China - 3D printed custom Makie

After about two years I finally got my second Makie doll (3D-printed action dolls from London) 

As opposed to my usual pastel customs, I designed her to be printed in the caramel coloured nylon, with the newer "cuties" sculpt as opposed to my first "classic" sculpted Makie. I have to say, I really like working on the 3D printed material, it's probably my favourite for face-ups.

China's 3D printed preview and blank from the printers

She is wearing a stock wig with fringe, stock eyes, has had eyelashes added.

Her little jacket-dress is part of an upcoming collection, just a preview for now!

Love her stronger colours, her ferocious eyebrows, and those plump lips. 

Changes to Orchid's Designs in 2014

The new year is almost here! A time to reflect on the year gone by, and make plans for the new one ahead. At Orchid's Designs I took some time to reflect on my brand, my goals and the direction I want to continue with.

When I began Orchid's Designs back in 2009, it was to create beautiful one-of-a-kind haute couture for dolls - elegant high fashion for elite and incredibly precious art dolls, usually made of fragile porcelain. 2013 saw me venture into the world of art resin BJD, Blythe and Makies, which I will continue... but differently. Blythe fashions seem to be characterised by identical dolly dresses made quickly and cheaply, produced in high numbers for a quick turnaround. This is not the direction I want my brand to go down, and so changes are to take place in what I will be offering from now on.

2014 will see Orchid's Designs focus once more on high couture fashions for such elite BJD as Enchanted Dolls, BJTales, Popovy Sisters, and LightpaintedDolls. These will be special designs, completely unique and made with the highest quality materials from such exclusive sources as Mokuba in Paris, rare antique laces, and exceptional designer fabrics.

We will be releasing a few fully costumed customized Blythe dolls available to adopt throughout the year. These will be special OOAK character dolls, with complete facial carving and artist face-ups. Each Orchid's Designs custom doll will fully embody my artistic vision and represent a little being of my own design with detailed costume ensemble, wigs and accessories.

For Blythe, I will be releasing highly limited pre-orders of couture garments that can be commissioned in a small availability of colours depending on the design.

This does mean the items in my Etsy shop will be the last basic pieces available for a little while. There are a selection of tutu skirts, simple dresses and individual garments for Blythe, Makies and some BJD basics available right now for the last time.

To celebrate strengthening my direction and to make way for the exquisite future designs I am offering a clearance sale on everything in the shop until January 14th in the new year (when the shop will close for a holiday till late February) This may be the last chance to nab some favourites you've had your eye on!

At checkout you can use this code for 30% off your entire purchase

2013CLEARANCE

~ Sale ENDS 14th January 2014 ~

We are very excited for the New Year! New designs, new projects and new dolls! See you in 2014!

Items NOT included in the sale (like custom pre-orders) that are still available can be found on my website.

Designs for Makies

Before we announce some changes to Orchid's Designs in the new year, we have a few one-off pieces to fit the 3D prited Makies dolls made in London. Makies are a bit bigger than Blythe, so need specially designed garments to fit them perfectly. We've got a few dresses, wigs, jumpers and a beautiful beaded collar available.

Orchid's Designs for Makies

Makies - 3D Printed Doll

I've decided to start up a "doll review" page to my blog, where I will review some of the dolls in my private collection.You can find the tab linking to the reviews on the side-bar, and I'll gradually review all the dolls in my current collection, as well as the inevitable new additions as they arrive :-}

Doll Review - Makes / 3D Printed Doll

A fairly new toy company based right here in London, Makies Dolls are printed using 3D technology, and you design them yourself on their website - you're able to adjust their facial features using sliders (much like on many RPG and in SIMS games, where you can customize the face of your character to personalize the gameplay experience.) Mike and I are both really intrigued by 3D print technology, and are planning to invest in our own one day (think of all the doll shoes and accessories I could create!) so we were eager to find out a bit more. They're quite quirky and have unusual faces, and are of an entirely different aesthetic I am used to in the doll world. However, after seeing a few that were customized by artists to look much sweeter and softer, I was sold. We visited their in-store event at Selfridges, sat down and slid those little sliders around, and put in our order. I've heard of some people spending weeks to months perfecting the design of a doll before they get it printed, however I finished mine in record time - listen to your instincts!

http://makie.me/makie/MBFC6HGT/

The Makies team is still a very small company, and there was more feedback, help and communication instantly available on their website forum than any other doll company or artist I've dealt with so far. All questions asked on their facebook page, forum and blogs are answered speedily, even after hours and on weekends. As a consumer wringing your hands in anticipation for your doll, this was pleasantly surprising and very refreshing.

My Makie took just under two weeks to be printed and posted. Record time compared to the months I've waited for most BJD. Their price (69GBP) is also favourable to the price of other BJD and Blythe. They arrive in a cardboard tube, with a certificate of authenticity registering their unique printing code - your doll is truly a unique little character, designed by you. 

They look a bit alien when they arrive all blank, but it's up to you to imagine them transformed with a good face-up. Something I found very interesting was how the doll felt - compared to a resin BJD, porcelain art-doll or even the plastic of a Blythe... the Makie doll reminded me of the texture of an eggshell. In Hungary I painted on very sturdy thick goose-eggs, and it reminded me of that. I really liked the surface for blushing, even with coatings of MSC and Clear Gesso, it still felt closer to the absorbent texture of drawing on paper rather than slippery plastic. I preferred this personally.

Here is the blog-post with a brief visual documentation of my blank Makie undergoing her beauty treatment.

I am really happy with how she turned out. She is only the second doll I have customized, and even though it did take an entire day, laboriously layering pastels and watercolours over hours and hours...it was worth it :-)

So in conclusion - I highly recommend ordering your own Makie as a wonderful doll to customize. The feature of designing your own face online to create a completely one-off doll is a fantastic feature. The company is fabulous and helpful, I love that they're made right here in London and not a factory in China. The price is very favourable if you're used to spending close to half a grand on a BJD or even several hundred dollars for a Blythe. I think clothing them will be difficult if you're not a seamstress yourself, as the options on the website are limited. However, with their growing popularity I'm sure more people will begin offering custom-made garments to fit them - I certainly will be releasing a special line designed just for Makies in my Etsy Shop shortly!

Make a Makie today!

Makie Transformation

My 3D printed doll that I designed via Makies is ready for her big transformation from laser printed blank doll into the pretty elf I envision. This is not a tutorial per say, but I would like to share her gradual evolution.

I used two separate sealants. Mr Super Clear Matt Spray, and the second is actually Liquitex Clear Gesso. It's what one might use to prime a canvas, or say - wood (if you want the wood-grain to show through.) It's basically Acrylic Polymer Emulsion - it seals and provides a surface tooth for painting on, is permanent, non-yellowing, flexible and water resistant when dry. It's a great ground for pastels, and watercolours too. I used this as the base-coat, and MSC thereafter to seal the face-up and blushing. 

Here is Petal after delicately building up soft pastels and thin washes of watercolour. I decided to blush her body as well, and went for the signature look of my paintings - rosy and pink.

Her feet and hands were meticulously blushed, and she has been given the full princess treatment - miniature French manicure and pedicure. Her palms and the soles of her feet also have been painted.

And here she is all finished. Her name is Petal.

I will be creating one-off couture designs to fit the female Makie dolls, and Petal will be the muse here at Orchid's Designs for the range. I hope you love her!