White Rabbit Syndrome

I know, i know I'm late again. I really intended to have a podcast up by now, but I've run into two difficulties that I can't seem to find a way around.

1. Sound issues.
Italian homes have really great acoustics. Really. I can hear the music that my neighbors downstairs blare at all times of day, their cell phones, and every single one of their conversations like they're in the room with me.

Also, not only do we have construction on our street (and not just one part, but both ends of our street) but the apartment building across from us is being gutted. I wake up promptly at 8 am to the sound of power tools, screeching metal, and loose stone being tossed down two stories. This continues well into the evening, at which point I am serenaded by the downstairs neighbor playing the same CD over and over and arguing with her husband.

I am going to try, try, try to find a mic that I can use, because while the built in one on my laptop has worked up until now, there really is just too much ambient noise for that to fly anymore. I'm hesitant though, because the last one didn't work on my computer at all--as in when I plugged it in and turned it on, adjusted my settings appropriately, then NEITHER mic picked up sound. Grr.

2. Internet
We have no internet connection in our apartment. Normally my process is to pull up webpages as I'm podcasting, and then delete the extranious clicking noises, dead air and other distractions as much as I can during editing. Recording without internet means that I have to wait an extra day to post (something I hate doing because of the news segment; I like to be as up-to-date as I can), but I have to be a lot better prepared that I normally am when I sit down at the mic.

For this reason, I'm thinking of cutting out the news segment until further notice. I might still throw in a few things here or there, but they're just going to be the items that I find really interesting, whereas before I was trying to put in all of the most recent stuff.

So, that is what's going on. I think I might try recording on Sunday mornings, when the construction workers have the day off and my roommates and neighbors are asleep. Cuz there's also the fact that I'm shy, and I feel weird talking to my computer about my dolls. It can be taken as more than a little strange when it's out of contest, and most people already think I'm nuts. I don't want to make the problem worse. :)

So, that is the update. I will try to have something for you all ASAP.

Episode 007: Globetrotter

Sorry for the long delay for this episode. The afore mentioned technical difficulties were resolved by the purchase of not one, but TWO new computers, and the purchase and subsequent return of a mic. ¬.¬

Music for this episode comes from the podsafe music network. The theme song is "Creepy Doll" by Johnathan Coulton.

The winners of the My Favorite Things contest are Undermost Salamander and Iron_Dog.

This episode is kind of a fail so far as doll content goes. Mostly, I talk about the fact that I'll be in Italy for eight months to study starting September 1. Of course, some of my dolls will be coming with me.

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What doll content there was centered around the two new faces that just came home: Pan and Gareth. Gareth is a NS Minimee head modeled after Gareth David-Lloyd/Ianto Jones from Torchwood. He's still at the floating head stage, and probably will be for a while.

Pan is a Soom Gloti.


The three boys together.


Ianto is a little self-conscious. "What if Jack saw me like this?"


"Don't worry, I still like you."

Pan has been very solitary since he arrived, which has upset Anubis to no end. He doesn't like being an only doll. Which is why this little scene surprised me:




"So...um...it's a peace offering...and stuff." (boys are so awkward!)


"You broke it!"
"...oops..."


*cries*


*sigh* "Um...whatever. It's okay, I guess--"


*GLOMP*



Anubis is happy to have siblings. Pan...well, the jury is still out.

Technical Difficulties

The last couple of weeks have been plagued by various computer issues here at Chez ResinCast. Unfortunately, this means the podcast is on hiatus until further notice.

Sorry, everyone, but it doesn't look like there's going to be a podcast this week. On the bright side, that means you have an extra two weeks to enter the "My Favorite Things" birthday contest. All you have to do to enter is post a comment below (remember to leave some way that I can contact you, like your DOA username or your email address), and you can win a ball (or two) of my hand spun, hand dyed yarn in 50/50 silk/bamboo.





The next episode should be up on Monday, July 13. See you then!

Episode 006: Developements

News:
The new issue of Haute Doll goes out in three weeks, and will feature a collection of Victorian/Vampire inspired costumes by Valerie Zeitler, Doll Heart, and Peaks woods. You can find more information at hautedoll.com, or in the DOA thread.
~Angell-Studio is offering a free faceup event through June 30. When you purchase any doll with eyes and wig, you'll get Faceup A for free.
~Jpopdolls.net just got a bunch of clothes and shoes for all sizes of dolls in stock.
~Dream of Doll has released a new wig. From June 12-27 you can get 20% off this new wig. There are some other specials going too, so be sure to check out the website or the DOA thread for details
~Featherfall.ca is having a No Naked Dolls Event--now through September 15 all dolls purchased through their website will receive a free random kimono (except pukipukis, which will get a little outfit instead).

Meetups:
~There are several meetups in the works for the Melbourne, Australia area.
~The Doll Society of Alabama is planning a meetup for June 27 at the Mikawa Japanese restaurant in Huntsville. There is a limit on the number of dolls you can bring. For more information, PLEASE visit the DOA thread--Not sure if this is open to the public or not.
~June 20, Seattle, WA at Oasis on 6th street--more info here.
~There are meetups in the works for Anime Mid Atlantic in VA, but it doesn't look like any have been confirmed at this point. You can find more info here.
~There are BJD panels planned for the London Film and Comic Con on July 18-19. Please check the thread for more details.
~Yasumicon is a free anime con located at Florida International University on July 11 and 12th. There are several BJD events in the works. For more info, click this.

Wow. There are so many BJD meets coming up, I can't list them all! Be sure to check out the Forum on DOA for a complete list.

Announcements:
~First of all, a huge thank you to LUTS! I emailed them a few weeks ago about using Anubis (MUFFIN) as a mascot for the podcast, and this week they granted permission for me use his image. Also, a special thank you to Diane Song, who was my English liason. :)
~Second: We have our first contest! Between now and June 29 (the release date for Episode 007) is a very special day: My birthday! In honor of that, I'm going to give away one of "my favorite things." As many of you know, I come to podcasting from the knitting world, so, I'm giving away a ball of my hand dyed, hand carded, hand spun yarn. It's 50/50 bamboo and silk in blue, black, purple, white, and green, and comes in a ball just the right size for knitting for your doll. If you would like to enter to win, just leave a comment below. I'll announce the winner on the 29th.
~It's come to my attention that there are some noise issues with previous episodes, especially Episode Three. I apologize for that--I do listen to each episode before it gets posted, but I guess that during the compression and transfer process something happened that made the vocal portion extremely hard to hear. I'm really sorry about that. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do at this point, except try to avoid that in the future. Still, I'm sorry if you were unable to enjoy that episode.
~I am still working on getting the podcast listed on Itunes (I guess they lost my application or something, because they're supposed to get back with you in two weeks). In the mean time, you can subscribe to the podcast by opening Itunes, going to the "Advanced" menu, selecting "Subscribe to Podcast" and copy/pasting http://resincast.podbean.com/feed into the window that pops up.

Creative Juice:
Well, the sarcophogus has been entombed in the Valley of Abandoned Projects. I had one idea for the construction, which didn't work, and resulted in me wasting my last sheet of matte board and several hours of my time. So for now Anubis is either staying home or traveling in his original box. I started a new project for him though. It's crocheted, and a cross between a Jackal mask and a Death cloak.

Stay tuned, because next week I'll have a new POA on DOA: Doll's Eyes Creative!

Download this episode (right click and save)

To download the extra little clip mentioned at the end of the episode, right click here.

Episode 005.5 SPECIAL: Columbus Asian Festival

This is a special episode. I've got two interviews from the Columbus Asian festival, and talk a little bit about the events that happened. The biggest part of this episode is an interview with Susan Hayashi, who is a maker of kimekomi doll, which are carved from wood, as well as temari thread balls. For additional information, or to obtain supplies in the US, visit: www.juho-tougei.com/english/index.htm.

Ms. Hayashi is certified Kyoju by both the Japan Temari Association and the Kyugetsu School of Kimekomi. Many thanks to her for her time and information!

I couldn't get any good footage of the tinikling, but here is a link to a similar dance on youtube. This is actually a much larger troupe and more complex dance than what was performed, but you can see just how difficult it is! Thank you Thothep for her interview as well.

Photos from the Festival:
I got there early, so I took a bunch of pictures of Anubis. He's got his little teddy bear (A $2 find at Michaels), which he loves and just wouldn't let go of for about a week. So, here are some pictures of him, and also some of the goings-on from around the festival grounds.




Anubis is upset because the Doctor stole his teddy.
Here is a picture of Anubis with a kimekomi in progress. You can see the scale.
And this is a temari.


(many appologies--I forgot to write down which doll was which, and who their humans were. If you would like me to add your name, please let me know!)

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Episode 005--Creative Juice and a Taste of Poison

News
For more details on any of these items, please check the host website, or the DOA threads:

~The Luts summer event will be running now through June 7. If you order over $170, you'll get a special event booklet. Orders over $250 will get a free event head while supplies last. In honor of Childrens Day, there are also a bunch of new dolls being released.
~MintOnCard is having a sale on all of their mini female slim bodies are on sale, reduced from $235 to $185 (USD). Also, all of their glass eyes have had their prices reduced.
~Featherfall.ca is having a No Naked Dolls Event--now through September 15 all dolls purchased through their website will receive a free random kimono (except pukipukis, which will get a little outfit instead).
~The 4th annual NYC Dolpa has been postponed. No date has yet been released, but please keep tabs on the DOA thread if you would like to attend.
~Narin Creative has a new doll, the "Firefly." She's 18 cm and cute as a button.
~DBDoll is a company new to DOA, though they've been around since 2007. If you are unfamiliar with their dolls, you should take a look at their News thread. They have some really interesting masks for dolls up. Their 1/6 scale dolls come with your choice of three ears, as well as magnetic angel wings!
~Leekeworld has posted their summer schedule, including events, shows, specials and releases.
~Innocent Seraphim, a West Coast BJD/Goth-loli con is looking for BJD panelists. For more details, check out the thread.
~Asleep Eidolon is having problems with people mass-selling their dolls on Ebay. It should be noted that the ONLY authorized international dealers for AE dolls are Mintoncardinc.com in the US, Chantal's Dolls Alley in Europe, and, in the Middle East, Iryn. The thread can be found here on DOA.

Meetup Links
If you have any questions about these meetups, please check out their DOA threads:

~ComicCon Meetup 23-26 July. You will need a ComicCon membership to attend. No specific date and time has been announced at this point, but keep checking the thread.
~GoGaDoll 2009 in San Fransico, CA 19-21 June is looking for volunteers. If you are interested in signing up, email volunteers(at)gogadoll(dot)com with your full name, badge name, date you sent your pre-reg payment, your age (only those 18 and older qualify), email and mailing addresses.
~Instead of Dolpa, there will be a meetup and mini event in New York City on July 25-26. If you would like to attend, PLEASE visit the thread and sign up so that they can get a head count in advance.
~The first Treasure Coast Florida meetup will be on June 7 at 5pm at the Superplay in St. Lucie West. You will need money in order to bowl, play minigolf, or take part in any of the other activities.
~AnimeIowa is August 14-16 in Coralville. No date or time has yet been set for an actual meetup, but there is one planned.
~There are several proposed meets for Otakon (Baltimore, MA), but as yet none are confirmed.
~There are also several proposed meetups for Universal Studios, CA, in June, but none of those have been confirmed yet, either.

If you are planning a meet or have any news, please email me and I will mention it in the podcast!

This week's features include a new segment, "Creative Juice" which is where I talk about things I am making for my doll. This week, it is a sarcophagus for Anubis!

What do you do with your dolls? What do you make for them? Please let me know!

The second feature is the promised review of the the Fairyland Puki Pukisha. One thing that I forgot to mention in the podcast is that Hemlock didn't order the fullset doll, just the blank one. Here is a picture of him:


I am working on getting the podcast listed on Itunes, but have not heard back from them yet. In the mean time, if you would like to subscribe, you can do so by opening Itunes, clicking the "advanced" menu, and selecting "subscribe to podcast." Then, copy/paste the following URL into the box that pops up: http://resincast.podbean.com/feed.

Download this episode (right click and save)