The first person I’m featuring as part of the March Talent Showcase is Andreja! Her attention to detail is phenomenal, as I think you will agree, and she sells under the name Katjuss on Etsy. Her miniatures are amazing and her sewing is awesome! Continue reading to learn more about Andreja, her clothing and her miniature work.

Hello Andreja! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi Michelle and Blythe Life readers!

I live in Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia, a tiny European country, shaped like chicken. If you look eastern of Italy and south of Austria, you’ll find us there.

I’m graphic designer by profession, I was working 18 years in advertising agency but for a year now, I work as freelance designer. It enables me to spend more time with my family and of course for my hobbies. I’ve been a crafty person since my childhood – I remember I was always making all sorts of things for my dolls, rather than playing with them. I missed that when I grew up. Although I work in a creative profession and love my job, It’s still mostly work on computer. So working with hands like knitting has always been kind of stress relief for me. As a knitter yourself you probably know what I’m talking about.

How did you discover Blythe?
I entered the doll hobby in 2012 with Fashion Royalty dolls (Integrity Toys). Soon after buying my first doll, I joined Flickr. I discovered so many talented people there – I could spend hours and hours browsing their pictures! There’s where those quirky cute big head girls caught my eye. At the beginning I didn’t even know the difference between Blythe and Pullip and Icy. It turned out that the dolls I liked the most were actually customized Blythes, but they were far above my budget. I opted for a more affordable doll and bought my first Pullip. After some minimal alternations (like wig and body changing) I felt confident enough to buy and customize my first Blythe. But I realized soon there’s a huge difference between opening and reassembling Blythe or Pullip doll. I couldn’t even open her head without some help from my husband. And despite being familiar with brushes and pencils, the doll head is not an easy object to draw on, but I enjoyed the whole process and I love her despite all imperfections.

Who is in your doll family right now?
My doll family is small but pretty diverse. Flora is my first (and so far the only) Takara Blythe (Nicky Lad). I bought a fake one with beautiful mint hair to practise my customizing skills but she remains in her original condition (being to busy modeling for my Etsy shop). I have two Pullips – Alte (named Lucie) and the newest addition Merl (which I haven’t named yet). And then there are my Fashion Royalty ladies – eight of them in total.

Tell us about what you do in the Blythe community?
The one thing I like the most about this hobby is the broadness of creative challenges – from customizing to sewing and knitting, making miniatures and building dioramas. I’m always searching for inspiration and whenever I see a new craft or technique I want to try it out. I realized I make more things than my dolls need and It would be nice to share them with doll community across the globe. In August 2015, I opened my Etsy shop which offers doll clothes as well as some 1:6 scale miniatures.

What was one of the first articles of doll clothing that you created? What were some challenges you faced with sewing so small?
The first doll item (if not counting those I made as a child) was a knitted wool sweater. I made it exactly the same way as I would make a human size sweater – back and front part and two sleeves – all flat pieces that had to be sewn together. It was a nightmare to finish it, especially the sleeves. After some trials and errors I worked out a pattern that has only one seam at the back and fits dolls nicely. When it comes to sewing – as a self taught seamstress – my work is not factory perfect, but I put a lot of care and effort to make things neat and cute. I carefully chose the right fabrics, (I don’t want the clothes to look bulky) and I like when it drapes realistic – like human clothes. Another challenge is to find the sewing notions in right proportion. I always look for the tiniest buttons and snaps, yet some of materials are not available where I live (like silk ribbons). I buy some of supplies online, preferably on Etsy.

What was the first item you sold in your Etsy shop? What was that experience like?
It was a dusty pink dress with knitted top and rose print skirt. I was so excited! It’s a nice feeling when someone likes something you’ve made enough to purchase it and add it to his/her collection. I waited 12 days from the opening of my shop till the first sale and it seemed like ages. I realized later it wasn’t that long at all and many sellers waits weeks and months till they make their first sale.

