I hope you all remember Carmen, because she was responsible for there being a winter holiday giveaway back in December 2010! Carmen, who’s better known as smidge girl online, is the creative mastermind behind Smidge House. She makes fantastic furniture and other fun miniatures and I got to interview her for BlytheLife.com! I was so excited to find out more about Carmen and I hope you all are too!

Hi Carmen! What can you tell us about yourself?
Hiya! Well, my name is Carmen. My dolly handle is smidge girl. I love to read, write, shop, drink coffee, hang out on flickr, and play with dolls! 🙂 I design and build sixth scale furniture and accessories. The things my dolls don’t steal for themselves usually end up in my etsy shop, Smidge House. I also build furniture and sets (sixth scale) for television and film. I currently live in Chicago with my boyfriend. We have a teeny apartment that is also Smidge House headquarters. It’s seriously overflowing with my supplies and inventory (and okay, dolls, lol) so we’ll have to find a bigger place soon!

What can you share with us about how you discovered Blythe and how you got into crafting for dolls?
Well, I’ve always been obsessed with anything miniature. I was a Barbie freak as a kid, but I was mostly interested in her stuff– I’d always choose a new living room set over a new doll! I eventually “grew up” and stopped playing with dolls, though I didn’t really want to. When I moved here to go to college, there was a gigantic Toys R Us only a few blocks from our dorm. I spent more time there than I did doing homework, lol!

After college, I bounced around doing a gazillion different jobs, but nothing ever made me very happy. I was pretty disappointed, career-wise. Then, a couple of years ago, I stumbled across some photos online of the Barbie Dream Store that I’d had as a kid. I hadn’t thought about dolls in years, but suddenly, it’s all I thought about. (At the time, I had no clue there was a gigantic doll community out there, that felt the same way!) Combining my love of dolls and their stuff, and my total obsession with furniture and design just seemed like a no-brainer! (Now that I’m writing it all down, it seems pretty crazy! Thank goodness I didn’t stop & question myself at the time, lol!) I’ve always been the go-to girl, if you needed to have your furniture put together. I don’t know why people hate doing that! I love it! (But, I really love furniture, so maybe that’s why.) So, I understood how furniture “worked.” Structurally, I mean. So, it was really just a matter of deciding what I wanted to make, and scaling it down! I spent about a year building prototypes, (did I mention I’m a perfectionist?) and then opened Smidge House at the end of 2009.

I stumbled across Blythe soon after, when I discovered my favorite site in the world– Flickr! *happy sigh* I went totally crazy looking at people’s dolls and dollhouses, and some of the first photos I looked at featured Blythe dolls. I’d never seen one before, didn’t know what they were, but I thought they were adorable and amazing! Even though they had enormous heads and crazy colored hair and eyes, somehow they looked so real! Their personalities just brought them to life, like no doll I’d seen before! I was in awe of all the creativity Blythe folks used in customizing, sewing, and setting up their houses. I never thought I’d own one, (I’m kind of a square, and they were too whimsical for me, I thought, lol) but I loved looking at photos. Well, eventually, after some gentle nudging from a dolly friend, (I like to blame other people for my doll habit, whenever I can!) Blythe won me over. I mean, really, how can you resist? Although I prefer to build realistic furniture, I now work in “Blythe Mode” too. Having my girls around reminds me that making more kooky, funky pieces is fun too. Blythe has really lightened and brightened my life! 🙂 Ack! That sounds so dorky! But it’s true!

I love miniatures and I know it takes a lot of work to make something that’s accurate, but small. What’s one of your biggest challenges with crafting miniatures?
Truly, my biggest challenge is only having two hands, lol! I have so many plans and ideas that I can’t write them down fast enough, let alone make them fast enough! Since I’m only one person, things progress much slower than I’d like! I’m also a (slightly crazy) perfectionist, so I obsess over every detail, which makes things take even longer. I’d love to have an assistant one day, but I’m a total control freak, so I’m not sure how well that would work out. Maybe they could just iron my fabric. Very carefully. Or leave my fabric alone and just do the dishes instead. 😉

And finding just the right fabric, and in the right scale, can be a challenge too. It would make more sense to design things around fabric I already have in my overflowing stash, but that would just be too easy! Sometimes I’ll create a room in my head, and then spend weeks, or months, trying to track down the fabric I imagined. (Which more than likely doesn’t exist!) But, since I dearly love to fabric shop, it’s a fun challenge!

During the Holiday Giveaway, Sioux asked if you had any tips to share for people who want to make their own doll furniture, as well as what kind of materials you use?
Thanks for the question, Sioux! If you’re interested in building doll furniture, I suppose taking a look at your own (human-sized) furniture might be a helpful place to start. Flip your sofa over, and see how the legs are attached. Unzip the cushions and see what’s inside. Just by poking around, you can get a good idea of how things are built, how the pieces go together. But furniture and design are so subjective, there’s really no wrong way to go. A chair can look like anything, a sofa can be any color, tables come in all shapes and sizes, you know? I think the best tip I can give is just to give it a try, if it’s something that excites you! That goes for anything, really. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and just put something together. If it’s awful, you can always toss it out and try again, no one has to know! Before I settle on a design I like, I might end up with half a dozen prototypes that are a little too tall, or too wide, or don’t have quite the right type of legs, before I figure it out. Luckily, my dolls don’t mind decorating with the reject pieces!

As far as materials that I use, my upholstered furniture is made with actual upholstery foam. I buy huge rolls of the stuff, in all different thicknesses, that pretty much take up my whole closet. I used to have a shoe collection. Now I have a foam collection, lol! I typically choose the wood I use for tables, desks, etc, during the design process. Depending on what I need, I might use plywood, basswood, or anything in between. Home Depot and Joann’s are a couple of my favorite places to hang out. You never know what you’ll find, or what it might work for. I’m sort of a hoarder, so I like to have all sorts of things around that I can choose from. My fabric stash is out of control. The only way I can keep it semi-manageable is to use what I buy as quickly as I can. Sadly, I can shop way faster than I can work, so I think I’ll forever be buried in fabric! I like to buy vintage fabrics when I can, just so I create things with more unique prints, not just off the rack stuff that you can get anywhere. Of course, that works against me in a way, because once I use it up, that’s it forever. I have a terrible time making that first cut in a fabric I love, because I just don’t want to use it up!

