Hey guys! It's Reyna! And this lovely Monday, I bring to you this awesome interview with the amazing Kristen, from the AGTube channel, TheDollEnthusiast! I will link her YouTube/IG/Google+ at the bottom of this blog post! Go give her a follow, you definitely will want to after reading her answers! If you haven't read my last/first content creator interview, with Lizzy from 4HappyHippos, you totally need to go read that! :D I'll link it right here! (P.S I know you probably expected a, "Lea and Camila" booktalk today, but I will have that up next Monday, no worries!)
Okay, so let's get to the interview! :)
RF8: Why did you decide to change your channel name from PinkPeachCreations to TheDollEnthusiast? (I really like both of them!)
TDE: When I started my channel in November of 2013, I was so excited! My parents had finally agreed to let me have my own Youtube channel, so little 11 year old me sat down at my mom’s computer that night, and my sister helped me set up my account! The decision to name my channel “PinkPeachCreations” was a bit of a spur of the moment kind of deal. Little me wasn’t too concerned about the creating the account, I was more excited about uploading videos! So, when I had to put in a name, my original intention for my account was to be a crafting channel, just like my idol’s, MyFroggyStuff, and I wanted my name to show that I was a creator and was making something. I guess that explains the “Creations” part, and the “PinkPeach” came from…well… pink was my favourite colour and I loved peaches! Haha, I wasn’t too creative for a crafting channel I suppose! XD Eventually though, I had decided in the end of 2015 that my channel name didn’t really represent my style as much anymore, and I had kind of outgrown the name “PinkPeachCreations.” A lot of my current AGTube friends had left their channels and decided that they were “too old for dolls” (whatever that means, hahaha) and I was just really sick of my channel and everything around it. I hate to say this, but I was feeling really discouraged at this point and was just about to give up on YouTube altogether. My lack of motivation was causing my channel to suffer, and I was beginning to lose subscribers. Thankfully, I had realised that just because my friends had left, that didn’t mean I was done too. I had come too far and my passion for dolls was still burning on! So, I decided to turn my channel around. On January 1st of 2016, I did a little “re-vamp” of my channel. I changed my video style, bought a better video editing software for my videos, and most importantly, left “PinkPeachCreations” behind and changed my channel name to “TheDollEnthusiast.” My new name became a symbol of my love for dolls through it all, and regardless of the type of video I was producing, (at this point I had begun exploring more of the stop motion world) my name said that I was passionate about dolls! I do still love my old channel name, “PinkPeachCreations”, and will always have a special place for it in my heart, but I think that “TheDollEnthusiast” really represents my channel for what it is. I think any doll lover can relate to it, and it shows others what my channel is really about.
RF8: What is your motivation to continue making AG videos, and what do you hope to bring to the AGTube community?
TDE: My motivation to continue making my videos is definitely the response I get. When I finish a stop motion and upload it to my channel, I can't wait to see my viewers' reaction! All of the kind comments and amazing support in the AGTube community inspire me to keep filming. It's just the best feeling when you work so hard on something and your all of your time and work pays off. For me, there's nothing more inspiring than when someone says they enjoyed one of my videos or say that they want to make content like me!
RF8: How many dolls do you have, and what are their names?
TDE:As of right now, I have 10 American Girl Dolls and 2 Maplelea Girls. Since I'm Canadian, I was first introduced to a similar brand of dolls know as Maplelea Girls. They're popular in Canada and are very much the equivalent to AG, but are Canadian. I'll talk more about them below in one of the following questions! After buying 2 of these dolls, a few years later I discovered AG, and have bought many dolls ever since. However, because I do have very many dolls and usually they are not all used in all of my videos, I do plan to sell multiple dolls this summer. You can check out my channel for more information in a few weeks, but for now, this is my collection!
My dolls in order...
Brianne: Maplelea, Christmas 2009
Taryn: Maplelea, October 2010
Julianna: American Girl Julie, 2012
Molly: American Girl Molly, Christmas Eve 2013
Saige Kenzie: American Girl Of The Year 2013, Christmas 2013
Quincy: American Girl #30, May 2014
Aleah: American Girl #58, October 2014
Charlotte: American Girl #37, Christmas 2014
Carter: American Girl #55 (custom boy doll), February 2015
Kassandra: American Girl of the year 2015 (custom), March 2015
Naomi: American Girl #47, June 2015
Leo: American Girl #44 (custom boy doll), February 2016
RF8: What is your favorite thing to do with your dolls? (Making AGSMs, Hairstyles, dressing, taking pics, etc.)
TDE: My favourite thing to do with my dolls by far is make stop motions! I use to hate the idea of spending hours on end taking consecutive photos of my dolls, but now I look forward to it. I love seeing all of my hard work pay off, and turn into a film with the dolls looking like real people! I’ve definitely gone through a lot of phases with my dolls though. I use to always spend such a long time working on only one type of video, and seeing only one aspect of what my dolls are capable of. Then I would switch to a different kind of video, the previous style being short lived. With stop motions though, I feel like there is always a different story to tell, or a different way to produce the video. I’ve been trying to perfect my stop motioning for over 2 years now, and I never seem to tire of it because of the endless possibilities!
RF8: Have you read any AG books? If so, which ones were your favorite and why?
TDE: When I was little I use to love the American Girl books! When I was probably only 6 or 7, I was absolutely obsessed with the Kit Kittredge books. I didn’t know that American Girl sold dolls as well, but I really liked mystery stories, and both my sister and I read every one of Kit’s! I remember sitting in bed at night, my mom telling me to go to sleep, but I just couldn’t put the book down. I had to know if Kit would solve the mystery, haha. I still have every one of her books, and sometimes I still look at them every now and then!
RF8: Why do you think you have grown out of other phases, but still continue to do things with your dolls?
TDE: American Girl dolls are definitely a unique thing, and I think that because there is such a wonderful, supportive community for those of us who love these dolls, we feel that even though some say we may be “too old” for them, that we can still feel safe enjoying dolls here. I love American Girl dolls because I love that I can use them to tell stories, and they’re a way to communicate all of my ideas. Through Youtube and AG, I can share what I’m really passionate about in the form of videos. My little films help me be the story teller and inventor (and a bit of a child) that I love to be.
RF8: Who was your first doll, and when did you get her?
TDE: My first doll was technically Brianne, my first Maplelea doll. I was only 7, and she’s nearly 9 years old now and isn’t in many of my videos anymore because she has trouble standing, but she still has a special place in my dollhouse. My first AG doll… well that's another story! I was 10 when my family and I took a trip to New York City, and I had heard about this store that sold American Girl Dolls. I had discovered AG about 6 months earlier when I was looking for crafting videos for my Maplelea Girls and I came across GirlOfTheYearStudios and Basilmentos YouTube channels. I was so in awe that these girls were Canadian like me and had such huge followings on Youtube making videos of their dolls, that I was immediately in love with American Girl Dolls. I barely knew what they were but I knew I had to have one! So, I added up all of my Christmas and Birthday money, and told my mom that when we went to New York this year that I was buying a $100 doll. My parents weren’t exactly all for it, but they said that if I had the money I could get one. When we arrived in New York City in August 2012, we pretty much went straight from the plane, to our hotel, and then right to the AG Place. I decided that I wanted to buy Julie, and my mom was so proud of me that I had saved for so long, and she bought Julie for me! From that moment on, the obsession began and I had completely fallen in love with Julie. I even stretched out her name to the elegant Julianna, because I thought that she was so incredible, hahaha.
RF8: Why did you decide to create a boy doll, and do you have any hacks or tips for anyone wanting to make a boy doll? (BTW, I love Leo!)
TDE: Awe, thank you! My first boy doll, Carter, was created to be Charlotte’s twin. I really wanted to customize a doll, and I thought that a boy would be perfect! I had seen so many other YouTubers who had turned their American Girl Dolls into boys, and they were all so cute that I just had to make one too! I thought that by adding a boy to my collection of girl dolls that it would mix things up and make my collection more unique. I’m really happy that I did the customization, and I think that Carter turned out great! Later on though, I realized that maybe having only one guy around wasn’t the best idea, and I couldn’t film the videos I wanted with only one boy. So, about a year later I did another customization, and ended up with Leo. Having 2 boy dolls is great and I think they make my doll collection special. That also means that Carter doesn’t have to share a room with 3 other girls anymore too! If you decide to customize a doll into a boy, make sure that you have a parent’s permission first and have a basic understanding of what you have to do. If you’re planning on doing a wig or eye swap, be sure to watch some videos first or ask for help to make sure you don’t destroy your doll in the process! If you need video suggestions I know there are many AGTubers who have created boy dolls, and I have a few videos as well. Good Luck!
