Long time ..... no blogging!

I can't believe how long it's been since I last wrote on my blog, I'm seriously lacking in enthusiasm for it at the moment, but I have no idea why.  Laziness I guess!

However, I've not been lazy on other fronts, so thought I'd share a few photos on here.  I spent last weekend sewing an outfit for a friend of mine, she wanted one like my last auction one, but of course I like to work in different fabrics and colours.  I'd hate for someone to feel they'd bid on an outfit on ebay only to find that someone else has the exact same outfit as theirs.  I also find it incredibly boring to use the same fabric and make the exact same outfit all the time.  That is why, although I don't advertise things as being OOAK (one of a kind), they invariably are.  So here are a few photos of my latest outfit:

 

 I have also been busy on the Blythe front too and have customised my blue haired girl that I got on ebay.  I was under the impression that she was a 'factory' girl, and although they are not 'official' releases by Takara, I decided to go for her because I really wanted a fantasy hair girl.....but having posted her photo on Flickr, I hear (and now see for myself) that she is actually a 'fake' Blythe.  I am not upset about it, as I had planned for her to be customised anyway.  So she is done for now.  However, I feel that she is a little over blushed so I'm going to have to redo her makeup, which is a shame because this make up already took me three attempts!  Having said that, I do need to take her head off again anyway, as I noticed after I'd finished that one of her legs doesn't bend so I will need to change her body over for a better one.  I might get her a Licca body or perhaps put her on one of the spare Pure Neemo ones that I have hanging around here headless!

I also spent some time dying my Border Spirit's yellow blond hair and she is now a raspberry haired girl.  I didn't intend for the colour to be so deep, I really wanted a pale baby pink but I guess that wasn't to be......well I did say that I wanted a fantasy haired girl...I now have two!  I like her, especially since adding some extra blush.  I now have 7 Blythe girls living here, 6 are customised by me and one, Bohemian Peace, is waiting patiently to be done.  I might make a start on her this week.  I also have an FBL faceplate and all her body parts, the faceplate is at Olga's house (Vainilladolly) waiting for her to customise her for me.  I hope that she'll be done soon, because I've wanted a Vainilladolly for 2 years now, since I first saw Olga's girls on my first visit to her house.  

In the meantime, I have yet another outfit started for ebay, so hopefully I'll also get the rest of that done so that I can post that on there for sale.  I guess at the moment, with the terrible storm Sandy making it's way across the US, it is probably not a good time to put it up for sale anyway, bearing in mind that most of my customers are in the US.  I will use the time to think of what to make!

Apart from that, nothing much else happening here.  It is a lot cooler at the moment, and it has been raining on and off today.....I'm so spoilt with good weather that when it rains I really hate it....even though I know we need it for the farmers!

On that note, time to make the lunch, so that's it for now......just a couple of odd photos to share.  The blue haired girl is called Budgie and the pinky one is now known as Candie...as in Candy Floss!!!!

Very quiet....

It's been incredibly quiet around here on my blog because I've been very busy sewing my outfits for Ebay.  I am on a roll now, so I just want to keep the momentum going!

I finished my latest outfit for the Kaye Wiggs MSD sized girls on Monday, and listed it last night.  I'd spent the afternoon out and about in our town, taking photos of Hope in what I hope are interesting and pretty settings, hopefully showing the doll and outfit to it's best advantage.  Having said that, Hope is such a photogenic doll that she looks great in any outfit or setting!  Here is a link to the listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230863126059?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Anyway, here are a few photos of the outfit......

My last outfit went really very well on ebay, I'm still in shock actually!  Thanks to everyone who supported me by bidding!

I have had quite a few enquiries about doing commissions, but unfortunately I would prefer not to take on any extra sewing at this time.  I found that I used to get very stressed out about how long my waiting list was, how many months people were having to wait for their outfit to be made, and worrying that having finished the outfit, it wouldn't be what the person was after.  Luckily the latter didn't happen but it is still very stressful to make an outfit from someone else's idea that they have in their head, just from a description, so for the time being I'll keep my commissions list closed.

