10 Year Anniversary + A Giveaway: Week Four

10year_giveaway004_001When I originally set out to do these giveaways, I already knew what I was going to giveaway and when. Each week was going to kinda be like a timeline of the past 10 years. This week was going to be all about my venture into 3D printing and casting those 3D pieces, but I’ve already talked about that a few times since starting this blog. Instead I’ll talk about something I seemed to have forgotten about, a big part of Art School Dropout’s recent history! Something I still work on to this day…

Blythe!

About four years ago I had a customer turned friend ask if there was anyway to turn a pair of my bee earrings into a tiny doll sized necklace. I took this as a challenge, I LOVE challenges. So I set out figuring out length and size and quickly put together a mini necklace. Well I actually put together about three dozen mini necklaces. It was fun and it used up all those little chain bits I had been hoarding for years. I didn’t have a doll of my own yet, so I sent the necklaces to my friend and asked if she could take product photos for me in exchange for the necklaces. You can see one of these photos here.

Apparently there was a huge demand for little necklaces and I sold out super quick. So I just kept making more. I enjoyed all the new customers I was getting to know and the community they had built. Everyone was so nice and creative. I was sold on it all. I had to have a doll of my own!

It wasn’t until after I had CT that I finally gave in and purchased myself a Blythe doll. She was a previously owned redheaded girl that I named Random (Trillian and Arthur Dent’s daughter from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). I received her at the most perfect time, sorta. I had been admitted to the hospital for gallbladder problems and pancreatitis. It was during a snowstorm so I was in there for 8 days waiting for doctors who were snowed in. She arrived on the third day right before my surgery. My awesome husband brought her to the hospital along with a measuring tape and some sewing supplies. I used the downtime I had (when I wasn’t asleep from all the painkillers) to make a few patterns and such for my new doll.

The first one was a little beanie similar to ones I had made CT before she was born. Actually it was the same pattern, just altered to fit Blythe’s huge head! I used my own fabric designs (which I guess should have been talked about during this timeline thing… oh well) and had them printed by Spoonflower. I actually sold a few of these beanies before I even had a chance to properly photograph them! Another happy accident. From there I started making shirts, dresses, skirts and more. It was a lot of fun designing for something so little and something that doesn’t really care how brightly colored or busy the patterns may be! I could make anything!

Over the years I have made many little pieces, and the designing is still super fun. However the itty bitty tiny sewing has taken its toll on me. So this past year I started selling the pre printed dress patterns. So anyone who still wanted my designs could make them at a much cheaper cost! I’ve also added hand cast plastic blythe eyechips to the mix. It’s a brand new adventure, but i’m enjoying it just as much as everything else I do.

This venture, like some of the others has enabled me to meet some of the most amazing people! I love talking to them and seeing what they create. I’m crossing my fingers that my plans to go to BlytheCon this year don’t fall through like previous years (something crappy always came up, like I was cursed). This year i’m going up with friends so that should help! I just want to meet all of these amazing people so bad. Are any of my readers going?

So now onto the giveaway portion of this long post…

10year_giveaway004_002

So as part of week four (the final week) of Art School Dropout’s 10 year anniversary, I am giving away all of the Blythe accessories pictured above plus two sets of our DIY dress kits (not shown)!

Here’s a list:

  • Little Bow Hair Clip in Dark Gray
  • You choose any TWO instock Hand Cast Plastic Blythe Eyechips (I figured this is something you’d want to pick out)
  • A finished Blythe Shift Dress – Olive Toned Monsters
  • A Blythe Beanie – Pink Rocket Ships
  • Three Blythe sized necklaces: a Lime Green Squirrel, a Dark Purple Bee and a Bubblegum Pink Crab
  • A Blythe Boatneck Shirt – Bright Red Trees Everywhere
  • Six DIY Pre Printed Blythe Dresses with instructions! (not pictured)

Now Here are the rules:

This giveaway is for everything listed above, there will be no substitutions. The contest starts right this second and ends Sunday, June 2nd at 11 p.m. EST when comments will be closed. Since my weekends have been pretty busy lately, a winner will not be chosen until next Monday. The winner’s name will be added to this blog post soon after. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If the first winner does not reply back to an email sent out within 24 hours, a second winner will be chosen. So please make sure to give your correct email address! Each giveaway item will be shipped out the day the next giveaway starts until the fourth week when it will be shipped out three days later (unless something comes up, in which case I will email the winner).

This weeks giveaway is open to international readers!

To earn one entry all you have to do is comment below:

Ask me a question! Any question! It could even be a rhetorical question! Haha.

(Just a heads up, if its super duper personal I may not answer)

I liked the idea from previous giveaways of tweeting to earn a second spot. So if you add Art School Dropout on Twitter (username @jesseesuem) and/or tweet about this giveaway, please comment letting me know. Your comment will count as additional entries (just make sure its a seperate comment).

Here’s an example

“I just entered Art School Dropout’s #Blythe Accessories Giveaway! You should check it out: http://artschooldropout.net/blog @JesseeSueM

So in the end everyone has the chance to enter three times!

Good luck to everyone that enters! I am excited to see your questions.

This giveaway is closed! Our giveaway is commenter #4 – Amy! She won everything pictured plus more!

Thank you to everyone who entered! I won’t be doing another giveaway for a bit, but keep checking back for other goodies!

 

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23 thoughts on “10 Year Anniversary + A Giveaway: Week Four

    • Thank you!
      I started making eye chips after my friend Heidi talked about making her own sprinkle eyechips. I figured I had the means and experience to try my hand at it and it would save her some time. The plastic I use doesn’t have a long shelf life (a week if that), so I knew I had to look for other fillers to make sure I didn’t waste any. I just searched my local craft stores, etsy and ebay for different glitters and small pieces. I mix and match and try to see what looks best! Now it’s kinda like a game to see what neat fillers I can find! Some end up being disasters (like colored sugar that expands) but some end up being awesome! (like shaped confetti)

    • I now have three dolls! I really want more, but just haven’t been able to talk myself into it yet. As for my favorite thing, I would have to say the eyechips. I love how something so tiny can give so much personality to something! Plus its fun thinking up new combos and fillers.

    • There are many options!

      You can buy new ones on ebay. Which is where I purchased my last two. or http://www.thisisblythe.com (plus theres loads of other places around the internets)
      You can buy previously owned or customized dolls on etsy.com or on forums like http://blythekingdom.forumotion.com/ (which is where I found my first girl)
      You can also keep on eye on Twitter, Flickr or Instagram for people selling off their old dolls so they can buy new ones! That happens A LOT!

    • Thank You!
      I have thought about it! I just had a custom order for shamrock ones, and while searching around for supplies I found a bunch of different themed glitters and confetti. I probably would only make them as requests though because I’m not sure how many people have holiday girls and the confetti is harder to work with since its so staticky. :)

  1. Wow! 10 years :) That is fantastic. Well done :)

    How long have you collected Blythe and do you collect any other dolls?

    • Thank You!
      Ive been collecting Blythe dolls for around 3 years. I basically can go by how old my daughter is since I bought my first one when she was a month old. As for other dolls hmmm… I collected porcelain dolls my entire childhood, I have boxes of them waiting to be displayed somehow. I also collect loads of designer vinyl toys, those are kinda dolls right? :)

    • Some Blythe clothes fit Barbie and Bratz dolls. I know old Skipper (barbies teen sister) patterns fit the Takara Blythe bodies. So maybe they fit the new Skipper dolls? I’m not sure. As for your second question, I only have Takara Blythe dolls. Those Kenners are crazy expensive and hard to find. Though I won’t lie, everytime I see a pile of dolls at a thrift store or antique mall, I look through it for a Kenner.

    • Totally forgot about the question I was going to ask!

      Since you want more dolls, will you get Wendy Weekender? I think she would match perfectly with the colorful stuff you make.

      • Oh I totally want the Wendy Weekender!I only like girls with bangs and longer hair, I don’t know why, ha. I also like the super colorful ones, so yeah I wish I could have her. Right now all the money from blythe sales are going towards my BlytheCon trip! I already paid for tickets and hotel, now I’m saving up for transportation, food and shopping money! Maybe I’ll be able to buy her afterwards. :)

        • I ordered her, and she’d loove to wear all those colorful things! <3 I'm so taking her for brazil's blythecon on august.

  2. Pingback: Sneak Peek: Arrows and Flat Gems | an Art School Dropout's life

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