What kind of 1:6 scale miniatures do you make? What are some challenges with creating accurately scaled miniatures? What do you like about it?
For my personal collection I make whatever intrigues me at the moment. It usually begins with the idea for a photography and then I make all the props that I need. I’m often inspired by the season: I’ve made a spring gardening scene, some navy inspired miniatures, several Christmas related. However I don’t make everything by myself, there are some materials that I’m not familiar with, like ceramics and metal. I buy those if I need something like that. I work mostly with paper, balsa wood and polymer clay. It can be a fiddly work to make something so tiny, but the most challenging part for me is to achieve just the right colors and textures to make it look realistic. But It’s really satisfying when hours and hours of working pay with a good result.

But many of these miniatures are too fragile to be shipped (or at least I’m worrying about it), so I sell only those sturdy enough and preferably flat.

What has been some of your favourite pieces that you have made? Did you keep them or sell them?
I love plants and miniature versions of them seems like obvious choice. They are made from paper, each petal or leaf hand painted and individually cut. It took so many hours to make them, they would be too expensive to sell. But I would love to add some plants to my shop and I’m working on more affordable options.

As for the clothes – I hardly choose a favorite one and I don’t have a problem to let them go. I’m glad if people like them and dress their dolls in them. But my favorite item is always my next project – the one that is still in my head or in my sketchbook.

What kind of routine do you have for working on your shop? Tell us about how your day is like.
My Etsy shop doesn’t pay my bills (yet) so my working priority is my graphic design job. But working as a freelancer gives me enough flexibility to dedicate few hours a week to my shop, too. If I have an order, I pack the items in the evening and go to the post office next morning. My shop related activities depend mostly on lighting condition – I only use natural light for photographs and I prefer sewing at day time. I usually knit in the evening (in front of TV). Evening and late night hours are also reserved for computer work – photo editing, listing new items, searching for supplies. When making miniatures I don’t have a typical routine. I make them whenever I feel inspired.

With so many other Etsy shops out there selling Blythe clothing and miniatures, how do you make yourself stand out?
I never had any kind of marketing plan how to be distinctive from my competition. Maybe it’s the combination of clothes and miniatures – usually the shops specialize in either one or another. I don’t have a signature design style but since I love knitting, all of my fashions include a knitted part (usually the top of the dress). However – making only knits would be to limiting for me – I like to combine fabric and yarns, different colors, different textures, tiny embellishments … it’s my favorite part of the process.

What would you say has been the most rewarding experience related to selling your work?
The most heartwarming are the responses from my customers. I love to see their dolls wearing my clothes! As a doll lover myself I know the joy and excitement when a doll related parcel arrives to your post box, I try to imagine how would I feel if I was expecting a dolly mail so I put a lot of care and effort to pack my items nicely.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Andreja! What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking of opening their own online shop?
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, Michelle! As a relatively new seller I don’t have a lot of experience and trade tricks to share 🙂 The most important thing for me is to do what you love – believe in yourself and be patient. It might take some time till you make your first sale and then some more weeks till you make another … Don’t give up! Keep making new products and listing them. Etsy offers a lot of articles with tips and advices for sellers – they cover many topics from photography, finding the right tags, marketing tips … they are worth reading. But as I said – the most important thing is that you enjoy what you’re doing – it shows in your products and hopefully in sales too.

You can find out more about Andreja on Flickr and Etsy.

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In late January, Nina shared this amazing video of her process of creating the perfect miniature Simply Chocolate. After watching the amazing video, I messaged her to ask her if she’d be interested in doing an interview and being featured here on BlytheLife – she said yes and here it is!

Hello Nina! What can you tell us about yourself?
Hello, I’m 29, from Chile and I live in Vancouver, Canada since 2011 with my husband and my two Yorkies. I have a background in acting and I’m also nail technician and crafter. Recently I created a YouTube channel to share my works on miniatures and doll related accessories. I like to explore different techniques and use different materials on my projects. I’ve always interested in miniatures and doll related things. For instance, when I was a child I used my dolls as models for doing clothes rather than for playing with them. My Mom is also crafter and dressmaker, so she used to give me her fabrics scraps to make dresses for my dolls while she worked.

How did you discover Blythe dolls?
The first time I saw a Blythe was in 2008 when I was searching other things on internet. I got very impressed when I saw her big eyes and head so I decided to do a search for more information and I discovered a huge world of creativity and inspiration behind her. At that time, I couldn’t afford to buy one because I was still a student. So I got my first Blythe as a gift from my husband in 2010. (I got married to get a Blythe doll *joke*)

Who is in your doll family right now?
My collection is small. I have a Very Vicky (she is my favorite), a Simply Vanilla which I used to make my first custom, a Simply Chocolate, an Ashley’s Secret, 2 Blyth’s, 3 Littlest Pet Shop and my recent creation, the Blythe inspired miniature.

How did you start creating miniatures? What was your first miniature?
I have always been interested in miniatures. For instance, when I was studying to be a nail artist I used to sculpt very tiny 3D pieces with acrylic to decorate nails and I used to make little charms with polymer clay. When I made my first custom, I created a pair of leather shoes for her. That one was the first miniature accessory for Blythe I did.

You shared photos and a video recently about the process of creating a miniature Blythe doll and it has received some amazing response from the Blythe community. Clearly your inspiration was Simply Chocolate, but what was the design process from scratch like for you?
I had this idea in my mind for quite a while. I wanted to make something different, unique and challenging. I like to challenge myself, so the idea of creating a miniature Blythe was something I really needed to make. First, I did a search on internet looking for a miniature Blythe smaller than 5 cm height and able to move her eyes and I didn’t find anything like this. Then, I started to work on the eye mechanism and later I began to build the doll, defining the scale and drawing the sketch. Then, I decided to make a video as a making of, showing parts of the process, and sharing it on my channel. I was very surprised and grateful when it was accepted by the community. At the beginning, I didn’t have the idea to sell it, because it is a hard work, with many details, but after the great response from the community I am very excited to create more of my miniatures Blythe for collectors.

What challenges did you run into when creating your miniature Simply Chocolate? How did you overcome those challenges?
The most difficult part of the process was sculpting the hands because I tried to make them proportional to the body (the hand size is 1.8 mm). I have a lot of patience and I like to work on them when I’m relaxed and inspired, I don’t like to rush. I was also filming the process at the same time so I had to be aware of the focus of my camera while I was working. When I started to feel frustrated I liked to go for a walk or to do other things (take a break) so when I was back I had more inspiration and I could continue working on my project.

I think it’s very creative that you made a miniature Blythe to scale and with an eye mechanism! Would you make another miniature Blythe?
Yes, Now I’m making another miniature inspired Blythe doll, with more details than the first one and she will be on eBay very soon. I think the eye mechanism is a very important characteristic of a Blythe so the miniature should have an eye mechanism to be like a Blythe.

What has been your favourite miniature pieces that you have created so far?
One of my favorites miniatures until now is a wooden Nutcracker that I created as a tutorial on my YouTube Channel for Christmas. I think it looks very realistic because it has a handle to move his mouth as the real ones. I love Nutcrackers and they are my favourite Christmas ornaments.

What creative projects might we expect to see from you in the future?
I will continue working on my YouTube channel, learning, making miniatures and sharing some techniques, so people can use them as an inspiration to create new things for Blythe. I’m also working on a very special Blythe custom right now.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Nina! What advice do you have to share for someone who’s interested in creating their own miniatures?
Thank you Michelle, just to say that the world of miniatures is a big world of possibilities; you can create whatever you want (i.e. makes a miniature of everything) and you’ll have a lot of fun. Be patient and be persistent are the clues and keep trying until to get the expected results. Practice makes perfect.

You can learn more about Nina and Corali & Co. Dolls on: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and her blog.

Little Lovelies is such a fun Etsy shop based out of Australia and ran by Christine. She does beautiful needlework and creates clothing for a “fashionable and luxury look”. I was so pleased to get to know Christine and now to share some things I learned about her with all of you!

Hi Christine! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a keen artist and crafter and always have been from an early age. My Nana taught me needlework when young and both mum and Nana taught me knitting and crochet. This sparked my creative yearning to make and create for enjoyment and for a living. I owned a rubber stamp shop for some years and learnt lots of different techniques with many materials and really found myself inspired. Now we have places to sell and share our crafts again I am once again enjoying my craft and excited to see so many people’s talent. I have written a children’s rhyme book Going to the Galaxy and love to do wild colourful paintings on canvas and mannequin bodies. Making small little lovelies for Blythe dolls is new to me since February this year.

How did you discover Blythe dolls? Who is in your doll family currently?
My long time stamping/arty/craft/talented friend Marina/PetiteAppleShop on Etsy has been my mentor and introduced me to Blythe dolls – and others. I was searching for a new creative interest and she said – go look at this – and gave me links to look at and read ad see and learn – and I was blown away. I immediately started knitting and embroidering again. I am also back to sewing after many many years of other crafts and arts. Marina customized my Blythe doll Lilith, who is my only Blythe so far.

Tell us about your first sale.
My first sale was a cute little variegated green cardigan in a lovely hand dyed mohair yarn. I was thrilled someone could like and want a garment I made and the sale came in fairly soon after listing, so that was exciting. I love creating and love that someone would want something I made. Very enjoyable.

How has Blythe brightened up your world since you learned about the dolls and gotten Lilith?
It has brightened up my life a lot as I work on the phone and wait for calls so now I have plenty to do and love the playing with fabrics and doing my embroideries again.. it all to do with colour for me and now my world is much more colourful and fun. I also enjoy seeing what others are doing and their creative ideas.

Tell us a little bit about a regular day for you when working on items for Little Lovelies.
I start creating a garment from fabrics for sewing a dress or top and skirt. Takes me ages to play with the fabrics etc and pick the right laces.. I really enjoy it. I am not so experienced at sewing so its slow but I usually make one each day and plan a new one. At night time I knit and embroider the little jumpers and cardigans and dresses. Again choosing colours and embroideries that will match dresses. I spend most of the day doing something for Blythe. Other times I am dressing Lilith and doing photo’s ready for selling and listing. Most of my day is taken up with some kind of activity for Lilith. In between I check out the websites and look at others peoples creations for joy and inspiration.

How has having a creative background helped you in creating for Blythe?
Having knitted and embroidered for so long now I found this easy to adjust to. Making small items is so much fun as a project can be finished in a day. Having experience in the past has helped me create more things faster and make up new things.

What would you say sets you apart from the other Etsy shops that sell Blythe items?
I choose (as much as possible) rare and unusual fabrics, pure yarns that are hand dyed (mostly) and not always available. I hand dye my own laces and ribbons and hope to hand dye yarns soon as well, so these items will certainly be One of a Kind.

I also see that not many people do Bullion stitch embroidery nowadays, which is 3 dimensional flowers on fabric and yarn. I don’t see anyone doing this type of embroidery for Blythe dolls so I hope it sets me apart and people will want to have some too. I also offer custom knits and embroideries so anyone can choose what flower on what garment in whatever colour they like.

What has been your favourite piece that you’ve created so far? Did you wind up selling it or keeping it?
My favourite piece is in the picture of Lilith with the dress on and lots of embroidered flowers. I did this piece some time ago, never knowing why mind you… then when Marina customized Lilith I sent the embroidery which was on an old handkerchief (that’s a strange word!) and I sent it for her to use. However, she made the lovely dress it is on and it displays my embroidery as well, I love it and will not part with that at all. Mostly because it is made from both of us. My first item on my own was a tiny green cardigan that sold first too.

What’s coming up next for you and Little Lovelies?
What’s next… anything, everything. I just pick up materials and yarns and make.. I am sewing dresses now too and am doing all sorts of different garments; nothing that I intend, but I end up doing. I am still experimenting with the creative process of sewing and putting colours and fabrics together. I hope to put embroideries on these as well and do custom work for people. I am also putting beading in the knits I am doing and shortly hope to have lovely beads inside flowers of embroidery. I have all sorts of ideas but whether it turns out or not is another thing! I love creating.

Thank you for doing this interview with me, Christine! What advice do you have for someone who’s new to embroidery?
Gosh! I cant imagine being new to embroidery… Patience with yourself, practice – your worst mistakes can turn out to be something wonderful: work with it.

I begun so young and just kept doing some from time to time, learning new things when I saw them and just practiced til I was happy with it. Only teacher was my Nana and books. With the bullion embroidery I was struggling til I found someone who did it and had her show me a few tips. I was addicted, I love doing it.

