In preparation for one of the biggest events in the Blythe world, that’s happening in August, I interviewed one of the co-organizers for BlytheCon 2012. It’s happening on August 5th, 2012 in Dallas.

Hi Erica! What can you tell us about yourself and how you discovered Blythe?
Hi everyone! I am 30 years old, from New York City. I discovered Blythe by doing a simple Flickr search. I typed in the most random thing and she came about. Her beautiful big eyes caught my attention. When that happened, I need to learn everything and anything about her.

I know that Dallas is a bit far from home for you and Mara, your partner in organizing BlytheCon 2012. Why did you two decide on Dallas, Texas?
Previously, the last two BlytheCons were in Atlanta, GA, and Portland, OR. These two locations were on each side of the USA. We decided to do it in the smack center of the USA this time!

What has been the most challenging aspect of organizing a convention so far from home?
The challenging part is not seeing the space from our own eyes. Judging the limit in attendees was very difficult. We actually had to close registrations until we were able to figure out how to make more space for more than 200 people. Thankfully our good dolly friend Lauren (Cakewalk Queen) was so kind to take the time and scout the venue for us. She was able to give us some kind of insight on where things are. Lauren recorded a video for us and helped us see how we can make seating arrangements. Mara and I did some math and we were able to fit in about 60 more guests.

What’s one thing that’s new to the USA-based BlytheCon this year that hasn’t been done previously?
We are featuring demonstrations in 3-4 different categories. We wanted attendees to not only shop and socialize, but gain some knowledge in how to do basic customization, sew, knit/crochet and re-root. We are so thankful for the talented people who have donated their knowledge and time to teach our fellow dolly enthusiasts.

What has been the most fun part of organizing BlytheCon?
I think knowing all the details and seeing everything come together is the most fun part for me. I enjoyed designing the website! I also had fun setting up all of the artwork for stickers, post cards and other little things we will include in the goodie bags. Everything looks so cute, I hope everyone likes it!

How will people staying at home be able to keep up with the happenings during the event?
We have set up an Instagram account. You can find us there under @blythecon. We have an “instagram-otographer”, who will post photos before and during the event. We are trying to figure out a way to have a live stream/feed set up somewhere. We wont know much about that until probably day of or a few days before.

Logo designed by Effluo/Lirije.

What are you looking forward to most during BlytheCon?
Seeing all of our hard work come together! I think its going to be awesome. I am also looking forward to meeting everyone for the first time and shopping!

What kind of pre- and post- events are there for people to attend and take part in?
We have a few things planned! On Friday, I am inviting a few friends to my room for a slumber party. We’re just going to hang out and see how many dollies we can fit on the bed! Then on Saturday, we will have a big pool party in the Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center. After the pool party, we will have a big dinner at Riverwalk Cantina (a restaurant inside of the hotel). After dinner, if anyone is feeling up for it, we may have another slumber party, part two!. Sunday is our main event. As for post-event we haven’t planned anything, as the event will pretty much be all day. The event ends at 10pm, and many people are leaving the day after.

What can we expect from you and your vendor space during BlytheCon?
You will find my shirts in every color for Blythe. I think my table might actually be boring compared to some. I haven’t put much thought into my vendor space as I’ve been so busy finalizing everything with the event. Hopefully this week I can put a final touch on my table.

Erica’s number one girl, Florence.

Thanks so much for doing this interview with me, Erica! What kind of advice do you have for someone who’s traveling with Blythe?
I would say never check in your bag with your Blythe dolls. Bring them on the plane with you. Don’t worry, TSA will not stop you, they don’t care really. The risks are higher when you check them in. You can also ship them ahead of time if you have a friend living locally. Personally I am bringing them on the plane, all 10+ of them! Just to make sure they are with me at all times!

Thanks for having me! It’s fun talking about BlytheCon! Hope to see you in 2013!

Back in March, I interviewed Kayla. She has just opened up an Etsy shop and I wanted to share it with you! Her shop is called Kitten Customs Threads and her specialty is, as mentioned in the interview, handpainted dresses.

From now until July 27th, 2012, there is a coupon code BKFRIENDS for 10% off your purchase.

I was contacted by Coco (a.k.a. cocochoo) back in March to do this interview and I was so excited! I always love getting to ‘meet’ people online that I hadn’t gotten a chance to interact with and Coco was very fun to interview! Some of her answers have been slightly edited for clarity at her request (English is not her first language), but I’ve done my best to maintain the integrity of her answers.

Hi Coco! What can you tell us about yourself and how you discovered Blythe?
I am a portrait photographer in Hong Kong; vintage collage and bisque doll enthusiast, a self-taught doll sculptor… and a Blythe addict!

I studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London during 2005-2007. I thought I would be a graphic designer but now I am running a sole studio and do photography (wedding / pet portraits mainly) for a living. Besides that, I am a “zoophilist”, I do free projects for animals, for stray and abandoned animals only.

I love all kinds of dolls since I was a little girl, but I “found” and fell in love with ball jointed doll since 2005 and although I knew about “Blythe” all that time, I was not too much into these big eyes dolly, and I almost can say that I began to pay attention on them while I was seeking outfits for my bjd and I always found amazing clothes in Blythe size only, I was encouraged by my friends to get my first Blythe, and yes I really did, I totally felt in love with “custom Blythe” after I have hours searching on Flickr.

I decided to have a try on making a special one for myself. By then it was November 2010 and I got into this amazing world.  I’d love to collect other Blythe customizers’ work and I also felt in love with stock Blythes too, I also got my first Kenner last month. I have to admit that even though I was not in love with Blythe at first sight, I totally love them more and more day by day now. they have power.

How did you get started with customizing Blythe dolls?
I am a doll sculptor before I falling in love with Blythes. At first, some custom Blythe are very pricey for me especially the one I love, that’s why I have decided I have to make one for myself that I really love. I practice and practice and tried to find a way of customizing a “coco style” one. my works are still not prefect nowadays but I think I at least did them better and better.

What has been your most memorable customized doll so far? What made it memorable for you?
My #22 one, named “Kir”, she is the first one that I thought I finally found a unique way to have “my style” – with two tiny visible teeth girl. Although I will still create new type customs, but this one means so much to me because she is loved by many people.

What have you learned about yourself since you started customizing Blythe?
I think I am very lucky. I wouldn’t stop doing this as long as there is one person in this world loves my work. I am not a successful photographer and I am not successful in anything else, but I love myself better when I have finished a new girl and she receives some compliments. I have never imagine that one day I would had such a special “part time job”; becoming a Blythe customizer is the most enjoyable part of my life.

Has having a background in doll sculpting helped you (or even hindered you) in Blythe customizing?
Basically they don’t have directly interactions, but I do think they are in a similar or same area, just like I learned graphic design but I also do photography, most of the time there is interpretation.

What kind of routine do you have when you start customizing a doll?
I have to put some dolls in front of me (or the dolls’ portraits), they are either a sculpture or a bjd. Most of time it is another custom of mine, but I always not able to carve and paint a certain look. The “models” are just part of the inspiration, they usually come out to be different faces.

How does it make you feel when you see other people photographing your work?
Well I feel very happy about it, I enjoy seeing my custom girls go to everywhere of the world and have totally different lives. I am very thankful to whom offered a new home for them.

There’s a lot of customizers out there, if you had to tell someone why they should buy your work, what would you say?
Bring them home if they make you happy and if you love to see them everyday. I know that dolls might not have real lives but we give them life. This is why I’d love to collect other customizers’ works.

What has been the most challenging thing for you so far when it comes to customizing Blythe?
The most challenging and “dangerous” thing is that there is no take two. 😛 When I sculpt a doll, I can redo any part but this cannot happened when customizing a Blythe.

I know that there are some people who collect both your custom Blythe work and your ball-jointed dolls. What can you tell us about your bjd work?
Yes I am very happy that they love all kinds of my work. I decided to create a bjd after I found and joined a local forum, which was about self-made ball jointed dolls. I met many great artists there and many of them are college students. I was encouraged by then.

What can we expect from you in the future with your customizing work? Will you be branching out to other dolls, like Middie?
I’d like to create some new more style customs, yes I love trying all kinds of new stuffs, like Middie (tried only one before), Dal and Pullip.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Coco! What kind of advice do you have for someone who’s new to Blythe?
Thank you! I am very happy and thankful to be interviewed. it’s indeed a wonderful world, but never too late to be find Blythe. 🙂

You can find out more about cocochoo at her website (cocochoo.net) and on Flickr! Also check out her Flickr group for photos of her bjd and custom dolls.

Faceplates Giveaway!

Coco has graciously decided to give away a set of RBL faceplates that she has customized! It is the front and back faceplates only (does not include the eye mechanism or hair).

You can get up to eight (8) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday April 28th at 11:59pm PDT. The draw will be held on Sunday April 29th 2012 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 Coco so she can get in contact with you about the faceplates!

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

Mandatory Entry: Comment below about this interview and include any additional questions you have for Coco!

