Who's That Lurking In The Shadows?

Happy Halloween everybody! Little Val decided to be a 'yummy mummy'. They can be pretty scary! I'm not sure what the yummy mummies are wearing these days but Little Val is convinced it's tweed and chucks. Personally I think she just wanted to show off her new Pommecopine dress!

Have a happy Halloween whatever you do, whether it's trick or treating, having a spooky party or celebrating your anniversary by eating giant sandwiches whilst watching Scooby Doo. Can you guess which one I'll be doing?

♥ Vicky

Project Update!

I tend to start projects within this hobby that get left, looking sad in a corner of the room. I decided to start this feature to encourage me to get this stuff done at last! 

Little Val got a new white pull ring and string from Twiggy Twiggy. I am a big fan of white pull rings for some reason. Way more exciting than the flesh coloured rings at least! I managed to do it without opening her head using this YouTube tutorial by blytheluv. 

I also got round to rerooting more of my Sindy head. I'm not really sure how many plugs I'm supposed to add as there was a lot of scalp on show when I first got her. I have added a fair few but she still seems a bit patchy on the crown. I'm using the knot method so it should be easy to fill out a bit at the end. I'm hoping to have her finished next week, ready to style. Fingers Crossed!

♥ Vicky

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

I am so excited about Christmas! CHRISTMAAAAAAS! Big Ol' Bossypants says it a bit early for all that but I've seen her secret Christmas planning notebook. I noticed I'm not in it yet...

I decided to rectify this by making a list of all the things I would like. I'm going to super glue it in the Crimbo notebook and reap the rewards. They don't call me a genius for nothing, Diary. I have demanded requested:

✏ Cool outfits
✏ A Dinosaur
✏ Colouring pencils
✏ Chocolate coins
✏ A fully furnished apartment of my own

Nothing too fancy as you can see. I'm very humble.

Have a very merry Thursday!

Stay sexy,

Parkin

xox

Photography Tips: Photo Editing

Here is the follow-up to my first photography tips post a fortnight ago and focuses on editing your pics. As I mentioned last time, I'm not exactly pro at this but I've gradually picked up a few things that might be useful.

This post will cover techniques for brightening your images using Adobe Photoshop and Picnik. Picnik is free and has lots of fun effects such as the Holga camera as well as brightening settings.

The reason I use photo editing software quite a lot is that the weather can often be quite unpredictable in the UK. I just take what I can get with regards to the weather and my little point and shoot! I would love to master the use of lights as I take almost all my Blythe pics indoors. Perhaps I will learn more about that technique over Winter!

Anyway, on to Photoshop! I don't imagine it matters what version you use as these are very basic functions. 

Click the little black and white circle on your layers palette to add a "new fill or adjustment layer". Select curves and a new window will open depicting a chart. Drag the line on the graph to brighten your image to your satisfaction. 

Next I open the exposure window. This is also accessed by clicking on the black and white circle.

You will want to play around with the bars until you settle on something that looks right to you. You probably won't need to wildly change the exposure settings after adding the curves layer. I can't tell you what specific values to change the settings to as your images will all be different, not just to mine but within your own image set.

I then fiddle a little bit with brightness/contrast (also found in the adjustment layer menu) for the final touches. I know it might seem like a bit of a faff but I honestly think it's worth it! You can then merge the layers and save for web once you're done :)

You can also use Picnik which is a free software that you can access here. You don't have to download anything to your desktop. Well, except your finished picture!

As you can see the exposure setting is comparable to curves. Not too shabby!

I hope this post wasn't too vague but this really is something you have to play around with.

Ask Clem will be back next Wednesday and I'll have tips on photo effects the week after. Good times!

♥ Vicky

p.s Little Val is modeling a prototype dress design for my shop. Keep your eyes peeled! The hat is currently available here.

Teeny Tiny Tuesday: Pyrex!

This week's set is from the Tea Time Collection series. I mainly bought it for the totally amazing Pyrex. I also thought the storage tubs would add colour and a retro touch to my as yet unrealised kitchen! 

I love the frosted look of the Pyrex and I would have to say the butter dish just edges the casserole dish for me. The casserole would probably turn out quite small anyway! The patterns on the dishes are very similar to actual Pyrex designs as you'd expect from Re-Ment. They're just crying out for a Big & Small! 

The salt and pepper shakers are a lovely green (which is one of my favourite colours lately) and fit with the overall vintage feel of the set.

