Liebster Award!

I was graciously presented with something called Liebster Award. Whaaaaat!? Thank you so much, Jaya! I am truly honoured. ♥ And pleasantly surprised.

Since I blog in English, I took the liberty to ruthlessly copy-paste the rules from sherimi, who had translated them in her blog. The questions I received from Jaya I translated by myself. Here's her post in her blog with the original Finnish questions! (Also check out the beautiful Fairyland F60 boy body in white skin she has for sale! Man was I tempted... XD)

The rules:

1. Thank the person who presented you the award and link back to their blog.
2. Post the award image on your blog.
3. Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter.
4. Nominate 5-11 blogs with less than 200 followers.
5. Create 11 questions for the nominees to answer.
6. List these rules in your post.
7. Inform the people you chose of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog and link them your post.

Now then!

1. When and why did you start the doll hobby?
I first stumbled upon BJDs in the spring of 2009. It wasn't actually love at first sight, I was more confused at first than infatuated. But it didn't take long until my curiosity grew, and I started googling more information about these dolls. This is how I found Hartsilapset forums, and fell in love with these pieces of resin for real.
As to why... Well, I've always been a creative type of person, swearing that I'd be an Artist with a capital A ever since I was like five years old. I used to draw a lot and I wrote poetry ever since I was 9. Later I got into photography. Well, you get the picture; I had idle hands and I was in love with art. What fascinated me about BJDs at first was the photography aspect, as it was during that time that I discovered my passion for taking pictures. But also I was really passionate about creating characters and stories, and that was also one big reason why I got into BJDs. And later on, I became very intrigued with all the aspects of the hobby. It just felt like this was the hobby for me right from the start, you know, the most important hobby I could have. I wasn't wrong. ♥

2. Why did you want to start blogging?
Haaaaahhhhh well, just to share what I do in this hobby. During these past two years I've started doing more for my dolls than I ever did before, tackling bigger and bigger projects. Well, now I feel like the projects got too big to just post on Flickr or Instagram, so I figured that a blog could be a good way to share them. Especially since I want to post tutorials, and since some people are now on doll forums, this is a good way to let those people see what I do. If they're even interested. XD
Also easier for me to keep track of my projects if I post them all in the same place, instead of scattering them across 2-3 big doll forums.

3. What are your expectations in regards to blogging?
Honestly I'm just here to have fun. :D I'm not expecting to get many followers, and I don't think I consider this my "main outlet" for my hobby. My main will probably still be Instagram, because I like the atmosphere there a lot, but as I can't really post long and heavy-imaged projects there... Here I am. I hope to post a lot of content, sharing my projects and tutorials, techniques, tools, face ups, random pictures, stories... Everything that I can't fit into my IG. :D

4. What is the strangest thing about yourself in your opinion? What about others, has someone said something?
Probably my name, Helisa. I've never met anyone with the same name, and apparently all my namesakes are Spanish people, haha. There's actually a story behind my name too, it wasn't just a typing error or anything, but it's kind of a long story and apparently my replies to these questions are already very lengthy (oops, sorry!), so I won't share it here. :'D
Also this one is not technically a strange thing about myself, but about my family; I have three sisters all born on the same day, February 2nd, but they're not triplets. I myself still think it's a pretty cool coincidence. :D

5. What was the first doll you fell in love with?
DollZone Hid, I guess. Well, he was my first doll, but I fell pretty quickly out of love with him. I kind of picked him because he was in the right price range for the 16-year-old me, and looked cool. But my character for him was pretty vague/not in-depth and very much a cliche.
My serious first love with a doll (god that sounds kind of dirty) didn't occur until 2011, when I got my darling Soom Heliot, Aed. With him I was able to forge that bond everyone else seem to have with their first doll, so in many ways I consider him both my first doll love, and my first doll. He's still with me, of course. ♥

6. Have you ever had to make "creative" solutions to get dolls?
Hmmm, not really, no. Due to certain developments in my life, I was easily able to afford dolls until I turned 18. After that it became more difficult to scrape money for my resin beauties, but I've managed. Sometimes too well. *looks at least year and regrets* XD

7. Who is your doll idol/role model?
Oh gosh, everyone! I truly admire everyone in this doll hobby. Everybody is so creative and talented, it blows my mind.
But of course, there is someone who inspires me, encourages me and guides me, and that is Britt Miscast. I've always admired her skills ever since I first stumbled upon her Deviantart, and nothing makes me prouder now than to call her my best friend in the world of BJDs. ♥ ♥ ♥

8. What is the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you with dolls?
This question is always so difficult! XD Nothing ever comes to mind. I don't have any great and amusing stories or mishaps. Boo!
But I guess I'll say that Mercury's accidental nickname still amuses me. At the time Mercury was still an unpainted head with no body, and I sent Britt a picture of my girl Avi sitting in my doll cabinet, holding his head. On his head I had placed a crown. It was a crappy phone picture, very grainy, so you couldn't really see the fine details... Which made Britt first see an egg with a crown, instead of my white Switch Ahi head. Long story short, now Mercury is sometimes referred as King Egg. XD

9. What dolls are in your dreams still?
Well firstly there's BeYours Pansy, which will be my new Agatha. Then there's BeYours Olive, who will be her "brother" Gaia. And then I need a Mocha Brown Switch Waseon in my life, to be my character O-a, and MerryDollRound Zuri to be Enki.
That is all - although one teeeeeeny tiny MDR Mousse might be in order! I think it might be really fun to balance my 60cm+ crew with a super small girl. :D

10. Do you have any projects going on?
Yes! Projects never end! *wants to fall into a coma* Just kidding, but yes, I have an ongoing project. As usual it's taking me forever to get back into it, it's been months... I'm customizing my BeYours Glisten up for sale, trying to create a unique "fullset". I'm almost there, I just need to finish her body blushing and -painting. Here's a picture of her face up! I call her "Project Indian Rose".
(Also here's her Flickr album. I'll post her here too once I finish.)

11. Did you do any doll New Year resolutions? If not, what do you wish to accomplish in the hobby during 2016?
Yes, I did! I never make any resolutions at New Year's, because I never keep them anyway. But this time I did! They are as follows:

1. Make a blog.
2. Stop being so lazy with editing photos, having them lay around for over a year is not acceptable anymore!
3. Buy just ONE doll. ONE. OOOOONE. NO MORE.
4. Make a body for Kasima.

Also I hope to buy a smaller pocket camera for filming purposes, because it would be nice to try to film some doll stuff. Like tips and stuff. But that is not my priority, so it's not on the official list. :D

ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS IT! ♥ Thank you again for the award and questions, Jaya! This was fun!

Since I'm very new to this blogging and don't really know enough people to nominate so many, I'll just nominate one. ;__; So Britt, my kind-of-an-obvious-choice, here are your questions!

1. Something you have always wanted to try in the BJD hobby, but still haven't?
2. Something about the hobby that makes you proud of yourself?
3. The scariest moment you've had with dolls?
4. Something you're super excited about right now?
5. A doll that you could never own, and why?
6. What is your favourite thing about BJDs?
7. Your "doll crush" - a doll of someone else's that you really love?
8. What is your favourite resin colour? (Normal skin, white, grey, tan, etc. etc.)
9. Favourite piece of doll clothing you own?
10. Your doll goals for 2016?
11. The thing that inspires you most in the hobby?

I tried to make up questions to which I don't already know the answer. XD

ANYWAY thank you for reading this longer-than-long post and excuse me for any mistakes, it's almost 3AM and I am very tired. I enjoyed writing my answers though, and thank you again for the nomination for this fabulous Liebster award! ♥

Love,
Asileh Backwards