Thursday, September 25, 2014

TBL for sale

I completed the translucent TBL Blythe and she is looking for a new home.

She will travel nude. She is not factory perfect.

Paypal only, no e-checks. SOLD USD + shipping. Sell will be dependent on feedback trades.

Sorry the photos are not the best.  I can take more on request.

Icy chips/Cool Cat grey glitter (not shown)

Brainworm milky chips/black (not shown)

silver lids/black shadow
slight flaws on the lids
sleepy eyes, no charms on ribbon pulls.

Please email me at pandoraphelps@gmail.com.  Thank you.













Thursday, September 11, 2014

Wonderfrog Family

My Wonderfrog family has expanded!

I now have:

Klimt- Wanda Wonderfrog (original green)
Gwen- Flora Heimel (pink, my daughter's frog)
Darwin- Stella di Noche
Stella- Von Elm (light blue)
Frost- Snow Frome
and, Chicken Frog- (Yellow Fortune frog that reminds me of wubba chikens)


I am actively seeking a Bonewalker doll also.

I also have several Wonderfrog patterns available:

Girl and Boy Frog bathing suits:




Fortune Frog sweater



Frog Pajamas



Sweat and Skirt set



Frog shorts





I'm sure I will have soon. :)

TBL, cont.

I thought of a few more details to add about the TBL.

Eye chips-

The eye chips do not have the clarity that Factory or Takara dolls and they appear to be flatter.  The pupil area on the surfaces seems to almost have a concave spot.

Coolcat, Brainworm, and Icy chips (smaller or larger than Blythe's chips, I can't remember) into the TBL doll.  All three types were too small.

Body-

Something that you commonly hear that determines if the doll is a Factory or TBL are the knees not bending.  However, the TBL body does click three times.  The legs are not as stiff and do bend oddly when I tried.

Full face pics coming soon.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Factory vs. TBL

I know there are a million opinions and tons of information out there about Factory Blythe and TBL* Blythe.

Some call both Factory and TBL dolls clones.  Some feel that Factory are truly factory seconds and not fakes.  TBL are supposedly straight up fakes/clones*.

I have what are know as Factory dolls before and everything was interchangeable with Takara released Blythes.  I recently bought a doll that I feel is a TBL.

My observations:

Bigger eye chip sockets
Nose abnormalities
Larger eye holes
Better hair quality
Softer faceplate plastic
Poorer body

The eye chips did not fit Takara released Blythe! I tried RBL (Nicki Lad) and RBL+ (Mandy Cotton Candy).  This was a huge disappointment. Fortunately, I learned before buying any additional ones from Etsy that are possible TBLs leftovers after someone's custom projects.

I could not pin point the nose.  It was not a RBL and definitely not a SBL.  It was somewhere between FBL and RBL+, but even then there were details that were wrong.  I only snapped pics with RBL before starting to carve.



I have in the past had to carve out eye holes to allow additional space for decorative eyelids.  I didn't with this doll.  I see more of her eye mech at the bottom than normal.

The hair quality is really pretty amazing.  The scalps is thick with really soft saran/nylon/whatever [I am unsure of the difference].  The rooting job, the part line in particular, is different from Takara releases.   It isn't due to the declining quality of Takara releases, or the odd new bang/fringe style.  The part line goes farther back on the head and isn't quite as neatly finished at the end.

I am not good at carving.  I am easily frustrated.  I could not believe how easy the plastic carved.  It was like plastic butter.  At times I thought I over carved it was so easy.

The body is awful.  It is hot in my region.  I thought the heat made the leg plastic soft, but it never firmed up.  The hips are loose and seem to fan out at the top unlike other models of Blythe.  Also, the body and face do not match.

I wish now I would have taken more photographs, but I was anxious to start my project.  Here is some progress photos:




Final

I had planned to root a mohair scalp in natural white/blonde; however, I lost interest.  Her scalp looks decent with the face up and I might add other colors into it eventually.  I think she is missing an element on her face.  I will probably add a beauty mark around her left eye (my right).


*Taobao Blythe, coined by Dr. Blythenstein after the site purchased from, I think. 

*Clone can be interchangeable for fake.