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 2 entries into the giveaway. Please comment below to tell me that you’ve been tweeting (1 comment per tweet!)

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with cocochoo & also the giveaway! http://bit.ly/IUnN87

Bonus Entry #2: 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 Coco’s Flickr photostream or website! For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.

Last, but certainly not least, in this year’s March Talent Showcase is Kate, better known as Moofers or Moofala in the doll community. While Kate is not a stranger to customizing dolls or sewing or them, she’s new to the always interesting world of Blythe eyechips. A lot of people may paint eyechips, but hers have become popular since she started painting them. Maybe your next custom will want a pair of her chips? I hope you’ve all enjoyed this year’s March Talent Showcase.

Hi Kate! What can you tell us about yourself?
Hello! My name is Kate, I’m 33 and a mom of 2 kids, Taryn (11) and Garrett (7 months). I recently made the transition to a SAHM and full time customizer after many years in retail and it’s proving to be an adventure. Most of my family member are artists in some way and it’s taken years to discover what my niche was – I think I’ve finally found it! I’m also a fabric and mohair hoarder, I love those pretty colors. If people lived closer to me it would be a Blythe crafting party all the time.

How did you discover Blythe? What drew you to her?
I discovered Blythe in late 2007. I was interested in sewing clothes for my daughter’s dolls that weren’t poor quality and revealing so I searched for days online and on ebay for patterns and I discovered Blythe through the Doll Coordinated Recipe Books. From there I found them on Flickr and on TIB and was inspired by the fashions, he creative releases like Art Attack and the ability to customize the dolls.

I know you’ve been customizing for a while now, what made you decide to start handpainting chips?
I have been customizing Blythes since mid 2008 and while there are a few companies that provide wonderful alternate colors of stock-type chips I love the artistry of handpainted chips and how each pair is as different as each pair of human eyes. I love discovering new color combinations that I hadn’t previously thought of as well- it’s all an adventure. In a time where many people are downsizing their collections and trying to be more fiscally responsible it’s satisfying to be able to offer something affordable that can make someone fall in love with a doll all over again.

Working at home while taking care of your kids must be quite hectic at times! How do you schedule your work so you can do it and take care of your family at the same time?
Scheduling work time can get a bit frustrating. Scott runs two businesses as well, so we’re often at odds – getting to the post office is the bane of my existence. I try to do any cleaning and internet surfing/email answering earlier in the day when the baby is content to play for short periods of time by himself. If possible I consolidate errands to what I drive by on the way home from getting my daughter from school and family time is usually sometime between 5-7 if we’re coordinated at all. My daughter is in a much more challenging school this year and spends most of her evenings consumed in schoolwork. I’m very lucky that I have a man who loves cooking – and even went to cooking school! So I very rarely shoulder that burden unless there’s baking to be done or it’s a holiday. My work time starts when the kids go to bed and I’m regularly up past 3am or later working, then I get up again at 7:30 to take Taryn to school. I try to work as efficiently as possible!

I think handpainted chips are lovely. What would you say is one of the easiest things about them and one of the hardest things about painting chips?
I would have to say the easiest part of making handpainted chips for me is sourcing the materials. I’ve spent many years hunting down the most fabulous mohair and alpaca and working endlessly with suppliers for my reroots that it was a really nice change just to be able to go to a store and get paint or to go to an online shop and just decide how many chips I needed. I have a tendency to multitask so I would say that the hardest part for me about the painting is to sit and paint until it’s done – because I end up with paint all over my hands and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to do something else while they’re drying and I’ve gotten paint on my clothes, towels, Blythe bodies and WIP faceups!

How does it make you feel to see people posting photos of their dolls with your chips?
It’s a wonderful feeling to see someone enjoying my creations, however small they may be. I even have a few other friends who are customizers who have used my chips in their custom dolls, such as Tiina and cocochoo. I love seeing how they compliment the chips with their own personal customizing styles and color palettes!

What would you say is something that you know now that you wish you’d known at the beginning of your chip painting venture?
Haha, well – I wish I had held back just a smidge. I attacked the venture and I think on my second upload to etsy I listed something like 75 pairs of chips. Now those are so far down in the feed that no one sees them! Now for uploads I do about 5 pairs at a time. I’m still sourcing and developing packaging, so that will change at some point.

What would you say has been your most daring combination of colours or design for your eye chips?
I purchased most of my chips in bulk and when I did I chose some that were already colored to see how my paint colors would change behind a colored lens instead of a clear one. Some were so dark that I had to go quite bold! I think that hot pink and black was probably one of the most striking combinations. I do enjoy my more subtle combinations though and that’s what I generally stick with.

