Introducing the Incredibly Talented Kaleidoscope Kustoms!

Hello everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend :).  Mine was busy with cleaning, blech.  But, my house is somewhat the better for it and that counts for something, right?  ;).  I am excited to introduce you to another of my favorite Blythe people (and another dear friend!) Miss Sarah of Kaleidoscope Kustoms!

The set of pics above are from her latest collection of dollies, all dragon themed!  Aren't they amazing?!  Sarah has the most wonderful gift with lid art, I don't know HOW she manages to do such incredible detail on something so small!  She created the perfect art for my beloved Briony, I don't know how she did it, but with my rather um... lacking direction she gave me exactly what I wanted :D.

Isn't she dreamy?  I can't believe all the exquisite details, the waves, the sun's rays, the faces on the bottle.. the message inside... the expression on my gull!!!  Incredible!

Sarah isn't only talented with carving or painting in miniature, she also has a delightful ability to capture fun or amazing photos.  This is one of her latest ones that is such a perfect little scene (and it includes one of my favorite girls of hers, Carly <3 ).

Isn't it fabulous?  I love how the Blythe world allows such creativity!  Not to mention the wonderful sense of community and I have made the most wonderful friends, including Sarah.  She has such a beautiful gift and uses it to bring dreams to life.

Now, onto the interview!!

Interview Questions

1) Where and when did your obsession with creating things begin? 
My mom is very artistic and crafty so she has always encouraged me to be creative and to continue my artistic growth. My first big accomplishment was having my logo chosen for our school t-shirts when I was in 3rd grade. I went to college for Graphic Design but never really pursued it after school. I have always loved photography and took classes in both high school and college, so when Blythe came along with the combination of art and photography it was true love!

2) Who is the most inspiring person in your life? Why? 
My daughter, Ava. Even though she is only 5 (6 in a few weeks) she is amazingly strong and always pushes herself even when she wants to give up.

3) If you could meet any famous person, living or not , who would you wish to meet? What would you do with them? (Play skeetball, have lunch, tap dance...) 
Dave Matthews. I just think he’s completely amazing! I would go have a coffee with him and then ask him to play his guitar and sing to me until he couldn’t sing anymore. LOL!

4) How did you find Blythe? What drew you to her? 
My mom actually found her on ebay and I was immediately attracted to her quirkiness. It wasn’t until years later after I saw that you could customize them and give them their own personalities that I really got into Blythe.

5) Which of your Blythes is your "mini me"? Which is the one you wish you could be? 
I don’t really have a “mini me” girl. None that look like me at least. I customized about half of the girls that I own so I feel that they have a lot of “me” in them. I sometimes wish that I could be a little punk like my girl Billy.

6) What is the story behind "Kaleidoscope Kustoms"? How did you come up with the name? What is your creative process like? Where do your best ideas come from?
After I got my first few girls customized I decided that I wanted to try it myself. I thought it would be easier for me to portray what was in my head if I did it myself rather than trying to explain it to someone else. I have always been strong in my color choices so I wanted to pick a name that had to do with colors. And I liked how Kaleidoscope Kustoms sounded. I do a lot of brainstorming before I start on a girl. I get inspiration from everything around me that I see and hear…art, music, nature, colors, books. Once I have the idea or theme then I will do a “plan” photo where I can see how everything will look together. I only work on one custom at a time so that I can focus completely on what I am doing with that girl from start to finish. After I have my plan done then I will usually split up the work into two days. One day I do all of the prep work (scalp, eyechips, carving, sanding) and the other day I do the color work, eyelid art, assembly and pullrings. I really love to work on the dolls that I can do all of the little details on (eyechips, pulls, charms) because then I feel that they are complete. Lastly I pick an outfit (usually out of our Rag Bag Designs Etsy shop) and photograph them. 

7) What five things couldn't you live without?
My family (even though they drive me crazy most of the time), internet, my camera, music, and unfortunately coffee.

8) What is the best part about Blythe? About the community? 
There are so many things I love about Blythe. This hobby has given me so much – a place to get away, a creative outlet, a way to help support my family, amazing friends. The best part of the community is the love and support from the friends I would have never found without Blythe. I seriously get teary eyed when I think about how much this community has done for my family.

