E-Barra

Watch me spam your flists! (Part 4)

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:07:21 GMT

This is the end, I promise. I just wanted to post these cute little things up here. Because they're awesome. And maybe give some quick biographical details about the characters to anyone who may care.

(Dolls made with a Subeta avatar generator. Don't hold that against them.)

*A note: Everyone lives in the same apartment building. It's ... interesting. XD *

Luka and Shadow (Shay).
They share an... interesting, possibly slightly twisted relationship, considering that they have both a very father/son-type relationship and a sexual one. They're not related at all, but Luka picked ShayShay up off the streets when he was a kid, so it's a bit odd from an outside perspective. They seem to be fine with it, though. Luka is moody because he's got a tiger spirit/god thing (he doesn't know exactly what the hell it is) fused to his soul and is accidentally immortal. Shay is moody because Shay is psychotic (but in a nice way). So it works out. Luka gets annoyed because the twins rather like Shay, and so invade his living room at random intervals and are... loud. But he really can't deny Shay anything, so he's sort of stuck with it for the time being. XD

Byron (B), Geoffrey (Geoff) and Robin (Robbie). *Geoff doesn't exist in doll form yet. You didn't miss anything*
Byron and Geoff share an apartment, Robbie is Geoff's son (with his ex-wife). Byron is a vampire, Geoff is a werewolf. Neither of them exactly planned on this happening. They met in support group and became friends, and ended up rooming together. B became "Unca Bywon" to Robbie, and ends up taking care of him a lot when Geoff goes out with Ellie. *see below* Byron is also completely, totally, head-over-heels in love with Geoff. He will never, ever admit this, and fervently defends his heterosexuality (mostly because liking guys in general would get WAY too close to admitting that he's in love with Geoff. Get it?). Geoff is (regrettably for B) straight, and in a fairly serious relationship with Ellie. Robbie is six. He likes crayons and Dora the Explorer.

Ellie, Cole and Dorian (Ryan). *Ellie also doesn't exist in doll form yet.*
Cole and Dorian are 12-year-old twins, Ellie is their (much) older sister. They came from Miami to live with her after their parents were killed in a car crash. There was a certain adjustment period, as they really didn't know each other very well - she had been in college when they were born and living on her own in another part of the country while they were growing up. It took a long time for DCS to sort everything out, so the twins fell behind in school a bit, and Cole still resents the world for all of that. Ryan is much more easy-going, and more childish. Ellie is in a fairly serious relationship with Geoffrey, and as such, the twins get left in Byron's... not-so-capable hands a lot of the time. They won't complain, though, as he pretty much lets them do whatever they want. This is probably not helping Cole's social skills.

Well, that's them. My guys (and future girl). Not everything about them, obviously, but that would take a really, really long post. So just the basics. As you may notice if you scroll back, some things have changed. Geoff's name was originally spelled Jeffrey. B was originally the building manager, but I dropped that and altered their backstories a bit. So, some stuff has changed. I really like all their characters, though. And I can't wait to finally get Geoff and Ellie someday! I'm planning on an IH Ryushin for Geoff and a CH Sia for Ellie. ^^

Watch me spam your flists! (Part 3)

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:30:31 GMT

So, does anyone remember how I was posting before (in "The Opposite of Fall") about Byron, my Shiwoo vampire, being sent of for a proper faceup? And how I was waiting for my YoSD Ayumu? Well... they both arrived since then! XD

And so, in point of fact, did my awesomely-cool light tent, which is the most fantastic thing ever. It takes up about half of my dorm room and is truly obnoxious to put back in its bag, but ... *whistles* Damn, does it ever make for good lighting! I took these pics the night I got it. The background is pretty creased, but until I get off my arse and iron the creases out, I'm just going to have to deal with it. ^^;;

Again, this one is old news. Well, recent old news, at least. But it still should be posted, so yeah. ^^

Watch me spam your flists! (Part 2)

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:23:29 GMT

This shoot actually made it to DoA, DoD and Resinality. So it's old news to any of you who actually follow my stuff. ... Wait. Nobody follows my stuff, so we should be good! yay!

