I find the fact that so many people have embraced making their Blythes unique to be a fascinating aspect of the hobby. There are a great number of dolls that Takara has produced and that the dolls have been customized pretty much since the BLs have been in production. Since the dolls have been produced, the molds being created had begun to become more and more easier to customize (recent releases that have been found to be glued not withstanding). Gone are the days where Blythes were soaked to peel up the scalp – now, for the most part, there’s a few screws to remove, a spring to remove and ears to press to release the clips. As Blythes had gotten easier to customize, this made RBLs the sudden favourite for customizers to use.

Photos by mydollies4.

While my first love in the world of Blythes are the stock Neos (and Kenners), I’ve become more and more enamored with the custom work that people do. I think that, for the most part, that customs cost more than I can afford right now, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have my favourites when it comes to customizers in the Blythe community. I think that Blythe dolls can be made quite beautiful after the hands of an artist have gotten through with the doll. Me? I am not a customizer, I think the dolls would be happy with that fact. The most I do will change chips, gaze lift and add sleep eyes. I’m still debating on painting some eyelids of my dolls, maybe giving some girls some ‘chapstick lips’ instead of solid coloured lips that were likely stenciled on. I would like, one day, to have a dolly family with more customs… Not at this time, unless I stumble across a treasure trove of gold coins to exchange for dolls, but one day! I will have more custom Blythes.

Photo by irulethegalaxy.

Do you prefer light customs or extreme customs?

This giveaway was the first on BlytheLife that used Rafflecopter, and I’m glad that I was able to help those with problems entering get their entries in! I will be using Rafflecopter for all future giveaways.

Thank you so much to Olga for sponsoring such a cute giveaway with an adorable crocheted hat! I loved reading the comments that people left, and I’m sure that Olga did too! And a reminder for what the prize is…

And the winner is…

Click to read more of this entry.

For those unaware, there is a Tumblr blog/site called Blythe Confessions. The site was started after Doll Confessions was taken offline by the owner (due to inappropriate and rude feedback and personal attacks received). Now the person (or people) who run Blythe Confessions are strictly anonymous and they publish submitted posts to the blog. It allows members of the Blythe community to submit posts to the blog and the confessions are put into a queue and published onto the blog.

There’s been some animosity against the blog, and people for the blog, on the forums. A lot of people have found the Tumblr blog to be offensive or that the confessions are not really “confessions” in the spirit that it was meant to be in. The site has become a great way for people to get things off their chest, but it’s also been a way for people to be bitter over the internet. There have been countless confessions about hats and designer items and being upset over customizers and commission lists. But what of the person or people behind the computer who runs the Blythe Confessions website?

I got in contact with the admin(s) of Blythe Confessions and asked them a few questions, here’s what I asked:

How has reading the confessions of Blythe hobbyists changed your views of the people in the community?
It really hasn’t. There are crazy, bitchy, and friendly people in all areas of life so why should the Blythe crowd be any different? I really enjoy reading the funny confessions, they make wading through the nastiness worthwhile.

How much time does it take to maintain Blythe Confessions on weekly basis?
I would say about 4/5 hours.

On average, how many confessions do you get per day or week?
About 150 per week, but not all of those will be published. A lot are repeats or include name calling.

What made you decide to take on the Blythe Confessions site after Doll Confessions shut down due to rude comments?
I was really sad to see the original taken down as I thought it was a great idea. I had the time and a skin thick enough that the hate mail didn’t get to me. The fact that I have remained anonymous has made that much easier.

What has been the worse comment that you’ve gotten regarding the Blythe Confessions site itself, not about the confessions?
I can’t choose; there are too many! It does make me sad when people complain about the negativity of most of the confessions. They can’t seem to grasp that I just post what is submitted. If they want to read positive things on the site then they need submit them!

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I must say, I was surprised at the sheer amount of confessions received! And the amount of work involved – no rest for the wicked it seems! As a blogger myself, I can appreciate the amount of work that goes into putting together a blog and keeping it active. I hope this provides a little insight into the person (or people) behind Blythe Confessions.

Do you have your own Blythe-related announcement that you’d like to share here on BlytheLife.com? Click here to find out what Community Corner is all about!

Middie was first introduced as Blythe’s newest sister in September 2010, a month before Macaron Q-Tea Party was released. The dainty blonde doll made many people apprehensive at first. Questions were thrown around about the presence of a mid-sized doll in the Blythe family. Why is she so expensive? Why were there limitations to the doll’s mechanism?

If I include Nellie Nibbles (the April 2013 Middie release), there have been eleven different Middies released. One of them (Cherish Me Always – June 2011) was even an anniversary doll, which was pretty neat when they made a full Neo-Middie-Petite set for the 10th anniversary of Neo Blythes. But now, as it has been over two years since the release of Middie, has your opinion of Middie changed?

For me, I was a little skeptical of her at first. And I thought about how difficult it would be to find clothes for a Middie sized doll, so I put off the idea of buying one. I even told myself that they were a little bit ugly(!) and expensive. But then I came to see them in person and became a little bit charmed. It did not help that members of my local Blythe group had started acquiring Middie and bringing them to meets! Getting to see them in person was a treat. For the Neos, I was unable to hold the Neo Blythes in my hands before buying one – but I was able to see them in person first (in box, behind a glass window). I was also able to see custom Middies in person as well, but that (so far) has not swayed me into getting one. Then again, it took me a while to get a customized Blythe. I’ve been following Middie Flickr groups for a while now, and it’s actually be hard to stop myself from buying Nekogutsu Zukin with her cute red kitty shoes. Getting to see photographs online has been a fantastic help – especially photos of the doll outside of the box, outside of promotional set-ups.

I’ve come to love the Middie mold. I find the smaller size charming, and it is very cute when the heads are tilted to one side. I do wish that they had been able to adapt the eye mechanism to a smaller size as I think it would be adorable if there had been a mini pull ring at the back of Middie’s head. But as I consider the overall cuteness, size difference and the even tinier shoes to be fun. Not that I needed another shoe collection, but I am slowly growing a shoe closet for my Middie… and I do hope to continue adding to my doll family with additional Middies.

How has your opinion of Middie changed?