Doll Blogging is a new mini series for BlytheLife.com with a new installment going up every other week on Mondays (alternating with the Question of the Week) that will go through the process of planning, creating and publishing your new doll blog.

The internet is a huge part of the Blythe community. It’s how many of us first discovered Blythe, it’s how we learned what a good deal on that EBL was, it’s how we learn about new releases or new crafters in the dolly world that we’re all a part of it. The internet is a marvelous way for us to keep on contact with one another (via email, Twitter or instant messaging) and blogs are another platform that we can use to share our thoughts and pictures.

Back in October 2010, there was an article for Blythe On A Budget that went over a few free blog hosts. The Doll Blogging mini-series will go over a few more things starting with things to consider in a blog name and what kind of hosts you should consider (and that I recommend!). Then there’s a crash course in the basics of coding with HTML, thoughts on themes, templates and design and on site promotion. There’ s a lot of things to consider when putting together a website, a lot more than I realized when I first started blogging (back in 2003 or so!) and now I’ve compiled my thoughts and ideas with some tips and tricks for you to put together your doll blog!

It’ll be a five part mini-series (including this post…) so if you’re interested in learning how to put together a blog and how to promote it, be sure to continue checking out the series! The mini series will be as follows:

• Part 1: The Introduction
• Part 2: Names & Hosts
• Part 3: HTML (March 7, 2011)
• Part 4: Themes, Templates & Design (March 21, 2011)
• Part 5: Promoting Your Site (April 4, 2011)

Photo from sxc.hu user adamci.

Before Blythe, I collected stamps. I do still collect stamps, but with people sending e-cards for Christmas instead of physical greeting cards, the amount of stamps I’ve gotten in the last several years has dwindled down (besides from people who know, and encourage, my stamp collecting). But while I was looking over my stamp collection (because there’s nothing more self-reassuring than looking through a few thousand stamps…) and thinking about all the doubles (or even more multiples) of stamps that I have.

Postage stamps would make great decorations for doll houses. If you don’t want to cause any damage to the stamp itself, you can use photo corners (which are used in scrapbooking) or you can get stamp hinges (primarily used for stamp albums) or you can even make little photo frames for the stamps with a piece of plastic over the actual stamp.

Places you can get stamps include… the post office, from your mail (if you happen to get interesting stamps) or from a generous stamp collector.

If you’re getting the stamps from your mail, you’ll want to cut the stamp out (leave a margin of paper around the stamp(s)!) and then soak it in water until the stamp comes free from the paper. Then you’ll put the stamp face down (image size down) on a flat surface to dry. Once it’s fully dried, you can use it in your doll house decorations.

I have a hard time finding fabric prints that at a size that won’t overwhelm my dolls. There are a lot of cute prints available online, but I have a hard time making myself want to pay for the cost of shipping that it can cost to have things delivered to Canada. Which means that I’m constantly on the look for small, adorable and doll-friendly sized prints. And here are a few suggestions of places to look for small print fabric.

1. Your local thrift store. It’s not just a great place to look for that elusive thrift store Kenner, but if you go to the kids clothing section, you’re bound to find a lot of clothes that come in small prints. The beauty of looking at baby or children clothes in the thrift stores is that they’re generally in pretty good condition. This is because babies grow really quickly and grow out of their clothes before they get to wear out the fabric. The bonus to thrifting is that the clothes will be generally inexpensive (or at least they should be!) and you should be able to get a few articles of doll clothes, even from a baby or toddler’s clothing item. Just be sure to throw everything into the washing machine first (or wash by hand, if that’s your thing) before using, you don’t know where it’s been.
2. Your local dollar store. Now this may not apply to you, but a few dollar stores that I’ve gone to carry socks (in plain colours and in stripes and other prints), t-shirts (mostly for babies/toddlers) in cute prints as well as underpants (!) for kids and adults. The underpants usually come in some of the best prints and I’ve come across things like lip prints, ice cream cones and cute stripe patterns. It’s definitely worth a look!
3. Your local department store. Or any place that has a clearance bin for children’s clothing. It’s a lot like the thrift store suggestion: a lot of children’s clothing has a lot of cute prints and they’re generally small because, well, babies and kids are small people.  I don’t usually buy things out of the clearance bin at department stores because I feel that it’s usually cheaper if I go for the thrift store, but sometimes there’s some incredibly adorable prints that you can’t find anywhere else or something that’s steeply discounted that makes it a great deal.

If you have any other suggestions for places to find cheap and inexpensive small print fabric, be sure to share below in the comments.

A lot of the Blythe On A Budget articles here at BlytheLife.com have to do with taking photos because, let’s face it, those big-headed dolls are awesome for photography (who doesn’t like a model that looks gorgeous and a cute wardrobe?). This week’s installment of Blythe On A Budget is all about photo backdrops and I’ll be going over 5 different photo backdrops for you to utilize that you can find in your very own home.