What can we be expecting from you in the future that you’d like to share with us now?
Well, I will continue to make chips and experiment with different techniques in painting. I will be a vendor at BlytheCon 2012 in Dallas and I’ll have my chips there as well as fully customized dolls for sale. I’ll also be selling rooted mohair and alpaca scalps separate from dolls and that will continue after BlytheCon. My commissions list keeps me very busy, but I also have plans for clothing lines for dolls from Lati Yellow size up to slim MSD size and I’m hoping to launch that at BlytheCon as well!

Thanks so much for doing this interview with me, Kate! What advice do you have for someone who’s new to the Blythe community?
I would say for people just getting into Blythe – try to resist impulses at first. There is a wealth of information about these lovely ladies at both TIB and Blythe Kingdom. Do your research and decide what it is that draws you to them before you purchase lots of things you’ll regret. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people attempting to sell off a large amount of clothing and dolls that were impulses to fund things they really want. Have fun! This should never be a stressful hobby! Sure, I stress sometimes, but it’s my job as well. For me a huge part of Blythe is the people that you’ll meet and form lasting relationships with and I’ve loved every minute of the last four years!

You can find Kate over on Flickr, her blog and at her Etsy shop (where you can find all her handpainted chips for sale) called Chantilly Lace.

Eyechips Giveaway!

Kate has graciously decided to giveaway one pair of handpainted eyechips! I think these will look very lovely for perhaps your Blythe? Enter to for a chance to win!

You can get up to eight (8) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday April 7th 2012 at 11:59pm Pacific. The draw will be held on Sunday April 8th 2012 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 Kate so she can be in contact with you about your eyechips!

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 Kate! 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 2 entries into the giveaway. Please comment below to tell me that you’ve been tweeting (1 comment per tweet!)

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with Kate a.k.a. Moofers for a handpainted eyechip giveaway! http://bit.ly/Hsj2GE

Bonus Entry #2: 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 Kate’s Etsy shop, Chantilly Lace. For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.

Next in the month of March’s Talent Showcase is Kayla a.k.a pin_upkitten! I first met Kayla via the Blythe Swap group when we got paired up as partners. She paints brilliant designs onto fabric that was previously plain and makes it all magical. Not only is she an artist, but she also creates felt shoes and boots for Blythe and she customizes too! Not bad for someone who says she’s in a little city with a lack of crafting supplies!

Hi Kayla! What can you tell us about yourself?
Well, first things first, I am a nut! I am always going 20 directions at once but I’m happiest when busy so it all works out. I am a bit of a nomad, I am constantly on the move, if I stay in any one place for too long I go a bit stir crazy. I have always been into creating and have dabbled in just about everything, I even have a year of design school under my belt. I like to move around creatively as much as I do physically, but luckily I have a super boyfriend who graciously puts up with my shenanigans and experiments!

How did you first discover Blythe? What drew you to her?
I stumbled across someone’s Flickr photostream a few years ago with a tonne of really great, colourful vintage toys and I kept seeing these really captivating photos of her Blythe doll. I just couldn’t get over how sweet she was and found out everything I could about Blythe, though I didn’t get my first doll until this past may. I love their sweet little faces and the personalities to match! Though I think the thing that has made me fall so hard and so fast for Blythe, is how great of a creative outlet they make. I get to draw on all of my creative background. I am constantly testing myself and new gaining strengths. I love always having an outlet for my creative juices whether it is sewing, painting, photography or my new favorite, customizing!

You design clothes for Blythe with handpainted designs. How did you start doing that and where do you draw your inspiration?
I have always sewn and created out of necessity so when I got my first doll, Zoe, she HAD to have something to wear so I started sewing for her. I loved that it got me back into sewing and creating but we don’t have a tonne for sewing in craft supply in my small “city” so when I joined the Blythe Swap group and needed to create some Halloween themed items for a swap I had to think on my feet! I experimented with staining fabric and acrylic paints and loved the result! I really enjoy that it combines painting, sewing AND those gorgeous big eyed gals. As for inspiration, sometimes its as simple as fulfilling a task, like with the swaps or a commission, and the rest of the time its just an odd little idea in the back of my head that HAS to come to life like, “what would a Dr. Who fangirl Blythe wear?” (By the way, the answer is: “A beaded Dalek dress, of course!”)

