There have been times that I realize that I’ve begun to collect things that are sort of related to Blythe but not really by any stretch of the imagination.

The most notable one for me would be my Monster High dolls. I have seven of the right now. How did that happen? I like to say it’s because there are a lot of Blythe people who also collect Monster High, which started me on collecting them. I don’t have any Ever After High dolls yet, but in time…

No Blythes on display here!

There’s also all things My Little Pony. It begun a lot like the Monster High collection did. Next thing I knew, I was watching the television show, humming the theme song and repeatedly checking the toy aisle at my local Target to see when the MLP toys go on sale or clearance. Sometimes I tell the cashier that I’m buying birthday gifts. Because when you’re an adult, any day can result in a present, right?

Do you have any incidental collections or hobbies because of Blythe?

On a good day, I sometimes pick up some knitting and knit away on whatever project that I have on the needles. At present time, that would be a pair of socks and, sadly, not something for the dolls. I’m not a prolific sewer, despite a fabric stash and other sewing things, and I probably have enough yarn to last me the next 20 years, despite always wanting to buy more because I don’t have that particular yarn… But I do, on occasion, make things for Blythe. I’ve sewn some dresses, knitted some dresses and cardigans, made some toques for them, but it’s not an every day sort of thing. I know some people create things for Blythe every single day and I applaud them for that because I don’t think it’s something that I could realistically do. Not do and do well, anyways. So for now, I stick to whatever project I have going on.

It just happens to not fit Blythe. Although I guess that they could use it for some kind of hat…?

How much do you create for Blythe?

When Cameo arrived, I did a little photostory of her first meeting with Eden.

To me, playing with dolls has taken on a different meaning since I was a little girl. Before it was all about make believe and the imaginative play that would go on for hours and hours. Nowadays, playing with dolls is primarily the dressing-up fun, finding the right pair of shoes for the outfit of the day, and doing little photoshoots – because why not?

How often do you play with your dolls?

Doll meets are ridiculously fun! I am really fortunate to live in an area where there are a lot of other Blythe enthusiasts, and I’ve become really good friends with some fantastic people. Prior to 2011, I never met anyone who also had a Blythe doll, or collected them, locally or otherwise. After having met people in “real life” that had Blythe dolls, it was really inspiring because I got to meet people who customized dolls and crafted beautiful things for dolls. Meeting people who also love the big-headed (in more ways than one) doll has made me appreciate Blythe so much more. We don’t just talk about dolls at our meets though, we talk about what’s going on in our lives, big life changes (some examples include: new houses, jobs, baby!, and pets). We hang out, chat, eat food – most of our meets are all pot-luck style to lessen the burden on the host. We come together and eat, chat, eat some more, take photos of dolls, and did I mention eating?

Of course, sometimes some really odd and kooky things happen at our meets as well. Generally speaking, there are not Blythes harmed… (No worries, she was only in pieces for most of the meet…)

Have you ever attended a doll meet?

Custom dolls are a bit of a rarity in my doll collection. A lot of people are into custom dolls and I think that’s fantastic. I find that I really enjoy stock dolls, or ‘lightly customized’ dolls. By lightly, I tend to mean minor changes that I can do myself (sleep eyes, gaze lift, eye chip changing – the extent of my customizing capabilities).

There are a lot of customizers that I admire because of the amount of talent and beauty that they can put into a Blythe doll. Or the addition of a reroot in kitten-soft alpaca, lightly carved lips with a slight smile to go with it. Customizers are talented. I just don’t tend to see myself as someone with want nor the need to start taking a knife to my dolls.

I own exactly two custom dolls, both aren’t considered “extreme” in my mind. To me, extreme customs are the ones that have been carved to look like cats or dogs. Or they have vampire/monster teeth, or just teeth in general. And maybe a reroot, or scars, or something. Light carving does not necessarily an extreme custom make. There are some beautiful extreme customs though, and some not-so-beautiful extreme customs. I love dolls that tell a story behind their eyes, or are so amazingly beautiful in an fantastical kind of way. Much like the customs to the left, I love the artistry that goes into extreme customs like that – so much talent, so much more talent that goes into a single doll than I could ever hope to achieve.

The thing to remember with truly one-of-a-kind (OOAK) art dolls is that the prices can also be OOAK in the way that they will make you wish you fond that OOAK money tree. Because of that, I will not be adding an extremely customized doll to the family any time soon. Maybe one of these days, but it would definitely have to be at the right time, and the right doll.

Do you own any extreme customs?