I recently had the opportunity to interview the dynamic mother-daughter Etsy team behind Hannah and Gloria Present: Crafts for all Occasions. Holly and Cathy both craft and make some wonderful and unique items for Blythe. I enjoyed interviewing the two of them about how their Etsy shop came to be and how they’ve both changed during the process of learning how to craft for dolls. You can check out all their fantastic items over at their Etsy shop!

Hi Holly and Cathy! What can you tell us about yourselves and how you found Blythe?
H: Well, I found Blythe through Flickr. I originally wanted to be a landscape photographer so I frequented the site, and I’m pretty sure I was just bored and browsing when I found a picture of this stunning doll. I became fascinated with the big eyes and the intricate little clothing. I was never a huge doll/ clothing fan until then, but somehow these were just different, and appealed to me. I knew I had to have one, so I searched for about two months before I ran into the perfect stock girl for me. Gloria, my Punkaholic People. She was wonderful! Short black bob, plaid miniskirt and a dolly sized guitar! It was a match made in heaven. When she arrived, in my eyes she could do no wrong! I took primitive pictures of her with my phone camera at first and then proceeded to my current Point and Shoot camera.
Since, I’ve been slowly learning the ropes of Blythe’s pretty little world and nothing has been the same!

C: The first time my daughter showed me a picture of the doll she was going to buy, I was a little skeptical. But she seemed so enthusiastic about it, I was interested. I’ve been trying to teach her to sew since she was a child, but she’s never tried so hard to improve until now. We help each other grow as seamstresses, I’ve never made doll clothes and she’s never sewn much else, so when we work together, it’s a learning experience for me as well.

Hannah & Gloria fashions – don’t you just love their print selections? Photo credit: Holly/HollyDolly12

You two run an Etsy shop, called Hannah and Gloria Present: Crafts for all Occasions, what can you tell us about where the name came from?
H: Hannah and Gloria are the names of my first two dolls. I thought it sounded catchy. I began the shop as a bit of a miscellaneous place to try and sell my creations. Doll clothes mainly but also charms and whatever else I come up with for the girls, so it’s more or less crafts for all occasions. That and I’m really into romantic literature with old English specialty emporiums. 😀

What kind of crafts do you two both do? How long have you two been crafting?
H: I’ve been crafting my whole life. As long as I can remember my mom had me crocheting or sewing, giving me things like looms and bead kits for Christmas. It was fun. I was never very good at it, but I worked hard and eventually got better. It also gives me confidence to try things like scrap booking and, of course, Blythe stuff now that I’m older.

C: I’m pretty much the same, growing up in the 60’s, my mother and I sewed a lot and fixed our own clothes. As a young girl, I can remember begging my mother to hem my skirt another inch so I would look trendy in school! My mother taught me how to crochet, it was one of her favorite pastimes. She crocheted with thin string around dish cloths and it just blew my mind. I’ve always favored crocheting with rags or at least yarn with a nice big hook. It much easier to work with for me and more fun.

In 1997, I came up with my idea for a purse. After years of messing with bags and purses with zippers that break and Velcro closures that get all jammed up and redundant, I got sick of carrying purses altogether. I’m sure most women have dealt with frustrating purses, that one thing you can never find. Well, I was just done. I decided to make the purse to end all my issues, and I came up with the name Dream Purses. My husband had been fired from his job repairing radios and electronics, and we needed income, so together we made these purses and sold them for 12 years before my husband retired last year. The bag design was simple, using gravity to keep the purse closed, using up cycled blue jeans to create pockets on the inside, and putting pockets on the outside to make the purse easily reversible. I’m still improving upon my own design all the time, adding little features and things to make this purse durable and functional.
When Holly ended up with three Blythe dolls and could not leave them at home, I knew I had one more change in design to make. I’ve watched her since January carrying around a doll stuffed in her little tote purse with it open to all the dangers of keys and pens and the metal studded wallet she insists upon carrying. So I made my purse bigger to accommodate all three of her little cuties and all their clothes and things as well as the contents of her usual purse. The girls are protected without having to carry an extra bag. The pockets hold everything she and her dolls need for a nice day out.

I guess crafting is more or less my life. I love having wonderful little knickknacks and miniatures around, most of which Holly takes periodically for the “Dolly House” I think it’s great that she found a way to let her crafting and creativity in such a concentrated manner. She’s so determined these days with her projects, her latest dolly caper, and she won’t stop until it’s finished.

I know there’s a lot of different things available in the Etsy shop that you two share. How would you describe the things you two make in 140 characters or less?
H: What we sell on Etsy is what we enjoy sewing. We love making bags that are quality and sensible, but are also works of art. And we like hearing how pleased our customers are with what we make.

