I love (love) going to Blythe meets and hanging out with dolly friends. Sometimes we chat a lot about dolls – who got which new release, which new custom, and oh-look-at-those-darling-shoes (I may be the very vocal gusher about doll shoes…) – and other times we get a little bit off-topic and talk about our lives (work, relationships, their kids as I have none, pets) and all of the time we eat because we frequently go potluck style with our meets which works out really well!

This past weekend I hung out with many of the ladies (and gentleman) of the Vancouver Blythe Bunch group – the group that brought you BlytheCon Vancouver organizers + many of the volunteers/supporters. It’d been a while (I believe our last fairly sizable Blythe meet was in early November) so it was a lot of fun. A lot had changed since then – lots of new dolls in, some dolls out. I brought along my main girl, Primrose, who finally got an outfit change. I’m not 100% sure but there’s a very good chance that she was in the same outfit since BlytheCon Vancouver (don’t quote me on that though).

It’s lovely to get together with people and enjoy people’s companies with good food and good dollies! Hopefully we’ll be able to make the meets a more regular thing now that the holidays are over.

If you know of local Blythe people, how often do you get together?

This is the complete opposite of asking you who your favourite it, it’s asking you who your least favourite is (and who you would be willing to sell). I (almost) feel bad for asking it, but it does give one food for thought. I know for sure who I wouldn’t sell (Sophie, Primrose, Emmalynn, Eden), but then there’s the question of who I would sell and that gets a little harder. If I had to pick someone (and I guess I’ve kind of put myself on the spot here and I have nobody to blame but me), I’d probably choose Cedar (Monique Magnifique):

She doesn’t get a lot of photo time, her hair is a little unruly at times (which is why I tend to avoid taking her out to doll meets), and… I just haven’t had that much “bonding” time with her. I don’t know her personality. Of course, not that I mentioned this, I’ll just take her out to the next doll meet and take lots of photos and find the perfect outfit for her. And then I’ll be back to square one of not knowing who I’d sell in a heartbeat (if absolutely necessary). However, Cedar would also be the one I would vote most likely to be sent of to get customized because I’m not terribly attached to her. (Is that awful??)

If you had to sell a doll today, who would it be?

Are you a new customizer or crafter for Blythe dolls? Have you been doing whatever you’ve been doing for two years or less? I am looking for four people (or teams of people, if you have a business partner!) to interview for the March Talent Showcase of 2016!

In the past I have interviewed customizers, knitters, sewers, and many more amazingly talented people!

The interview process is really simple and takes place via email. Most interviews are 9-12 questions long and you can send me whatever relevant photos you want included (if photos are not taken by you, please get permission from the photographer[s] prior to sending me the photos with links to photographers).

If you are interested, please head over to the How to Get Featured page and let me know! Please include links to any blogs/sites/shops/pages that you want me to look at so I have an idea of what to ask you and be sure to mention that you want to take part in the March Talent Showcase!

As someone who nearly exclusively uses her phone to take photos, my photography “gear” or “equipment” is sad and lacking to say the least. I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 (yes, the phone that was released in 2012) and a Sony Cybershot DSC-W150 that I believe that I got in 2008 or 2009? In the grand scheme of things, that is ancient and I was probably due for an upgrade a few years ago, seeing as how the camera is now 7-8 years old.

For someone who tries to keep her Blythe hobby on a  reasonable budget, I do find it hard to justify making big purchases – like if I wanted to buy a new camera. I’d have to be able to look at my photo taking habits and think long and hard to myself about if I really do take enough photos to justify buying a new camera. Sure, a new camera would be shiny and exciting, but when I consider how often I take my camera out now, it’s not that often and probably not really that justifiable – at least not until I’m more flush with spending money. At this point in time, I spend more time using my phone as a camera than my camera itself, mostly because it’s more convenient to use something that I already carry my phone around with me anyways.

My biggest purchase since I started work is this lovely gem (it was actually delivered today, which led to me holding off on publishing this post until I edited it a little bit):

Oh yes, I upgraded my phone (in a big way). It’s shiny and is in need of a proper screen protector and case before I really start using it as my phone. For now, I’ve been downloading the apps and programs that I like to use (and trying to remember all those passwords…), getting a feel for it, loving it! It’ll be really exciting (for me, anyways) once I start using it as my primary phone and finish setting up the new phone.

What kind of photography gear/equipment do you use? And are you like me and primarily use your cell phone as a camera?

For me, I think the most underrated stock dolls end up being the ones that are customized the most. These mostly consist of the ‘Simply’ or the ‘Prima Dolly’ releases because they were so plentiful and also so widely customized to the point that it’s hard to find a stock one. Out of my own doll collection, I would say the ‘underrated’ title goes to Tertiary Jane, who is a mostly stock Simply Peppermint. I find that Simply Peppermint (and Simply Lilac, as they were both released together) are often customized and it has gotten harder to find them in stock condition. As it is, I’ve customized my own Simply Peppermint (although most of it is reversible), so even my own isn’t in stock condition. It’s a bit sad when you think about it, because these dolls are often transformed to look like another doll, but it’s getting harder and harder to find one that is minty.

Who do you think is the most underrated stock release?