Anyway, I took ShayShay out for a stroll in Boston Common one day (I was meeting with another collector from the area who was buying a couple of wigs from me; we both brought dolls so as to be easily identified in the busy Park Street T station). This photoshoot was the result. It's amazing how people truly do NOT stare at you if you're doing something weird while holding a camera. As soon as I put the camera away? STARE. Pull the camera out? Oh. Photography student. Move along... *eyeroll* It's very silly, actually.

Anyway, this is one of my best shoots yet, I think, and I'm pretty proud of it. ^^ (Note: Shay wearing his proper wig!! *shock!*)

He is king of the world!!!

... A very small king. XD

I like this one just because:

Watch me spam your flists! (Part 1)

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:08:26 GMT

These pictures are old. Wow. 0____0

Anyway, today, I am posting a bunch of pictures. Because I have been very, very lax in updating this LJ, and there is barely anything on it. This makes me sad. So!

Some old pictures. Luka and Shay, before they got their proper wigs and eyes and stuff all sorted out. But I liked the shoot anyway, so it made it as far as Photobucket. And ... that's pretty much it. Anyway, for the nostalgia value, here ya go. (More pics will be up later. I've got at least three posts worth of unposted photoshoots, so get comfy! XD )

There were more pics, but ... well, with the power of hindsight, a lot of them were blurry. :\ Anyway, there ya go. I think this was actually my first "themed" photoshoot. I didn't really have a purpose for them originally. I just... took some pictures. The airport one ended up themed that way because.... that's where I was. *eyeroll* Anyway, Luka really looks different now. A good different, though. (Even though I still need to put his new eyelashes in... *gurk*)

Onto the next post! (And then I really need to update my icons, because this is just SAD. WAAAAAY out of date. -.-;

The Opposite of Fall (Or, Dorian Picspam to Make Your Lives Complete)

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:21:11 GMT

Still waiting for Robin to arrive, but in order to keep myself from refreshing the tracking page for the forty-billionth time, I took some pictures today! Yay!

This has been x-posted liek whoa, but... yeah. For posterity and all that. ^^

...and I still haven't made new icons. ugh. *puts it on the to-do list* I really need to put up some of the other pictures I took in the long interval between May and my last post. >.>

An EXCELLENT Week in Dolls

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 01:57:30 GMT

Oh, this is a MOST EXCELLENT week!!!

1- Byron's head should be finished by this weekend! Er... Okay, I haven't updated here in ages, so I should explain. Byron is my BW Vamp. Shiwoo, who I love to bits. However, his faceup was significantly less lovely (okay, it was actually quite nice, but not what I wanted for his character). So, I sent his head off to CherryStreet~Sera on DoA, who did such an excellent job on my twins. After a long wait on the waiting list and a bit less than a month of having him headless, I found out today that he should be done soon, and that I should be able to expect pictures this weekend! I'm so excited - especially since he may be whole again in time for YaoiCon, which would be quite ideal. ^^

2- Robin has finally shipped to me! Robin is the YoSD Ayumu that I won in the Volks Dolpa Osaka 4 lottery, and I have been waiting for him for simply AGES. Okay, yes, I was the dumbass who ordered Sato-Gaeri service. I wasn't thinking about how utterly impatient I would get as I kept seeing Ayumus appear on the Marketplace. But then again, they're being sold for quite a bit more than what I paid for mine, so... Yeah, it's all good. I'm just so excited!! He may even arrive before the Halloween Meetup on Saturday! Oh, I would be SO happy if that happened!!

So that's my fantastic week in dolls. ^^ I shall make sure to post before & after pics of B, and of course arrival photos for Robin.

And I REALLY need to get some better icons for this journal. Eek. Nobody looks right in the ones I've got now - they've all got different wigs and eyes and the twins have their new facups and I've added B and Robbie... XD *resolves to take pics and make icons at some point soon*

Gone Fishin'

Sun, 27 May 2007 01:46:39 GMT

Yet more reasons why the twins should never, ever be left to their own devices...

