Blythe Love

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June 17, 2014

Prayers for Reina, Dolls for Sale

Prayers for Reina

I know I have not posted in a long while. I have been busy focusing on the hassles of health insurance issues and the after affects of not being able to afford everything for my own doctor appointments and medications. Mainly, a screaming body. I have managed to still knit and do random acts of kindness in the midst of it all, making adorable critters for folks who need them. I will post photos and their stories another time.

Right now I need your prayers and mojo for my dear sweet kitty Reina. For the past several months, since February, we have been taking her back and forth to the vet for symptoms of dehydration, fever, lethargy and anemia. We have run blood tests, given her IV fluids, antibiotics, and even undergone an ultrasound and bone marrow tests. The vet bills have been astronomical, so far totaling close to $5,000. Her red blood cells, white blood cell and platelets are below normal right now; and fluctuating. Her albumin levels are also below normal. I am still waiting to hear from the vet today to confirm it isn’t cancer, and hope that it is something actually treatable. It has been heartbreaking and stressful to see her go through all this and not know what is ahead.

Chances are it isn’t cancer, but I won’t know for sure until all the tests are in. My sweet Reina may also have an autoimmune condition causing this. It would be extremely rare, but she could actually have lupus, just like me. I am devastated at the thought of her having this too, but the possibility for treatment is there.

I have started doing my Reiki again, and doing Reiki with Reina too. It seems to be helping her, as she is perky, alert, feisty and still acting like her old self. She is sleeping more, but when she is awake, she seems quite happy. There is a theory out there in the universe that sometimes pets absorb the owner’s energy and illnesses to help clear the karma and help with their illness. It is supreme love from the pet to its owner. I am open to this possibility, but I want Reina and I to get better together, as I am not ready to say goodbye. I don’t think she is yet either.

Queen Reina

Tony is putting all the vet charges on one credit card right now. And I am selling my dolls on Facebook to try and raise funds to contribute the bills. Right now my Gillian Merida and Alice in Wonderland Blythe girls are up for adoption. I have put the details of the dolls up on Facebook here. Please message me if you are interested. These dolls are priced high because of the expensive mohair scalps, hand painted eye chips, new pull charms and custom details on the face.

This is my prayer to the Universe for my sweet girl Reina, if you would please say it with me:

Dear Universe, Please keep Reina strong and restore her body. Bring her blood cell counts back to normal, and her platelets too. Reduce the inflammation in her liver, and help her fight any infections that we still have not found. Please let the medications bring her into remission, and with minimal side effects. Please protect her body from permanent harm. You brought her into my life, please allow me to love and care for her for many more years to come. Thank you.

Update on Reina: The vet says it is not cancer! And most likely, it is lupus. We are starting on steroids. And doing more blood tests in two weeks ($350) to check how it is working. There is risk for diabetes with the steroids, as well as other side effects. I am hoping it will be minimal and that she will be in remission quickly so we can take her off these medications.

January 7, 2014

Got Sleeves? For Blythes Only ….

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Doll Collection, Knit and Crochet | Tags: blythe dolls, Knit and Crochet |
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Happy New Year! I have been busy with new medical appointments and figuring out health stuff still. But I did manage to find some knitting mojo and wrote up a new sweater pattern for your Blythe dolls. My New Year’s gift to you.

Got Sleeves?

This sweater is my Blythe Raglan X-Long Sleeve Sweater, a free pattern download on Ravelry! It’s my own pattern for this popular style of sweater for Blythe dolls.

Update Feb 3: I revised the pattern because I realized I forgot to add the purl rows in between the increase rows in the body of the sweater, immediately following the collar. I have added the extra two purl rows into the pattern (in red) and renumbered the remaining rows. I hope this did not cause folks too much grief. A basic error that should have been caught sooner. My sincere apologies.

This pattern was inspired by the Monster Sweater for Blythe by Jane Pierrepont (aka Polly). I really love monster sweaters for Blythe dolls and Polly’s patterns are often on my favorites list. All of her patterns and knit items can be found on Ravelry here, in her Etsy shop here, or her UK based site here.

Polly’s patterns are always wonderfully written, but her version used DK weight yarn and was not written as a raglan style pattern. I had to figure a way to knit it raglan style with fingering (sock) yarn.

So, my extra-long sleeved sweater for your Blythe dolls is knit with fingering weight yarn and constructed as a top down raglan sweater. This sweater is knit flat in one piece, seamed in the back, with a rolled up collar and bottom edge. The sleeves are knit in the round. The pattern includes different options for the ribbing pattern for the bottom edge of the sweater, as well as different sleeve lengths. You can add a bit of whimsical fun by placing buttons, felt designs and iron on appliques on your finished sweater.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 2014 ahead of them. It may not be the perfect year, but hopefully one with more good days than bad and lots of reasons to celebrate with family and friends.

November 15, 2013

A Dolly Birthday!

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Doll Collection, Living with Chronic Illness | Tags: blythe dolls, doll collection, Living with Chronic Illness, pullip dolls |
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I have been going nuts this month with my new Medicare plan, and discovering how much just a few of my prescriptions on my long list of medications will cost me. I will have to make some serious decisions about my medication list, stop taking some of the ones that I simply can not afford, and hope that my body will survive it. Basically. even with insurance, I can go broke from my medical bills. I may have to go to Planned Parenthood to afford my Depo Provera shots, which are not always covered by Medicare. I went ahead and got the shot, and am hoping that I don’t get a $300 bill for it. Ugh. Life really is insane when your body has gone to crap.

Paris and Johnny

But November is my birthday month so I am trying to enjoy it as best I can. It has turned into a dolly birthday month, with wonderful new additions to my growing collection. I even got a vintage doll collecting book!

Tony got me a Pullip Taeyang Willy Wonka doll for my birthday gift this year. I have not gotten any boy dolls yet, so I was not sure how he would fit in. But it has been wonderful to have him! My Pullip doll Paris has fallen in love, and I have too. His name is Johnny William, and they make the perfect doll couple.

I have discovered that Taeyang dolls fit Ken doll clothes, so I have been on the hunt for vintage and new Ken doll clothing. Even the Twilight doll clothing fits the Taeyang dolls. The shoes for Ken are often too small for Taeyang dolls, but sometimes you can purchase shoes for Taeyangs from the Pullip Style web site.

This month we also went to an antique doll store! An entire store of just antique dolls! It was heaven for me. The store is Dee’s Place of Dolls in Covina, CA. You can find their Facebook page here. Charlene, the owner, is the sweetest person. Her mom started the store, and she grew up in it. They have been around for more than fifty years, and they even repair and restore dolls in their dolly hospital. She has the best selection of vintage dolls I have ever seen – an entire wall of Ginny dolls, rare Madame Alexander dolls, Effanbee dolls and more! This place is a one stop shop for vintage dolls, and I am so glad it still exists. Charlene even teaches a porcelain doll making class. I hope I get some doll making lessons soon!

Patsy Joan and Ginny

So you know I had to come out of the best antique doll store in town with at least one doll. I have been drooling over several antique girls on eBay, and really wanted a Ginny doll and an Effanbee Patsy doll. She had both, and they are now my birthday girls too. I got a 50th birthday Effanbee reproduction 16-inch Patsy Joan doll. She even came with a birthday cake! I also got an 8-inch Ginny doll, from the “Kindergarten Cute” series. She is a brunette with pigtails.

I really have to learn how to sew clothes for these girls, cause finding clothes to fit them have been a challenge. especially for Patsy Joan. Patsy’s body is the same length as many baby girl dolls out there, but her arms, legs and waist are much smaller than today’s dolls. Cabbage Patch and Waldorf clothing are too big. I have found some Patsy Joan dresses on eBay, but they are not always budget friendly.

For my Ginny doll, I have discovered that LaLaLoopsy doll clothes do fit her. And, finding Ginny doll clothes on eBay or Etsy is easier too. I still want to learn to sew clothes for this girl. cause then I will be able to modify patterns and make clothes for my middie Blythe girls too, who are the same height, but slimmer.

Giddy Up

Some of my other dolls have found new homes with dolly RAKs (random acts of kindness). I am also still knitting toys and monsters for RAKs too, when I manage to find my knitting mojo. Soon I will be knitting for an American Girl doll that is coming my way. My friend and I decided to do a dolly trade. She is going to get my Waldorf girl Georgia Rose and I am getting one of her customized American Girl dolls. At least clothing and accessories for them are plentiful. I just need a dolly wardrobe budget. And to win the lotto to pay for my medications. LOL.

One last helpful tip. Here is a list of dolly measurements for some of the popular dolls. It can help you as you knit, crochet or sew clothes for your girls.

Still struggling and living one day, one hour, one stitch at a time. But my knitting and dolly therapy will hopefully keep me sane while I navigate the insanity of my chronic life. Remember to scream and cry when you need to, but remember to fight the bad with the good and practice random acts of kindness.

October 30, 2013

Meet the Susies

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Doll Collection, More Crafts | Tags: blythe, doll collection, doll hair reroots, Margaret Keane, Susie Sad Eyes |
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A Trio of Susies

I have been obsessed with vintage dolls lately. I have my collection of Blythe girls, and even some Monster High dolls. But I started searching for vintage dolls from the 1950s and 1960s on eBay, and I can’t stop wanting them all! Yes, I really am an equal opportunity doll lover.

I was able to get some wonderful Susie Sad Eyes dolls on eBay for a reasonable price. And I have been busy cleaning them up a bit and giving them dolly makeovers. The Susie Sad Eyes dolls are from the 1960s, based on the artwork of Margaret Keane, who painted sad-looking girls with big eyes. The dolls are 8 inches in height, and have varied skin tones and hair color. They were before Blythe girls came along in 1972, but they both share the love for those big eyes!

Even though I have no desire to reroot Blythe doll hair, the smaller heads on these Susie dolls were less intimidating for me. I asked a few online friends advice on how best to start the reroot process, ordered some mohair, got my reroot tool ready and just jumped in.