I think this might be the set I will theme my mystery (even to me!) kitchen around!

♥ Vicky

Dear Diary: When Your Trick Backfires :(

Dear Diary,

You know how I mentioned that Big Ol' Bossypants tried to bribe me last week with an orange squidgy thing? Well, I finally found out what the "surprise I might not like" was. A new girl. Since she arrived I didn't get as much attention as usual even though I'm totally the cutest. I know I'm 'a keeper' or whatever but I wanted things back to normal and I wanted them back to normal quick. Was that so wrong, Diary? 

I may have told Little Val that our flat is haunted. I mentioned a white apparition that floats about wailing for pizza at meal times. I thought it might scare her into hiding or something and we'd have a bit of peace. I certainly didn't expect this at dinner time (we do breakfast, dinner, tea here. Northern style):

So I bricked it when I looked up from my chip butty and saw the apparition from my bullpoop story. I ran as fast as I could through the flat with the ghost hot on my heels. Suddenly I realised I'd inadvertently cornered myself when I turn around upon hearing chuckling and see this:

Yep, Little Val played me at my own game. Lesson learned... sort of. Anyway, after I got over my shock/anger I realised I could enact revenge or team up with Little Val: Evil Genius. Having spent a bit more time with Little Val: Evil Genius I'm not so sure of her 'Evil Genius' status but she's no fool. Definite friend material.

Stay sexy,

Parkin

xox

Ask Clem: Original, Substitute or Save?

Today Clem offers her advice to the question:

My dream doll is kinda out of my league price-wise. Should I settle for a similar but not quite the same girl or save up? I've also seen that some people customise a cheaper doll as close as possible to the original. Clem, what do you recommend? 

There are a few roads you can go down when obsessively hankering after a doll. First of all, I'd try to be as objective as possible about how much you like this girl. I've seen the amount of time you guys spend staring at pictures of me and my friends on the internet (and I find it a little creepy tbh) but how many of you have seen the girl your crazy about in person?

First Things First

If you have the possibility of attending meets they are a great way to get a good look at new dolls. You might find you much prefer a different girl after seeing her in person and being caught off guard. 

Saving Up

If seeing the doll isn't possible as it would rely on several strokes of luck you should consider how much you prefer the idea of this new pretender over the Blythes you already own. If there are any you feel lukewarm about perhaps now is the time to consider moving them on. Pack them away for a couple of weeks and see if you miss them to test the waters.

Another way to raise some funds may be to have a closet clear out. It may seem like a lot of hassle to sell a handful of clothes for a few [insert favoured currency here] each but it adds up a lot quicker then you might think! However, do not think about selling any of your dolls favourite items or you may have a mutiny on your hands! 

Settling

This seems to me the least satisfactory of all options but maybe I'm an idealist. Sure you might love this girl but a part of you is always going to be thinking about the real deal. Your Blythe doesn't deserve this fate! We are all special!

Customisation

First of all you're going to want to work out whether customisation really is the cheaper option. Especially if you want to pay a customiser! Customising yourself is a really fun option in my opinion. It may be a long and frustrating process but no doubt you will learn something new in the process and perhaps even make a few new friends. Your doll will also be unique (kind of)! You may even bond with the doll over the customisation process but be prepared for the fact you may still hanker after her original.

Hope this has been helpful!

Lots of love,

Clem

Teeny Tiny Tuesday: Teeny Sewing Box

This little set has popped up in my displays now and again and I even featured it in my Top 5 Re-Ment pieces but until now has not been Teeny Tiny Tuesday'd. How did that happen! 

If I could only keep one Re-Ment set in my collection it would be this! There is the fact that it is sewing related that will keep it close to my heart. That's just a given. What I really, really love is the Ice-cream colour combinations that Re-Ment has chosen. That pink is just yummy!

Even the little pins are individual pieces in this set and slot delicately into the pin cushion. I can tell they're just waiting to scatter on the floor and be lost forever. Luckily this hasn't happened yet but I don't doubt that it one day will! 

My favourite item from this set would have to be the scissors. They are hinged and give the illusion of being functional. How cool is that?! They are also the same delicious pink as most of the rest of the set. I have found a use for them in quite a lot of set-ups. Maybe Parkin should keep away from the scissors for a while, especially with new girl Val around!

By the way, the sewing box is from the Elementary School series.

What is your favourite Re-Ment set? 

♥ Vicky

Cozy Cotton Berets for Odeco!

Cozy Cotton Crocheted Berets are now available for Odeco in my Etsy shop! 

They are made from beautifully soft cotton and are available in Blythe size too! Don't forget your voucher code for 10% off all items in my shop until the end of October 31st! 

Click here to browse!

♥ Vicky

The New Girl!

If you're a regular reader of my blog you may well be wondering who this little cutie is. She's new! Her name is Valentine and previously belonged to Hello Rach. I was lucky enough to be able to adopt her last week and I couldn't be more pleased. 

Little Val is an EBL Hollywood custom by Christel/Small World Girl and has the most amazing lips! All her eye chips bar the pink have been replaced and they look wonderful on her. I honestly can't get enough of this girl. I think Parkin may be feeling a little put out but I'm sure I can fix that with some Re-Ment cake!

Rach also sent all these goodies along with Little Val. Can you even believe it?! It was such an amazingly generous thing to do and I thank her wholeheartedly. 

I've no doubt Little Val will be a regular round these parts so keep your eyes peeled!

♥ Vicky

Dear Diary: The Space Hopper

Dear Diary,

When I came downstairs for my breakfast this morning I found a pressie waiting for me on the kitchen table. I didn't really know what is was to start with but, hey, it was free so I'm not complaining. 

It turns out its this squidgy thing called a Space Hopper that you bounce around on for a laugh. I gave it a go but I don't think I've got the hang of it yet. I'm not a quitter but it's hard to stomach Big Ol' Bossypants laughter every time I fall off. 

Anyway, it turns out it was just a bribe. I feel so cheap. Apparently Bossypants has a surprise in store that I might not like but I'm to be nice. I HATE SURPRISES but I love presents. I feel so conflicted right now.

Stay Sexy,

Parkin

xox

Cozy Cotton Crocheted Berets!

I listed my cozy cotton crocheted hats for Blythe on Etsy just before the weekend but I had to dash off so I didn't have time to let you guys know!

They come in a choice of six colours and have a beautiful decorative back. So soft and pretty!

Choose from:

1. Denim

2. Burnt Orange

3. Blood Orange

4. Moss Green

5. Sage Green

6. Strawberry

Check out my shop link for my Etsy listing with full description and don't forget you can get 10% off with the code PINKLADY until the 31st of October!

Odeco hats will be listed this week!

Photography Tips

Since getting into Blythe I have noticed that my photography has slowly improved. I thought it might be helpful to share a few tips I have picked up along the way. I am in no way shape or form a brilliant photographer and do not consider myself an expert but maybe these tips will be useful to someone!

Calling it a tool kit is probably going over the top for a few cardboard tubes, a comb and two bull dog clips but I'm feeling fancy today. I also use a a piece of foam board about A3 in size. 

So as you can see I prop a bit of foam board up against my boyfriends lego storage (we sound about ten years old!) and clip a big piece of paper to it. It's pretty glam. The two pics side by side show my doll from the front and from the top when held up with a card tube. By creating a curve with the paper it gives the impression of a continuous background. The card tube is invisible from the front. 

I like to take my pictures in a well lit room but I always set everything up so that any direct light from the window is hitting the back of the foam board. My doll basically has her back to the window. This might seem odd but it will help to avoid harsh shadows in your image. If you want to play with shadow, face your set-up the other way!

I personally like to hide the pull ring in most situations as I think it makes the image look neater. It can be less distracting if the pull ring is not there. To do this I pin the pull ring to the back of my doll's outfit, like this:

Sorry for the slightly blurry photo in this here photography tip blog post. Haha. 

Implying action is a lot easier with Licca and other posable bodies but that's not to say it can't be done with regular Takara bodies. When you take a picture of a person they generally aren't standing stock still. For instance, an arm or a leg might be bent or a head slightly turned.

Cropping your images in different ways is another easy way to add interest to your images. You can use photo templates, as I have used above (from Pugly Pixel) or use photo editing software to do this. If you do this with a full photograph you have more cropping options. However, you could photograph your images like this straight on to your camera.


I haven't gone in to photo editing with applications like photoshop or picnik but I will make a little post about that in two weeks. Next Wednesday Ask Clem is back!

Teeny Tiny Tuesday: Samurai Airlines

Last weeks Teeny Tiny Tuesday was Bonjour Airlines. This week it's Samurai Airlines! I wish I had the entire Puchi Airlines series because they are such detailed sets with so many pieces but alas, this is my last one. 

