Unboxing Iplehouse Lonnie, my first BJD!

Originally posted in http://snowfern-clover.blogspot.com

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 Eva is very curious indeed! In my last post, I hinted slightly that I had a new found appreciation for green... well this is partly why :) The reason will become clearer over the next few posts.....and below is the obligatory unboxing photos :D

On the site itself, she was expected to take anywhere from 50-60 business days to be manufactured/delivered :O Payment in full was made on 19th January 2013, and I settled in for a long wait. Took time to learn about faceups, care for dolls, shopping for shoes etc. No clothes, as I am pretty familiar with sewing and have ready materials for her clothes. No sewing machine though, but am working on that ;)

 This is my new doll! okay, no, this is the assembly manual XD (behind are the assembly manuals for the other larger sized dolls offered by Iplehouse). She is an Iplehouse Lonnie, in Normal Skin, with no faceup. I did change my mind about the faceup a week after payment, but was told about their new policies for 2013, and it was too late to add it to my order :( No matter, my original plan was to do her faceup myself, so this is not a setback really :)

HOWEVER, an email notification alerted me to her shipping date on the 29th Jan! Which was the same day I met my brother for lunch, and he bought me a belated birthday gift, a new Samsung Note II! AND THEN THE EMAIL!! omg i felt as if i'd made out like a bandit that day. must have been too much for my body, had a nosebleed the very next night XD. She arrived today, 31st January 2013 :) According to some people in the Iplehouse Waiting room on DoA forums, it's got to be one of the fastest shipping dates. Lucky, lucky me! I even commented that Iplehouse has ruined all my future doll purchases (if any :P ), don't think this experience can ever be beaten!

My fellow Iplehouse waiting room mates and FB dolly friends were super lovely, holding my hand along every single step of tracking her arrival to my doorstep XD It's so nice to have supportive pals who totally understand the crazed anxiety that comes with a tracking number. :P

I also purchased a saddle brown wig, and she came with a free 2013 desk calendar WOOP WOOP

Some brochures were included, and the middle photo is a special edition of Lonnie which was sold out :( I really wish I had known about this sculpt much earlier, alas. 'twas not to be! She was a really near-impulsive purchase. I had been looking for a doll, 1:4 size, and i knew Unoa Sist/Lusis was not within my reach, so while surfing, I came across Lonnie and it was love at first sight :)

in my rush to get her, i forgot to purchase a plastic face protector -_-" no matter, i saw some which might be suitable at Art Friend. Hope it works. Additional elastic, S-hooks and 1 magnet were provided.

That's my cousin's arm holding her. Up till that moment, I still had not gotten over the fear of holding a BJD. She held the cushioned sleeping bag while I mustered up the courage to remove the doll from it. XD

Bubble wrapped in all the right places (including the feet!)

The eyes were randomly assigned, and are 12mm acrylic eyes. I had hoped for a light green, or violet eyes...luckily these are pretty nice too, but will be shopping around for ones I prefer. Anyone have any suggestions on where I can purchase affordable glass eyes in either green or violet? 

Here she is testing out her wig! Ahma seems really comfortable with holding her, and remarked that she's very pretty ^ ^ YAY APPROVAL FROM ELDERS XD XD XD

 The whole doll came in very good condition. No visible cracks, etc. The only imperfection is this slight stain on the headcap, i'm not sure what it is or whether it can be removed, but I'll work on it when there's more light.

Lonnie, part of the KID range, 35cm 'tiny' dolls. She's meant to be approximately 10-12 years old, and that would make her 1:4 scale :)

For an additional USD$10, I opted for the mobility joint (thighs) for improved poseability. Thoroughly worth it, methinks. She stands quite well on her own too! 

 but not for long ;P here's a look at how her eyes are held in place, with what I'm guessing to be Sculpey. Which is kinda silly, cos although the eyes are supposed to be acrylic, they look as if they could be plastic? Ah well, switching it out with white-tack after she's dried.

mmhmm. took her apart ASAP. as I will be doing her faceup, i thought of perhaps blushing her body as well. we'll see how the weather and my mood is like tomorrow XD I'll probably practice on her nails and toes first....tackle the head after gaining a few experience points.

Ready for her bath! Bought Johnson's and Johnson's baby bath, the 'non-soap' variety with no moisturizers yada yada yada. not sure if it's the best deal, but from all the advice given on DoA, seems to fit all the criteria.

Air drying, since resin is porous, and towel wiping is insufficient. also, might leave lint or what-have-yous, so air dry it is! It's not noticeable here, but there were a few rather visible seam lines, i wet sanded them while giving her a bath. not a thorough job, but i'm pretty satisfied for now. :)

Side note: This is a 'normal skin' version, and she seems a lot yellower in afternoon light, which was also noticed and remarked upon by my cousin. I said it's ok, cos she's asian anyway XD The last pic was slightly edited and more intense in colour on my monitor than the actual velvety matte, slightly translucent flesh tone that i'm looking at right now. I RUVS IT

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And thus concludes my first ever experience as a BJD owner. I am going to try and document my faceup experience, dressmaking, etc etc here, just like how this blog originally set out to document my learning experience with miniature-making. For those who are new to the world of BJDs, I would recommend alot of Googling, as there is indeed a LOT to learn about this 'hobby'!

Aaaaand yes, she has a name, but I don't feel like she fits that name yet, since she has no face. So once I get that done, I will reveal her properly, with proper pics and stuff ^ ^

Hope you enjoyed this post! Time to rest, have lots to be done tomorrow. G'nite everyone~!