DeriDolls and ocasional ramblings
Feb. 6th, 2010
10:10 pm
I've aged ten years in the past month.
I don't remember going three straight days without collapsing into tears.
I've been covered in mud from head to toe so many times I can't even count them.
I have so many wounds and bruises on my hands that, on one particularly bad day, I had to ask my mother to butter a piece of bread for me because I couldn't even hold the knife with the pain.
I have been in a constant state of terror and despair that I couldn't really talk with anyone about because I knew no one could really understand.
My hatred and contempt towards some people has become definite and I can truthfully say that, if I saw them wounded and dying in a ditch somewhere, I would spit on them and walk away with a smile on my face.
We're not out of the woods yet, but at least my babies won't be buried alive under dirt and heavy machinery, abandoned for the second time in their lives.
Today I shed tears of relief and dared to feel a tiny bit of hope once again.
Time will tell how tomorrow will be.
Jan. 26th, 2010
06:20 pm - Custom work
«Exhausting» doesn't quite cover the days I've been having since my return to Portugal, thus my prolonged silence.
I do, however, have Christmas' custom dolls I haven't posted about here yet.
The lovely ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
farruskinha06 commissioned dolls of herself and her best friend and, also, a doll inspired by Quino's most beloved character, Mafalda. <3<3<3<3
Here they are! I hope their new owner liked them!
Jan. 13th, 2010
06:53 pm - And now... Number two... The nephew.
=) Long time no post, hmmm? But I have a very good excuse!
I'm in a little spanish town called Beniarbeig, over 1000km from home, where I have recently (just last night, actually!) become the proud aunt of a nephew this time. =))))))))
3,5kg of health, lungs and an insatiable appetite. =D
Edit: Thank you! =D
Dec. 18th, 2009
02:43 pm - Deridolls
I just got the business/thank you cards I ordered, designed by the lovely, amazing, extremely talented n0n_entity, to whom I'll forever be in debt. *bows*
Now to get the website ready. *lifts eyebrow at big brother*
Dec. 6th, 2009
04:41 pm - Say "Méeee"
I'd like to introduce to you the newest addition to my family. =)
She's still very weak from the poor conditions and neglect she suffered, but we're all hopeful she'll make it through and we felt optimistic enough to give her a name, Groselha.
Wish her luck!
PS - Mafaldinha is insanely jealous and has been sulking ever since we got Groselha! =D
Update: She's up and grazing and stealing Mafaldinha's food. =)))))
Dec. 5th, 2009
11:07 pm - The Father of a Nation and a harmless chap in the streets of London >=)
To my non-portuguese Friend's List, please allow me to give you a quick introduction to Portuguese History. =)
This guy is supposed to be D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, who founded our nation in the 12th century.
He basically went against his mother and all her leonese (?) side of the family, lied, cheated and killed (this last one I assume he did A LOT, with all the battles he participated in), but fought what we now call Portugal off from the Arabs' domination and kept Spain at bay.
Gotta love the guy. =)
My take:
My knitting skills don't go as far as giving his chain-mail slits. So, instead of having him parade around with a chain-mail sweater, I decided on a sort of long over-vest (I can't remember the proper name for it...) with his crest on, just like his shield.
just for you to see the knit chain-mail (I haven't given up on doing the real thing someday. =)).
And he also has a red cloak with snap (?) button closure, partly hidden by a golden metal piece.
Now I want you to travel with me a few centuries forward in History and a bit further North in Europe.
To the 19th century and to London, England, to be more precise.
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Are you there yet?
Finally! =P
Now I want you to go to a place called Whitechapel, a lovely neighborhood, indeed, and wander the streets with the ladies of ill-repute you'll find there.
You know where I'm going with this by now, don't you? >=)
Meet Jack, the Ripper.
Jack is sporting the latest in homicidal fashion: a white shirt with pointy cuffs, back vest with black and silver french knot buttons and pockets for his pocket watch, a blood red tie, an Ulster overcoat (also called the Atlanta overcoat sometimes) and a top hat.
By his side, the tool case and trophy carrier.
A closer view to his clothing. You can barely see them in the photos, but the vest has lapels.
And, because I'm a sick little puppy, I gave him a knife and a kidney to play with. =P
Nov. 30th, 2009
07:59 am
Just for the record, when I die, I want to be dressed in pajamas and comfy slippers.