How much time out of a typical week do you dedicate to crafting for Smidge House?
Oh dear. I easily dedicate 80 hours a week to Smidge House. Often times more. It is my full time job, and I have to say, I am a horrible boss! I almost never give myself a day off. There are a million things to keep on top of, whether it’s building or prepping furniture, designing new pieces, shopping for supplies, taking photographs, doing research, marketing, answering emails and phone calls… the list goes on and on. And that’s without a major project going on. When I stop to think about it, it’s a little overwhelming, so I just try to keep moving!

On the one hand, most of what I do doesn’t really seem like work. I get to use a large variety of skills, things I never thought would come in handy– like geometry!– so it’s definitely never boring. But, a lot of it is actual physical labor, using power tools and whatnot, and those days can be exhausting. Sometimes I’m editing photos until my eyes cross! Nevertheless, I love what I do! If I had a different job, I would be doing this in all my spare time, so I’m amazingly lucky to be able to do it in my spare time, and during business hours. At least, that’s how I try to explain it to people who tell me I’m a workaholic! That makes sense, right?

Honestly, it can be a real struggle to turn off the work day when there’s no one there to tell you to go home. I try to make a conscious effort to shut things down at night, at least for a little while, and to not forget about my boyfriend! But, at least a few nights a week, I’m rocking around the clock, working on things. I think when you’re trying to grow a new business, that’s just the way things go at first. I embrace my sleepless nights wholeheartedly– they’ve led to lots of great things! I’d be happy if I never had to sleep!

What would you say is your biggest success so far with making miniatures?
I’ve been incredibly lucky in the last year, and have been able to be a part of some amazing things. I would probably consider my first television job to be my biggest success, so far. Last spring I was approached by a production designer from HBO about building some set pieces for them. It was an aspect of sixth scale work that I had really not even thought about, and they contacted me based of photos of my work I had posted on flickr. So, being asked to work on the show (Brick Novax’s Diary, a recurring short on HBO’s Funny or Die) and successfully completing all the work on a tight budget and an even tighter deadline was beyond any success I could have imagined, especially for my first year. It still sort of feels like it happened to someone else!

What has been the most challenging single project you have made so far?
One thing I was asked to make for the Brick Novax project was a 70’s era sleazy motel room. The set included a King sized bed, with bedding, a sofa, a desk, a dresser, a table with four chairs, and a console television. I had 10 days to research 70’s era design, buy supplies, (including tracking down just the right retro and properly scaled fabrics!) design, build, and scrap a few prototypes, and ship the finished pieces. It was a challenging deadline to say the very least! It involved more than a few of those sleepless nights, and I worked pretty much up until UPS knocked on my door to tear the packages away from me, but I did get it done!

If you describe Smidge House in 140 characters or less, how would you describe it?
Ugh! I’m so blabby, this is hard! (Those characters don’t count, lol!) Smidge House is where my passions for furniture and 1/6 unite. It’s awesome to be able to share some of my work with the world, via my shop!

What do you think has been the most unique item that you have made so far?
Well, since I like to make everything as realistic as possible, I don’t know if I’ve ever made anything particularly crazy. But, I guess the boxes of Christmas ornaments I made were pretty unique. I made the separated boxes, and handmade each individual ornament, using beads, wire, charms, etc. Each different ornament (about 300 in all) was unique! (And incredibly time consuming, which is why I’ve retired that item!)

How does it make you feel when you see things that you’ve made in photos taken by other people, either on Flickr or their blog or websites?
It’s amazing! I screen capture every single thing, lol! I’m beyond dorky when it comes to that, I think it’s the coolest thing in the world! It’s awesome to know that people are using and enjoying their goodies, but to see how every piece fits into each person’s individual world, to see how they decorate with or around it, to see their dolls enjoying it– it’s just fantastic! It’s such a huge job perk!

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Carmen! Just one last question, if you could give any advice at all to someone who’s either new to the Blythe hobby or to crafting for Blythe, what advice would you give to them?
Thanks so much for asking me, Michelle, and for keeping such a wonderful site. 🙂

I’m still somewhat of a Blythe newbie, but I suppose my advice would be this. I was beyond intimidated when it came to joining in, because there’s just so much to know about Blythe! Really, someone could write a textbook. (And I would totally read it!) I didn’t want to be one of those people who wore a band t-shirt just because they liked the t-shirt, and didn’t know who the band was, you know? I felt like I would be a big poser if I bought a Blythe just because I wanted one, and didn’t know every single thing about them first.

BlytheLife.com really was a big reminder for me that collecting Blythe isn’t a job, it’s fun! I still don’t know the difference between all the different head molds, and I can’t name every doll on sight. But you know what? It doesn’t affect how much I enjoy my dolls. The people in the Blythe community are some of the nicest, sweetest, most helpful people I’ve ever met, and now I can’t imagine that I was ever so nervous to join in!

Sofa Giveaway!

One incredibly lucky person will be winning this super cute sofa and the two accompanying cushions made by Carmen of Smidge House!

You can get up to seventeen (17) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday February 26th 2011 at 11:59pm PST. The draw will be held on Sunday February 27th 2011 and the winner will be announced on BlytheLife.com. Remember to use a valid email address for all comments. If you win, your email will be forwarded to Carmen for arranging shipment of the prize.

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

Mandatory Entry: Comment below about the interview with Carmen! This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway.

Bonus Entry #1: Tweet about the contest! Please retweet the following once per day from your public Twitter account! (If you look below, there is a box for you to include your Twitter username, if you do, I can easily verify your bonus entry!) Each tweet is 1 entry into the giveaway for a maximum of 9 entries into the giveaway.

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with @smidgegirl and the awesome giveaway! http://bit.ly/fnGvpw

Bonus Entry #2: Follow Carmen’s Twitter account, @smidgegirl! This is worth 1 entry.

Bonus Entry #3: Follow the Smidge House RSS feed! This is worth 1 entry.

Bonus Entry #4: Blog about the contest! Be sure to include some details about the contest and include links to BlytheLife.com, this interview/giveaway page and to the Smidge House blog. For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.