Halloween is pretty close by, but you could celebrate Halloween all year round with a fantastic quilt! Photo credit: Holly/HollyDolly12

What are some of the things that make your items stand out from among the rest of the things for Blythe available on Etsy?
H: That’s a hard one! There are so many wonderful products and people on Etsy, and the best thing is that we are all so diverse! If I had to pick one thing that makes us different, I’d say that it’s our attitude. We don’t manufacture these things. We only make a few every month and they always have 100% love and devotion put into them. We may not have lots of things listed, but we put our hearts into what we do make.

How much has Blythe changed how you craft?
H: The biggest thing Blythe has done to our crafting is cause us to think outside the box. We’ve had to come up with ways to specialize for the doll. Until Blythe, we never really sewed for dolls before. Most of what we’ve had to do is miniaturize it!

Cute and adorable, Holly and Cathy make clothes that work well with stock Blythe clothes! Photo credit: Holly/HollyDolly12

How does it make you feel when you see photos of people using the things that they’ve bought from you?
H: I really enjoy when I see pics of people using the things I make. Especially when they talk about how much they love it! Gives meaning to all my pointless crafting!

What’s something that you know now that you wish you knew when you first started making things to sell for Blythe?
H: I guess I wish I knew it was so hard… The clothes are so intricate sometimes I have to really think about how it’s going to go together! I also wish I knew how rewarding it is. I really love sewing for the little sweeties.

Happiness comes in skull prints on skirts. Don’t you wish this came in your size? Photo credit: Holly/HollyDolly12

I think it’s great that you two work together to make such wonderful things for Blythe! What’s the best thing for each of you about working together on your Etsy shop?
H: I love that my mom and I both grow as seamstresses, as well as people. We’ve really learned to get along together better and we’re more of a team now! We may not always see eye to eye, but we have something to bring us together now!

Thank you both, Holly and Cathy, for letting me interview you! If you could give any advice to a new-come to the Blythe hobby, what would it be?
H: My advise to any new Blyther is definitely to start slow. At first, I wanted to buy all of them, and to dash into doing all sorts of customization feats. I wanted to do everything at once! But I had self control, only bought a few, and began trying different things with the girls one by one, and it’s worked out better that way. 🙂 And have fun! That’s what the idea of the hobby should be, not competition, but enjoying each other’s work and enjoying our own!

Dolly Carrier Giveaway!

Holly and Cathy have generously offered to do a giveaway of one of their doll carriers!

Isn’t it adorable? And you’re probably wondering just how much stuff can fit into this gorgeous dolly carrier… The answer is: a lot.

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 2nd, 2010 at 9:00pm Pacific. One winner will be randomly selected and it will announced on Sunday October 3rd.

Remember to use a valid email address when commenting. If you are chosen as the winner, your email address will be forwarded to Holly to arrange for the prize to be sent to you.

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

Entry #1: Finished reading the interview? I hope you liked it! Write a comment below about the interview that I had done with Holly and Cathy!

Entry #2 Bonus Entry! Go check out Holly and Cathy’s shop and write a comment or suggestion below about their shop, what you liked/loved about it or what you hope they make in the future!

Entry #3: Bonus Entry! Help Holly, Cathy and me promote the giveaway (and interview!) by retweeting the following:

@blythelifecom and @xHollyDolly12x are doing a giveaway! Check out the interview at http://bit.ly/aWbgUH

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I hope you enjoyed my interview with Holly and Cathy! Are you interested in getting interviewed and featured on BlytheLife.com? Check out all the reasons why you should consider getting featured and start the first step by letting me know about you on the how to get featured page.

I was really excited when Jess came back into the Blythe community after a (short!) hiatus from dolls. Her customs are beautifully done and I really enjoy looking at her work on Flickr! Not only does Jess customize dolls, she also does reroots and makes clothes for dolls as well. Making things from pretty dolls to lovely dresses and cardigans, Jess has no doubt made a name for herself in the Blythe community and I had the honour of interviewing her for BlytheLife.com!

You can find more of Jess’ work at MilkyRobot.com, at her Etsy shop and on her Flickr!

Hi Jess! What can you tell us about yourself and how you got into the Blythe hobby?
I discovered Blythe in January 2009 when my daughter was born. I was on maternity leave and got so bored while the little one napped, so I would hang out on flickr all day. I came across these dolls and was immediately hooked! My first girl was a Frosty Frock, who I sent off to Frankie Darling for a custom. Not to long ago, I left Blythe for a while and have just recently jumped back into the Blythe world again. I always think “Blythe, I can’t quit you!’.

My sister has a theory that people who customize Blythe dolls might have also ‘customized’ their toys when they were younger (with safety scissors and permanent markers), did you ever do anything like that when you were younger?
That’s funny, I did mess with my Barbie’s when I was younger! I would always chop their hair off or add to their makeup. I guess it’s a natural thing for me to customize these adorable big headed girls!

Fruit Punch custom by Jess. Photo credit: Jess/Milky Robot.