I won't rule out taking commissions again in the future, but for now, thanks for all the support!

On dolly comings and goings .... I'm waiting on a lovely little dollie to arrive.....but will keep the details under wraps until she gets here.  She left New York yesterday  so hopefully she'll not be too long in getting here as she is travelling via EMS.  I'm keeping everything crossed that she'll not get caught by customs....

My other dolly news is that Raven of Ravendolls, has finished the faceup on my ex Pirate tanned Lati Yellow Lea...and she will also be on her way home here soon!  She is really cute looking and I'm very happy with what Raven has done to her.  I didn't give her a great deal of instruction, so it's lovely that she is just how I envisaged her!  Here are a couple of photos which belong to Raven, but I'm sure she will not mind me sharing them here:

 She will have brown eyes, but the bigger challenge will be what wig she'll wear.   The wig she was wearing before she left for the Spa, has been 'stolen' by my Kaye Wiggs Tillie, so now I'll be on the hunt for the perfect wig for her!   All wig suggestions gratefully received!!!!

Last days of summer.....

I've been incredibly busy for the last three weeks as my mum and brother have been here visiting from the UK....so we've been here, there and everywhere, eating out, swimming in the pool and sea, and shopping!  I feel like I'm sort of juggling with too many balls at once to be honest!

However, at the weekend, I managed to sew some pieces to go with the dungaree/overalls that I'd made in advance of their visit, so that I could put an outfit on Ebay.  I hope that Kaye Wiggs MSD owners will like it!!!

It consists of striped overalls/dungarees, long sleeved shirt, hat and socks.

Here is the listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Last-Days-of-Summer-4pc-outfit-for-Kaye-Wiggs-MSD-Layla-Hope-Nyssa-Annabella-/230855472764?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c00ef67c

And here are a few photos of the finished outfit, taken on the beach yesterday evening:

Auction ends Sunday, 30th September!

Thanks for looking!

Denim jacket outfit for Kaye Wiggs MSDs.....

Just listed on ebay, three piece outfit for Kaye Wiggs MSDs including Hope, Layla, Koneko, Nyssa, Annabelle, as well as Dollstown DT7 girls.

Denim jacket, cotton tiered skirt and soft knit top.....all new fabric and made by me.

7 day auction, ending next Sunday, 9th September 2012.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230846657948&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

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September song.....

My friend May in Australia reminded me that I'd been lagging behind with my blog, so here I am playing catch up again!  Thanks May!!  Sometimes I just need a gentle shove in the right direction, other times I need a kick up the bum to get me moving!

We came back from the coast today, having spent the last week down there.  It was lovely as usual and we did a bit of shopping, buying some DIY stuff including laminate flooring, which hopefully will be laid at the end of this month.

I also did a bit of sewing for Hope, my Kaye Wiggs MSD and that will be going on Ebay tomorrow, all being well.  Here are a few photos of the outfit:

Today when we got home I had a lovely parcel to open!  It was my new little Kaye Wiggs tanned Tillie which I bought secondhand on the Resin Cafe.  She is so cute, I'm really glad that I got her....in fact I'm enjoying my KW dolls so much that I wish I'd got into them sooner!!!

I haven't thought of a name for her yet, and this won't be her actual wig as I have three other wigs on their way to me from Hong Kong, but I thought this one suited her quite well.  It is a human hair wig that I've had for years and recently cut into a bob......!  The one style I can cut!!  Also I thought she'd be a brown eyed girl but she has decided that green eyes are her colour.  That may change but for now I go along with what she wants! :)

What I also like about her is that she is skinny and can fit into clothes that I made for my since adopted out Mini Riz.....so she has a ready made wardrobe.  The outfit below came from Riz and the hat is made for the Lati Yellows by Pei on Flickr.  The shoes are by Madam Alexander, so just shows what small feet she has too!  

This week will probably be quite busy as we have vet appointments, and then we are off to the coast again next weekend.  My mum and my brother are coming over from the UK next week and staying until almost the end of September, so I may not get much time for my blog again....but I will try May, honest I will!!!!

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: