Photo compilation: November-December 2022 (plus 2022 recap)
Hello again dolly-friends! Happy 2023! How is the new year treating you so far? 2022 is officially over, so now it's time to reflect on it and take a look to the photos I published the last two months.
Towards the end of the year, I didn't take many photos due to a combination of lack of inspiration and lack of time. However, there was one thing that I had wanted to try for a while, and it was to take photos using some lights in the background that would give a nighttime effect. So, once I had my Christmas tree up with just the lights, I gave it a go. This photo of Lea I took it as an experiment, and it came up better than I expected.
Of course, I tried to recreate the same effect with other dolls, but I wasn't as happy with the result as I was with Lea's pic, but I still managed to get a couple that I deemed decent enough to post. It is actually a bit of a hard technique, but I would love to keep experimenting with this. To get light on the dolls' faces, I used one of those selfie ring lights that you can attach to your phone.
At some point during these months, when I didn't have much time to set up a diorama, I took some photos in my balcony, using my paper flower as a background. I did play with the color balance with these photos, to warm up the dolls' faces, but also the yellow wall that has some weird grayish undertone.
2022 hasn't been a good year for my plants either, as some of them died or got plagues so bad that we had to end up throwing them away (like what happened to my bonsai pomegranate tree). So, as soon as spring comes around, we will start getting more plants to revamp our balcony. Hope 2023 is a better year for them.
I also did share some extra Holiday themed photos that didn't make the original post, mainly because I took them later, like this two of Victoria and Chloe with the gift I made.
2022 recap:
If you're a usual reader of this blog, you might already know that 2022 hasn't been my year. Not just I did start loosing inspiration towards the end of 2021 that it took a while to come back, but also due to health stuff getting in the way.I do have very frequent migraines (up to 12 per month) and it started being unbearable towards the end of 2021. I did pursue a treatment that didn't work out and had to deal with some side effects for 6 months. I am doing much better now, and I did also try a second treatment, that also didn't work out for me, but luckily didn't give me any major side effects. Of course, all of these issues have greatly impacted my blog and my doll projects, so that's why you've seen far less of me everywhere. Luckily, these past two months the migraines haven't been acting up as much, so hope I can keep that going for a long time.
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| RIP my lovely plants |
On top of that, in September I started studying again and it has taken way more time than I anticipated. I also must confess that I don't like it very much, and I get bored to death in most of the classes. However, there are a few positives aspects of doing this, the first being the chance of getting a paid internship later on. There's no guarantee I will get it, but it would be such a great opportunity. The second one is the fact that next year we get to learn a second foreign language, and I've wanted to seriously learn German for quite some time.
But, despite all, I've still managed to post 20 posts in 2022, which is an average of one post every week and a half. I've only managed to do two very simple craft posts, which means I haven't got the chance to do most of the projects I had planned. However, I have managed to take my sewing more seriously and finish a few garments, like the bikini I did with AtelierniShasha (check it out here). I had more plans to keep sewing, but then school happened and I didn't do anything. But still, I'm proud that I made a total of 5 garments, and I also did a bit of practicing with my sewing machine.
I also started posting some video tutorials on my Youtube channel. Again, due to the circumstances, I wasn't able to post as much as I would have wanted to, but at least I managed to get 3 tutorials there. I don't want Youtube to take away from my blog, but instead to have it as a platform to share my craft projects in video format. I hope that I will, eventually, have more time to work on some fun videos.
As for 2023, I don't want to make any big plans, as I'll still be busy with school for the most part of the year, specially if I end up getting the internship. However, I will try to work on a semi-permanent diorama inside one of my Billy bookcases, so I can use it for quick photoshoots. I would also love to start using more my sewing machine, but for human-size projects such as pillow cases and Christmas stockings. Recently I haven't felt very inspired to make any doll clothes, but also I've been feeling quite overwhelmed about it. I have so many things I think I need and my dolls could use, but very little knowledge on how to make them or where to start. I think I'm not going to pressure myself to make anything for them until I feel like the time is right. And when that happens, I will share my progress over here.
I hope you all had a fantastic Holiday time with your loved ones and wish you a 2023 filled with happiness, health and lots of fun dolly-time. Also, happy "Three Wise Men Night" if you celebrate it (I sure do).
See you soon!
Monster Crafts
This post was first published on themonstercrafts.blogspot.com. If you see it published elsewhere, it's been plagiarized without my consent.
Happy New Year MC! Love the starry night photos, isn't that ring light a blessing, I love mine. I hope your migraines continue to improve so you can get on with all your plans for the year ahead. Seems 2022 wasn't a very good year for many of us, but lets hope that's all behind us now and we can all look forward to a wonderful 2023.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs,
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Thanks Xanadu! Thank you for all your well-wishes for the New Year. I really do hope we all get a better 2023, after such an eventful 2022.
DeleteBig hugs to you too!
Your first photos with the lights are nice. I think I like the one with Victoria just as much as the one with Lea. Victoria just looks very dynamic and alive to me. I hope that your migraines can be dealt with successfully in 2023, and that your schooling will pay off for you. It's exciting to me that you're thinking about studying German, because I also studied German, as well as Spanish. I think my German is better because I was able to spend 10 weeks in Germany when I was in college.
ReplyDeleteHow do you celebrate Three Wise Men Night? For me, it is mainly a religious holiday. Oh, and speaking of holidays, I wanted to tell you that the Nintendo game Animal Crossing was offering a bowl with 12 grapes, among other New-Year's themed items in its store.
Thanks Barb! I like the pose I got with Victoria, but the lightning not so much. I did try to study German a bit over 10 years ago, but just for a very short period of time and I didn't keep practicing. So, I guess at this point I'm will be just starting over, because I just remember the numbers and the days of the week.
DeleteMy family didn't really do anything special for the Three Wise Men night, it's more of a tradition from Mr. Monster's family. My MIL loves the Three Wise Men Night and, for her, it's all about getting together to open gifts and then having dinner together. When my nephews were little it was also more about them and keeping the "magic" alive for them, but now that they're grown up it's still enjoyable.
Thanks Linda, I'm glad you like them. The phone ring lights attach to the phone like a clamp and it's pretty affordable (anything from 8 to 12€) I got mine on ASOS in case you want to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI also hope 2023 is better than 2022 for all of us, because that was pretty rough.
Hugs to you too!
Hi MC--I totally relate to what you went through in 2022. That was not my year either. Nonetheless, we are both "still standing" and starting out the new year with getting back to our blogs. I always enjoy your photos, your props and tutorials, so I'm wishing you lots of inspiration, motivation, and renewed energy in the 12 months ahead!
ReplyDeleteHi April. True, despite all, we're still standing, like Elton John said. I was planning to prepare some content in advance for the blog, but due to unforeseen circumstances I haven't been able. Hopefully, next week I'll find some time for that.
DeleteHello and hope that the new year, 2023, will be a good one! Good to hear that you are doing a little better.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos with the lights in the background. I think that the photos look good and that the dolls pop out in some way.
I studied German in middle school and high school, but it really did not stick. I understand when someone talks and I can read it without problems, but talk and write...nah. Would love to learn Spanish or Portuguese.
Keep warm and take care!
Hi Niina! Well, 2023 hasn't had a good start so far, so hopefully it goes upward from here.
DeleteThanks, I'm glad you like the photos. I hope I can keep practicing with that technique and share my progress here.
I feel like, for the most part, languages don't stick all that well if you don't practice, and it also depends on which language is your first. For me, as a Spanish speaker, Italian did stick way more than German. I also would love to learn Portuguese and Norwegian. Let me know if you ever start learning Spanish!
You too, take care.