The menu (according to the little paper one shown) for your trip on Samurai Airlines traveling from Tokyo to Seoul is:

Chirashi Sushi

Boiled & Seasoned Vegetables

Soba with Dipping Sauce

Strawberry Sponge Cake

Bread & Butter 

Mineral Water

My favourite pieces in this set are the chopsticks and the tiny butter! I'm not entirely sure about the strawberry sponge. It looks a little weird and not as realistic as I'm used to for Re-Ment. Maybe it is modeled on a Japanese desert which looks exactly like this but I'm really not sure.

The dishes are also very cute and I just love the spoon ladle thing too! The tray is even embossed on the back with the Samurai Airlines logo along with the cutlery. It's fair to say that it was the Puchi Airlines series that made me fall in love with Re-Ment.

♥ Vicky

Dear Diary: BlytheCon Spoils

Dear Diary,

I got to go to BlytheCon! I was a model at Big Ol' Bossypants' 'Rosie Apples' stall. Clem was modeling too but I looked way better. Obvs. Plus I was the one who got a new outfit so... I'm not insecure I swear! My outfit is from Blythelicious in case you were wondering. It's a well nice set and included the green stockings too. Win, win.

I also convinced the Big Bossy One to buy me this glow in the dark bone necklace! It's a collaboration between Miz and Momolita who had a really fun stall. I never want to take it off! I can't stop looking at it.

Big Ol' Bossypants got a Cavey cushion for herself which I'm trying to commandeer as a bed. I keep seeing Bossypants hugging it. She better not hug it more than me or something's going to find its stuffing all over the floor. Not that I like hugs or anything... or Big Ol' Bossypants...

Stay Sexy,

Parkin

xox

Fun at BCUK 2011!

I know I said I would take lots of pics at BCUK but it was so overwhelmingly fun, my camera was the last thing on my mind! I met some ace people and my sister got addicted to mini macaroons. I'm pretty positive she spent all her money on them!  

Here is a little selection of some of the brilliant things I saw throughout the day. 

I know I seem a little mosaic obsessed right now but they are great for showing off a lot of images. I downloaded these free templates from Pugly Pixel and I think you should too! Spread the mosaic love :)

♥ Vicky

Rosie Apples Etsy!

I can't believe I finally did it! My Blythe Etsy shop is open! I spent a long time dithering and changing my mind every five minutes but it all came together in the end. I have been talking about it for such a long time! BlytheCon UK was the push I needed to get my bum in gear and I'm so glad. It may have been stressful leading up to it but I had a great time and got to make lots of pretty (imho) things.

All my dresses come with a separate tulle petticoat and are made of 100% cotton with a lined bodice in white. They close in the back with dolly velcro. I love them so much! I designed the pattern myself and although there was a lot of trial and error involved I would do it again. I had so much fun!

I also made some button badges using the fabric so you can match your Blythe!   I used a professional button badge machine and they are one inch in size. No two badge sets are the same and you will receive one at random.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me via email (see Hello section on this blog) or through Etsy. Don't forget you can get 10% off until the 31st of October with the code:

PINKLADY

♥ Vicky

p.s I have crocheted berets for Blythe and Odeco to follow by the end of the week!

Teeny Tiny Tuesday: Bonjour Airlines

I'm back from BlytheCon (which was a lot of fun! Pics to follow) ready for Teeny Tiny Tuesday to get back into full swing! 

This week it's my Puchi Airlines set and is one of the few sets I have been able to buy in person. It was a blind box I got the first ever time I stumbled upon Artbox in Covent Garden that I promptly renamed The Cute Shop. I got a really sweet and classic looking Hello Kitty coin purse there this weekend. They even have a Prairie Posie Blythe in the window at the moment. 

This set is called Bonjour Airlines and the menu offers the following:

Ratatouille and Pasta

Two Types of Cheese with Cured Ham

Mini Baguette

Raisin Danish

Berry Tart

Looking at the picture of this set on NRFB Queen I can see there is also a square red dish/mini-tray for the cup and butter to sit on the tray. I must have misplaced it which is a bit poo... oh, hang on, I've found it in with my Pineapple airlines set. Oops. 

I really love the Puchi Airlines sets and wish that I had them all. The dishes are lovely and are a great way of adding extra pieces to your dolly kitchens. I also have a bit of a thing for Re-Ment trays. No idea why but I don't suppose I need to dwell on it too much!

♥ Vicky

P.S. My Dolly Etsy shop opens this evening at 7pm GMT. Please stop by for a voucher code and pics of all the available items!