No wake. No flowers. No condolences or useless "last goodbyes". Just lock me up somewhere during the legal waiting period.
NO PRIESTS OR RELIGIOUS SERVICES OF ANY KIND! EVER!
Cremation and then, if any friend or relative wants to scatter the ashes on their gardens or backyards, be my guest. I'd be happy to help fertilize your plants. If not, I'm betting the agency has a place somewhere for that.
On the other hand... Do whatever you want. I won't be here to endure it, so it won't matter anyway. =P
Life goes on after we die and I'm perfectly ok with that.
Nov. 23rd, 2009
11:44 pm - Busy little bee
After a period of creative block and another of no time to do anything but collapse due to exhaustion, I'm back to a productive streak, baby! =)
Another Holy Family set. (I guess the Wise Kings will still have to wait another year...)
And my third Angel. Each feather individually cut and sewn because I'm a sucker for punishment. =) But be fair, the wings do look good with that extra work, don't they?
I'm sending these and a few more to a brick and mortar store for a try-out. =) Wish them luck!
(Thank you once again, porsia!)
But, as usual, after a stroll down different lanes, I had to go back to my History passion.
This time I bring you Cardinal Richelieu.
Many see him as a villain but I tend to be somewhat lenient on the guy, despite having grown up associating him to his Dartacão's (Dogtanian's) character in the cartoon. Times were different then and things were done differently and--- Ok, ok, I'll confess: the guy was a notorious cat lover to the extreme. That scores HUGE points on my list. =P 
Quick and uncomplicated, just how I like them. =)
The cross is a mess because I only had long ones and it looked terrible like that, so I chopped a bit of it and ended up still looking bad. =( When will suppliers in Coimbra start catering for my smallish needs? =(
The only extra details you can't see are his sleeve cuffs, which also have lace on them, and french knots serving as buttons on his capelet-thingy. (I did no research for this; can you tell? =P)
I love his beard and mustache!
He has A LOT of personality, doesn't he?
Nov. 21st, 2009
10:52 am - Alvaro Bautista
This time I bring a real person doll, commissioned by the lovely sweetlilheart who is a die-hard fan of the motorcycle pilot Álvaro Bautista.
Meet the Álvaros. =)
Pretty straightforward, I used ribbon and pleather for the knee-pads, black cord for the horizontal lines and a real zipper.
And, just as a curiosity, the zipper does open all the way down and I gave him nipples, just in case. >=D
And the screen can open for him to peek out. =)
Nov. 7th, 2009
11:17 pm - A Mon Seul Désir
I no longer feel or look as Death warmed-over (already went to work today. Oh, joy...).
But, more importantly, I finally returned to my needles and dolls after almost a month of forced hiatus.
Once again, the Web Gallery of Art lured me in and I came across the picture of a beautiful french tapestry dating back to early 15th century.
It's refered to as "A Mon Seul Désir".
The photos do her no justice, trust me. She's adorable and gave me absolutely no headaches.
One minute she was a sketch, the other she was waltzing out of my hands. =) I love it when they do that.
The hat is a shameless adaptation of the one I made for this doll http://deriana.livejournal.com/45108.ht
Yes, I know they're a century or more apart, but, sizing and dating aside, they kind of look like they have the same shape and fit. The tapestry's also seems to have a long thin feather sticking out from it, but my feather stock is a bit depleted and I skipped that detail.
When I saw her partled I immediately thought of the Eleonora di Toledo doll (http://deriana.livejournal.com/52528.h
So, in this doll I skipped the grid sewing and went straight for the embroidering-on-the-body strategy. Took less than a minute, looks decent enough imo and there was no need to secure the organza ribbon any more than that. =) Hurray for cutting corners!
Oh, and whenever I needed to embroider something, like the partlet, the hem of the underdress or the organza ribbon on the sleeve? Crochet yarn. =) I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that it works sooooooooo much better then the "proper" threads for that effect!
I <3 you, crochet yarn! *swoons*
Nov. 5th, 2009
04:42 pm - Curse my luck!
I finally put my foot down and got myself a day off. A whole day just for me. =) Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Guess what?
I was awaken before 6am having been transformed into a fountain of snot.
