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Jun 8

The Mouselings are coming – Interview with Atelier Murinae

A while back I came across this adorable little crew of mice – in grey and white, dark eyed and big eared, looking both sweet and smart.
Those little mice were created by the Polish BJD artist Ewa from Atelier Murinae. They are called mouselings and are her first casted doll. They are casted by Haru Casting. The second order has just been finished and the dolls are on their way home. So let us share the love for those cute little mice and let us hear more about them and their creator Ewa.

Welcome to There Be Dolls – this is my first time welcoming a Polish BJD artist – but I have already realized that the Polish BJD scene is quite strong.

Thank you for having me! It is quite strong, we have some amazing doll sculptors such as Rosen Garden, Insomnia Creates Dolls and Buried in Oblivion, you should really check out their work.

Let us start with your little mouseling – what inspired you to make a little mouse doll?

I’ve always had a great affinity for rodents. As a kid I used to “rescue” baby mice from terrarium shops, so there was always at least one living with me. That’s why I wanted a mouse petdoll pretty much ever since I started collecting BJDs, but never could find one that I liked 100%. So I eventually decided to try and make that ideal doll myself. I wanted a natural teardrop shape, based on my own pet fancy mice, but with good poseability and anthropomorphized features.

Mouseling Army picture by Atelier Murinae

A while back I came a cross this adorable little crew of mice . in grey and white – dark eyed and big eared – looking both sweet and smart.
Those little mice were created by the Polish BJD artist Ewa from Atelier Murinae. They are called mouselings and are her first doll. They are casted by Haru Casting. The second order has just been finished and the dolls are on their way home. So let us share the love for those cute little mice and let us hear more about their creator Ewa.

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May 18

Interview: The World of Twilight Soul Dolls

Witches and vampires, demons and goddesses – and last but not least adorable weenie dogs. Céline’s dolls united under the name Twilight Soul Dolls are truly one of a kind and artist cast.

Elisa: Welcome to There Be Dolls, Céline! I am happy to have the chance to interview you today. A while ago I came across one of your hand cast dolls – a fullset Spider Bride owned by NyxyPixie. That is when I discovered your dolls.
You seem to have a love for witches and spooky creatures. Have you always been fond of ….twilight creatures?
Céline: Hi Elisa, thank you for this interview and for your interest in my dolls.
Well, as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by the supernatural.
I was an only child but never felt bored. I imagined incredible stories, full of fabulous creatures. My room was inhabited by little people who only I could see. My classmates read Mickey Mouse, I devoured the books of Stephen King. I was watching horror films in secret (it’s still my favorite movie style today) and my favorite series was of course Twilight Zone (la quatrième dimension in French). I still watch the episodes on YouTube with fun and nostalgia!

Spider Bride by Twilight Soul

Tu sembles avoir un fable pour les sorcières et autres créatures effrayantes. As-tu toujours été attirée par les créatures du crépuscule?
Bonjour Elisa. Merci pour cet interview et pour ton intérêt pour mes poupées.
En effet, aussi loin que je me souvienne, j’ai toujours été fascinée par le surnaturel. J’étais enfant unique. Mais je ne m’ennuyais jamais. Je m’inventais des histoires incroyables peuplées de créatures fabuleuses. Ma chambre était habitée de petits êtres que moi seules pouvais voir. Mes camarades de classe lisaient le journal de Mickey, moi je dévorais les livres de Stephen King. Je regardais les films d’horreur en cachette de mes parents (c’est toujours aujourd’hui mon style de film favori) et ma série de prédilection était bien sûr Twilight Zone (la quatrième dimension en français) dont je regarde toujours les épisodes sur YouTube avec plaisir et nostalgie !

Where do you look for inspiration? (somehow I get a bit of a Tim Burton vibe)
You are right, I am a big fan of Tim Burton and it is a very nice compliment to tell me that this inspiration comes through in my work! I recently customized a doll in Ombrune, after seeing the excellent Miss Peregrine! You will see that the names that I give to my different models are not by chance

La Sorcière de l’Ouest et Ombrune Corbeau

Où trouves-tu l’inspiration ? (je ressens l’influence de Tim Burton)
Tu as raison, je suis une grande fan de Tim Burton et c’est un très beau compliment de me dire que cette inspiration ressort dans mon travail ! J’ai récemment customisé une poupée en Ombrune, après avoir vu l’excellent Miss Pérégrine ! Tu verras d’ailleurs que les noms que je donne à mes différents modèles ne doivent rien au hasard J

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May 4

Interview: Meet Ken no Kokoro Dolls

Today’s spotlight is on the Spanish BJD artist Beatriz from Ken no Kokoro Dolls.
Beatriz has created several SD heads as well as two sweet full bodies YOSD sized Dolls (Cosita and Chispita), one of them being my absolute favorite: her Amparita 02.

 Elisa: Originally you are a veterinary, what made you interested in creating your own sculpts? Have you had any artistic experiences before?

Beatriz: First of all, thank you very much for this interview, I’m so happy you want to know some things about me and my dolls.

I started collecting BJDS when I was studying my degree. I have always loved the artistic component that they have and I was fascinated with the idea of being able to paint, modify and customize them. A few years ago, I lost my job and I thought it was a good moment to start sculpting as I had more free time, so I could find a mold which fits what I had in my mind without modifying other molds. It’s really fun!

What was your first sculpt?

My first sculpt was Amparita01. It had a lot of faults and it never was casted or put it in a body, but I keep her with a lot of love. With everything I learnt in the process, I redid it and I created Amparita02, which ended being very different to Amparita01. I didn’t think about selling them, but when I was sculpting, I shared some photos in Spanish forums and several people showed interest in her and I did a few for selling. 