You customized Zoe yourself and she was your first doll – what challenges did she present to you when you decided to change her look?
Honestly, I had NO clue what I was doing. I couldn’t find any Basaak doll specific tutorials when it came to opening or scalp removal so it was a LOT of guess work at the beginning. Luckily for me, Basaak dolls are a piece of cake to dismantle. Unluckily for Zoe, all my trial and error means that she has had 3 separate make overs! Her first makeup job was a disaster, the second was better and her current look is cute but now that I’ve started carving I will probably take another STAB at it, pardon my pun. But trial and error is how you learn, so I wouldn’t trade my mistakes for anything.

I know you’ve customized your Can Can Cat and your Simply Guava – what did you learn while customizing them that you wish you’d known while customizing Zoe?
The biggest thing I’ve learned is how to overcome the fear, I wish I had that same ability to just jump in while working on Zoe that I’ve had since. The second my Guava, BonBon, arrived all I wanted to was start carving her. Although I was truly awful at sculpting in Art class, everyone else’s gorgeously carved, highly emotive dolls really inspired me and I HAD to tackle it. I was so happy with how that turned out that I wanted to add rooted highlights to BonBon, give Can a boil perm, change eyechips and even work on a few petite reroots all of which were completely foreign to me!

You’ve made some pretty creative things for Blythe since joining the hobby – what would you say has been the most difficult thing that has happened so far in your creative process?
Well, the most difficult obstacle has also led to the best results! I live in a really small “city” and crafting and sewing supplies are in limited supply so I’ve had to improvise a LOT. I couldn’t find any doll furniture I liked so I made a kitchen from upcycled items around my house. Then I started participating in Swaps and without a fabric store in town I had to make use of my current fabric stash, which always has a tonne of plain white cotton, so I experimented with dyeing and painting it and loved the result! And THAT is how my hand-painted dresses started!

A lot of the things that you’ve made so far have been for yourself or for swaps, what do you have planned for the future in your clothes designing venture?
The ultimate goal is to open an Etsy shop to sell my custom hand-painted dresses, both made-to-order dresses and some pre-made ones, I also have plans to start stocking my dresses in a few small independently run stores and even travel to BlytheCons to sell them! Unfortunately, right now I don’t have the time to devote to creating a backstock but I am, and plan to continue, offering slots for made to order dresses on Blythe Kingdom (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.)

Where would you like to see your customizing go in the future? Do you have any plans?
I really want to keep growing and honing my skills. There are always new skills and techniques to learn and that’s part of keeps me driven. Looking around at all the gorgeous dolls that the top customizers create is really inspiring and is definitely something I aspire to, in a perfect world, I would be a full time dolly clothier and customizer bringing Blythe cuteness to the world!

I think that it’s fantastic that you just jumped right into customizing your dolls. What’s your favourite part about changing the look of a doll?
I like that extra glimmer of personality it brings to our big-eyed friends. They become so expressive and individual. Take BonBon and Can for instance, BonBon always looks kind of unsure and reserved, while Can is all bubbly and full of soft smiles. They take on the characteristics of my favorite (non-plastic) people, sitting with Can always reminds me of one of my closest friends, while Zoe is a sassy mother-hen, much like my own mother.

How has entering the doll hobby changed you so far?
It has definitely helped to reconcile me with my creative side, I had hardly touched my sewing machine since leaving school. I even sew and paint about a 20 times more often now! Also, the community is a blessing! I was beginning to feel cut off and disconnected, having moved away form all my social roots, but the Blythe community is so open and welcoming. The open discussion and encouragement has really helped to get me back out of my shell.

Thanks so much for doing this interview with me, Kayla! What kind of advice do you have for someone who’s new to customizing?
JUMP IN! Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. Mistakes are natural and luckily in the Blythe world there always seems to be someone willing to jump in with a tip or some advice when you find yourself in a real pickle.

You can find Kayla over on Flickr!

Custom Dress Set Giveaway!

The above image is an example of what you could win! Kayla is offering up one custom handpainted dress with a matching pair of shoes or booties for the winner of the giveaway! You’ll get to pick something for her to paint on an A-line dress.

You can get up to eight (8) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday March 31st 2012 at 11:59pm PDT. The draw will be held on Sunday April 1st 2012 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 Kayla so she can get in contact with you about your custom dress set!

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

Mandatory Entry: Comment below about this interview or what kind of design you’d want on the dress if you win! 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 2 entries into the giveaway. Please comment below to tell me that you’ve been tweeting (1 comment per tweet!)

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with Kayla for a custom dress set giveaway! http://bit.ly/GOdpzE

Bonus Entry #2: 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 Kayla’s Flickr photostream! For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.