There are many different ways you can reroot a doll’s hair. And different materials you can use for the hair of the doll. Do a Google search for how to reroot doll hair, and there are plenty of examples to learn from. You can do a “lock and loop” method that intertwines the loops of hair together on the inside of the doll’s scalp. You can do the “knot” method which is like sewing individual locks of hair into the scalp. Or you can use a reroot tool to just stab the doll head with the individual locks of hair and keep it in place with craft glue. People have rerooted doll hair with saran, mohair, alpaca and even human hair. It is all a matter of preference. You just want to make sure that whatever you buy has been washed and prepped properly so that it is ready to use on your doll’s head. The amount and length you will need will vary, depending on the doll.

Hemostat

Before doing any rerooting of doll hair, you have to remove the old hair first. This can be tricky, depending how much existing glue is on the inside of the doll head. Cut as much hair off the outside of your doll head as possible. Remove the doll head from the body. The Susie doll heads pop out with just a little effort. Then you are ready to start removing the existing hair from the inside of the doll head. People use different tools to do this – tiny pliers or tweezers are familiar options. I actually used medical forceps – hemostats – to remove the hair from the inside of the head. They look like scissors but have a bar in the center that closes in place and gives you a good hold of the hair as you are pulling it out. They come in various lengths and sizes – I found small. short ones made of stainless steel. You can find them on Amazon, and sometimes pharmacies or medical supply stores have them too.

For my Susie dolls, I decided the easiest method was to use a reroot tool. I originally bought and ordered needles and a reroot tool from Dollyhair.com but was highly disappointed with their products and lack of customer service. She sent me the needles that I ordered, but never sent me the reroot tool. I sent her several emails and contacted her on Facebook to see when the tool will be sent or the amount refunded. And there was absolutely no response from the seller on the site at all, even though we had communicated a few times before I place the initial order. Do not order items from this site. You risk losing money and not getting the product you ordered at all.

Update: After sending her one final email to Dollyhair.com telling her that I will be sharing my poor customer service experience with others in the dolly world, she finally contacted me back. There were several reasons why she never responded back to me, and I did accept her apology. I finally got my reroot tool and some extra needles from Dollyhair.com for future projects. Although two months late, at least I do have it. I was told that Dollyhair.com will be setting up a new contact phone number in the future to help with the customer service issues. If you order from this site, just know that contacting them about any problems with your order may be a challenge.

Reroot Tool

In the end, I found a wonderful tutorial on how to make your own reroot tool. You can find the tutorial here. The basic idea is to use an exacto knife and your modified sewing embroidery needles to make your own reroot tool. If you have a metal hair extension tool, you can use that instead of the exacto knife. The exacto knife tool gives you the added force needed to help push your needle through the hair plugs without accidentally stabbing yourself.

You can find several tutorials on how to use doll hair reroot tools on the Web and on Your Tube. I am just explaining the basic idea.

Once you have your reroot tool, you take a small amount of the hair and slip it in between the grooves of the needles. You can water down each lock of hair to make it easier, it also separates the locks of hair even more finely. Then, holding the hair in place on the needle, push the needle through the hair plug. Repeat this “stabbing” process on the entire scalp on all the existing hair plugs; add extra hair plugs if needed to prevent bald spots. For my Susies, I had to add a lot of extra holes to prevent bald spots. I just added each hole as I went along. Thatch the hair to create the natural part-line on the head, if needed. I found that mohair really did not require much thatching. Once finished, go to the inside of the scalp and add some craft glue all around the hair to secure it in place. Let the glue dry slightly. Then you are ready to place the doll head back onto the body. The large bulb on the top of Susie’s body that helps hold her head will also help keep her rerooted hair in place.

Before and After: The Wild Child

For my Susies, I used 3/4 ounce of mohair, with locks that were at least 7 inches in length. I ordered a full ounce of mohair for my Susies, just so I have a bit extra. I was able to order some wonderful mohair from Dreamfiber on Etsy. Gerry, the store owner, is wonderful to work with. She will custom prep each order so that the locks are cleaned, brushed and ready to use for reroot. And, the way she preps each order makes it so much nicer for the reroot process. Gerry carries only natural colored fibers in her shop, and does not dye her mohair. Her orders take about two weeks or so to process, so patience is the key when ordering from her shop. But it is worth the wait. The brownish blonde mohair and the jet black mohair were purchased from Dreamfiber.

So for my third Susie I needed some custom dyed mohair. I wanted her to be a “natural” color still, but nothing brown, blonde or black. I found some gorgeously dyed mohair from StephanieA Smith aka Strings and Things on Etsy. The mohair was perfectly dyed in a carrot orange red color, with natural blonde and brown highlights. She has several color options in her store, and is happy to custom dye anything for you. I asked her to divide her mohair into smaller sections for me so it would be easier to manage, and it turned out perfectly on my Susie! Stephanie was wonderful to work with, and she shipped quickly. Most of her listings are ready to ship. A plus for my impatient self.

We Love Susie

To clean these dolls, I used a makeup remover wipe. I scraped off the green coloring underneath the eyes with my finger nails and a dull toothpick. Sometimes it can’t all be removed, but it does the trick well enough for my makeovers. I repainted the lips with water based acrylic paint, and sealed it with a light varnish. You could add some fresh blush using pastels and a touch of Mr. Super Clear spray, but I kept mine blush free.

