BJD Confessions

I must confess that I have been a lover of dolls from a very young age. Whilst my sister would shriek at the site of baby dolls, (and still recoils from anything remotely doll-like), I secretly harboured a desire for a baby-born (complete with 'feedable' mouth and nappies that needed changing as a result). Looking back, I feel that I owe some gratitude to my sister as her hatred for these dolls spared me the delights of cleaning up baby mess in those tender years. This privaledge was reserved for my adolescence, where my part-time job in a nursery sated my curiosity as to what I had been missing out on. Nevertheless, my love of dolls was something I harboured throughout my childhood, school life, and university career, and did not revisit until recently.

Since joining the Etsy community, I have come to know some wonderful and inspiring artists who have encouraged me to explore and celebrate the side of myself that I had formerly concealed as 'juvenile'. Part of this exploration involved admitting that I do love dolls, and has evolved into a desire to own as many as possible! The revellation that I am not alone in this pursuit has also been enlightening: I have met some wonderful, artistic doll collectors through the Den of Angels forum!

In this and following posts, I would like to introduce you to the wonderful world of Ball-jointed-dolls, and to share some of the beautiful dolls and doll-related items that have been created by Etsy sellers.

I was looking to buy my first BJD (ball-jointed-doll) with the money I received as a Christmas gift (hoorah) and I really had no idea where to start. Fairyland was recommended to me by an Etsy artisan, and I just fell in love with their dolls! Their pukipuki 'Sugar' was the one that I just HAD to have, she is just too cute! I don't have a picture of her yet as, although I ordered her in December, she has yet to arrive (unfortunately the processing time is quite a wait).

And now a further confession: I have ordered my second BJD! Her given name is 'Lan' and she belongs to a company called Angel of Dream. At 44cm, she is larger than a pukipuki (a wee 4") and I think she is just beautiful. They are both on their way and I can't wait to post pictures of their box openings once they arrive! Any inspiration as to what to name them would be greatly appreciated!

Here is AoD's Lan

Dolls on Etsy

Everytime I browse this intriguing online marketplace I am astonished by the talent that I find. I adore 'Howl' the wolf, who has been made by The Mushroom Peddler. Her little corner of Etsy is a cavern of creative delights!

Another proficient artist of glorious dolls is Garden of Dolls. Her beautiful designs include adorable elf dolls, sultry gothic dolls, and pretty fairy dolls. Below is one of my favourite.

The lady behind Damsel Dolls skillfully customises the make-up of Obitsu dolls. This is very skilful work, and I am intrigued by the beauty of her dolls.

The following doll has been made by Uniquely Yours By Bdent. Brenda Dent is a full-time doll artist been who has been sculpting OOAK (One Of A Kind) dolls in polymer clay since the early 90's. I think her work is just stunning!

I hope that I have suceeded in introducing you to the wonderful world of BJD's, and that you will peruse the shops owned by these fabulous artists! Even if you cannot afford to buy these beautiful works of art, (and do not wish to save every penny you have towards owning one, as I do), I hope that you will enjoy viewing the artistic expression embodied by each piece. I love the photograph opportunities provided by popular BJD's (made by companies such as Fairyland, LUTS, Volks, Angel of Dream, etc), but still love looking at those crafted by Etsy artists. I cannot wait until my dolls arrive, and look forward to taking photographs of them to share!