An art project I started back in 2023 has finally grown into a small tribe of jellicle cats of my own! I do plan on making the entire junkyard, slowly but surely 😸
Two Grizabellas based on her more current and classic looks, Mistoffelees (or Quaxo, might make a more glamorous version down the line!), Rum Tum Tugger, Munkustrap, Alonzo, & Victoria (Rainbow & Monster high) so far! I have a few more in the works as well 😄
Bonus real life Jellicle boy wanted to be part of the fun ❤️ Safe to say Alonzo is his favorite!
I've really been getting into Mr Hobby sprays for dolls since they don't react to vinyl like other spray paints do and I figure I'd do a Lagoona Blue custom since the full body paint part has become easier if I can just spray paint it.
Due to the way you can take apart a g3 MH doll, it was relatively easy to paint the whole doll, carve out the shoulder area and hip area to prevent scraping, coat the joints in superglue to protect from chipping and seal it all up.
I am proud of how she turned out because I've had the idea to do this for awhile now and I think it's an interesting variation on Lagoona.
I picked up this Light Blue Mr Hobby Spray and even though it says light blue it's definitely a bit darker and desaturated than G1 Lagoona. However I wasn't a big fan of G1 Lagoona's colour palette being so light and desaturated either so the darker blue is a nicer pick in my opinion.
For the direction of her paint I actually referenced the leaked concept art for G3 Lagoona where she still had blue skin hence why she has pink makeup and blue lips and brows rather than her G1 design.
I know for a fact this is going to be a controversial custom but I had to do it because curiosity got the better of me.
But hey, I have feelings about G3 but I do think there's a lot of room for experimentation and fun even if I'm a G1 fan at heart.
My rerooted Meygana Broomstix arrived today! She's my very first Bratzillaz doll, I'm so excited to finally have her!
Doll rambling under the cut
I've been into Bratzillaz for a while now, I REALLY regret not giving them much thought when they were still in stores. I was aware of them, but they came out around the time I just wasn't interested in dolls, I felt like I was too old for them and I had zero interest in them. So I really only ever saw the Bratzillaz dolls in commercials since I wasn't exactly going down the doll aisles in the stores back then. But MAN do I love them now, they're so beautiful and fun, their designs are great and they're just really cool!
My favorite character has always been Meygana and I knew I wanted her to be my first doll, preferably. But Bratzillaz tend to be expensive as heck on the second hand market, it's crazy out there. Plus I know a lot more about doll hair now, so I'm VERY aware of poly and how horrendous it is and I know that Meygana's core doll unfortunately has poly hair.
Then I recently came across this beauty for sale on Mercari! She's been fully rerooted in nylon and it is SO pretty and soft. She came with almost all of her stuff, I'm only missing her cape and earrings. She didn't come with a stand either, I decided to put her on a Monster High stand until i can hopefully get an actual Bratzillaz one for her.
The elastic on her hat had broken, so I tried using a new elastic to attach it to her head, but since I wanted the hat sitting back on her head and not directly on top, it just was not working, it kept slipping off no matter what I did. So I ended up using a couple of sewing pins and pinning the hat to her head in the spot I wanted it. Then her goggles went on easily and they rest against the brim of the hat since I don't want them covering her eyes.
I also struggled to get her to stand up even with the aid of a doll stand, her hips are HELLA weak, I was aware that she had weak legs, but I wasn't sure if it was her knees or her hips and it is most definitely her hips. Finally managed to get her up straight, but it was a fight.
Overall, I've been able to acquire several wonderful rerooted dolls and I'm so happy to be able to add Meygana to my collection as my very first Bratzilla!!
How I Learn New Crafts without Requesting a Tutorial
I saw a very cool artist on here that I follow make a post about getting requests for tutorials and that being too much to ask. I agree with them! I'm also a middle aged lady, so I grew up before contacting artist you like was simple or quick. Combine these two things and my AP Studio Art class 20+ years ago, and I have developed a method for seeking out how I can begin to do a craft/art type I haven't before after admiring someone else's work. Here is my attempt to show how I do this:
Step One: collect the information that the artist has chosen to provide
Artists will usually note their materials as a matter of course. If they don't, asking for that info is generally fine. My rule is that if the information you want would be listed on an info plaque if you saw their art in a museum, it's okay to ask about. People won't always answer - and they don't have to! - but the initial ask about such things isn't inherently rude. Once you know what materials they use, do some research into how to work with them. Lots and lots of people have already written blogs and made videos all about how to do particular crafts with particular materials. I know google sucks now, but it is still always worth a search or two!
Step Two: Pick a piece that they've done and study it with a technical eye
Now that you have some idea of how they might be using their materials, try to apply that to a finished work they've made. Here's an example using a doll I customized: Seren
I listed my base doll as Monster High G3 Cupid. Look at my photos and a photo of a normal Cupid side by side to see where the changes I made are:
shrank her head
removed factory paint and hair
repainted her face and body
lengthened her arms
gave her new hair
You can't see from these pictures that I gave her different lower legs to lengthen them, but luckily I listed that detail.
If you've already done step one, then applying the knowledge you've gained to this doll should be relatively easy. You can look at your links to tutorials on how to shrink MH heads; what materials to use to remove factory paint; what sealants, paints, pastels, and colored pencils work best for repaints; why you should use air dry clay instead of a baked clay if you're sculpting directly on to the doll to lengthen her arms; how to make yarn wefts; and what glue to use to attach them.
Step Three: Try things out for yourself
I've seen complaints sometimes that people want tutorials from specific artist because they want to know how to do things "right" or be able to be good at a new craft right away. I'm sure we all know in our heart of hearts that art doesn't actually work that way. It didn't for the artist whose work you love, and it won't for you either. People can't impart the skill, feeling, and muscle memory they've built up over time in a tutorial. There's no short cut to being "good" at crafts. Because there isn't really one definition of good. There are techniques, skills, and muscle memories that will make it easier and more reliable for you to get the finished pieces you aim for, but that all takes time, practice, and experimentation to build. Along the way you're going to discover short cuts that work great and others that aren't actually worth it. You will develop material preferences that make both the process and finished piece more comfortable for you. You'll go through styles, learn new skills, and end up doing the same craft entirely different.
I use these steps to find a starting point. We all have our own destinations with whatever we make. Build your confidence in yourself by learning what your options are to get you to the result you envision.
All of the sewing is by hand, from piecing to quilting to binding. I used a scrap of old tshirt for the batting. The “quilting” is really more embroidery than actual hand quilting, so the back is a bit of a mess. But I also wasn’t paying attention to keeping this square until it was time to bind, so it has a lot of wonk.
Regardless, I had a lot of fun making this. And as you can see in this picture I customized a store bought sewing machine table to make this quilt the last project the table was used for
Vaguely Goblin critter, head+hands+feet modelled by me. Still trying to figure out sculpting, so not sure I did good enough job with face. Went from "That's like Stitch" to "Minimoys but green??"
Outfit was improvised from stash materials bc as soon as assembled this one said "No, I'ma forest creacher!!" to all my plans and ran. So I nodded and went along with whatever this is. Vest was biggest trouble, not the tiniest thing I've sewn but pretty close >> But I think it was worth it!
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