9) Anything else you'd like to tell us about you? About your work? 
I appreciate each and every one of my customers. Thank you for trusting me to create your girls for you! I hope that they bring you as much joy as they do me when I am working on them.

Sarah's Links:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaleidoscopekustoms/

http://www.kaleidoscopekustoms.blogspot.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlytheRagBagDesigns

Thank you, Sarah, for doing this interview and for being the awesome person you are! <3

Introducing the Lovely and Talented Kawaii Kandy!

I am utterly delighted to get to introduce you to another of my dear friends in the amazing Blythe community.  Maggi was my very first "Blythe friend".  She came to me about a year and a half ago asking me to make a very very special necklace for a very special doll.  Here is the doll (Ty) wearing the necklace I made her <3

After creating this special necklace Maggi and I developed a friendship :)  I looked forward to seeing her amazingly creative photos and her quirky and fabulous dolls.  (Pixy is my favorite, though Pepper is a close second, and all of the others come in third LOL, I love them all!!)   After a while, Maggi started making these fun and fanciful crochet hats and opened her own shop :)

Maggi is one of the kindest, sweetest, most fun and fascinating people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  I would not have survived the last year and a half without her humor, her warmth, and her friendship :)  Introducing... Maggi!

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/KawaiiKandy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kawaii_kandy/

1) Where and when did your obsession with creating things begin?

I've loved creating things as long as I can remember. My mom was always making something or other so I definitely got my creative side from her. :)

2) What is your favorite fairy or folk tale and why?

The Hobbit. I know it's not technically a fairy/folk tale but one of the reasons Tolkien wrote it was to give England its own fairy tale/mythology besides King Arthur and that's always stuck with me. I read the book every year and I still find it thrilling.

3) Who is the most inspiring person in your life? Why?

My kids.  They're full of joy and are so innocent about the way the world works. I'd pay good money for that sort of happy ignorance. :D

4) If you could meet any famous person, living or not ;), who would you wish to meet? What would you do with them? (Play skeetball, have lunch, tap dance...)

Hmmmm...probably Jane Austen. She was so snarky and sarcastic...just like me. :)

5) How did you find Blythe? What drew you to her?

I found Blythe through Pullip dolls back in 2008 I think. I collected Pullips for a while and Blythe wasn't even on my radar until around 2012. I think what ultimately drew me to Blythe was how much personality they can hold, this probably wouldn't make sense to anyone other than Blythe collectors but those plastic faces can show a good range of emotion. lol

6) Which of your Blythes is your "mini me"? Which is the one you wish you could be?

Not sure I have a "mini me" but each of my girls has some facet of my own personality and/or quirks. :D

7) What is the story behind "Kawaii Kandy"? How did you come up with the name? Where did you come up with the brilliant idea for hats?

I came up with name Kawaii Kandy back in my Pullip days. I wanted to start a Flickr account and loved kawaii style so then I just started thinking of things that could go with the word "kawaii". The fact that it's sort of became the style for my Blythe hats is pure coincidence...or kismet. lol

I decided to start making hats because I needed more money to fund the doll hobby. LOL  I felt I could crochet reasonably well so then I just started making a list of possible hat ideas that I could try out. I decided that I needed to think of something to set my hat apart from everyone else's and the rest of history. :D

8) What five things couldn't you live without?

The internet (LOL), kdramas, my family, my friends...and glitter. HA!

9) What is the best part about Blythe? About the community?

Blythe is just fun!  She helps me escape when I'm having a bad day, she inspires me to be creative and she has helped me connect with people I wouldn't have otherwise known. I feel the same way about the community. :)

10) Anything else you'd like to tell us about you? About your work?

I just try to make people happy. I'd like to think that they can see my pictures or my girls or my hats and smile for a moment. Sometimes all people need is a moment to reach the surface again.