For me, one of the most nerve wracking things I’ve ever done was put a melting hot glue stick onto a very expensive doll. How did you get started with customizing Blythe dolls?
After getting my first Blythe customized, I kept pondering the idea of just trying it myself. I was a nervous wreck. Mostly cause I was so afraid I wouldn’t know how to put her back together after. The customizing part came easy for me since I was always into art and did a lot of painting in my younger years. I have to say, the glue sticks still scare me, but that’s cause I majorly burned three fingers one time pulling out eye chips. So now I’m a tad more cautious.

Who was the first customized Blythe that you made and what was the most important thing you learned from that first experience?
My first custom Blythe I did was on a CapChat. She was my second doll and I almost sent her out to be customized but decided to take the plunge myself. Everything from that custom was an experience, from how the doll functioned, to layering the colors just right. I learned a lot from that girl.

Simply Mango custom by Jess (lovely eyechips to go with those freckles!). Photo credit: Jess/Milky Robot.

What kind of mold bases do you like to work with the most? Why?
My favorite mold to work with is EBL. I wish they were slightly easier to get open than an RBL, but I just love their faces. I tend to have a lot of fun when customizing them! I’m not sure exactly why I like them so much, but their cute faces win me over in a heart beat!

For reroots, there’s a lot of different hair choices available. For you, what are the pros and cons to the different hair types?
I’ve worked with Saran, Nylon, Alpaca, Mohair and even Polypropylene. My favorite to work with is Saran, or a Saran/Nylon blend. I notice I get little kinks once in a while when I work with just straight Nylon, so it gets a little irritating at times. Mohair and Alpaca are extremely soft and nice to use as well. I tend to make a mess with the two and have a hard time keeping it away from the cats, haha!

Disco Boogie-Fancy Pansy custom by Jess. (I just love that doey-eyed look!) Photo credit: Jess/Milky Robot.

What is something that you know now that you wish you’d known when you first started customizing Blythe?
Hmmm… Pastels! In the beginning, I thought chalk pastels were pretty much the same as far as brands go. I now know that some brands are just crap. Sometimes you need to splurge a little more on a good set than trying to save a buck. Not only does a nice pastel work better for me, but it helps me enjoy the process of customizing rather than cussing up a storm and having my cats run away from me.

If you could describe your customizing style in 140 characters or less, how would you describe them?
My style is a bit of a mix between natural and colorful. I tend to do natural lips with colorful eyes. I love to bring them to life!

Lovely green gradient eyeshadow on the lids with glossy lips! Photo credit: Jess/Milky Robot.

Where do you get your inspiration for the custom dolls that you do?
Most of my inspiration comes from things around me. Graffiti plays a big inspiration in my book, I adore the colors and how the art is brought together. Some artists I admire are Shepherd Fairey, Miss Van, Mark Ryden and Jeff Soto.

Do you have any special things that you always have to do before working on a custom Blythe?
Make a list! I make a list of everything the customer wants done, from colors to freckles and chip placement. If they have a drawing I attach that to my list as well. The first thing I do before opening them up is check the doll out. I look for scuffs, cracks, check the eye mech, etc. I document this all so after I’m done working on a girl, I know what was there before I started.

Heather Sky-Miss Sally Rice custom by Jess. Luscious lips, just complete love. Photo credit: Jess/Milky Robot.

To you, what makes Blythe the perfect canvas for customization and artwork?
Their faces are so much bigger than BJD’s and other dolls. They have a nice “flat” surface to work on, and more space to add to. Plus, they are adorable!

What would you say makes your customs stand out from all the other custom work out there?
I’m not exactly sure what stands out the most. I’ve heard my freckles are key point when picking out one of my custom girls. I like to think my natural touches make my girls stand out the most.

Left: Simply Peppermint custom by Jess. Right: Love Mission custom by Jess (those EBL pink chips look fantastic with those natural looking freckles!). Photo credits: Jess/Milky Robot.

I’d just like to say thank you for doing this interview with me, Jess! What kind advice would you give to someone who’s just entering into the Blythe hobby/community?
Blythe will open you up to SO many new friends and experiences. When customizing your first girl, don’t be afraid! Get familiar with the forums, my favorite is Plastic Paradise. There are so many people in this hobby that will assist you in any way with your questions and invite you in with loving arms!

Are you interested in getting interviewed and featured on BlytheLife.com? Check out all the reasons why you should consider getting featured and start the first step by letting me know about you on the how to get featured page.

HauteCute.net is an adorable blog and online shop that is dedicated to all things cute. It is owned and maintained by the awesome Brigitte, who also customizes Blythe and Pullip dolls! At Haute Cute, there’s all sorts of unique items that are available exclusively through the online shop. Bringing cute and unique designs together, Brigitte offers a little something for everyone, include your dolls.

Hi Brigitte! What can you tell us about yourself and how you discovered Blythe?
Hi there! Well I’m Brigitte, I live in Florida with my backpack, Babette, and my stuffed raccoon Rax. I make stuff and encourage others to do the same. I’ve been lucky enough to be a full time artist/crafter for just over one year now!

When Gina Garan’s “This is Blythe” book came out in 2000 I saw it written up in BUST Magazine, I picked up a copy and totally feel in love! I looked for Blythe dolls the internet, but that was back before they were being manufactured (that I knew of), and the ones I found were the originals that were going for a fortune. Eventually (in 2005) I got into Pullips and bought my first one, a Paja (Jaka), that I still have today! I really love all kinds of dolls, as long as they have giant apple heads ;3 I have and work with Blythe, Pullip, Dal, Byul, and even the occasional Taeyang!

You customize dolls into a style that no one else seems to do, what can you tell us about your style?
Thank you 😀 I do my best! When I started customizing dolls I did it because no one was making the kinds of customs that I wanted to buy (on Pullips, all of my favorite doll customizers work with Blythe actually). I like bright, unusual, almost chaotic things, so that’s what I created. I was thrilled and shocked that people loved them, I still am! It’s an honor. Thankfully, even as more people make crazy colorful customs, my Zombuki girls remain really recognizable as Zombuki. I feel lucky that I’m allowed to make them :3

Blythe Chip Evil Eye Necklaces made by Brigitte for HauteCute.net

You have a blog and an online shop called HauteCute.net, what can you tell us about where the name came from? What kinds of things do you blog about there?
Yes! I read a huge amount of blogs and I find a ton of amazing stuff, I have to share it somehow, it’s like a compulsion. I can’t help myself! lol For Haute Cute I wanted to create a site that acknowledged the fact that, just because someone likes and appreciates a “cute” aesthetic, doesn’t mean they wants to see every photo of Hello Kitty that the internet has to offer. I wanted it to be edited, curated, and geared toward an audience who, like me, had seen it all. Haute (high) Cute indicates a certain level of discernment, while the pun (hot cute) reminds me not to take myself too seriously ;D

Before the blog/shop I would post/email links to friends a dozen times a day, I was like everyone’s personal shopper! Then I realized I could combine my love of cute, shopping, and ability to find awesome stuff into a really cool shop. I am really good friends with a lot of amazing shop owners, I don’t want to compete with them or the artists, what I wanted was to be able to promote them all, to be able to build a sense of community, and that’s when the idea of the Haute Cute shop only carrying exclusives was born!

What is something that you feel your online shop can provided to the Blythe community that no other shop can?
A lot of doll shops are geared towards the dolls alone, whereas the goal of Haute Cute is to bring things to the community that both dolls and their owners can enjoy. I think I’m in the majority when I confess that my dolls have a nicer, larger, and quite possibly more expensive wardrobe than I do (I try not to think about it lol). With the Haute Cute shop I want people to be able to come, pick up something for their girls (or boys) and get something for themselves that lets the world know that they live what I refer to as la vi-doll-oca ;3 I don’t know about you but if I saw something with a Blythe doll necklace on I’d have to go say hi!

Pull Ring Necklace Charm (with plenty of sparkle) made by Brigitte for HauteCute.net

How would you describe your jewellery for Blythe owners and Blythe dolls in 140 characters or less?
For us by us! I work with other doll owners to design pieces for Haute Cute because I need to know they “get” the “doll thing” 😀

I know you’ve designed some pretty unique items for HauteCute.net, what kind of process do you go through to go from an idea to the final product?
Yes! If I see someone’s work and I have to have it so badly that I go into convulsions and my neighbors can hear my squee of discovery then I know I’ve found someone I have to work with! Then if they’re interested I work on them with on developing a unique design, usually I suggest a few ideas based on what I think they can execute best, and then let them pick the project that inspires them the most. It varies from artist to artist, some people (like me) can only be happy doing one of a kind pieces, while others prefer large runs. It’s important to me that my artists really love the pieces they make for Haute Cute so I always work around their preferences. You can really tell when something was made with love (as corny as that sounds)!

HauteCute.net logo necklaces (doll-sized) in all the different colour combinations.

Besides jewellery, what kind of exclusive things can we expect to find at Haute Cute?
Alongside jewellery we’ll also be making accessories available, like cell phone charms, hair clips, and buttons, plus stationary like postcards, stickers, and even zines. We’ll also be carrying handmade plush (both people and doll size) and I’m working on designs for t-shirts, purses, and tote bags too! I’m a very busy bee! lol

I think it’s pretty exciting to come up with a product line all about Blythe and her owner. What about Haute Cute that excites you the most?
The most exciting part about Haute Cute so far is being able to support other artists and craftspeople who I really believe in. I’m honored every time someone signs on to design for the shop, it’s really wonderful to be able to help bring super cute products to the world!

What do you want people to get out of their experience from shopping at Haute Cute?
Ideally I want them to find things that they absolutely love and want to keep with them forever, things that will make them smile every time they see them!

Resin eye chips made by Brigitte, imagine the possibilities of what kind of custom eye chips you could have!

What has been the most challenging part, and rewarding part, of organizing and opening up an online shop for a hobby that you love?
Running it alone is definitely the most challenging part! I would love to have a helper, maybe some day! The most rewarding part is collaborating with amazing artists and seeing the designs come to life!

Thanks so much for doing this interview with me, Brigitte! In closing, what kind advice do you have for those that are new to the Blythe hobby?
For those new to the Blythe hobby I’d say to really enjoy it, take your time finding the perfect girl(s) and shopping for the perfect wardrobe for them. Let the hobby be fun, don’t get caught up in comparing your photos/doll clothes/girls with anyone else’s, and prepare to make some pretty neat friends 😀

HauteCute.net Necklace Set Giveaway!

Brigitte has kindly offered up an absolutely adorable necklace set for you to share with your doll! The design for this set can be found only on HauteCute.net and you have to chance to win this set!

Made out pink acrylic, the bows are mirrored silver and will appear black in some angles. Pretty nifty, and you might even win it!

You can have up to three (3) entries into the giveaway, which will be done by a random draw. You can enter until Wednesday September 8th, 2010 at 9:00pm PDT. One winner will be randomly selected and it will announced on Thursday September 9th.

Remember to use a valid email address when commenting. If you are chosen as the winner, your email address will be forwarded to Brigitte of HauteCute.net to arrange for the prize to be sent to you.

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

Entry #1: Go check out the HauteCute.net blog and shop! Write a comment below about either this interview or HauteCute.net

Entry #2: Bonus Entry! Help Brigitte and me promote the giveaway (and interview!) by retweeting the following:

@blythelifecom and @hautecute are doing a giveaway! Check out the interview at http://bit.ly/ajWkjg

Entry #3: Bonus Entry! Follow @hautecute on Twitter!

Interested in finding out more about HauteCute.net?

You can like Haute Cute on Facebook, check out the website/blog, browse the online shop and follow @hautecute on Twitter!

BlytheCon UK logo, designed by Jamie Watson.

BlytheCon UK 2010 is the first BlytheCon being held in Europe and the second BlytheCon being held ever. It’s occurring on October 2nd, 2010 in Oxford, England. There’s an amazing group of organizers behind Blythecon UK and just so much more going on behind the scenes than you may realize. For  information on BlytheCon UK and how you can attend, please check out the BlytheCon UK website..

Hi Jo, what can you tell us about yourself and how you discovered Blythe?
I am 29 years old, and live in the UK. I live with my husband, our 2 children aged 11 and 8 and our very fluffy cat.  I am a Law student.

I discovered Blythe just over a year ago in May 2009.  I was browsing my favourite Scrapbooking blogs, and saw that Martha Bonneau had posted photos of some new dolls she had just started collecting.  At first they did not really interest me, as I had never been into dolls, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them.  I went back to her blog over and over again to look at the photos, and look at the links she had posted.  Within a few days Blythe had taken over my head and I could think of little else!  With Martha’s help and advice soon ordered my first Blythe – a Primadolly Winsome Willow.  When she arrived I was almost afraid to touch her she was so special.  I named her Mei after the character from My Neighbour Totoro.  I think it was the day after she arrived I ordered my 2nd Blythe, a Bow Wow Trad who is called Satsuki (also after the My Neighbour Totoro character!).  And that was it – I was hooked.  Or you could say obsessed!

I know you and an incredible group of people are behind organizing BlytheCon UK, which is happening on October 2nd, 2010, what can you tell us about your role in the event?
When the idea of a UK Blythecon was first discussed last October by several of my friends on Twitter I was keen to be involved.  The initial team of 3 (kidcrayola who’s idea the whole event was, Candy_Pop and myself, SakuraBlythe) got to work on planning a venue, date and brainstorming ideas.

Unfortunately kidcrayola and Candy_Pop had to step down from the organising, but I decided to stay on, and had the offers of help I received were fantastic!  We are now a team of 12, and my role is to organise the finances, merchandise, stalls and ticket sales.

Let’s talk about the venue, The Jam Factory, what made this the perfect location for the first BlytheCon happening in UK?
After much thought and research we decided that Oxford would be a great city to host the event, as it is fairly central, has good transport link both with London, Birmingham and the North of the UK, and is quintessentially English for those visiting from outside the UK.  Candy_Pop was familiar with the Jam Factory which is an Art Gallery as well as a restaurant, and was able to secure the booking. The Jam Factory is a wonderful historic building, and was the perfect choice for us.

The venue for BlytheCon UK, The Jam Factory in Oxford. Photo credit: SakuraBlythe.

I can see from the website that all of the stall spots have been filled – how much variation is there in the things that will be sold at BlytheCon in terms of types of items and what countries they’re from?
Yes, the stalls went very quickly! There is a large variety of things being sold – from the expected Blythe clothes, to rerooting services and vinyl and plush collectible toys! A lot of the stall holders are from the UK, but we have stall holders coming from as far away as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, and France.

There’s some great competitions taking place at BlytheCon, what can you tell us about how the ideas for them came about?
We have several competitions running both before and at the event. Firstly is the competition to have your Blythe/Blythes as the face of the event. This competition was thought by by Amy (Oh My Blythe) who is designing the posters and fliers. She thought it would be great to have delegates involved in this, so thought it would be the ideal way! People can submit a photo to her, and she will pick a shortlist which delegates can then vote on to chose the winner! This photo will then appear on promotional material.

Secondly is the photography competition which is being organised by Sam (Mizkitty). Photography is such a huge part of Blythe that we wanted to celebrate that, and the amazing photography skills in the Blythe community. Delegates were able to nominate themes, which were then shortlisted and voted on, and the theme chosen was ‘Blythe in your country.’ People are now able to submit a photo based on this theme, and Sam and I will chose a shortlist of 10 which will be displayed at the event for everyone to vote on. There are 2 Look-alike competitions being organised by Jo (newartriotstar). Firstly is the ‘mini-me’ competition, where dolls need to look as much like their owner as possible. Secondly is the ‘Best film lookalike’ where dolls need to look like a character from a film. The idea for this competition came early on in the planning when we were asking people who were interested in coming to suggest ideas for what they’d like to see. A lookalike competition was suggested and had a lot of support.

Then there is the Blythe Fashion Design contest. Originally this was based on an idea by Jaszmade of having a fashion show by the stall holders. But there was not a lot of interest, so Shelley (Haunts Hold) hit on the idea of having a fashion design contest open to everyone. She has made some fantastic mannequins to display the outfits, and people can vote on their favourite on the day. There will also be a raffle for larger prizes (we hope that if funds run to it, the main prize will be a Blythe) and a tombola for the smaller prizes.

Profits from BlytheCon UK will be going to The Little Princess Trust, what can you tell us about the charity and why it was chosen?
The charity we chose is The Little Princess Trust. They provide real hair wigs for children suffering hair loss due to cancer treatment. As Blythe collectors, we spend a lot of time and energy on our dolls hair. So when we were thinking of a suitable charity to support, this one immediately sprang to mind. Their aim, to help children and parents minimize the trauma associated with hair loss, which they have to struggle with on top of the terrible illness they are fighting seemed something that Blythe collectors would really understand and want to help with.

Super cute BlytheCon UK button badges for the attendees! Photo credit: SakuraBlythe.

BlytheCon is going to be so exciting, what are you hoping that people attending will get out of the event?
Oh yes, Blythecon UK will be so exciting!  I’m hoping that  people have a fantastic day meeting people, making new friends,  reconnecting with old ones, and learning new things.   I have to  admit, the opportunity to shop at so many wonderful stalls all at  the same locations is something which excites me too!

For those who have never attended a Blythe Meet, what kind of advice do you have for those attending BlytheCon UK or any other smaller Blythe Meet?
I would advise anyone going to a Blythe meet for the first time  not to be scared!  Remember that we have this wonderful hobby in  common, and these people are just friends you haven’t met yet.  Its  probably best to limit the number of dolls you take to a meet or  larger event, as you want to be enjoying meeting other people’s  dolls, not having your arms full of your own!  I find 2 or 3 is the  easiest number for me to cope with.  Don’t be scared to talk to and  approach other people either – they are probably just as shy as you  feel, and will be over the moon to have someone to chat to.  And  remember that everyone was new to Blythe once, so don’t worry about  asking people questions – people will be happy to help.

Sakurako with the name badge holders for BlytheCon UK Photo credit: SakuraBlythe.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me, Jo! What has been the most challenging and most rewarding parts of organizing BlytheCon UK for you?
Thank you for asking the BCUK team for an interview – its been  a pleasure!  The most challenging part of organising BlytheCon has  been trying to make sure that as many shops as possible could have  a stall. Due to the limited space in any venue we had to keep stall  sizes small.  Fortunately the stall holders have been very  understanding and I think they’re as excited as we are!  The most  rewarding part of organising has been seeing the team pull together  to make BCUK happen, and to see the excitement in the Blythe  community about it.  I hope as many people as possible can come,  and people don’t let the fact they haven’t met many doll people in  person put them off – just think after attending BCUK you’ll have met over 100 Blythe collectors!

You can find out more about BlytheCon UK 2010 at their official website, the Facebook group, the Flickr group (be sure to share your photos from October 2nd!) and follow the one and only BlytheCon UK Twitter account!

Winning entry of challenge #4, Fun in the Sun. Photo credit: Jenny/EmbellishYourself.

I got the chance interview Wendy and Jenn, who both run the Blythe Photo Challenge! It’s a great challenge which requires only one photo per month and there’s a winner chosen among the top three photos for an awesome prize! If you’re interested in joining the Blythe Photo Challenge (BPC), be sure to check out their website at BlythePhotoChallenge.com! Donations for the BPC prizes are always accepted, read the interview or check out their website for more details.

August 1st marks the beginning of the new photo challenge! So be sure to check out BlythePhotoChallenge.com for all the details!

Hi Wendy and Jenn! What can you tell us about yourselves and how you both got into Blythe?
Jenn: My very first memory of Blythe was in a magazine sometime in 2001-2002. It was an advertisement for the ipod I believe. I remember a brunette Blythe wearing a white sweater and square glasses listening to an ipod out in front of some trees. I clipped out the photo of the Blythe and immediately put it on the cover of a notebook I was using for work. I used the entire notebook but never threw it away. I found out the history of the Blythes… and that they weren’t being made anymore in the U.S. and kind of gave up on ever having one. I never thought to look on eBay or anywhere else about getting a Kenner. Now I wish that I had. My best friend, Kim, who worked with me at the theater thought that Blythes were weird looking but understood that I wanted one dearly.

Fast forward about 7 years… I was still obsessed with looking at photos of Blythes, but I kept that very private and didn’t talk to anyone about it. I didn’t know there was a whole community out there for people who collected and loved Blythes. I loved how people would take photos of Blythe’s as if they were people. Making them look life-sized and very realistic, except of course for for their heads. I would look online mainly at Flickr at people’s photos and that was about when I learned that they were being made in Japan and that there were new ones coming out all the time. By this time Kim had moved to Tokyo with her husband. I asked her if she would be able to pick up a Blythe for me as a gift, figuring that because they are expensive that this would be my only one. In January of 2009, I received a package from Kim at work. Inside was my first Blythe, a Cousin Olivia who I named Liv. I now have 2 Takaras, a custom ADG, a Basaak clone.

Wendy: I think it may have been around 2007 when I started noticing Blythe in Sherri DuPree Bemis’ Flickr stream. I’ve been an Eisley fan for quite some time and am an admirer of Sherri’s photography. I loved how she would take them out and about and photograph them as if they were human. The years went on and I continued to see Blythe popping up in her stream. I finally decided to take the plunge and in March of this year, I got my first 2 Blythe dolls. I now have 6 dolls. Many thanks goes out to Fae (of pommepomme) for helping me discover the Blythe forums. I wouldn’t have been able to learn more about these dolls if it weren’t for her. 🙂

How did the Blythe Photo Challenge begin?
Jenn: The group was originally started by Jess-Sookie-MilkyRobot who began with the Up, Close and Personal Challenge. Jess decided to leave Blythe about 3 weeks into running the group and asked for volunteers to run it. I loved the idea of the group so much that I didn’t want to see the group disbanded or disappear. So I volunteered to run the group. Jess helped with the transition because in my first month I got married on the day we needed to announce the top 3 but since then it has been smooth sailing!

Wendy: When Jess started the BPC, I offered to help her with graphics. After she left, Jenn took over and asked if I would continue to help her out with the group. I’m glad she did! I think we make a good team. 🙂

There’s themes with each month’s challenge, what kind of inspiration do you use to come up with the themes?
Jenn: Wendy and I have had several brainstorming sessions about the themes for the group and I have also checked out other photo challenge groups to see what kind of themes they have used but we still try to pick something that maintains the fun and cuteness of Blythe. We understand that not everyone considers themselves to be an amazing photographer, so we try not to make it too focused on that. It should still be fun.

Wendy: Yes, Jenn and I definitely brainstorm prior to each challenge. Top notch photography skills are not a must and we tend to favor a job well done over pristine photos any day. As long as the photo meets the challenge criteria, that’s all that matters. You can even take photos with your cell phone if you’d like! Just have fun with it!

Winning entry of challenge #1, Up Close and Personal. Photo credit: Bex/lunarsea.

I know the winner of each challenge gets a prize, how can someone donate a prize for the Blythe Photo Challenge?
Jenn: For each challenge, there is a winner announced on the 1st of every month. The winner receives a goodie bag, as well as a few other perks. If you run an Etsy or Artfire shop, or just like to make things for Blythe, you can donate an item for the winning goodie bag!

Just send an email to blythephotochallenge@gmail.com. Please include the following information:

• Your shop name and site (if you have one)
• What you would like to donate

You can also email us or FM us. Donated items are then sent to my office in Philadelphia where I keep them until I find out who the winner is. And then I send them out via Fedex. We are very excited that there have been so many donations to the group! We do have a few regular contributors such as SewBerryCute and EmbellishYourself who have been very generous in donating to every goodie bag. I also make something for every goodie bag… either a knit hat or clothing. Just something fun!

A big part of the Blythe community is all about taking photos – what do you want people to get out of doing the Blythe Photo Challenge?
Jenn: A lot of the challenges out there in the Blythe Community have pretty strict rules, 1 pic a day or 1 a week… a lot of people do not have time for that but still want to be involved in a challenge. The BPC gives you a little more freedom because it is once a month! That is a much more attainable goal for some people.We also do not require that you take a photo every month, we encourage it but you won’t be “kicked out” if you don’t.

What are some of the challenges about running Blythe Photo Challenge?
Jenn: DONATIONS! While we have a great set of people who donate, it does feel a little like pulling teeth as times to get people to send things in… but somehow we do always pull through and have things for people. Needless to say, it’s a good thing I sew and knit. I just hope no one minds my amateur knitting!

