five dolls to shoot.) Oh well – it’s not like we can always have everything.

Your Friend and Author,

Marien

(You’re never going to get any sunshine, Jon Snow.)