~No fish were harmed in the making of this photoshoot. But they did nibble on the hook. Which was really, really funny. XD Their names are Felix and Oscar, btw, and they are my fish. I wouldn't torture anyone else's fish in this manner.

ETA: Some more pics. Because Tereya Chan on DoD gave me a horrible idea. XD

*sweatdrop*

Meetup Report! ^_^

Mon, 21 May 2007 02:35:04 GMT

So, today the boys and I attended our first Michigan meetup! It was quite a lot of fun, and I'm really glad I was able to make it. I'd been hoping to get to one over winter or spring break this year, but it just didn't happen. ;_;

Anyway, the meetup was a lovely tea party at a house in Waterford. Everyone was really friendly, which was great, and there was no drama! \(^0^)/ *hallelujah!*

Okay, well, at least no drama that I was aware of. I'm a n00b to the Michigan community, so maybe there was intense dramaz that I was totally unaware of. But I don't think so. XD

Lots of really gorgeous dolls in attendance. I can't wait for Luka to get his Kstarr wig so he'll be among them. XD People do really seem to like the twins, though. I'm so glad! ^^ I mean, I think they're wonderful, and I'd be more than happy with that, but it still makes me feel good to know that other people like them too. :)

As far as sales/swaps go, I swapped a pair of 4D jeans for a pair of Marsh's leather pants. Talking in numbers I probably took a financial loss on that one, but I don't mind that. None of the guys were ever going to use those jeans, and Shay seems to like the leather pants, so I'm happy with the trade. Another person seemed to be interested in the BlueFairy fullset outfit that's been sort-of-on-sale for a while. I've never put it up on DoA, though it was brought to Anime Boston with me because one girl wanted to purchase it. She ended up not having cash enough, and I wasn't really interested in anything she had to swap. Originally we were going to work something out on DoA, but she hasn't contacted me in about a month. So, the outfit is officially Up For Grabs. The girl today who wanted to buy it didn't have enough cash on hand, but said she might at the next meetup. Hopefully she will. It'd be nice to have the money, and even nicer to see the outfit in the hands of someone who really wants it. ^_^

So, I think my first Michigan meetup was a success. I had fun, anyway. Hopefully people liked me. I really hate it when people are nice to your face and then bitch about you behind your back. I really hope that's not the case. It doesn't seem to be, though. So far, the Michigan group seems to be really nice, and I think I'll enjoy going to the meetups when I'm home. ^_^

Also: surprisingly, ham and banana sandwiches are really good! Who would've thought? 0.0

Status: Waiting for Shiwoo Vampire head (Byron) to arrive! ^_^

An Interesting Week in Dolls

Wed, 16 May 2007 05:31:12 GMT

So, this week was certainly a full one; in terms of both the doll stuff and my RL, but as this is the doll journal, they win here. =D

Two group orders that I participated in, one from VolksUSA on DoD and one from LeekeWorld on DoA, arrived in the mail! Yay! So now Luka and Shay have lovely new wigs, I have half of the two pairs of eyes I need for the twins (I'll have to hit up another Leeke order at some point - they only had one pair in stock when this one went through). Plus, I got wig oil to keep all their lovely wigs nice and neat. ^_^

I'm still waiting for the Kstarr group order to be submitted. I haven't gotten an invoice yet, but as soon as everyone pays we should be good to go. I'm not sure whether Luka and Shay will be using their Leeke wigs or their Kstarr wigs... I'm thinking Luka might end up with the Kstarr, just because the colors are better for it. And it's going to be a lot shorter, so he'll look a LITTLE more masculine. For a tough guy, he looks way too girly right now. I do sort of like the look of the new Leeke wig, though. It's difficult to say, but I'll know in another month or two when the Kstarr wigs get here.

Also.... As if the family wasn't big enough already, I bought a head. Yep. My first floating head! I'm so happy.

He's a BW Dreaming Shiwoo Vampire head, purchased from Meredith on DoA. He was something of a snap decision, but I'm quite glad now. He has decided to be the building manager (of the building all the other characters live in; do try to keep up). He will wear boring jeans-and-sneakers kind of clothes, and greatly resent any and all, "you were turned into a vampire? that sucks! (lol! aren't I funny!)" sort of comments that come his way. He'll only threaten to eat you if you're late with the rent, and he rooms with the accidental and slightly neurotic werewolf (that I don't own yet), so... you can visit, but it might be wise to avoid opening the fridge. =D

So I know all this, but I don't know his name yet. I was tempted to go for completely boring, but I think it'd be funnier if his name was bad when he was human but completely vampire-ish now, and he hates it with the passion of a thousand suns (and that's a lot of hate for a vampire, yanno?) So I don't know. I'll figure it out when he gets here. That's usually when naming occurs (except for Shay-Shay and Jeffrey, who were named in advance).

Double Trouble!

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:19:14 GMT

I promised picspam when the twins' heads got back, and here it is!!

They look SO cute, I'm full of ridiculous glee. And, by a stroke of luck, their brand new wigs arrived at the exact same time (and I do mean it, the mailroom got them in the same shipment. They even taped the boxes together!) So here it is, picspam of the troublemakers.

As you can see, they are clearly already planning my downfall. XD

The Twins!!

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:14:10 GMT

Sooooo.... A couple of weeks ago, I sent the twins' heads off to be given new faceups. Because honestly, they didn't look anything like twins [see below].

A-hem. Very not twin-like at all. So I sent them off to CherryStreet Aesthetics (CherryStreet~Sera on DoA) for some much-needed work. I waited, I worried, but today, in a PM that brought me more joy than any electronic communication should bring a person, I got the pictures of their new faceups! =DDDDDD

Here are the before and after shots for each of the boys (forgive my horrid photography, I just took a couple of really quick shots before I sent their heads off...):

The Before:

And... After!

The Before:

And... After!

<333333333333! I think they came out just beautifully! I can't wait to get them back so I can take some proper pictures of them... y'know, like, on bodies with wigs and all. XD

[Note: Any pictures with the CherryStreet watermark are (c) CherryStreet. They are up here because I need other people to squee over them as well, but if requested, I will gladly remove them. Please do not take them or hotlink them, as that would be very bad of you. Thank you.]

Fun with Cardboard

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 01:34:12 GMT

Tonight, the boys got a bed. It's not huge, and it's not exactly top-quality, but it's a bed and they fit in it nicely (though acrobatics may be out of the question).

The bed's construction was fairly simple, only requiring a box, a bunch of extra bits of other boxes for bracing, a staple gun, a roll of strapping tape, a discarded old shawl that had been hanging around my scrap box, scissors, and much swearing.

I had to extend the end of the box to make it long enough for 60cm boys, but luckily the box was constructed in such a way that the bottom of it remained in one piece and I could simply unfold the end and fill in the gaps in the sides. Which is probably a lot more confusing to read than it was to do, actually. After that, I had to deal with the sides of the box, which was what required the staples and strapping tape. The tape wasn't enough on its own, so I stapled it down and that held just fine, but I also added some bracing to the bottom, both to keep the sides aligned and to raise the surface up.

A flat sheet of cardboard formed the actual bottom of the bed, and then I piled up cotton batting to form a mattress (I'll make a better one eventually, but that requires supplies that I don't have in my dorm room). Then I applied the fabric to the sides to cover the cardboard where it will be visible in the bed's final resting place (which is under my lofted bed)

The result is this (please excuse the crappy pics! I know I suck. And that I need a tripod...):

I think they like it. ^_^

The Great Ben & Jerry's Quest

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:11:21 GMT

This is the boys' first photostory on Den of Angels, where it can still be found, under the same title. It's also, again, pre-Dorian, so he's not in it. T_T

I should warn you in advance that the pictures are a bit bad, the narration is worse, the plot is almost nonexistant, and the world was probably better off without this story. But it's kinda funny. So you should read it. ;)

Warning: Pic heavy! (11)

THE GREAT BEN & JERRY'S QUEST
With (bad) narration by SolarCat, whose ice cream was probably harmed in the making of this photostory.

Our story begins with Ben & Jerry's. Possibly the greatest ice cream on earth. The Holy Grail of icy, creamy goodness. Everyone seeks the joy that comes from a pint of this lovely stuff. Including small resin people who reside in college dorm rooms.

And so the quest begins.

It's difficult to break into a freezer when you're under three feet tall. Luckily, it's a very small refrigerator, and Luka is juuuuust tall enough to manage it.

Aha! The target has been sighted! Now... How to get to it? No one is tall enough on their own, but...

Voila! A quick boost and we're in business!

Cole perches precariously on Shay's shoulders, attempting to pry a pint from the depths. The inside of the freezer is cold, and the elements are taking their toll on our heroes' constitutions...

Almost there...

VICTORY!

The team takes a moment to enjoy the beauty of their hard-won prize.

Now, to enjoy the yummy goodness...

But wait... How can we eat it without any spoons?? 0.0

Where are those pesky spoons, anyway?

Oh no...

All the way up there! But our heroes have already braved the terrifying depths of the freezer, surely they can conquer this obstacle with the same fearlessness and dangerously unbalanced posing!

They've done it! It's unremarkable and wholly expected given the nature of this plot, but they've done it! :o

The spoons have been reached! The day is saved! The ice cream has probably melted by now! And they all lived happily ever after!

A Few Photos on Campus

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:07:42 GMT

I took these pics in January '07, at Marsh Plaza at BU. It was really cold out that day! My fingers about froze off. But I got some nice pics of the boys, and that's what matters. Lots of Cole, because he's little and easy to carry around. Dorian hadn't joined us yet, which is why he doesn't appear in any of these pics. ^^

Luka. In a tree.

Shadow (Shay), also in a tree.

Cole. Likewise - tree.

And now, the whole group together. In a tree. (noticing the theme yet? good, good...)

And now, some pictures of Cole, sitting on various pieces of sculpture. The first ones are on the MLK Jr. statue thing in Marsh Plaza, one is him sitting on these odd granite pillars that run along CommAve next to the plaza, the last one is on this random thing but you can see the Castle in the background (it used to be Hillel house, but now they just have speakers or something there. There's also a pub under/next to it. Shh. I didn't tell you about it...)

A Little Bit of Shadow

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:02:04 GMT

A few pics of Shay, back when he didn't really have a fleshed-out personality yet. It's certainly developing in these photos, though! The gargoyle has been a resident of my bedroom for many years, so it's good that he's taken to the boys. ^_^

Luka's Holiday Travel Adventure

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:58:19 GMT

This pseudo-Photostory was posted on my "real life" LJ on Christmas Day, 2006. It recounts Luka's adventures traveling home to Michigan with me for the holidays. This is back when he was an "only" doll, so he has the whole story to himself.

Well, if you can call it a story. :\

Luka's Holiday Travel Adventure
~not for those without sense of humor, or those with slow dial-up~

Oh, holidays! You're such fun, but traveling during the holidays is a major drag. Flights delayed, cancelled... oh, my!

Flight delay! But I have a connection to make! We'll have to talk to the lady at the counter...

I've got a ticket, lady! You better get me home on time!

Well, at least I'm on a flight. Now the wait begins...

And don't think I'm happy about it, either!

Oh, this is boring! Two hours until the plane even gets here! Ugh. I need a drink.

Well, may as well pick up some reading material, if I'm going to be sitting around...

Where is that plane? I've been here for ages! *groan*

Ah! There it is now! Finally! Time to go!

Welcome!

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:54:29 GMT

Welcome, one and all, to E-Barra, the Shining House. This is the official journal of SolarCat's ball-joint dolls (BJDs), and as such will contain pics, photostories, bits of short fiction, RP-style entries from the boys themselves, and other odds and ends.

Just a reminder that all pictures posted on this journal are copyrighted to SolarCat, unless otherwise stated. If you want to use them or archive them somewhere, please ask me first by leaving a comment on my "real life" journal, solar_cat

Thank you so much for dropping by! ^_^