Start Now

I've been reading a lot lately...well, actually, I always read a lot!  I read 3-4 books a week, when I can find things to interest me, and recently I stumbled upon the Facebook Book Club (which is really just a group, not actually a club)--we talk about what we are reading and if we like it or not, rather than discussing particular books in depth--and this has been a wonderful new way for me to find books to read. The library has been closed for the past two months, but I can still check out my books digitally. I just finished one I will recommend: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. The story is set in a post-pandemic world (timely, right?) in which most humans have died. Although there was violence and killing, it wasn't overwhelming. The characters and their stories were so good that I could overlook some gore!

This pretty Blythe doll is Veronica Lace. Her message echos something one of the characters in the book realized, after her former life was destroyed: you have to live happily now, as best you can, because tomorrow isn't guaranteed.

Water

Have a peaceful Sunday, everyone. 

This Blythe doll is Veronica Lace. The scripture verse is from Psalm 42. The stream was surprisingly easy to make; it's just some shiny blue fabric bordered by green felt, with decorative moss rocks (sold as vase fillers) as accents. 

Best Friends

"Birds of a feather flock together."

In this case, it's Blythes with lovely multi-tone brown hair flocking together! 
Princess Milk Bisquit de Q-Pot: mix of light brown and red
Gerda Eternity: mix of brown and purple
Veronica Lace: mix of chestnut brown and pink

This picture is for the theme "Best Friends" in the Blythe a Day group on Flickr. 

Made by Hand

Handmade. It's a beautiful thing.

Gerda Eternity (left) wearing Veronica Lace's stock dress. Veronica Lace (right) wearing a pretty dress I found on eBay. I'm liking Gerda more and more with each picture I take of her!

This picture is for the theme Made by Hand in the Blythe a Day group on Flickr. The beautiful quilt was made by the skillful hands of Angie Coppi.

Victorian

While looking for a quote to go with this photo, I learned a little about this poet: "Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular British poets." (From Wikipedia.)

So Similar yet So Different

I have three Blythe dolls that I thought looked very similar, so I took this side-by-side comparison shot of them--and now they all seem very different to me!

When I first got into the Blythe hobby, my grail girl was Veronica Lace (released in 2008.) She's the girl on the left in this picture. I was thrilled when I found her, used, in a Facebook doll group; she came with only her stock dress, but her price was so good that I didn't mind. It was her beautiful, multi-toned hair (a combination of brown and light purple) and pale complexion that drew me to her, and I love her old-fashioned clothing style.

Last year at Christmas the beautiful Gerda Eternity joined my dolly family (released in 2017.) She's the girl on the right. As soon as I saw her promo pictures I knew I would buy her...I loved her winter-themed outfit, and her hair and skin tone reminded me of my beloved Veronica Lace. It turns out that her hair is a single color, a soft, light brown, not the purpley-brown I thought it would be, but it is long, slightly wavy, and very beautiful.

Princess Milk BisQuit de Q-Pot is another doll I have dreamed of for quite some time, and she became mine just this month--she's in the center (released in 2009.) Like Veronica Lace, she has multi-toned hair (various shades of reddish-brown); that, combined with a darker complexion, and accessories in different tones of brown and cream, make me think of a piece of gourmet chocolate. I recently purchased her NRFB online at Mandarake in Japan, and I am in love with her!

So here they are, Veronica, Q-Pot, and Gerda. And the winner is...Q-Pot!

Her Face

"Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror, or the painter?"
                                                                     --Pablo Picasso

Veronica Lace, for the theme "lacey" in the Blythe a Day group on Flickr. She is wearing her stock dress. I don't know who made the headband; I found it in the Blythe sundries group on Facebook. 

Giant Mushrooms!

Wow! Look at those giant mushrooms!

...is what I said to myself last week when I saw them in a photo on Flickr by the incredibly talented photographer, pure_embers (Laura Embers). I'm a sucker for awesome dolly photo props, and I just HAD to have those mushrooms, so I did what I always do when I need something: I visited Amazon.com. I searched "mushroom sculpture", and before you could say "Cheese!", it was on it's way to me.

I love this springtime outdoor environment; let me tell you how I created it. The background is a piece of fabric I found at eQuilter (for a link to the fabric, click HERE ). The ground is a moss runner I recently picked up at World Market; it is meant for a table or mantelpiece as part of your Easter decorating. It is apparently made of real moss, glued to a background--it really sheds a lot! The mossy stones in front of the mushrooms are sold as "vase fillers", and they came from Amazon (the link is HERE). There--now you know all my secrets!

It might be difficult to incorporate these mushrooms into other photos and settings...my usual go-to girls with fantasy hair colors and bright dresses don't seem to go with it. I will have to experiment. It will be a challenge. I'm up for it!

