1. Introduce yourself, who are you and where do you live?
I am Lynne, I live in Texas! I’m married and work as a free-lance professional actor and singer.
2. What do you make for Blythe?
I customize wistful, whimsical dollies and make dolly clothing. One of my obsessions as far as Blythe clothing and accessories is dolly hats ... so I devised a couple types of hats that are fun and unique and concentrate on those, plus my custom dolls and outfits for them. I make felt helmets with Kawaii decorations, fully lined and decorated with hand-made appliqués, beads and sequins, and a series of lined mohair animal helmets with a little appliqued felt heart for a nose. Some of these are like the little lost teddy you loved as a child ... lovingly distressed for an aged effect, with patch work ears. I call these “little lost woodland things”. Others are more modern and whimsical, with bright colors and mustaches, or my little bug-eyed bugs with glitter antennae, for example! :D
3.Where can we find your creations?
I have an etsy shop called “Dollicious” and also sometimes sell my custom dollies on ebay. On Facebook as Happibug Customs. My blog is happibug.blogspot.com and I generally list updates there, too.
4. What are your main influences?
Music is a huge influence. My background as an actress is also a really big influence. Fashion - from the 1920’s until now - and anything retro - 60’s and 70’s design, colors.
I love the slightly melancholy, a little disenfranchised, sweet but lost ... these are some of the ideas that come out in my custom dollies. The “happi” in happibug really refers to my own personality ... which is a persevering optimist :D --- I keep going despite setbacks with the things that really matter to me. Conversely my dollies bring out that sensitive side that may have a tinge of sadness ... life isn’t easy and everyone has obstacles to overcome. I started writing stories to go with my custom dolls in 2009, and they generally follow this same pattern ... a little sad and a little melancholy, something to overcome, and then happiness when they find love and “home”. Ha ha, kind of the story of my life, too!
5. How did you get started with Blythe dolls?
Like many of us, I found some of Gina Garan’s photos in an Urban Outfitters, in the early 2000’s. It was either her book, or postcards -- and I thought she had the one and only Blythe doll in the world and she put wigs on it and photographed it. I have always loved pop art, photography, and cuteness combined, and this was perfect. I was obsessed but since she had the only one (ha ha, little did I know!) I didn’t really follow up on it. Then in 2006 I saw another of her books - Blythe Style - in Urban Outfitters and this time I got a copy and read Gina’s bio inside the book --- and that started me off ... go home, get on ebay, find that a Kenner costs $600 to $2000, can’t afford that! Find some forums, do some research, and buy my first Neo (Mademoiselle Rosebud) for $60.00 from someone in L.A! Eight years and a LOT of dollies later, here I am!
6. Do you collect anything else?
I used to collect a lot of vintage fashion and jewelry - I love the 20’s and 30’s, art deco and bakelite - and was kind of obsessed with vintage fur coats (think Joan Crawford in the opening scene of “Mildred Pierce”), and vintage handbags, from the ’20’s up through the ’70’s. I also love vintage sewing/crafting magazines and pattern books, interior decorating books - all from the ’60’s and ’70’s. Anything with the fun colors and designs from those eras.
7. What's one interesting fact we may not know about you?
I play the cello (not well.) :D And I really love this year’s Blythecon theme ... the Wizard of Oz and it’s “dreams really do come true” theme (and Judy Garland, singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”) was one of the things that made me want to become an actress and learn to sing.
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