 

Thank you, Maggi, for doing this interview and sharing your wonderful self with us :)  

Elephants Can Remember

My grandmother was a beautiful woman.  She had dark eyes that laughed and dark hair that curled, my father has the same hair... I was always so sad I didn't inherit it when I was a child (ok, ok, still am a bit).  When I was growing up I thought my grandmother one of the most elegant and powerful people in the universe, that view never wavered.  It wasn't power in the sense you are probably thinking, it was this confidence she always had... this grace.  And this knowledge that anything she wanted you to try, you would do it and gladly, because her praise was golden.  She had a beautiful soul.  A soul that shone out from her tiny body, (her height, or lack thereof, is one thing I did inherit from her) and took over a room with its goodness.  She charmed people.  Everyone.  Anyone.  (This is something my father inherited and I like to think they gave to me, but well, let's not delude ourselves too much).  She had a sweet, clear voice that was soft but could be edged with steel when needed... the result of being a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother many times over perhaps... or perhaps that was something that was innately a part of her.  She was one of the strongest women I have ever and will ever know, of that I have no doubt.

When I was five years old, we moved to Washington from San Diego.  For a while we stayed with my grandmother.  This is a fuzzy time for me as I was so young.  Certain things stand out in my memory though.  Grandma introducing me to tea, neither of my parents like it, I love it.  I have never lived without tea in my house since.  She taught me that part of the beauty tea is the simple ritual of it... boiling the water (preferably in a kettle), steeping the tea bag, inhaling its wonderful fragrance... and then the first sip.  Drinking it slowly is preferable, though not too slow, because it is best before it gets cold.  I also remember playing with my cousin Andrew, we were closest in age, I think Andrew was my first best friend.  I don't know if he even remembers that though lol.  

Grandma loved elephants (actually, my maternal grandmother did as well, but that is a story for another day).  She had them everywhere in her houses.  Silly elephants, elegant elephants... elephants of metal, of plastic, of cloth.  She had a collection of pictures of them even in the bathroom (not to mention various elephant soap dispensers over the years), elephant waste baskets, elephant towels...  I loved them.  One of my favorite parts of visiting her was seeing the elephants.  And I am so grateful that I will never be able to see one without thinking of her, that is a gift. She also loved the color red, splashes of it here, there... and when she moved her entire living room was painted red.  

I have always been a voracious reader, I believe that is something I inherited from her.  My husband pointed it out after we visited her last, that her bookshelves reminded him of my own.  A mishmosh of fantasy, history, science fiction, classics, romance, biographies...  when I was in elementary school she gave me a lovely set of the Chronicles of Narnia.  I still have them.  And they are still some of my favorite books.  My love of reading, of books, of the written word and writing itself, is what led me to get my degree in English.  That love is also one of the things that got me through my somewhat nomadic life growing up.  And I know Grandma was proud that I have also passed that love on to my children, both my kindergartener and my second grader love to read already.  My three year old doesn't read on his own yet, but he does love to be read to.  

Grandma fought cancer for over twenty years.  She was strong though, a fighter, she wanted to see her grandchildren grow up.  And she did.  Several of us have children of our own now and I am so glad she got to meet my children, to share her love with them.  I refuse to say that she lost the fight to cancer, I won't.  I will say, instead, that she was ready to go home.  She lived a long and very full life, in spite of its difficulties, she never wavered.  She was an incredible mother, grandmother, woman, and friend.  She taught me so many things, so very many, I couldn't possibly list them all here.  The one that hit me most this morning is a great love for family.  I cherish my children and I love my parents, my brother, grandparents, my aunts, my uncles, cousins... all of them.  I may not tell them often, I may not see them often, but I hope they all know that here, in my heart, I am thinking of them and loving them, every single day.  

I will miss you, Grandma Suzy, so very very much.  But I know that you are not truly gone, you live on in your children, your grandchildren... in me.  And in my children.  Julie has your laugh and wrinkles her nose the way you did.  Addy has your gracefulness.  Toby's eyes laugh like yours.  Thank you, for everything.  I love you.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” 
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

I have been a bad, bad, BAD blogger!  *hides face in shame*  I meant to do weekly posts, I really did. I don't know what happened.  Life, I suppose.  lol.  My husband graduated from law school finally, my daughter finished up first grade, my uncle passed away... life has been crazy.  But isn't it always?  However, this, this post is not for me.  I have someone really wonderful I'd like to introduce you all to!

A while back I did an interview with my good friend Sue and I really wanted to do more features here in my wee space.  I need to get my beading and creating mojo back and what better way than to share with you all creative people I adore?

Today I'm going to introduce you to my dear friend, Mary.  You may know her as her Flickr/Etsy persona, Blythette :)  She is a warm, beautiful, creative person and so very talented!  I have been in this wonderful world of Blythe for about a year and a half now and am always amazed at the skill shown in the community.  Mary both customizes and make the most exquisitely delicate and lovely doll dresses!  Before I give you her interview, I'd like to show you an example of her work, here is a beautiful doll customized by Mary and wearing one of her beautiful dresses!

Isn't she beautiful?  And that dress!  Eep!  You can see many more of her amazing creations in her Flickr (HERE), including her latest girl who is up on the bay!  Here is a sneak peek of her, then keep on scrolling to read about the lovely and wonderful Mary!

And here is my sweet little Ailis in her specially made dress by Mary:

Ms. Mary...

1) Where and when did your obsession with creating things begin? I've been creative since I was really little! My parents were always encouraging and I went to all art schools since 6th grade on to college. Being obsessive with creating things is highly encouraged in art school. 

2) What is your favorite fairy or folk tale and why? Sleeping Beauty has always been my favorite...definitely brain washed me as a child. Still waiting for Prince Charming to come along...LOL

3) Who is the most inspiring person in your life? Why? My mother is a big inspiration to me. She is always so strong and loving no matter what the circumstances. I admire her greatly for that!

4) If you could meet any famous person, living or not , who would you wish to meet? What would you do with them? (Play skeetball, have lunch, tap dance...) I honestly have no idea! If you had asked a few years ago I would have said Gerard Butler because I had a massive crush on him...lol I am going to blame that on the massive amounts of pain killers I was on while watching the Phantom of the Opera after my back surgery. lol

5) How did you find Blythe? What drew you to her? In 2002 I was at an art museum and I found a little packet of post cards with Gina Garan's Blythe photographs. I was immediately fascinated! I was in college at the time and Blythes were just way too financially out of my reach. Two years ago, I was given an ADG Blythe for my birthday! The madness all started then! 

6) Which of your Blythes is your "mini me"? Which is the one you wish you could be? Chloe is my little Mini me. She was given to me because we have the same curly hair and I tried to customize her as my mini me.http://www.flickr.com/photos/maryjmaalouf/8275474796/in/set-72157632112046067/

7) What is your favorite thing about where you live? Why? I love living in Miami, FL. There is green everywhere! I love that it is always so lush and beautiful here!

 What five things couldn't you live without? Hmm...Does it have to be things? 1. My sister Angie 2. My mom and dad. 3. My cats. 4. My ipod filled with unlimited audio books and music. 5. Lots of wonderful salty things to eat.  I know that list is full of cheats...oh well! 

9) What is the best part about Blythe? About the community? The best part about Blythe is that i get to be creative! I can use everything i have learned in all of my years of art school in one medium. How fun is that!! I have heard nightmares about the community, but I am so fortunate to have met such nice people and I feel blessed to have Jenn as my friend!

10) Anything else you'd like to tell us about you? About your work? I'm really pretty boring but I do love what I do and I give everything 110%. Whether it is cooking, making art or even caring for the people I love. I believe there is no point in doing anything if you are not going to try your best and give it your all! 

I love this lady!!!  I hope you've enjoyed meeting Mary!  Here are her links:

Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/maryjmaalouf/
Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/blythette
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/maryjmaaloufdesigns?v=app_169505045786
Ebay:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/190857835519?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D190857835519%26_rdc%3D1

Now, go forth and check them out ;)  I hope you are having a fantastic week!

~Jenn

Late late glad post!

Argh!  I am not doing so well with my Monday posts *wince*, it's Wednesday!  Last week I didn't do it at all because I was so busy working on my Challenge of Music post, but.. this week I don't know what it is.  I think it's been the rotten week I've had leeching into everything else.  So here we go, time to find seven things....

I'm glad for...

1)  My online friends.  They keep me sane ;)

2)  Pink.  Oddly it hasn't been a favorite color since I was six... but I discovered this week how much I do like it.

3)  Briony.  My new girl, specially made for me by my awesome friend Sarah of Kaleidoscope Kustoms.  There was a ton of thought and love put into every part of this girl.  My friend Christine made her awesome Skinny Scalp just for her :).  I hand stamped her pull charm and it has a short version of a favorite quote of mine:  "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."  -- Cousteau

4)  Gulls.

5)  My son's eyes.  They are blue with shots of green around the pupil.

6)  Vintage or vintage inspired dresses.  So awesome.

7)  Stamping metal.  Great stress relief!  ;)

One last thing...  Technically the Ides of March is the 15th, but as I'm having one of those weeks where every day feels like Monday... Im going to try to spread a little joy with a sale starting today and running through the 15th instead ;) Use the coupon code: IDESOFMARCH for 15% off any purchase over $10!     Go shop it... HERE

Hope you are having a great week, my friends <3

~Jennifer

Challenge of Music

(Borrowed image of Perthshire, Scotland.  Please click on the photo to go to the source!)

Welcome to my little corner of the Challenge of Music :).  I love music, I have always loved music... it is very much a part of who I am.  So every time the lovely and wonderful Erin Prais-Hintz has her challenge up, I eagerly leap forward, yearning to play with music yet again.

My forte is vocal music, I have always sang, as long as I can remember lol.  So when Erin said this was an instrumental challenge... well, now that is more of a challenge for me.  When I was at the UO as an English major, one of my guilty pleasures was taking classes at the Music School when I could find one open to non-majors that sounded enjoyable.  My favorite by far was an exploration of Celtic music, we listened to an enormous variety, learning about how Celtic music evolved.  From early mouth music, to the bagpipes, fiddle, bodhran...  I've always been a sucker for anything Celtic (Scottish in particular) and was rapt throughout this class, our homework?  To listen to music... some of my favorite pieces were from the Hebrides, we listened to recordings of elders singing ancient songs that are now forgotten everywhere else but there.  We listened to (and got to play at) waulking songs, we were taught a few phrases in Gaelic by a local enthusiast group, they also were kind enough to teach us a few simple steps to show the difference between jigs and reels in dancing.  I think those are some of my favorite memories from school there :).  Their were a handful of pieces that really stuck with me, that touched my soul deeply... the song I would like to present to you today is one of those.  It is what is referred to as a "slow air" or a strathspey.

My tune is "Niel Gow's Lament on the Death of His Second Wife".  Niel Gow is one of Scotland's most famed fiddlers, he lived in the 18th century and was from Perthshire, Scotland.  He had two wives, both named Margaret ironically.  The first bore him eight children, five boys and three girls.  I couldn't find out much about his first wife, other than that she bore him many children and left him a widower.  However by all accounts I could find his second marriage was a very happy one and they were married for 37 years before she passed on.  Can you imagine?  I only hope that my husband and I have so many happy years together.  Niel Gow wrote this lament after her death and only outlived Margaret by two years.  You can listen to this song in my absolute favorite version by clicking HERE.  I was hoping for a YouTube version, but well... it was this particular version, performed by Alasdair Fraser on fiddle and Paul Machis on piano that captured my heart something like nine years ago.  There are versions on YouTube, but none by Alasdair and that gentleman plays in a way to touch the heart, promise.

Now, finally, for my piece inspired by this song:

What I love about this lament... is that there is more joy than sorrow.  You can feel his love, his yearning, his joy at having had such a woman in his life.  To me, it feels more Spring than Winter.  So my piece is full of soft Spring colors.  There is a wee Celtic knot bead to represent their love, an elephant bead from Pips for remembrance, a pale almost grey cathedral style czech crystal dangle for his sorrow, a soft sorrow, wistful not bitter...  as is the lavender Irish waxed linen thread.  But soft pinks, soft cream, silver circles, silver knots... for a love that was enduring and I like to think, still is.

I hope you have enjoyed my part in this challenge, thank you so much for stopping by!  And a special thanks to the amazing Erin for hosting and being such an inspiration to me always.


The List!  More amazing blogs and posts about music :)
Erin Prais-Hintz
Alenka Obid
Ali McCarthy
Alicia Marinache
Amy Severino
Amy Grass
Carolyn Lawson
Cece Cormier
Cynthia Riggs
Ema Kilroy
Emanda Johnson
Emma Todd
Erin Kenny
Evelyn Shelby
Evie and Beth McCord
Gerd Andersson
Holly Westfall
Jennifer Justman
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Jess Green
Judy Campbell
Karla Morgan
Kay Thomerson
Kristina Johansson
Lola Surwillo
Lynn White
Malin de Koning
Mallory Hoffman
Mary K McGraw
Melissa Meman
Melissa Trudinger
Michelle Escano
Michelle Bourbonniere
Michelle Heim
Michelle Mach
Molly Alexander
Molly Schaller
Monique Urquhart
Niky Sayers
Pam Farren
Rebecca Anderson
Sally Russick
Sharon Palac
Sharon Driscoll
Susan Kennedy
Tari Kahrs
Tracy Stillman
Veralynne Malone

Glad Monday: Special Edition

Hello everyone!  How is your Monday going?  I hope it is (or was) a fantastic day :)  I have been wanting to feature special awesome ladies on my blog (and did feature a few last year) and decided to use this Glad Monday to pick that back up.  Over a year ago now I became part of the Blythe community, for those of you who don't know who Blythe is... I used to be one of you lol.  Blythe is a doll and you can learn all about her in a quick Google search (Wiki article:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe_(doll) ).  Long story short, I fell heart for this big eyed (and yes, big headed) girl.  Since I joined the community I have met the most AMAZING people, it is a community full of some of the most generous women (and a handful of spectacular men as well, I must add).  I've really enjoyed getting to meet online so many new friends and to find something new and completely fun to do with what very little spare time I have lol.

One of the amazing ladies I met in this community is my dear friend Sue.  Sue creates sweet knit goodies for Blythe girls and has begun customizing dollies as well :).  I asked Sue if she would mind letting me interview her and showcase her work here on my blog and she (being the incredibly nice and friendly lass she is) agreed :)  First off, let me share the sweet hats she made for my girls!



(Clockwise from top left:  Aishe (wearing a dress by Shepuppy), Stella (wearing a knit dress by Sue), Janet (wearing Shepuppy), and Rade (wearing Rag Bag Designs))

Aren't the hats so cute?  They are actually all elf hats and you can see more pics of them in my Flickr.  She actually sent me five and the gorgeous knit dress Stella is wearing up in the top right.  Here's a pic of the fifth hat on Aishe:



And now....  on to the interview!

1) Where and when did your obsession with creating things begin?

 I have always loved making things. When I was a child I wanted to be a jewellery designer and I spent most of my spare time drawing. After I left school I had a market stall and then a shop which was a nice outlet for some of the things I made. I have tried all kinds of crafts from beads to cards and painting to knitting! I find Blythe is a fantastic medium because there are so many different aspects to her. Customising Blythe dolls is definitely my new obsession!

2) What is your favorite fairy or folk tale and why?

I don't know if this counts but my favorite short story is Ray Bradbury's "The Emissary". It tells of a housebound boy and his pet dog who is the boy's only window on the world. It is both haunting and quite creepy in true Bradbury style and has a nice twist at the end. If you haven't read it look it up! 

3) Who is the most inspiring person in your life? Why?

The most inspiring person in my life is my daughter Holly. She is almost 10 and is the brightest and most beautiful person I know. I am very proud of her and love her more than anything. It was really due to Holly that I got interested in blythe in the first place so I have her to thank for that too!

4) If you could meet any famous person, living or not ;), who would you wish to meet? What would you do with them? (Play skeetball, have lunch, tap dance...)

If I could meet any famous person I think it would be JK Rowling. If I could be anything I would choose to be a writer and maybe she could give me a few tips! I think she is amazing and her wonderful books have made a whole generation of children want to read which is awesome! Imagine having created Harry Potter!! I would just like to sit and chat with her really. And maybe she could introduce me to Alan Rickman which would be a bonus!

5) How did you find Blythe? What drew you to her?

I discovered Blythe by accident while looking for Monster High dolls on Ebay. I Googled her and discovered that there were thousands of amazing pictures of these fabulous looking girls on Flickr and was immediately hooked. I loved the endless possibilities of customisation and was fascinated by all the different things people did to create characters for their dolls. I wanted to be able to create these wonderful girls myself! To me a stock doll is like a white piece of paper, a blank canvas to transform into a brand new personality. 

6) Which of your Blythes is your "mini me"? Which is the one you wish you could be?

