The concept behind a shopping service, or an auction proxy, is simple. Import shops are plentiful, but most only carry things which are guaranteed to sell well. You’ll never have a problem locating Naruto pencil cases, but vintage or niche items are too often another story. These things can be found in some Japanese stores, but most won’t ship outside of the country. The same holds true for sellers on the auction site, Yahoo Japan (aka: Y! Japan). Language barriers and shipping make the majority of Japanese sellers unwilling to deal internationally. Shopping services acts as middle men in these transactions. They purchase items by request, for non-Japanese buyers. The purchase is shipped directly to the service’s office in Japan, before being sent anywhere in world, for a fee. In the case of auctions, a shopping service will bid in your stead, and even translate and relay questions to the seller.

It sounds like a dream come true. For specific items, it certainly can be. But before you rush to sign up, it’s necessary to learn all you can about the process, and the fees involved.

I shied away from shopping services for years, until my “holy grail doll” prodded me to give one a try. I was on the hunt for a Volks Chii SD10. A limited edition from 2003, Chii fullsets can be few and far between on the secondary market. I registered with the well established shopping and auction service “Crescent Shop”. Crescent is known in BJD circles as the exclusive international liason for Gentaro Araki’s Alchemic Lab, producer of the popular Unoa dolls.

Buying goods from a store using Crescent Shop is fairly straight forward. Bidding and purchasing items via auction is slightly more complex, but still quite manageable. Knowing what sort of items overseas buyers generally seek, Crescent features a handy English language search page, with automatic key-word searching for terms like: Dollfie, Licca, Takara, Sylvanian Families, Blythe, Momoko, and more. At the time I registered, My daughter’s birthday was coming up. I decided to take a look at what Licca-chan items were on offer, reasoning that a less expensive item like that would be a test-drive of the service, than immediately snagging a pricey BJD. Within moments of searching, I found a pair of sparkley orange sneakers with Licca decals on them, in my daughter’s size. They were starting at 500yen. I also happened upon the Miki and Maki Preschool Playset, starting at 3000yen.

The first step to auction bidding with Crescent Shop is to make a deposit. The amount of the deposit determines how high you are allowed to bid. The required amount changes, depending on the current exchange rate. Crescent Shop displays a formula for how this amount is calculated. As of last spring when I made this purchase, the minimum deposit one could make was $50 USD. That $50 allowed for bidding up to $200, or approximately 20,000 yen. After placing a deposit, I used Crescent’s automated web form to place bids on my chosen auctions. I won both, each for the minimum amount. Crescent Shop notified me of the wins, but they will not accept payment, until after they receive the items from the seller. Once that happened, my auction account page was updated with the total amount due. I paid via PayPal, and my items were sent out immediately. About a week later, I received my initial security deposit of $50 back into my PayPal account. The items arrived quickly, and were beautifully packed.

Sounds fantastic, right? Well – yes. But here’s the part where I give you the cautionary bits. The fees. To use just the sneakers as an example: $5.00 sneakers ended up being close to $40.00 after Crescent’s handling fees, domestic shipping in Japan from the seller to Crescent’s office, and international shipping from Crescent to my home in the US. This isn’t including the $50 deposit, which was required to bid in the first place. Because, and this is something you NEED to realize, the initial deposit can not be used to pay for your item. Let me repeat that: The initial deposit only secures your ability to bid. It can NOT be applied to the cost of your purchases. It will be returned to you, in full, as soon as you have paid all other moneys owed, and completed all outstanding transactions. I make special note of this fact, because most of us take the concept of a deposit as being something to be deducted from the cost of whatever you buy. Crescent Shop does not do this. That means that you need to have not only the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for your purchase, but also the full deposit amount, plus the shipping and service fees.

Revisiting my beloved SD10 Chii, I was willing to pay approximately $1200 USD for the doll itself. Based on the cost of the doll, my service fee was a little over $100. Shipping within Japan was approximately $20. EMS shipping to the US from Japan was about $60. My initial deposit, allowing me to bid up to my $1200 maximum, was $350. In sum, I needed over $500 more than the price of the doll itself to make the purchase. This may sound absurd, but consider the following: This still came in at nearly $1000 less than what a Chii fullset typically sells for on the US secondary market.

This brings me to what is perhaps the most important thing to realize about auction services. Yes, they can be worth the expense and trouble - but only for certain types of items.

In my admittedly limited experience, services like Crescent are not well suited for small purchases, or impulse buys. As you can see with my daughter’s sneakers, a relatively cheap item can wind up at many times the winning price. I quickly learned the dangers of “browsing” on Y! Japan. You WILL see amazing things. You WILL want to buy them. You WILL consider taking a second mortgage to bring home that mint-in-box Licca dollhouse from the seventies (Never opened! All furniture included!). When money is tight, I stay as far away from Crescent Shop’s search page as possible. On the other hand, if you are looking for something specific to add to your collection, a shopping service can work wonders. This is especially true for limited editions, or vintage dolls and playsets. Even with the fees and shipping, you often end up paying less than you would from a non-Japanese seller .

There are a number of these services out there, and buyers are urged to choose carefully and read every word of small print. Compare fees from service to service. Make sure to study what forms of payment are accepted, how long you have to pay, how the service ships, and return policies. Ask around on forums and find out who else has used the service you’re considering, and what kind of experience they had. I was happy with Crescent Shop, although their deposit policy threw me for a serious loop.

In short, if there’s a dolly item from Japan that you are just desperate to have, looking into a shopping service is worth the trouble. If nothing else, watching the auctions gives one an idea of how much something is selling for in Japan. That’s useful information, even if you don’t end up purchasing through a service.

Rou Rou have twice collaborated with Petworks on Odeco and Nikki, creating very detailed and unusual outfits. Not like ‘doll clothes’, they seem to be real clothes in miniature, and supremely cool ones at that:

I also really love the markings on these Nikkis, and the beautiful golden eyes on the black and white one.

This week Rou Rou announced a third collaboration with Petworks on Odeco and Nikki.

According to a rough Babelfish translation, these outfits are intended to be a fusion of Japanese and European style.

They will be released in Rou Rou stores on the 29th January at 13,800 Yen each. For non-Japanese fans, Yahoo Auctions Japan may be our only purchasing option. While the first Odeco and Nikki Rou Rou set can be hard to find, the second seems more plentiful and quite reasonably priced on YJA. Fingers crossed we can get hold of this set without too much difficulty.

Her make up is nice enough, but as pastel and predictably bland as many of the new releases. And, is it me, or is her outfit as shiny as a supermarket Barbie’s? I guess the shoes are quite nice, but, overall, I find Ribonetta Wish a big disappointment. I suppose I have been saved me from the temptation to pay inflated ebay prices, but it’s always sad to see a disappointing new release Blythe.

I think I’m off to buy a Hello Kitty Barbie.

The original:

Which celebrities influence your dolly fashion choices, WPWD?

I absolutely love this hair. I don’t normally like blonde dolls, but this platinum shade is so stunningly Dusty Springfield-esque and the style is perfect. The lip colour is also a shade I wouldn’t normally like, but it’s very 60s combined with that hair. Totally mod.

The really intriguing thing about this one is that her skin is described as “half matted”. The previous FBLs have had totally matte smooth skin. It’ll be very interesting to see what this semi-matte finish is like - maybe it’s the Kenner-esque look we’ve been hoping for.

The official Blythe news page says this one is limited to 15000, but I’m assuming that’s a typo - 1500 seems more likely. It doesn’t say anything about an international lottery. I hope there is one. I’m smitten.

I’m not one for the blondes generally, and her make up gives the soft and subtle look that has become pretty standard of late. The hair is a lovely shade though, and the extra-thick fringe is really growing on me.

It’s the outfit that I really love this time though. The little bear details on the boots and scarf are adorable and I love the hat.

She’ll be out in December and she costs 15,540 yen. Hopefully she’ll be a regular release and save us from lottery anxiety.

Hurrah!

According to Blythe’s official news page, Ribonetta Wish will not be available outside Japan because of regional licensing agreements. Fans outside Japan will have to compete for her on eBay. I predict a riot!

Its birthday themed, in pink and green, and full of tasty treats
With beautiful donated prizes that’ll sweep you off your feet
Come on over to Adelaide, you’ll have an awesome time
And even though its in June, the weather should be fine*

In a gorgeous old town hall, we’ll set up all the fun
Its gonna take a lot of work, but it has to be done
To make the day as wonderful as all the friends we’ve made
While obsessing over dolls and clothes, store bought and hand made

Cakes, and dolls, and sandwiches, lollies, and ice cream
It really is going to be a doll collectors dream
With dioramas all set up for dollies to pose in
And perhaps a corner set up for swapping clothing

Photographic competitions, and lots of party games
And don’t forget your party bag , and all that it contains
Its gonna be such super fun, we hope to have you here
Cos if you miss it you’ll have to wait a whole entire year

So, will be come? Please make the trip down south
We’d really love to have you here, and show you all around
And play with all your pretty dollies, be they Takara or Kenner
I really couldn’t think of how to spend a Saturday better

And if you’re up for it on Sunday, we’ll all go for a drive
Even further south to Mclaren Vale, to taste all the wine
We really cant wait to see you, this is gonna be so great
You’ve got lots of time to plan, no excuses! Don’t be late!

Did you enjoy my marvellous poem?  Oh, I certainly hope so.  Please don’t judge  our meet on the  strength of my prose, but rather on the fantasticness of Narelle’s poster, and the fact that so many lovely dolly people will be in the same room at the same time.  I cant wait to meet you all, and I know everyone is feeling the same way.

Keep your eyes peeled as more news comes to hand about what will be happening at the 2010 Adelaide Blythe Meet.  We cant wait to see you there!!

*this isn’t a promise, it just rhymed

We’ve waited a long time for this one! I hope we don’t have to wait much longer for news of the rumoured platinum-haired Paris….

News at Blythedoll.com.

I’m loving the super-straight hair and the perfect fringe, but the colours just aren’t working for me. The cheeks and lips are just too pinky, and the hair is a touch bubblegum in shade, like a lighter version of Dainty Biscuit. It does look a little softer in this pic though, like Katsilk saran in Tickled Pink:

The lighting for the photography is very different for this picture, so I think we’ll have to wait until she’s released to see what shade it really is. I have my fingers crossed for something close strawberry gelati and a long way from Pepto-Bismol.

The outfit is nice in style and very much in keeping with the London-based mystery novel writer description of Stella Savannah. I’m crazy about capes at the moment - on dolls and people - but this looks a little awkward and ill-fitting. Great colour though, and I always love those crazy platform mary janes.

I think I’ll be waiting for the Hello Kitty collaboration doll for my dose of pink overload.

She has a pink stand and pullring, and I think they might be pinky eyelids too?

She has a bow over one pigtail, just like Hello Kitty’s bow and a new type of shoe. We all love mary janes, right?

She has bright bright orangey red hair like Rouge Noir, my all-time favourite:

She has Hello Kitty accesories. Not the fanciest ones I’ve ever seen, but still:

And finally, Hello Kitty is pictured on the box. Not just any picture of Hello Kitty, but an image of her wearing the same dress as the doll:

I really really hope I win this lottery. I hope the lottery details are announced soon. Fingers crossed kitty fans!

but the make up is so Kenner-ish:

It wasn’t until I saw out-of box photos until I realised just how Kenner-ish she is. And I missed out on the lottery. Bah!

Next off the blocks is Beatrice Vest, whose international lottery finished yesterday. I love the promo animation for this girl. Who could resist earmuffs made out of clouds? My favourite thing about this girl though is her super-blushy cheeks. I’m a sucker for a healthy complexion.

Nothing exciting about the eyechips - just the standard colours, but she does have new strappy boots that are pretty cute:

The latest promo photos to be released by CWC are of Urban Cowgirl. She has similar colouring to EBL favourite Tea for Two, but a side-part in that very long brown hair.

Again, she just has the standard eyechips and the regular soft make up. She’s very natural-looking and gently pretty, but no great excitement from me. Very cool hat though!

After Urban Cowgirl, we have Stella Savannah who is proving very popular on the WPWD forum already, even though we’ve only seen a cartoon so far:

She’s a writer of historical mystery novels and loves to go to the library. I was sold on that alone, but it’s a fantastic bonus that she also has pale pink hair and a fantastic outfit. I’m a sucker for hats, for tartan and for capes. She’s a Toys R Us exclusive, so fingers crossed her resale price on eBay isn’t enormous.

Another cartoon has been spotted floating around the internet, although it hasn’t been officially released by CWC yet.

The rumour is that she will be called Ice Rene. I’m not one for the blondes but I’m loving this wintry outfit. It’s about time a Blythe had ugg boots, wouldn’t you say?

For the first time, I’m absolutely crazy about Odeco. The colours of her hair, eyes and make up are great together, and great with her blue and lilac outfit. Nikki’s colouring looks a little harsh against the soft fluffy clothing, but I’m willing to bet she’ll be cute with an outfit change. Plus, you’ve got to love a hat with ear holes.

There are also doll show versions out on the 1st November:

The santa colours are classic, but pretty limited. I do like the golden nose on Nikki though - festive!

I have my fingers crossed for a pre-order - w00t!

Out in time for Xmas, there may well be fighting in the streets over these dolls, limited to 3000. Personally, I’m praying for an international lottery. Fingers and toes crossed. The thought of the prices they’ll be fetching on eBay scares me senseless. >_<

I think one of the sweetest things about this release is that she seems to have been styled after Hello Kitty's present designer, Yuko Yamaguchi:

Yamaguchi has done fantastic work since 1980 keeping Hello Kitty in the coolest, cutest fashions and masterminding her rise to popularity amongst adults. I hope she continues to design for Kitty for many years to come.

The first stage is to remove her head.  This is easy to do: you just take the head in one hand and the body in the other and pull.  Voila!

Secondly, you’ll need to cut her hair really short, like this:

Once the hair is short, you’ll be able to pull it out very easily with tweezers, leaving your little Shortcake with a funny bald pear-shaped head:

I then took some leftover mohair from a Blythe reroot (thanks Jade!) and used one of Rachael’s reroot tools to push little chucks of mohair into each of the holes in Shortcake’s little head. I won’t repeat Rachael’s tutorial as it needs no further explanation. I’ll just show you the results:

A crazy soft pastel afro! And with a hat, it’s very cute:

I love it, and it’s really quite quick and easy to do. Hurrah!

And so arrived Betty:

I was smitten right away. That profile! The almost-realistic proportions!  I also love that she can tilt her head and stand up on her own. She’s cute and versatile, and as the Momoko official website tells us, Momoko clothing really is true to life. Each clothing item is a real item in miniature, even the super-fine knits and the little fasteners. I particularly love the Momoko Dr Marten boots which have moulded laces tied around the ankle and the distinctive sole pattern on the underside.

Of course, these kinds of details mean that Momoko clothes can be fairly expensive, especially the Petworks-produced Close Clipped Sheep items. The latest collections, Puppy Garden, are a tear-inducing 39,000 yen, but coordinate to create a complete wardrobe with several pairs of shoes. Totally tempting, particularly as they come with an exclusive Petworks doll. I love the crimpy-haired girl this time.

Production of Momoko is split between Sekiguchi and Petworks, the Petworks girls being more exclusive and expensive. They are very similar dolls, although I have to admit to only having seen one Petworks Momoko in real life. The only difference I could identify
with a quick look was that the joints seemed a little sturdier on the Petworks version. I expect there are many other differences a more knowledgeable and experienced collector could show me.

This season Sekiguchi have a line up of new releases that I just love:

(both photos are stock pictures taken from www.momokodoll.com)

Here they are on display at Pretty Power Osaka:

(http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/pretty_power_osaka/49432813.html)

I have a definite favourite in Sparkling 80s, with her dark hair and eyes, but I absolutely must have the outfit from Milk Tea Party too. The high-heeled mary janes are a new mould and very cute. Let’s hope they’re not as delicate as the last new shoe - a high-heeled T-bar shoe that is apparently very easily broken.

These dolls are due to be on sale Autumn/Winter 2009 at 13,400 yen, with pre-orders already being offered in some stores for Outdoor Boyish. I will be alerting Santa.

Hurrah!

The Blythe community has responded by freaking out a bit. Understandable, really. Who wouldn’t want this golden era of dolly production to continue indefinitely?

This is just a rumour, though. Blythe is a sought-after commodity, and it the companies associated with her production and trade are struggling, then there is a strong likelihood that there will be others waiting to pick up the slack.

In related news, Jun Planning, the Japanese company that markets Pullips and Dals, has announced its bankrupcy. Again, given the popularity of some of JP’s dolls, there is a chance that some of its interests will be handed over to another company. The future of Pullips and Dals remains unknown at this stage.

Still, even if the worst happens and Japan becomes a dolly wasteland, at least we got a lot of great years out of this Neo Blythe thing. And hey, the dolls we already have can only increase in value … right?

There’s no denying that she’s pretty, and that I could swear that bag she’s carrying is a little Hermes Birkin, but the general mood seems to be that of quiet disappointment. She just doesn’t seem special enough and, with a new face mould having just been released, I don’t think I’m the only person who was surprised to see that the anniversary has a ‘radience’ face. I’m a big fan of the RBL, but don’t we already have three RBL blondes?

Her background story seems kind of dull too. Last year we had a beautiful fairy story unravel over the months before Christina and Eleanor were released. This year’s tale is more than a tad prosaic in comparison. She’s a girl who works at a fashion magazine. *stifles yawn* Perhaps the problem is simply that, while this girl is pretty, fashionable and could have been styled by Rachel Zoe, Blythe fans are more likely to admire quirkier retro looks? That might explain why so many more of us are excited about a certain new prima:

That’s a look I can get on board with

I’d also bought a ‘Monster’ Odeco because I loved her pink hair and bone-white skin, but was a bit spooked by her pinky eyes.  Here’s her stock picture from Petworks:

The first step was to whip off Odeco’s wig.  Easy done!

The next step is to gently squeeze and twist the ‘hatch’ on the back of the head to remove it:

Odeco’s ‘hatch’ is much bigger than Nikki’s:

You’ll now be able to see the sleep-eye capsules resting in their little plastic sockets inside the head:

Use your finger to push the eye capsule from the front into the head.  You’ll need to push firmly:

Each eye capsule is an eye, sleep-eye mechanism and set of lashes all in one (Odeco on the right, Nikki on the left):

Repeat with the other eye and you should end up with a very spooky-looking eyeless dolly:

Now you’ll need to put in some new eyes.  You can either put in eyes you’ve swapped from another Odeco or Nikki, or use acrylic eyes.  Nikki takes 22-24mm eyes and Odeco takes 20-22mm.

I chose blue for Odeco and yellow for my Nikki:

It’s always weird to get boxes of eyeballs in the post.

The next bit is the tricky bit.  You will need to try to hold open the plastic eye socket flaps as well as you can with one hand whilst slipping the new eye in with the other.  It’s pretty awkward, but perseverance pays off:

Put band-aids on your bleeding cuticles (you might not need this step of the process, but I did) and repeat with the second eye.

You may also want to give your dolly some new eyelashes.  I gave Odeco very light lashes (cut down from human lashes bought at the pharmacy) after her eyes were in.  I simply used a pin to push the pre-glued lash band just slightly between the eye and socket above her eyes.  Pop her wig back on, and she’s as good as new:

I think Odeco’s little-girl face is suited to light lashes, but you can choose any thickness or colour you can find.

You’ll also now be able to adjust your doll’s gaze and expression:

Now go customise your dolls and send me pictures!

Manga artist Araki first became a favorite with BJD collectors when he collaborated with Volks to create the Unoss doll. Later, rather than continuing to produce dolls in conjunction with Volks, Araki began his own BJD company, Alchemic Lab. Alchemic Lab makes the hugely popular Unoa dolls. Unoas bring the customization aspect of BJDs to a new level, with multiple interchangeable face-plates, allowing one doll to have several expressions without changing the whole head. Unoas also sport the ability to switch the angle of their eyes with the push of a button.

Details are limited about the new pint-size offerings from AL, but here is what we know thus far: The new dolls are called Roron and Ririn. They are 35cm tall. The first batch to be released will be special, fullset, prototypes, hand-painted by Araki himself. These test dolls will be available for purchase by lottery, only to those who have bought dolls from Alchemic Lab in the past. The price will be 63000 yen. This special pre-sale will most likely take place toward the end of summer, after the next Lusis and Sist pre-order period. Roron and Ririn will later be offered for general sale as kits (like regular Unoa dolls) for 39990 yen.

A teaser photo of Roron and Ririn can be seen on Alchemic Lab’s site. They’re the pair with their backs to the camera (d’oh! f’course!). I have seen more extensive photos of the girls, but unfortunately those images are not mine to repost. I will say that in addition to the new smaller girls, AL is releasing at least eighteen new face-plates. These smaller dolls and the original Unoa will have the same size head, so face-plates can be shared!

As we bubbled with excitement over our incoming Teenies, and admired the luminous French resin of the blue elf, my friend said: “I don’t know. I’m just getting so tired of everything cool being limited! All the interesting dolls are limited editions. You have to scrape together money on short notice, if you don’t want to pay twice as much on the secondary market.”

Her observation got me thinking about current BJD offerings. I can’t say she’s far off. What’s more, I can’t imagine we’ll see any changes forthcoming in the near future. In this case, what can be maddening to collectors, makes excellent business sense for a doll maker.

Before going on, let me say that there are gorgeous standard dolls out there, from a selection of manufacturers. What my friend noticed however, is that with rare exception, dolls with innovative or unusual molds, fantasy sculpts, or unique face-ups, are almost always limited. What’s more, the ordering windows are not as long as they often used to be. At least, that’s been my observation. In the spring of 2007, I purchased a NotDoll Miriam First. She was a limited edition fullset. I bought her just about a month after she went up for sale. Though NotDoll did eventually stop producing Miriam, it was a good year at least before she was no longer available. I also think of DomaDoll’s Kkotomu and Jado centaurs. They weren’t “forever”, in the sense of a standard doll, but DomaDoll carried them for quite some time. Long enough anyway, that if you wanted to have one, you didn’t have to choose between next month’s car payment, and a new doll.

More often now, one sees dolls with ordering windows of about one month. Either that, or very small editions which sell out in short order. I’ve joked to my husband that buying BJDs often feels like being a contestant on a 1970s game show: You like what’s behind door number one. You can either spend your extra money on door number one, or wait to see what’s behind door number 2. It might be something even better, in which case you’ll be glad you saved your cash. Or, it could be something you’re not interested in at all. By then, door number one is no longer available. I’m going through this at the moment, myself. I love DollZone’s decidedly macabre new minis, Aaron and Lola. They will only be available for the month of May. If I spend money on a Lola, I won’t be able to splurge on whatever tiny Soom puts out for July. Do I put my eggs in DollZone’s basket, or let Lola go in favor of an unknown?

One could argue that it’s only wise for BJD companies to produce limited numbers of “unusual” dolls. After all, the more unusual a doll is, the more of a chance a company takes that doll fans might not appreciate it. That’s a valid view. On the other hand, judging from the mad scramble whenever DollSoom unveils a new monthly, or Volks holds an online after-event for Dolpa limiteds, companies can be more or less assured that certain things sell. Hooved dolls are big. Horns, wings, and techni-color resin have also proven to be crowd pleasers. Still, if more companies offered these fantastical choices as non-limited standards, would sales be the same? As much as I’d like to think otherwise, I’d have to say no. To again refer to an explanation I gave my doll-tolerant husband: People will see a limited doll, and not be sure whether they like it or not. If they have a credit card, or extra money, they’ll order it anyway. That way, they can take their time and decide. If they don’t want the doll after a month, they’ll have no problem reselling it to a hobbyist who missed the ordering deadline. If the doll hadn’t been limited, there’d be no rush, and no frantic scramble to procure funds. Limited BJDs often don’t leave us with much time to think. By the time you realize that you probably don’t need another winged baby satyr, she’s already on her way to your house. Bad for our wallets, but good strategy for small companies trying to survive in this economy. The march of the limiteds will continue, and I’ll keep scouring my house for odds and ends sell on Ebay.

Whether suwarrico cuts are included from the manufacturer, or added by a doll’s owner, posing a doll the surwarrico sitting position sometimes takes a little fiddling. It usually takes a second or two to feel that “catch”, when the strings slide from the vertical slot into the horizontal one, allowing the leg to rotate. Depending on the size and smoothness of the cuts, this can be made trickier if the doll is wearing a bulky costume. Last spring, I purchased a Volks Yo-SD Hinaichigo on the secondary market. Modeled after the Rozen Maiden character, Hinaichigo is a BJD of the tooth-achingly cute variety. I’m not usually one to keep full set dolls in the their default costumes, but Hinaichigo just looks so darn right in her pink velvet, and white ruffled ensemble. The only problem I encountered was that the combination of her opaque white tights, and her gathered bloomers, made it difficult to maneuver her legs. Add to this, the fact that her thigh slots and suwarrico cuts were very narrow. The elastic cords in each leg had a habit of getting stuck, side by side, in the slot. This prevented the leg from bending properly, without some gentle wiggling. In simple costumes like short dresses or thin pants, this was no problem. In a more complex outfit, trying to wiggle and adjust each leg every time I wanted her to sit, soon became tedious.

Hinaichigo’s fix was simpler than adding a suwarrico cut from scratch, as I’d done with Maebe, my MSD Hisui. The cuts were already there. They simply needed to be widened. Below is a picture of Hinaichigo’s joints, prior to any work. In the below photo, also note the thickness of the resin surrounding the channel (more clearly seen on the right leg). One of my favorite things about Volks dolls in general is their heavy, thick resin. In this case, that thick resin on the corner of the suwarrico was snagging the cords.

The first thing I did was to use the burr attachment of my rotary tool to follow the walls of the existing slots. Applying gentle pressure to first one side, then the other, I widened the area through which the strings have to travel. After this, I turned my attention to the corner of the suwarrico cut. I first removed the point, creating more of a curved path. I then tilted the rotary tool about 45 degrees, to take off some of the inside thickness of the resin. This part requires some care. You need to take your time, and use caution that you don’t scrape too much of the surrounding plastic. The next photo shows the completed right leg, compared to the left which has not been worked on yet.

Finally, as I didn’t want to have to revisit this project, I took one more measure to insure smooth string movement. I sanded a tiny amount off of the top of the thigh joint. There was originally a sharp corner there, and rounding it slightly helped eliminate one more place where the doll’s strings could get hung up.

This work on her thigh joints has made my Hinaichigo much easier to sit and pose, especially in her default costume!

Thanks for reading, and I hope if you ever have joint issues with one of your resin gang, something here might give you an idea of how to fix the problem!

Once again, I’ll remind you to use care when sanding or drilling your resin doll. Work in a well-ventilated area, and wear a respirator or mask. Your lungs will thank you!

If you’re not sure what suwarrico, or “cute sit”, or “cute sitting” is, it basically means kneeling, with your thighs turned in toward one another, and your lower legs slid out slightly out to either side. On a ball jointed doll, this pose can be achieved in a couple of ways. If you’re taking this on as a do-it-yourself project, making suwarrico cuts into the thigh string slots is by far the simplest option. A suwarrico cut is an extension of the normal string slot, angling it to the outside of the dolls upper thigh. This allows the string to follow course, turning the thighs inward.

On a doll manufactured with suwarrico cuts, they are often done as an arc, or “C” shape. For our suwarrico modification purposes, we’re going to do more of an “L”. It’s an easier cut to make neatly, and works just as well.

The following photos are taken from when I added a suwarrico to my Volks MSD Hisui, Maebe. I apologize that they aren’t the best, but hopefully they get the point across. Like the thigh modification I did to Ari in the previous post, I did not unstring Maebe for this procedure. If you feel fiddly with using an electric rotary tool, or just worried about damaging your doll’s elastic cords, you may wish to unstring them before you work. With this mod in particular, before you unstring the doll, lightly mark an “R” and an “L” in pencil on the doll’s thighs. The leg pieces can look alike once a doll is apart. You don’t want to make a suwarrico cut in the wrong direction, on the wrong leg.

Once you set up your workspace, begin by using a pencil to mark out your cuts. You will be going from the bottom of the thigh string slot, toward the outside of the leg. How far you need to go will depend on the size of the doll. For MSD Maebe, I made cuts which were approximately a centimeter and a half. It doesn’t have to be exact, but you want to go far enough to allow the thigh to rotate about a quarter turn. You also want to make sure that your cuts are wide enough to allow two cords in each leg to slip around, without pinching or sticking.

To begin, I used a drill bit about the width of my intended cut, and placed a hole at the far outside end of the pencil guide. This acts as a “stop cut”, and keeps the edge neat. I then switched to a burr attachment. Inserting the rotary tool into the bottom end of the string slot, I pulled it slowly toward the newly drilled hole, connecting the two. You should now have a neat “L” shape!

Repeat the procedure for the other leg. Once you’re finished, go back with the burr attachment, and smooth that inside corner of the “L”, rounding it off a bit. This allows the strings to slide easily, and prevents them from fraying on the sharp edge. Clean off your excess pencil marks, and try it out!

Now there is another element to suwarrico, which may or may not be worth the effort to you. A stickler will say that in a “true” suwarrico sit, the legs are able to fold closely together, not be merely splayed out to either side. In dolls that have a suwarrico body from the start, this is achieved by sculpting shallow hollows into the backs of the calves, or indenting the backs of the thighs, to allow the calves to nest into them. It’s hard to get this tight a pose through DIY, unless you’re willing to do major modification. However, if your rotary tool includes a small, cylindrical, sanding attachment, you can gently sand a bit of the calf, right below the knee. It won’t be a dramatic improvement, but it does allow a little more of an authenic suwarrico pose.

I hope that helps explain the suwarrico modification!

]]> http://www.weplaywithdolls.net/blogs/2009/04/01/bjd-thigh-modifications-pt-2-adding-suwarrico-cuts/feed/ http://www.weplaywithdolls.net/blogs/2009/03/29/minor-joint-modifications-pt1/ http://www.weplaywithdolls.net/blogs/2009/03/29/minor-joint-modifications-pt1/#comments Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:59:42 +0000 misa1 http://www.weplaywithdolls.net/blogs/?p=88 Before getting to it, please remember to use safety when drilling or sanding resin.  Resin dust is a toxic substance.  You don’t want it in your lungs.  Work in a well ventilated area, and always wear a proper respirator or mask to prevent inhaling dust and shavings.

This first modification was done to my Volks Kyotenshi Byakuren, Ariel.  Ari came to me as a pre-owned doll, but he’d mostly been kept in his box, untouched, prior to my bringing him home.  I was thrilled the moment I saw my new guy, but less so when I tried to sit him up on my dresser.  No amount of cajoling would keep him from falling backwards.  I first blamed this on the doll’s one-piece torso.  Both of my previous dolls had jointed torsos, and no problems sitting.  The jointed torso does make some difference here, as it allows you to adjust the doll’s upper body for balance.  Upon examining Ari more closely with another BJD-keeping friend however, we determined that his legs were the problem.  Lucky for me, it was an easy fix.

The string slots at the the top of Ari’s thighs were very short.  The cords could not come far enough forward to allow him to balance in a sitting position.  Using a hand-held, electric, rotary tool, I lengthened each slot by a little less than a third of its total length.  In the photo below, the bracket indicates where I added length.*  I used a burr attachment on the rotary tool to accomplish this, basically sanding through the resin I wanted to remove.  With Ari, I was able to do this easily without unstringing the him.  Ari’s string channels are deep enough that the elastic cords were well below the tip of my rotary tool.  If you do this on a doll with thinner legs, or more shallow channels, you will need to use extra caution (or unstring the doll, just to be safe).  It’s also a good idea to lightly roll over the edges of your cuts with the rotary tool, once you’re done.  Doing so will sand away rough spots or sharp places which could wear on the elastic.

After making this small change to both legs, I tested to see if the modification had worked, and huzzah!  He sits like a champ!  A champ who likes to sit!

It’s worth mentioning that if you have a doll with a sitting problem like Ari’s, but you’re squeamish about taking a drill to your baby, loosening the string tension is a less invasive possible answer.  Less tension can achieve the same effect, as a more loosely strung doll won’t have such a tendency to snap backwards.  My personal preference is to keep my dolls rather tight, as it makes them easier to stand and pose overall.

*Just as an added note, to those who may wonder why Ari isn’t “correct”, as evident in the photo of his nether regions, it’s because he a Volks Tenshi, or “angel”.  Volks follows the mythological convention that angels are completely without gender (ala Kevin Smith’s “Dogma” lol), therefore, unlike most BJDs, none of the Volks angels have anatomically correct bodies.

The monthly doll for March is called Cuprit: Black Frost.  Based purely on teaser photo speculation, Cuprit appears to be a dark, female companion to last December’s MD, Heliot.  Cuprit is also expected to be part of Soom’s Super Gem line, which would put her size at approximately 65cm tall.

The monthly doll releases have proven to be wildly popular, despite the hefty price tag.  Super Gem monthlies start at around $790USD.  With costume, accessories, face-up, wig, etc, a fullset generally works out closer to $1200-$1300.  Each monthly doll is a limited edition.  Once the ordering period closes, they are no longer available through Soom.  Buyers who missed out must search the secondary market.  Soom monthly enthusiasts will tell you that these dolls are well worth the trouble, from the imaginative, fantasy sculpts, to the painstakingly constructed garments.  Soom also provides a layaway plan with monthly installments, for those who fall in love, but can’t manage one lump sum.

More details as they become available.  In the meantime, Soom fanciers keep vigil on www.dollsoom.com where comment boards, and photos of past monthlies, will help pass the time until Cuprit goes on sale.

And they look great!

EBLs have white eyeballs too, but for some reason when the SBL was introduced, so were slightly yellow-ish eyeballs.  The answer?  Spraypaint.

Once you’ve opened your doll’s head (Puchicollective tutes are the best to find out how) and removed her eyechips, you can spray her eyes with white paint.

First, you’ll need to find a way to hold the eyeballs steady for painting.  I’ve used a bamboo skewer and held the eyeballs steady on them with Blu Tack.

Take them outdoors or to a well-ventilated area for painting.  I’ve used Montana Gold spraypaint in white.

Remember to spray lightly - a couple of light coats will give a smoother result than one heavy coat.  Once the paint is dry, you can replace the eyechips and put your doll’s head back together.  The result should be bright and white; see Vera on the right in this photo:

Some BL-style goodness for every Blythe 

I didn’t really have a clue as to how customising was done with a regular small-headed doll, so I was straight off to my fave Momoko Flickr group to ask for advice. The lovely ladies there pointed me at the odd tutorial. It turns out that there are loads of tutes about rerooting Barbies and Momoko’s head is constructed the same way (but prettier, obviously). So the usual method goes like this:

1. Remove your doll’s head. This is surprisingly easy for someone who’s used to Blythe dolls; you hold the head in one hand, body in the other and pull.

2. Cut the hair very short with scissors. Then use tweezers inserted in through the neck to remove the remaining fluffy hair bits.

3. Now to put the new hair in. Take 5 or 6 strands of your new saran or nylon hair and fold it in half. Thread the loop created at the fold point through a sewing needle. Pull the hair a couple of inches through the eye of the needle.

4. Push the needle through one of the holes in your doll’s head and pull it out of her neck. Depending on the size of your needle, you may need to use a small pair of pliers inserted into the neck hole to pull it through.

5. Remove the needle from the doll hair. You should now have a loop of hair sticking out of your doll’s neck. Tie a knot near the end of the loop. Use a small pair of scissors to trim off any excess. From the top of the doll’s head, pull the length of the hair back through the hole, so that the knot is against the inside of the scalp.

6. Repeat.

I followed this method across the top of my doll’s head, but found it was getting trickier to get the needle out of the neck as I got closer to the side of the head. Clearly, it was time to get some more advice. I asked Rachael who’s got lots of experience in rerooting small-headed dolls and - woo! - she has an online tutorial. She’s going to give me one of her fabbo rerooting tools to have a go with. I’ll report back when I’ve had a go…

Anyone else done any Momoko customising? Give me a shout if you have any tips

A few people already have this girly. She is one for fans of the more “natural” style of Blythe. If I were to get one, I think I’d give her an Irish name. It’s something about the flaming ginger locks and freckly skin, just like Nicole Kidman used to have.

Priced at 11,340 yen and she was released February 6.

My Little Candy

Official My Little Candy animation on YouTube

I may be alone in finding these animated clips embarrassingly naff, but the girl herself seems like a cutie. The two-tone hair is an interesting step, even if the hair quality itself looks a little … dubious at this early stage. Whatever, her hair bobble looks like a lolly. What’s not to like?

Price is 13,440 yen from February 20.

Doronjo x Blythe

She’s the product of a collaboration between the Blythe mavens and the people behind an upcoming Japanese film called Yatterman. Good for those seeking a Blythe/superhero fix. She has a heart hologram in one eyechip, but I’m mostly interested in her glasses. Please observe their coolness:

Price is 16,590 yen and she’s available at Junie Moon from February 24. If you’re in Japan, of course.

Bloomy Bloomsbury

BloBlo - I made up that abbreviation, but I’m enjoying it - is a collaboration between CWC and the Japanese style house Jane Marple (don’t try to Wikipedia it like I did, or you’ll just get a whole lot of stuff about Agatha Christie’s [Miss] Jane Marple). At the moment, CWC are only doing the “sneak peak” thing and releasing bitsy little photos of her stock, so stay tuned for more info down the line. These are her shoes, which look really detailed and fab:

She’s released in March at 24,990 yen. Start saving.

Info from http://www.blythedoll.com

I absolutely love this Nikki!  I’ve been hoping for a Nikki with pale eyes and these ones are sparkly and green and delightful.  Also, her colouring is beautiful and I just love her blushy pink cheeks.  I find Odeco a little dull though and that wig is really very wiggy.  It doesn’t look very styleable at all.  The outfits are very detailed and sweet though and the packaging is just beautiful.

At 30,000 yen and a limited release I think this one might be soaring in price on the secondary market.  It might be worth scouring Yahoo Japan Auctions though…
More pictures on the lovely lholy-chan’s flickr photostream.

Secondly, there is the regular release set Obake no Odeco and Nikki (ghosts):

This is the first time I’ve been excited about an Odeco. I really love this one - the pink hair, the make up, the super-pale skin tone. Her eyes might be a little too spooky, but they are the exact colour I’ve been looking for as a swap for my black Nikki, so we could see some eye-switching fun at my house soon!  The hot pink Nikki reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake’s cat Custard.  Clearly, I must have one.  The jumpers are Halloween-only attire, but the black and silver boots are fantastic and very versatile.

These two are 8,900 Yen each and are out sometime on February.  The blue and black wigs are 2,400 Yen each and out in March.

Again, lholy-chan’s flickr photostream has more pictures.

Basically, the bigger your crochet hook, the chunkier mohair curls your finished doll with have.  I tend to go for small hooks to get skinny separated curls.  The following image shows a scalp being rerooted with a 0.6mm hook:

This scalp is being rerooted with a 0.75mm hook:

The final look on the doll (in terms of curl-chunkiness) should be something like this:

Many customisers go for a chunkier look than this, using a 1mm or larger crochet hook.  The effect is something like the hair of this gorgeous girl of Erika’s who was rerooted by Sherri of Gggroovydolls.

Of course, their are many other factors that affect the final look of your doll’s mohair reroot.  Stay tuned for the next tutorial to find out more!

*Thanks to Erika for the use of her photograph

1. Take a pair of scissors and cut the hair short, preferably half a centimetre or less.

2. Turn the scalp inside out.

3. Use tweezers to pull the loops of hair out of the scalp.  If you take breaks during the process, turn the scalp right-side-out between hair-pulling sessions.  Leaving it inside out for long periods might stretch the rubber and leave the scalp misshapen.

4. When all the hair is removed, turn the scalp right-side-out.  If the scalp is painted a colour that doesn’t match the hair you are rerooting or wefting with, you’ll want to remove that paint.  Use a sanding sponge or very light-grain sand paper and gently sand off the paint.

Now you’re ready for new hair!  Stay tuned for rerooting tutorials coming soon

They’re a bit of a mixed bag, these ones.  Ashlet has never been a favourite with me (ADG-alike lippie - bleurgh!), but the new centre-parted hair with a fringe on Ashletina looks very cute.

Aubrey, on the other hand, has always been a favourite with me.  I have referred to her as the perfect doll, and I stand by that; her skin tone, make up and hair are all beautiful.  But for her boring stock eyechips, she’d be right up there with PAM for me.  This version, Aubrena, is just the same, but with longer hair.  As the only RBL amongst them, I predict she’ll be the first to sell out.

The new Violet, Violetina, appears to be identical to the last one.  *stifles yawn*

All three have just become available at the Junie Moon online store at 8,400 yen.

• Limited prima ~ Marigold

  



Marigold is the latest limited prima, following the neon-bright Peony and Amaryllis. I don’t usually like yellow-haired dolls, but this one might just be orangey enough to tempt me, particularly as the colour is nicely complimented by peachy blush.

Her retail price is 7,875 yen, but as she is limited to 1000, expect her price on the secondary market to skyrocket.

• Matryoshka Maiden



With fair skin and blonde wavy hair, she does bear a resemblance to Angelica Eve.  Matryoshka Maiden has blushier cheeks and a stronger lip colour than AE though, who can look a bit washed out.  Her outfit, “the quintessential babushka, apron and dress with vivid patterns” is fantastic and I must have it, preferably the very second she’s released on boxing day.  She is priced at 13,440 yen.

• Princess Milk BisQuit de Q-pot



Those sneaky folks at CWC have been driving Blythe and Q-pot fans crazy of late with little hints of the loveliness to be unleashed on the world. Then, suddenly, an animation appeared that knocked socks off! This girl is deliciously milk chocolate themed from her eyelids to her shoes. I especially love her sheeny lip colour on that small pouty lip-shape. We can only hope that the slightly coarse dry look to her hair is just an unfortunate promo-photo-thing. Fingers crossed!

She is released in January at a price of 16,590 yen. She’s limited to 3000 and details on how to be in the running to purchase her are yet to be announced.

• Cappuccino Chat



Last, but most excitingly, a cartoon picture was released this morning of another RBL release.  This one is also due for release in January and she has long silver hair. *faints*  I think she might be my fave.  I’m already thinking of a name for mine….

http://www.morganannie.etsy.com

Our first Christmas crafter is Morgan. Specialising in 1950s style party frocks, Morgan’s creations incorporate traditional Christmas colour schemes of red, green and white, and are embellished with lace, buttons and darling little belts. Dresses cost between $10.00 and $14.50, and will put even the most sombre Blythe in a festive mood! 

1. Please introduce yourself and your store! 

My name is Morgan. I am a children’s librarian by day and a dolly seamstress by night! Sewing is such a fun hobby for me. And I am spurred on by all my lovely customers to do bigger and better things everyday! 

2. How many Blythes do you have?


I have 4 1/2 Blythes at the moment. Mod Molly (Emory), Dainty Biscuit (Norah), Gentle River (Romi), HOM/MSR hybrid (Skylar), and a Buttercake Afternoon petite that I call Little Red. 

3. Do you collect anything else?

As for other collections: I just recently bought a tiny J’aime BJD. She is so darling! I also have a lot of cute little turtles around my house. 

4. How will you and your girls be celebrating Christmas this year?

For Christmas this year I hope to find a mini Christmas tree and deck it out in all pink for my lovely dollies. Thankfully, they all seem to be girly-girls so they don’t mind my obsession with pink (or modeling a dress now and then). 

5. Do you have any specials for “We Play With Dolls” readers? 

Now through Christmas, I would love to extend the offer of free first class shipping to all the lovely “We Play With Dolls” readers. In your comments section please include your paypal email address as well as the letters WPWD. Then I can send you a modified invoice via Paypal.

http://www.littlewhimsies.etsy.com

Our next dolly seamstress is Wendy of Little Whimsies. If your girls’ tastes lean toward the mod look, then Little Whimsies is your dream come true! Wendy creates shift dresses in Christmas colours, decorated with festive bows, ranging between $10.00 and $14.00.

1. Please introduce yourself and your store! 

I’m Wendy and my Etsy shop is called Little Whimsies.  My shop sells items created by me especially for Blythe, but I may add clothing for other vintage dollies soon.  I have always enjoyed crafting and creating things.  I used to make clothing for my dolls as a child.  Re-discovering Blythe has given me a new creative outlet.   It also provides the simple joy of playing with dolls and the chance to meet other people from around the world who like to do the same. 

2. How many Blythes do you have?

I currently own nine Blythe dolls.  They are My Best Friend, I Love You It’s True, Cloud 9 Bowl, Hello Harvest, Can Can Cat, Samedi Marche Encore, Dainty Biscuit, Saffy Encore and Veronica Lace, who is still in transit! Number 10 will most likely be one of the new Prima Dollies and Number 11 might be Matroishka Maiden – if I’m lucky!  I would also love to have a mohair custom.  A dozen should be enough, although somehow I doubt I’ll be able to stop…  

3. Do you collect anything else?

Way too many other things!  I have a number of vintage dolls, some from childhood and some recently acquired.  I try not to think of the dolls I had as a child but have no more… I have a Peteena who needs some hair, several Strawberry Shortcake dolls and Barbies.  I have vintage Matchbox Cars.  I have a collection of Depression glass and old china.  I also collect (horde!) fabric, buttons and vintage sewing items.  

4. How will you and your girls be celebrating Christmas this year?

The girls and I will spend some quality time together, cleaning up the sewing room and watching old movies.  We’ll try to get in a photo session or two.  We’ll put away the leftover Christmas fabric and decorations and maybe start planning some new items for the New Year. 

5. Do you have any specials for “We Play With Dolls” readers?  

I’m offering a free gift with purchase to We Play With Dolls readers.   Readers should put the code “WPWD” in the message to seller area of their Etsy order. Please contact me for more information! 

http://www.maddyw.etsy.com

Next on our list is Maddy, a proud member of the WPWD forums! Maddy offers full-skirted party frocks for in opulent colours, just waiting to be worn by your lucky girl! Dresses are between $12.00 and $14.00 for Blythes, with Lati clothes also available. 

1. Please introduce yourself and your store! 

I am Maddy from Perth, Western Australia. I have played with dolls all my life, and now more than ever! I have only recently started listing on Etsy, the little dresses I have been making for my Blythe and Lati children.  

2. How many Blythes do you have?

Currently, 14…

3. Do you collect anything else?

I have always collected something or other, all my life, from postage stamps and seashells as a child. Dolls have always been there, even a stint making porcelain ones. Blythe ownership has “forced” me into Lati BJD’s, all sorts of clothes and shoes, and Re-ment of course!

4. How will you and your girls be celebrating Christmas this year?

With my partner (who I refer to as Dolly Doctor for his knack of fixing when I give up), we are off to Sydney for Xmas and Boxing day at the beach, then it’s off to Canberra then Melbourne to visit grownup children and their progeny.

We will probably take along our Travel Companion, Jazz (Honey Bunny), who came with us on our trip to Ningaloo Reef in May.

5. Do you have any specials for “We Play With Dolls” readers?  

If anyone sees something they like in my Etsy shop and contacts me through WPWD, I can make to order for the same price in AUS$, and of course reduce the postal charge.  

http://www.blythekingdom.etsy.com

Our final crafter, Maggie, offers the proverbial icing on the cake - adorable Christmas hats and capes, with a few dresses thrown in for good measure. The perfect accouterments for the perfect Christmas, and a steal at $6.50!

1. Please introduce yourself and your store!

My name is Maggie. I’m from Hong Kong but have lived in Canada since 1993. All my items are machine-sewn. I have more than 12 years of sewing experience. I’ve been on Etsy since January 2008 (almost one year). I hope my passion of making doll clothing will create something that you love! 

2. How many Blythes do you have?

I have 2 blythe dolls. They are my sweethearts.

3. Do you collect anything else?

Stuffed animals and toys. But as for for dolls, then ONLY BLYTHE.

4. How will you and your girls be celebrating Christmas this year?

My girls will be wearing all my new Christmas outfits and we will build snowman together. I believe snow is coming around Christmas time this year! 

5. Do you have any specials for “We Play With Dolls” readers?

We have special promotions going on from now to the end of the year. When you purchase 2 items or more, you will get a FREE pair of Tights for your Blythe. You can choose the short tights or the long tights and it comes in a few colours. Please see my store for more details! 

2. Choose your new eyechips. My favourites are Brainworm chips, but CoolCat and Ixtee are developing new patterns and effects, including enlarged pupils, that are definitely worth a look. Remember to check our links page for online stores.

3. If you want to keep your doll’s original eyelashes, you’ll need to keep them out of the way while you change her eyechips. Sticky tape can be used to stick them back above the eye so they that don’t get gluey.

4. Melt the end of a glue stick. This can be done with a lighter. However, you may burn your fingers like that (I always do when I try it), so I’d recommend lighting a candle and melting the glue with the candle flame. Working out the right level of meltiness is a bit of a trial-and-error affair, though I can tell you that it should be melty, but not drippy, if that makes sense. You want it to stick to the eyechip you’re trying to remove, but not spread glue all over the eyeball, faceplate, your hands, etc.

5. Press the melted end of the glue stick onto the eyechip that you want to remove. Press it as firmly as you can, then leave the glue to cool and set:

6. Pull on the gluestick. You may have to pull hard - don’t be scared! Hopefully the result will be this:

If not, try again. You might want to try leaving the glue to harden a little longer on the next attempt.

7. Your doll should now be giving you this kind of look:

Try not to be freaked out by the empty eyeball or the grumpy look she’s giving you. She’ll forgive you when she has fabulous new eyes. Repeat with the other eye.

8. Now comes the fun bit.

From these blank eyeballs you can create your new look for your Blythe. Try different kinds of foil or coloured paper behind the new eyechips to see the different effects you can achieve. I’m loving Brainworm foils at the moment, but any kind of thin paper could work. (I should also add that the black rings on the eyeballs in this picture are characteristic of BL and EBL eyeballs, SBL and ADG ones are all white.)

9. Put in the new chips. You’ll need to add a bit of your craft glue around the post of the chip. Don’t add too much, or it’ll squish out around the edges of the chip:

Press the new chips in firmly.

10. Admire your doll’s new eyes. Accept praise.

Remember to be careful when removing the sticky tape you’ve used to protect her eyelashes. You don’t want to scratch her eye shadow with your fingernails.

11. Leave your doll for 24 hours to give the glue time to set. Resist the urge to pull that string! If you turn the eyes before the glue has set the chips may come loose and drop into the doll’s head. (Another lesson I learned the hard way.) After 24 hours, you can start the process again on the next set of chips. Have fun!

Ok here goes. Since I already made one yesterday, but didn’t take any progress shots, I made another one today just for this tutorial! (Note: photos are a little weirdly lighted, sorry about that!)

**

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

* cardboard box - size doesn’t really seem to matter, I used both a small one, and a large one, and they both get great results. As long as it fits into your camera’s shot, it doesn’t really matter I don’t think.

* scissors

* razor

* tracing paper

* masking tape/duct tape

* ruler

* pen

ONTO THE LIGHTBOX!

1. First, tape the bottom of the box, inside and out.

2. Cut off the flaps that usually close the box. I’ve seen some tutorials that say you can keep them to control the light entering, but for the two I’ve made I’ve cut the flaps.

3. Here’s what it should look like

4. Now, you need to choose three sides for attaching tracing paper. On the sides you have chosen, draw a frame about 2.5 cm in from the edges.

5. Here’s what I mean.

6. Cut it out with a razor.

7. Repeat for three sides. Don’t worry about it looking a bit messy at the moment, you’ll clean it up with tape in just a second.

8. Use tape around all the edges to make it neater.

9. Cut tracing paper to fit, and attach it with tape again.

10. Continue for other 2 sides, and you’re done!! Here is the new one (the one on the left) with the one I made yesterday. They both work really well, despite the size difference.

11. When you set it up, you have many options. I don’t have any professional lights, so I took all the floor lamps in our house (parents weren’t too pleased when they wanted to read in bed… lol). I placed one directly above all of the sides. However, you can also use only one light from the top, or none at all! (Natural light and its powers!)

12. Here is a comparison shot of what different lightsources look like (no photoshopping).

From left to right, top to bottom: Natural light, 3 lights, 1 light from top, 2 lights from sides.

For backdrops, you can use paper, cardboard, fake grass (above), fabric… scrapbooking material… anything really! You can attach it with blu-tak or tape.

I’m still experimenting with light sources and the such, but so far photos have been turning out well. I think if I get more white bulbs, the effects will be even better.

Have fun everyone

xx Sophia

2.  Give her hair a good tug all around the hairline to see if there are any areas where the scalp can be persuaded to come away from the head:

3.  I found a slight gap on the side of her head.  Don’t be afraid to pull hard - you won’t break anything:

4.  If you’ve found a gap, insert your craft knife into it and begin to slice across.  Remember you’re trying to separate the scalp from the hard plastic head-piece, rather than cutting into it.  Also, be careful not to slip with the knife and scrape the head - or yourself!

5.  If you didn’t find a gap to insert the knife, simply find a likely spot on the back of your doll’s head and begin to cut.  Again, remember that you are trying to slide your knife between the scalp and head-piece as far as you can:

6.  Make a small cut, then try pulling the hair again, close the the hairline.  Blythes have differing amounts of glue holding their heads together, so some will require more strength than others.  If the scalp isn’t pulling away, cut a little further and try again:

7.  Keep pulling until the whole scalp lifts off the top of the head.  (This is an SBL head - EBL and BLs look a different):

8.  Be amused by your doll’s shiny boiled-egg head:

2. Next take hold of the bottom stitch and pull at both ends evenly to create an even gathering in the top of the sleeve. This enables you to ’shape’ the sleeve to fit the bodice . Obviously a puffy sleeve will require far more gathering than this one which is a straight sleeve.

3. Now you want to take the good side or the armhole in the bodice and line it up with the wrong side of your gathered sleeve. Like this :

4. Next step is to shape the sleeve top to fit directly up against the edge of the bodice. You manipulate it in place with your fingers as you go , adjusting the easing thread if necessary and pinning it flush up against the bodice without overhang. As you can see from pic #3 it is the wrong shape and this is where the easing stitch is used to pull it into the correct shape as you pin.

5. Firstly remember to change your machine settings back to normal otherwise the stitch wont be tight enough. You now want to run a line of stitching directly behind the easing stitch ( so the easing stitch is the closest to the edge of the fabric and will be hidden by the securing stitch when turned out the right way ). You can sew backwards at either end here to secure your stitiching.

6. Then flip over your sleeve once sewn and press with an iron.

7. The sleeve is now ready to be joined up inside out ready for sewing. Pin the sleeve and side of dress together , matching up as you go.

8. Run one line of stitching starting from the bottom of the sleeve up to the top and down the side of the dress. Then remove pins holding in place.

9. Turn your dress and sleeve the right side out and your sleeve is in !

Remember : Sewing often involves some swearing….but the results are invariably worth it !

Blossom .

http://collectdolls.about.com/od/dollcollectingresources/tp/collectingandeconomy.htm

I had a good read and decided to share some tips mentioned. Not sure if there will be ten, so let’s not count.

· Stop looking forward, start looking in!!! Love what you have! With Blythe, I HAVE to see them in front of me at all times. If I find myself getting over how they look, I re-do the WHOLE display. Sometimes I add furniture, sometimes I prefer to be minimalist because dusting the tiny tables gives me the shits. Recently I have devoted an entire expedit square to displaying my lovely dolly clothes – it’s so much better than having them stuffed in a box and it never fails to be admired even by the most non dolly person ( the ladies go ga-ga over the cute little dresses).

· Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise!! Can’t afford a doll? By her a pair of shoes or a new dress instead. I’ve gotten to the point where a new item for my dolly is more exciting than a new dolly altogether. Or, even CHEAPER, remix ur dolly’s wardrobe and try new crazy combinations. Another idea I might try that I’ve seen others do – dress ur doll like a scene or character from a movie. You don’t need to have the perfect accessories, see below pic; it took several looks for people to realise she wasn’t working on a kitchen bench LOL.

· Handy man!! Most of us have a crappy doll we keep MEANING to get to. Now’s a great time! I bought a $2 Barbie once just so I could wash her hair, it was a calming process and I thoroughly enjoyed it (NB: barbie hair different than Blythe hair, I still SUCK at doing Blythe hair).

· Cheaper dolls? I actually don’t agree with this idea, buts lots of people love it. Buy something cheaper to tide you over – instead of a Blythe, buy a pink box barbie for example. HOWEVER, this is dangerous as you can end up with a whole heap of crap you don’t really want . I’ve been there, done that, donated to charity.

· Garage sales!! I never have the time, but the idea seems so romantic to me!!! Another good option is the small local fetes and markets. Heed my above warning tho – crap is tempting!!

· Swap! The infamous swap –always a great idea!

· Strict Policies! Since getting married to an anti-doll nazi, my buying habits have been curbed. Instead of buying whatever I want by using the evil credit card, I have to think each purchase through. So I developed a simple rule; all dollies must be purchased with money gained from selling other dollies. I railed aboot it at first, but its actually turned into a great little system. I spent my early 20’s buying everything and anything I fancied on ebay. The result: boxes and boxes of random toys shoved in cupboards and the garage that never saw the light of day. I’ve spent the last year slowly decreasing my collection, its been painful but rewarding. Now I think purchases through before hitting that damn BIN button at 3AM in the morning (and trust me, I’ve been thinking of Milky Way Sugar for months).

SO, thats it!!!! Common sense but helpful tips to get us through these tough dolly times!

Here’s a product from Cleabella called “Room With a View”. It’s a magnetic scene system to display and photograph 1:4 or 1:6 (playscale) dolls. A starter kit includes metallic folding background walls, a fabric floor rug and your first set of magnetic ‘mix-and-match wallpaper’ panels.

You can then add more mix-and-match wallpaper or panelling, and magnetic wall accessories such as windows, doors, faux bookshelves and framed pictures. The catch is- it’s expensive. But read on for my DIY tip!

For more flexibility you can buy blank magnetic panels and design your own background. That’s how Michael Williams created his stylish set piece, featured here on our blog and pictured below. Michael explains on his Flickr site how he scanned in the wallpaper design from some fabric and printed it on a large scale Epsom printer. He also printed the parquet hardwood floor. Visit Michael’s flickr set for more details: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mawphoto/sets/72157603894831644/

…and here’s my crafty DIY tip- as they say, “make of it what you will”. You can buy paint with iron filings which magnets will stick to.  You can get A4 sized printable magnet sheets from Officeworks, and larger magnets should be available at printers and signwriters.  And finally-you can cut out pictures you like from magazines, such as accessories, paintings, posters, views through windows. Then glue them on to those magnets you always get in the letterbox- you know, the ones that advertise the 24-hour plumbing service. Now that’s real DIY, and it’s free!