Blythopia

Photography Challenges.

January 22, 2012

I joined 52 weeks of Blythe in an attempt to commit myself to taking more photos of my Blythes. Have you joined any challenges or set yourself any?

Here are some of my favourite photos so far from 52 weeks of Blythe

1/52 WB

2011 in review

January 1, 2012

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 40,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 15 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Featured Photographer: December

December 11, 2011

Lindsay aka Ellewoods2007 on Flickr is by far one of my favourite Blythe Photographers. I have spent many hours adoring her photographs and in fact her photos of her infamous Darling Diva Claudette were the reason I knew I MUST have a Darling Diva.

Here is an interview I did with Lindsay, please comment if you enjoy it!

Name: Lindsay

Age: “I’m not telling”…oh okay, 44 *and back to the good place* Location: Southern California

Occupation: Interior Designer

3 Facts about you:

#1: I’m very social when I’m out and about but very introverted the second I walk in the door at home.

#2: I sing Jesus loves me to my cat Alfie.

#3: I just upgraded my phone from a Razor and the new phone gives me anxiety. It is an evil little robot from hell.

Penelope

1. How long have you been interested in photography and did it come before or after your interest in Blythe?

I’ve always loved photography and pictures that move me…my home is filled with stacks of big cocktail table books that I’ve collected over the years.

Photography came after Blythe, in fact she is the reason I got into it! How cool is that to discover such a wonderful hobby in Blythe that spawned a 2nd hobby!!

2. What camera do you mainly use for shooting Blythe?

A Canon Rebel! I guess I’m a Canon girl, this is my 3rd one!!

3. Your photographs are distinctive for the beautiful furniture and design of your rooms, obviously being an Interior Designer you have experience with this in the “real world”. When and how did you first get the idea to recreate these gorgeous settings for your Blythes?

Well, when I first came on to the Blythe scene I discovered “This is Blythe” forum and began posting pix of my dolls and after a short time I posted a photo story…then another and another. I then made up a soap opera that I called “Blythe Opera” with Claudette (my Darling Diva) my muse and star! So I needed furniture for the scenes and discovered that I could pretty much find anything my heart desired on ebay in 1:6 scale…it was over for my pocket book!! And naturally every room had to be elaborately designed for the tiny starlet’s!

Lula

4. Are you crafty? Do you make any of the furniture/designs on set or do you buy them?

I was never really crafty until Blythe and collecting furniture for them. It started with the frustration of not being able to find doll furniture that looked realistic. So, I went and got paints and just started

re-painting plastic furniture. I also get creative with everyday finds like a silver candle holder used as the base of a dining table with a round scalloped mirror glued to the top. It is a curse though because I can never go shopping without looking at things asking myself “Is it Blythe size…can it be used for a prop?” lol!

Room design by Lindsay

5. What makes Blythe such a great model and do you have a favorite girl to shoot?

She is just so chic and quirky unlike any doll on the planet!! She is so versatile as well…one minute she can be sweet and shy and then next a kitten with a whip! It’s really amazing how she can change her look and mood. My muse Claudette has always been my favorite to shoot and is the queen bee here among the other Blythes. She will always be the queen bee but she’s had some recent customs that are getting lot’s of camera time lately!

Raggedy

6. Who was your first Blythe and how did you get interested in the hobby?

The first Blythe I ever saw was a Hollywood at FAO Schwartz in Los Angeles…she was only like $70.00 but I didn’t get her. I didn’t get her because I was shopping for my niece’s birthday gift and thought “why am I looking at a doll for myself?” Well, years later while surfing the web I saw another Blythe, she was a red headed mohair custom but I’d remember that face anywhere!! I researched her and found out what she was called and posted a picture on my “Myspace”…remember myspace? lol!! With a caption that read “I always wanted a Blythe doll”…well, an old girlfriend from high school saw the pic and bought me an Ashton Drake redhead and dropped it off at my Mom’s for me with a note apologizing for being so mean so many years ago (she was the queen of the mean girls!) I tried to become friends with her again but she hadn’t changed but alas, Blythe changed my life!!

zoo

7. How many Blythes do you currently have and dare I ask do you have a favorite?

Hmm, I’d have to stop and count and at the moment I’m lazy so I’ll guess…35. I love them all dearly and have never re-homed one but my favorite is not a secret…it’s my muse Claudette!!

