My custom Blythe

I was so desperate to get Casual Affair, the first Blythe that I had ordered, that when the first place I ordered it from didn't have it in stock on the release date, I ordered it from somewhere else. But the first company wouldn't let me cancel, so I ended up with two! That was many months ago, and I'd intended to sell her - as you can see she didn't come out of her box. But recently I started to feel the urge for a new doll - and realised that I could have one without the hassle and expense of buying a new one. All I needed to do was buy a wig!

I then decided to do some custom work on her face - she has been sand matted, has pastel make-up, all new eyechips, lips carved and painted, gaze correction, new lashes, and painted eyelids.

The outfit took me about a week to make. The pink dress is made from Laura Ashley fabric, and is decorated with small pink bows, pearl beads, lace and broderie anglaise trim. It laces up the back with a pink ribbon. Under the dress she wears a white underskirt made from cotton with a net frill. Her socks are made from an old t-shirt, with decorative elastic at the top. The soles of her shoes are made from polymer clay, with fabric, paper and elastic, with little polymer clay roses on the top.

Yellow crochet hat

Zoe is wearing a hat that I crocheted over the past few days, with a jumper that I made from an old one of mine, and a necklace that I made from a charm and a piece of chain.

Two Blythe-related parcels arrived today. I also bought a Blythe-sized violin from a charity shop, and a make-up bag to use as a Blythe carry-case (how could I resist it with all those colourful flowers!)

Deer

I made this baby deer from a pattern I found online. I probably would have chosen shades of brown if I'd had them, but instead I went for this kitsch mixture of green and orange.

Mix and match Mariel

All week I've been working on some new clothes for one of my Blythe dolls, Mariel.

I started with a brown flowery dress, which took me three evenings to make, probably about 10 hours in total! I made it from an old pair of cullottes I used to wear when I was a student. The fabric was very thin cotton with a lovely pattern, perfect for dolls' clothes.

I then added a cream apron with a pocket, edged with ribbon. I made a red belt and a flowery belt from two of my favourite ribbons.

The hat was the quickest thing to make - it took less than half an hour. I based it on a hat which belongs to one of my childhood dolls and which fits my Blythe dolls perfectly.

I made a reversible cape that can also be worn as an apron. It has the brown flowery fabric on one side and green fabric on the other, and is decorated with a bird, a heart and a mushroom.

They can all be mixed and matched in various different ways, and I will be making more items to go with them.

I've also reshaped Mariel's bottom lip, and given her some green eyeshadow.

Today was perfect weather for photographing her (well, when it stopped snowing!).