Iryna Ivakhnenko is back with new dolls. She is an artist from Ukraine who creates BJDs and doll-related products under the Whispering Grass name. A pre-order period for two of her Forest Dwellers is open at Jpop Dolls. Raccoon Smuzhka is a re-release, and Khitrula Fox is a new doll.
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Q: What brought you back to making animal BJDs?
A: You know, I like variety very much, that’s why I do a lot of stuff and take my hand into many different fields, like themed costume making, furniture, shoemaking and much more. I also create both big dolls and tiny ones. It helps me to never tire and never feel too worn out. I just switch from one kind of activity to another.
When I was thinking which animal to make for my Forest Dweller series, I decided to make a fox, because foxes are cute, and they have such unique characters. They are cunning, and they do a lot of scheming to survive. My Khitrula is no different, and his mold name comes from the Ukrainian term “the cunning one”.
All my Forest Dwellers live in the magical forest, and their stories are woven into the whole community story. Mr. Ropuha Toad is their Elder Statesman, Manuna Mice grows wheat and vegetables, and Raccoon Smuzhkas do the repair jobs and sewing.
Khitrula Foxes didn’t always live in the forest – they moved from a big city. Mr. Khitrula is a hairdresser, and his wife makes all sorts of cosmetic lotions, potions, perfumes and creams. I wanted to express their background also through their clothes: while all other Forest Dwellers are dressed comfortably, in a cute but simple clothes, both Khitrulas follow the latest trends: Mr. Khitrula wears a black jacket and a bowler hat, and Mrs. Khitrula wears a “walking” dress with a train – and I should say it’s not a simple dress but an edgy “centaur” model that accommodates her fluffy tail easily. Well, you probably already understood that fashion history is my soft spot…
Why they moved to the forest, leaving a successful business there? They keep their lips shut – it’s a mystery that is yet to unfold. Anyway, a friendly community accepted them and eagerly used their services.
Q: The costumes shown were so perfect, will you or Jpop offer any clothes for them?
A: Thank you very much! JpopDolls doesn’t offer such tiny garments usually, because it’s so hard to make them in a factory, keeping a proper level of quality, and we would offer only the best goods to our customers – no compromise! This matter was discussed before the very first release of Manuna Mouse.
So I decided that I’ll be making some clothes by myself, and the best way is to offer commissionable services to my customers who would like to have the clothes for their Forest Dwellers. This way I can provide the best quality. A lot of stages are done by hand on such a tiny garments, so it takes a lot of time and effort. So if you purchased a Forest Dweller and want some clothes I’m opened to commissions in my Etsy store: (https://www.etsy.com/shop/
I’ll also provide free patterns on my Deviantart (http://scargeear.deviantart.
Q: Will there likely be any other resin colors?
A: Most likely, yes. We’ll see how these two releases go.
Q: Do you plan to make any more Forest Dwellers animals?
A: Yes, I have some plans on expanding the series. There are a lot of cute animals that I could make!
Jpop Dolls – exclusive retailer of the Forest Dweller line
Other articles on BJDcollectasy with Iryna:
Furniture by Whispering Grass
Historical Costumes from Saris
Whispering Grass
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Khitrula:
Smuzhka:
