Here she is my new Blythe doll, Roaring Red.
She’s an ADG Blythe, which are reproductions of the original 70s Blythes. The Takara Blythes are the ones that are made in Japan and are much more expensive. I got the cheaper ADG version, you know, babysteps down the Blythe rabbit hole. I’ve always been fascinated by the Blythe world. All the outfits, the customization, the photo shoots. I’m still just figuring out what’s going on. I don’t have a name for this gal yet, or a personality in mind really. She’s sporting a new SugarMag outfit for Fall from TIB but no shoes, poor girl. And I don’t know what to do with this hair. I’m reading about customization and trying to figure out what all is involved. I think she might need new lips or something. And glasses! She definitely needs glasses. I’ve ordered a Doll Coordinate Recipe magazine so I can start sewing outfits for her. I really need to figure out how to pose her. It took me 15 minutes just to get her to sit on the table edge. She’s so top heavy. Lots to figure out and so much unbelievable eye candy. I’ll just send you now to one of my favorite Blythe designers, jamfancy. I mean come on! It’s amazing. I can seriously hardly stand it.
And I’ll tell you what else, Blythe is a gateway. I’ve already discovered what my downfall is really going to be, Pullip dolls. She has such an unbelievably sweet face. She sucked me right in. Can you guess which one I bought?
Her hair is killing me, I love it so much. And I don’t know about you, but I would probably buy the Neo Noir Pullip because of the name (plus she’s adorable).
Welcome to the dark side! 😀
Blythes are wonderful and I’m afraid to say, very addictive too; even if you think you’ll just get the one, before you know it, you have a whole army!
You inspire me so much! And you have also led me down the slippery slope – I am going to be on those flickr pages for hours today!
Let’s not even mention my excitement over the gorgeous Blythe creations you will make! eee!
xo
dana in british columbia
Hooray! I got a Takara Blythe three years ago for my 30th birthday. I’ve been too busy buying toys for my actual kids to have gotten too into it, but I’m addicted to looking at Flikr pictures of other people’s Blythes. Welcome to the dark side, indeed!
Did you get Adsiltia?
Congratulations! I’ve been contemplating getting one for years, the “gateway” is largely whats been holding me back.
But I recently bought a Dolly Dolly magazine so who am I kidding?
I am all too familiar with the downward spiral into Blythe addiction! I am up to six dolls and, much to my husband’s dismay, have no plans on stopping anytime soon. Your girl is beautiful! I love your blog, by the way. I read it daily, but am usually pretty shy when it comes to comments!
Congrats on your new girl, Hillary! I’m warning you though… it’s a slippery slope… i started with one last year and now have fourteen… they’re just so fun to customize and photograph. I can’t wait to see more of your new girl. I’m on TIB too. It’s a great place for tips and inspiration:0) Hugs, Louisa
oh, yay!
a new Blythe-oholic!
I was only going to get *one* to dress up like Anne of Green Gables…and then another to do as ALICE…
sigh.
So much FUN!
cannot WAIT to see what YOU come up with!
xoxox
I’m guessing Ala
I had not heard of this Blythe doll before. Now I’ll be sorry I have! May have to get one for my daughter (but since she’s not quite 2 I will have to take care of her til she is old enough). 🙂
Blythe is addicting! I have Mod Moly, with long red hair..fun!
The Pullip are way easier to pose, you will find they are much more fun..and you are right, they have such cute faces. I have one of those too, she has PINK mohair!!
Cant wait to see what you make!!
Oh, another one buys a Blythe…
It started as a Merry Skier for me, and now I think I have two dozen or so, most waiting for my hands to recover from surgery so that they can be customized. I did a BUNCH of them for other people last year, but quit when I had my accident, and had to stop going on TIB or anything because otherwise I’d have four dozen by now… I do love the mohair girls I’ve done. Perhaps I’ll see if the physical therapy has paid off and try a reroot…
Lips are tough to get right. For practicing, I’d suggest keeping the original lips on and painting over them. Try it about 30 times before you take off the original lips, see if you can get a shape you like.
i can see why you like these dolls, the eyes are gorgeous. my choice of the pulip dolls would have been celsiy or youtsuzu. what did you get? have fun learning. xxrosey
Welcome to the World of Blythe! I have a Takura Ginger. I don’t have a name for and I have had her for two years now. Actually haven’t even played much with her given I am so busy.
My boys do not like her as she scares them.
Asuka Ranglay Soryu
With that outfit and the hair, I was thinking of Jane Austen or something else Regency. (Georgette for Georgette Heyer?), but if you add glasses, I don’t think that would work.
Welcome to your new addicctive hobby – I can only imagine what you will create for her/them.
When it comes to the Pullips – I would guess you would perhaps fall for the faces of Asuka , Nina or Suoseiseki.
I wonder what you will come up with next!
The Pullip dolls have such lovely faces, but I can’t guess which you’ve fallen for. I’ve collected Ellowyne for a little while, but she’s a very different doll to style for.
One of us now!
Vintage Skipper patterns work wonderfully for Blythe, and are oh so cute!
Oh your Blythe is darling.
I love her huge hair and thing she will look great with glasses!
I know what you mean about the posing thing. Poor little top heavy girls. And ADG stands aren’t very good for holding a girl up either :/
I would buy a Takara stand or even a regular doll stand might hold her better.
If you take her outside to do a photo shoot you can hold her up with a wooden skewer placed in the little hold in the back of her head… That’s what I do. 🙂
Def say hello over on TIB. I am mabelcakes over there too.
Can’t wait to see more pics of your girl!!
-Melissa
Welcome to the rabbit hole! Look into the wigs too. I will see if I can find my ebay wigmaker that I love so much. I have some great wigs for my doll. 🙂
The Blythe dolls are so darn cute – plus the clothing people make for them is really amazing! I have one Blythe – and have actually only bought her one dress, a hairclip, socks, and mini Ugg boots…I really need to start sewing her a fabulous wardrobe! I just love the world of dolls, and I’m so glad it is now more socially acceptable! haha…of course, we aren’t talking Madam Alexander here…Blythes are so much better! I can’t wait to see what clothes you make.
Oh she is beautiful.
Oh dear! I have a Blythe doll (renamed Birch) hidden in my basement. I love her, but to see her makes me want to abandon all my responsibilities and make little outfits for her and pose her outdoors. Congratulations on your new friend! Can’t wait to meet your Pullip.
Congrats on your new girl! When I first saw Blythe, I thought people were crazy for spending $100+ on a doll. Five years later, I have five dolls and am desperately coveting just one more. It’s always just one more. There’s a great Blythe group on Ravelry if you are over there. I’m paperdollygirl on Ravelry as well, and seamstress on TIB.
Dangerous stuff. Almost got sucked into Blythe world recently, too. So far been able to hold off and just favorite pictures of them over on Flickr instead.
It’s that I’m-the-only-girl-in-a-house-full-of-boys-so-I-can-be-girly that starts pushing me in that direction.
Of course, you’ve got the we-have-a-little-girl-so-I-can-be-girly justifcation going for you.
Can’t wait to see what you make for your new doll(s)!
Hilary- I am such a fan of yours and was so happily surprised to see that you have a “new addition” to your family. Blythes are very additive I started a year ago and now have 10 and coventing a set of Kenners too(sigh-someday). I can’t wait to see your photos of your girl(s) and maybe you might offer some patterns too someday? 🙂
Ohhh as Yvonne already said it so perfectly welcome to the world of Blythe,congrats on your lovely girl!
I always said it would only be one blythe….now I have three,and momoko’s and licca’s and wonderfrogs(they are soooooo cute!)and bjd’s(no money left at the end of each month)so be prepared for a fun ride,it only takes one to get started!
hugs Dees
PS It is 7.00 here in Holland and I already purchased your new bunny pattern,soooo cute!
Oh dear… I’ve been coveting a Blythe doll for quite some time now… and now that I see the Pullips dolls I’m afraid I want one of them now too (especially the “Xiao Fan” one – LOVE her!)
congratulations~~~she’s lovely~~~
the Blythe world is really funny, and will empty your pockets! lol
as for the customizing,well,i tried to customized my girl’s lips and it turns i’m not the right person to perform this task….
oh i want a blythe desperately. i love perusing people’s blythe photos. someday i will succumb to the temptation
It is a slippery slope! I started with just some blythe picture postcards, then shoes, now a doll and looking at more.
Have you seen the weird animal blythes and boy blythes on flickr? Hopefully my obsession will never grow that far.
wow! you are into blythe too!! ^_^
soon you will find yourself exploring more dolls…some korean ones are beautiful too!! =P
lol- i just ordered my ‘first’ gal yesterday. i’m so excited- a doll just for me. don’t you think some of the blyth pics are just creepy though?
i think your blog (perhaps among a couple of others) has not only made me appreciate blythe but i really want one now!
i got sucked into the forums and i don’t even have a dollie yet!
I love the parentage of the Pullip dolls – Korean diplomat (father) and Italian designer (mother). No wonder she is so cool.
Oh thank God that doesn’t appeal to me beyond the drool factor of how cute it all is. I can just imagine my money flying out the window on tiny photoshoots and my husband wanting to know why there is no clean socks.
I mean how could I ever top some of those flickr photos? I will sit back in awe instead.
Please share which one you picked!