Well, what have I learned in this adventure with doll hair reroots? I actually discovered that stabbing a doll’s head with a needle was relaxing albeit weird. No wonder people made voodoo dolls! LOL. And, even with the smaller head dolls, it takes time and patience to reroot doll hair. Plan on 20 to 35 hours to reroot a Susie’s head. More time if you plan to knot the hairs in place or separate the locks ahead of time. It was easier for me to do the locks of hair along the way so I would not lose any bits of hair that were unfinished when I took breaks in between each session. I rerooted the hair from back to front, doing the part line last. Others do the exact opposite. Do what is comfortable for you.

I hope this helps you take a “stab” at your doll’s hair. I suggest starting on smaller heads first. Barbies, Monster High, vintage dolls like Penny Brite or Susie Sad Eyes are all great dolls to work with. I still don’t think I will ever reroot a Blythe scalp. If I do, I will probably do it with a regular sewing needle and use the knot method. People tend to style and play with Blythe hair more than Susie dolls, and I would worry the plugs of hair would come out easier on Blythes without the added knots.

No matter what challenges you are facing today, remember to breathe, and take things one day, one stitch, one stab at a time. Keep creating, keep learning, keep giving and sharing with others. Don’t give up and practice a random act today.

September 12, 2013

Meet Penelope Garcia Blythe

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Knit and Crochet, Living with Chronic Illness | Tags: blythe love, Knit and Crochet, Living with Chronic Illness |
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Penelope Garcia Blythe

Still dealing with Medicare health coverage, finances and just a screaming body in this heat wave. There has been a lot of sad and crazy dolly drama in the Blythe world too. I have decided to leave most of it behind, and focus on what I love about this hobby – the dolls, knitting, sewing, customizing and photography. All a part of the dolly therapy I need to help me cope with my daily battles of chronic health crap.

I am still customizing dolls. I have even begun customizing dolls for my friends too. My latest custom for my collection is Penelope Garcia Blythe. You know, the cyber computer geek girl extraordinaire from Criminal Minds? I had to add her to my Blythe family after finishing my Abby Sciuto Blythe from NCIS. They are fast becoming BFFs.

The base doll for my Penelope Garcia was a Sunday’s Very Best Blythe. My luck with SBL head opening ran out when I started on Penelope. I managed to do it without killing her or myself, but she definitely reminded me why SBLs can be such a challenge to customize. But I do love her imperfections and all. I gave her hand painted nail polish eyes and she is slowly collecting a wardrobe of colorful eye glasses from Mimiwoo on eBay. Her geek glasses pull charm was a custom order at A Girl and Her Clay Etsy store. And the troll pull charm came from a pair of earrings! And the geeky stickers on her eyelids were vinyl nail stickers from StickItVinyl on Etsy. I was even lucky enough to be gifted some perfectly Penelope dresses from my friend Bonnie Jacobs. Penelope Garcia just came together perfectly in the end.

Bonnie got her very first Blythe recently, and has now joined the dolly addiction. She started sewing and knitting for Blythe dolls in her Etsy store and on Ravelry. She created three wonderful knit patterns – a Blythe shrug, Blythe hoodie and Blythe varsity cardigan. All the patterns are available on Ravelry for download. She also has some wonderfully sewn outfits for sale in her Etsy Store here.

On the few good days I have, Tony has been great enough to take me to some antique stores so I can find more dolly items. So far I have found a miniature spinning wheel, some ceramic cats made in Japan, and a pair of Porcelain Cat dolls. I also managed to get a vintage Susie Sad Eyes doll from eBay. I love her and am on the hunt for a Susie Sad Eyes sister doll. I have even begun collecting a few Monster High dolls. I have sold some of my dolls and given a few away as random acts of kindness (RAKs) too. It just depends on what I need to try and keep up with the bills and manage my hobbies. Plus, I am fighting all the dolly drama out there with some dolly RAKs. In the end, I have decided that I am an “equal opportunity doll lover.” And that nothing will stop me from sharing the dolly or monster love with the world, even when my body is screaming and can’t seem to cooperate.

Life has been so overwhelming for me this year – losing my job, my employee disability benefits, then the healthcare, not to mention a body that is plotting revenge every day for not having my regular medical appointments, treatment and physical therapy. Being chronically ill sucks. being sick is easy – you know you will get better. But being chronic has no end. And when you are financially stressed and have inadequate medical coverage, well …. it is just not easy. You have to find ways to survive and make it every day. For me it is through my creative pursuits – knitting mojo, monsters, photography and dolly therapy. And you have to still find ways to keep giving. A little kindness into the universe goes a long way. Practice a random act of kindness today.

August 23, 2013

Painting Blythe Eye Chips with Nail Polish

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love | Tags: blythe dolls, painting eye chips |
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Nail Polish Eyes

Well, I have been busy still trying to figure out my medical coverage with Medicare. I may not have all the health insurance I need until next year, after I re-enroll in the different Medicare plans. It is pretty stressful. If you all could send prayers for good health, at least as best as it can be with my chronic list of crap, I would appreciate it.

I have been busy still customizing my Blythe girls. And getting some new vintage dolls too. But I will share more details of my dolly finds in another post. Today I want to share one of my budget friendly experiments with dolly eye chips. I have been painting them with nail polish! I saw a video of a girl doing this with BJD dolls, and thought I could try it with Blythe eye chips.

Now before I go into the do’s and don’ts of this process, I know this is a very controversial subject in the dolly world. Some people are very against painting with nail polish because they fear it will damage the eye socket, and that the eye chips will also get cloudy over time. The standard practice is to paint eye chips with acrylic paints. So, just know that painting eye chips with nail polish does have its risks, but I am a risk taker. Creativity is often about taking these risks. And, so far I have had no problems with my nail polish eyes. In fact, they have come out brilliantly with rich colors I could not get out of acrylic paints. And, this is such a budget friendly solution for many of us who can not spend $20 on a pair of hand painted dolly eyes. But, yes, do this at your own risk.

What you will need:

Clear acrylic eye chips for your doll
Thin paper backing that is for the eye chips
Bottle of nail polish in your choice of color – metallic polishes look amazing
Bottle of clear top coat
Makeup remover wipes or alcohol swabs
Black paint and brush to paint the eye pupil
Craft glue to insert each eye chip into the eye sockets.

Do’s and Don’ts:

Be sure to test the color on your nails or a piece of plastic before painting your eye chips. Once you start painting the eye chips, the nail polish is difficult to remove and start over. So you only have one shot at the color.
Do not use acetone to remove any nail polish remover from the eye chips. Acetone will gradually ruin the plastic. I recommend trying to scrape the nail polish off the eye chips with your fingers, using soap and warm water. If this does not work, throw the eye chips in the trash.
Do not use your paint brush to paint the nail polish on the eyes. You will be painting with the nail polish brush in the bottle.
Remember to check the look of your eye chips while you are painting them. Look at them from the front of the eyes next to the light so you can see any missed areas of polish.
To protect the eye mechanism from any potential damage from the nail polish, do use a thin paper backing on the eye chip. Then glue it in the eye sockets. Some eye chips come with the paper backing (e.g., from Cool Cat). Others do not. However, you can order the paper backing from Cool Cat separately or make your own.
Do not use nail polish to paint the faceplates of your Blythe doll. The plastic is softer than the acrylic eye chips, and the risk is much greater for damage. Use acrylic paints, pastels and other standard items on the faceplates of your doll.

Step 1: Paint the Eye Pupil

Paint the pupil of each eye with black acrylic paint. I use a black paint pen that can be bought in craft and art stores. It saves me from taking out a brush too. Let the paint on the pupil dry completely before painting with the nail polish.

Step 2: Paint the Eyes with Nail Polish

Paint the Eyes

Paint Several Layers

Check the Eye Color

Select the color of nail polish for your eyes. Be sure to test the color of the polish on your nails or piece of plastic before starting them on the eye chips. The color on the bottle doesn’t always come out the way you think it will once on the nails or eyes. You can decide to layer two different nail polish colors together for your eyes. But I usually just pick one color. Darker or richer colors work best, and metallic polish gives amazing results.

Using the color of your choice, start painting the rest of the eyes with your polish. Use the brush that comes with the nail polish to paint your eye chips. Do not use your paint brushes to paint the eye chips.

Keep painting layers of nail polish around the eyes. Do not wait for each layer to dry. You can mix two different colors of polish by layering them on top of each other. You want to paint thick even layers on the eye chips to make sure the color is evenly saturated. I usually paint 2-3 layers, with the first layer being the thinnest and each layer following being thicker on the brush. Remember to check the color of the eyes while you are painting them. Look at them from the front of the eyes against the sunlight to see any missed areas of polish. Once you have the desired color saturation for each eye, let the polish dry completely.

Step 3: Add a Layer of Clear Top Coat

Now that the colored polish is dry, add a layer of clear top coat nail polish to the eyes. Use the brush in the bottle to paint the layer. Let the top coat dry completely.

Step 4: Clean the Eye Chip

You most likely got some polish painted on the edges of the eyes. Or maybe some got on the fronts of the eye chips as you were painting them. Using you fingers, scrape any excess nail polish off the edges of the eye chips. Then using an alcohol swab or make up remover wipe, clean the front of the eye chips.

Step 5: Add Paper Backing

Now take the thin paper backing for each eye chip and place it on each eye chip. I place it with the shiny side visible to me. Your eyes are finished and are ready to be glued into each eye socket of your dolly’s eye mechanism.

Well, I hope this tutorial helps you with your creative Blythe Adventures. It is important to note that nail polish painting is not recommended for use on the Blythe face plates; it is best to keep to the standard practice of acrylic paints and pastels for the face make up. Again, many people in the dolly community are staunchly against taking this risk when painting the acrylic eye chips. But for those who dare to try, I hope you have as much fun as I have!

August 5, 2013

Meet Abby Blythe …

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Random Thoughts | Tags: abby sciuto, blythe dolls, NCIS |
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Meet Abby Blythe

Ok. The stuff with Medicare continues. I have drastically decreased my doctor appointments cause I just don’t have to funds to pay for all of the it, even at 20 percent of the cost. I am really hoping I have insurance the last few months of the year. If not, cross your fingers that nothing goes wrong with my sad body. It is just the way life goes sometimes. I am trying not to stress out. I know next year I will have some sort of insurance, but I am still waiting to hear what social security will do with my benefit amounts after the work review, and it is getting harder not to worry about the funds you have now or the funds that you will not have in the future.

I have been keeping busy with my dolly groups on Ravelry and Facebook. There has been more dolly drama, which has been energy draining and sad. But I am hoping things calm down and people can just move on and love their dolls. I know that in the “real world” people are not always 100 percent honest about things, people do get taken advantage of, and one’s generosity is not always appreciated. But what happened to “Doing unto others as you would like to be done to you?” Simple respect seems to have been forgotten these days, and I am just feeling as old as my body is acting. It is just sad.

On a happier note, I was able to get one of my “grail” girls. In dolly speak, a “grail girl” is the “holy grail” of dolls you long for on your wish list. I have a few “grail girls” on my wish list, but I have wanted a Blythe girl with long straight black hair and bangs ever since I started this hobby. And there were really only two girls that fit the bill – B2Holic Blythe and Bow Wow Tradition. The two dolls are from different doll molds, so they are not completely identical. But they are both limited edition dolls, and very hard to find for a reasonable price.

But, the universe was kind to me. I went on Blythe Kingdom and happened to see a used Bow Wow Tradition, sold nude, available for sale in the USA. I immediately negotiated the price and have been in love ever since with this girl. I have named her Abby, because I have now customized her to by my Abby Sciuto Blythe from NCIS. I love Abby’s character on NCIS, and I have wanted to do her as a Blythe doll for the longest time.

I did all the customizing myself:

I did slight lip carving. It really isn’t a skill I have mastered. I repainted her lips with three different colors of acrylic paints – red, burgundy wine, and black. I did not feel like changing her lashes, but managed to paint her eyelids black.

Abby’s Skull Eyelids

Then I got these really cool vinyl skull nail stickers from Etsy and put them on her lids. The Etsy store is StickItVinyl, and she has pre-cut vinyl stickers for your nails that fit perfectly on Blythe eyelids. You just place the sticker on the eyelid and then rub it off with your fingernail to transfer it onto the desired surface. I put a coat of clear varnish on top of the sticker to protect and seal it. The sticker does not interfere with the eye mechanism because it is so thin, and it is perfect for me because I can not draw or paint anything cool on eyelids.

I also gave Abby all new eye chips. I painted one set metallic black with acrylic paint. And the other three sets were painted with metallic nail polish! I painted a couple layers of nail polish, then one layer of top coat, then added the paper foil backing that came with each eye. It protects the eyes and eye socket from any potential damage from the nail polish, and protects the polish from any glue in the eye socket. She got a pair of ruby red eyes, smoky grey eyes, and sparkly olive green eyes all with nail polish! The nail polish are so rich and have a different sheen than the acrylic paints. I am definitely becoming a nail polish addict again, thanks to Blythes!

I also found the perfect pull charms for Abby. I got a skully butterfly shaped rib cage pendant from a necklace at the Hot Topic store at the mall. And, a Jack Skellington pull charm from Etsy. I added a few beads to her pull strings too.

Nail Polish Eyes

Then came the hunt for the perfect outfit. I had a friend of mine custom make me an outfit for Abby, including the white lab coat. Then found more punk style outfits and boots on Ebay and Etsy, and had a friend make me an NCIS t-shirt too. I got a Caf-Pow drink from the CBS store, and knitted the perfect grey hippo using Rebecca Danger’s Harriet the Haberdashery Hippo pattern. I used Lorna’s Laces sport weight yarn for the smaller sized hippo, the colorway was 50 Skeins of Grey -Charlie Tango.

Abby and I have had some great adventures together. We have taken a short walk in the woods (aka my backyard) and were surprised with tickets to the Circus last weekend. My body is not happy and is screaming bloody murder after this outing, but it was so worth it. You can see the circus photos in my Flickr set here. I had never been to the circus before, and I had more fun than the kids around me. I definitely needed some fun to fight the bad with some good. I am also slowly becoming a baseball fan – the Dodgers – watching the games on t.v. and learning all the lingo. You may see one of my dolls in a Dodger outfit soon. LOL.

Still practicing random acts, just more quietly in the background. I just don’t think people get what I do with my knitting and the random acts. It doesn’t seem to inspire others to follow and practice their own. Maybe they are practicing it quietly in the background too. I have stopped worrying about it or trying to get others to follow. I am just doing what I do. Keep sharing the dolly and monster love.

June 28, 2013

Have a Beautiful Day …

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Doll Collection, Living with Chronic Illness, Random Thoughts, The Cat's Meow | Tags: blythe dolls, india arie, Living with Chronic Illness, pullip dolls |
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A Beautiful Day

Well, I have been struggling along still. Minimizing my medical stuff until I can figure out all the Medicare coverage, which still needs sorting out. Worse case scenario, I have no coverage for the last four months of the year. Not having physical therapy appointments is killing my mojo to get anything done – crafts, knitting, running errands, and just going out is a challenge. But, I am trying to stay positive and believe things will get better eventually. Each day is unpredictable.

Reina kitty has her own share of medical stuff. A few weeks ago, she started squinting her right eye. It seemed like she was blinking at first. But, then it completely shut. I took her to the vet to find out she had a corneal ulcer! If it did not heal properly, she could lose her vision in that eye. Yikes! We did her eye drops faithfully, and four days later, she was all healed. But, it did not stop there. A week and a half after her first corneal ulcer, she had another one in the same eye! The vet suggested we take her to a vet ophthalmologist, cause something more serious could be going on my sweet girl’s big eyes. I did not even know that existed. A kitty eye specialist? We took her to the vet ophthalmologist and now Reina most likely has feline herpes virus. It lays dormant in cats who have been exposed to the virus, and then flares up in times of stress.

My first thought was “Oh no. My sweet kitty has a chronic condition like her mum.” It makes me sad to think my sweet Reina is stressed out in some way. The condition is treatable with more eye drops. We have to follow up with the specialist in three weeks to see if it has healed completely. And, then hope that she doesn’t have another corneal ulcer any time soon. If she does, more tests to figure out what else may be going on. I need my sweet Reina to be better, for good. Her sweet big eyes don’t need this. I have enough chronic crap for the entire household. Please send her some kitty mojo, love and prayers. And, of course, any prayers for financial miracles to recover for the vet bills would be appreciated.

I am trying to stay positive despite it all. And my dolly collection continues to change, with some dolls going to new homes and other new girls coming in. I have fallen in love with Pullip dolls. They are big eyed dolls, like Bythes. But Pullips have more articulation in their bodies, allowing for great posable photos. You can also easily change their looks with different wigs. What a difference new hair makes! They have little sisters called Dals and Byuls. I have managed to get a couple of Dals in my collection too. There are several US sellers for Pullips, Dals and Byuls. It makes it so much easier to get that dolly mail. Several US sellers are even on Amazon, with dolls on Amazon Prime! Perfect for the impatient collector. LOL.

I was reminded of a wonderful music artist named India Arie this week. She was on Good Morning America promoting her new album. I started thinking of how wonderful her songs are – speaking love, truth and strength in her lyrics. One of my favorites is titled “A Beautiful Day” and it is what I wish for everyone, no matter what their struggles are. May you have more good days than bad, and things to be grateful for each day. I know it is not easy to be grateful or positive in the midst of endless crap. But, it helps me live in the now and make it to the next day, hour, minute.

I also know my friends want to pray and wish for a miracle for me. Something that would fix and cure me from the lupus, fibromyalgia, back and butt pain, and everything on my medical list. But, for whatever reason, this is what has been given to me. I don’t look for the cures and hope for the miracle healings anymore. I look and find the smaller things of every day life to celebrate and be grateful for. And celebrate the mini miracles. It is the way I can find my beautiful days in the midst of my daily battles.

Let this song sing in your day today. Let it run through your head, and speak to your heart. Don’t worry about fixing me. Don’t feel sorry for me. Celebrate you. Your life. And have a beautiful day.

May 15, 2013

If Only I Could Swap Bodies in Real Life …

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Doll Collection, Knit and Crochet, Living with Chronic Illness
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I know it has been forever since I posted an update. I think I have lost my mojo for just about everything lately. Grieving life’s changes sucks it out of a person. Still have some health care, more health care bills, and have yet to figure out the Medicare stuff when the coverage ends. I have been struggling with my emotions, motivation and of course the pain levels too. The love of my Blythe girls, thank goodness, has not ended. And the creativity of it all continues.

I was gifted and surprised with a factory doll from my friend Sally. She has beautiful lilac hair that just shimmers in the sunlight. I customized her into my Fairy Queen Blythe, named Tatiana. She is bringing magical mojo into my dolly family. And, it was such a wonderful act of friendship and dolly love. My dolly cabinet was getting a bit crowded, so I have given up a few of my girls to others who really wanted them as part of their very own Blythe collection. They are addicted to Blythes now too.

I also was able to purchase a Prarie Posie Blythe doll and was finally able to customize her into one of my favorite characters – Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. I got the DVDs of the Anne Shirley movies and began remembering all the reasons I love her and Prince Edward Island. I had completely forgotten that Anne Shirley marries Gilbert Blythe and becomes Anne Shirley Blythe in the series. She was meant to be a Blythe doll!

Anne Shirley

Tatiana, Queen of the Faeries

My latest dolly addiction is all about swapping bodies. And heads. A group of us online discovered the joys of taking Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) pet heads and placing them onto other doll bodies! The LPS pets are so cute, but even cuter as dolls with regular bodies. Folks are swapping bodies with Polly Pockets, Bratz Babyz, LPS Blythes, Kelly Barbies, and more. They are called Hybrid LPS dolls, and I love them.

To top things off, you can create normal sized Hybrid dolls using extra large heads from LPS Deco Pets. They are no longer sold in stores, but can still be found on eBay and Amazon. I have been painting my Deco Pet heads and putting them on Moxie Girlz bodies. Other folks have used Blythes, Barbies, Liv doll bodies too.

You can see pictures of all the LPS Hybrid creativity in the LPS Hybrids Flickr group. I created a general tutorial on how to pop off heads and swap bodies in a PDF file here. I don’t go into detail about customizing the Deco Pet heads in the tutorial. Generally speaking, any acrylic paints will work. You want to avoid using anything that is oil based with the plastic heads. I spray the heads with Mr. Super Clear hobby spray to seal and protect the paint job. I even added fake eyelashes with some craft glue. So far I have made three regular Hybrid dolls – a monkey, a bear and a lop eared rabbit. I will be making a cat one soon. I have made a dozen or more little LPS dolls too. It is totally addicting.

There is something therapeutic about pulling off the heads and swapping the bodies. I wish I could swap bodies in real life. I am tired of my body feeling 90 years old when I am more than half that age. If my body acts like a 90 year old now, I don’t want to survive past 50. Just shoot me now. I remember crawling on the floor to get to a soaking hot tub for my bouts of leg pain as a kid. I thought that was the worst of it when I was young. I was so wrong. Yes, I am surviving all the chronic crap. Yes, I have a tool box of chronic pain stuff to help me cope. But, really, you just get tired of fighting it all the time. I want to swap bodies. I want to be the Bionic Woman with new legs and arms, able to run like the wind and not have to worry about your body betraying you the next day. Yeah, I know why these Hybrid dolls are my new addiction. It is the only way I can swap bodies, just for a little while in my head.

My Hybrid Dolls

I am still struggling with my knitting mojo. It comes and goes. I really need to find it for good so I can get back to some serious monster making instead of just one or two at a time. The depression I think is winning that part of the battle, with the help of my screaming body. I need a vacation from this chronic crap. At least my creative mojo still exists with the dolls. Without it, I think I would go completely insane.

If you can say a prayer and send positive mojo with regard to my medical bills and coverage as the severance health care package ends, I would appreciate it. And, of course, I would love more good days than bad ones with my pain and energy levels. We all have to take it one day, one hour, one minute at a time. And find the good things in the midst of the crap and chaos.

Still living one stitch at a time, even without my knitting mojo. Keep sharing the love and doing the random acts whenever you can.

March 12, 2013

Still Living One Stitch at a Time …

Posted by kkhymn under Blythe Love, Living with Chronic Illness, Random Acts
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Coraline and Skittles

I have not blogged in a long while because really, the medical drama has been the same. My medical coverage is a mess, then fixed, then a mess again. My Medicare coverage is all messed up because of what my employers did to sign me up for their prescription plan instead of the one I had. And it still isn’t fixed. I signed the severance package, but instead of getting three months of additional medical coverage, my medical coverage got cancelled and had to be fixed again. I am hoping the severance check gets here soon so I can still help pay the rent and make my medical bills and car payments. But, who knows if that isn’t also messed up.

It has been one thing after another, and I am trying to live one day, one hour, one stitch at a time. I have been rescheduling all my medical appointments because of the coverage, no coverage drama. And, just want to give up in the midst of my screaming pain levels. Trying very hard not to give up, and my dolls have become therapy for my unpredicatable days.

My dolly collection has been slowly changing. I won’t have the funds for a new doll for a long time. I really want another custom doll, or a new Prairie Posie Blythe doll. But, I am just going to have to wait until some miracle funds come. For now, I am just hoping the severance check arrives.

Sweet Georgia Rose

A couple of my friends helped me get my very first Waldorf doll. Her name is Georgia Rose, and she is made by the Wild Marigold store on Etsy. I just love her. She and my Cabbage patch Yuki are best friends already. My dear sweet Coraline Blythe has gotten a makeover, with newly rerooted fleece hair. My friend Helen in the UK did the reroot for me, and I just love it on Coraline. Gillian and Tinsley, my mohair Blythe girls, love her too. And, my friend Bonnie surprised me in the midst of the medical insanity with a colorful Rainbow monkey. His name is Skittles. I just love him! He brightens my day when nothing else can.

I am really grateful to my friends and family. Life is really hard some days. And, it is hard to believe that things will get any better. But knowing that I am loved and that my friendship is valued too, keeps me going to the next day. When you get bombarded by all that is wrong in your life, you have to focus on what is right and battle on. Keep breathing. Keep living one day, one hour, one stitch at a time.

Last weekend, Tony took me to see the “Great and Powerful Oz” movie, and I absolutely loved every minute of it. It has gotten mixed reviews but I think too many people are comparing this movie to the story line in Wicked, the musical, or the original Wizard of Oz movie. It does this movie an injustice to compare it to anything else. Enjoy the adventure and magic of this movie, without any of the background drama and critics. The story line is wonderful, the scenery and costumes amazing, and I love China Girl even more now that I have seen her in the movie. I got the 14 inch China Girl doll before seeing the movie, and the Wicked Witch too. There is something mesmerizing about sweet China Girl. And, she has some spunk too, as you can see in this clip from the movie: