Elin Modification Step 1

Customising a Blythe is something that I have done before; the result is Plum. However things get a bit tricksy when you go back in the annals of Takara to something called the 'Superior Blythe' faceplates.

The mega difference between SBLs and the newer Blythes is that they only have two screws in the back of their heads and (more irritatingly) a glued-in head dome, with a scalp glued on top of that. This means they're a bit of a mare to get apart... no, seriously. One of my go-to websites mentioned SAWING. 

With this prospect waving at me when thoughts of customising Elin reared their head, I was understandably reluctant to give it a go. But she and I really weren't getting on, especially after I tried to sell her and failed miserably. 

I turned to Blythe Kingdom for advice. Although an appreciable amount of forumers suggested I send her off to the Bay of Evil, the majority thought she'd be salvageable with a bit of custom work. Most thought I should pay someone else to do it. But I'm afraid after spending £90 on a doll I don't really like, I'm not keen on spending another "fill in the box here" to end up with a doll I still don't like. 

So up went the sleeves, out came the tools and on with it we got. 

First step: screw removal. So far, so simple. 

We got 4 pairs of new chippies too! 

The disassembly stage thankfully isn't pictured. This involved a very sharp craft knife, side-swiping my thumb and managing to cut some of the scalp flanges off. Not a mega disaster, the edge of the scalp is still pretty clean and the thumb wound isn't deep, but still. We'd have liked a perfect result. 

Blood not pictured.

Getting the eye mech out was more tricksy than on Plum. Part of me wonders if this is because the plastic in a real Blythe is higher quality than the factory. 

Plum wants to be a) Blonde b) Nudist

Finally, we were in bits and ready to start stage two!

Eye see you!

New Lids

Before we dive into about a week of Elin customisation posts, Plum would like to show off her new lids.

There. Happy?

Here we go again...

Yup, Elin's getting a makeover!

We're going for pale and interesting, losing the SBL smirk and trying not to have heart attacks on disassembly (which apart from cutting one of the flanges off of the scalp went very smoothly, thank you)

I call this photo...

...I hate ALL of you.

Birdwatching

This weekend was the RSPB's annual garden birdwatch event.

Essentially you make a cup of tea, sit at your cosiest window and watch the birds that come and use your garden. You write down how many birds of one type are in the garden at one time, then submit the highest figure.

Aspen and Alexa helped check my counting.

"Well, she's got a pterodactyl on here... that can't be right... can it?"

And Aspen did the uploading.

"Yep... click that one... No... over there..."

Here's my list from this year:

1 Long Tailed Tit
5 Blue Tits
1 Greenfinch
3 Great Tits
1 Fat (wood) Pigeon
1 Starling
2 Blackbirds
2 Robins
22 House Sparrows
3 Dunnocks
4 Chaffinches
1 Coal Tit
3 Stupid (Collared) Doves
1 Magpie
1 Song Thrush
3 Goldfinches
1 Bagpuss

 Not bad for an hour!

More birdies, hoorah

It was a great weekend for birdwatching last weekend. We had all the usual visitors but with a lovely snowy backdrop, a couple of ones who visit only rarely (long-tailed tits, goldfinch) and then I happened to look out my kitchen window and see six of these hopping around in the leaves along the side of the driveway.

I had no idea what they were at first, but their behaviour was a lot like a blackbird or thrush foraging for insects.

Happily, the BTO guide to garden birds is arranged for duffers like me to be able to find things quickly; I was being visited by six redwings, which are a rather rare type of thrush that visit this country in winter. The snow had driven them out of the fields and onto my driveway in search of food.

Our resident blackbird, who has been known to dive-bomb us when we get out of our cars in breeding season, saw them off fairly sharpish. I caught glimpses of them amongst the trees later in the day, but not anything as good as all six, rummaging in the leaves.

This weekend coming, I'll be setting an hour aside to take part in my 3rd Big Garden Birdwatch. Sign your garden up here!

Plinkography: Snowmageddon!

Hulloes!

Plink here, with some more tip-top Plinkography for you.

Apart from enjoying the bracing weather, Friday provided a great opportunity to watch some of the wildlife in the garden in the snow.

One stupid dove... ah ha ha... 

TWO stupid doves... ah ha ha... 

Would've been nice of it to turn around... 

Pirate the Cat. He's not keen on snow. 

Very soggy squirrel

Posing Robin

Hope you had fun in the snow too! Back soon with more Plinkography!