When I attended my first Blythe meet, I was nervous about the prospect of meeting other people in the Blythe community. Not only would it be my first time meeting the people that I had interacted with online and getting to put usernames to faces, but also getting to see dolls that I could only dream of owning, just getting to see them was a dream. Getting involved in local meets can be difficult if you don’t know if there are people around you. What’s the easiest way of finding those people? The internet.

Finding people who also like Blythe online

Find a Blythe forum – such as Blythe Kingdom, Plastic Paradise or We Play With Dolls. Make an account and you can post on one of those forums asking if people are in your general vicinity. For the sake of personal safety, I would recommend asking first if there are others in your state/province/territory, or the nearest large urban center that is close to where you live. That way, you can find people who are near you, without revealing where you live in terms of a small scope. Always be careful when revealing information about yourself on the internet, as you never know who may be reading it! I was able to get involved with people in my local area by finding local people in Portland. You don’t need to attend BlytheCon to find people in your area though, you can definitely look for people on forums in your area – just stay safe!

How many dolls to bring?

That’s a personal choice. At most, I bring 3 dolls. This is mostly because I need to be able to carry them, and the bags/cases that I use usually only hold 3 comfortably. Some people bring 1 doll only, some bring more than 5. Whatever you feel comfortable with is fine. If you’re worried about being overwhelmed with all the sights to see, or if there won’t be any places for you to put your dolls down, I’d recommend one or two dolls. If there’s nowhere to put the dolls down, you’d need to be holding them – and you only have two hands. Plus you need to hold a camera. There’s a lot of things to consider when thinking of how many dolls to bring. How you’re getting there, how big your bag is, if there will be place for you to put your doll(s) down, if you need to hold a camera (and if you’re going to a meet, the answer is: yes).

Be open talking to people

A large part of the Blythe community is online. How can it not when there are forums and Flickr? One of the greatest parts of the dolly hobby can be the people that you meet and interact with – getting to know those people can go a long way. It’s hard for a lot of people to start talking to people that they don’t know. You don’t have to divulge your deepest secrets, but saying hello and being friendly can go a long way! Especially when it comes to new members of the group.

Suggest an activity

Meets can involve a lot of things – from sharing stories, having a customizing party, to having a craft activity for everyone. It might be a good idea to suggest an activity as a sort of ice breaker, or to have a mini costume contest to encourage participation of the attendees. It doesn’t need to be fancy, it can be a great motivator for people to talk to each other and to make something cute for their dolls.

Organizing a meet

Sometimes, if nobody else is willing to organize a meet, you need to step up if you want to meet other people. The best way to do this is to pick a weekend date, a public location that is cheap (or free) to go to and some place with free (or cheap) parking. Some suggestions for public locations could include parks or picnic areas – which is especially good if the weather is nice.

In summary?

• Find people in your general online, figure out if they’re interested in meeting up!
• Bring what you can comfortably carry, as there may not be room to put the dolls down.
• Plan an activity – ice breakers, craft projects or costume contests can be a good way to go.
• Organize a meet in a public location, on a weekend, that is easy to get to and has free/cheap parking.

I have been documenting my process throughout 365 with Eden Mouse this year. I’m behind on uploading for April 2013, but here are some of my photos for the month – starting with what Eden wore for April 1st:

Click to read more of this entry.

I find the fact that so many people have embraced making their Blythes unique to be a fascinating aspect of the hobby. There are a great number of dolls that Takara has produced and that the dolls have been customized pretty much since the BLs have been in production. Since the dolls have been produced, the molds being created had begun to become more and more easier to customize (recent releases that have been found to be glued not withstanding). Gone are the days where Blythes were soaked to peel up the scalp – now, for the most part, there’s a few screws to remove, a spring to remove and ears to press to release the clips. As Blythes had gotten easier to customize, this made RBLs the sudden favourite for customizers to use.

Photos by mydollies4.

While my first love in the world of Blythes are the stock Neos (and Kenners), I’ve become more and more enamored with the custom work that people do. I think that, for the most part, that customs cost more than I can afford right now, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have my favourites when it comes to customizers in the Blythe community. I think that Blythe dolls can be made quite beautiful after the hands of an artist have gotten through with the doll. Me? I am not a customizer, I think the dolls would be happy with that fact. The most I do will change chips, gaze lift and add sleep eyes. I’m still debating on painting some eyelids of my dolls, maybe giving some girls some ‘chapstick lips’ instead of solid coloured lips that were likely stenciled on. I would like, one day, to have a dolly family with more customs… Not at this time, unless I stumble across a treasure trove of gold coins to exchange for dolls, but one day! I will have more custom Blythes.

Photo by irulethegalaxy.

Do you prefer light customs or extreme customs?

This giveaway was the first on BlytheLife that used Rafflecopter, and I’m glad that I was able to help those with problems entering get their entries in! I will be using Rafflecopter for all future giveaways.

Thank you so much to Olga for sponsoring such a cute giveaway with an adorable crocheted hat! I loved reading the comments that people left, and I’m sure that Olga did too! And a reminder for what the prize is…

And the winner is…

Click to read more of this entry.

For those unaware, there is a Tumblr blog/site called Blythe Confessions. The site was started after Doll Confessions was taken offline by the owner (due to inappropriate and rude feedback and personal attacks received). Now the person (or people) who run Blythe Confessions are strictly anonymous and they publish submitted posts to the blog. It allows members of the Blythe community to submit posts to the blog and the confessions are put into a queue and published onto the blog.

There’s been some animosity against the blog, and people for the blog, on the forums. A lot of people have found the Tumblr blog to be offensive or that the confessions are not really “confessions” in the spirit that it was meant to be in. The site has become a great way for people to get things off their chest, but it’s also been a way for people to be bitter over the internet. There have been countless confessions about hats and designer items and being upset over customizers and commission lists. But what of the person or people behind the computer who runs the Blythe Confessions website?

I got in contact with the admin(s) of Blythe Confessions and asked them a few questions, here’s what I asked:

How has reading the confessions of Blythe hobbyists changed your views of the people in the community?
It really hasn’t. There are crazy, bitchy, and friendly people in all areas of life so why should the Blythe crowd be any different? I really enjoy reading the funny confessions, they make wading through the nastiness worthwhile.

How much time does it take to maintain Blythe Confessions on weekly basis?
I would say about 4/5 hours.

On average, how many confessions do you get per day or week?
About 150 per week, but not all of those will be published. A lot are repeats or include name calling.

What made you decide to take on the Blythe Confessions site after Doll Confessions shut down due to rude comments?
I was really sad to see the original taken down as I thought it was a great idea. I had the time and a skin thick enough that the hate mail didn’t get to me. The fact that I have remained anonymous has made that much easier.

What has been the worse comment that you’ve gotten regarding the Blythe Confessions site itself, not about the confessions?
I can’t choose; there are too many! It does make me sad when people complain about the negativity of most of the confessions. They can’t seem to grasp that I just post what is submitted. If they want to read positive things on the site then they need submit them!

—

I must say, I was surprised at the sheer amount of confessions received! And the amount of work involved – no rest for the wicked it seems! As a blogger myself, I can appreciate the amount of work that goes into putting together a blog and keeping it active. I hope this provides a little insight into the person (or people) behind Blythe Confessions.