Petite LPS Blythe custom... a little steampunk girl

So, you remember the little lady that I posted last time? Well, she got quite the makeover! And boy was it a pain in my bum, and fingers, and pretty much just a pain! But totally worth it =). This was my first time working with a LPS (littlest pet shop) Blythe... so I wasn't totally sure what I was getting myself into, and there really is not much out there for tutorials on customizing them. So I decided to go for it and see what happens... seeing as I found these dolls on clearance it wasn't going to be a huge loss if I completely screwed up.

I had read that the easiest way to do a reroot on these dolls is to actually cut the scalp open, and that seems to be the only way to get to the eyes to change them at all, as they are encased in rubber inside the head. So, I did a little surgery =).

After getting her opened up, eyes removed, and makeup removed I did a bit of sculpting on her mouth and nose to give her more personality. That blue eyeshadow did not want to come off for anything though!

I removed the chips from her eyes and sanded off the blue color, then added my own hand painted paper pieces for her new eye color. Pretty sparkly golden hazel. I also removed the hideous lashes, then secured the chips back in, and popped her eyes back in, with a slightly higher gaze to hide the gaps from the eyelashes.

Next I started rooting in some black cherry alpaca wool that I dyed myself using curly brown alpaca wool, and cherry koolaid. I used the knot method, and a large sewing needle to insert all the hair... which took forever! I then carefully glued her scalp back together, and fixed her hair to hide the seam.

I made her dress and corset from scraps of fabric I had laying around. Her "petticoat" is made from wire that I formed to resemble a birdcage. I painted her eye makeup to resemble gears. My little steampunk princess =).

LPS Blythe, and awesome Hubby!

 Sometimes it's the little things that make me so happy =). For example.... Hubby knows how obsessed (to put it mildly) I have been lately with looking for little petite Blythe dolls to customize, while I wait the month it will take for my full sized one to come in. I have been looking online and in stores for the ones that come with the Littlest Pet Shop toys, but they are becoming hard to find, without paying an arm and a leg. Today he took the boys to a hockey game, but first he stopped off at Toys R Us to see what they had in stock and found 2 of these little ladies on CLEARANCE for me!!!!

 

 LOVE HIM!! Can't wait to start working on them, they are both going to get a brand new look.... complete overhaul! Mini works of art =).

Now to cut open her little head and see what I'm working with, Muahahahaha!!!

New Art, and possibly a new obsession!

     It has been quite some time since my last post here, and my blog, as well as my art, have been undergoing some changes. After much thought on the matter, I have decided to change my blog name from "Primitives & Whimsies" to "Art & Whimsies". I know it's not a major change, but it feels like it to me. I have not made "primitives" for quite some time.... so I am not really sure why it took me so long to make this change.

    At the same time I am starting to feel that my art is taking on it's own individuality... finally. That, to me, is a big deal!

Here are a few newer paintings that I have been working on....

 

Keeper of the Sea (progress photo)

          Practicing painting "loose", as opposed to my usual OCD detail all the time. This one was fun, it was nice to just relax and let the paint do it's thing.

Mixed Media Collage on cardboard.

Mixed Media collage on watercolor paper

 These last three were part of a facebook challenge, led by Jane Spakowsky (GrittyJane), which was a 10 Day Painting Challenge. We were challenged to make one piece of art a day, for 10 days. It was a great challenge... but one that I did not quite finish.... I made it to day 7. Oh well! It was fun anyway =).

Now to the newest obsession... or at least it might be if all works out well ;).

For the longest time I have been admiring, and one day hoping to adopt, an adorable Blythe doll. *sigh* They are just so cute, customizable, and photogenic!!!! But the price tag gets me every time!! About a year ago I had my eye on one on Ebay that needed a lot of work, which would have been perfect because I that is exactly what I was wanting to do..... but I hesitated and missed out on a great opportunity. Since then I have gone back many times, but they just seem to be getting more and more expensive!! For my first time customizing, I just could not see spending that much.

Then I stumbled upon the adorable Tangkou dolls!!! Seemed too good to be true, a doll very much like a Blythe, but for 1/3 of the price! So I started looking online for reviews and saw some great things, and very little that was bad. So I decided to buy myself an early birthday present =). 

Here is what she looks like.

Click to go to Tangkou site

    I think I am in LOVE! I ordered her about a week ago, and have been patiently waiting for her to come in! Thankfully Hubby checked the post office this morning, and she is in, just have to wait for him to bring her home =).
    So, you can probably expect another post tomorrow with pics!!