For those who’re in the dark, Kittyrobot is a fun, quirky and delicious Etsy shop that has yummy looking polymer clay foods that are doll-friendly and resin pullrings that have sprinkles and glitter in them. Are you intrigued? I was super excited when Jodie of Kittyrobot contacted me wanting to know if I’d like to do a giveaway with her. That would be an astounding yes! She was happy to do an interview with me as well and I’m so excited to share the questions and answers we went over. Considering, to me, anyone who can incorporate sprinkles and glitter into a fun and cute pullring for Blythe has got to be the coolest person ever.

Hi Jodie! What can you tell us about yourself?
Hi, Thanks for having me! Well my name is Jodie, I am a 29 year old full time student, and part time crafter/maker/operator of Kittyrobot.

I have two fur babies, who are my whole world, my cats, Anabelle and Sui, I also have two furry little mouse friends, Scruffy and Snowy.

I live in a little beach town on the East coast of Australia, I love all things vintage, cute and kawaii, crafting, sewing, photography, travel, music, and bike rides, and have been in the Blythe hobby for just over 3 years now.

How did you discover Blythe and what drew you to her?
I was a regular Flickr visitor, and I can recall years ago seeing lots of photos of this curious looking doll, dressed in beautiful fashions and never knew what kind of doll it was.

Then one of my Flickr contacts had photos of Blythe’s, finally I knew what they were! And I loved looking at her photos of them, and through her pics, it sort of inspired me to research them a little, I found myself spending more time on flickr looking up Blythe dolls, than anything else I used to enjoy looking at, and finally the bug hit, I had to have one, I thought ‘yep, one will be enough for me’ but of course, it wasn’t, and many more followed soon after.

I was really drawn to what I thought, was a unique, quirky look of the Blythes, I loved how you could dress them up in cute clothes, customise them, and I was also interested in the idea of making cute clothes, and little miniatures for them, I guess initially I loved the idea of being able to combine my love of craft, with my new found love of dollies.

I know that you create some pretty unique things with polymer clay, what can you tell us about that?
We create most of the things in our Kittyrobot store with Sculpey Polymer clay, it is such a great material to work with, sturdy, and easily customizable in color. We stock buttons and jewellery, for both people and Blythe dolls, as well as miniature foods, and scene setters for Blythe photo shoots, and of course, we are always open to a custom order, or creative idea a customer may have.

In the past we have created quite a few fun custom clay pieces, such as pullring charms like cupcakes, macarons, and owls.

All of our polymer clay miniatures are all totally handmade, using quality Sculpey clay, we don’t like to paint our pieces, as overtime I feel the paint could chip or discolor, so we make them in pure Sculpey.

It can be a little bit time consuming, and fiddly to do, we have to be sure to try and make the pieces look somewhat realistic, while also making sure we work to scale, and keep it the right size. We (myself and the other half of Kittyrobot) usually decide on a food, or scene to create, and sketch it out, we will then look up real photos of those foods, and work to try and replicate that.

Most of all we love a challenge, if somebody ever has something in mind, and comes to us to ask about it, its fun to have a play with a new idea we may not have thought of, and then creating it to suit the customer, making them feel satisfied and happy with the end result, that’s the best part.

What can you tell us about resin and how you were came to start crafting with it?
Resin is one of my most favorite mediums to work with, its so versatile! You can keep it clear, or embed anything you can imagine into it, add colors, pigments, glitters, turn it into anything really! It can be time consuming, from start to finish, as it has quite a long cure time, It needs time to settle and harden up in the molds, before you can pop them out and finish them off, with fine sandpaper, and the buff them.

I first was introduced to resin about 6 years ago, I did a short art course, and one element was resin work, we created our own molds, and were taught how to mix, and make with it, I produced a bracelet consisting of 10 small bars of resin with some Japanese paper embedded, I thought it was kinda fun. It wasn’t until a couple of years later, I found some resin finally at the craft store, and began making pieces for a craft market, mostly glitter/sprinkle/sticker/coffee bean necklace charms, magnets and rings, and then later we decided to start making jewelery, buttons, and pull rings, for the Kittyrobot Etsy store.

I think one of the most amazing things about what you do at Kittyrobot is that everything is handmade. How much time do you put into Kittyrobot on a daily basis?
Most days vary, but all of them begin with checking in on emails, or shop conversations we receive while sleeping, along with any updates we need to do via Twitter or the Facebook group, fix up any listings that may have sold out, or relist any new items, Being on the other side of the world to majority of our customers, can be a pain with time differences.

Then we process any sales from overnight, and start getting to work on those, or work on any of our larger consignment/wholesale orders purchased outside of the shop, twice a week we do visits to the post office to ship mail, and nights are usually spent packing orders, and getting them ready for the post. If we have any new product, we will do a mini photo shoot, ready to list items. When we don’t have orders needing to be made, we brainstorm ideas, or play around with ideas we have, creating and crafting new pieces.

Basically I do majority of the online, customer service work, and making of orders during the day, in amongst my full time study from home, while the other half of Kittyrobot is at work, at her day job, and once she gets home at night we create together some more.

Blythe is a versatile doll, which I’m sure we’re all aware of, what made you start crafting things for dolls and doll collectors?
I originally started creating, what I thought were cute items, that were both affordable, but also individual and unique at the same time.

Blythe is a very versatile doll, and also each one has her own little personality and style, so with the custom resin pullrings, and pullring charms, I thought they would be great for those who want something a little different for their unique girl, something that they can customise to suit the exact look they want for their doll, to match her overall look, or to compliment any custom work, etc.

As with the miniature foods, and scene setters, I thought of fun foods, and combos, I would love my own Blythe girls to have, and thought others might like them too, for mini photo shoots, and dollhouse set ups!

Where does your inspiration come from for all the cute things made for Kittyrobot?
All over really, from personal taste in all things cute and quirky, ideas we have, or sketch out, colors and things from magazines, books, vintage treasures, and any inspiring things we see in magazines or on the internet. Mostly, we get inspired to make super cute things, that we feel there is a need in the world for!

How does it make you feel when you see people photographing their dolls with your work?
Super excited, and it may sound funny, but a little bit giddy with excitement!! I love how each Blythe has her own personality,so when the new owner buys from us,and photographs it with their dolls, I feel the items take on a whole new look, and feel, and when they match the dolls perfectly, that’s a super exciting thing! Its so awesome to see so many adorable dolls being photographed, with Kittyrobot items!!

