HAPPY 2012!

HAPPY 2012!, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

We wish you all the best out there for a safe, happy and prosperous NEW YEAR!!!!

Imma Bee

Imma Bee, a photo by nevraforever on Flickr.

I thought I was officially done with collecting the Monster High Dolls. And I was. But then they start with these "Create a Monster" kits and there's a bee and wigs and a chick with a third eye and all kinds of freaky fierceness! I'll be on the look out for her in Target this weekend.
Buzz buzz!

Avatar Freak

Have I ever mentioned that I am an avatar junky? Well I am. I have an entire collection of sets on my flickr account devoted to all my fave avatar fun times. Madmen, Doll Divine, Pet Society,  It Girl, Coco Girl. Basically if I can change make-up clothes and accessories, I'm obsessed for the most part. And I'm not sexist. If there's a dope avatar dress up game for dudes, I wanna know!

This recent dress up avatar which I found out about from Erica Duh is from Dream Selfy which is naturally Japanese. I'm afraid to even guess how many Japanese Doll games exist on the internet.  But since I am also a bit of a Japanophile this is like endless freaking junk food for me! Fortunately I've been through this before and so I'm limiting myself to only three of these adorable avatars for today since I am at work. I can't say what will happen when I get home.
LOL!

Whitney Before and After

The original release of the Hollywod Blythe Licca doll had a matte face I believe. And then the second release was shiny. Or vice versa? All I know is there are two versions and my Whitney is the shiny faced one. I adore her to pieces but whenever I see the matte HBs I just fall apart! I love them. Something about that matte surface enhances her soft pastel make-up, serious gaze and just makes her look even more fabulous.

So anyway, I'd been contemplating spray matting her with the MSC for a while but thought I would have to figure out how to take her apart first which I am terrified of doing. After seeing a couple of fabulous matte HBs in Joey and Ole's photostream I just said that's it! I'm going to just do this! I stuffed paper around her eyes, wrapped her body in plastic and her hair in paper towel. I sat her by the window an sprayed a few light layers over her. It was so easy and dried almost immediately! I didn't touch her until the next day though. I have to say, I love Mr Super Clear. It has worked so well for me so far and really does a great job sealing in color. And as I've mentioned before, the matte surface is a dream to photograph.

Someone's on their way to the UK!!!

Someone's on their way to the UK!!!, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Congratulations to Lisa Mead in the UK! She placed the winning bid for Castaneda on Thursday afternoon!

Thanks to Melly Kay I was able to find the perfect shipping box for a Blythe box to fit into. It's called a Priority Shoe Box. I was stressed out about that. In fact I was stressed out most of the time about this. It's my very first custom sale and I only hope that the new owner is a happy one. I have no regrets about letting her go because she was always meant to travel. I had a lot fun and challenges making her and I am so happy she's found a new home.

I shipped her out yesterday morning on the last open day at my local post office until the holidays are done. The line was mercifully short and it wasn't busy at all. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Farewell Castaneda! Bon Voyage!

The Yarn Company

I visited the Yarn Company yesterday after work because I was desperate for some new yarn at a place that wasn't too far from midtown. The Yarn Company is located in 82nd and Broadway. I've passed it tons of times but this is the first time I've ever been inside. It is lovely, very warm with wood floors and tables and I believe a larger space in the back where they hold classes. The two women who were working there yesterday evening were very nice and really helpful. The yarn is on the pricey side but it's great quality and just lovely to look at.

I picked out two skeins of a brushed suri one in a powder blue and the other in plum. All you wanna do is just squeeze this stuff and hold it your face. It is insanely soft! I just love it. The yarn is spun very thin and I thought I would trouble crocheting with it but worked really well and I was just very careful to unravel it bit by bit as I worked. It looks just like cotton candy and I think that the combed mohair kept it from slipping off my hook too often. I made another puff stitch hat with the some of the blue skein last night. I haven't timed myself but I can whip one up in less than an hour for sure. It's just so much fun to see how each hat turns out using these different textures. Working with the suri last night I can see how almost anything that can be turned into string or rope or yarn can be be knit of crocheted, because the brushed suri seems so much like some kind of hair and I guess that's what a lot of yarn is, just hair, cotton, fiber of some kind spun into string, thread or yarn. That's just fascinating to me!

So anyway, I'll be making a few more of these hats for Blythe Warmers and maybe thinking about embellishing them a little bit as well. I'm kind of addicted right now an not really thinking about how much this is costing me. LOL! At some point I will need to slow down. I do want a couple more skeins of this brushes suri though to makes hats for a couple of people, maybe even myself!

Petite Holiday Gifts

EEeeee!!!!, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

So what's happened is I decided to have a bit of a Blythe shopping spree a while back. I do believe in a Blythe Christmas but I admit I may have gone a little overboard this year. There have been packages collecting on my bed since last month! And just when I think it's all done something else arrives that I forgot I ordered.

These adorable little mini garments arived in my mail this weekend! I commissioned them from Care AKA
obssesivelystitching/stitchwhipped on flickr and I am just so jazzed I cannot tell you! I was just seeing too many adorable petite clothes in her photostream that never made it to her etsy store! So I had to get her to make a few things for my petites who are often starved for custom made clothes. LOL!!

I cannot even tell you how perfect these teeny clothes are! At such a small scale, they leave nothing to chance! They are exceptionally well made teeny little clothes. Care is literally obsessivly stitching! I just love seeing the stuff in her photostream and how much she loves her large petite family. It's a real pleasure seeing how much "care" she takes in setting them up, styling them and just creating an atmosphere of fun and personality!

I can't wait to put these on my petite gang!
: D

Blythe Warmers Update!

Ummm, I made like two more puff stitch hats yesterday! I freaking love them! They are so fun an easy to make and I love the texture of them. Plus they fit so perfectly on Blythe's big old head. LOL!

I've made eight in all but have kept four for myself. The two I made yesterday are solid colored, marigold and a dusty rose color. I put them up on Blythe Warmers a few minutes ago. 'Tis the season! Happy Holidays everyone!

Puff Stitch for all!

Early one morning this week I was at the reception desk where I work, the only person there as usual and I was on a mad search for a simple crochet hat pattern on youtube. I found one for the puff stitch and I have lost my mind making little Blythe hats this week! I love this stitch! It is so easy because it gives you such a large base to put your needle into. I never have to wonder if my needle is going into the right loop or not. And I just love the pattern an texture it creates! Most people have seen and or worn a puff stitch hat before. It's a pretty common pattern. Making it is so much fun!

I found this really cool pink mohair mixed with thread yarn at a place on 34th called "Gotta Knit" and whipped up two really fun hats the last couple of days. I've made five hats in total but I will only be putting the two pink ones on Blythe Warmers tonight. They are so fun and soft and sweet! It's like crocheting hand spun cotton candy and not as difficult as you might think.

Castandeda is now live on ebay!

I had scheduled her to go up at 10:00am but noticed the listing was not up yet so I just selected to have her go live immediately.

The link to her listing on ebay is here
Sorry if this caused confusion for anyone. I'm not sure why this happened but everything looks fine now. Happy bidding!

Castaneda will Travel Soon!

For those of you have expressed an interest in the past, my custom AA Blybe hybrid doll, Castaneda will be going up for auction on ebay at 10:00am Monday morning. Please see the image above for title description and appearance. You can click on it for a larger view. If you still cannot find her, let me know and I will post the link once the auction goes live on Monday. The duration of the auction is ten days.

Thanks for looking and good luck to you!

: D

Dear Reya...

Dear Reya..., a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Takeo is in a rare sentimental mood this afternoon and trying to write a letter to someone who is always in his thoughts someone who he wronged long ago, whom he hopes will one day forgive him.

Thank You So Much!

As gray and stormy as it was yesterday, my day was made light and cheery with a very generous gift of Kawaii cuteness that arrived in a small package at my desk yesterday morning from Kyi Lynn. She did tell me that I should be expecting something but I had forgotten all about it. There is just so much stuff in there! And I love it all!  I am so honored that I should inspire such generosity! I enjoy this hobby immensely and the spirit of giving in the Blythe community never ceases to amaze me! I mean really this totally made my day! Not just the gifts themselves but also the act of giving them. It was like an early Christmas!

I also want to say thank you to everyone and anyone who reads my blog. I would write it even if no one was reading it. I just have a compulsion to share my dolly goings on with the world because I just love hearing about everyone else! You are the ones who inspire and support me! I love you're creativity, resourcefulness, willingness to share, be honest, be crazy and not be ashamed to be be kooky doll people. LOL!!

Weee!

Weee!, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Had this sweet rement miniature set waiting for me on my desk when I came in to work this morning I wish there something this cool on my desk like once every week! LOL!

I saw the set in a photo on flickr by Wooly Rockers and I just had to have it! I just love everything about it but it was that typewrite that sold me. he carriage actually slides back and forth! EEEP! Oh we're gonna have fun with this.
: D

3114 (for zenzile)

3114 (for zenzile), a photo by valentine westphal on Flickr.

My Blythe Christmas is not complete without a festive and seasonal HOP dress. Snagged this one just in time today. No messing around.
: D

We're finally ready for the weather @zanalee

We're finally ready for the weather @zanalee, a photo by brooklynpablita on Flickr.

Brooklyn Pablita's custom Heather Sky, Ama is sporting the "Hamsa Poncho" from my Blythe Warmer's shop! She looks so sweet in it! It's amazing seeing something I've made on another Blythe, especially one I know and love. *Sigh* It's a nice feeling. It makes me want to make even more stuff.

I have a couple of scarves that I've finished but have been too lazy to post. I'd like to make hats to go along with them. Hopefully I will have an update on that soon.

A Blythe Weekend!

Brooklyn Blythe Meet

I finaly got to catch up and have a mini Blythe Meet with Brooklyn Pablita on Brooklyn on Saturday! It was really nice. We've met up in my work area a couple of times for lunch but it's always such a drag to have to run back to work again just when the conversation is getting really good. To date, she is my only friend who I see in person (In addition to Linda aka Hollychan) who is actually a true Blythe lover and collecter. It's so great to be able to talk to someone about all the intricacies, fun, craziness and various annoyances of Blythe collecting, crafting, customizing and the Blythe community in general. After I met her at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden we had a great dinner at a place on Franklin Ave and talked for quite a bit before whipping our girls out. From there we took a bunch of photos of them, next door in front of a cool looking record shop and across the street at this amazing looking Black owned candy shop called The Candy Rush. Thanks to Paula who asked them before hand if we could take pics of the dolls there, we pretty much had the run of an empty candy store with an amazing painted mural wall at the entrance and an amazing wall of shelves with candy jars on the opposite wall For some reason all of our girls were dressed really colorfully that day and it made for some great shots. It was a lovely evening.

On Sunday, I finally got around to completeing my work on Castaneda. I replaced a part of her eye mech with the one in a new Blybe I purchased a while ago with that purpose in mind. It was at the suggestion of some clever person on flickr where I had expressed my frustration on my initial issues with her t-bar. Even after I got the right t-bar from donor my Blybe, her mech was still having issues with the eye change pull. Someone suggested I just transplant the whole thing and even though it's hard for me to explain what this means, it worked perfectly and was fairly easy to do as well. Practice practice! Blybes are cheap but I don't know if I'll ever do another custom with a Blybe again soon.

Thumbs up!

 I love Castaneda but she's been a work in progress now for almost a year. She's a true hybrid with Blybe face plates, Blythe Eye Balls and chips, and a pure neemon non-flection body which I adore. I sprayed her face plates with matte MSC so she has this velvety ebony sheen I'm just in love with and photographs terrifically. There are some scuffs near her neck from the movement of her head on the toggle of the neemo body and a couple of small scraped on her legs as well but other than that's she's great. I'm terrfified of touching up so more than likely, she will remain as she is. We'll see.

Blythe Post Update!

Just added two new postcards to the shop this evening! They came out so amazing I'm actually keeping  a couple for myself. The colors are just wonderful! They are two of my favorite photos that I took of Hendrix a week or so ago in the Park. I noticed that most of the postcards in my shop are a Fall theme. I used to want to so more themes like the Holidays or Halloween but I just can never get into the set up for that. But whenever Fall comes around I make sure to get out and take a bunch of photos. The colors are just so amazing, I can't resist.

My first wierd little Blythe hat

, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

I finished it last week. It makes me think of gnomes. I completed it on three double point needles but I feel like I need to using five and thicker yarn for the next hat. I really like the colors in this one but it's a little snug. I really am a pattern averting person. I need to stop that and just take a class and learn to read a pattern.

I like how the colors turned out in this one and I think Hendrix looks adorable in it. She's a good model. She can make anything look adorable.
: )

Meet Dusty

The two on the right are the new girls

So I purchased two more petites from a seller on ebay several weeks ago. They arrived sometime last week. One of them is a twin of a petite I already have. She has long jet black hair and I just love her so much I had to get one more. Plus they come with these great high white boots as well.

Dusty before and after

This blonde one, I intended for my second AA petite custom. But as I was cutting her hair last night I had this idea for a cute little punk hair cut. I thought, hey if I don't like it, I just keep cutting, pluck it all out and continue with the custom. Well, she just kept getting cuter and cuter and now I like her just as she is. I'm calling her Dusty because she reminds me of Dusty Springfield whose hair and voice I actually happen to love.

Little Miss Donor

The whole reason I purchased this latest new Basaak Blybe in the first place was to get that notoriously hard to find Blybe t-bar. I found out the hard way while customizing my third AA Blybe, that RBL t-bars are not compatible with Blybes. They have a special t-bar that has a larger hole in the back with a groove on the bottom.  It's all so annoying. In any case, even with the t-bar in, I'm finding that I still have a lot of trouble getting Castaneda's eyes to roll up on the existing mechanism when I pull the string. Sometimes it works but takes a lot of pulling upwards and then it doesn't work at all. So she still has some major issues. I may need a whole other eye mech for her. I don't know.

In the meantime I got this cute little curly hair no named Blybe prancing around with no plans and I kind of like her. I wish they weren't so horribly made though. They practically fall apart in your hands. I'm not kidding. But I love that seller from Bangkok always sends along a bunch of extra goodies with the Blybes, clothes, leggings, ballet shoes, a little handbag. It's really nice. I have a vision for how I will customize her but I think I will keep her color as she is. I will know her name probably when she's done.

I wish I didn't have to keep putting Castaneda aside though. It's so disappointing. I love her so much. I need to know I can finish her.

Blythe Warmers Has Finally launched!!

ON SALE NOW!!!

I finally just up and did it. I had to create a whole new account which I anticipate being a pain in the ass but it really wasn't that bad and making the listings seemed so much simpler this time. Thank goodness. Plus there are some good tutorials on how to create a shop banner which I really suck at. The one I have up is pretty bare but it will do for now. I hope you'll stop by and check it out soon!
'Tis the season!

Autumn is Here

Untitled, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Autumn is officially here. I took a few hours today just to go out and take a walk in the park with my camera and see some foliage. It was cooler than it has been the last few days. It was brisk and windy but the turning leaves were gorgeous and the sun came down so quickly I watched my shadow grow longer and longer in the grass every minute. I just love the colors of Autumn. As much as i love Spring, I look forward to it every year.

Blythe Warmers Project

This is the latest poncho I've made for Blythe Warmers, which I really need to set a launch date for because what's happening is this. I make a poncho. I like it. I have another idea for another one and I like that one better which makes the previous one look not that great to me and so on. I have now made about five of them and I like this last one I knit last night while watching "Dancing with The Stars" the best. I like the length of it and I like the flare I get from decreasing stitches as I go. I think it looks adorable and authentic. It's not perfect but it's a huge improvement. I  keep wanting to do more though, something fancier, finer. And while this is happening, I am not in fact launching the darn store. I'm just knitting! LOL!! Which I love. But I really need to start setting up shop.

I guess I'm a bit nervous. I've never sold any kind of garments for Blythe before. I feel like I need to start thinking about packaging, branding, that sort of thing. Nothing fancy or expensive of course but even the most basic stuff requires more thought than just stuffing a product in an envelope. But I don't want to get lost in all that either. I'm looking at this initially as just an experiment. I am also hoping that my friend, Cecelia will contribute to Blythe Warmers by making some of her adorable crotchet pom pom hats which I love

Well I'm going to start another poncho now but I swear this will be my last. Okay, maybe one more after that and then I'm going to start taking some product photos and just do this thing. Stay tuned!
: )

GO RUNNERS!!! WHOOHOO!!

GO RUNNERS!!! WHOOHOO!!, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

I'm a bad Blythe Blogger not to mention that Hendrix joined Cece and I at the NYC marathon last weekend. It was tons of fun! Cece had us cheering for everyone with or without a name on their running outfit. She has a friend named Ilene who actually ran in the marathon. What an accomplishment! It was really interesting getting to talk with her a bit about what she went through during the run.

The weather was just perfect! It's been unseasonably warm this whole week and I'm really enjoying it, even though in my bones I know it's not normal. We're gonna enjoy it while it lasts.

Chakra Smile

Chakra Smile, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Say hello to Chakra Khan, my first AA petite Blythe! I removed her hair, sprayed her and then let her dry overnight. The nest day I added the powdered flocking on her scalp for hair. For some strange reason the paint on her face dried very rough and speckle like. I'm not sure why since the surface of her face was perfectly smooth. I know that there are optimal temperatures when it is best to use spray paint or dry it or not and that it effects the way it dried but I don't remember what they are and I was totally thrown off by this. So now she looks like she has really bad skin. LOL!!! But other than that, it was so easy to do.

Her body dried perfectly without any stickiness and the flocking was super simple. I just applied some craft glues evenly along her scalp, starting with edges first and and then filling it in. After that shook the flocking powder color I chose on her head over a plastic container to catch the excess and Voila!

I just love this color!! I really wanted to do a deep vibrant red as well but couldn't find that color at Michael's this weekend. So i bought this beautiful blue color along with black. I have another petite donor on the way and plan on doing at least two more so she will have a couple of sisters to play with. Weee!!!

How to make a Little Brown Petite Blythe

CBG's transformation, a photo by Suedehead on Flickr.

Ummmm... this is my next project. The only thing I don't have is flocking powder.

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meet Valentina!

Hey everyone, meet my little sister: Valentina 
Originally uploaded by Suedehead
I am such a huge fan of Suedehead's  Custom AA Blybe Pepita that i totally flip whenever she posts pics of her which is not that often so whenever she does, it's extra special. You can't imagine my joy over seeing this photo of her and a mini Pepita just a minute ago!! Her name is Valentina!

I LOOOOOVE HER!!! I'm like alive right now!! I need to get my ish together and make one. Pepita is the only AA Blybe I know that has short closely cropped flocked hair. She keeps it simple and you don't see that very often at all in Black female dolls. I just adore her!! And now tiny petite version! I'm soooo digging it!

Girl, put your records on

Girl, put your record on, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

"Girl, put your records on,
tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans,
I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down."

Dolly Mail!!

, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

A new dress by Laura of Plastic Fashion that I was lucky enough to snag a few weeks ago finally arrived in the mail yesterday! I love the rich vibrant colors in the fabric she uses as well as her daring pattern combinations!
: )

On our way home

On our way home a video by Zanalee on Flickr.

Took Angora Lee out for brunch with Cece and I this weekend. We stopped to feel the breeze on our way home. Sorry about the noise. Angora likes to chomp on her gum very loudly!
: )

Coraline's Sweater

Coraline is a movie I have never seen but I've been doing some research in knitting sweaters in a small scale and happened upon this absolutely amazing video about the woman who knits the little tops that Coraline wears in the movie. Her name is Althea Crome. I wasn't even aware of how much work went into this animated feature to the degree to which there was an actual person in charge of knitting these tiny things! I actually purchased the tiniest double point needles I've ever had about a week ago and they are still no where as tiny as the ones she uses. I nearly went crazy trying to knit them! But I am absolutely floored by her skill! Jeezus! It's just mind boggling!

Maybe I should see Coraline. LOL!

I finished knitting my fifth or sixth poncho in the park this weekend. I really like how this one came out. I bought the yarn at Michaels in Sunday. I love this yarn. It's very fuzzy and has a pretty gradient of warm colors. I definitely want to make a matching set of leg warmers.

I may be making more of these things which means I may have to open another etsy shop. I'm not really sure how many more I can churn out but I think I might as well put them on the market and share them with the world while I am. "Blythe Warmers". That will be the name of my new etsy shop. So it shall be!

LOL!

Headband for Hamsa

Made a little headband out of scraps for Hamsa, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

I made this little headband for Hamsa out of scraps of fabric from a dress I bought and hemmed this summer. I was supposed to try making a dolly dress out of it but I'm not sure there was really enough. I love having a reason to whip out the little yellow sewing machine.

I really like how it turned out.
: )

Knitting Experiments with Blythe

Untitled, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Crotchet Hat (By Cece) Knit Shrug (by me)
I'm still experimenting with knitting in the round, still using double pointed needles but still plan to learn the circular needles as well. I think I need to tackle increasing and decreasing stitches next for varying shapes. I'm intimidated by that. I'm impatient and sometimes hate following rules but I will try to patient with myself moving forward.

Wish me luck!

Fave Video of the Day!

Riding the tube a video by sozzielou on Flickr.

Sozzilou's Edna riding the tube in London where they traveled for BCUK (Blythe COnvention UK) this year. I'm so jealous. The NY Blythe convention won't be for another year again!

It started with these Kewpies

Photo by Brooklynpabilta

I spotted them at Kinokuniya Bookstore last week in the lower level next to the squares of felt fabric and posted a shot straight to flickr before buying myself two. I've never been that crazy about Kewpie dolls. In fact some of them creep me out a bit but these were so cute and I mean they were so cheap I couldn't not get them.

Paula AKA Brooklynpablita, one of my fave flickr contacts loved them so much I told her I could get a few for her if she liked, because I know was in the area occasionally and probably just missed them. I even sent one across the ocean Clare aka Ditsy Print in the UK this morning! I just loved having the opportunity to spread some dolly joy. : )

Felix and Hamsa

Paula said she was going to be in my work area today and could pick up her kewpies so I suggested we just meet for lunch at K's and bring two of our Blythes each. She requested to see Hamsa and Hendrix and she brought Ama and Felix who were exactly the Blythes of hers I wanted to meet! Felix has this amazing Marigold scalp hair, amazing makeup and pull rings all done by Melly Kay! I just love her! It was great seeing her and Hamsa, both Melly Kay customs side by side. They are just so cool, vibrant and sweet!

Ama and Hendrix

Our Heather Sky Blythes, Ama and Hendrix really hit it off! It was so great seeing them side by side and comparing our observations about them. Ama is about to have some custom work done my Moofala who is an amazing customizer in the Blythe world. I can't wait to see how she turns out.

In general, it was also just great chatting with Paula about how she started getting into Blythe and how we both enjoy alleviating our everyday stresses by playing with Blythe shopping for her and taking photos of her and discovering all the incredible things that people create for them. I really never get to talk to anyone face to face who collects Blythe and it was just really kind of reassuring to talk to someone who gets a similar kind of joy and release from having them around. It may sound crazy but people do all sorts of crazy things as hobbies. I had a terrific time actually ended up staying well over my lunch hour but it was worth it. I look forward to hanging out with Paula and her Blythes again when we both have more time. In the meanwhile I count that as an official lunch time Blythe meet! I could use one of those at least twice a month!
: )

How Bowie was Born

Looking at Mango Bowie now, I often forget that she was not even a Simply Mango Blythe to start. She's a hybrid; a Prima Dolly Aubrey whose cute reddish bob I sold and switched for a Simply Mango scalp which I adore and then completely re-did her make-up several times! I sand matted her, carved her lips, gave her  freckles, changed three sets of her eye chips and gave her a pair of ultra long two toned lashes which I love and I also feel make her really unique. I sealed her Bowie inspired make-up with MSC and gave her custom pull strings and pull rings. I was a bit scared at first that I'd gone too far her make-up but realized that I had to take some risks making her colors a bit bolder if she was going to have a Bowie like rock chick vibe. I still want to change one of her eye chips in one set of eyes so that she has two different eye colors like David Bowie himself but that's forth coming. For now, she's pretty much done and I am so happy with how she came out.  She photographs really well and seems to have an entirely new spirit.

I think that customizing my Blythes or having them customized really makes me feel that they're one of a kind and really my own. What goes into making each one unique really creates a look that brings out a special story in each little face. And that story is ever changing.

I'm really starting to get a hankering to do another custom soon. It just feels so good once it's done and being on flickr all the time looking all the incredible work of Blythe artists every day is so inspiring!

