Elitism.....

I have come to the conclusion that the Blythe world is very very ELITIST!  When I first got into Asian ball jointed dolls back in August 2006 many people spoke about elitism within the BJD world.  Allegedly there were people who would strive to only buy Volks dolls and looked down on others that collected, in their opinion, "lesser" brands of bjd.  However, I never found this to be the case, and still I have never really come across anyone who has made me feel that my choice of dolls, whether they be Volks or otherwise, is not 'the correct brand to be collecting'.....and that suits me fine because I have indeed got several Volks dolls and love them every bit as much as my less expensive Dollzone boy!  I'm happy to say that for the majority of bjd people it is not what brand you prefer but what you do with it and how you enjoy it....which is all well and good.

I've also always felt that the bjd hobby encourages creativity, whether it is someone doing a faceup for the first time, making a wig or even making an item of clothing from a sock!  It is fun and I love it.  I've never felt that my dolls should be wearing clothes by this or that seamstress or company...again it is how they wear them that counts!!

Over the last couple of years I've become interested in Blythe....definitely not instead of bjds (they will never replace bjds in my affection!), but alongside them.  I love seeing photos of them on Flickr and seeing what people do with them.   However, something that I've become increasingly aware of is the 'elitism' amongst a large majority of Blythe collectors.  It doesn't seem to be how you dress them, but who made the clothes for them and who customised them.  Now some people might say "oh it's just a case of sour grapes because she doesn't have all the 'right names'...but it actually isn't the case.  I have never been one to strive only for 'named brands', even for myself.  I buy what I like and what I find comfortable.  But I've actually been told that a particular hat I have for my Blythe, which I bought because I thought it was mega cute and the price was right, would be better left at home when I went to Blythe Con UK!!!!!  And the reason?  Because the design is similar to X's hats and people will say that yours is 'a copy' !!!!  So X has the exclusivity in the Blythe hat world?  WOW!!!  And on another occasion when I made a dress for my own Blythe, I was told by another Blythe person "oh the dress is cute but the design is a bit like X's, so you really shouldn't put those pockets there as that is what she does!"  The pockets in question were in the centre front of the skirt part of the dress......I didn't realise that I couldn't do that...silly me!!!! 

I find it all a bit incredible really.  After all these are just dolls, life doesn't depend on who made the dresses they wear or who crocheted their hats, or does it?  It seems for some people it really does matter, and a whole lot.  People have been ignored for less!!!! 

Oh well, I guess I'll have to put up with it!  But I know what I'd much rather do, I'd much rather buy my girls cute dresses on Ebay or Etsy by people who are making them because they enjoy doing so.....rather than say "oh no, I couldn't possibly let my girls be seen in something that isn't made by X........"  And I'd just like to add here that I'm not picking out anyone in particular but just in general.

Who was it that said "the more we strive to be different so the more we stay the same"?  I can't remember .... maybe I just made it up!!!! ;)

Outfit for Kaye Wiggs MSDs on ebay!

Today I have listed on Ebay the latest outfit that I've made for the Kaye Wiggs MSD sized girls.  I'm pleased with how the outfit turned out and hope that other people will like it enough to bid on it for their girls too!  Here is the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230837510842?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

It's a 7 day auction, so ends next Sunday, the 19th August.  

And here are a few photos of the finished outfit, hope you like it:

A Blythe day.....

Yesterday afternoon I started work on customising my Prima Dolly Ebony Blythe, and amazingly, today I finished!!!  Well I do have a couple of things left to do, I want to trim her fringe a little more and also add some semi-matt varnish to her lips...but apart from that, she is finished.  I hope you enjoy!

 Here is a before photo:

And here are the 'after' photos:

Busy, busy, busy and hot, hot, hot.....

Yesterday, having been sewing all week, I decided it was time for a rest.  But before I started on something entirely different, I took my Kaye Wiggs Hope up to the top of our town to take some photos.  It was very very hot, even though I went as early as possible, and so I didn't hang about, but got some quite good photos of her in her new outfit which is soon to be listed for sale on ebay.  Here is a sneak preview of the 4 piece outfit that I finished yesterday:

Apparently the whole of Spain is on red alert for bush fires as the temperatures have been so incredibly high.  Yesterday the thermometre in our car registered 49C and that was in the shade.  But today it is 'cooler' only reaching a mere 44C in the shaded part of our garden!!!  Thank goodness for our portable air con unit, I don't know where we'd be without it!!!