What can we expect to see from Kittyrobot in the future?
We are working on ideas for lots of new items, we are hoping to introduce more variety in the items we have now, and more wearable cuties, more one off Blythe scene setters, maybe even more miniatures, like foods and props for photo shoots, more pretties for the people, and some more sewn things!

We are also hoping to set up a website, and start selling mostly via that! It would be our ultimate goal to someday have a real Kittyrobot store, tiny little shop out in a cute town somewhere, stocking all of our handmade cute pieces, along with pieces by other artists, combined with vinyl art toys, and of course Blythe dolls!

What kind of advice do you have for someone who’s new to the Blythe hobby?
I would say, join up to one of the forums, or various Flickr groups, to meet like minded Blythe fans, the wealth of knowledge from all the super nice Blythe fans, really does help, and its nice to make some friends who share your love, look around and research the different variety of dolls, to choose which one is for you,and most importantly, research the doll seller,so you do not have problems!

Overall really, I would say, have fun with it, at the end of the day its a hobby, and hobbies are supposed to be fun!! Don’t feel guilty if you spend a lot on it, and don’t feel like you have to hide it from anybody, if it’s something you love, its something you deserve to enjoy guilt free!

Kittyrobot Custom Pullrings Giveaway!

Kittyrobot is generously giving away two (2!) pairs of custom Blythe pullrings to two very lucky visitors of BlytheLife.com! That’s right, each of the two winners will be receiving two custom pullrings, made to their liking, by Kittyrobot!

You can get up to fifteen entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday February 12, 2011 at 11:59pm PST. The draw will be held on Sunday February 13, 2011 and the two winners will be announced on BlytheLife.com. Remember to use a valid email address for all comments. If you win, your email will be forwarded to Jodie to discuss what kind of pullrings you want and arrangement for shipment of the prizes.

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

This giveaway has a little bit of an extra twist on how you can enter, so read carefully! (If this new way of doing giveaway entries proves popular, and successful, I’ll be using it in future giveaways! So let me know if it’s good or bad or just downright confusing!)

Mandatory Entry: Comment below about this interview, any of your favourite Kittyrobot products (be sure to check out things that they’ve sold!) or tell Jodie and myself what you’d like to see in the future from Kittyrobot! This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway draw.

Bonus Entry #1: Tweet about this contest! You can retweet the following up once per day for a maximum of 9 bonus entries into the giveaway draw. You must be tweeting from a public Twitter account and include your Twitter username below for your entries to count.

Delicious goodies and custom pullrings! Check out the latest @blythelifecom interview and giveaway! http://bit.ly/hTqigi

Bonus Entry #2: Blog about this contest! Be sure to include some details about the contest as well as a link to BlytheLife.com, a link to this specific interview and a link to the Kittyrobot Etsy shop! For 1 blog entry, this is worth a total of 5 bonus entries into the giveaway draw. You must comment below with the URL to your blog entry.

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For those of you who don’t want to leave the potential of a customized Blythe pullring to chance, you can check out the Kittyrobot Etsy shop and contact Kittyrobot to see how you can order yourself a pair (or more!) customized pullrings for your favourite dolls!

Jennifer’s photo of Pudding that won the 9th Blythe Photo Challenge!

What can you tell us about yourself and how you got into the Blythe hobby?
Hi Michelle! I’m Jennifer Abe (pronounced “ah-bay”). I currently live in San Francisco, CA with my fantastic, supportive husband, Peter and our two cats, who are like our children. I’m in my 40’s, but I still feel like a kid at times. Maybe all the toys and dolls I have will keep me young forever!

I work for Wells Fargo Bank’s Internet Services Group in the Online Sales and Marketing department here in San Francisco. My job has a nice combination of business and technical aspects, but I like to have hobbies and creative outlets outside of work. Photography has always been a hobby, ever since high school, but I never felt like I found the right subject matter for me personally until I discovered Blythe in February of 2009, almost two years ago. I found a photo of a Rosie Red on Flickr and I was captivated and just needed to find out more about this doll. I never had a Blythe doll in the 70’s, but I sort of remember her, so maybe the image sparked a memory from my childhood. Who knows? At that point, I knew I wanted a doll of my own to photograph! Photographing dolls has really opened a new world for me, with lots to learn and wonderful people to share this experience with.

How do you go about planning your photos and setting up the scenes?
Sometimes I plan a scene and other times I just grab some photos and they unfold once I have a doll and camera in hand. A lot of my photos are taken off of the little deck off our kitchen, which is at the second story level because we live on a hill. If I have time in the morning or after work and the light is nice, I run outside with a doll in one hand and camera in the other and shoot some portraits. We recently had some grass put in our little yard so I’m hoping to add some variety to my outdoor shots this year and do a little gardening while I’m at it. Most of the scenes I set up indoors are done with artificial light since it is dark by the time I get home from work. One of my favorite places to shoot is actually on the island in our kitchen. It has a wooden top and the overhead light is not too bad. With a wide aperture, I can blur the background. It’s not perfect, but some of my favorite scenes (“I made yours with extra fluff” and “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi”) were shot there. The “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi” photo with my UT dressed as Princess Leia is the one photo I’ve spent the most time planning – first I got the costume, then I broke down and bought the vinyl R2-D2 I had been eyeing, then I put everything together. Since it’s in my kitchen, it’s not perfect, but I’d like to spend more time planning scenes like that. For the other favorite (“I made yours with extra fluff”), I had the little espresso machine ornament and some Re-ment, but everything just came together spontaneously. I remember not even wanting to take a photo that night, but I was in the “doll every day” group at the time so I had to do something. It’s surprising how once you get started, as long as you are having some fun, it works out and changes your mood. Juniper kept falling over, but my husband (he was holding a light for me) and I were laughing and I ended up in a much better state of mind that evening!

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Oooh, this is a tough one. I find Blythe herself inspiring – her face, her big eyes, her quirky expression. I think the photos I’ve had the most fun with have something about “me” in them – Star Wars fan, marshmallow fluff, coffee, working on a laptop, taking photos. There are some amazing photographers on Flickr that inspire me too – anything from scenes that include Re-ment/miniatures, to beautiful nature shots, to crazy funny photos or photo stories that literally make me laugh out loud. I find that it all inspires me to do better with my photos!

What kind of challenges have you come across when taking photos of your dolls?
My two biggest challenges are light and time. Light because I’m not at home a lot during the daytime and we get a fair amount of fog where we live, so outdoors can often be uninspiring. I mentioned shooting in my kitchen after dark, but this year I’d like to create a better setup for artificial lighting – either with lights or flash. Time is a challenge because I work full time outside of the home and when I’m shooting, editing and posting photos during the week I often end up staying up way too late! I have taken dolls into work with me to photograph during the day, but my challenge there is that unless I want to take another shot of her on my desk, I need to get over the challenge of being shy about taking her out in public! I did take Pudding, my Rosie Red, to the parade after the Giants won the World Series and it was fun! A few people even asked about her and asked to take photos of her.

I noticed that you have a fair amount of Blythes, how do you choose which ones ends up being in a photo?
Let’s see, what makes me pick one doll over another? Sometimes I’ll get a new dress or outfit that is perfect for one particular doll or something I picked specifically for her, so she ends up being photographed. When I set up scenes with Re-ment/miniatures, it’s usually a doll on a Licca or Pure Neemo body since they are more poseable and it’s easier to make them look like they are doing something. I probably choose dolls with matte faces more often than shiny because they are easier to photograph, and I also find dolls that are boggled and gaze corrected tend to have a look that I have more fun photographing. Sometimes I just look at the shelf and one just pops out at me and inspires me to photograph her – she might be stock, she might be customized – I often don’t know who it’s going to be until she tells me it’s her turn. You may have noticed that my Rosie Red, Pudding, has more photographs on Flickr than any other doll in my collection. She’s the one I bring with me most and the one I have the most fun photographing right now. I think there is something about her that really pops out in the photos I take – something real and magical. She’s also my husband’s favorite of all the dolls in my collection so I’ll often come home to find her posed and doing something, which makes her even more real to me. He actually set up and took all of the photos of Pudding putting lights on the little dolly Christmas tree while I was in the other room!

How was your first experience of taking a Blythe out in public for taking photos?
I think the first time I ever took a photo of Blythe in public was when I took Maeve on a shopping trip to Ikea. I had all these great ideas for taking her picture in the various rooms they have set up in the store, but I only ended up with a photo of her from inside the parking garage with the Ikea store in the background. I was just too chicken to take any photos in the store. I’m not sure you are allowed to take photos in Ikea period and I was scared to try and really shy about taking my doll out in public. I’ve done this a lot where I’ll bring a doll to a public place and then just be afraid to take her out of the bag and take photos. When I can get over the fear/shyness and take her out and photograph her, it’s actually quite fun. Since the Ikea trip, I’ve taken photos at a parade, on street corners, at the horse races, on the beach in Costa Rica, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, in a Pilates studio, in restaurants, in a park, in a museum and of course on my desk at work! One of my favorite public photos is of Pipit on the street corner in San Francisco with the Transamerica Pyramid behind her. Sometimes people ask questions and are really interested in what I’m doing and want to know more about Blythe. I also have to say that once I start taking the photos, I focus on what I’m doing and I forget the people around me and then I become less nervous. It helps that I’m usually with my husband and he’s keeping an eye on things like my bag and any equipment I might have with me. I love seeing photos of Blythe out in public, whether I’ve taken them or someone else has so it’s something I want to do more of in the future. I’m determined to get my shot of Blythe on a cable car this year

Thanks so much for doing this interview with me! What kind of tips or advice do you have for someone who takes photos of their Blythes?
Thank YOU for interviewing me Michelle! It’s really an honor and I’m so flattered to be included on your wonderful blog!

As for tips, one thing I often suggest is that you turn off your on camera flash if possible because it can be very harsh. Try to use natural light or lights from the sides. Try getting down to dolly level to take your photos or bring her up to your level on a counter or table. If you are out in public, a wide angle with Blythe in the foreground and buildings, etc. in the background will make her look more lifelike, just make sure you focus on her. If you want your background to be more soft and blurry, use a wider (smaller number) aperture if you can and use a your lens zoomed in instead of wide. Some point and shoot cameras will let you get super close in macro mode at the widest angle and this can make for some fun and quirky photos. Experiment with your photo processing software. If you don’t have software, Picnik is a great option – it’s free, fun, easy to use and the premium version is very inexpensive when compared to other programs. If you are interested in learning more about photography and exposure, I always recommend Bryan Peterson’s “Understanding Exposure”. And don’t worry if you don’t have a digital SLR with a bunch of lenses – remember that the best camera you have is the one with you! If you have an iPhone or other smart phone, there are a lot of fun photo apps to experiment with that will give your photos some interesting looks and they also make it easy to upload photos to Flickr and other sites.

Finally, my number one tip for someone who takes photos of their Blythes is to have fun! Set up photos that make you smile or giggle. Don’t be afraid to take Blythe out in public or on trips, she’ll help make your journey an adventure!

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If you’re interested in seeing more of Jennifer’s photography, you can check out her Flickr photostream. And be sure to check out this month’s Blythe Photo Challenge (both on Flickr and on their blog)!

People who customize are pretty much fantastic to me, seeing as I’m not exactly customizing-inclined and I love looking at photos of customized Blythes. Customizations by Melly Kay is no exception! She has a wonderful eye for colour, combines her style with everyone’s favourite doll’s style. You can check out Melly Kay’s website and Flickr photostream to see all there is that she offers, and it’s all wonderful.

Hi Melly Kay! What can you tell us about yourself?
Well, I’m a 29 year old doggie daycare employee/artist and I’ve been customizing Blythe dolls since January of this year and I love it! I’m enjoying being a part of the Blythe community and making all kinds of awesome contacts and friends 🙂

How did you discover Blythe?
I think I first saw Blythe on someone’s blog…I don’t remember which blog, but it seems like the author had a Blythe doll and posted some pictures. I remember wondering what this big-headed doll was and being really intrigued. Then I kept seeing Blythe dolls pop up here and there on different sites and that led me to Flickr where I discovered the world of customized Blythe dolls. I was blown away by all the gorgeous girls and the beautiful photography After seeing all of this, I knew then I had to learn to customize so I started researching and learning as much as I could about it…

Who was the first Blythe that you customized and what did you learn from the experience?
The first Blythe that I customized was an ADG Pleasant Peasant who I named Gaga. I bought her on ebay and I decided to learn to customize on her. I remember being so excited but also very nervous because I’d read about how hard ADGs are to open. But I got my girl open and did all the common customizations on her one by one. I learned so much while customizing her! Obviously I learned about doll parts and customizing tools/methods, but I think the main thing I gained from it was confidence. I went into this not know how to do any of it and being very nervous about messing the doll up. After I was done and she turned out so cute, it made me realize that maybe this is something I should pursue!

There are so many different Blythe molds and not all of them open up the same way, which ones do you like working with the best and why?
I like the RBL mold (especially the translucent girls!) mainly because I’ve worked on them more than any other mold. For me, they’re easy to open and I love their stock look & expression. But I look forward to working with the other molds too. I’m dying to do my first EBL!

If you could describe your customizing style in 140 characters or less, how would you describe it?
Playful, sweet, colorful, kawaii, whimsical, intricate & just fun! My style is basically a fusion of all the things I love & am inspired by!

I get nervous just thinking about opening up a doll’s head, what is something that you find challenging about customizing and how do you overcome this challenge?
My biggest challenge with customizing is battling nerves! I am a worrier by nature anyway, so the fear of screwing up someones doll can get intense. (I usually get so nervous when the doll arrives that I leave her in the box for a day or two and avoid her at all costs, haha!) I try to overcome the fear by being confident in my ability. I know that I can do the work and I have never had any major accidents, so I remind myself of that and press on. Once I sit down and start the custom, I usually feel a lot better too! Also, I try to play music while I’m customizing too. Music is a big part of my life and it really helps me mellow out and stay focused.

For those who have never gotten a doll customized before, what are some things that you would tell them to look for in a customizer?
Hmm, I would say first and foremost, educate yourself about Blythe customs and know a little bit before diving in. It helps to know terminology and stuff like that. Then I would look at the customizer’s style and abilities. There are so many great customizers out there with different artistic styles so be sure to find one that is customizing Blythe in the way that appeals to you. Also, be sure to check out their portfolio so you can see the quality of their work. I recommend asking lots of questions and getting to know your potential customizer too. You should look for someone who explains everything to you and helps you understand the process.

I know each and every customizer works a little differently, what can you tell us about the process from initially talking to you to finally receiving a Blythe back in the mail from you?
Initially, we’ll go over services and pricing. I like to make sure the client understands what they will get and how much it will cost. Then we discuss color palettes and potential themes. I like for the client to give me as much input as possible about colors they like/don’t like and that sort of thing. I keep a notebook of every client and their requests for their doll so that when the doll arrives I know exactly what to do and I don’t get disorganized. Once the client is sure they want a custom from me, I request they send the doll and payment. When the doll arrives, she gets her own sealed bin and I keep all of her parts, screws, t-bar, clothing, etc. in this bin so that her belongings don’t get lost or sent home with the wrong doll. When I begin working on the doll, I like to try and get the face-up done first and get approval on the colors and then usually I’ll go back and do touch-ups and add little details. I take pictures and send messages throughout the entire process so the client knows exactly what’s going on with their doll. Once the doll is finished, I box her back up and she’s on her way home! I always ship via USPS with tracking & insurance. I also offer FREE touch-ups on minor damage (rubs, fine scratches, etc)…all the client pays is shipping.

What’s your favourite thing about customizing Blythe and why?
My favorite thing about customizing Blythe is the way it makes me feel. You know how sometimes you feel like you don’t know where you’re headed or what your purpose in life is? Well, for me, customizing is one of the few things in my life that I KNOW I’m supposed to be doing. It feels like my purpose right now. It’s kind of weird, but when I found Blythe and started customizing, it feel like everything had come full circle. I have done all kinds of art (painting, making miniature food, graphic illustration, crafting, etc) and it feels like I learned a lot of that to prepare me for Blythe. I’ve taken a lot of the tools and techniques from those art forms and applied them to Blythe and it’s helped so much! Basically, I just love Blythe dolls. They’re so fun and different…and being able to make a girl OOAK is icing on the cake! I don’t have anything against stock dolls, but when you see a Blythe “come alive” through customization, it’s amazing! You would think I’d get used to it, but sometimes I look at a finished girl and I’m utterly amazed. I’m like, “I did that…WOW I rock!” LOL! It really is a magical thing and I love being a part of it! I also LOVE the Blythe community as well. We’re just big kids letting our freak flags fly 😉 In the documentary, Beautiful Losers, artist Ed Templeton talks about (and I’m paraphrasing here) how as kids we imagine, play, color, and create a lot…but once we grow-up we’re expected to put away our toys and be adults…He says there’s something amazing and beautiful about grown-ups who don’t lose that childlike nature to play, create, and dream! That’s what customizing Blythe does for me…it keeps that side of me alive and excited 🙂

What comes to mind when you see people enjoying the customs that you have done?
Just pure happiness comes to mind! Whether it’s people leaving wonderful comments about my customs on Flickr or seeing pictures of my custom girls in their new homes, it just makes me smile really big. These girls are SO special to me and for another person to feel the same way about them is just amazing to me…I’m still in awe about it at times!

Like any artist, customizers draw their inspiration from somewhere. Where do you get your inspiration from for your customs?
I think the main thing that inspires me is Blythe herself! From the hair colors to the eye chips to the clothing, it all makes me feel creative! I get inspired by lots of things though…beautiful colors, textures, music, characters from my favorite movies/tv shows, nature, and most definitely other customizers! My favorite customizer is frankie.DARLING and I love browsing her Flickr photostream and looking at all of her beautiful girls. I think her customizing style is so unique and the way she photographs her girls really makes her work pop! When I look at her customs, I see HER if that makes sense. Who she is shines through and I really aspire for people to see ME when they see my girls!

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Melly. Just one last question, what kind of advice do you have to give to someone who’s new to the Blythe hobby?
You’re so welcome and thank you for having me! As far as advice, first I would say learn as much as you can. I spent a lot of time researching the first few months and it helped me understand things so much better. I’d also say reach out and join a forum or get on Flickr and connect with all the Blythe lovers there.The Blythe community is wonderful and there are so many amazing people from around the globe that connect with. I’d also say go into i with a budget and plan of some sort. Blythe is addictive and expensive so prepare yourself for that. Don’t be impulsive like me, lol! Every single time I buy a girl I like on impulse, it never fails that a “dream girl” I really want goes up for adoption a few days after and I don’t have the funds to get her. Take your time, plan your collection out and have fun!!

