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BJD Plans 2023

1. Doll buying

Bring home the two dolls on my wishlist (Kanadoll Mars & Vings Seira). One is currently in slow progress (preordered the body, posted WTB for the head), for the other I'm waiting (hoping) for the artisan to open preorders. That's all the new resin I've planned - but of course, who knows if this plan will hold...

TIMELINE: entire year.  If I don't find Mars by the end of January - start looking at Xianyu, Mandarake, Korean secondhand

Jan: Bought Mars, now waiting for shipment. ARRIVED.  Waiting for Seira's preorder to open.  Bought 2 more dolls - Dream Valley Achelous and Bimong Narin Grey.
Feb: Sold Migidoll Style65 and bought Doll Family-H 65cm for Vallant.  This doesn't count as new resin... does it? >_> <_<

1.1 Resin no-buy enforcement for the rest of 2023

No more new dolls in 2023 apart from Seira.  I expect these 3.5 dolls to arrive spaced out throughout the year, so I have box openings to look forward to, and time to integrate everyone into the crew and complete their appearances.

TIMELINE:

  • Mars — ordered Jan - arrive Jan/Feb - ARRIVED
  • DF-H 65cm body for Kanadoll Mars — ordered Feb - arrive May/June
  • Achelous — ordered Jan - arrive July/Aug
  • Narin — ordered Jan - arrive July/Aug
  • Seira — to be ordered in March-May? - arrive late in the year

ENDGAME: Be happy and thankful for the dolls I already have, busy myself with them, and stop feeding the green-eyed devil and its wandering gaze.

2. Photoshoots

2a. Continue doing photoshoots and stories of my current crew. This has been progressing magnificently since I came back from hiatus, and I still have tons of stories to tell with my dolls.

TIMELINE: try to take at least a small photoshoot each week.  I don't expect to have problems doing doll photography!

Feb: No end of photos to take and blog posts to write. I don't think I'm gonna have any problems sticking with this goal.

2b. Borrowed a Nikon DSLR with a macro lens from parent.  I don't have it forever so I want to learn how to use it.

TIMELINE: do some reading and do at least one accurate photoshoot before end of Jan 2023

Jan: First attempt with Syr's birthday.  Do more indoor shoots with DSLR. Need to work on focus and pay attention to white balance/histogram.
Feb: Still playing around, not quite taking things seriously yet.

ENDGAME: Can't have too many photos of attractive dollies.  And learn how to use a DSLR before I have to return it.

3. Faceups

Keep practicing and improving faceups. I started learning faceups in Nov last year, and it was so much fun that I want to keep going.

TIMELINE: After receiving LUTS Winter event head... one faceup per month.  Stretch goal: 2 faceups per month.

Jan: Luts Winter Event head received. Do one faceup before end of Jan.  FINISHED.  One faceup, maybe two, for Feb.
Feb: None: got very busy IRL and was spending most of my BJD time on sewing and photography.

ENDGAME: Git gud enough to maybe start offering faceups to my local BJD community.  And good enough to do Syr justice: her faceup artist hasn't done faceups for many years and doesn't seem likely to return, and I'm sure I'll have to refresh Syr's face one day.

4. Sewing

Learn how to sew clothes. I'm hoping to start this by the end of this year (2022), and we'll see how far I progress. I'm not sure how much I'll get into sewing, but at least I want to make simple casuals like shirt and pants, and kimono.

TIMELINE: By end of first quarter (Easter), sew at least 2 kimono (first trial + second practice)

Jan: Already launched.  I've already made cushions for doll furniture, a pair of (not great) pants for one of my dolls, and am currently making a kimono.  Blog post.
Feb: Started learning how to use the sewing machine. Made: more cushions for doll furniture, 3 haori, currently trialling a couple of hakama patterns.  Blog post.

ENDGAME: Fabulous kimono and doll cosplay.

5. Flight studio

Lastly... create a "flight studio". This is an ambitious project, but I have a dream to take photoshoots of my dolls in action and fighting poses, especially of the flying/wuxia kind. I've already tested a proof-of-concept that works, so I want to push the concept further. I don't know how far I'll get because this involves a bunch of planning, not to mention building stuff. We'll see! If anything, it'll push me to work on my other doll skills!

TIMELINE: by end February - started installing poles in cupboard.  OR if that plan falls through: get stands/clamps to do more photoshoots.

Feb: Got some leads. Goal for March is: follow up on those leads, assemble materials, and trial the build. If this doesn't work out, go to Plan B.

ENDGAME: I want my dolls to fly.