RF8: Do you have any interesting experiences about the AG Place or with your dolls you can share with us?
TDE: This is such a great question! In 2015 I went back to New York City, and I actually had a mini meet up with a few friends from AGTube! This was such a great experience, and about 10 of us were there. We took pictures with all of our dolls, and American Girl even gave us free ear piercing because we came in such a large group. It was probably the best day of my life, and I bought my doll Naomi (#47) that day as well. We all had a blast and didn’t want to go home! Now ironically, I had another ‘interesting’ experience with Naomi the following summer… While at our family cottage on vacation, I was trying to take photos of Naomi on the dock, and she fell in the lake! It was a bit of a disaster, and there was a lot of clean up involved, but I learned a lot about caring for my dolls through that experience. I had to completely take Naomi apart, and it was quite the ordeal. If you want to see that video it’s still on my channel; hopefully none of you ever have to actually follow the steps I go through in it though!
RF8: Do your friends and family know about your dolls, and do you have any advice for anyone wanting to tell others about there dolls?
TDE: Most of my friends, and my entire family already know about my channel and my dolls. My family is so supportive, and I have a few little cousins who actually also have American Girl dolls, and they watch my videos all the time! I’m really lucky to have such a great, loving family who really accepts me no matter what. My parents and sister sometimes help me come up with video ideas, and whenever I upload a video, my grandparents always want me to send them the link! I’ve told a few of my closest friends, and they’re also very supportive. My best friend watches my videos, and she knows that it’s something I’m really passionate about! Once, one of my friends lent me her Lanie and Kanani dolls as well as a bunch of clothes and accessories for the summer, and I made an awesome summer film in honour of her. Overall, my friends are great about my dolls, and I know that if they disapproved of them or thought it was strange that I wouldn’t want them as friends anyway. If you’re trying to tell your friends, just tell them! If they really love and respect you, they’ll be all for it. If not, you don’t want them around anyway.
TheDollEnthusiast photo! Stunning, right? Kristen's photography is amazing! All photo's in this blog post was taken by her, and I have permission to use them :)
Okay, so let's get to the interview! :)
RF8: Why did you decide to change your channel name from PinkPeachCreations to TheDollEnthusiast? (I really like both of them!)
TDE: When I started my channel in November of 2013, I was so excited! My parents had finally agreed to let me have my own Youtube channel, so little 11 year old me sat down at my mom’s computer that night, and my sister helped me set up my account! The decision to name my channel “PinkPeachCreations” was a bit of a spur of the moment kind of deal. Little me wasn’t too concerned about the creating the account, I was more excited about uploading videos! So, when I had to put in a name, my original intention for my account was to be a crafting channel, just like my idol’s, MyFroggyStuff, and I wanted my name to show that I was a creator and was making something. I guess that explains the “Creations” part, and the “PinkPeach” came from…well… pink was my favourite colour and I loved peaches! Haha, I wasn’t too creative for a crafting channel I suppose! XD Eventually though, I had decided in the end of 2015 that my channel name didn’t really represent my style as much anymore, and I had kind of outgrown the name “PinkPeachCreations.” A lot of my current AGTube friends had left their channels and decided that they were “too old for dolls” (whatever that means, hahaha) and I was just really sick of my channel and everything around it. I hate to say this, but I was feeling really discouraged at this point and was just about to give up on YouTube altogether. My lack of motivation was causing my channel to suffer, and I was beginning to lose subscribers. Thankfully, I had realised that just because my friends had left, that didn’t mean I was done too. I had come too far and my passion for dolls was still burning on! So, I decided to turn my channel around. On January 1st of 2016, I did a little “re-vamp” of my channel. I changed my video style, bought a better video editing software for my videos, and most importantly, left “PinkPeachCreations” behind and changed my channel name to “TheDollEnthusiast.” My new name became a symbol of my love for dolls through it all, and regardless of the type of video I was producing, (at this point I had begun exploring more of the stop motion world) my name said that I was passionate about dolls! I do still love my old channel name, “PinkPeachCreations”, and will always have a special place for it in my heart, but I think that “TheDollEnthusiast” really represents my channel for what it is. I think any doll lover can relate to it, and it shows others what my channel is really about.
RF8: What is your motivation to continue making AG videos, and what do you hope to bring to the AGTube community?
