Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Custom Blythe Portraits

Something new I am offering for interested Blythe fans, collectors, customizers, owners and obsessives... a custom portrait painted in my personal illustrative style of their Blythe Doll of choice. 
Perfect for an artist who has sold one of their favourite customs, or a collector wishing to pay tribute to a cherished member of their doll-family.

* * *

Here is "Cookie" - originally a beautiful customized Blythe Doll by the incredibly talented Karolin Felix.

I am a huge fan of Karolin's style and doll-art anyway, so this was a wonderful project to work on, it was lovely to interpret this sweet character in my own style.


And the original "Cookie" who inspired the painting with her golden honey complexion...

(photograph courtesy Karolin)

For anyone interested in a similar custom illustrated portrait, please drop an email to: info (at) orchidsdesigns.com and include the word orchid or custom illustration in the subject title please.

Our ETSY Boutique should have a similar custom listing available soon.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Quartz Ballerina Dress for BJTales Pearl



A tiny little ballerina twirls and spins beneath the gleaming glow of the moon, her only stage-slights. She jumps and glides to an audience of crickets and moths, her cheering crowd, and bows modestly at the end of her performance, the long limbs of an old willow draw close as her lush green stage curtains. The night air hums and buzzes afterwards, a no finer performance has ever been viewed in any gleaming marble opera.




Vintage lace in the softest peach hue forms the tight-fitting bodice, accented with strands of ivory beads. Icy ruffles of the softest tulle for her tiny tutu, with a shabby-chic bow of lace and cream feathers at her dropped waist. The Crystal Ballerina dress is for the tiny being who dreams of the Opera, but performs on a simple, yet beautiful stage.

The Crstal Ballerina dress will fit the tiny BJTales Pearl and Asrai sculpts, and look darling on any of the colour variations. A snap closure and ivory bow at the back secures a tight fit for her bodice.


There is a version to fit the smaller BJTales Mouse as well ~here~


Crystal Ballerina dress for BJTales Mouse



A tiny little ballerina twirls and spins beneath the gleaming glow of the moon, her only stage-slights. She jumps and glides to an audience of crickets and moths, her cheering crowd, and bows modestly at the end of her performance, the long limbs of an old willow draw close as her lush green stage curtains. The night air hums and buzzes afterwards, a no finer performance has ever been viewed in any gleaming marble opera.



The Crstal Ballerina dress will fit the tiny BJTales Mouse sculpts, and look darling on any of the colour variations. Snap closures fasten beneath and above her tail, securing a tight fit for the bodice.

Vintage lace in the softest peach hue forms the tight-fitting bodice, accented with ivory beads. Icy ruffles of the softest tulle for her tiny tutu, with a breath of cream feathers circling her waist. The Crystal Ballerina dress is for the meadow-mouse who dreams of the Opera, but performs on a simple, yet beautiful stage.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Blythe-Art


Some original pencil drawings and hand-altered canvas prints of Blythe Illustrations I will be donating for the upcoming BlytheCon UK raffle.

Pencil Drawing: Blythe Darling

Pencil Drawing - Middie Blythe

Customized Canvas-Print: The Green-Eyed Doll

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Design Sketches

A big part of my creative process starts with drawing. Orchid's Designs begin their lives as thin pencil lines on paper. Many of my designs are hidden away in my sketchbooks, waiting patiently for their day of glory to be fashioned out of silk and antique laces.

With Blythecon UK approaching, many of the designs are being drafted into patterns, soon to be unveiled.







Monday, July 22, 2013

Corsets Underway


Tiny little corsets, being meticulously measured and carefully constructed.








Monday, July 15, 2013

Etsy Boutique Open!



Orchid's Designs is pleased to unveil our gorgeous new Boutique! We have a lovely little virtual shop on Etsy, to make acquiring our costumes easy and pleasant. Available designs can be browsed, favourited, and paid safely through paypal. Separate shop sections help you navigate quickly to the doll of your choice!

So pop by and take a look, we welcome you to......



Wednesday, July 10, 2013

BlytheCon UK



At Orchid's Designs we have a new doll-obsession. Blythe. It's all about Blythe here in the studio - we've got Blythe patterns fluttering about, we're browsing tiny detailed leather boots and bags, our design-sketchbook is filling up with frothy ideas covered in frills and laces. It's Blythe-Crazy at the House of Orchid now!

To cement our new obsession, we've signed up as a Vendor for the 2013 UK Blythecon. Maybe next year we can get in to the European one (or hey, the Australian one, depending on which continent we happen to be on ;-)


With only a few short months till Blythecon UK, this is what our studio looks like every day
But of course, we haven't introduced our new muse.... here she is. An original SBL Blythe with the most gorgeous fuchsia hair. Notice her exotic eye-shape typical of SBL sculpts - what a mysterious little bird!

But it's no pain - no gain as they say, and we decided our gorgeous new darling was in need of a fabulous new look to properly make her début into the Blythe fashion world. We've sent her off to get her pretty face sanded and carved into an even prettier face by an incredible doll artist. We can't wait to show you her progress and new look... but for now it's all hush-hush whilst she undergoes her life-changing plastic surgery!


Stay up to date with Orchid's Designs début into the Blythe world of Fashion both here, and of course on our facebook page, where I update important news almost straight away. Her own special section on our website will also shortly be added... one we finish some gorgeous new corsets and frocks.

Kiss-kiss fashionistas, till next time!

Raspberry Songbird



Hidden by the raspberry bush leaves, a songbird lets her joyous song raise to greet spring and summer. 

She'll lose her voice if you keep her in a cage, so listen to her golden trilling on sunny days out in the wild.

"Raspberry Songbird" is a fitted corset-frock created for the exquisite Enchanted Dolls. The hand-painted structured skirt is accentuated with layers of frothy pink trims, ribbons and lace - sourced from my travels round the world. A tight lace-up back adds the ability for this corset to fit both the Resin and more elite Porcelain Enchanted Doll sculpts. 






This is the second colour variant in my "Songbird" corsets made for the lovely Enchanted Dolls. The trims were just enough for this one-off piece, so it is truly one-off, not to be repeated.





Ivory Flight



As as she flitted into the room, a rise of twitters rose softly into the heady evening air. Who was this mystery? This bird made of lace and silk, feathers as soft as a whisper, a voice like velvet and desire intermingled with the bitter-sweet sadness of bygone memories.





This fantastical frock is for a doll not of this world.... An embroidered fitted bodice is matched with icy tulle underlay skirt, decked in layers of cream and vanilla feathers. Shreds of lace, silk, threads, and beading give an otherworldly aura to this gorgeous gown. 






The lace-up back is fitted with thin ribbon from Paris, and allows the gown to fit tightly on Resin Enchanted Dolls, or loosen the ribbon for the slightly larger Porcelain Enchanted Dolls.


Sunday, July 7, 2013

Apple and Rose


Inspired by gorgeous vintage cuts and Sunday dresses, this conservative cotton dress is for a shy Enchanted Doll who likes strawberry scones and two sugars in her tea. 

The sweet printed cotton is from Liberty in London (a highly limited design print - there will only be two dresses made in this fabric, both slightly different.) The back is secured by tiny buttons and various shades of pink ribbon, the dress is accentuated with white lace at her hemline - which falls conservatively just above her knees.






Lace Daydream



Layers of ice white silk cascade gently to the floor
She grasps a rose
a memento
of a lover



This beautiful lace gown fits the lovely Resin Enchanted Dolls, the perfect dress for daydreaming and nostalgic memories of lovers and kisses.