My Little Pretties

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2009-11-06T15:15:14Z

There is more to be excited about in this than I can even comprehend....

Dia de los Muertos

2009-11-03T00:31:42Z

Another commission, this one actually on her way to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, so she was extra special. She'll be my last Calavera for a while I think.

I was going to paint myself this way for the Ball Saturday night, but realized that with an hour to get ready that was too daunting a task. I'm glad I went the way I did with my makeup, but I've set the challenge for myself. Next year, perhaps.

Even if you don't celebrate, it might be as good a time as any to think fondly of someone you've lost.

xoxo

they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth

2009-10-16T14:58:45Z

Where the Wild Things Are is pretty amazing. (I will be careful of spoilers.)

I don't know what sort of qualifications to make -- I think this book is so enmeshed in so many childhood memories it's almost silly to say "I love the book..." But I do. Tremendously.

Knowing the story and seeing the previews, I think I had a good understanding of what the movie was going to be and I feel like my expectations were right. It is a story of childhood and therefore of playfulness and adventure, but also of feeling small and frustrated and sometimes very very scared and lonely. There are many moments which feel (appropriately) exactly like watching children play -- you laugh, but do not stop being acutely aware that at any moment someone might get hurt. As such, we went first to see if Gideon could would enjoy it and we both think mostly not. It is rated PG, but it has very very tense and frightening moments and I know Gideon well enough to know that they won't be lost on him, no matter how great the monsters are... It is definitely not a movie made for children. We'll watch it with Gideon once it's on DVD, when he'll have the freedom to tune out the more intense moments. I do want him to see it.

The wild things are incredible. The puppets/suits have weight and that tactile quality lost with only CGI. Max is incredible. There are many tiny moments that are absolutely true perfect little boy moments. The story is obviously fleshed out, but it feels "right" and you are ultimately not left with much more story than was already there. The whole thing is beautiful, really. Sad and beautiful. Bring a tissue perhaps, but I do recommend it.

ETA: An excerpt of an interview with Sendak and Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers (who worked on the screenplay) which is very telling (and awesome):

Reporter: "What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?"

Sendak: "I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate."

Reporter: "Because kids can handle it?"

Sendak: "If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it's not a question that can be answered."

Jonze: "Dave, you want to field that one?"

Eggers: "The part about kids wetting their pants? Should kids wear diapers when they go to the movies? I think adults should wear diapers going to it, too. I think everyone should be prepared for any eventuality."

Sendak: "I think you're right. This concentration on kids being scared, as though we as adults can't be scared. Of course we're scared. I'm scared of watching a TV show about vampires. I can't fall asleep. It never stops. We're grown-ups; we know better, but we're afraid."

Reporter: "Why is that important in art?"

Sendak: "Because it's truth. You don't want to do something that's all terrifying. I saw the most horrendous movies that were unfit for child's eyes. So what? I managed to survive."

we'll eat you up we love you so

2009-10-15T21:23:54Z

We'll be at the midnight showing tonight.

It's Dracula! Let 'im in!

2009-10-01T13:23:12Z

It's October! Here's my gift to you:

(This may or may not be the reason why there are no Halloween carols.)

i want to shoo ooo ooo oooot the whole day down

2009-09-21T16:59:34Z

Mondays Mat teaches at night and leaves extra early so I am alone to deal with the kiddies all the live long day. We sometimes eat mac and cheese for dinner and skip baths but everyone eats and sleeps and gets where they need to be and we're all (mostly) dressed so I call that success.

Chocolate filled marshmallows are DEEElicious.

We watched Return to Oz last night. It is still fantastic/terrifying.

I just made a quick update to the Melancholy Kitties LJ so if you're thinking of commissioning me/have contacted me about a commission/ etc, I'd like to point you over there.

Hrm. There's not much else. Oh, go vote for Angel Devil / Anna /iamdollface 's design for a new doll on PatchTogether. Because she is amazing and needs 50 votes to be produced and I want one.

i. love. bugs.

2009-09-11T13:22:12Z

Things I find myself saying:

(After dinner, to Mat)
me: Do you want me to pack this chicken carcass up for your dermestid beetles at work?
Mat: Oh, that's a good idea.

Oh.
No wait, I don't want to have to carry it on the bus.

(Before bed, to Gideon)
me: Go brush your teeth and please don't forget to feed your cockroaches.

&hearts

Recent commission

2009-09-09T14:31:57Z

This was actually an idea I had for myself, but decided to wait to get another head. I was excited when this customer wanted to commit the whole doll to it and it was nice to both paint a new head as a calavera and for it to have open eyes. I sort of love her, but her owner was a dream to work for, so I'm glad she's on her way home. She even gave me a gift of another Planetdoll head but I have new plans for that...

Recent commissions

2009-08-28T14:51:04Z

Often, I paint dolls and never see them again. (Though I don't spend much time looking through galleries, so that is mostly my fault.) In the case of these 3 owners, I'm sure that I will see these faces again and that makes me really happy. They are lovely friends to boot, so it has been pleasure after pleasure. I'm having a really good time getting back into things.

Happy Friday!

Sei Tenshi

2009-08-24T11:37:41Z

Anyone interested in buying Paloma?

kittykattoes@gmail.com

maintenence

2009-07-31T21:56:42Z

My whole life my parents have had a cuckoo clock which hangs in the dining room. It has weights that must be pulled back up to the top every day in order to keep running. My father faithfully pulls them up every single day and the sound the thin chains make, the metallic zip of them gliding though the clock guts, is a sound that I can hear even right now. I would ask to pull them up once in a while and it was always as satisfying as those things are... Like pushing in the "diet" or "cola" or "other" buttons on a fountain soda lid. Gideon does it when we visit, even if the weights have not made it all the way down *quite* yet.

BRRRZZZZIPP

Successful relationships are like that clock, I think. You need to pull the weights back up every day. Its not always so exciting but its satisfying.

Compare! Contrast!

2009-06-19T17:22:59Z

With the Latis. Her head is smaller than a Lati Yellow.

With Domadoll Kkotmu. They are the same height, but Kkotmu is much thicker with a larger head, so she seems just younger and a different scale to me

With Blythe, just cause.

With Tonner Alice. I took this because there has been talk of her wearing Agnes Dreary stuff, which would be hit or miss at best. The first shot is in one of Alice's dresses and she is swimming in it.

Why do I find this stuff fascinating?

kittytoes @ 2009-06-16T13:27:00

2009-06-16T18:00:06Z

My own Planetdoll Mini Riz this time! I think her name might be Una. I spent a lot of time trying things on her then just made her a wig and left her in this... something about her is very "doll" to me, which I love. I also think she might either need to be left nude or have horrendously elaborate dresses...

Either way, I feel creatively energized and lucky lately. I have amazing pals in this hobby. More soon! I'm anxious to take some comparison pics of this girl with others since she's such a unique size.

Awesome

2009-06-09T19:43:16Z

There's a Melancholy Kitties interview up on Doll-Lite! As, always, Mercy was wonderful to work with and if you haven't checked the whole blog out, you really should because its awesome. (And there's an LJ Feed!) Really really really good dolly things are happening and things like this interview remind me of how much I love what I do.

Thanks again Mercy!!

Will eyeballs pop?

2009-06-01T21:34:01Z

I'm officially on the prowl for an Alice Cherry Blossom. So much so I'm proposing whacko trades! Lemme know if you have any leads!

:)

Recent commission

2009-05-28T16:13:41Z

Planetdoll Mini Riz, an amazing amazing amazing little thing. She's only 27cm, just about the same height as Ramona, my Kkotmu, but slimmer so she has the overall feeling of being more mature and just tiny. For reference, she could juuust fit into some Blythe tees, but they were snug and short. She was a joy to paint, especially since I adore her owner. &hearts

Stirring the pot

2009-05-25T04:19:26Z

I'm selling Damien. Judge is still for sale. Nothing bad, just wanting change.

Post is here, on DOA. I've had him for 5 years, I would obviously be THRILLED if someone from the flist was seriously interested, so please feel free to contact me if you are.

&hearts

to give and to get

2009-05-09T15:51:07Z

We're in the midst of signing cards and making meals for our mothers, but it would be criminal to not send my momma love out this way to all of you.

To my sister other mothers, I adore you all, your wisdom, your comfort, your love. Enjoy your day because you deserve it.

To everyone who lets me be a mom, to talk about teeth, to have spots on my shirt and shove pictures in your face, I appreciate every second of it and I sincerely believe that you do care about what those boys are up to and it warms me inside and out.

I'll be sleeping in on Sunday and seeing a lot of those waggly eyebrows.

xoxo

here there everywhere

2009-04-13T21:09:40Z

One of my pictures of Ramona is featured in an awesome Domadoll article Mercy wrote for the latest issue of Dolls Magazine. They are going digital and a free preview issue (the one with the article!) is online here. Thanks again Mercy for including me!

Good things are happening in my studio. Lucky emails and flattering propositions are reminding me that I've got something here and I cannot rest on my laurels. I need to keep up the momentum -- I hope to share more soon.

In the meantime, Ramona outtakes.

little boys and monsters

2009-03-25T20:57:28Z

Trailer!

Breaking up is hard to do

2009-03-19T18:06:01Z

Well, I have decided that I'd like to have a second go at my Judge character, so my Namu is for sale. DOA thread here or email me at kittykattoes AT gmail if you are interested. He'll be the second doll I have sold since starting in 2003! *places offerings before the gods of pleasant dolly sales*

Recent commission

2009-03-13T12:47:42Z

K doll Karon, meant to be sexually ambiguous. I used Damien's body and wig for these shots, so they feel more masculine to me, but I've always felt that its just my job to showcase what I've done and not who the doll is... I'm *very* excited to see this character in his/her owner's expert hands. &hearts

stupid fun!

2009-03-05T13:26:04Z

The Hero Factory

Show me yours!

hump day report from the dolly brain

2009-02-25T14:19:08Z

I sort of really really need an Alice Cherry Blossom, in any incarnation.

I am going to repaint Damien, my Shin Cho. It feels like a Big Deal, as he was painted by Mink, and my first doll, and has looked this was since I got him in 2004, but his face up is very simple and I need to fall in love with him again. I think it will be good.

I think I'll repaint Pia too. To make them match-y.

Mat is considering selling Rowan. To possibly reincarnate her with a different doll, though I'm not sure his heart is in that. I'm also not sure the old Kid Delf body is worth spit. We'll see...

I keep wanting to thin the herd, but I can't.

I repaint them instead.

My happy place

2009-02-23T22:22:22Z

So, I like toys. I also like monsters and puppets, probably a bit too much. We live in an itty bitty little house and we have made a very serious effort to weed through our collections/desires to save room for nice things and remain sane. We try to be selective.

Sometimes, I slip.

And it thrills me.

The Munsters (Grandpa is in my Flickr). In what I consider to be an exciting new scale for me -- Mego, or 1/9. They are not actually Mego, they are by Classic TV Toys who reissued a few Mego lines and added some new ones. They are incredibly cheap and accessories for them are cheap I have become somewhat obsessed with making my own Addams family. I also need to make a Woof Woof for Eddie. We'll see how that goes.

Miss Piggy! She's from 1989 and was wearing some predictably hot pink sparkly voluminous dress which left some stains on her but some Clearasil and a few days in my window sill have done wonders for them. I am dying to sew for her. She's 12" tall and had to squeeze into that top which was big on my Unoa. She is glorious.

Coraline x 3. What's amazing about these little dolls is that they are bendy and have removable/switchable face plates and movable eyes! They are small and have great details like raincoat Coraline's muddy boots and jammie Coraline's blanket. Raincoat gal has no shirt on underneath though. And now I sort of need an teeny star sweater for her. (Any micro knitters on the flist?) I also want to make her a little Coraline. We'll see how that goes.

Finally my Emerald Witch. She's from 1972 and a company called Girl's World. What's funny about her is that I actually found one at a flea market 5 years ago and had no idea who she was. An LJ friend from waaaay back coincidentally posted about them and how she had always wanted one and I offered her mine for a song. She was insanely grateful and proceeded to melt all of her hair and repaint her and then eventually leave dolly dom completely so, uh, that sucked. In time, they became more popular and prices skyrocketed and I was sad for the funny little purple gal I let go but was really unwilling to pay so much more for a new one. After pining long enough, I found a good deal from a fabulous Flickr pal and now all is right with my collection. Plus, this one is even much nicer. &hearts

And now, back to Monday...