You can find out more about Christine and Little Lovelies on Etsy, Flickr, Pinterest, and Zibbet.

Cardigan Giveaway!

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Without a doubt, Pinnigirl is charming. I was drawn to the bright colours and retro prints when Karen contacted me about her shop, Pinnigirl. It’s perfectly fun and I had a great time getting to know the woman behind the brand!

Hi Karen! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hello Michelle and all my fellow Blythe enthusiasts. I am Karen and I live in Sydney, Australia. I am a passionate (some would say obsessive) handcrafter and have experimented with most crafts involving a needle, but have my favourites such as sewing and knitting, although also love stumpwork, hardanger, embroidery and needlepoint to mention but a few. I am at my happiest when I am learning something new, as I am always up for a challenge.

Since founding Pinnigirl my skill set has expanded to include blogging, jewellery making, photography and managing my Etsy shop.

How did your discover Blythe? Who is in your doll family right now?
It is thanks to my sister-in-law Jana, that I was introduced to the world of Blythe. She is an avid collector, and I was inspired to sew for Blythe whilst viewing her wonderful collection. My first attempts were very rudimentary and I was a bit disheartened as I am an advanced sewer and surely sewing these little outfits can’t be that difficult, can it? I left it for a few months, and then one day whilst cruising the web, I stumbled across the world of Silkstone Barbie and my jaw dropped when I saw these magnificent outfits. I repeatedly visited the website Matisse Fashions by Brenda Visaya and studied her tutorials. The penny dropped! I hastily found a Blythe pattern online and with my newly acquired knowledge, made my first successful Blythe dress. Jana was delighted and with her encouragement the idea of Pinnigirl was born.

I now have five Blythes, two are factory girls and three the real McCoy – Bling Bling Party Fur, Raspberry Sorbet and Kiss Me True. This is no means the end of the family though, as I am continually looking to see whom to add! I am in love with Fashion Obsession Jenna but she is very pricey so will wait for a release which has the same looks.

What can you tell us about your shop, Pinnigirl?
Armed with my desire to create for Blythe, I began to research what clothes were being made for Blythe and thought it would be great fun to make the fabulous retro clothes of the mid to late 1960s. I then decided that I wanted to share my retro outfits with others and opened my Etsy shop. I have discovered that I wish to offer more than just a dress, and more of an outfit which will include handbags and jewellery to match. All of the clothes are fully lined, including the trousers which I haven’t yet included in the shop.

My late husband gave me the nickname Pinnigirl, and not only does it evoke great memories, but is a living tribute to a wonderful man. He sadly passed away two years ago after a short battle with cancer. He would have been delighted by all my endeavours to make Pinnigirl fly.

Tell us about your first sale experience! What went through your head? Was it hard to let the piece go?
The first sale I had was for the ‘Bee Dress’. It is a yellow A-line dress with a side panel in black and white stripe. I had a little twinge when it went, but I was so delighted by the buyer’s response to it that any qualms I may have had were soon dispersed!

I think it’s really neat that you make matching accessories! What would you say is your most favourite type of accessory to make for Blythe? Do you ever make something big so you can match your dolls?
I get carried away with whatever it is I am making. When I visit the hairdresser I have my mobile at the ready and take photos of the glossy magazines which have pages of gorgeous handbags or jewellery for me to emulate. I also trawl Pinterest which is a goldmine of information and resource. I enjoy the challenge of thinking outside the box and ‘seeing’ what I can make for Pinnigirl. I have saved loads of empty matchboxes and mint tins to turn into suitcases.

I enjoy making Blythe bling and usually leave the jewellery making for the evenings when I am plonked in front of the tv, and will have one of my girls in her latest outfit and eager to model, my box of tricks at my side and just let the creative juices flow. If it is something that requires stitching, I will make a sketch and leave it to the next day to stitch as I prefer sewing in daylight. I have been known to sketch designs on the back of my music whilst at choir!

Personally I have not made anything to match my dolls. However, I can’t tell you how many of my friends will see Blythe wearing a dress and will pass the comment “I wish you would make me a dress like that!”

How has a background in so many crafts helped you with your Blythe endeavours?
I have a portfolio of designs for Blythe. When I look at each design I will imagine how I am going to interpret it at 1/6 scale, what technique I could apply and will envisage what it will look like on Blythe. I will go over the construction in my head, and often will resketch the design to simplify it or see if indeed it is feasible. I often get asked about how I know about products such as bondaweb or solvy for example, which I discovered when doing stumpwork. I am continually exploring techniques and learning about products or methods. I read a lot about quilting methods because much of this is applicable to what I am doing at Pinnigirl and they have wonderful tools for sewing. A good example would be the dress called ‘Mellow Yellow’. This dress is based on a design I saw and thought ideal for Blythe. It is a yellow dress with appliquéd bondaweb flower and leaves on the front. The centre of the flower is beaded, the stem is embroidered in chain stitch in a hand dyed thread.

What made you decide on retro style clothing for Pinnigirl?
I looked through pages and pages of Blythe outfits for sale and noticed that most followed a particular style of being cute little girl dresses of a similar pattern, or the tomboy look of dungarees and t-shirts. I fancied another look and thought that the fashion of the mid to late 1960s suited Blythe’s Twiggy-type body and her ‘flat footedness’. I have made a conscious decision to line most things in white as Blythe is prone to staining. Whilst a prewash may eliminate some surface dye it is hard to guarantee that an item is colourfast. I have several items of clothing which are now years old and still bleed when washed.

What would you say is the hardest thing about crafting for Blythe?
Crafting for Blythe is fiddly, no doubt about it! Everything is fiddly, dressing her, taking photographs, and of course sewing her outfits.

Tell us about what a normal day is like for you when it comes to creating for Pinnigirl.
I am an early riser, so my Pinnigirl day has an early start too. I think I have mentioned that I like to sew during daylight hours. I have my craft table set up in front of floor to ceiling windows, so get fabulous light in my studio. I turn on the radio, and get right into my planned outfit. I always start my day knowing what I am going to create as I do my planning the night before. When the dress and accessories are complete, I then dress one of my darling girls and experiment with the look I am wanting to create. I carry the photography over to the next morning when the light will be right.

When I finish my working day I tidy up completely, packing everything in its place, and vacuum so I can start the next day with a clean slate.

What do you have planned in the future for you and Pinnigirl?
I have only had my Etsy shop for two months, so at the moment my focus is on getting known. There has been a lot to do besides just making stock. I would like Pinnigirl to build a solid reputation for quality, fun outfits and be the ‘go to’ boutique for clothing Blythe.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Karen! What advice do you have for someone who’s new to crafting for Blythe?
Patience is very important as you have to be in the right head space otherwise you will drive yourself crazy. Accuracy is also key. You are cutting out tiny garments and sewing tiny seams so there is no margin for error. Most of all, enjoy what you are doing and have fun!

You can find out more about Karen and Pinnigirl on pinnigirl.com, Etsy, and Instagram.

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I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Jane a.k.a. maidensuit, the blogger behind the blog Cure Touch and the YouTube channel maidensuit! I find her blog & YouTube channel a lot of fun, and it’s always great to learn about other doll collectors!

Hi Jane! Tell us about yourself!
Hi! Hello! I’m a freelance web designer from Oklahoma. I work mainly with non-profits and authors — nothing too big or fancy. My work schedule’s very irregular (some days I’ll have more than I can handle, and some days nothing) so I often have chunks of free time that I fill with crafting, playing the guitar and ukulele, writing, doing video work… anything creative!

How did you discover Blythe?
I became aware of Blythe from VH-1’s I Love the 70s segment on the original Kenners. They compared the dolls to Christina Ricci, and I’ve been a fan of hers since childhood. Like, Wednesday Addams was my everything. So to me, the comparison was just a positive association! But I discovered Blythes still existed via craft and lifestyle blogs. I’m into crocheting and applique, I like cute Japanese stuff, and I like vintage kitsch, so I saw them in several different places! I even saved a picture of a cute blonde doll from one of the blogs in a folder on my computer. (This was pre-Pinterest!) I know now that it was a Saffy picture! It took me a year of looking at Blythe auctions on eBay and Blythe pictures on Flickr to justify taking the plunge to buy my own. Click to read more of this entry.