Welcome to the 2014 Blythe Holiday Shopping Guide! This is part 1 of a 3 part mini-series to help those who are trying to figure out what to buy for themselves, or what to buy for the Blythe-lover in their life. Over the next three weeks, I will be mentioning 5 (or so) things that I think Blythe lovers would love to receive for the upcoming holiday season.

This week, it is all about those who want to dabble in customizing their dolls! What do I think might be great holiday gifts for that customizer in your life?

1. A base doll. Like how a painter needs a canvas, a Blythe customizer needs a doll to work on. So that your gift give-ee isn’t cursing while opening up the head, I would recommend an RBL, FBL, or RBL+ , for ease of opening. There are many inexpensive stock dolls to choose from. Some that are fairly inexpensive and can be found online include: Simply Love Me (RBL), Simply Delight (RBL), Simply Mango (RBL), and Simply Guava (RBL).

2. Pastels. What customizer couldn’t use some new pastels do use in their face-ups? There are many brands available, and you could stop by a local art supply shop to see what’s around. Please note: you want to get chalk pastels, not oil pastels. They are two very different beasts. Get the chalk ones. Trust me.

3. Glues. What a world that we live in that there are so many different types of glue available. From my personal customizing experiences, I use a lot of hot glue sticks and water soluble glue (Aleene’s is the brand that I use). These are super easy to find, you can get them at department stores that have craft aisles or in Big Box craft stores. And who couldn’t use more glue?

4. Matte sealant. This one may be a little tricky. You’ve probably heard your loved ones mumbling about MSC or Testors – that would be Mr. Super Clear (MSC), and Testors Dullcote. These come in spray cans, they are aerosols – you are best off trying to find these in a local store than ordering online, because there are so many rules about shipping aerosol flammables in the post. Try out some craft stores, call around and see if they carry them – and if you ask early enough, perhaps they could order it for you if they don’t carry it!

5. Last, but certainly not least, the eyechips. The eyechips are such fun things. You could buy coloured chips (from online retailers such as Cool Cat or Brainworm), plain clear chips for those eyechip painters (also from Cool Cat or Brainworm), or you could go to Etsy and search for handpainted Blythe eyechips and get that special someone something really pretty.

Come to think of it, a lot of these items are small and (fairly) inexpensive, aside from the base doll. You could definitely make up a customizing-themed stocking filled with goodies if you wanted to.

Happy shopping!

Middie, the middle sister in the Blythe family. Firmly stuck between the long-standing Neo-sized Blythe and the little Petite, what is there to say about Middie? For one thing, she is a significantly different size than both of her sisters, which demands an individualized wardrobe, and shoe collection (even though stock Takara Middie boots will fit both Neo and Middie just fine).

Middie splashed out into the Blythe scene in 2010, with Macaron Q-Tea Party. I remember thinking that she didn’t look that different in sizing, at least until I saw a photo of a Middie next to a Blythe. And even then, she seemed a lot closer in size until I saw a Middie in person (finally!).

The sizing makes Middie tricky to dress because she is so much skinnier and shorter than Blythe is. Like the Neos, Middies have been faked on the online market, but she is still easy to find via legitimate doll-buying channels (such as Junie Moon and CC-Toys). When in doubt of the legitimacy of a doll online – always ask questions. I find that it’s easier to find truthful sellers in the collectors’ community than with eBay shops, but for the most part you can compare the photos of the dolls with official release promotional photos, especially if you are buying a stock Middie doll. If you’re buying a custom doll, be sure to ask questions if you want to know what the base doll was – the customizer should be able to tell you. Despite the fakes and the sizing issue, the nice thing about Middie is that she does fit Kelly shoes, and other similar-sized Barbie little sisters – the unfortunate thing is that once people in the Blythe community discovered this fact, the prices of Kelly shoes did raise on eBay. Click to read more of this entry.

DIY Customizing is an irregular series of customizing tutorials. These are tutorials for things that I am able to do for my Blythes and I try to make it as simple as possible so that you can do these easy customizations to your own dolls. I am not a customizer – professional, amateur or wishful thinker of any kind. If you’re a kid – ask a responsible adult for help. As always, safety first! BlytheLife.com is not responsible for any damage that you do to yourself, your doll, or your home (or wherever you’re customizing).

The eyes are a big part of what makes a Blythe unique. I bought a pair of handpainted eyechips at BlytheCon Seattle and I knew exactly who would be getting those beautiful pink chips.

To do your own eyechip change, you will need:

• Tape – masking tape or washi/paper tape
• Hot glue sticks
• Lit candle
• Water soluble glue (I use Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue)
• New eye chips

First I started by “prepping” my doll. With two pieces of washi tape, I taped her eyelashes back so I wouldn’t get glue all over them.

Yes, even the tape I use for Eden Mouse is pink!

Click to read more of this entry.

Back in late September I asked all of you lovely people to answer a very short survey about TBL/”factory”/fake Blythes and I’m sharing the result today!

There were 113 responses, not everyone who filled in the survey answered every single question.

1. Do you own a TBL/factory/fake Blythe doll?

39% said no while 61% said yes, they do own a TBL/factory/fake Blythe doll. Click to read more of this entry.

Tertiary Jane (Simply Peppermint) wears Plastic Fashion (dress) and vintage Skipper (shoes).

Tiny shoes are one of the things that I love the best about the doll hobby. Small shoes, clothes, dresses, and just all around small things. Sometimes I think that one of the reasons why I do love the small things to do with Blythe is because I’m not a particularly big person – Hello, genetics, thanks for making me 5’1″… and a half. That half inch is always very important.

I adore vintage Skipper flats. More vintage Skipper flats, I say!

Skipper flats on a Middie, much too big!

Skipper flats on a Neo, a much better fit. Licca feet would be too wide for these shoes.

I spoiled myself for my birthday one year when I bought a whole bunch of flats, new on card. Oh yes, I can be very generous to myself sometimes. And look at all the colours! There is something very darling about vintage shoes. Maybe it’s just because they just don’t make (doll) shoes like that anymore. Love them.

Tiny Shoe Love is a feature on BlytheLife.com to showcase and share doll shoes that grace Michelle’s picky dolls’ feet. We love tiny shoes in this house, and we hope you do too!