Winning entry of challenge #2, The Sweet Stuff. Photo credit: Heather/headuh.

I know each challenge gets a lot of entries, what are some of the things you enjoy most about the entries?
Jenn: LOL… Looking at them! The members of the BPC take amazing photos and lot of them don’t give themselves enough credit! I seriously enjoy every photo that is submitted and really get a kick out of the attention to detail that a lot of people put into their shots and how creative they are. It’s amazing to see each new photo.

Wendy: I really feel like our group doesn’t give themselves the credit they deserve. I would love to see more people participating and joining the group. You guys are all awesome and I know that you’re creative. I love seeing a new picture pop up that I know someone has put their time and efforts into. The quality doesn’t matter so much as the quantity. We just want you to have fun!

How often do the two of you take photos of your own Blythes? What kind of locations do you like the best?
Jenn: I’m an almost daily kind of girl… I do take a girl with me everyday to work and if I can… I stop at Franklin Square Park in the morning and try to get in a few shots. I prefer to shoot outside just for better lighting but other than that I don’t have a requirement. I work in Philadelphia so I have a lot of urban shots but then a lot of park shots too. It all depends on which girl is with me and what their style is.

Wendy: With me, it’s not so often and I feel bad about that. With my work schedule, it’s best if I take them on the weekends. During the week, I usually end up taking shots at night indoors. I prefer to photograph outside because I love natural light. Planned photoshoots always turn out the best for me and I can’t wait to do more!

What do you think is the most important thing to remember when taking photos of Blythe?
Jenn: The most important thing I think is to have fun! Blythe is a natural at photos, she can be silly or what ever you are feeling! There is no such thing as a bad photo of a Blythe!

Wendy: Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! Blythe is possible and with bodies out there like Licca and Pure Neemo, the possibilities are endless. Just have fun. She’s very expressive and depending on the shot, her personality will shine through.

Winning entry of challenge #3, Blythe in Motion. Photo credit: Nicole/luxielou.

Do you have any tips for those who are nervous about taking their dolls out of the house?
Jenn: Don’t fear people coming up and asking questions about what you are doing. This happens to me all the time! Know that people are curious and if you are concerned about how to explain it… don’t worry about using a cover story! I tell people all the time that I am working on photographing the dolls for a project for my 6 year old niece.

If your concern is that they may break in transit, then get a carry bag for them. I have one that I made which holds my girl of the day safely, plus carry chopsticks for making them stand and a few additional accessories.

Wendy: I’d say a carry bag is a must. If you haven’t gotten one yet (like me), SewPixie and others on Etsy make wonderful ones. If you’re crafty, make your own!

I think participating in challenges is a great way for people to learn more about photography and to learn more about their doll’s personality. In 140 characters or less, what do you think makes Blythe Photo Challenge different and more unique than any other photography-based Blythe groups out there?
Jenn: BPC’s first goal is to have fun, without unattainable deadlines.

Wendy: We challenge you to have fun with your girls! No pressure, just have fun. 🙂

Thank you both for doing this interview with me! In closing, what kind of advice would you give someone that’s just joining the Blythe community?
Jenn: Ask questions! Join a forum… meet others! Remember to have fun and not be scared of Blythe! She loves you no matter what!

Wendy: Don’t be afraid to message someone if you’re new and don’t have a clue where to start. Forums like Plastic Paradise and This is Blythe have many people willing to help you out! I’ve made some pretty awesome friends in just a few months. Thanks for the interview, Michelle!

And for those interested in entering BPC Challenge #5 (month of August), the theme is Blythe in Black and White. Here’s a great inspirational photo, from Jenn:

Black and White inspirational photo. Photo credit: Jenn/Brass Cupcakes.

Blythe Photo Challenge is doing a giveaway!

You could be the very lucky winner of a handmade Blythe Carry Case! Fabric will differ from the photo.

This will make it easier for any aspiring Blythe Photographer to get their girl out and about to get that awesome shot! Carrying case is lined with felt to ensure your girl doesn’t get any knicks or scratches and has interior pockets for additional outfits or Rement accessories! Drawstring top ensures that you won’t muss up her hair too badly!

You can have up to three (3) entries into the giveaway, which will be done by a random draw. You can enter until Monday August 9th, 2010 at 9:00pm PDT. One winner will be randomly selected and it will announced on Tuesday August 10th.

Remember to use a valid email address when commenting. If you are chosen as the winner, your email address will be forwarded to Jenn of BlythePhotoChallenge.com to arrange for the prize to be sent to you.

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!

Entry #2: Bonus Entry! Help Wendy, Jenn and me promote the giveaway (and interview!) by retweeting the following:

@blythelifecom and Blythe Photo Challenge are doing a giveaway! Check out the interview at http://bit.ly/cL74a5

Entry #3: Bonus Entry! Subscribe to the RSS feed at the BlythePhotoChallenge.com blog!