Back when I was a baby doll blogger (so, 2011), I attended BlytheCon in Portland but I hadn’t even thought of making Moo cards or business cards or any kind of promotional “me” item at all. It was a total derp moment. Not only that, when I was introducing myself, it was a lot of “Hello, my name is Michelle. My screen name is chelleshocks” rather than “Hello, my name is Michelle. My screen name is chelleshocks, I also write BlytheLife” because… why not? Baby steps, I have since learned! I’ve found, through online interactions and even with people that I’ve met in person, that more people tend to know BlytheLife than my username. And with the upcoming convention that I will be attending, I did not want to make the same mistake that I had made 3 years ago.

The problem for me was to determine where to have cards printed at. Did I want to go the popular route and get Moo cards? What images would I get printed? Would Sophie shank me in my sleep if the majority of the photos that I used did not heavily feature her? (The answer is yes, by the way, yes she would. With a dolly-sized stiletto.) I couldn’t decide if I was going to go with regular business card-sized cards, or with the mini Moo cards. So I did what any self-respecting person does, and I Google’d it. Specifically, I did an internet search on online printer reviews. I didn’t need to order cards from everyone because someone else had already done the leg work for me! And that deserved a teeny tiny pat on the back. And also the world’s smallest violin being played for thinking that. Regardless, I did an internet search, found several blog posts from people waxing about the pros and cons of several major online printing companies.

A lot of good things were said about the Moo cards – both mini and not. I knew from experience, having collected many of these cards, that the card stock is thick, the colours is vivid, but looking on the website also revealed to me that the price was high for a small amount. When I figured out the cost per card, it was a bit cost prohibitive to get a bunch for handing out. That is one of the primary reasons why I decided against getting Moo cards. If I had the money, I definitely would have gotten them. But for a simplistic design, where there were no photos, I think I was okay with going with another online printer.

Then in comes VistaPrint. They happened to have a well-placed Facebook ad at the time that offered a discount on their standard business cards and free shipping. True, their shipping rates are flat-rate, but I am a sucker for free shipping. So I ordered some cards, got their standard shipping.

I ordered on July 3rd, and the email said “You can expect to receive your order in 14 Days.” My order was shipped July 10th and arrived July 15th. So, if we were to assume that they meant 14 days, total, it arrived two days early. But if that was 14 business days, that would have been July 23rd. Either way, it arrived early, well packaged, and I’m quite pleased with the quality! Lines are crisp, the colours are great, and I’m pleased that I’ll have something when someone asks me at BlytheCon if I have cards to swap. True, they’re not as dainty (and oh-so-adorable) as the mini Moo cards, but for the price (and savings on free shipping!), I am more than okay with that!

Savings on cards mean that I could put more money towards other things to bring along to BlytheCon. But more on that later…

Do you have cards – either for a business or just because? Where do you get yours printed?

It’s been pointed out to me, on multiple occasions, that I showcase the same few dolls over and over again on BlytheLife. Sophie, Prim (Primrose) and Eden Mouse get a lot of ‘screen time’, as it were. But there are more than three dolls who live here, and perhaps it is time for all of them to get a little bit of the spotlight on them! So I will be doing a small mini-series on Who Lives Here – very aptly named, yes? – and it will stay small provided that I don’t suddenly add a lot of new dolls to the family. Which I’m hoping doesn’t happen. (And at the same time, I kinda hope I suddenly win the lottery and it does…)

To be honest, it didn’t really occur to me that I almost always use photos of the same few dolls, mostly because I see all of them on a daily basis, as they live on my desk, so it didn’t really dawn to me that not everyone gets to enjoy all of their sweet, round faces. But, because I can, I will be starting off with one of the dolls that will be going with me to BlytheCon 2014 in Seattle. She also had the pleasure of attending BlytheCon 2011 in Portland.

This is Eden Mouse:

She is a mostly stock Punkaholic People. She’s had her chips changed, aside from her stock pinks, and she also has been gaze lifted, and her string is pink with a pink pull ring. She only wears pink. This has occasionally led to arguments between her and the other dolls (namely Sophie, and occasionally some of the Kenners) over who can wear what first.

Eden was perpetually the youngest one in the family, in terms of how I view her. She now shares this honour with Minnow, my Hi-Ho! Marine (but more on her later). She enjoys pink, dresses, tea parties, and wants to eat cotton candy all the time. She is also the reason why I have well over 20 pairs of pink doll shoes. In turn, she has also subtly influenced me as I seem to have more pink things in my life, without even consciously collecting it all.

What does every doll need? Some kind of purse to hold all her hard-earned money, and credit cards, of course! And with a project so easy, your Blythes will easily have a whole rainbow of clutches, one for every colour outfit imaginable.

You will need:

• Felt – any colour
• Needle and sewing thread – I used white to better show my stitches in this tutorial
• Scissors and craft knife (if you have one) – if using a craft knife, use a cutting board!
• A bead – I would recommend a contrasting colour to your felt

Click to read more of this entry.

Considering there have been four years worth of posts, I thought it’d be fun to take a look at what gets visits all the time!

Photo by Katie of 2:22am

Most Visited Interviews? My interviews with…

• With Katie of 2:22am!
• With Made by Pablita!
• With Melly Kay!
• With GBaby!
• With Rob & Sioux!

Most Visited Posts!

• Review: HUSET by IKEA
• What’s so special about Kenners?
• Quality Control and Blythe
• Blythe On A Budget: Organization and Storage Tips
• Pros and Cons to NRFB and Used Blythes

Most Visited DIYs!

• Sock-Sweater Dress
• Knitted Legwarmers
• Shoe Display
• Knit Empire Dress
• Crochet Petite Toque and Scarf

What has been your favourite BlytheLife post, to date?

I occasionally take for granted the fact that not everyone who reads BlytheLife is a seasoned dolly enthusiast, but no longer! For those new to Blythe, this is for you – as well as future “Beginner’s Guide” posts.

Blythe dolls come in various sizes, and also from various manufacturers. The three official manufacturers of Blythe include: Kenner (1972), Ashton-Drake Galleries (2005-2008), Hasbro (2010-Present) and Takara (2001-Present). The only companies still making Blythe dolls are Hasbro and Takara, but if you are shopping online, you can find the dolls produced by other companies. Hasbro and Takara also make drastically different types of Blythe dolls.

Full-Sized: KBs, ADGs and Neo’s

Full-sized Blythes have been produced by Kenner, Ashton-Drake Galleries and Takara.

Blythes produced by Kenner are often referred to as “Kenner” or “Kenner Blythe” – they are the original Blythe doll, otherwise known as ‘vintage Blythe’, and can be difficult to find in mint condition. The prices can vary quite a bit depending on the condition of the doll, if anything is missing (e.g. a limb, hair, clothes), and what damage has been done to the doll. Even partially limbless with missing hair, Kenner Blythe still goes for a few hundred dollars in online auctions. Mint-condition, or even Kenners never removed from the box, can pop up online at times, but the prices may be set at unattainable prices.

From upper left, clockwise, Primrose (Kenner), Eden Mouse (Punkaholic People, RBL),
Emmalynn (Kenner), and Sophie (Cappuccino Chat, RBL).

Ashton-Drake Galleries’ Blythes were produced to be reproductions of the original 1972 Kenner Blythes, down to the style of the box, hair, and clothing. Ashton-Drake Galleries Blythes (or ADG, as they are referred to by hobbyists) were often overlooked by collectors due to the ‘greenish’ tinge that the plastic had in earlier productions. The later produced dolls by ADG lost this tinge, but they never gained much popularity with collectors. There are some people who do collect the ADG Blythe fashions though, as they are very close reproductions of the vintage clothing (which typically costs a lot more).

Takara is often considered the reason why the new wave of Blythe took off. Partnered with Cross-World Connections, the Blythes that they produce are often seen being referred to as Neo Blythe, as they are the ‘new Blythe’ around. They are very reminiscent of the vintage dolls that came before them. Since 2001, there have been a number of mold changes, and the dolls are often sold and listed with a reference to the type of mold that they are from. These molds are: BL, EBL, SBL, RBL, FBL, and RBL+. As BL is often seen as referring to ‘Blythe’, the E, S, R, and F refer to: Excellence, Superior, Radiance, and Fairest. Currently, the only mold-types still being produced are RBL, FBL, and RBL+ (called Radiance +).

Middies

Kitty Brighton, a Jackie Ramone Middie.

Middie-sized Blythes have only been produced by Takara. Like Skipper was to Barbie, Middie is the ‘middle’ sister (hence her very creative name!). In existence since 2010, Middie has only one set of eyes that only moves side-to-side. Luckily for her, she has a head that also moves around to create adorable and cute looks. Sized considerably different from her older sister counterpart, Middie often doesn’t share many clothing or shoes with her big sister. Notably, some boots will fit both Middie and Neo, and some Neo-sized tops work as tunics or dresses for Middie.

Petites

Shrimp, an LPS Petite.

Petite-sized Blythes have been produced by Hasbro and Takara. Takara has been making Petites since 2002. The Takara-made Petites have ‘sleep eyes’ in the traditional sense that dolls have sleep eyes (lay the doll down, eyes close; sit/stand the doll up, eyes open). Hasbro has made a facsimile of the Takara Petite since 2010, with eyes that remain static, but recently changed the look of their Petite to better match the appearance of Blythe Baxter, the human character from the television show, Littlest Pet Shop. Hasbro-made Petites are often referred to as LPS Petites (LPS for Littlest Pet Shop).

A Beginner’s Guide is a feature on BlytheLife.com that is all about going back to the basics of collecting Blythe, and being a reference tool for new and experienced collectors alike. If you have any suggestions for what you would like to see in A Beginner’s Guide, send me your suggestions!