B is for Blogging

When I first started this blog back in 2008 it was supposed to be all about my sewing and my Etsy plush creations. I didn't really want to share any of my personal life, and I wouldn't have dreamed of posting a photo of myself online. Five years on and my banner has a big photo of me (albeit slightly hiding) and my posts often mention things about my life and the photos I take rather than any sewing at all. I've changed a lot since I wrote that humble little opening post and my blog has changed too. For one, it looks a lot smarter than it did (which isn't difficult), but it still isn't the beautiful, interesting popular site I dream of.

So why not? Well it's probably due to laziness and procrastination. I have a vision but I can't quite work out where to begin and how to achieve it, so nothing much happens at all. Well I want that to change. I'm hoping this A-Z challenge will help me to work out what people want to read about how I can improve it - any tips or comments would be really welcome! (And if anyone else shares my woes).

For now I would like to share a link to some of the blogs that inspire me and look so effortless and perfect (not that I'm even the tiniest bit jealous)..........

♥ Little Chief Honeybee

♥ A Beautiful Mess

♥ Deliciously Organised

♥ Deer Little Fawn

B is for.....Blythe and Basaak dolls

I've recently started playing with dolls again. That's not as weird as it sounds. Well, maybe it is, but lots of other people are partaking in this pastime too, and they are adult toys. No, not that sort of adult toys - they are just not really meant for children, more for adult collectors. Sounds like an excuse for grown up girls to play dress ups with their dollies again? Yes, it probably is. But what is wrong with that?!! I'm using mine for photography props, so it is art really.

I first saw Blythe dolls on Flickr last year and I found them intriguing to look at, if not a little ugly to be honest. I'm not sure why I suddenly wanted one, but back in January I started researching them online and discovered that they could be bought on eBay. The original Blythe dolls from 1972 fetch anything from £400 to well over £1000 (!!!), but the new versions are somewhat more affordable thankfully. 

So I bought my first Blythe - this custom beauty:

It was her eyeshadow that really sold her to me:

Once I'd started I felt compelled to buy more and maybe even think about customising one myself in the future, but even though they are much cheaper than the originals, they still aren't exactly on Barbie's price level, so I dug deeper and discovered Blythe clone dolls (Basaak and Blybe dolls). Now, they are a little controversial in the Blythe world because they are basically copycat dolls, but they also have fans in their own right, and they are much more affordable for people like me who don't have loads of cash to spend. 

I found a gorgeous custom Basaak doll on eBay and she came all the way from Thailand for me. 

Again, she has stunning eyeshadow! 

Once you have a good look at her you can see that she isn't of the same high quality as Blythe herself, but she is just as pretty in photos, and a nice addition to my growing collection. I think my Blythe is still a little wary of her though: