Petra Disco

Petra Disco, a photo by DivaLuvv on Flickr.

I would still kill for just one Fashion Doll Agency Doll. Either Petra or Manon. They're my faves.

Katniss' Holiday

Katniss' Holiday, a photo by china-lilly *no FMs* on Flickr.

This is definitely my fave Blythe Photo of the day over at Flickr. She is giving full on Safari!

Dolly Interrupted

Eve over the Holiday Weekend

I knew a lady on flickr once, a Blythe collector of course, whose photos I really looked forward to seeing a lot. And she was pretty prolific, took photos every week if not every day. And then things started to slow down and I saw less and less of my favorite of her dolly faces. It turns out, she got married.

Then photos started to pop up in her stream again. And then some time later they stopped completely. She had a baby.

Well, I'm planning a wedding y'all. Yes! For me! I am getting married to my fiancee next year. We'll be together nine years this December! YAAAY!!! And so my dolly output has definitely taken a hit and now I can see how real it is when life takes over. Wedding planning is no joke. As much as I already do with work and school and photography, and the occasional knitting and crochet project, squeezing in Blythe and other dolls is always extra but these days, they've kind of been taking a back seat.

I'm not trolling ebay anymore for stuff I really shouldn't be looking at. No more checking CCToys for the latest releases. I just can't fit all that in. I barely check etsy any longer! I know!!! I think the only link I maintain to dolly land is through flickr and IG. And fortunately I have some great dolly friends on my FB so I get to see all the wonderful little clothing and design updates.

But yeah, it's just going to keep getting busier as the months roll in. *sigh* But I will always try to squeeze in some dolls and doll craft somewhere. And when I do, I will try to keep you all posted.

HOPE YOUR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS WERE RESTFUL, FUN AND YUMMY!

who wants ice cream?

who wants ice cream?, a photo by Suedehead on Flickr.

It's nice to see Suedehead's adorable Kozy Kape Blythe wearing one of my Ice Cream hats. It was great meeting her briefly at BlytheCon and getting an adorable tiny sweater from her table. She came all the way from Argentina!

Post BlytheCon 2013

Blythecon 2013

BlytheCon NYC my first Blythecon ever has come and gone and I have not posted anything here about it until now! There's just been so much going on with work and school and life. But I just wanted to quickly say how much fun I had both at the pre meet and at the actual event space at 404 NYC. It was such a great space, very well organized and well attended by some of the coolest people you will ever meet. And I can't say how wonderful it was and how inspiring to see so many talented designers, artists local and international and customizers all under one roof. It was a cherished opportunity

I had the good fortune to attend one of three workshops given`that day by Kate "Moofers" on Blythe Doll Scalp re-rooting. Kate is not only a really nice lady, who is easy to talk with, but she also loves what she does and gave a very comprehensive talk describing all the different fibers (she brought samples) used for re-rooting, the best way to care for natural fiber, the best tools and techniques to use to re-root as well as what scalps work best on which Blythe Dolls. That being said, I cannot wait to work on my next re-root! I feel so much more prepared.

Traveling Blythe and BytheCon NYC

Verne the Traveling Blythe finally arrived last week! I had so much going on that I didn't have the opportunity to post about it until now. She is a custom designed by Kassandra's Box and her presentation is absolutely amazing. Kassandra does everything from customizing the doll to the box she's in to the tiniest details of her clothes, accessories and plush toys. The details of her traveling box, her Teddy Bear Plushie and her felted mushroom are just incredible. I've had the pleasure not only of  taking her around the city while she's been here but also the honor of taking her along with me to stuff goodie bags at Erica's this weekend! There were hundreds of bags and goodies everywhere and it was great fun to help, even when we were overwhelmed. Erica has given so much of herself to making sure the details of this event goes over smoothly. I think we are all indebted to her for her tireless effort in spite of the unfortunate but brief upset that occurred.

It looks like I may be be handing her to Linda at BCON which is almost a week away. I'm so happy to be taking her to my first BlytheCon ever. I have a list of Vendor tables I can't wait to shop at and a meager but sensible budget to stick to. I'm so excited for this I've actually taken the preceding Friday off and just made it a nice long weekend. I can't say enough about how much I admire the fortitude displayed by the amazing community of Blythe lovers who have managed to keep this show going. I think it's says a lot about the strength of community itself and the love of Blythe. The unifying and positive energy behind this event is something I am very proud and honored to be a part of.

Whitney Re-loaded (and possibly renamed)

Before and After Spray Matting

Once upon a time I had an HB Blythe I named Whitney. I thought she was adorable but like all things I find adorable, particularly Blythe, I get bored and want to customize and take apart. The first thing I did was spray matte her face plate which was lovely because then she looked like the stock FAO Schwartz release of Hollywood Blythe. Then I got bored again and decided I wanted a new scalp for her since the HB scalp hair is notoriously crazy. So I sold it, dyed a Cool Cat scalp and then hit a rut when I couldn't find a sufficient was to create holes in the scalp for hair plugs. so I paused on that part of her customization.

I can't believe she's mine

 Then I thought I wanted to give her a face-up but I tried several different things and I just had no clear vision of how I wanted her to look. So before I could screw her up irreversibly I sent her off to Melly Kay. And this is Whitney now after being Mellified at the Melly Magic shop. I can't even believe it's her! I'm so excited to see her in person! Of course her name has to be changed. I still have no clue what I'm doing for her hair although I do have some saran sitting around for the job. I'm not sure it will suit her new look. But I'm happily awaiting her return and hopefully she will be able to tell me what kind of new hair she wants. : )

LBB Updated

LBB Updated, a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

So I whipped up a couple of fun new hats this wek which are now in the Little Brown Blythe Shop. The white one ss super soft and fluffy. I swear it's so hard to put down. I made the other hat from this really fun Bernat Tizzy yarn I found a week ago. It really reminds me a lot of the 70s an era that I am very fond of. Drop in and take a look!

BlytheCon NYC Bust?

I saw this last night for the first time in a contacts photo on IG and I thought it was a joke. I thought it was someone's idea of a bad joke and even after reading 300 plus comments in the BlytheCon facebook thread on which this was posted, I still couldn't believe it. I guess I just didn't want to. I still don't. I just feel like of all the things that could have gone wrong during the planning of this event (and I totally anticipated some bumps) this was not the one I was expecting. Of course this is not exactly a bump, It's more like a bomb. *sigh*. Just a day ago Erica was asking people for help to stuff goody bags at the end of this month and I happily offered and was so excited to be apart of any planning efforts for the first Blythecon I would ever attend in my life.

So now this happens. I don't know what to say. Erica has worked so hard on this, and I think it's such a shame but I also am begining to appreciate all the pressure that a undertaking like this requires and I do not envy it. I am thankful to Erica for everything she has done and I really hope that this can be resolved somehow.

3rd Traveller!

I've been back from a wonderfully restful vacation for over  a week now and the anticipation of BlytheCon NYC is starting to set in. In addition I have also received and email from Sandra aka MinkiDynamite that I will be hosting one in the next set of three Traveling Blythes for the third time!

Verne

Verne, customized and created by Kassandra's Box will arrive in NYC to visit with me in sometime in September which is literally right around the corner. I will be her second host before she heads off to Linda who is also in NYC. It's always a thrill to anticipate a Blythe doll arrival. Traveling Blythes are always so special because they literally go all over the world and become a part of so many interesting memories. Makani who I hosted last year has only just returned from her world travels back to Kate Hardin who customized her.

I'm a little sad that Summer is pretty much over but it helps to have fun stuff like Traveling Blythes and my first BlytheCon ever to look forward to and who knows what other surprises are in store! How many of you will I be running into in October and which dolly friends will you be bringing along?

Wolf girls be like...

Wolf girls be like..., a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

Did I not mention that Music Festival Clawdeen arrived at my office last week? She is my third Monster High Clawdeen Doll and I'm very pleased with her. Her hair is a bit crazy to comb and it sheds a bit which means I may have to treat it a bit but other that, she's a knock out, a real diva. Hers is the first stock MH outfit that I actually love and I'm in no hurry to take it off. It was one of the things that drew me to her. That and the fact that she's a fierce Clawdeen mold.

There's actually one other Clawdeen from one of the previous lines I've been eyeing on and off for almost a year. That would be Clawdeen from the "Ghouls Rule" Line. Her outfit, haircut, accessories and everything are just so hot.

I would also love to get my hands on Scarah Screams "I Love Fashion." Though it's true she is expensive, this second line of Scarah Screams is finally within a slightly more affordable buying range for my budget than the very first one.

I'm actually really impressed that Mattel continues to put out MH lines that I like.

BlytheCon NYC Cometh!

Hendrix in The City

It's kind of hard to believe that BlytheCon NYC is only a few months away. But it is! It's happening! This will be my first BlytheCon ever in life so I'm super excited. Excited to meet talented wonderful people from the US and all over the world that I follow on Flickr and Etsy and Facebook. I'm ready for shopping and prizes and tutorials and maybe even a little vending of my own.

These adorable little "I Love NY" shirts from the delightful Luxie Lou arrived last week. Hendrix is wearing only one of the two. They are so perfect! The perfect little Blythe NY Souvenirs for out-of-towners and native Blythe New Yorkers like me.

Bowie's Looking to Travel

So it seems the time has come that one of my girls must travel. I don't want to do it but it just has to happen. I am selling my custom Prima Dolly Aubrey with Simply Mango Scalp on Dolly Adoption on Facbook but I will accept inquiries from interested buyers here as well.

 I actually customized her myself and recently cut her hair into a smart little bob. Her make-up is pastel and her lips are only slightly carved. She has beautiful pearlescent green lids and beautiful long powder blue lashes that are black at the base. I don't remember where I found those lashes but I love them.

Except for her side facing stock blue chips the rest of her chips have been replaced by me. Bowie has freckles, custom pull strings and charms and her face plate is sealed with matte MSC.

She does have two marks near the top of her forehead which I'm sure can be removed with light sanding. Other than that, she's in pretty good used condition.

She's 225USD.
Domestic shipping is 8USD
WW is 20USD

All Gold Bear Hat

, a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

Now up for sale in Little Brown Blythe on etsy.

I made the mesh looser on this version by using a bigger hook. And although it may not be obvious the ears have been moved forward on the crown. I think for my next one I might try to move them even more forward. The yarn itself is very malleable when crocheted so the ears can flop forward or stand up as desired.

Some New LBB Blythe hats

Little known fact: I don't usually knit or crochet in the Summer.

Just looking at yarn in the summer makes me hot. I generally reserve knitting and crochet for the colder months and I'm normally very seasonal about what my Blythes wear in photographs. I wouldn't put them in ponchos in July, that sort of thing. But it occurs to me that Blythes don't care about wearing knits in the summer. They can wear whatever they want! LOL!

So I started making a few hats here and there a few weeks ago and it felt really good to get into that rhythm I usually don't experience until it's cold and I want to snuggle inside under a blanket with something warm to drink and a book and a crochet or knitting project. It really does feel good. The yarn I ordered last week was in the office Monday morning. I think I may have made two hats just sitting at my desk yesterday. It was oddly mellow for a Monday. This gold one, seen above on Hendrix was a suggestion made by my friend Paula. She even found the yarn for me on etsy which I was totally juiced about because I had been looking for yarn like this for ages!

It's very interesting to work with, very light and almost like a light chain mail when it's crocheted together.I've completed two in the gold so far. The one above is the first and it was basically just soI could see what it would look like. For the second (not seen here) I did a looser mesh stitch and moved the ears forward. I'm still not sure how I feel about it yet. The soft fluffy bear hat is now in the LBB shop. I have tons of fun using that yarn. It's so soft and fluffy and touchable. I'm sure I'll crank out a few more before the week is out so stay tuned for updates.

The Ikea Shelf Unit and My Blythe Brooklyn Weekend

Well the 4th of July Weekend is well passed us and though it's been some time, I still would like to share the fact that I made one major purchase at Ikea in Paramus that weekend. Many of us afflicted with a middling to large collection of Blythes and/or dolls know how hard it is to keep them in line when they're kind of just hanging out all over the place. It's a condition I've become used to but ever since the first time I saw this unit in person, I knew it would change things in my dolly life forever and that perhaps it was possible to see my bed again. After weeks of failed planning and unforeseen obstacles the moment was finally seized. I did want the white one but they were out of it so I settled for the light birch color. I was desperate. I just needed some order!

Ikea Expedit: Game changer

The first thing I felt once we has assembled the shelf and slid into the tiny bedroom was how strange it was to be able to see all my dolls in one place. I have a collection of several lines of dolls and nothing makes that more obvious than being able to look at them all at once. I felt a little crazy, I'll be honest. I felt like I was in the walk in closet of a teenager/artist. However, since that's not a new feeling for me, I've finally moved passed it. LOL!
I have plans to wallpaper a couple of the cubbies and perhaps, maybe furnish them but not too heavily. I am using a few for my own clothes. I'm pretty happy with is so far. I've been wanting it for so long it's almost hard to believe it's here. I'm still pretty excited about it.

Welcome to the Dollhouse

In other news I was in Brooklyn most of the weekend hanging out with good friends I really don't get to see often enough. One of them whom I've known since high school lives in a wonderful part of Brooklyn just a few feet away from where I grew up as a girl. I may have said this a million times before but this part of Brooklyn is very sentimental to me. I just had the best time growing up there and whenever I'm there I just feel so light, safe, calm, peaceful and inspired.

My friend and I were walking back to his apartment after vegging out at this amazing local ice cream store and we cut through a kids bday party along the way. I stopped to take a shot of my custom Black Blythe Neige by an open fire hydrant. As this was happening I could see we had attracted a small audience of one in the form of a young girl who was just prancing in the hydrant water. I'm usually really protective and super shy about taking photos of Blythe in public but for some reason I was totally receptive to this girl. Maybe because I could sense that she was respectful, keeping a reasonable distance but totally craning her head over to see what the heck was going on with this doll. Without hesitation I waved her over to get a closer look, let her hold Neige and then showed her how the eye colors changed with the pull string. The little girl totally dug it, lit up and smiled every time the eyes changed, took mental notes and trotted away saying goodbye. It was a great Brooklyn weekend.

Girl meets Blythe

Blythe Gift Exchange!

Hamsa portrait by Katie

We arrived in the city late in the evening last night and I won't even go into how miserable and unbearable the heat was and is in our tiny apartment. Suffice it to say that receiving a sweet gift in the mail from Katie AKA Blythechan helped to cheer me up considerably. She made this sweet little drawing above of Hamsa a few weeks ago as a part of a pay it forward project we announced we were doing this year.

How it works is that you just let people know that the first to respond to your offer will receive something handmade from you at some unknown time during the year. So far I have sent out one hat.This week I will send out a second. I also hope to do something like this here at Born to Blythe, perhaps a raffle of sorts. Stay tuned.

I crocheted my first bear hat!

I made the bear hat seen above for Katie this morning as she is one of the five who responded to my post. I whipped it up right at my desk. I've made tons of hats like this before but never with ears. Those ears really do make a difference and this yarn which we picked up at AC Moore this weekend is so soft and touchable. I hope she likes it! I will try and make one more for Little Brown Blythe this week.
Latas!

Middie on the bay again (EBAY That is...)

Middie FA

So I've decided to put my custom AA Middie, Mimi on the ebay once more. They thing is, although I adore her, I can't really afford to hold on to her. Having a Middie, at least for me, means having a whole mid sized wardrobe and there's really not much of a range of clothing for Middie, at least not in my opinion, at the moment. I like my girls to have a lot of options and Middie clothes that I do like just doen't fit into my budget at the moment so alas she is up for adoption.

If you're interested, check out her ebay listing over here.
Happy shopping!

Chervron Happy

For blog, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

So I took a leap a week ago and ordered some yummy rainbow chevron fabric from etsy which arrived a few days ago, all fresh and sweetly wrapped like a piece of candy from Riley Blake.

The only way I can approach projects that I am largely intimidated of is by not taking myself too seriously and not worrying about being perfect I started with the very simple pattern for an A-line Blythe dress from Pucchi Collective. I've been studying that thing on and off for months, maybe even a year. Now I was ready to dive in.

I just really needed to understand the pattern before I could start. It's a simple pattern yes, but so much of it for me is a leap of faith in actual execution. But it's making sense to me finally.

The first one I made yesterday and put it on Hamsa to model. I had to hand sew it because my cute but crappy little yellow sewing machine from Urban Outfitters has been mysteriously malfunctioning.

The second one I made last night, is modeled by Hendrix. I like the silhouette much better on that one. It flares out just a bit and is not so straight up and down. This is what I wanted. Fortunately I had gotten the machine to work a little by then.

I think one of the greatest challenges for me has been figuring out how to get the sleeves just right. Those little tabs you have to turn in don't really stay down very well. Also there's not really a good explanation on what to do to close up the back either but I think I can manage to improvise there. I'm just going to pace myself and learn slowly. Making stuff is just therapeutic to me and when I become obsessed with something I end up learning a lot, particularly where Blythe is concerned. She gives and gives.
: )

Lake Sebago Blythe

Hendrix basking in the peace of Lake Sebago pier

Wow, it's been awhile huh? I had the most relaxing, desperately needed little weekend retreat this past weekend at Lake Sebago Cabins in Harriman State park. It was me, my fiancee and six other friends. In all, three couples. It was just so soothing and restorative, I wish it could have lasted longer. Being back at work sucks to say the least and a couple of my co-workers who were there camping with us can vouch for that.

As for the Blythe world, I haven't that much to report except that I guess I've resigned myself to flickr's new format. I have an account on Ipernity I barely check. I am getting more and more curious about learning how to make dresses for Blythe. Even the simplest patterns kind of mystify me, but I've been chipping away at them on and off for a while now and I'm determined to try and figure it out. So perhaps there will be more on that front soon.

Management of my photography portfolio is what's really taken over the past few weeks before this camping trip. But I'm still plugging away at my ADAD though I've stopped numbering them because it depresses me sometimes to see the days flying by like that.

I hope all your summers have gotten off to a pleasant start and that you've been able to stop the whirlwind of time and routine to slow down and appreciate the things and people you love.
Until later....

The Great Blythe Flickr Photo Migration to Ipernity

Where did my collections sets go? Why are the photos all so big? Why can't i see them on white space any longer? What it this about the Pro account being $50.00 dollars? Or wait, what is this about Pro accounts not existing anymore? What happened? I'm so lost. I don't remember being notified about this? Was I notified about this?

If you're a flickr user, photographer, Blythe collector or all three as I am, these are questions that might have been racing through your head when you logged on to your flickr account last week. Some people are fine with the extreme new changes in layout but I was honestly gobsmacked. I was thrown for a loop. I thought something went wrong and still do whenever I log in over there and am bombarded with super large photos squeezed in together on the screen with only black space all around. I find it very disorienting in many ways and it annoys me greatly. I've been a flickr member since 2007 and have had a pro membership for maybe three or so years. Among many of the reasons I used to love flickr one of the most important for me is the fact that they seemed to give you choices about the ways in which you could set you layout to be seen by yourself and others. I don't really understand why they can't still offer that. But it seems that over the years, giving members options and choices have slipped off of flickr's priority list.

On the other hand, flickr is not a space we own, it's one we pay for, but for Blythe collectors it has also become a very close knit community over the years, a place to gather, exchange ideas, arrange meetings, display work, express frustrations, make friends and get feedback. I don't expect that this is something corporations give a shit about but for the record, flickr was a place I would go to daily for inspiration, with respect to Blythe and photography in general. I have two flickr accounts, one for Blythe and one for non doll photography. I have no plans to delete either of these but I have started a new account over at ipernity a place where many of my Blythe Community friends and contacts seem to have been taking refuge, a place that feels oh so safe and where I can see photos against a layout that is more pleasing to my eye. It feels very much like a flickr that once was years ago. It's not perfect (for instance ipernity charges you to download your own photos?) and I will never believe again that layouts and conditions on any online image bank will remain the same forever. But for now it's just so much easier to breath at ipernity. I still have no idea what ipernity means though. LOL! But I do appreciate how kind they have been and how welcoming to those displeased souls who have migrated over from flickr in droves.

Maybe I'm coming off as a bit naive. I can admit that. I absolutely loved flickr when I started there in 2007. I thought it was the best thing ever and recommended it to everyone. I understand that what might be have been harmonious to my eye then, might have struck someone elses' eye at that time as unsettling. But for me the fact that I had no choice in this matter is what really pisses me off. That flickr used to give members options for how to see their photographs for such a long time and now have eliminated those options just doesn't work for me. And what's with everyone acquiescing to this damn Facebook profile layout. UGH!!! I have a facebook account already. I don't want to see everything in Facebook-o-vision! *sigh*

Anyway, this is just internet shit, and flickr was already starting become marginal to my needs after Instagram hit the scene. I was definitely not going on there as much as I did a year or so ago. But it was nice to know that when I did log on to flickr, it was generally the same space it was when I left it. I have thousands of images on there, literally years of digitally recorded memories, so it's hard to say goodbye altogether. So I won't. I will just be splitting off the sharing of my doll images on ipernity. I will still upload to flickr. I have a 365 challenge to complete there and I'm trying be a finisher. As a typical Gemini, having more than a few options with respect to things I love has always been second nature to me. But I never wanted be on any other image bank but flickr. I was loyal to them when it came to using a central online space for sharing pictures. I was until now.

Nutella Versace

ADAD: 365/117, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Hi there!

It's been a while and I've been so busy and have very little dolly news to report because I've actually been working on photographic projects which include actual human beings! LOL!

However, yesterday evening, while I was helping a good friend of mine pack for a move this weekend, we found this Bratz Doll that her sister gave her as a gift. My friend who is s person of many talents, crafty and otherwise was on a Bratz kick for a period of time but no longer. It was fun for me to see how excited she was about making things for them although I was never a fan of them myself and I'm still not but I just saw this girl and couldn't let her be disposed of.

She's practically brand new and unplayed with and I kind of just instantly liked her which surprised me because in the past my sensibilities are usually offended by the Bratz dimensions, crazy make-up and exaggeratedly large lips. i was told that this girl is part of the Yasmin line. But I've named her Nutella Versace because I love Nutella and I mean come on! Bratz Dolls just look like Donatella Versace to me, like they've had an overdose of lip plumper and face work done. LOL!

But this mold of Yasmin seems to be on the less overdone spectrum of what's normal for Bratz mold design and for now, it's fun to play with a doll I never thought I would even like and that I don't have to be super precious with. New is always fun!

BBG Blythes

BBG Blythes, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Oh what a wonderfully relaxing weekend this was, strolling through the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens with a tiny Blythe meet crew of three talking and taking photos of our dollies.

This one was organized by my friend Paula. I was so excited and honestly I think we could not have chosen a better day than this Sunday. Although it was definitely chillier than anyone expected, mostly due to the winds, it was absolutely a lovely clear day for Cherry trees, Magnolias, tulips and more. It was just glorious.

I stayed after Paula and Mel left because I love BBG dearly and I have no idea when I'll get the chance to visit again and wanted to make the most of exploring all I could although I know it like the back of my hand.

I was born in Brooklyn in the 70s. My mom brought my brother and I there since we were babies and it holds very dear, happy and personal memories for me that miraculously still remain so. And so naturally Blythes fit right in!
: )

ADAD: 365/100

ADAD: 365/100, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

ADAD photo challenge really starts to feel like work to me somewhere in the late 90s but I'm really gladI made it this far and hope I can press on to the end. It's been such a busy few weeks and it's going to get even better I'm afraid but I'm trying to stay inspired.

Finishing touches on Martia the Martian

Finishing touches on Martia the Martian, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Last night I just had this burst of inspiration to start doing some paint design on Martia that I've been thinking about since I first painted her and sent her off to be flocked.

Martia is supposed to be a Martian or space alien and I imagined her in a spacey glittery way with silvery face markings to identify her spacey origins. But I've been hesitating to do it for weeks because I wanted it be perfect and I often had serious doubts about my ability to execute the image I had in my head.

Anyway, for whatever reasons, I just went for it last night and to my delight I was able to do exactly what I had imagined. I hate to sound all esoteric and corny but I swear it almost did itself. I just tried to be nicer to myself around the possibility of mistakes. Sometimes I can become so paralyzed with not wanting to make mistakes in my work that I end up doing nothing at all and that's not good. It's not good for anyone whose instinct is to create things.

So, I'm hoping to be more open to the creativity gods this year and to trust myself a little more when I have ideas because I really love how this turned out. This is just the little alien I had in mind.
: )

"I was drinking earlier, now I'm drivin!"

"I was drinking earlier, now I'm drivin!", a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Say Hello to Gwen!

ADAD 80/365: Gwen, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Gwen is my second and I do believe last Licca doll. Really, I only bought her head on ebay. If you're an ebay troll as I am you know that there's an endless amount of licca heads floating around the market right now.

It was after I saw a photo of a few of Erica Duhs Licca girls that I became convinced I needed one with a side part because I just think the side part is so cute. But I was determined to find a brunette this time.

At last weekend's Blythe meet in Jersey City, I had the pleasure of getting to see and talk with Erica and see her pretty liccas in person. I noticed one was on a Takara body and she looked so good! It never even occured to me to do this! I would have gone ahead and bought another Licca body for her.

But as it happens I have a spare Takara body lying around and after getting this tip from Erica, I just popped Gwen's head on it and wallah! I really love how she looks! It's kind a pain getting her head to turn but otherwise she's totally sweet and now Shanon my first Licca has a new sister/playmate. ^__^

Mimsy Bear Hat!

Spring rain, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

I've been on Camembears commission list for so long that I forgot I was on it! LOL!!

She sent me a notification last month to let me know she'd gotten to my name and to inquire after details I wanted for the hat. There are a lot of great bear and animal hats popping up in the Blythe world these days. But Mimsy's are the first ones I was ever aware of and I have adored them and watched with delight for some time as she posted photos of these wonderful creations as well as the photos of those lucky enough to acquire them.

While I had the opportunity, I also managed to put in an order for one more hat for a friend. They arrived a few days ago and I just love them. Somehow they turn Blythe into quite another kind of doll, something cuddly and more toy-like than usual. I was very comfortable taking Ellington out in public for shots yesterday because of it. I guess I feel like everyone might think she was a teddy bear or something and that made me less shy.

Today, I brought a different Blythe with me to work and she is wearing the hat also. There's a big Blythe meet coming up this weekend and the hat will definitely make it's way there as well! LOL!! Can't wait!

Felt Fun

Ever since I visited this incredible exhibition on felting design years ago at Cooper Hewitt I've been fascinated by the possibilities of felt to create new fibers and shapes. The ability to improvise with it seems so endless and broad. The exhibit showed no examples of needle felting. There were several video installations on rural and industrial approaches to the process of water felting. Although I loved watching it seemed a bit messy and impractical for me to attempt in my tiny apartment. I became aware of needle felting a year or two ago in the Blythe World and the world of handmade craft on etsy.

Maybe about a year ago, my friend Paula of Madebypabilita showed me this really amazing needle felted brown fox scarf made by Erica Fustero and I just adored it. I liked the sturdy yet soft feel of it and I liked the sense of work put into shaping and molding it. Aside from the sweet design, what I feel makes it unique is it's medium outside of the sewing, knitting crocheting world of designing for Blythe. "Alternative" design materials are very exciting to me especially when they are so widely accessible and so many things can be done with them. We have all seen adorable felted animal plushies before but don't always know what goes into making them or that's possible for anyone to do this with a little patience and instruction.

Felted Wolf Ornament at Urban Outfitters

I'm certainly no expert. I just started last week with a felting kit my lovely fiancee got me on out anniversary, but I was just so excited by it! I just loved the process so much. I watched a few video tutorials and whipped up my own felted Blythe scarf inspired by Erica Fustero's but instead of a fox I modeled it on the white wolf. It's got a very cozy wintery vibe about and I just love it. It makes me feel so good whenever I look at it. It makes me want to learn how to do so much more. The three dimensional figures require a lot more skill than I have at the moment but I really hope to take a stab at them in the future when I have more time. I love the fact that you can never make any two felted creations identical. Really, like any other handcrafted work, each piece can't help but have it's own signature identity that makes it more or less different than the last. It's one of the things I love most about making stuff.

Angora models my needle felted "White Wolf" scarf

Twice the blob! LOL!

Twice the blob! LOL!, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

I love Blob Girl's wig so much that yes, I went and got a second one. I presently have a total of three CAM dolls and it looks good on all of them. It's the perfect solution to constat hair styling and maintenance. Ahem! I may get just one more. LOL!

Martia The Martian (Pt 1)

Started on @zanalee 's girl :-), a photo by luxielou on Flickr.

Martia is in Cali with Luxielou who has just started on her first layer of flocking.

I saw her for the first time last night on flickr and I think my heart nearly stopped.

There's this incredible feeling you get when you send a doll out to be customized and you see her for the first time staring at you from behind the screen in someones else's hands. It's kind of intense I felt it the first time I sent Hamsa to Melly Kay and I felt it last night.

In this case, it's even more particular, this feeling , because I had already customized Martia myself by cutting and pulling all her hair out and then painting her and sealing her with MSC. I may still add my more painted elements to her face. So this feel a little bit like a collaborative effort as well. And that excites me sooo much.

I just adore custom dolls because they have so much of the mark of a story about them, whether intended or incidental.

I customized Martia to be a space alien of sorts, and extraterrestrial being. There's more in store for her flocking which I won't reveal , but that I hope well drive home that theme even more. I already adore her to pieces! I cannot wait to see her when she's done.

Custom Cuties

Wow, It's been a shamefully long time since I posted. There's been a lot going on but I guess the most significant thing I have to report is that I have taken my custom Middie Minaj Middie Blythe off of the market.

I know it's not the best move from a business stand point but I'm afraid that during the time she spent in her box and modelling the Middie hats I made for Little Brown Blythe, I kind of grew attached to her and I adore to little pieces now! And I've been wanting a Middie so i just thought what the heck, I'll keep the one I have in LBL inventory. This doesn't mean I won't make another custom Blythe. I absolutely will. In fact I look forward to customizing another Middie.

I have changed Middie Minaj's name to Mimi and am now in search of cute Middie outfits for her. I'm particularly concerned about getting her some shoes. But I hear Kelly Doll shoes fit her so I'll be looking into getting a few pairs this week.

Mimi is just such a dear sweet thing and so portable. She's traveling in my bag right now and she's curious about everything.

Primary Flocker by Luxielou for Melly Kay

In other news, I have been ooohing and ahhing and squesaling over Luxilou's petite flockers for weeks now and it's finally time to get one of my girls flocked. I'm sending Martia (pronounced Marsha) a special little custom Black Petite girl I made to Luxielou this week.

Martia Martia Martia!

I cannot wait for her to get started! I so love to watch the process of these little petite girls transformed into virtual pieces of fuzzy cuteness! I think I may need two!

Fave Photo of the Day

Domingo - Sunday, a photo by _fumiko_ on Flickr.

I haven't had one of these in a while but I just adore Fumiko's photos and this one just kind of got me in the heart. I think it reminds me of what a bookworm I used to be. This is my idea of a great Sunday.

CUSTOM MIDDIE GIVEAWAY!

CUSTOM MIDDIE GIVEAWAY!, a photo by Melly Kay on Flickr.

I am so thankful to Melly Kay for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this fabulous Middie Blythe Giveaway!!!!

I made the three hats, 1st in the upper right corner but all her loot is just incredible. Melly is just one the kindest, dopest, most creative and collaborative ladies I know.

Whoever wins this cutie is totally blessed with a work of art and genuine love.

Please click on the photo for more details on how you can enter to win!

Mosieur Z Girl Looking to Travel

Monsieur Z "Jungle Fever"

I absolutely love this doll but that being said, I think that our time together has come to an end. As much as I love ,my collection of Fashion Royalty and Integrity dolls, I really don't want more than I need and what I love about this hobby in general is that when you really care about your collection and treat your dollies well you always have the option to send them off and share their beauty with others.

Zoya, who is a Monzieur Z Integrity Doll is looking to travel and is now listed on ebay. She's in great condition and a lovely addition to any doll collection. Check her out in the link below if your interested!
: )

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230923562415?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Pom Poms Up!

SHISH BOOM BA!!

Pom Pom Night

Sooo, like I said, I really have loved learning to make pom poms and as a result I have just made five hats in a row tonight. The fifth one is not shown here and in fact you're only seeing the four pom pom tops in the one photo that features all four. I will take clearer photos tomorrow when I update the shop.

They're all so fluffy and fruity looking! I love them all!

POM-ON!

POM POM

ADAD 31/365, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

I've been working on a special project recently with a customizer I really love and it has inspired me to start making more dolly hats with pom poms which I think are some the cutest little hat accents ever. There's a skill to this though, that I hadn't realized until I watched a few Crochet Geek tutorials on youtube this week.

God Bless Crochet Geek. I think I have learned about 85% of all I know from them. Pom poms are really fun and easy to make. I made this green hat seen above on Journey last night. I plan on doing a few more for "Little Brown Blythe" this weekend. I will post an update here when they're up.