Melly Kay is giving away a customized Blythe, meet Miss Bellatrix Gamma Ray!

Melly Kay customized this lovely Bohemian Peace and this is Bellatrix Gamma Ray! You can check out her Flickr set and totally fall in love with her.

You can get up to three entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday November 13th at 11:59pm PST. The draw will be held on Sunday November 14th and the winner will be announced on BlytheLife.com. Remember to use a valid email address for all comments. If you win, your email will be forwarded to Melly Kay for arranging shipment of the prize.

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

Entry #1: It’s short and simply this week: what’s your favourite thing about Blythe?

Entry #2: Tweet about the contest! Please include the url to your tweet or your Twitter username.

Win a Melly Kay Custom! Find the details at http://bit.ly/c7Giog

Entry #3: Blog about the contest! Please include the link to this page.

Keelie is a fantastic member of the Blythe community that contacted me a little while ago wondering if I would be interested in interviewing her. Erm, does it snow in Canada? That would be a resounding yes on both accounts! Keelie’s style is unique and easy to recognize and she’s got some fantastic answers for all the questions that I threw at her. She brings her professional background and training to customizing and comes up with innovative ways to incorporate new things to what she offers to people looking to have their dolls customized by her. You can learn more about Keelie’s customizing services at her website, Marmalade Forest, and check out her Flickr customs group for more photos.

Hi Keelie! What can you tell us about yourself and how you discovered Blythe?
I have always been involved with artsy sort of endeavors. I am a professional airbrush makeup artist by trade and until just a few months ago I owned a hair salon. I sold it in order to be a stay at home mommy to my new baby, Penelope.

I first heard of Blythe through my dad and stepmom. We all have mopeds and they searched the term “scooter girl” in Google in order to find a picture for my stepmom’s Myspace background. Up came a picture of a redheaded, green eyed (just like me!) Kenner Blythe sitting atop an orange, brown and white moped JUST like my own! They thought it was rather cool that they had just stumbled upon my dolly doppelganger. My birthday was approaching and they were looking into surprising me with one of these quirky characters- that is, until they saw what a Kenner’s price tag was! At that point they just showed me the picture for fun. Once i saw it I was obsessed! I looked further into what Blythes were all about and learned about the NEO Blythe. I saved up some money and took a big plunge, purchasing a NRFB Princess a la Mode as my first Blythe. I figured I might as well start off with my dream girl! My collection grew rapidly after that.

Who was the first doll that you customized? What made you want to start customizing Blythe?
The first dolly that I customized was a Mrs. Retro Mama. I had seen some other customs on Flickr and I liked how custom Blythes looked so much more “alive” and full of character than stock Blythes. Being inclined towards crafty things and also being in the professional hair and makeup industry, I decided to jump right in and try customizing out for myself. It seemed to really fit in with the line of work i was already doing…just on a doll and not on a person! I was drawn to MRM’s translucent skin. I noticed that carving her lips was like running a hot knife through butter. It just took shape so easily! I applied my airbrush makeup knowledge to customizing her makeup and I took a stab at a three toned saran reroot. In all, I really like how Charlie turned out…she is still one of my favorite dolls ever!

I only do minor customizations to my dolls, but melting glue sticks to remove eye chips always makes me really nervous. What makes you nervous about customizing the dolls?
I’d say the lip carving. It is such a permanent thing and once you start there is really no going back! I definitely have my own “lip style” but it’s something that differs a bit from doll to doll, so there is always a little bit of apprehension when diving in. I’m happy to say that after a minute or so of mapping out the shape, my fears calm down and I can just enjoy the ride.

Do you have any rituals or something that you always have to do before you start customizing on a doll?
Before I can customize I always clean my craft space. I need a nice clear, open space to work in or I get frustrated and anxiety ridden lol. Once I have a clean space I get out all my equipment and line it up, then lay down a large sheet of paper as a base to work on and then I take apart my airbrush, cleaning it thoroughly so there are no chances of splatters. (I learned my lesson there while on a magazine editorial photo shoot for work one day! I hadn’t cleaned my gun good enough and the lead singer of a band ended up with splattered blush! Luckily it was a quick fix, but still no fun!) . I also take my airbrush and spray some free form pictures on the paper. It seems to get the juices flowing and helps me to decide on color choices.

You have done some beautiful customs. How does it make you feel when you see people showing off their photos of dolls customized by you?
Awww, thanks! 😉 It’s a lot of fun to see my customs out there! The past couple years have been crazy ones so I haven’t really been doing that many, but it’s super fun to stumble across girls that I have sent out into the community. I especially like to see what hair and eye chips were matched up with them if it was just a face-up I did. There are a few dolls that sold on eBay to unknown collectors. It makes me sad to think I may never get to see any pictures of those dolls again…especially my favorite creation thus far: Reagan LaRou. (Reagan…if your mommy is out there reading this then please tell her to show some of your photos on Flickr!).

What kinds of things do you think people should look for before hiring you, or anyone else, as a customizer?
I will sometimes have people send me pictures of other customizer’s lip carvings and say “I want these lips.” I usually will try to nicely tell them that we each have our own style and if those lips are what you desire then awesome, but you should go to that customizer for them. I think it’s really important to remember that each person out there customizing has their own style and you are hiring them specifically to do what THEY do best. I think of it a lot like tattoos….some artists do bold work well, some do soft work, some flash art and etc…if you want a light and beautiful fairy tattoo then you wouldn’t go to the artist that does heavy lined Navy tattoos now, would ya?!

Also, I like to do original pieces for each person. I don’t mind if someone is inspired by another dolls makeup and wants something based off of it, but I will turn down requests to straight up copy another dolls look. I think each dolly should be unique!

You’ve done some ‘full customs’ around a theme, complete with specially designed outfits and even customized stands and other accessories. Where do you get your inspiration for these full customs?
It depends. Sometimes I will just think up something and want to see it play out. Lately though I have had a lot of time sitting around feeding the baby and watching Instant Play shows on Netflix. I often get inspired by things I see in the shows or different characters. Lately I’ve been watching Pushing Daisies and it has inspired three different customs alone!