My mini me is probably Beryl, a Blythe clone girl with a bit of a punk/rockabilly style. She would need a lot of tattoos to be a real mini me though, perhaps I should give her some! I think I would most like to be Patty, my custom Guava steampunk girl. She has fabulous pink hair (which I used to have when I was younger) a sassy attitude and she travels in time with a laser gun and a cool hat! What's not to love?!

7) What is your favorite thing about where you live? Why?

 I love my home because it's my little haven and here I'm surrounded by all the things that inspire me. However, I don't love the cold, wet climate or built up surroundings much! I hope to live somewhere warmer and brighter someday. Hopefully someday soon.

8) What five things couldn't you live without? 

My computer;
My camera;
My craft stuff (including Blythe dolls - this is probably cheating but hey ho)
My kettle
My dishwasher! 

I could definitely live without my mobile phone, lol!

9) What is the best part about Blythe? About the community?

The best thing about Blythe for me is the amazing friends I have made because of her and the outlet she has given me for my creativity. I have had a couple of bad years (I lost my mom last Easter) and Blythe has saved my sanity (well, some of it anyway) over the past few months. Since joining Flickr I have met some lovely people, you included Jenn! who I would never have had the chance to meet otherwise. It's so nice to share in others' lives through their dolls and their stories and to know that people like to share in mine too. It is a real community and I feel lucky to be a part of it. I also love that people love my dolls and the things I make. Yaay for Blythe!!!

10) Anything else you'd like to tell us about you? About your work?

I'm having a great time trying to improve my customising skills at the moment. I have just put a girl up for adoption for the first time which is exciting but a bit scary too. It's like sending a child out into the world on their own, lol! I hope to do a lot more custom girls this year and paint a lot of eye chips and knit a lot of dresses and hats. And take a lot of photos! That goes without saying :)

Here's a look at Sue's custom girl she just sent off to her new home:

Gorgeous, huh?  You should definitely check out Sue's Flickr, her girls always keep me giggling :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dollypunk21/

So... what I am I glad for this week?  Blythe and the Blythe community, I have the best dolly friends a gal could have :)

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

~Jennifer

Glad...

I am a naughty blogger!  I didn't make a post at all last week for my gladness or anything else!  And now this one is very late *sigh*  I will only say that three weeks with a sick six year old, five year old, and almost three year old begins to wear on a mama lol.  I'll keep this very quick!

My 7 Things That Make Me Glad:

1)  Jane Austen's novels.  I honestly am not sure if I have a favorite, I love them all well... but I do think Lizzie is my favorite heroine.

2)  Sara Bareilles, she has an amazing voice that just lets emotions free, love it!

3)  Donutzies... don't know what those are?  You should ;)  They are the quirky invention of a new friend of mine, Mrs.  Kimberly Munn (who is a wicked cool lady, by the way!).  You can check out pics of her Donutzies here:  http://www.flickr.com/groups/1618183@N25/pool/with/8339040838/#photo_8339040838
And her shop here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/kimberlymunn

4)  Scotch tape... think about all the things it does!  (Though arguably the silver stuff is more amazing ;)).

5)  Rice.  One of those staple foods that can be used in a bajillion ways and has saved me many times lol.

6)  Rainbows.  God's promise after the rain.  Beautiful.  Hopeful.  Cheerful.

7)  Dancing.  I'm not talking the awesome formal stuff people do, but the kind you do in your living room by yourself or, if you are like me, with your awesome little ones :)

Until next week... may your week be filled with glad things!  (And let yourself find them in the every day :) )

~Jennifer

Just Another Glad (and Manic) Monday

How have you been?  How was your January?  Can you believe we're coming to the end of it already? I can't!  Almost a month into the new year... just wow!  I am trying to get back into my working habits, I was in a bit of a slump after the holidays and then we've been hit by illness after illness it seems.  Still, I am determined to get back on track!  Here are some of my new pieces:

Not too shabby, eh?  I'm pretty excited.  It feels good to be working again :)  And now... for my list of the week!

What Makes Me Glad:

1)  Cheddar cheese and apple slices  (together)

2)  Coffee.  (preferably a great deal of coffee..)

3)  Shepuppy Blythe dresses (seriously awesome!!!!  Here's Greta's store link http://www.etsy.com/shop/shepuppy  and her Flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74531910@N04/ )

4)  Friendly office staff at doctor's offices...  I just had to call mine and everyone I talked to was just so nice and it's amazing what a difference that makes!

5)  Old friends...  you know the ones?  Where you can see them/write them/phone them for the first time in years and pick up like it was only yesterday?

6)  Tolkien.  I am rereading the books to my children at bedtime and am falling in love with his work all over again.  (ok, ok, the love never stopped, but still!  Treebeard is so cool!)

7)  Musical gladness of the week?  Eliza Dolittle!

Thank you YouTube :)

And that's it!  I hope you enjoyed my gladness for the week ;)  What makes YOU glad today?

~Jennifer

Glad Monday

Well..  I'm making this before midnight my time, so it counts, right?  I have a house full of illness, so forgive me for (almost) being late again :)

What I am glad for this week:

1)  Hot chocolate

2)  Princess Tutu... if you don't know who she is, you should ;)  she kept my sick little ones entertained enough I could sit down with a cup of tea.

3)  Crayons.  For keeping said children likewise entertained while I made dinner.

4)  Email.  How awesome is it really?  To be able to send instant letters???

5) Lavender.  The scent of (real) lavender is made of serenity, I swear it.

6)  Wire whisks.  Required for awesome hot chocolate from scratch.

7)  And the musical choice of the week that makes me glad?  Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw.

Until next time, my friends... I am also glad for each and every one of you being here :)

~Jennifer

Oops! Late Glad Post..

I am a day behind, I know!  My eldest is sick and I'm running late, so forgive me, please?  Here are my seven glad things for this week:

1)  Digital cameras... I love being able to upload my pictures and see them right away!

2)  80s music... a large part of my early childhood :)  My earliest memories include songs like "Thriller", "Jessie's Girl", "Wake Me Up (Before you Go-Go)", and "Material Girl".  (For cool points name those artists without Google-ing ;) )

3)  My son's dimples.  I have one almost dimple when I really smile, my younger girl has one when she smiles, but my son has full fledged dimples every time he so much as smirks.  Of course they make it hard to discipline him on occasion ;).

4)  Mab Graves.  Her artwork and herself, she is one of the people I admire most in this world.  Such an incredible lady, her gorgeous art is all over my work walls inspiring me daily!  (If you don't know who she is, you must check her out!!!!  (http://mabgraves.com/).

5)  Exclamation points!  :D

6)  Fushigi Yuugi.  My favorite manga/anime ever.  (I went to a Con dressed as Yui, granted I was a bit short and curvy, but it was fun anyway ;) ).

7)  Kawaii Kandy ice cream hats for Blythe, my amazing friend Maggi makes them.  They never fail to make me smile!   ( http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/kawaiikandy )

Join me again next week (hopefully on Monday LOL) when I find seven more things that make me GLAD!  Until then... may your week be filled with gladness :)

~Jenn

My Word For 2013

Hello, dear friends!  I know, it has been a while again.  The holiday season is very full of joy, but also with busy-ness and this year tinged with sadness for me.  I am, however, working on moving past all that.  We must keep on!  :)  I have spent a lot of time thinking about my life and what is important... my family, my friends, my work...  and I have realized something about myself.  I want to be happy.  Shocking, right?  We all want to be happy, silly girl!  True.  We do!  Here's something else I realized... the path to true happiness is in finding it in the every day.

I've talked before about my Pollyanna mind set.  Well this year?  My goal is to re-find it.  Re-define it.  Bring it back to my every day.  So my word for this year?  GLAD.  I am going to try to sit down and write at least a short post every Monday that includes a list of seven things I am glad for.  One for each day.  Can I do it?  I hope so!!

So, for today... my list...  Seven Things I Am Glad of:

1)  Blue skies after the rain

2)  Glee (I only just started watching it on Netflix, feeds the part of me missing singing)

3)  Children's laughter (especially that of my own children)

4)  Celtic knots  (I love to trace them with my eyes and to doodle them in margins of paper)

5)  Pens  (there is something very satisfying about writing in ink)

6)  My husband's hugs  (they can make a lot of hurt go away, at least for a while)

7)  Ingrid Michaelson  (her music soothes my soul)

Until later... may your life be filled with glad things <3