Her foxy business.....

Her foxy business and personal effects

-Started as Neo Blythe with Simply Delight Scalp
-Carved faceplate with adjusted lips, philtrum, nose and eyes

-New eye-chips, sleep-eye and gaze adjustment

-Orchid Makeover: artist face-up and body-blushing, sealed

-Articulated body replacement with 3 pairs of hands

-OOAK beaded Kimono embroidered with "Kitsune" (Kanji) and 9 fox tails

-Kanzashi pin and hairclips, thematic pull-rings
-Beaded boudoir cushions

Kitsune will come with embellished cushions and several kanzashi hair pins complete with beads and tassels. I've used the oak-leaf and 4-leaf clover motif throughout her costume as well. 

Her extra sets of hands means she is quite expressive, ready to partake in mysterious fox dances.

Her long kimono sleeves are beaded, and she has several blood red inner sleeves peeking through, symbolic of her desirability. Red collars, sleeves and linings are often used in the young Maiko's formal attire to enhance their beauty and youth. Of course, Kitsune Dakiniken is actually a very old and wise fox spirit, there are 9 fox-tails embroidered on the back of her kimono. Only the oldest and wisest fox spirits appear with 9 tails. 

Interested persons may email the gallery to join the show preview at info@augusteclown.com The preview will go out a few days before the exhibition opens.

Opening Night will be on Friday 7th August, 6pm – 8pm at Auguste Clown Gallery, 52 Johnston Street Fitzroy in Melbourne, Australia. Free entry, champagne provided. The exhibition is on view from 7th August – 23rd August.

Kitsune - Design

Thought I'd share some information about how I went about designing Kitsune - my fox spirit for the 2015 Auguste Clown Gallery "Fairies and Folklore" Blythe exhibition.

I always start with my Dolly Fashion Sketchbook for a custom doll. I'm able to map out colour-scheme, collect fabric swatches, start planning out her custom eye-chips and eyelids. I write notes about which base doll would be appropriate, jot down inspirations, and if I need to source anything in particular I pop those down in the "notes" section. 

Then I sketch out how I envision the doll. 

This gives me a great place to reference back to whilst I am carving and painting the doll, or whilst working on her costume so I have it all in front of me and in my mind to remember the character and mood I want to portray.

It's always nice to see how the final doll evolves slightly from the first sketch. She grows into her own unique little character, full of personality and soul.

Thanks for Reading!

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Interested in the Dolly Fashion Sketchbook? 

You can get your own copy ~here~

Fifi - Petite Lapin Custom Middie Blythe

Got this sweet Middie pre-carved by Fifilatrixabel, and I knew she would be the cutest tiny albino bunny girl. She's my latest Blythe custom, but will be staying in my own collection.

She looks a little nervous, doesn't she? Can't wait to make her some fluffy bunny ears!

Once Upon a Blythe - Exhibition Opening

I was lucky enough to get to travel to the opening night exhibition for August Clown Gallery's international Blythe customiser exhibition "Once Upon a Blythe"

All the dolls were beautifully displayed, 

I was very happy to be a part of the show, and I was so happy to arrive and see a red sticker on Briar Rose, knowing she has gone to a loving home!

Here is my flickr gallery of Briar Rose, as well as photographs of the other dolls in the exhibition, too

Auguste Clown have a great flickr gallery from the opening night, too

Nicolle (from Nicolle's Dreams) made a wonderful video of the exhibition, so you can feel like you went to the show, too!

Briar Rose

Once Upon a Blythe


International Blythe Customiser Exhibition


Auguste Clown Gallery

"Briar Rose"

The sleeping beauty cursed to dream amongst the crumbling ruins of a bygone

era until she is awoken by the kiss of true love. Wild brambles crawl up her

pale legs, threatening to ensconce her forever. Beneath her long flittering

lashes, she dreams for a-hundred years of the one to wake her.

Custom Work Undertaken:

*Base Doll: Takara Chocolate and Spice Neo Blythe

*Modified Pure Neemo S body replacement

*Carved Lips, Nose, Philtrum, Chin, Eye-Sockets

*Engraved and painted brambles on legs and chest

*Sleep-Eye added, eye-mech gaze-adjusted

*Pastel and Acrylic faceup and body-blushing

*Lace and Tulle removable dress, wild-rose wreath

*Monika Viktoria art-cameo illustrated pull-rings

*Bespoke Doll bed with adjustable bed-head and storage

*Adjustable mattress, lace blanket and pillow

Artist Brief:

Orchid's Designs (Monika Viktoria)

Orchid's Designs creates unique Haute Couture costumes for Artist BJD and

Blythe, as well as crafting bespoke doll beds and furniture. Monika placed

first in both the fashion and photography category at BCUK 2013, and in the

BlytheFest Au 2014 competition.

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Mesmerising eyes the colour of blood-red roses. Briar Rose has 4 pairs of metallic hand painted chips befitting her character... oh what dreams they have seen these long years?