This model is Patience, my ever-lovely Veronica Lace Blythe doll.  (I don't know the maker of her dress, because I purchased it second-hand.)

Actually, there is ONE more secret I will share with you. If you are wondering where/how I set up my pictures, here it is: an unedited, straight-from-the-camera photo of my work space. I set up most of my pictures on this old baby-changing table (I had to remove the front rail). It's a great size, and there are two open shelves underneath to store props. After taking a picture (with my Panasonic Lumix camera) I edit it in PicMonkey: I usually have to crop it, brighten it, warm up the colors, and then throw in an effect or two, such as Lomo or Burst. I play around with it until I feel like the photo really "grabs" me, and then I save it to my computer. I put all my best ones on Flickr; I consider that my back-up in case something happens to my computer. Editing makes all the difference between a boring picture and a great one. l

Patiently Waiting

Patience is the companion of wisdom.

--St. Augustine

This is Patience, my Veronica Lace Blythe doll. I like this St. Augustine quote so much, I may have to name a doll "Wisdom" to be her companion!!

When I came into the hobby in 2012, Veronica Lace was one of the dolls I wanted the most, because of her gorgeous hair: it is light brown with purple strands mixed through it. She was one of the more expensive dolls (and still is), so I was happy when, a year or two later, I found her used, at a reasonable price, in a Facebook group.

The hair is still the thing I love most about Blythe, although now I gravitate mainly towards dolls with wilder hair colors. Patience's quieter look adds some nice variety to my dolly family. 

  

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Everything is a gift;

we have so much to be thankful for.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving Day 

blessed with peace and happiness.

This is Patience, my Veronica Lace Blythe doll.

Popcorn

Blythe a Day on Flickr 3/19/16
Popcorn


Would they consider going to the movies without having popcorn? NEVER!!!!

In the front row they are, left to right: Miss Sally Rice, Veronica Lace, and My Little Candy.

Not Again--!

Blythe a Day on Flickr 1/24/16
Indoor Plumbing


Ugh. It's just been one thing after another since the Sonny Angels came to stay.

The guy in the front is a Sonny Angel. The girl who has to clean up after him is the well-named Patience, my Veronica Lace Blythe doll.

Bee!

Blythe a Day July 15, 2015
Don't Bug Me

Everyone froze momentarily when a fat bumblebee landed on the back of the sofa; then the shrieking began!

These girls are Eve (Milky Way Sugar), Jubilee (Simply Thumpty Thump) and Patience (Veronica Lace).

Earth

Blythe a Day June 24, 2015
Earth


Patience always finds herself thinking holy thoughts when she is surrounded by nature.

This pretty girl is Veronica Lace.

Beautiful

Blythe a Day April 23, 2015
Something Beautiful

Here's something beautiful: my "grail" girls sitting on a handmade quilt!

That's Veronica Lace in the center; I love her long brown hair with purple threaded through it. She was the first doll I longed for but resisted buying because of her price. When I found her in gently used condition at a much better price, I snatched her up!

The other two are Miss Sally Rice. I loved her so much I bought her twice!

Oh--and I made the quilt!

Awkward Moment

Blythe-a-Day March 18, 2015 Awkward Moment

The party was going along just fine, until the moment Bonnie and Grace each noticed what the other was wearing.

These girls are, from left to right:
--Patience, my Veronica Lace Blythe doll
--Grace, my Petit Dejeuners Champs Elysee Blythe doll
--Bonnie, my Raspberry Sorbet Blythe doll
--Juliette, my Sadie Sprinkles Blythe doll

Fashion

Blythe-a-Day Feb. 12, 2015

Patience isn't so sure her new dressmaker knows what she's talking about.

Patience (on the left) is Veronica Lace (2008, RBL)
Cat (on the right) is a custom doll by Kaleidoscope Kustoms
The big purple dress is the stock outfit from the Blythe doll Can Can Cat. It is not the newest style.

Dolly Line-up

There's nobody here but us dollies...

These Blythes are Veronica Lace (released in 2008) and Sadie Sprinkle (released in 2013). The "old" dolls are actually modern dolls, made to look old, which I bought at a local craft store.

Old-Fashioned Patience and Non-Posionous Ivy

Yesterday's post worked out just fine, I'm happy to report! Blogging from my iPhone is surprisingly easy. Thank you Jessica for your comment--I will try the trick of doing a slight crop and then saving the pictures to  make sure they are right-side up.

Last week I found two good deals on dolls I had been eyeing for a while.  First came Patience (Veronica Lace):

...and then came--turn around, girl!

Ivy! Ivy is a Prima Dolly Amaryllis.  Their styles couldn't be more different, and I love them both.