What do you think is something important for anyone who’s wanting to start customizing dolls to know?
Don’t expect your first shot to be perfect! It’s something that takes practice and you will get better and better the more you do it. Read lots of tutorials, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Give yourself the opportunity to find your own style. It’s nice to reference other peoples work, but try to resist copying what you see or you won’t allow your own abilities to shine through. Most importantly, go with the flow and don’t force any certain style if it’s just not your thing! Stay true to yourself! 😉

I know you’ve mentioned that you’re also a professional makeup artist, how has that helped, or hindered, your Blythe customizing?
The only way my experience has been a hindrance is when i think up something really cool that I know would work great in a photo shoot on a human being…but when I try to translate it onto a Blythe face it just doesn’t work! lol It can get quite frustrating. Other than that it has been a great help! I already had my airbrush set up and had 7+ years of airbrushing experience under my belt so I didn’t have to start from scratch on those skills. I could get right to creating what was in my mind. I also am called on to be the creative factor in a lot of photo shoot projects so I’m used to thinking outside the box when it comes to looks and themes. Many times on a shoot the photographer will ask me for something which wasn’t expected. I often have to improvise to make a shot happen, so I have become very MacGuyver-like when it comes to creating something from a few random materials. This has been helpful when creating different props and accessories for my full themed dolls.

For those who have never gotten a doll customized before, and were to choose you, what kind of process can someone expect from the initial contact to receiving their doll back in the mail?
First they will contact me about interest in having a doll customized, or another service done by me. This can be done through Plastic Paradise, Flickr, Facebook or even my email…basically wherever they heard about me. I will then send them a link to my “Blythe Custom Service menu“. Here they can view my services and prices, take a look at my wait list and read up on exactly what steps to expect from sending me their doll to how to get their doll home. After they have signed up for a waiting list slot they will receive a link to a private password page where they can view each step as it happens. This private page is where I will post information from getting their doll in the mail, to posting pictures for approval. They can ask questions, send me example links, etc all through this private page. This is also where they will find payment info when their doll is finished so that she may be shipped up and sent home safely.

This is a new way of doing things for me and I’m really excited to have such a streamlined way of keeping track of my custom work as well as offering a link that people can view at anytime with updates on their doll. It will save us all the hassle of searching through Flickr and other forums looking for the info that was sent about the commission being done!

How would you describe your custom Blythes in 140 characters or less?
Oh geez! Lots of variation,They range from soft and sweet to colorful and sassy. Fantasy to natural, they are all over the board depending on the owners desire.

A little birdie told me that you have something new for reroots that is fun, exciting and sparkly. What can you tell me about that?
I sure do and I’m super excited about it! The new service added to my menu is called “Hair Attitudes”. They are tiny, sparkly strands of tinsel that are rooted into your Blythe’s scalp making her hair shimmer and twinkle. One of the neatest things about them is that they can withstand heat up to 400 degrees which means you will be able to have them in your dolls hair while ironing her hairstyle into place, or even while flat ironing or curling your mohair! I’m starting off by offering ten colors which will quickly grow if people are showing interest in the service. “Hair Attitudes” are available in three different packages that best describe your girls personality:

The Wallflower is for those tamer Blythes looking for just adding a few single strands to their hair. The Dancing Queen is for those girls who like to rebel but want to play it safe. It includes 10 strands that can be added here or there or in a chunky streak or other pattern. Lastly comes The Diva, a full on 25 strands used to highlight the whole head with a sprinkling of sparkles.

You can play it safe by using a sparkling chocolate color in brown haired dolls, a coppery bronze in redheads and a shimmering champagne in blondes, or go wild and add in any color of the rainbow…Or better yet, a rainbow colored pattern itself!!! Sparkly hair is something that I haven’t seen yet on a custom (however I’m sure there could be one out there!) and I’m really excited to be able to offer such a cool service! What’s better than an awesome doll who SPARKLES?!? 😉

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Keelie! What kind of advice do you have for someone who has just entered into the Blythe hobby?
No problem! This was a ton of fun. I really enjoy your blog and am honored to be a part of it. As far as newbie advice: Do your homework! Before buying a girl, join the forums, chit chat with people, ask questions. Try to stay away from eBay, because every doll there is “rare” lol. I got caught up in that one…buying a “rare” girl who I found out later was priced way too high and definitely not rare at the time. And, if you really want a certain girl that costs a bit more than you can afford, SAVE UP for her…buying a cheaper girl will not quench your thirst for the pricier girl, it will just set you back because I guarantee you will be buying that pricier girl regardless! lol (I feel I can advise this since I just went for it and bought Princess a la Mode as my first…lol…may as well start with what you really want! i have never regretted it) Also, I know that when you are new you may want to jump and buy tons of dolls and hoard every last one that you can (or at least I did) but I think it’s nice to take your time with each new girl. Get to know her, give her a nice wardrobe and find her personality. Take lots of pictures and just overall ENJOY her! There is plenty of time to grow a large collection. 😉

Customizing Giveaways Galore!

Keelie has been super and offered up several prizes for this week’s giveaway!

First Prize: A Hair Attitudes service of the winner’s choice! You can choose between The Wallflower, The Dancing Queen or The Diva for your very special Blythe doll! Please note that the scalp must be sent to Keelie removed from the dome. The winner covers the cost of shipping to Keelie, she will cover the cost of shipping the finished scalp back to you.

Runner Up #1: $10 off an airbrush package.

Runner Up #2 and 3: $5 off “The Diva” Hair Attitudes service..

For more information regarding the packages or services available by Keelie, check out her custom service menu.

You can have up to three (3) entries into the giveaway, which will be done by a random draw. You can enter until Saturday October 16th, 2010 at 9:00pm PDT. Winners will be randomly selected and announced on Sunday October 17th 2010.

Remember to use a valid email address when commenting. If you are chosen as a winner, your email address will be forwarded to Keelie to discuss getting the prize.

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

Entry #1: Comment on this interview! I want to know what you think about it (the interview, Keelie’s answers, anything at all!).

Entry #2: Bonus Entry! Help Keelie and me promote the giveaway (and interview!) by retweeting the following (be sure to include your Twitter username when commenting to let me know who you are!):

@blythelifecom wants to know if you have some hair attitude! Giveaway details at http://bit.ly/bcdWgp

Entry #3: Bonus Entry! Subscribe to Keelie’s blog by clicking here and then clicking the subscribe link on the right hand column.