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And finally, her pull-rings to allow those sleepy lids to open, two cameo's with Monika Viktoria illustrations from my 'of lace and moss' watercolour series.

Once Upon a Blythe

Featuring over 30 international doll artists, "Once Upon a Blythe" International exhibition at Auguste Clown Gallery in Melbourne, Australia will showcase the finest talent in Blythe customisation and artistry, http://www.augusteclown.com/blythe-dolls.html

Opening February 20th, all dolls will be available in person at the show and online. To be added to the special preview mailing list for information and photos, contact the gallery directly at:  info@augusteclown.com

*

Orchid's Designs is thrilled to be included amongst some of the top names in the Blythe world for this incredible curated show. For our entry we chose to interpret the tale of "Briar Rose" - the sleeping beauty who is cursed to stay in the world of dreams in a crumbling ruin until she is awoken by the kiss of true love. Brambles crawl up her pale legs, threatening to ensconce her forever.
beneath her long flittering lashes, she dreams.....

Briar Rose is a full art custom, painted and blushed with acrylics, artist pastels and sealed with UV and yellowing protectant. Her eyelids feature brambles and roses, hiding her dreams. 

She has 4 pairs of metallic hand-painted eye-chips, and her base doll was Takara official release Chocolate and Spice.

Her pure-neemo body has been modified with a new technique of burr-engraving the plastic, then setting, painting, and sealing. She wears a tattered lace dress of layers of tulle and vintage lace.

Please enjoy the preview photographs of her, until we are able to unveil her official photo series!

Fainting Lounge for Blythe

I will be showcasing all our OOAK beds and lounges in individual posts. Information and links (where applicable) on purchasing will be detailed within each post. 

1:6th scale Fainting Lounge

Bespoke upholstered wooden reclining lounge for your Blythe roombox or dollhouse diorama!

Designed and completely hand-made at the House of Orchid's Designs, painted and sealed with furniture gloss. Part of our bespoke range of unique hand-crafted custom doll furniture, aiming to create the perfect additions to your collection for your dolls to love! 

Fainting Lounge measures: 25cm long / 12cm deep / 14cm tall
Perfect for Blythe sized dolls (Icy, Basaak, Pullip, Dal, Makies, Monster High, Barbie)

OOAK - Shop Here

Bespoke Doll Furniture - Coming Soon!

You know it's true love when he starts making you finely crafted bespoke miniature doll furniture....

My amazing man has begun an endeavour of crafting beautiful doll lounges to custom fit certain dolls in my collection like Enchanted Dolls, Popovy Dolls, Blythe and BJTales dolls. Each piece is different, and I'm delighted with the fine attention to detail and precise perfection he is so meticulously finising - the individual bed slats are all drilled into place with tiny wooden spokes, joins are secured and designed for strength and safety. I'm astounded and couldn't be happier that my dolls will have such elegant and masterfully made furniture to lounge on - the perfect compliment to their tiny haute couture costumes.

Please enjoy this small selection of detail photographs of his process. The good news for you.... we will have some for sale to delight your dolls too!

The first three creations, first coat of primer and undercoat.

Each bed-frame plank is individually drilled, and slotted over tiny wooden spokes.

Creating a weatherboard bed-head.

Each join is drilled through and secured with tiny wooden spokes, not just glued.

Quality workmanship, the joins are not simply glued together, but secured with drilled spokes.

Adding tiny details before we prime, undercoat, then paint the finished pieces.

Keep an eye out on his Doll Photography FB page to see progress, and be the first to hear about when the first range is finished and available!

Garden of Delights - Custom Blythe

Garden of Delights

First Prize Winner - BlytheFest 2014 Australia

For Adoption

Garden of Delights - my very special custom Blythe who made her extravagant debut at Blythefest AU in Sydney, winning first prize in her category. She is an exquisite art-custom, her body and head fully covered in intricate hand painted floral vine motifs. She wears a large floral crown atop her spring green hair. She has been given "sleep eyes" and gaze adjustment, and has two of my crystal-resin glazed illustrated cameo pull-rings.

Front and Back face-plates feature a bouquet of beautifully painted garden flowers, roses, leaves and hydrangea blooms. Her entire body is encircled with vines and blooming roses, wrapping around her arms, torso and legs.

Her eyelids also feature floral continuation of her facial design, so that when she closes her eyes she can merge into her floral background... a wallflower, a perfectly camouflaged nature spirit. Eye-chips include 4 custom sets: one pair Takara pink, one pair Takara forest green, one pair hand-painted metallic silvery green, and one pair human-iris prints.

She has been meticulously sealed between each layer to protect her extensive painted designs. None the less, I would recommend she is handled minimally, and displayed in a clean dust-free environment, preferably enclosed within a glass dome or show cabinet to ensure her everlasting beauty. 

Garden of Delights

First Prize Winner - BlytheFest 2014 Australia

Diorama Competition

OOAK fully hand-painted art custom by Orchid's Designs #005

~AVAILABLE~