Lindsay's muse, Claudette

8. Do you have a fondness for a particular mold or style of Blythe?

You know I really love something about each one!! The BL’s & EBL’s are just so doe eyed and innocent looking however you know they are plotting something sneaky in their minds, the SBL’s have an east coast snobby money look to them, the RBL’s are somewhere between the two and very very versatile and the FBL’s are the sweetest and most naive looking of them all to me. Of course the RBL’s & the FBL’s are the easiest to customize!!

Minka

9. And finally, how do you think Blythe has enriched your life, if at all?

Wow! I’m not sure I can put into words how much they have touched my heart and have truly changed my life or perhaps even saved my life from insanity!! How can you take it all so serious (the harshness’s of life)…while playing with a doll called “Blythe”

Harlow and Petunia

Photo of the Week

November 19, 2011

Sorry I’ve been so busy and haven’t posted a photo of the week for a month! But here we go….this stunning “after the prom” shot by Lindsay aka Ellewoods2007 gets Blythopia’s vote this week! Look out for an interview with Lindsay coming very very soon!

Blythe Customiser of the Month

November 19, 2011

Welcome to Blythopia’s first feature on a Blythe Customiser, Joey of Mo’Betta Blythe Customs!

Send me an email or leave a comment if you’d like to be featured next!

Name: Joey Gomez
Age: 34
Location: Dallas, Texas
Occupation: Myo-Therapist
3 Facts about you:

I’ve been a long term doll collector, I collect other dolls besides blythe, including Barbie, BJD’s, Mdvanii, & other vintage clones.

I’m a trained dancer, I began taking ballet when I was 5 years old, but I also know other forms of dance such as Jazz, Modern Jazz, Salsa, Tango.

I am the proud parent of a kitten named Moshi who is a Sphynx.

1. Who was your first Blythe and how did you get interested in the hobby?

My first blythe was a Samedi Marche Encore, I didnt really know much about Blythe at the
time and I honestly thought it was silly to pay so much money for a Mondrian.
I first got introduced into Blythe by an internet friend who joined one of my Yahoo groups for
Male Doll collectors, he is/was a Kenner restorer and Blythe enthusiast. He was the one who planted the seed of temptation in my head. I really couldn’t relate to Blythe until one day I saw an ad in a magazine featuring a Mondrian Blythe. It was love at first sight, I knew I wanted a Blythe right then and there.

2. When did you start customizing Blythe and tell us about your first ever custom?

I think I began customizing Blythe back in 2004 but I wouldnt really consider those customs…it was all so new to me I think I’d call those victims instead of customs. LOL. My first custom was a Lounging Lovely, her name was Dita Von Hoochie, she had a cute little black bob with new hot pink lips, new eyelashes and slight lip carving. She was a hot mess but gosh I loved that little girl, she was very sassy.

3. How many Blythes do you currently have and do you currently have a favourite?

My family currently consists of 9 dolls:

Isa my Blonde Kenner

Kennerpeds Zombiefoot my Brunette quirky Kenner

Mamie Dupree my mohair Tiina custom

Belle Jolie my Bubble Boom Tiina custom

Bathilda Spells my EBL Blue mohair custom done by me.

Gus my Bud Loves Sissy Cinnamon Girl custom

Frida my Tan Girl Prototype girl, she’s competely stock

Telsa my Disco Boogie, almost stock except for blue lids

Simone my little black girl Blythe custom done by me

4. What is your least favourite and most favourite part of the customization process?

I would have to say my least favorite part of the customization process is the removing of the make up

of the stock dolls. The irony is that I used to love this process because I found it very soothing and relaxing but after 70+ customs its just gotten repetitive.

5. Do you have a fondness for a particular mold? Are there any molds you won’t customize?

I have a fondness in my heart for BL’s, EBL’s & RBL girls, I just love these molds. There’s something

magical about them and I think Takara did its best work with these girls.

I wont customize SBL molds mainly because I just dislike the mold intensely, but also because they are such a pain in the rear to open and put back together and they never come together the way the were prior to opening. There’s always something sticking out and not fitting quite right back into place. I hurt myself once with a saw attempting to open one of these girls and I swore right then and there, that unless the owner opened the doll and sent her in parts to me I wouldnt be working on them. As I stated above I use my hands for my job and its financially not wise to injure my hands working on a custom, especially if the injury is going to cause me to lose work for a couple of days or so.

6. Do you have any stock girls? Are there any stock girls you feel are too perfect to change?

I only have one stock girl she’s a tan skinned prototype or factory girl, he looks like Heather Sky but has a center part hair with no bangs. She also has bubblegum pink blush, lipstick & eyelids, she came to me with Ultimate Tour’s eyemech which I thought was wonderful.

As far as customizing stock girls well I dont think I’d have the heart to customize any BL’s I just really love them..Im okay with restoring them back to their original state but I love their little quirky look so much I find it heartbreaking to customize them.

7. What custom are you most proud of?

The custom I’m most happy with is Cosi fan Tutte, (a Saffy custom) and the reason Im proudest of this girl is because it was a gift for my bestfriend which came out beautifully and made her super happy.

8. When you take commissions do you prefer the owner to have an exact idea in mind or do you like to take charge of the creative process?

I really enjoy the creative process of customizing but I do like it when the owner of the doll has an idea of what sorta theme they are going for with the custom. I want to make everyone happy so I try my best to accomodate everyone, that being said I know I dont have a particular style of customizing so I think Mo’Betta Blythe has a little bit of something for everyone. I make sad girl customs, super bright happy customs, gothic customs and well Im all over the place but each doll is made with love.

9. And finally what most people probably want to know – are you currently taking commissions, and how long is your waiting list?

I am accepting commissions currently and my waitlist is about 2 weeks currently.

Girl Rescues Kenner

November 2, 2011

There’s nothing we love more than a good ole Kenner Rescue mission story and one I’ve been following closely over the past few weeks is that of my friend and cosmic twin, Katie. She found this poor little plastic wreck with her body dirty, neck broken and what appeared to be some sort of nest growing inside her head! But with a little loving touch and a lot of hard work, she is now restored to the beauty that she was back in 1973.

Introducing Monika

Read her harrowing tale on Katie’s Blog 2.22am

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Blythe Blog of the Month

October 31, 2011

Welcome to Blythopia’s very first feature on Blog of the Month.

I chose a blog which I have been reading for the past year, one which has featured interviews of many talented Blythe folk, and I decided it was time the creator of this blog got her own little spot in the limelight.

So please meet Fanny from Mademoiselle Blythe: http://www.blythe-doll-fashions.com/

Fanny Zara

Age: 39
Location: Montreal, Canada

Occupation: Administrative assistant in the financial sector

3 Facts about you:

- I am a redhead
- I have lived in Paris, San Francisco and Halifax before ending up in Montreal
- I have been wearing the same perfume for 20 years

1. When and why did you start your Blythe Blog?

I started in August 2009, one year after discovering Blythe. I was looking for an activity I could do around Blythe and my husband recommended me to start a blog. As he is always right about everything, I thought that it was certainly a good idea!

First blog post August 27th 2009

2. What do you enjoy most about your Blog?

I am fascinated by artists and fashion designers. There are so many of them in the Blythe community and it is so interesting to get to know them better, find out how they got into Blythe and understand what inspires them. I also enjoy going through their pictures and choose the ones that will be interesting to illustrate their text.

3. There are so many talented and creative people in the Blythe world! How do you decide who to feature in your blog?

I first started to interview artists I knew and like, one after another. As I know now more and more people in the Blythe community, I can’t keep up. I still have a lot of customizers, designers, collectors I would like to feature and I am going through my long list little by little!

4. Who was your first Blythe and how did you get interested in the hobby?

My first Blythes were Prima Dolly Aubrena and Frosty Frock.

First Blythe Aubrena

I ordered them together and received them in May 2009. I have always loved everything creative and handmade. That is why I loved to read Hillary Lang’s blog, called Wee Wonderfuls. She had an ADG and that is through one of her pictures that I saw Blythe for the first time. I got hooked right away and wanted to know everything about that doll. Little I didn’t know that there was so much info on the internet, so I am still learning things about Blythe 2 years after. Anyway, that’s part of the fun!

5. How many Blythes do you currently have and dare I ask do you have a favourite?

I have 10 Blythe dolls (3 Kenners and 7 customs) and 4 Petites. I can’t really pick any favourite. They are all special to me.

Fanny's current Dolly Family

6. What is your current Top 3 Blythe Wishlist?

1. Matte Hollywood BL with a thermal saran reroot by Shershe
2. Sidepart blonde Kenner
3. Chunky bangs brunette Kenner

7. Do you have a fondness for a particular mold or style of Blythe?

Kenners and customs are the Blythes I prefer and collect because each of them is unique, very different from each other. I collect them the same way some people collect works of art. By the way, you have certainly noticed that Kenners and customs’ value fluctuates and can go quite high for sought-after dolls and customizers just like on the Art market.

Happibug Custom Bouquet

8. And finally, how do you think Blythe has enriched your life, if at all?

Blythe is the best way for me to combine everything I love and want to be part of my life: art, fashion, beauty. I am moved by anything I find beautiful. It can be a work of art, a book, a movie, a song, a jacket, a hat, a poem… or a doll. Blythe moves me and makes me happy just looking at her. I feel like owning one tiny piece of all the wonders our world offer. That is why the purpose of my blog is to list and show everything I find beautiful in the Blythe world according to my personal artistic tastes.

I remember my father telling me that when he was a teenager, he designed and sewed clothes for his girlfriends’ dolls. I had never thought about this before today but playing with Blythe is eventually a way to follow my father’s steps and think about him.

A blonde Kenner belonging to Fanny

Thank you so much Fanny for taking the time to answer these questions!

Photo of The Week

October 28, 2011

Blythopia’s very first photo of the week!

And of course it should be a spooky Halloween shot. I selected this gorgeous shot from Blythe Kingdom.

Introducing: Rook

This spooky custom belongs to Rachel (fairyflip on BK).

Rook was customized by Coconut, Rachel rerooted her alpaca scalp and her dress was made by Atomic Blythe.

Rachel used a Canon Powershot ELPH 100 HS camera and photo edited with picnik.

Rachel’s Flickr

Get Featured on Blythopia

October 28, 2011

We all know how many talented folk there are out there in the Blythe community, so I plan to use this Blog as a way to feature some of the best I can find. Blythopia receives over 200 hits per day so is a perfect platform to showcase your Blythe talents.

Each month I will do features on the following:

- Blythe Store of the Month
- Blythe Photographer of the Month
- Blythe Customizer of the Month
- Blythe Blog of the Month
- Blythe Fan of the Month

If you would like to be considered for a Feature Spot on Blythopia, please comment on this post with the following details:

-Which category of the month you would like to be featured
-A link to your store/blog/site/flickr if you have one
-Your Email Address

I will get in touch with one person from each category per month, asking you some questions about your life of Blythe, and asking you to provide some photos.

I will most likely pick the first couple of months myself though, as I have a few personal favourites i would like to feature.

Also if you would like me to review your Blythe store, then get in touch to arrange to send me an item to review. This will be given away later as a prize on Blythopia!

I will also choose my favourite Blythe Photo of the week so please join VIPERROOM.ORG and get posting in the Blythe forum or add me on flickr Jennatomic Flickr