showsDoll LJ

we are introducing a couple of YoSD-sized basic starter clothing sets for those new doll owners whom have added a little Yo-sized doll to their family. starting off we have two sets,
'skater boy'


and 'country boy'

do visit showsDoll to take a peep at the new release column and drop by at our shelves to get yours soon :)

A very big thank you to all those whom came down to visit the showsDoll booth on saturday. we at showsDoll are overwhelmed by your support and will continue to bring to you more doll clothing in the future events. for those who has missed the release, we do have some stock left, you can drop by the showsDoll shelves at KKnM to take a look and make purchase.

showsDoll Co.
mori.m

For more info, visit us at showsDoll or KKnM.

Hi there,

glad to announce that showsDoll are bringing in
Azone's 27cm pure~neemo "secret wonderland" series.
In the upcoming release list are, lien and aika.

"Secret Wonderland" Aika


"Secret Wonderland" Lien


If you are interested to add these little limited dolls to your collection,
Do drop by showsDoll's webby at http://www.geocities.jp/showsdoll
or visit us at KKnM st Sunshine Plaza for more infomation.

Azone's dolls are of limited stock, so don't miss out~

its a pleasure to announce that showsDoll has officially open a 'shelf space' at the 'kareshi kanojyo no mise' (kknm) shop at sunshine plaza. we are located at #01-34 the side near IOI building.

we will be increasing our creations shortly and will post updates on our new handmade products on our website and LJ. so be sure to drop us a visit soon at the shop or friend us in our LJ account to be posted.

it was a fun and overwhelming event at The Doll Affair 2008 this year.
all the people at showsDoll Co. would like to thank you for your generous support and love for our products. we wouldn't have done it without you all out there.

we will be increasing our creations shortly and will post updates on our new handmade products on our website and LJ. so be sure to drop us a visit soon or friend us in our
LJ account to be posted.

for those whom had missed the event you can visit showsDoll's humble hand made works sold at the event at our showsDoll website

yoz minna sama,

showsDoll Company will be holding its debut product release at The Doll Affair this year~!
we will be showcasing our humble handmade/machine made clothing and various accessories for your dolls. there will be also our limited exclusive event only items and one-off special release at the booth.

so do visit us at:
The Doll Affair 2008'
Date: 2008 December 27th
Time: between 1:30pm to 5:30pm
Venue: Suntec Convention Centre, Rm 325,326, level 3
Enterance: SGD$12

for a sneak peek at our releases, drop by our website at showsDoll Co.
do note that all our event items are all hand made and of very limited stock and not for pre-order or commission, so if you see something you fancy on the site, be sure to catch it before it sells out at our booth.

see you at TDA 2008~!

 

title: Chemical Reaction between Resin and Carbon Monoxide
case: de-composition due to prolong exposure to vehicular gases
type: resin in general
--------------------------------------------------
this event came into attention as observations shown that there are many bjd owners 'carrying' their dolls around exposed to the environment during transportation. this IS actually harmful to the doll resin. besides the obvious exposure to the sunlight's UV rays and water vapor which cause dis-coloration, there is one more other 'killer' around. and that is vehicular gas. carbon monoxide.

carbon monoxide, which is a gas that vehicles produce in the process of combustion of petrol is in fact very harmful to resin. holding a very acidic pH level, the gas carries an oily oxide gas that decomposes vinyl/epoxy compounds by fusing with the water content in the air. the process is known as 'oxo reaction' or 'hydroformylation'. this process with degrade the resin surface over a prolong exposure to vehicular gas. a simple test would be to check the joint hollows of the bjd. if it has often been exposed to the environment, there will be a high chance that there would be an accumulation of a 'sticky' dust-like residue around the joints. the joint area, being the weakest surfaced resin due to friction is very prone to the 'oxo reaction'. the 'sticky' residue is actually the decomposed vinyl resin. carbon monoxide also decomposes the 'surfacer coating' with many owners use 'MSC'. the gas gets attracted to the vinyl in the resin, seeps through the coating and draws water vapor. over a period, the coating will be push off the surface.

the end result after 25 minutes of direct exposure, the resin darkens due to the carbon and becomes sticky due to the 'oxo reaction' which is acidic.
under normal urban environmental exposure, decomposition is little and gradual. though, it will not disintegrate the doll in 2 hours, it does cause damage to the resin.

mori.m

E-mail writes:
Dear mori.m,
I have a question in my head that I can't help but need to ask you.
You seem to know about how various properties about resin and how some chemicals react to it.
So I am more or less convinced that you are the one to ask.

