Sunday, February 2, 2014

oh you sweet thing

Hi everybody!! How have you been? Here's wishing all of you a blessed, prosperous Chinese new year! I'm taking advantage of the hubs being out with the kids to get some blogging done lol. I'd been thinking of sharing some crafty type things I'd been up to over the past couple of weeks!

Remember Blythe? Well, after admiring them for so long, I finally decided to take on the challenge of teaching myself to customise. There isn't a lot of information on this art form available anywhere, and rightly so, because it's plain hard work and every artist has the right to keep her or his hard-earned trade secrets. I realised that the only way to learn was to dive right in and trust to the Lord's leading!

So, let me introduce you to Peregrine! She holds a special place in my heart because she is one of my first two customs ever. As most Blythe artists will say, she's not perfect, but that's what makes her special and unique :)

(Oh, Becky just popped in and said I should show a picture of what Blythe looks like before being customised. Well, like this).

I've been enjoying the whole process so much, despite the time-consuming labour and sweat, as it really stretches one and employs so many different art forms -- carving, sculpting, painting, even beading! This is Francoise -- my little Parisienne!

I'm so honoured to say that Francoise has already found her mommy -- that's Blythespeak for a dolly's adoption. And yes, that's right -- it also means that I've set up a new shop, quite separate from Bikbik & Roro. It concentrates purely on finding forever homes for my little dolly girls :)

Francoise is all ready for her trip to her new home -- it's quite on the other side of the world, and I very much hope her new mom will keep me up-to-date on what she gets up to. Yup, it's true -- the heartache of sending Sailor Ghost or Guppy to their new home has reached a whole new level with these girls! One can't spend hours on such a labour of love, creating expressions and personalities, without forming some depth of attachment!

Well, I've still largely kept the two shops separate, out of some weird sense of shyness, but my Bikbik & Roro FB friends know about it from a few of my posts (the new shop has a Flickr page which posts updates). Later tonight I'll be putting Deirdre up for adoption (that's her up there and right at the top), unless someone on the shop's mailing list contacts me to reserve her first, which was what happened with Francoise and the other girls (feel free to email me about her if you're interested ;)

So that's my little bit of news. I trust all of you are doing super -- catch up again real soon!

21 comments:

AntiquityTravelers said...

wow they do have such personalities - I'm going to have to check out this other side of you :)

The Dainty Dolls House said...

Happy Chinese New Year doll :)) I love the Blythe dolls, they are so cute...I hope you have a marvellous new week :) x

Fundy Blue said...

You blow my mind, B&R! You are so creative! Your dolls are exquisite! Little Fancoise is darling! Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family!

Fundy Blue said...

Hey B&R! Back again. I just read your post on cold remedies! I've been in and out of blogging too ~ so much to do, so little time! #1 ~ Don't give in to doubts about your posts ~ They are awesome. I love when you write essays on things. When I get some nasty comments, I just pop out my sharp, lethal velociraptor craws and zap them into cyber oblivion (and TRY not to think about them! #2 fascinating topic. One mother of a friend of mine used to make me tea from the bark of a cherry tree. I'm not sure if it cured my cold, or scared it out of me! I hope you had a lovely visit to Beijing, a city I long to see! Take care!

Magic Love Crow said...

Congrats! They are so cute! A lot of work and love have went into creating these girls!

Audrey said...

Wow, the dolls are really beautiful! Congrats to you! And I love their names. You're just so creative! Thanks for sharing your good news with us! Hope it goes well....

My Garden Diaries said...

They are stunning friend! I am speechless! You have done such an amazing job with these dolls...I love them! All the best this week friend and great work! Nicole xoxo

Jane Chérie said...

I am so impressed by your talent! Especially with all the work required with a newborn and you still were able to complete your learning and project!!! Your dolls are gorgeous! My favorite is Deirdre. She has a lovely name and she looks oh so beautiful!

Sara said...

Hi! The dolls are a-m-a-z-i-n-g I think it is every girl's dream to have a personalized doll! I hope everything is alright with you and your family, happy Chinese new year !

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

These dolls are gorgeous! I love those big eyes! You do such amazing work. Happy Chinese New Year!

Miss Val's Creations said...

The Blythe dolls are so beautiful. They must be so fun to customize! Congratulations on your new shop. :)

Debbie Nolan said...

Jan - wow - you have been extraordinarily busy. Love these dollies. You are certainly very talented dear friend. Caught up on your last few posts too. Never heard of astragalus but sounds like it really works. Will check it out in our health food store. Hubby takes zinc and I drink 2 Tblsp. of Apple cider vinegar (preferably the one that has the mother in it) every morning. That seems to keep my immune system working well. Have a great day. Thank you too for your lovely visit to my blog.

Rowena @ rolala loves said...

Happy Lunar Year dear friend! Here's wishing you good health, happiness and prosperity! These girls are real beauties! My Rena and Ian both have customizations but since I'm terrible at that type of thing my husband had to step in as my dollie surgeon. One of the many reasons why he's awesome :)

Rowena @ rolala loves

Unknown said...

what?! I am so impressed! you are so talented!

sonia said...

Amazing! You're so talented and I know they will find sweet forever homes...
xoxo
-Sonia

Unknown said...

They are so adorable. The lucky owners of the dolls are sure in for a treat.

Kay G. said...

Hey Janice!
Good luck to you! You are so creative! When you are a very famous doll maker, I will be happy to say that you were a great blogger FIRST!!

Unknown said...

Happy Chinese New Year! The dolls are so cute :)

Elena said...

You are so talented dear lady! They are quite pretty and Happy Chinese New Year!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

So awesome. Incredible detail.

Almost Precious said...

What an incredible transformation the Blythe doll went through. She turned out gorgeously in your talented hands. Great job !

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