Blythe: all dolled up - in pictures

Jess Lowndes is a 24-year-old software developer who is about to start her PhD. She blogs about her Blythe dolls here. 'This is Elvie - my very first Blythe. I cut and styled her hair, and she's had more little bits of custom work done and redone than I care to count' Photograph: Jess Lowndes/glitterbat.net

'This is my second Blythe, Maria. She originally had very sugary pink and blue makeup, but I wanted to give her a darker edge'
Photograph: Jess Lowndes/glitterbat.net

'Blaise was my first full custom Blythe. Blaise originally had pink dolly hair, until I rerooted her with this fabulous ginger mohair. Blaise tends to wear quite hippyish, vintage, natural-looking clothes, and generally won't be seen without her black glasses' Photograph: Jess Lowndes/glitterbat.net

'This is my vintage Kenner Blythe doll, Pipistrelle. She's wearing quite well for 40! I tend to spoil her' Photograph: Jess Lowndes/glitterbat.net

Every year, Blythe manufacturer Takara brings out a limited-edition ‘anniversary’ doll. This is the doll for 2010, Clarity. It was the first doll that BlytheCon UK co-organiser Sam Holland bought, for £220 Photograph: Sam Holland

Customising Blythe dolls is a skill - it’s possible to change a doll’s eye and hair colour, but also carve their faces, add makeup and mattify their faces. The more a doll is customised, the more it costs - lots of Blythe fans like to get dolls customised to look like them. This doll is called Tallulah, and was customised for her owner Photograph: Sam Holland

Sam Holland says she uses her Blythe dolls as a way to experiment with photography. 'This was an experiment with Paintshop Pro - it has three layers, the background, the hatpin and the doll. This Blythe is called Carson. She’s a customised doll by a friend who lives in Spain' Photograph: Sam Holland