Insanely Sweet Jewelry is....Insanely Sweet!

In February and March 2009 I blogged about a Blythe charm swap in the art group I managed at the time. I didn't host the swap, but I sort of got it going. My art interest was in a lull at the time, and I did not do a very good job in my charms. In fact, some of them melted in transit. It was awful. But the charms and finished product here were cute. Over time some of my charms fell off or fell apart. I probably wasn't going to wear the bracelet ever again.
Then, I happened across Insanely Sweet Jewelry on Etsy. Talk about 'eye candy' or actual candy or candy jewelry! And, when I saw a Blythe or two in her work, I knew I had to write to see if she would fix up my old bracelet into a new one, salvaging my charms, and filling it full of good stuff.
Natascha Demers from New England responded graciously, and promptly fixed me right up. I'll definitely be wearing my new, improved bracelet (shown above) to Blythecon!

Blythe, and Barbie, and Petite Princess, Oh My!

The Blythes haven't even taken a back seat; they've just had to share my day with another new old obsession- three quarters scale Petite Princess Fantasy dollhouse furniture by Ideal (1964-65), a tin litho dollhouse, and Tomy and Renwal 1:12 scale furniture.

My newest project, started on vacation, has been re-acquiring pieces from my first childhood as well as finding just the right tin litho dollhouse to refurbish and decorate. The fun is going too fast though. I'm running out of room already.

It is amazing what supplies you can find for the dollhouse hobby. There are literally thousands of miniatures on-line, both handmade and mass produced and some very intricate. More to show later!

Got to get my beauty, I mean Blythe-y sleep! Big day tomorrow. Swapping two girlies with Jen for two new girlies. More on that soon, with photos, of course! Meanwhile, I have tons of vintage Barbie stuff and a Petite Blythe listed in my Ebay here. And I loaded up my Etsy shop today with vintage treasures, supplies and ephemera. Maybe you feel like shopping?!

My Cover Girl

Thanks to Confettilexi and Lucky Blythe Publishing for choosing Daisy as the April cover girl. We are excited and grateful! P.S. Get my girl an agent! Here is the link to get this and other excellent Blythe mini-mags.


Here is the link to the Lucky Blythe Publishing Flickr group. Daisy is a custom Takara by RuiRui on Flickr or Neroli on Ebay. I am very thrilled with Daisy.


RuiRui is in Tokyo and has perfect feedback on her customs. I give Confettilexi a perfect 100% on her publishing!

Thanks to Confettilexi and Lucky Blythe Publishing for choosing Daisy as the April cover girl. We are excited and grateful! P.S. Get my girl an agent! Here is the link to get this and other excellent Blythe mini-mags.

Here is the link to the Lucky Blythe Publishing Flickr group. Daisy is a custom Takara by RuiRui on Flickr or Neroli on Ebay. I am very thrilled with Daisy.

RuiRui is in Tokyo and has perfect feedback on her customs. I give Confettilexi a perfect 100% on her publishing!

More DIY, a Coach purse and a tiny Blythe box

Had such fun making the tiny, one-inch replica Blythe box. Instructions from Dr. Blythenstein on Flickr. I first found one in kittyrobot's room, also on Flickr. I used it, along with other little goodies, for some finishing touches for Blythe Manor II.

The black bedroom dust ruffle, the black throw pillows and the Coach purse all are by Pistachio Libby on Etsy. The Coach fabric is the former wiping cloth from my authentic Coach sunglasses. Ah, the sacrifices we make for Blythe!

I crocheted the little peach throw pillow in the top photo. More details to come.

More Friday Fashion Fun

Charlotte (top) must be dreaming of Myrtle Beach in her finely crocheted hat and top from Plastic Paradise. Or, maybe it's that she is just dreaming of Plastic Paradise, come to think of it. It's a pretty great Blythe forum afterall, and the source of most of the girlz' apparel.

In fact, Bunny snatched up this black and yellow Lolita set from there. It's perfect with her black hair and yellow eyes. Came with the high tops, too.

And Molly shows off in a dress, also from PP and our friends Linda, Molli, Zelda and Ramona who are on quasi-hiatus, still recovering from Blythecon 2009 and the arrival of a not-so-plastic sister! Molly herself, a custom by Joey/Pheisty and Tammara/DollyMolly also came from PP. It really is a Blythe lover's paradise!

Friday Fashion Finds

From the top, Virginia and Jane are wearing custom-made dresses by Pistachio Libby on Etsy. Next, Alice Snow and (bottom) Bunny Velvet are wearing dresses we got from our friend Linda via Plastic Paradise and originally made by Hayley of H Loves R on Etsy. Next to last, Daisy wears an Alice-inspired dress from the TIB shop. That's all for now, folks.

Fashionistas in fabric and lambswool, circles and stripes

Lilly is looking all that (she thinks) in a darling sleeveless shift by Pistachio Libby on Etsy from some fabric I picked, actually dress shapes cut out first by My Own Little World, also on Etsy. I had the great idea to learn to sew, and thought the pre-cut fashions would give and my five thumbs a head start.

Suffice to say, when the sewing instructor referred to my machine as "a toy" and snubbed me, she really wasn't all that far off. It is a Singer Pixie Plus, but at the time I requested it from Santa, I didn't even realize there were different kinds of sewing needles, stitches or that I might need a free arm or a buttonhole maker.

I still don't need those things because I've somewhat abandoned sewing, except for a straight or zig zag stitch for altered arts and papercrafts. Libby is my go-to girl for fashion design and sewing. Her work is as fine as any tailor, and twice as detailed and challenging since it is so tiny. Check her out. She welcomes custom requests and collaborations. When I first saw her Etsy, her whimsical Hostess cupcake dresses and Snoopy holiday prints got me right away, and I haven't looked back. The girlz will be doing an entire Libby line fashion show on here very soon. We'll be showing ready-to-wear dresses as well as some snooze-worthy pjs.

Meanwhile, Bunny is wearing a sweater I finished last night. This is the second doll sweater I have ever crocheted, and I enjoyed using some very fine rainbow yarn, actually lambswool and angora called Childsplay by Lorna's Angel. This is a great pattern I've blogged about before from Crochet Today! magazine and adapted from a 1960s Barbie project kit. I ran out of yarn at the end, so all Bunny got was a matching cap, and barely that, instead of a hat. I'm happy with how my sweater turned out; the back even has a button and loop closure and these sleeves fit even better than the first sweater I made. So I must have learned something.

Still Crocheting Away

Hats I made this weekend, modeled by Jane, who is also showing off some of her new Cool Cat eye chips. I may put the hats in my Etsy shop when I get a chance.

Hats Off for Friday Fashion Finds

I finally crocheted a bunch of hats for Blythe to put in my Etsy shop, something I've been planning to do for ages. But every time I'd make a couple, I'd either want to keep them or give them away.

It was also way past time to photograph Charlotte, the newest addition, an Urban Cowgirl with slight changes. She has one new set of eye chips (eggplant) and has been slightly sanded. Her hair is gorgeous, a brunette version of Star Dancer, nice and silky.

And we're way behind in trying on goodies that we've acquired from sundries sales on Plastic Paradise and other similar spots. Plus, we've got to gear up for a mini-Blythe meet Sunday (photos to come) by making some treats and dressing everyone just so. Stay tuned!

I Moo, Do You?

I love MOO! I guess that makes it a noun and not a verb, and I have no idea why the company is called that. But Moo, Inc., is a printing company that I found on Flickr, and one of their specialties is the approximate 1" x 3" Moo cards shown above.

Moo cards have almost a cult following and are immensely popular as an alternate to business cards as you can have your pertinent info printed on the back. The best part is the front, which are slices you select from your Flickr photostream. Or, you can choose stock art, but it's so much fun to see your photos brought to life in tiny pieces.

I keep my Moos on ball and chain. I simply punch a tiny hole with my Crop-O-Dile and string them on. I have three chains: my art Moos, my Blythe Moos and Moos from friends. Moos are popular to trade at both art retreats and Blythe meets, and a lot of people enclose a Moo with Ebay and Etsy purchases.

If you'd like to swap Moos with me, just leave me a comment or send me a message. Mooooooo.

Another fashionable weekend

The girls model some goodies we got in swaps and sales on TIB and PP as well as Ebay and Etsy. You try dressing six dolls with full accessories and then taking pictures, uploading, editing, etc., and let me know how long it takes! I was shocked when I looked at the clock in the wee hours between Friday and Saturday. But it's a fun diversion....so much so that thousands of collectors all over the world get into it. There are conventions, photo shoots, costume contests (with huge international acclaim), active international forums, and there are sellers on Etsy and Ebay whose fashions and customized dolls sell in the blink of an eye for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Blythe is definitely an international force to be reckoned with, and her US appeal hasn't even really taken hold yet. Amazing.

From the top down, (it's always good to give credit to the hard-working customizers and seamstresses), Alice Snow wears a heavily-embellished felt dress by myownlittleworld on Etsy. Check out her amazing fairy hats and other costumes. Also, a felt bag and stockings by Louos, a fluffy pink coat by unknown maker and Blythe-size "Uggs" (slightly bigger than mine as you can see), from the shop at This is Blythe by Gina Garan.

Maggy wears the cute navy pleated top or mini dress that arrived with Alice, white capris borrowed from a High School Musical doll, a red sweatshirt jacket from a TIB forum sale, and green "Converse" from the TIB shop.

Red-headed Daisy by Neroli/ruirui wears a vintage orange velvet Skipper dress from Ebay, along with Barbie boots, cream tights and a cream popcorn-like stitch crochet hat by MandyLynn from Flickr. Good vintage Skipper outfits (the oldest circa 1964-65*ish) are getting harder and harder to find. Actually, they can be found on Ebay, but the prices are astronomical in many cases. And complete in package? You're talking several hundred dollars or more.

Bunny Velvet in her black bob wig by Shopholican on Etsy and customized by momoko_girl_1 wears a cute baby cord floral dress by pistachiolibby on Etsy. The black mary jane shoes, orginally for Barbie, were once seen selling for as much as $50 on ebay (yes, just the shoes), until several people got smart and made molds and started mass producing the colorful jelly-like shoes. They are now much easier to come by, and so much cheaper, like $5-$10 from the TIB shop, Ebay, Etsy, etc.

Long blond Lilly, my first and foremost, wears a somewhat vintage Teen Skipper outfit from about 1979. The disco-y like dress is accompanied by platform shoes borrowed from a Disco Barbie.

Finally, blue-haired, but-not-old-lady Zena wears a knit skully hat and sweater from a Plastic Paradise sale, and originally from the TIB shop, Barbie cargo pants and Barbie Gap backpack, and Re-ment "Heidi" boots.

Love their various "personalities" and "playing" with fashion to bring it out. I'd feel so silly, except I know I am far from alone!

More more mohair!

I have been searching high and low for a new Blythe that moved me, preferably with mohair. And, poof! She appeared on TIB by supervelma (these are her pics), who also has the coolest Lady Gaga Blythe for sale. But forget the Lady, I went gaga for this white mohair, who is as yet unnamed and only en route, but I am already envisioning fashions and photo shoots for her! Oh, the %$*&# Blythe Bug bites again! Won't this one make a great Alice in Wonderland or Snow White?

And speaking of Wonderland, I have been so taken with the OOAK creations by myownlittleworld2 on Flickr and Etsy! I finally bought one of her dresses. Should have gotten the matching hat, but just didn't think I should. Have done enough Blythe *damage* lately. And being back with "the bug," I am kicking mysef for ever selling my Mondie, French Trench, V-Smash and Gentle River, and even my ADG PP. At least I know they all went to very good homes.

I had been able to by my Mondrian on Ebay a few years ago for $400 and sold her for same a short time later because I didn't like her floppy Licca body and her stringy hair, even though I loved her boggled eyes. I just saw a first version today on Ebay for $2,000. Sheesh.

Gotta go crochet a hat. Found a great pattern site (knit, crochet and sewing) Creative Blythe, which led me to her Flickr, which led me to discover Plastic Paradise. All my Blythe friends are there. I must have been living under a rock not to know about this! Have a Blytheful day.

Is it possible to overdose on vintage Skipper?

Or vintage Francie? Or vintage Barbie? Or non-vintage Daisy, my new custom from ruirui on Flickr/neroli on Ebay?

The answer to all those questions is a resounding NO. IMHO anyway. I'm having a great time searching out pieces and parts that I used to have in the 1960s. Yes, I will admit to being alive then. Such an impressionable bambina I was, but that's another story.

From top, Daisy wear the Francie "Clam Diggers" rain coat with a Teen Skipper Fashion Avenue dress, which you can see in full in the bottom photo, and Barbie repro yellow lace stockings. The groovy boots are by blythewithyouandme on Etsy. In the next photo, the repro fab coat is called "Smasheroo" for Barbie, and the boots are new Barbie.

Zena was just perfect to model the vintage Skipper "Fun Time" set. I've been coveting this for years, ever since I saw it in Gina Garan's Blythe book. I had that set as a young Barbie-crazed girl. The complete set, with croquet equipment and scooter, can sell for hundreds. I just wanted the embroidered top, but got the slacks, shirt and jacket in the set at a very good price on Ebay. if you search hard enough and long enough (125 pages of 50 views each late one night) you can find deals. Or you can always get a life instead. :) I plan to, but not just yet.