Amparita02 by Ken no Kokoro Dolls

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Apr 30

Interview and Preorder: Nyxy’s Creations’ Luna – The Bat Doll

Today is the last day to preorder the 2nd edition of Nyxy’s Creations’ Luna doll – a real unique and expressive sculpt I am sure not only bat lovers adore.
So let’s meet Nyxy and Luna in today’s article!

Elisa: First of all thank you for agreeing to give an interview!
I have been following you on tumblr ever since you had your first preorder of your bjd Luna – that cute little bat.
I have seen the love the Lunas are received with. I missed out on a Luna last time but now I am happy to see that there is another Luna preorder. So let me take the opportunity to find out more about you and Luna.

 Nyxy: Hello! Thank you for interviewing me! I’m always excited when people take an interest in my work, and I love to talk to fellow doll collectors and enthusiasts!

Two Lunas in dark violet (2nd preorder) and Pastel Piink (1st preorder) by Nyxy’s Creation

First of all – what inspired you to create a bat doll? Did you create her with a special bat in mind?

 Nyxy: Well bats have always been my favorite animal, and I often feel they don’t get the love they deserve. They aren’t always seen as cute and there are a lot of misunderstandings about them.
I didn’t see many bat anthros out there either, and none with the details I wanted (hardly anyone ever puts the finger bones in the right places, it’s a pet peeve of mine)
Luna isn’t really modeled after one specific bat, but I used aspects of bats I liked. She has a leaf nose, but there are a wide variety of leaf nosed bats with interesting noses and I didn’t model it after one in particular. I also gave her big ears like a spotted bat (my favorite, and the only bat in my province who’s hunting clicks can be heard by humans!)

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Apr 27

Preorder: Bastian by Little Cosmos Dolls

Who would love to adopt a little orphan from out of space? Bastian from Capsule #3 is looking for a new home! Originally she is from Planet Zhen – so “she has a peaceful soul and a huge mind” (Little Cosmos Dolls)
Or in other words: Little Cosmos Dolls has opened the preorder for their doll Bastian.
Bastian is 35 cm high and comes in a nice resin tone called Tea Skin. She is casted by Weiju. I think that is the perfect size if your family of SDs is ready to adopt a new family member. Bastian was created with a 8-10 year old girl in mind. Her expression is sweet and serious. I can totally imagine her reading bedtime stories to her younger siblings or daydreaming on no end while her friends talk to her.
As far as I can tell from the pictures she seems to be a great poser. Little Comos Dolls added some extremely sweet pictures of their little girl.
So here is the exact preorder info:

Preorder Period: April 20th to May 12th 2017
Bastian – in Tea Skin EUR 400,00

Bastian by Little Cosmos Dolls

included is:
a full doll
with random 14 mm eyes
cushion
CoA
and box

for an additional EUR 20,00 you can add a faceup.

Layaway is possible, but please contact Little Cosmos Dolls directly via email.

Please keep in mind that the production time will be around 3-4 months.

If you want Bastian to be a boy, there might be a preorder in the near future. All the kids from Little Cosmos Dolls can share their parts and swap bodies too.

If you like to adopt Bastian, you can do it through LittleCosmosDolls.

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Apr 26

Interview and Preorder: SheCow’s Smiling Vampire Mara

Today we proudly present the first interview in our series of artists interviews! The idea is to connect with the artists who are the base of our beloved hobby and take a look at their projects and workshops. Our series starts with an interview with Ming from SheCow.

Elisa: A while ago I came across your beautiful head sculpt: the smiling Mara Vampire head (Mara is a SD head that fits Volks SD10). It is such a unique and versatile sculpt that I am happy to hear that there is another preorder!
It is also a good opportunity to learn more about the artist – Ming aka SheCow. 

Ming: Thank you for interviewing me. I am very happy people like my original sculpt Mara’s head. As an artist, it always motivates me to create more dolls for people to enjoy and also to improve my skills along the way. 

Smiling Vampire Mara by SheCow

Starting from Mara – Vampire Mara is already your second Mara head. I recall seeing an Elf Version of his sculpt.

Actually, the Vampire version is the 3rd version of Mara’s head. Version one of Mara’s head does not look anything like the one I have right now since I basically scrapped the face and redid it, so it’s totally different. The Elf version of Mara’s head is the 2nd version, and the Vampire version is the 3rd version. For me personally, I am kinda a perfectionist, so I am constantly tweaking and changing things until I am happy with the results. (more…)

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Apr 21

There Be Dolls

When you fall in love with ball jointed dolls, you enter a hobby that is a bit like uncharted territory. Wherever your journey begins  – might it be a sculpt you fall in love with, an artist you admire, that doll outfit that drew your attention, there are so many possibilities ahead and so many ways you can express your creativity and crafts that help to make your own little doll come alive. But behind all that is the idea and work of the original bjd artist who spends hours, days, months to create not just a doll but something that is full of possibilities. In the beginning there is the blank canvas. Sometimes we might not know where we are heading – but one thing is sure: There be dolls!

This blog is dedicated to all artists whose passion and talent fuel the hobby – the sculptors, designers, seamstresses, wigmakers, face-up artists, photographers,..
So what are you going to find here?

Our goal is to promote bjd creators, to get to know them better – so you will find interviews and announcements concerning preorders or new releases of artists’ dolls, but we are also planning to introduce artisans and seamstresses.

You are invited to take part in this voyage – let us know if there is an artist you like to be featured. If you are an artist yourself let us know about your current projects.

Share the love,

Elisa

Featured head sculpts: Smiling Vampire Head (left) by SheCow and Amparita 02 (right) by Ken no Kokoro Dolls,  both with artist’s face-up.