Twenty Neos

Having adding my Christmas doll (Mod Molly, bottom row, fifth from the right) to my Blythe collection, I now have 20 neos! I took this picture of them in their Christmas dresses--well, MOST of them are in their Christmas dresses. Poor Bonnie (Raspberry Sorbet, on the bottom left) is the only one without a Christmas dress; I forgot that she was set up in a winter tableau wearing wintery (but not Christmassy) clothes. Next year she will get her Christmas dress! My other plan for next December is to make some sort of headband or hair bow for each of them.

This was my first full year as a Blythe collector (Bonnie was the first doll I bought, in the summer of 2012). It's been a fun year of learning about the dolls and interacting with other collectors. I've participated in many swaps on Blythe Kingdom, Plastic Paradise, and Facebook; I went to my first Blythe Con; and I've learned some things about myself as a doll collector:

1. I like Blythe the best. Other dolls just aren't as interesting to me (sorry, Barbie.) Although I do think Lala Loopsy is cute--I love the pretty colors.

2. I love the stock dolls best. For one reason or another, most customized dolls don't appeal to me. I've discovered that something as small as the shape of the lips or nose can spell the difference between a doll I like and one I don't. Some day I hope to be good enough at customizing to make a doll with all the details just the way I like them; until then, I am making only minor changes to my girls (changing eye chips and buffing the shine off their faces.)

3. I love crafting, sewing and knitting for Blythe. My favorite part of owning these dolls is creating things for them. I've always been crafty, and I find that I can use all of my talents on Blythe.

4. I need a better camera. My little Panasonic Lumix is okay, but my photos can't compare to some of the beautiful pictures I've seen on Facebook and Flickr.

My primary goal for 2014 is to keep my Etsy store, Blythe Happy, full, and to start a Facebook page for the store. I also plan to do more swaps because they are a great way to meet new people and to expand my collection of doll sundries. I don't think I will make it to Blythe Con this year though--Seattle is a bit too far for a day trip from Virginia!

Hey--Who's that New Girl?

After going to a lot of effort to plan and prepare a lovely Thanksgiving dinner for my family, I decided to reward myself with a new doll! Here she is, front and center: introducing Calliope, a Can Can Cat Blythe Neo.

Can Can Cat has been on my short list of dolls that I want for quite a while...I finally found her on ebay, used in perfect condition, at a good price, and already in the U.S., so I grabbed her!

Her hair is lovely--straight and long and "swingy", so I didn't need to wash it; but I did lightly sand-matt her face, and I made her a Christmas dress. Now she doesn't feel like a stranger any more. Welcome dear Calliope! I know we will have lots of fun together.

Christmas Preparations

It's a flurry of activity in the Doll House today, as the girls get ready for Christmas!

Upstairs, Penelope and Grace are trimming the tree while Heidi hangs the stockings. Wendy has just announced that the Christmas cookies are ready!

Downstairs, Daphne, Claire and Faith are busy wrapping gifts that they will donate to the children's party at the rec center.

Meanwhile, across town, Bonnie has been tasked with delivering gifts to Patience, a reclusive writer who lives deep in the woods.

Everyone is full of Christmas spirit--it really is the most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas to all!

Special Orders

I'm always happy when I get a special order in my Etsy shop! Read on to see what my customers have requested.

Most recently, a customer ordered this pair of panties for a custom librarian doll. I hope I will get to see her when she is finished, even though the panties will be hidden under her clothes! The embroidery on these was simple, so they came together quickly.

A couple of months ago, I made the panties in the next two pictures for two friends; they all have some special meaning for the dolls they are intended for. I was expecially happy with the way the embroidered numbers turned out.

 Another time, a customer saw these cherry panties and wanted a top to go with them. This is the basic t-shirt I like to make, so I enlarged the cherry pattern slightly and embroidered it on the front. It is more difficult to embroider on the knit fabric, which is the reason I haven't offered the t-shirts in my store--yet--!

Each special order is a challenge that I find both exciting and scary--there is always a little part of me that worries it won't come out just right, and the customer won't like it! So far that hasn't happened, but I think the worry keeps me on my toes, so I continue to welcome and look forward to special orders.

Is it Christmas Yet?

Candy and Penny gaze in wonder at their Christmas tree. I need to get busy and sew them each a Christmas dress!