Did I mention my Blythe enthusiasm?

As I was looking through images of the Barbie Dolls I have been rescuing, repainting and re-dressing, I realized that I may not have let you all know about my Blythe customizing phase. I stumbled upon the Youtube videos by the lovely Scottish doll enthusiast Beth Ramsden, who buys factory reproductions of the now-vintage Blythe dolls, and alters the faces to look like individuals. I spent a lot of time watching/learning  how this is done and acquired the tools and materials to do it myself. Blythe dolls have a huge following in the doll world and part of their charm is the many ways she has been costumed by her adoring owners. Her head is disproportionately larger than her compact little feminine body and her eyes have a mechanism that allows you to change their direction and colour using a pull string out of the back of her head. Her hair is sewn into the top cap part of her head, and her face and back of the head snap together. Most customizers change out the eye chips to look more real because the factory chips look very machine-made.

I had seen Blythe dolls in all my dolly research and had wondered at their appeal, but I hit upon the dolls of Sugar Mountain Art, their clothing, settings and customization and I was a goner. As someone who grew up as a little hippie, I was captivated by her outfits and impressed by the detailed backgrounds/settings used for the photography.

This doll is heavily influenced by her work:

Customizing a Blythe doll is very time consuming and exacting. Most dolls have their mouths reshaped and noses altered by gently scraping away at the plastic using a sharp blade. The faces are sanded, sprayed with Mr Super Clear (a very toxic fixative) and their complexions are built up using powdered pastels in combination with MSC. Because MSC is so toxic I can only use it during the warmer months, as I must spray outside wearing a respirator. So this is a seasonal dollmaking practice.

 I have customized several, but have not listed them in my Etsy store. That is going to change soon. In the meantime I am busy sewing tiny garments, both for Blythe and for Barbie repaints. I also feel the need to get back to creating my own dolls from scratch. So many dolls, so little time!