How does human blood react on doll resin? (pertaining to a normal grade)I know it might sound strange but I encounter a friend whom use human blood on the dolls. I shall not go into detail on why. I just hope to hear a scientific point of view from you.

Will be looking forward to your reply :)

New Doll Owner,
XXXXXXe
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dear XXXXXXe,
indeed a shocker for me, but no harm asking what you are curious about.
Well, if you have been following my write-ups you should know what is the properties of resin so lets start with blood.

Blood = red blood cells, white blood cells

the only portion that will so-called affect the doll resin properties is the red blood cell partition of blood. red blood cells which makes up the majority contains proteins, theres a type of iron based protein glucose called hemoglobin which consist in the cell. this iron protein reacts with doll resin.

as a recap, doll resin contains metal oxides that reacts to heat and light causing discoloration. but these metal particles are 'sleeping'. hemoglobin on the other hand is 'alive' and bio-chemically active for 3 hours outside the human body. by inducing this iron protein to the resin surface will activate an instant reaction.

upon contact, hemoglobin 'eats' the 'sleeping' oxides on the surface of the exposed resin and will induce pigment-like mini clots on it. not harmful to this extent unless one decides to dip the whole doll resin in blood. but this pigments, will 'rust' and react to moisture in the air a near 100 times more than the metal oxides to light. that is why blood smell is very strong, as it reacts with the air around it.

the result will be a darken yellowish patch around the area of the applied area over a period. and this, can't be reversed.

and there you have it xxxxxxe, the answer to your question, hope it helps you :)

mori.m

The Biggest Doll Meet in Singapore so far, a doll count of 79 bjds in total! (not including the late comers and peeps) Photocard for the event below:


mori.m

title: Storage of Synthetic Wig
case: maintaining and good keeping techniques
type: Synthetic Doll Wig in general
--------------------------------------------------
when a doll wig is not in use, it is never advisable to keep it in a 'collapsed' state. the proper way to store a synthetic wig is as follows.

use old newspaper and normal baby powder. lightly powder a piece of newspaper preferably with a lot of print on. as the ink carbon on the prints of newspaper absorbs moisture, serve as a perfect dehumidifier. by powdering it removes any odor in the process of dampness in the wig. after powdering the newspaper, crumple the paper into a ball the size of your doll head and 'wear' the wig over it creating a shaper. without this shaper, the wig will be in its collapsed state and will deform over a period of time due to moisture and dampness.

Gently smooth out straight wigs and fluff curl wigs with a wide bristle brush or hair pick to keep it neat. after cover with a hair net big enough to hold style without deforming. Do Not use a small hair net for long straight wigs, always use a bigger hair net to prevent wig from curling at the ends. failing to do so will cause the ends of the straight wig to be badly curled after some time. Straight/long wigs should always be stored Store wigs without crushing preferably in boxes and add silica gel beads in a small bag/pocket to add extra drying for environment. Do Not store wig near heaters or windows where the wig will be affected by humidity and dust.

mori.m

title: Washing Synthetic Wig
case: remove oil,dirt over time
type: Synthetic Doll Wig in general
--------------------------------------------------
over some time of exposure to the open, synthetic doll wigs will tend to get dis-conditioned due to factors like weathering and contamination. to rid the wig of such problems that might cause permanent damage over a long period of time, it is advisable to wash the wig after 4 to 6 months of usage.

washing
before washing, try to smooth a straight wig or fluff a curl wig gently and evenly with a wide bristle brush or hair pick. prepare a basin of (pre-boiled) cool water and add a teaspoon of wig shampoo and mix thoroughly. water should be boiled beforehand as tap water contains chlorine, this chemical reacts with the synthetic fibers of the wig which badly degrades the wig causing it to loose its gloss and texture. by boiling the tap water, chlorine is dispersed leaving the water much harmless.
Immerse the wig gently and soak for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Do Not rub, scrub or shake the wig. rinse well by swishing in clean (pre-boiled) cool water. after gently squeeze out any excess water without twisting the wig. if you wish to add more shine and softness to the wig, apply wig conditioner and leave it to set for 5 minutes, once again rinse well in clean (pre-boiled) cool water and squeeze out excess without twisting.

drying
after washing the wig, use the 'fingering technique' to squeeze small portion of wig fiber while the wig is still wet. fingering is a technique where one use the thumb and two fingers to tightly squeeze small portions of the wig from root to end. do not worry of wig is not completely dry at this stage. for both straight and curl wigs, gently towel by blotting to remove any further excess water present and let the wig air-dry on a clean dry towel or doll wig stand allowing air circulation to prevent damping. Do Not blow dry the wig with a hair dryer or leave the wig near a heater or under the sunlight. doing so will cause the synthetic wig fiber to deform. Do Not comb, brush or hair pick the wig in this stage unless you are completely restyling it. leave the wig to dry and periodically shake the wig lightly to even the drying process. styling can only when the wig dries completely.

mori.m

title: Synthetic Doll Wig
case: properties
type: Synthetic Doll Wig in general
--------------------------------------------------
there are 2 material types of doll wigs, synthetic fiber and real human hair fiber. but the more common between the 2 would be synthetic fiber wig.
synthetic fiber wigs are generally lower in cost and more vary in color range. though synthetic wig looks 'fake' most of the time, they are able to hold a style even after wash.

synthetic fibers have very low tolerance to heat and pollution. due to its polyester nature, the fiber tend to curl or 'melt' under heat. the fiber will also loose its gloss over time under urban pollution like chemicals, fumes, oil and weathering. synthetic fibers do have grades. there are high grade synthetic doll wigs that are UV resistant and are more heat resistant than the common grade types. but it does not mean these wigs are comparable to human hair fiber wigs that are tolerant to heat and chemicals. human hair wigs can be styled and dyed. it also lasts longer then synthetic doll wigs. the normal lifespan of a synthetic material wig is around 1.5 years under normal weathering conditions before the fiber starts to degrade and 'breakage' will start. where a human hair fiber wig can last up to 5 years. so naturally, human hair wigs belongs to a much higher price range.

mori.m

title: Dis-coloration and pigmentation of Resin
case: de-surface, black spots due to ultraviolet exposure
type: resin in general
--------------------------------------------------
every doll owner knows that prolong exposure of doll resin in the sun is bad for the doll, but why? and what does it do to them?
sunlight contains a light spectrum called ultraviolet. yes, it is harmful in general to both humans and dolls but the reason why doll resin reacts to the sun's ray is this;
doll resin belongs to a kind of resin that uses high temperature to bond resin fiber and fillants (polyester epoxy) together in the mould fixing process. to be able to do so, the resin mixture have to contain a heat resisting compound call 'oxides' and sometimes 'dioxide'.

oxides in general reacts to heat to form a stable fusion temperature during fixing. but oxides are commonly made from metal and carbon pigments. though the volume of such oxides are microscopic, the characteristics of oxides still remains. metal/carbon oxides reacts to ultraviolet rays upon exposure. oxides will turn dark when it absorbs ultraviolet which will make resin degrade in color. since oxides reacts to heat, exposure to the sun's rays makes the oxide 'busy' and slows the reaction in shading. but over a long term, resin will lose its natural surface a become dull and turn into a 'lifeless' brownish shade. the reaction also introduces 'oil absorbing' making the resin take in body and environment oils that is present in human and the surrounding. making the resin prone to bacteria pollution and de-surfacing. metal/carbon oxides are rare and carry a high price tag, so high quality resin would normally contain such oxides.

dioxides are a commonly used compound as it is easily 'hidden' during the fusion process due to its natural white/crystal color. there are two types of dioxides, though they both have common characteristics, one is yellowish in color and the other white. bonds using dioxides are generally stronger and harder compared to oxides which are 'creamer' and smooth. similar to metal/carbon oxides, dioxides reacts to ultraviolet rays. the only difference is that dioxides will turn white and fair when it absorbs ultraviolet which will make the resin look powdery in color, for some 'yellowing' will occur. same as oxides, the process reacts to heat and over a period of time the resin will lose its surface color and turn dull. the reaction also introduces oil absorbing properties similar to oxides. unlike oxides, dioxides are cheaper in price and due to its good heat retaining properties, less is needed in the fusion process. so dioxides are commonly found in lower grade resin.

the worst kind of oxide/dioxide pigmentation will occur when there is 'cool UV'. this exist in all camera flashes. to make things worst. the UV content in camera flashes are concentrated and almost 500 times of a normal dose of sunlight for 5 minutes. this 'cool UV' catches the oxides/dioxides in a 'sleeping' state and releases its shading properties immediately. under a average exposure to the 'cool UV' for 5 minutes, discoloration will start to become visible to the naked eye. now you know why the doll's hands and face tends to turn brownish or pale/yellow more than the body. so do try to prevent direct exposure from such camera flashes on your dolls where possible.

to minimize the damage over a long term, one can use UV protective sprays. that will temporarily reduce the damage done by the sun's rays. but as camera flashes contain a more concentrated volume of UV, it can penetrate the UV protective layer instantly. UV sprays also need to be periodically renewed to maintain its effectiveness as parts of the UV protective layer might chip off during movement or abrasion.

thou, surface aging is common and i would say not 'fatal'. it is good to know what the sun contributed to it.

mori.m

Doll Chalet Gathering orgainsed by lilaciel. 34 dolls attended this fun filled event.
well, i still managed to catch every doll that attended the chalet and gathered another photocard~! yesh, after a good long time. preview below, get the actual one in showsdoll flickr na~

title: Dis-coloration and digression of Resin
case: patches, yellowness due to corrosion
type: resin in general
--------------------------------------------------
Do NOT go dipping your resin dolls into sea water. sea water contains much natural and unnatural salts and harmful acids that corrodes the dolls resin by 'eating' away the epoxy/PVC filling existing in doll resin. In the case of accidental submersion due to dolls falling into the sea, the following can be applied to prolong the resin life.
after retrieving your doll from the sea liquid, immediately shake and dry of any visible water, take off the doll's wig clothing and shoes to prevent 'soaking'. where possible, wipe your doll with drinking water (tap water contains too much chlorine, bad for resin too). Do NOT sun your doll at this point of time as it will allow the acid to dry in the pores/micro-cracks in the surface and that will be permanent damage to your doll. wrap up your doll in a towel and if possible 'unstring' the doll and retrieve the soaked rubber cord and dry the 'S'-hooks.
proper cleaning should be done as soon as possible. the following is the 'rescue' steps.

alkaline wash
prepare a 'alkaline wash' - a mixture of warm water and a table spoon of baking soda and a table spoon of face soap. why baking soda? baking soda regulates PH levels to neutralize acids. submerge your unstrung doll Body pieces in the liquid and leave it to soak for 5 minutes. (Do NOT soak the 'S'-hooks, in the case if they are not removable, make sure they are thoroughly dry after in the next step) after, gently clean the resin surface with a cleaning sponge and rinse the inner walls of the doll body. Do NOT soak your doll head in the liquid, as the face up might be washed off. so for the head, just wet a piece of cloth in the mixture and wrap the head piece. after cleaning, remove the resin parts and lightly wash it in another basin of warm water before drying it with a towel. as for the head just light dab with a clean towel.

dry wash
or what is called hot air fuming. for this you need a hairdryer and cotton buds. after drying of all possible water from the alkaline wash. further clean dry the 'hidden' gaps in the joint areas and inner tunnels with a cotton bud. if you are not confident in the dryness, just sharply give a short, strong blow into the tunnel to extract any droplets stuck. when all the parts are physically dry its time to do the dry wash. hot air fuming is just the process of drying of the resin with the hairdryer. try to hold the resin parts with a cloth as the parts might get hot to hold. adjust a distance of about 30cm between the resin piece and dryer and slowly move the dryer in a up and down motion while rotating the part. Do NOT, over expose a part to the dryer for more than 3 seconds, keep moving the resin part to prevent over fuming. (over fuming makes your resin fragile over a period). after all the parts are dried, leave them in room temperature to cool down for 15 minutes. Do NOT put in air condition at this state.

powder wash
this step is optional, but i recommend it as it helps to rid the resin of condensation and dampness from the previous two steps. to powder wash, you need powder. just normal baby powder will do. lightly dust the surface with powder and shake off any excess powder. after, leave your doll to set overnight for at least 6 hours before restringing back with a New elastic cord.

The step above will help to minimize the effect of discoloration due to sea water acids. but as a pre-warn try not to submerge your dolls into sea water/ swimming pool.

mori.m

Resin Properties (write up by mori.m)

title: Resin Structure
case: properties
type: resin in general
--------------------------------------------------
resin = resin fiber + polyvinyl ether / polyester / epoxy
the higher the resin fiber, the stronger it becomes and harder to mold. polyvinyl ether / polyester / epoxy allows smoother mold, sanding and surface handling but invites 'micro cracking' which allows moisture intake. there is no 'perfect' resin grade, there are different grades for different users.


title: Sudden Climate Change and Plane Pressure
case: cracks, chipping, discoloration
type: high grade vs. low grade
--------------------------------------------------
have been dealing with resins for the pass one year and so far i have encountered some cases of serious chipping and breaking of resin. did some research on resin properties and looking at the characteristics of resin, resin is basically made with two factors , volume and pressure. only with the correct pressure and constant volume, the resin would be able to have a strong hold and 'micro cracking' will be minimized. looking at the earlier batches of resin by some doll companies, their resin are lighter and more stiff unlike other better resin which have a higher volume/fiber adhesion that makes them more 'creamy' and easy to cut. being lighter and more stiff makes the doll more easier to sand or surface but NOT strong towards pressure, moisture or sudden climate change. i wouldn't know if you have ever brought your dolls on trips on a plane? cause the most worst condition is for example:
i am from Singapore, sunny, humid at times, takes my doll to Japan, which is like snowing and dry air on a plane ride. the following will occur:

hot (Singapore) -> pressure on plane -> cold (Japan) -> pressure on plane ->hot (Singapore)

the above factor will cause the condition of the resin to deteriorate and might cause it to become brittle and not durable to sanding or cutting. in an environment such as water or moist air, the micro-cracked surface will absorb considerably more water than an un-cracked surface. this will then lead to an increase in weight, moisture attack on the resin and fiber sizing agents, loss of stiffness and, with time, an eventual drop in quality properties. increased resin/fiber adhesion is generally derived from both the resin’s chemistry and its compatibility with the chemical surface treatments applied to fibers.
your dolls condition might be have already been threatened before it even it got to you, or perhaps due to traveling on planes and maybe of the country's climate change during the seasons.
in summary, weather, moisture and pressure plays important roles when it comes to the condition and discoloration of resin.

title: Staining of Resin Surface
case: dye stains, patches, yellowness
type: resin in general
--------------------------------------------------
here is a tip, Do Not keep your dolls in an enclosed environment for too long a period of time. for example, in a bag with cushion padding. after studying and measuring the humidity levels of similar conditions with a elcometer, the readings show that the 'cushion padding' for the dolls actually retains most moisture in them. the 'enclosed environment' thus becomes damp. this causes the surface of the resin to become 'soft' and prominent to color dyes from clothes, bacteria and water. that is why most doll owners encounter the 'stained sculpt' and feet. most wigs and socks uses stretchable materials for their inner lining, and this material's color dye is likely to transfer upon contact with moisture. so if you leave the wig/socks on the doll when you store them away, you will notice that there will be dye stains on the resin over a period of time. the same environment also invites bacteria to grow on the surface, causing discoloration patches. excessive moisture also will cause the resin to turn yellow faster that the usual exposure to sunlight. In short, if you need to store your dolls over a period of time, remove all wig and clothing's off the doll and store them with dehumidifier crystals where possible. if not, take your collection out to 'air' often, in this case, dust is better than irremovable stains on the resin. where sunlight only discolors the surface of the resin, moisture degrades the resin from within, making it irreversible thru sanding.

mori.m

organized by pudding_neko on the 15th saturday.

the turn out was much bigger than expected, consisting of doll owners, friends who are interested and photographers. a rough count of 30+ doll owners and 51 dolls (sorry if i have accidentally left anyone out na~).

heres mi take for the event na~ event photocard(big) here.

20070811 organized by night_child80 arigatou na~
it was a huge meet with a doll count of at least 72+ dolls!
10 more than the last biggest doll gathering in 2006 at bull's eye cafe.

well, heres mi take for the event in mori.m's very own photocard
click here
very sorry if I missed your doll(s) the doll attendance was overwhelming :3
sp_credits:(Thanks to blue_meddy and lilaciel for letting me nimble some of your photos)

you can also check out showsdoll at flickr for more photocards from the past dollmeets na~

doll clothes updates next~
so do check back soon and hope you like your visit at "showsDoll"

mori.m

hi there,

opened up a temporary place to showcase some of my doll clothing, accessories and photos.
the name this little place is called came from "Shining Heaven Of Wishing Stars" or in short "shows" and since its more or less related mostly to my Ball-Jointed-Dolls, the name "showsDoll" was born~

I will be putting up some commissioning soon so do check http://www.geocities.jp/showsdoll/
 
 Do check back for updates soon and hope you like your visit at "showsDoll"
 
 irrashai imase~ :D
 
 mori.m