Back in February, 2009, I was a featured artist in CWC's "Blythe A Wonder World, 7th Anniversary Charity Exhibition" in Bangkok Thailand. Being an artist required me to create series of Blythe doll for the exhibition, organize a custom show, workshop, and a Blythe clinic -- sessions where people with problem customizing their dolls could ask me for the tips, tricks, and advices.
On the very last session of the Blythe clinic, a girl came to me and ask if I do comission customization. I said I didn't have time to do it anymore. But I would give you advice for free. She frawned and walked away. After a while, when my sister, Tarin and I was helping others with their dolls, she came back again. We told her she was welcomed to have a seat and watch us doing stuff. Later on, she took out her doll and told us that..
"This is my custom".
My sister and I was amazed!! "Did you do it by yourself?"
"Yeah.. I kept doing it many times.. but I failed".I looked at the doll and all the details she has done, it was so amazing how she opened the head, paint the lids and lips, changed eye brows, and even tried to carve the lips by herself!.
"How old are you!!"
"I'm nine this year"
"How many Blythe doll do you have?"
"I have only this one"Then her mom told us that she tried to learn to custom Blythe doll by herself, without any help from anyone. Everytime she failed, she would cry so badly.. then after a while, she'd just start fixing her doll again.. and again. As a customizer myself, I could tell that this doll has been done lots of things. The eyes stuck, the eye lids were very thin and distorted by overly use of thinner, countless scratches on her face, etc. The girl has put lots of effort trying to customize the doll. It's not perfect, but it touched me so so so so much. Of course that she has a limitation of being a 9 years old. But she has a gut and courage I find it hard to see in a grown up.
"You should be proud of your creation. She is special because you made her so"
"I just hope that I could fix her properly, that's why I was looking for a commission customizer".At that moment, I know that it was a must for me, to make her dream come true. Call me arrogant, but I don't normally customize Blythe dolls for others, especially for commission, as I believe that a doll, or any toy in the world, are not just to be kept, but to be played and inspire people's creativity. And this girl showed that to me completely. It was Mindtrigger's honour to fix and customize this doll for her. She was so happy when we agreed to do it. So happy that she was jumping around..
"Please make her smile like this.. and please give her a longggggg purple hair.. please change the eye colours, please do anything to her.. please make her the most beautiful doll in the world!!".Well.. I am not sure about the most beautiful doll in the world part, but I promised her to try my best. Her mom tried to commission me for the work, but we rejected and told her that the girl has already made our day. We were so impressed and we would do it for her.
So here how the customization came out. We didn't do a heavy make over for we wanted to keep a bit of what she did. Like eye brows, some eyechips.

BEFORE : The original doll the girl customized by herself.

AFTER : We secretly name the doll "Memoru" because she looks like a character from an ancient anime we know.






:P We signed for her and of course, we gave her the Frosty Frock outfit too.
Her mom called us and wanted to give some commission still, so we told her to donate 1000 bahts to poor school in a rural area of Thailand. After we finished, my sister needed to go back to Japan for her study, and I went to China right away for my work. So we were kind of lost contact with her after we left Thailand. We just hope that the doll could make her day as she did made ours.