1. Walls – I like using my own bedroom walls for photos, I don’t have to move very far and it’s a very bright green. Sometimes it shows up as pale green (depending on the lighting) and sometimes it shows up as very bright. I also use walls from other places in my house – there’s all sorts of colours. It’s also helpful if you use a wall that’s close to a window during the daytime (and there’s sun) for some natural light.
2. Paper – You can use all sorts of paper, but I’m going to focus on scrapbooking paper, because it’s awesome. I love scrapbooking paper, it comes in some amazing patterns, colours, textures. Some are glittery, some are glossy, so there’s always a huge selection available. I’ve found that scrapbooking paper (12″x12″) can run anywhere from $0.33/sheet to $2+/sheet, but it really depends on where you’re looking and what you’re looking for. A dollar store just opened up near my house and it carries scrapbooking paper for $0.50 each, which is a fairly good deal considering that’s their blanket price for all of their paper and that includes anything from the very plain to the glittery types. You can also use other types of paper, if you have it, like printed stationary, lined paper, wrapping paper. It can get expensive, if you decide to go for the pricey variety, but there are a lot of inexpensive options out there.
3. Wood “Things” – Here I’m thinking of closet doors, bedroom doors, perhaps a dining room table that you might have or any other kind of furniture. Wood grain things have a very ‘earthy’ feel to it, which may or may not suit the look that you’re going for. It’s a great way to utilize something that you already own (who doesn’t love a ‘free’ backdrop?). You can also opt to go outside and put your doll up in a tree (it seems to be very popular on Flickr) or in the garden. Where else would you put your Blythe when they’re dressed up like a garden nymph or fairy?
4. Mirrors – I think photos with mirrors can be exceptionally beautiful. It gives your doll an air of realism, you can learn how to use angles to your advantage to make sure that you and your camera are not in the shot. It helps reflect the light onto your doll to brighten her up as well. Even small handheld compact mirrors would be great, if you can set it up for your doll to use. I think mirrors are a very underused item in people’s houses for dolly photography.
5. Kitchens – There are a lot of things you can use in your kitchen for doll photography. You can have your doll trying to climb out of pots and pants. You can have them help you hold an egg or measure out sugar. You can put your doll on top of a scale or in the bin with the vegetables. There’s a lot of things you can use in your kitchen. I’ve taken photos of my Blythe while I’m looking and she’s ‘supervising’ and it’s a lot of fun. What you do need to be careful of is keeping sharp objects away from your doll and to keep her away from the heat – last thing you want is to cut her hair, make scratches or (worse) melt her. So for the love all things Blythe, don’t put your doll in oven. But it’s okay to have her sitting on the counter giving you pointers.

For those that like to sew or create clothes for their dolls, it’s always a lot of fun to head out to the fabric and notions store and dig through remnants bins to find super cute pieces of fabric that everyone else seems to think is way too small for anything, but it’s definitely enough for a cute skirt or top or dress for your Blythe. But today’s article for Blythe On A Budget is to talk about various types of fabric that you could find in places other than the fabric store and also (perhaps) fabrics you may not have thought about using.

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Felt: Felt is great to work with – it doesn’t fray, it’s easy to cut, you don’t need to hem. Felt comes in acrylic and wool varieties, there’s generally a huge variety of colours! You can find felt at craft stores, department stores with a craft aisle or your local dollar store. A dollar store that opened up near my house recently even has glittery sheets of felt that are priced the same as the regular non-glitter felt.

Mesh: While mesh can come in a lot of varieties, I’m thinking of the plastic pink or orange mesh that fruit or even cheese comes in sometimes! It’s cute, it comes with your produce purchase and it’s always great to find another use for it. You can use it as a layer of fabric underneath a skirt (a lot like tulle) or as a fabric overlay on a skirt or dress, which would look super cute on any Blythe fashionista!

Paper: Have you ever wanted to wrap your doll up for the holidays or as a present? Why bother with a box? Some wrapping paper can be so colourful and have cute prints, so why not reuse them to create a doll dress? You can fold paper to create pleats, darts or just shape the neckline. While it may be delicate, paper might just be the thing you’re looking for in creating a one-time-use outfit that can be recycled after you’re done taking photos.

Terry Cloth: Which comes in the forms of tea towels and towels, for the most part. You can most definitely find these in dollar stores or just the clearance sections of a department store. I have bought a few in light colours for the sole purpose of turning into cute little bath robes for my dolls, but I have yet to successfully manage one that actually, well, fit. But for those with more expertise or skills in sewing, I’m sure it’s an easier feat for others.