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I've had two Volks Neo EB bodies for quite some time , though the very wispy , stylized look of the blank left me with very little inspiration ; I really did not know what I wanted to do with them concerning my current artistic aesthetic tastes . One of the customizers at the Men with Dolls forum got my train of thought properly derailed , however , Forever Virginia had created an elven character that was simply stunning ; and it proved to be the catalyst I needed to actual blow the dust off one of my long neglected Volks body blanks . One of the drawbacks to figures delegated to the " fodder bins " was the unfortunate contact the vinyl headsculpt had with some metal odds and ends , which had the devastating result of staining the vinyl with tiny black blemishes . There are a variety of methods that may be employed to remove staining on a vinyl doll head , but most of these are concerned with paint or dye or markers , metal oxidation tends to be a whole other matter and one that is practically impossible to rectify .  Having employed several methods to remove the stains , none of which met with any success , I decided the only alternative I would have would be to try to match the color of the vinyl and paint over the offending blemishes . In this attempt I was given an amazing stroke of luck , the acrylic paint from Delta Ceramcoat , AC Flesh , Item Code Number B262B165 was , straight from the bottle , a perfect match to the color of the vinyl of this figure's head . This was a rather astounding revelation and one that I was quite happy to discover since it meant that this figure could indeed see fruition .  A Frugal Beginning I have accumulated a vast amount of " junque " over the course of my customizing years , and due to this fact I really did not want to add to that in the execution of a new work . Therefore I chose to recycle as much as I could to get this figure underway and hopefully bring it to completion with a minimum of new additions to the junk box . At the initiation of this figure , all that existed was the nude body and the face paint , and due to its odd anime look I knew that in order to incorporate it within my collection I would need to find a proper niche where its odd features would not appear out of place . That niche eventually turned out to be my fantasy themed figures , and I decided to make this figure into an elven character , the style would suit itself to the willowy grace of an elf . That decision would also allow me the use of some doll hair purchased also a long long time ago ; back from my days as a polymer clay sculptor . Upon considering the wigging for this figure I had several options , a Monique wig , some fleece , and some synthetic mohair . The Monique wig was a bit oversized for the headsculpt so it could not be used . The fleece had potential in that it had a crimped waviness to it , but would also require rooting , a skill that I have yet to develop the requisite level of patience for . The mohair , on the other hand . had a nice subtle wave to it but would entail a method of attachment more properly suited for polymer clay applications moreso than a vinyl doll head . I mused that in theory at least , what's good for the goose is good for the gander and I should be able to employ the polymer clay wigging technique for this head with success . I began by separating the mohair into the separate swatches that would make up the bulk of the hair style , the front , back and left and right sides . These swatches were glued at the ends and then wefted together with needle and thread . To attach the hair , I took my xacto knife and cut thru the vinyl creating a center split across the length of the headsculpt , from the top of the forehead to the back of the head . A gentle application of pressure at the front and back of the head separates the split allowing the insertion of the wefted swatches of hair which is then pulled down to the sides , the center part of the hair is where the slit has been cut into the vinyl head . It's a simple technique and works well enough for this particular hairstyle . I then separated the mohair in the front to allow the braiding and tied off the braids with cut aluminum bands .  As I have mentioned , I wanted to recycle as much as I possibly could from my parts bin , so when it came time to begin the costuming I searched thru my clothes bin to see what i had available that could work as a suitable medieval styled outfit for this doll . The dress itself is the gown from Dreams and visions Miss Fear set , and serves nicely , though the sleeves needed some modification for the appropriate look . To this end I happened to have the sleeves from Triad Toys' Gothic Lolita set and it was a simple matter of slipping them up and over the existing sleeves of the Miss Fear dress and sewing them into place . I removed the satin bow that adorned the waistline of the Miss fear gown and added a belt constructed of braided silver ribbon clamped off by ribbon clasps and attached via a C clasp with a hanging dangle added to the bottom from a set of earrings . I then sewed on a string of braided white silk trim along the scooped neckline of the gown with transparent nylon thread . There is a great deal to costuming in the application of details that can take a relatively simple design and make it look much more interesting . These details can serve not only to enhance the appearance of the costume but also help inspire design elements . I had some filigreed earring bobs that were purchased originally as details for Estra La's warhorse saddle that I chose to bend slightly and utilize on this costume as shoulder cops , really just to add some additional visual interest to the costume . These too , were sewn on with transparent nylon thread . Once they were attached , due to the little ring at the end I was struck by the idea of adding a cape to this costume and utilize the shoulder cops as a means of attachment ; which gave the added accentuation of providing a unique method of cape attachment beyond the tried and true brooch/clasp method , by way of a toggle clasp allowing the placement of a cape while still allowing the scooped neckline to be visible .  The cape was created from black velvet , and for so simple a construction took me several days to complete , primarily due to the sewing involved to insure that it didn't unravel and to achieve a nice curve to the velvet without bunching . Then , of course I decided to add some braided silver trim to it which was a rather involved process to secure it to the velvet . All done by hand which is why it took so long . The overstitch to prevent unraveling was done with black thread , then I hemmed it , again using black thread . I sewed on the trim using clear nylon thread and place the trim over the thread of the hem line to hide it . Once the cape was completed , I then positioned the bars for the toggle clasp and sewed that on with black thread .  The Sorceress' Staff I wanted to use an acrylic icicle for the staff , but it was a might short for the task . To lengthen it I took the holder for a pen nib from my old cartooning days and hollowed out the tip , trimmed the icicle down to fit snugly into the opening and I had my staff . I will probably add some metal bands and ribbon to it for decoration , may even add some additional painting to it . One of the things I hate about this Volks body blank is the completely useless hands . Since I know that the Delta Ceramcoat flesh paint I have is a perfect match for this figure , I will , in all likelihood sculpt some custom hands for her that will allow her to actually hold her staff . I'll probably do some additional option hands posed for spell casting too .  I'm not sure why , but when I think of elven costuming and acoutrements , I visualize a lot of ribbons and swirling metalwork ; certainly due to a great extent by the artwork of illustrators like Brian Froud and Alan Lee . When it came down to accessorizing my Gothic Elf I took a few hours just to contemplate what I wanted to do . With this type of work , little aesthetic enhancements , it's more a consideration of simple bits and pieces here and there that work together to give the impression of elaborate artifice . The sorceress' staff was an element that had a nice contrast of masterials from the outset , the black base and the crystaline top and really didn't need a great deal of detail work to complete , just the addition of some more textures and materials . I added the white ribbon to give the staff a more organic look , being that the staff itself is so rigid . To accentuate a sense of detail a celtic knot was tied in the ribbon and to serve as an attachment point for a few extra strands of ribbon a metal spring was slipped around the ribbon and another strand of ribbon was added . I tied a four hand knot in this new strand and slipped the knot up and over the first two strands and then trimmed the excess off at an angle .  I originally thought about giving this gal a tiara , but ended up going a different route that I actually like much better than that . I had some ornamental trim , made of white silk cord with round silver beads that I wanted to use for this custom , and as it turned out flashed upon the idea of using it as a headband . The problem of how to secure it came about quite easily , and also added another contrasting textural detail . I cut a thin strip of sheet aluminum and wrapped it around the two cord ends in a criss cross manner . It was a very simple solution that adds a lot without being difficult to accomplish . A quick additional note , again just a simple detail that does much with small effort . A ribbon was added to each toggle clasp on the cape , again tied with a four hand knot , just to add some more visual interest to the cape and make it look more elaborate .  With the addition of the various little ribbon , cord and sheet aluminum enhancements the work on this elven sorceress is very close to finalization . I added a few silver bracelets and will likely add some addition jewelry . I'm not quite decided on footwear , whether to creat sandals , slippers or let her run around in her bare feet ; something to toss around in my head for a little while . I had planned on sculpting some new hands for her so that she could actually hold her staff , but found that the hands from the Aki Ross figure fit the Volks wrist sockets quite well and have replaced the original hands with those . I used my x-acto knife to separate the pinkie and index finger on the right hand which I then softened in hot water and repositioned to hold a new pose .   Despite my relative satisfaction with the Volks headsculpt customization for this figure , in conjunction with the body I felt that the look was just too weird for my tastes as far as my collection goes . I have been playing around with my Franken-Ice figure , constructed originally for my first Jungle Girl and because of the look given by the incorporation of a Monique wig , decided to see how Ice might look as an Elven Sorceress .  While I miss the really long braids from the Volks version , the fit of the costume as well as the look of the Ice headsculpt really fits far nicer for my own aesthetics concerning an Elf . I 'm undecided as to whether Ice will stay as my Elf Sorceress , but it was fun to see how she looks in this getup . | Frank Sturdy PlanetSmasher | Scales 101 | Good Girl Art | Good Girl Art Part2 | Gothic Elf | Baba Noel | | ReelArts Blue Bulleteer | Shocker Toys | Cool Girls | Triad Toys | KiniKomix | KiniKomix2 | Custom Action Figures | eBay Auctions | AppleseedTribute | Macross Valkyrie | Planet of the Apes | Horse Sense | WeaversUpholsteryToo | ToyBiz_Iron Man | Dirty Pair | On Display | The OTHER Gorby | Obitsu | | Return Home | Updates | The Archive | Gorby Site Map | Geeb-O-Rama's Model Workshop | Geeb's Toy Box | Geeb-O-Rama Goodies | Movie Madness | World Of The Bizarre | Cool Beans | |
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