2024 Doll Goals/Resolutions

1/2 year update:

1. I have truly enjoyed what I have! To the point I found I would enjoy some of them a little more if I upgraded a few bits.
Which brings me to...
2. Bought two new resin bodies and failed the resolution (also sold stuff but ya know...)

 

I can’t believe it has been over six months already! I’m doing pretty good on my goals.

• I sold four dolls and have two more listed!
• One in, one out is a success so far!
• Have not found many furniture items or props, I’m too picky
• Found good outfits for my pukipukis but still could use some better wigs
• No luck on the wig for the character doll yet
• Avoiding the clothes issue so I probably need to get started on that
• Done cataloging my entire collection!

 

August update on the two goals left on my list... they're fairly big ones.

I finally picked up momentum on sewing and learned how to sew a button-down shirt at last. (Been wanting to learn this one for months.) Still have a long way to go on learning how to make more casual separates, but I'm inching closer. I don't think I'll manage my "stretch goal", but if by the end of the year I can clothe my dolls in casual outfits that I've sewn myself, I'll consider it success.

I bought a doll a month ago, but this was planned: I've had it on my wishlist for over a year (finally found it secondhand) and it's going to be an alt head for an existing doll anyway. So I don't count it for my no-buying goal.
So far I'm behaving myself and not buying new dolls, but it's been hard! So many beautiful new dolls being made! But as a consequence, I now have a doll on my wishlist and once receive my outstanding preorders, I plan to order it at end of this year or next year.

 

Well! My update is... interesting. I've since sold my F65 Rozen and both Minifees and am trying to sell Lanaya, my Resinsoul Xi. The Rozen was just too big and the minifees just weren't working out. So with of my plans for the year, the only things I'd be able to keep is getting a faceup for one (I redid Bonnie's faceup myself and really like it), and more clothes for Briar Rose. I ended up buying two OT dolls (one arrived and the other that should be soon) and a DollyZone Little Mushroom Beast girl that I'm currently waiting on.

I've been feeling a little eh about my dolls lately and would love for that spark and drive to come back. I think I just need a big project again

 

An August update: things have gone...pretty slow. I got a ring light to start, and organized some of my doll stuff again. Though I haven't had the energy to actually use it for photos yet;; In all honesty, trying to enjoy my dolls in any form became extremely difficult after losing a cat back in december, 1 month prior to the original post. Then to make matters worse, I lost my 2nd cat just last month in july So I've been trying to cope the best I can, taking baby steps for my goals. I caved for another doll earlier in may, and she'll be my first msd from gem of doll. She's cat-themed too, which felt fitting considering the recent losses. I'm prolly gonna spoil her like I did the rest, haha.

Other than that, my current project/goal is to make a shelf-insert, half diorama space for the new girl and my other msds. It's all I've been able to manage, but it works for me and it's helping some with the grief. My other goals have otherwise stayed the same, but I'm not gonna focus on them as much. Just one small thing at a time, and right now that is enough.

 

@Dreamverie I'm sorry you lost your kitty cats. I'm sending you hugs as a cat mom.

 

::hugs::
It's devastating losing a fur baby. Two is even more painful.

 

It's eight and half months into the year, and here's where I am with my resolutions/goals;

• I've done a lot to improve my sewing skills, and I'm pretty good at sewing pants too! So that one I can check off the list!
  
• The two unique outfits for each of my dolls was complete earlier this year, but then I just 'accidentally' ended up with three more dolls and one still on the way, so the goalpost moved a bit further away. Wigs part is done though! I'm pretty sure I'll manage to finish the year with all of my dolls having outfits to choose from, since everyone at home already has at least one complete outfit.
  
• Paying off half my student loans was a very ambitious of me, and currently it's just not realistic for me to get my grail doll (Dollmore Lusion Lillia) because I just don't have the room for her. But I managed to pay off some of my student loans (maybe a quarter) and got the downsized version of my grail (Illua Lillia), so if I lower the bar I can say goal somewhat achieved!

 

August update!
Goal: Craftorama room.
August 2024: Done! Well, -ish. Everything is just about in there, and as predicted by family/friends, not everything fits. Decisions are being made. Items are being culled. I didn't bother painting. The walls are a boring creamy beige, and that's good enough. Also - I want to start hanging up art that I've saved from packaging over the years.

Goal: cataloging my collection.
Plan: Airtable listing of dolls with links to original listings, saving PDF printouts of website sales, and making little charms to put on each doll with numbers to match the listings in my document.
August 2024: I still have exactly one doll in Airtable. The list below is still planned.

• I want to put the full doll together and take a picture
• Then, I want pictures of the individual head and body separately.
• Finally, I want to put the doll pieces back in their hybrid position and track who is where (what head is on which body).

I'm focusing on getting Craftorama room complete first, because there is going to be a photography area. This will help a lot with taking pictures.

Got rid of a ton of books we haven't looked at in... eight years? Yeah. Eight years. Dolls are shelved. Getting there! Probably not going to complete the Airtable catalogue by the end of 2024, but as long as I keep working on it, I'll be happy. 2025 goal, maybe?

 

Time to take stock of the situation!

• I'd like to try "one doll in = one doll out", as buying no dolls at all is always a fail. So far so good! I sold quite a lot, and didn't buy as much as I sold.
• I'd like to continue crafting wigs, outfits and accessoiries. I did seldom wigs until august, only two for BJDs and two for off-topic dolls. But I sewed 5 outits, that's not bad. In the opposite, about crafting accessoiries it is quite a fail. I think I crafted nothing, aside two new masks that were begun last year.
• I'd like to find the time to paint at least one doll's tattoos. For this one, it is still to do! But I'm not sure I will reach it this year.
• bying less. Less outfits, less accessoiries, no wig at all, only the needed eyes... Not bad but I could buy even less clothes. I bought nearly no accessoiries (aside mini books, but I am weak when it comes to books) and I bought no wig.

So not bad so far!

 

At the risk of suggesting something you may have already heard (dozens of times?), have you tried small temporary tattoos? For minis and tinys - nail art tattoos. For bigger dolls, smaller temporary tattoos. Spray sealant first, apply with water, spray or sponge on sealant, and voila! Little tattoo. Plus - it might give you an idea of what you would or wouldn't like.

 

@MaleficentMrsofEvil Thank you for the suggestion, I appreciate! But I like huge tattoos, and I enjoy - when I have the time- to paint them myself. I like to suffer

 

I'm working on it now. I have a body coming for my Moonlight Wonder head and that completes the trio I wanted to make. It's just a question of accessories now.

I would just like to do some more work on some of my dolls that need it. I've been very ill the past few months with an autoimmune flare so I'm not doing much in terms of customizing.

My R hand is the one I draw and sew with and I've got a problem that may need surgery unfortunately. It's been really slowing me down in terms of doing face ups and outfits and stuff...

 

Okay, I guess I'll do an August update as well.

Weed out my "to buy" bookmarks list
> I've done it! And added more. And done it again. And added more... basically, it's much more streamline than it used to be, because I've started regularly maintaining it as my tastes have shifted over the year.

Get more eyes and wigs in a variety of sizes/colors so I can try different things in new dolls
> Debatable. I have indeed gotten more of both, but I've pretty solidly stuck to "five varieties of what I want for this specific doll" so there's not as much variety as there could be. (Especially with wigs, because I'm incredibly picky about fiber texture but have grabbed eyes just because I like them.)

Avoid buying any 1/3 or larger dolls (unless Dokkebi Garion in a tan resin is offered)
> Utter fail. I have bought so many SD boys.

Sell at least two SD dolls
> I sold one SD head, traded a full SD for another (no regrets, he's adorable), traded a body for some heads... It's been a slow year for all of us with doll sales, I think. But I have listed some, and intend to list more before the year is up!

Get Cyprian his face up finally, for goodness' sake!
> I swear I'm trying. I may need to abandon having my friend do it as she agreed to, because her communication has been...nonexistent. But I'm also starting to be afraid that I'll miss his blank face when he's painted, because I've had him for so long blank and adore him.

 

Holy moly, I not only wrapped these up, but even finished some from last year - ones I'd given up on!

1&2 are 100% done and the girl is assembled and has gone traveling once already.

3. I totally lucked into a pair of perfectly-matching socks at a local doll meet, so Leonie has a proper pair of socks to go with her ivory dress.

AND! Last year I had attempted to finish up Anka's character, only to give up because I couldn't find her a proper outfit. But I found the perfect one this year! Just waiting on one final accessory, and she'll be all done. I also combed out her wig as it was getting matted, so now she is one hip space pilot/nomad

I think this is the first time I've finished all my dolly goals - and there's still 4 months left in the year!

 

I have been really wanting to get a custom faceup done for a doll and fully put together a doll idea without getting stuck along way!!!

 

So, for my doll No Buy, I broke it back in May with an impulse purchase. Then, I quit my job within the past few months and wound up still buying clothing and accessories and stuff, so I am now on a full hobby No Buy until I get a job. As for the main things I wanted to do:

• Bought and put some kips in; still need to restring and suede a few, possibly even wire some of them.
• Bought styling scissors and cut my own hair instead of the wigs, so. Oops.
• Haven't listed all of my stuff to sell on DOA yet, so I haven't sold anything this year.
• I was able to clean enough of my room to clear space for storage, but am now wanting to get rid of a lot of stuff I don't think about anymore, so I'm currently cleaning off my shelves as well.

So. Not a great year, but still we carry on!

 

Having been more or less out of the hobby for a long time I have a lot of things to catch up on but the list is as follows.

• Chest mod of my Soom Dia. I bought her with the intention to mod and tattoo her, then didn't dare to get through with it, and ten years later she's still waiting for me! Come on!
  
• New faceups for the Dia and Ringdoll Lucifer.
  
• Hand- and feet blushing, too. For everybody.
  
• Modify or make a wig for the Dia in the style I want.
  
• Expand the 65+ doll wardrobe so that they actually have something to wear.
• Get new dolls for the first time in a decade (!), and paint and style them appropriately.
  
• Sell some of my SD clothing that never get used.
• Find a fitting body for my floating head and potentially also one that matches my LM better than her current one.
  
• Get my slightly broken junk boy out of the house so I can fund my plans and so he can actually see the sun.

As for how much I actually will manage to accomplish... only time will tell.

 

I want to sew my dolls outfits! I'm excited, I've just got to get sewing machines and ironing sorted out first...