Alyrenee's Copious Spare Time

The bloodletting has begun. Hold your credit card out in sacrifice to the doll overlords. There will be no mercy. You will want them all and do anything to get them. Maybe a little dramatic...? But sometimes doll collecting feels like a high stakes, cut throat death race (*cough* trouble eden ebay prices). It seems like every year I swear that I will cut back only to give in again and get bled dry. In case you missed it (and if you missed it...then you REALLY missed it), the IT Fashion Fairytales Convention registration went on sale last Sunday.  Much tears and sweat and cursing were had by all who tried (and tried and tried and tried) to register.  The 500 spots sold out in record time and the process was riddled with server errors and time-outs evidently caused by a naughty member using bots or something high tech and jerk-like.  I sadly cannot go this year because the final saturday of the convention is the exact same day as one of my first dress rehearsal (le sig...

W Club just offered a bonus surprise to members that probably resulted in a collective "squee" heard round the world.  We got the chance to enter for the Eden Trouble doll and at only 700...people were considering mad voodoo to ensure that they get her. (I was one of them...I don't have style mantra Eden and I WANTS THIS ONE...MY PRECIOUS!) I ended up with three memberships this year (long story)...so here's hoping one of those memberships will score me this girl. The surprise was that IT decided to give all members the right to buy Smoke and Mirrors Lillith, created to keep club members that don't win Lillith from rising up in anger. I think I might even like her a bit better...but of course I still want Eden.  I'm tempted to get two because I would like to give her an ombre effect perhaps. Item # 82074A Smoke & Mirrors Lilith™ Dressed Doll The NU. Face™ Collection W CLUB EXCLUSIVE Approximate Ship Date: Late Summer 2017 Limited...

I'm running a but behind on ye olde blog due to ye olde life.  So here is some old news... Dave Buttry's Industry line has debuted. I was pretty excited about the line after the super adorbs giftset we got at the 2016 Supermodel Convention.  The initial promises of a variety of ages also had me interested.  The reality was a little lacking for me, mostly because of the blah color palette.  Yes, I know black is always fashionable, but I prefer a bit more color...or at least some pops of color mixed with the funereal blackathon. I guess when I heard a variety of age ranges...I, like most, thought Grace Coddington or Anna Wintour...not a doll in her thirties (gasp....SO OLD). Le sigh.  Hopefully a silver dragon lady is coming later.  For now you can always use the older Coven ladies for your bitchy fashion editor character. I still live in hope that Integrity will add a full figure sculpt to its lineups soon.  And again...where are the AA characters? T...

Fabric ain't cheap y'all.  Even though you don't need a whole lot to make Babs a new gown...I half a yard of silk is going to set you back around $10 bucks at most fabric stores (assuming you are lucky to live near a store that carries silk)...plus you still need lining, thread, and closures...oh and beads...etc. For that same $10 you can often get a WHOLE DRESS with way more yardage and re-usable bits at a thrift store! It's a concept known as up-cycling...all the hip kids are doing it. It is good for the world and your wallet.  Take someone's sad nineties bridesmaid dress and make it into something cool...or make it into many cool somethings and sell them...or wash your car with it...whatever the case, these things don't need to end up in a land fill.  Make do and up-cycle! Here are some tips for shopping: Learn how to read labels for fiber content.   Learn names of fibers (i.e. Viscose is another name for rayon.  Elastane is the same as spandex....

I churned through a bunch of outfits this weekend and got the photos uploaded.  Check them out!  https://www.etsy.com/shop/copioussparetime?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Well I did it.  I did some sculpting on the face using an exacto and a battery sander/dremel type tool...mostly in the lip and nose region.  I did some festive eyelids and altered her so that she has sleep eyes. I did fairly simple face shading and added some subtle freckles. She has rose gold lips. I use watercolor pencils, soft pastels, and acrylic paint then sealed everything with Testors dulcotte (the lazy man's Mister Superclear). I made fun new pull strings with some cording, beads, and charms that I had (including a vintage owl earring). I also did all new custom eye chips that I either hand painted or made with paper and fabric and glitter. The glitter eyes could be better and I will definitely redo them.  The glue did not dry as clear as I had hoped so the glitter is a bit cloudy.  I dressed her in some random barbie clothes.  I have not finished any sewing projects for her yet.

Well, the best laid plans...I had high hopes of being strong and resisting.  But I just caved and ordered them all.  I don't even like most of them. Oye.  Clearly it is some sort of illness.  I can't be trusted.  More thoughts below... The Basic Info from the W Club: We have one membership level to cover the entire Club and new this year, we have four "upgrade" options to choose from-- three upgrade dolls and one diorama! The upgrade options include the Riviera Drama Agnes Von Weiss™ Fashion Royalty® upgrade doll (as voted on by 2016 W Club members!), the Popster! Poppy Parker™ upgrade doll, the Majesty Giselle Diefendorf™ NU. Face™ upgrade doll and the new 2017 POPUP! exclusive diorama playset! And as an extra-special perk for 2017,  if you purchase all three upgrade dolls with one membership , you’ll get the new 2017 POPUP! exclusive diorama playset for  FREE!!  This virtually covers the price of your base membership! In addition to...