So back to yesterday, whilst up there, I took some random photos of the convent and the church, which I thought I'd share.  The buildings date back hundreds of years and are still occupied by religious orders.  Here are just a few of the photos that I took:

  When it's not so hot, I love to wander through the pine trees up here because it is beautifully peaceful and the views over our town are really lovely.

Sew sew sew....

Another day of sewing and finally I'm getting somewhere!  I think one more day of it and I'll have finished the main item for 5 sets to sell....and then I just need to think what I want to make to go with each item.  So I'm thinking after tomorrow, probably a few more days doing those, then I'll be done!  I do ask myself why I choose the most detailed things to sew though!!!

Yesterday I had my hair permed!  I wanted to do something with it because it was such a mess, so straight and in this very hot weather, so very lank.  So my hairdresser agreed, against her better judgement I think, to give me a perm.  Well it is a lot more curly than I expected and unfortunately because of my last experience with a perm (it all went straight the following day) Loli, my hairdresser, told me not to wash or style it for two days, just to give it time to 'settle' in.  I've not left the house since getting back, I'm too scary looking!!!!  I don't want to frighten the neighbours, after all a lot of them are elderly!!!! :)  But thankfully tomorrow I will be able to do something with it, and hopefully back to my old self again!!!

A crafty day!

After breakfast in a local bar with our friends and neighbours, Magdalena and Joaquin, and then boring old food shopping, we came home and I got immediately to work cutting out clothing that I am going to make for the Kaye Wiggs girls.  Those girls have really inspired me!!  But my goodness, I find the cutting out of these outfits to be a bit of a chore!  Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to just pop the pieces out of the fabric like stickers from a book!  Now that would save so much time.  Anyway, it took me several hours to cut out all the pieces that I needed and in between that, prepare, cook and eat, a chicken curry, plain rice and naan bread for lunch.

After lunch I thought I might get around to starting the sewing but having sat all those hours cutting out, I decided that tomorrow is another day....I will start the sewing in the morning.

In the meantime, I have sold one of my dolls, one that just a few months ago I really liked, but she was never quite what I ordered so now that I feel the need to sell someone, she has been the one for the chopping block. She will be going to live in Central Europe in about 6 weeks time, all being well. 

Secretdoll have finally released their summer limited edition Persons and with them a new girl, a Person 17 who is deep tan resin and very cute.  Also the Person 21 comes in tan this time round, but I don't really see myself getting another Person, much as I really love tan dolls, I think I have enough trouble with Percy and Kobi, the two Persons that I already have here.....ruling the roost, as they do!!!

Of course all this could change, they don't close the ordering period until the end of September!

Back on the crafty side, I have several Blythes that I really want to make a start on customising but there are currently not enough hours in the day!  Perhaps I should get up earlier?  But 8am seems early enough for me to be honest!  I will just have to stop preparing meals and eating them.....get my girls customised and lose weight at the same time.....!!!  Yeah! Great plan, but not one that is likely to happen in a hurry!!!

Back from being AWOL!

I can't believe that it is almost a month since I last wrote on my blog....I'm incredibly naughty to not keep up with it, but the summer is my favourite time and I spend a lot of the time outside....so the laptop and along with it, the Blog, get neglected!

However, I've not been idle.  I've made and sold a cute outfit on ebay...it finished on Tuesday and I was happy with the price it made.  I got a lot of interest in it and at the end had more than 70 watchers and about 20 bids.  It has inspired me to keep sewing, as sometimes I do lose a bit of enthusiasm.....so watch this space, as they say!

Since I last wrote, I received my gorgeous Kaye Wiggs sun kissed Hope, so now Loulou (Layla) has a big sister.  Ok, Hope's not really any bigger than Layla is, but she looks a bit older, so in my mind she is her 'older' sister by a few years.  I like that she has a slightly more mature look to her as it means I can have two different types of clothing, one style for Layla and another for Hope......I just think they are so amazingly cute, and I really never expected to feel so strongly about them! 

I took the following photos last week early one morning on the beach (except the tree climbing photo which was taken in our little garden at the coast) .... I love how the light is in some of the photos, it is amazing how the sun's different positions in such a short period of time, can change the look of a photo so much!

And here are a few of LouLou, taken at the same time:

I really need to take some photos of the 'sisters' together, but it is a challenge for me taking photos of one MSD sized girl in public, never mind two together!!!!  Luckily though there were just a couple of fishermen and dog walkers on the beach, but I still feel uncomfortable being a grown woman photographing her dolls in public!!!!  (Which is why I set my alarm and got up early to get photographing before many people were about!) 

And finally, to finish for today, here are Hopes little footprints in the sand!   I didn't notice them at first as I was putting her back in her carry case, then turned and caught them before the surf took them away forever!