My eyelids weigh a ton each, my feet are frozen solid and my forehead is molten lava.
I have a disgusting taste in my mouth, a sore nose and boneless arms.
My cats are doing what they always do when I'm sick: take advantage of the situation. I can hardly feel my legs or arse from being sat and slept on for hours with no energy to change position.
There isn't a single atom in me that isn't begging to be put out of its misery.
The Universe hates me.
(And yes, I'm wallowing in self-pity and paranoia. From where I'm sitting (due to not being able to stand without wobbling (SHUT THE HELL UP, SÓNIA!)), I'm bloody well entitled to it, thank you very much!)
![[mood icon]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/niaha/kitty/anksadg.gif){kind=small}
sickOct. 28th, 2009
03:55 pm - Mafaldinha
Off-topic. I just wanted to show her off to some people and I couldn't embed the video in the comments.
Oct. 27th, 2009
10:39 pm - Swap Angelism , or How I Love Felt!
Since the girl already received it, I guess it's safe to post about it here.
Some swap angels were required in the portuguese swap community I help moderating (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
trocas) and I volunteered to send an item.
The subject was Room Decoration, her colour choices were red and black and she favoured Rococo and brocade.
The first word that sprung into my mind after I read her specifications was «decadent» and I started imagining something that could be from a cabaret or posh brothel from the 1930ies (Rococo--->1930ies. I love my trails of thought. =D)
I didn't have time to go around shops looking for the perfect item, so I settled for a regular picture frame and bought some spray paint to get the basics covered.
It all went downhill after that. =)
I painted it. Left it to dry completely. Gave it a second coat to be on the safe side. Let it dry completely.
Feeling very proud of my patience, I took it to my "studio" and started fooling around with my ribbons to see what clicked.
I finally settled for some thin red satin ribbon for the first layer of decor and hot-glued it down. Big mistake.
The glue lumped under the ribbon. I carefully tried peeling it off, set on replacing it with a wider and darker ribbon that could hide the dry lumps. The ribbon came off fine. So did the paint...
Sand off everything. Paint again. Wait. Paint again. Wait. Return to studio.
Then I decided to embroider the said wider ribbon before applying it.
Embroider away. Find out the weave of the ribbon was so frail that the embroidery poked holes in some places. Not amused.
I next tried out embroidering some velvet ribbon, but it didn't look good.
Embroider a different satin ribbon. Red. Spend two evenings doing it.
Finally happy with it, I decide to use super glue instead of the hot glue. No point tempting fate again, right?
The paint reacted to the glue and sort of liquefied a bit, staining the ribbon like crazy.
That frame will never know how close it came to becoming a frisbee...
I sulked for a while, cursing everything I could think of.
then I looked at mt faithful felt stash. It wasn't as glamorous as satin or velvet, true, but it was reliable and I just about had it with ribbons!
Measured, sewed, embroidered/beaded and glued it down without a problem. =)
And here it is, the world's most complicated picture frame ever:
Oct. 22nd, 2009
09:45 pm - Off topic silliness
I'm lucky enough to actually like my jobs and the volunteer work I do is really important to me and my mental well-being, but, with all that, I have no weekends or days off... I'm knackered, drained and exhausted...
Anyone wants to take bets on how long it will take before I crack and start running around town in an orange tutu singing about the pretty little martians?
Oct. 5th, 2009
11:46 pm - Blackadder III
After my Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition set, it was only a matter of time before I went to another of my all time favorite series for inspiration: Blackadder.
Namely, the third season. =) (Surprisesurprise! My favourite isn't the Elizabethan one! =D Although I did have a bit of a crush on that Blackadder when I was a kid... I blame the earring. =P)
If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a peek:
George was the classic 18th century doll: a lot of lace and golden embroidery.
You can't see the whole vest, but it's peppered with french knots all over.
Edmund's vest is embroidered in silver and blue for a bit of a sparkle. I decided on felt ruffles instead of lace or ribbon because I wanted to mark the differences between his and George's rank.
Baldrick. =)
His clothes are as simple as that period would allow. I think the only real detail is the lacing on his shirt and his neckerchief (I had to resort to satin ribbon because all my other non-shiny ribbons clashed too much.).
I gave his hair a very irregular trim and glued that huge mole on his face for detail. 
This is the picture I worked from.
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