Today I finally got the courage to modify my Dal Lyla, whom I have called both Wren, and Savannah. My first impression of her was that she would be a bratty spoiled ghost-girl with a stormy temper. I rewigged her into a hair style that was really similar to her stock wig, but with cute ringlets at the front. Here's how she looked: The more I worked with her, the more it seemed that the name "Wren" suited her more, and a different character started to emerge.
Wren/Savannah before her update
So I thought I'd make her a bit more creepy, and decided to change out her eyechips, maybe to grey and white. I made some grey and white eye chips, as well as a few other options:
Trying on these green eyes (over her current eye chips)
Trying on yellow chips
these are the ones I made with Copic markers
Looking better already with her extra lashes!
I was pleased that they looked so great, despite some imperfections in the chips
For once I didn't forget to attach her body
I gave her this fabulous fur wig
“The cries of the dead are terrible indeed; you should try not to hear them.” ― Philip K. Dick, VALIS
“To be haunted is to glimpse a truth that might best be hidden.” ― James Herbert, Haunted
“Ghosts could walk freely tonight, without fear of the disbelief of men; for this night was haunted, and it would be an insensitive man who did not know it.” ― John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat
“It was haunted; but real hauntings have nothing to do with ghosts finally; they have to do with the menace of memory.” ― Anne Rice, The Queen of the Damned
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“There is a child - a baby - who long since kicked off her blankets. Her skin is ashen and her mouth open in a perpetual yet silent scream. She isn't old enough to roll over, to sit up, to climb. So she lies there kicking her fat legs against the footboard of the crib, eternally calling for her mother. For food. For flesh.” ― Carrie Ryan, The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Monday, September 14, 2015
Here is that Unboxing/First Impressions video of Dal Lyla, who I have renamed Wren:
I really love this doll, and think she is the perfect compliment to my 2 witches!
So obviously, I can't have the other-worldly dolls mingling with the general Pullip population (because that would be complete mayhem!), so naturally, I needed to find some dedicated space for my newest creepy residents.
This space is conveniently free (upon the moving out of my husband... from my craft room, not from my life!):
I started with a plain shelf and a piece of purple sparkle fabric
I sewed a hem around the perimeter of the fabric, then used my trusty hot glue gun to stick the fabric to the edge of the shelf above. Here is a shot of it almost fully glued in place:
Then I used more of that amazing hot glue stuff to stick the fabric to the ceiling of the shelf where my dolls will live. Here it is, again almost fully glued in place:
With the ceiling and back wall covered in purple fabric, I played 3 floor tiles on the floor of my doll shelf (these are left-over porcelain tiles from my kitchen floor). This step is not pictured.
Then I took a piece of foam-core board and covered it in Halloween scrapbook paper (I have a few pieces of scrapbook paper lying around my room). I also decorated it with Halloween trim from my scrapbooking supplies and used friction and a book-end to hold it in place as a second wall. The wall provides a nicer background than my craft bins. The fabric doesn't lie flat because of the kind of brackets these shelves use, but I kind of like the drapey look.
I ran out of time so I basically just shoved my dolls in there along with a wicker bench that I covered in this fancy sequin fabric (I just wrapped it and draped it over the bench, it's not permanent). I have a few props that I plan to make, and a few I will buy from the Halloween decor section at a store.
Some creepy new inhabitants have taken over a section of my scraproom of late...
Introducing Paige, my Pullip Midnight Velvet:
I've wanted a witch Pullip ever since i started collecting in 2013. Wilhelmina was new then, and I have always wanted to collect witch dolls (every Halloween I was tempted to buy one- even before I knew about Pullips), but I didn't want my first doll to be such a specific one, so I ended up passing on Willy. But now that my collection is more established, I feel like I can now branch out and gather a small sub-collection of darker, other-wordy dolls. Wilhelmina was actually not the first one I chose- it was this beautiful Midnight Velvet, who I named Paige.
Her face-up is stunning and I find she has a very kind-looking face, which I think is a perfect contrast to her malificent-like stock outfit. Paige is a level-headed, responsible witch, who takes her role seriously, and does not like to cause unnecessary harm to anyone.
Shortly after Paige arrived, a larger box appeared on my doorstep, and Evening and Savannah were added to the otherworldly shelf.
Meet Evening, my Pullip Wilhelmina:
She is strikingly gorgeous. If I had to give up every doll but one, I think she would be the one I would keep. I literallly can't take my eyes off this beauty (ok, maybe not literally... but you know what I mean!). I love taking these dark moody photos of her, and my husband/our resident photographer gave me some good tips that will make my photos even better (hopefully) next time, so I am really excited to work with this crew.
It's my blog and I'll photo spam if I wanna, so:
gasp! those huge eyes!
and...
there is nothing I don't love about her!
Evening, who allows her closest friends to call her Eve, is a lot more hot-tempered than Paige. She is prone to ranting, raving, and rampaging. She definitely holds a grudge, and I wouldn't want to be the poor soul to cross her (or be anywhere near the poor soul who crosses her, for that matter).
Then along with Evening, came Savannah (edited: changed her name to Wren), my Dal Lyla, who is a ghost:
I was trying to make it look like she was looking through a dirty window, trapped inside. I didn't succeed. I will wait for more soap build up on my shower door and try again with different lighting (finally, a reason to NOT clean!).
This photo isn't very crisp, but isn't she a cutie?
I love her pouty little face!
Savannah Wren is a bratty old soul, trapped in the ghostly body of a teenager. She is mischievous and demanding, but also quite sad to be stuck here on earth for eternity. Paige and Evening have taken her on as their own, for better or for worse.