Kyi Lynn, a flickr friend who purchased my book Little Brown Blythe has just completed her own Brown Blythe recently and I just love seeing all her process pictures! Her girl, Evangeline is sooo beautiful! I really love the shade she used on her and her overall vision for Evangeline is just so very sweet and playful! She also happens to be an exceptional photographer and super creative! I so look forward to seeing her images in my Flickr contacts stream. I think she's definitely one to watch for in Blythe land!
: )

Easy Rider

Easy Rider, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

We felt the need for speed yesterday evening.

Sunday in the Park with Aria and Hendrix

This Sunday was really lovely, just the kind of relaxing, wind down Sunday I needed since Saturday was kind of stressful for me.

I went out in the early afternoon to pick up a few groceries for dinner my mom was making later. She's been visiting and staying with me for a bit since last week and I have just loved having her!

The light that was coming into the apt through all the windows looked nice so I took Aria and Hamsa with me. On my way back from the market I passed through the park across from where I live. It was where I took photos of my very first Blythe, Emily a few years ago. There's a nice little quiet area up near the public pool which is only open in the summer. I would go there a lot and take my first photos of Blythe in greenery and flowers in the spring and snow in the winter, orange leaves in the fall. It was blocked by construction most of this summer so I didn't get to go then. It's just been a while since I took a few nice park pics with my dolls. I kind of like the weather when it gets like this. Still warm but with a little chill in the air and no humidity. It's so clear and crisp. I never thought I would be happy to bid farewell to summer, one of my favorite seasons but I'm ready for the fall which I love as well with all it's beautiful, fiery, earthy colors, just begging to be photographed. I can't wait!

The Last Doll

Untitled, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Well wait a minute! Don't get all dramatic! I don't mean the last doll ever! I had made this announcement on flickr last month when I first got Aria.

Yes, Aria will be my last doll of any kind for a bit while I get my life and finances together so there won't be any posts about new dolly family members for some time. I have all of my dolls in my bedroom with me at the moment because my mom is in town visiting me. Looking at them all in one place I can see I've made the right decision for myself at the moment. I have enough. Enough. If there is any dolly movement in my family, it will be of someone leaving, not coming in. I need to get practical for awhile.

This doesn't mean I won't still be blogging here though. There's still plenty in the Doll world to blog about and naturally I will still be taking hundreds of pics of them. But right now I need to get organized and take stock of other long sought dreams and goals in my life while my dolls look on. I'm sure they will also help me out along the way! Hahaha!!

Peace

Peace, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Out of sight but not forgotten. Castaneda's eye mech issues were impossible but I hope to have her up and walking again some time this Fall.

Aria has Arrived!

On July 23rd I posted this stock photo on flickr and expressed my deep need to find and acquire Boogie Beach Aria. I had no clue how I was going to find her. I looked on some old outdated doll sites that posted her availability, sent a couple of emails that never came back. Finally I just decided to to a regular bay hunt, thinking there had to be a chance she might show up there at some point if anywhere. It wasn't looking very hopeful until about a week ago and then whamo! There she was, nude, beautiful, available but for auction which I won literally in the last few second of a back forth bidding war. I have to say though, I was pretty calm about this one. I set my limit and know just how much I was willing to bid before I quit. I only went a few dollars over that. I'll be honest; it was a very reasonable price. And she is in fabulous condition! I would even say mint! There are no flaws anywhere I can see. She just came nude, so without any of her stock which was totally fine with me.

Aria is a girl unlike any other.  A proud Latina she is one to always experiment with her fashion.  She owns whatever look she chooses to wear.  She’s a favorite stylist of Pop and Rock stars. 

When I first saw her, I have to admit, I actually didn't get her look at all and didn't like her very much, but it was the photos of one of my fave FR collectors on flickr (the handle of my contact escapes me) that turned me right around. She's got a very sexy, sultry Marilyn Monroe vibe about her and her funky blonde afro rocks my world! I believe she was one the first in the original line of Dynamite Girls released by Integrity in 2007.

I really love the original Dynamite Girls line. The Boogie Beach theme is really fun and sexy with a touch of retro which I love. All the characters had these fun colorful illustrations and personality blurbs about each one. Aria is my third Dynamite Girl. Reese was my first and Gavin my second. They are really a special group of ladies to me, full of personality and with a wide range of pose-ability and photographing styles. I adore them.