Current Mood : Head-buzzy. Maybe we're in for an early Spring ?
Still dazed and sleepy, but it was Dearest Son and Beloved Hubby's turns to nap the day away. Me, I still did much of nothing. Urban Threads had another freebie, a decidedly Victorian-style flying bird with a love letter in his beak, and Dorrie liked. So I snagged it, for once without buying anything else. I've decided to try to keep it down to ten, yes only 10, purchased designs this year, if at all possible. Of course, it may get amended to ‘ten per quarter-year' later, but even 40 purchased designs would be a dramatic reduction from the hundred-plus I'm sure I bought last year. I'm too chicken to go count up the designs I paid for in ‘09. This year, it's easy - one !
It was another bright and sunny, but rather windy, day, so I could clearly see the shiny frosty-gold eye makeup that really bugged me on Triana, from her stand on my desk. Besides the ‘reverse' Model Muse body, it was the only thing that bugged me about her. It went from her eyelid to her eyebrows, and continued in a generous swoop under her eyes, too. So I figured, since I'm sitting around anyway, and I can see it clearly, I may as well try to do something about it. Figured toothpicks and Goof-Off could do the trick, if I was uber-careful.
Snagged three toothpicks, and thought I should at least try a ‘dry run', before I loaded the ‘picks with chemicals that could remove the entire eye decal. And, amazingly, I found that a gentle scritch with a slightly chewed pick removed the shiny gold eye shadow without risking Triana's face or her tiny eyelashes. I had to take frequent breaks to keep my eyes in focus, but about fifteen minutes later, the over-shiny, flash-reflecting gold shimmer-paint was gone. I never even got the Goof-Off from the back porch laundry cabinet. Much better ! Now, if the next line of jointed ‘Fashionistas' dolls would just come out in her skin tone, I'd have a darn-near perfect-to-me doll !
You can also see my attempt to give her green eyes. Rather clumsy, but I still prefer it to the ice blue she arrived with. So far, she's had her hair cut, her eye color altered, and some of her eye paint removed. And I've yet to do a darn thing to the black dress I really don't like either !
Today's photo took 56 tries, and it still doesn't really show details of her ‘new' face well. Much as I love my Fuji FinePix, it's not really a macro-focus close-up camera. Closer than about a yard, and things are fuzzy no matter what I do. Ever since Mattel went to decals instead of paint for the eyes, it's been difficult to get a good photo without flash-bounce. But the decals allow for much greater detail and expression, so... ya win some, ya lose some, ya take 50 simple head-shots of a doll before you get a good one. That's just a doll hobbyist's life !
You'd think I'd go hang out in the Lab, but I again just vegged. Didn't even go to Dollar Tree, but there's often tomorrow. Caught up on a couple of Hoarders I hadn't seen, prowled around on line. And once this is posted, I probably will be Lab bound. Gotta select what to sew this week sometime !
And thanks, Michelle, Smidge, Anika, Kapreasha, and E, for your kind and always encouraging notes ! Tripod doesn't let me know you've left ‘em anymore, and I usually forget to check, but it's like getting flowers when I find ‘em ! It's so sweet to know someone thinks my meandering's worth the time to read, much less drop a few thoughtful, warm words. I value them all, and (confession corner !) often go browse through them when I need a boost. Hugs, lovelies !!
XOXOXOXOXO x 5 !