TDE: My motivation to continue making my videos is definitely the response I get. When I finish a stop motion and upload it to my channel, I can't wait to see my viewers' reaction! All of the kind comments and amazing support in the AGTube community inspire me to keep filming. It's just the best feeling when you work so hard on something and your all of your time and work pays off. For me, there's nothing more inspiring than when someone says they enjoyed one of my videos or say that they want to make content like me!
RF8: How many dolls do you have, and what are their names?
TDE:As of right now, I have 10 American Girl Dolls and 2 Maplelea Girls. Since I'm Canadian, I was first introduced to a similar brand of dolls know as Maplelea Girls. They're popular in Canada and are very much the equivalent to AG, but are Canadian. I'll talk more about them below in one of the following questions! After buying 2 of these dolls, a few years later I discovered AG, and have bought many dolls ever since. However, because I do have very many dolls and usually they are not all used in all of my videos, I do plan to sell multiple dolls this summer. You can check out my channel for more information in a few weeks, but for now, this is my collection!
My dolls in order...
Brianne: Maplelea, Christmas 2009
Taryn: Maplelea, October 2010
Julianna: American Girl Julie, 2012
Molly: American Girl Molly, Christmas Eve 2013
Saige Kenzie: American Girl Of The Year 2013, Christmas 2013
Quincy: American Girl #30, May 2014
Aleah: American Girl #58, October 2014
Charlotte: American Girl #37, Christmas 2014
Carter: American Girl #55 (custom boy doll), February 2015
Kassandra: American Girl of the year 2015 (custom), March 2015
Naomi: American Girl #47, June 2015
Leo: American Girl #44 (custom boy doll), February 2016
Beautiful Charlotte! :D This is my favorite photo Kristen sent me!
RF8: What is your favorite thing to do with your dolls? (Making AGSMs, Hairstyles, dressing, taking pics, etc.)
TDE: My favourite thing to do with my dolls by far is make stop motions! I use to hate the idea of spending hours on end taking consecutive photos of my dolls, but now I look forward to it. I love seeing all of my hard work pay off, and turn into a film with the dolls looking like real people! I’ve definitely gone through a lot of phases with my dolls though. I use to always spend such a long time working on only one type of video, and seeing only one aspect of what my dolls are capable of. Then I would switch to a different kind of video, the previous style being short lived. With stop motions though, I feel like there is always a different story to tell, or a different way to produce the video. I’ve been trying to perfect my stop motioning for over 2 years now, and I never seem to tire of it because of the endless possibilities!
RF8: Have you read any AG books? If so, which ones were your favorite and why?
TDE: When I was little I use to love the American Girl books! When I was probably only 6 or 7, I was absolutely obsessed with the Kit Kittredge books. I didn’t know that American Girl sold dolls as well, but I really liked mystery stories, and both my sister and I read every one of Kit’s! I remember sitting in bed at night, my mom telling me to go to sleep, but I just couldn’t put the book down. I had to know if Kit would solve the mystery, haha. I still have every one of her books, and sometimes I still look at them every now and then!
RF8: Why do you think you have grown out of other phases, but still continue to do things with your dolls?
TDE: American Girl dolls are definitely a unique thing, and I think that because there is such a wonderful, supportive community for those of us who love these dolls, we feel that even though some say we may be “too old” for them, that we can still feel safe enjoying dolls here. I love American Girl dolls because I love that I can use them to tell stories, and they’re a way to communicate all of my ideas. Through Youtube and AG, I can share what I’m really passionate about in the form of videos. My little films help me be the story teller and inventor (and a bit of a child) that I love to be.
RF8: Who was your first doll, and when did you get her?
TDE: My first doll was technically Brianne, my first Maplelea doll. I was only 7, and she’s nearly 9 years old now and isn’t in many of my videos anymore because she has trouble standing, but she still has a special place in my dollhouse. My first AG doll… well that's another story! I was 10 when my family and I took a trip to New York City, and I had heard about this store that sold American Girl Dolls. I had discovered AG about 6 months earlier when I was looking for crafting videos for my Maplelea Girls and I came across GirlOfTheYearStudios and Basilmentos YouTube channels. I was so in awe that these girls were Canadian like me and had such huge followings on Youtube making videos of their dolls, that I was immediately in love with American Girl Dolls. I barely knew what they were but I knew I had to have one! So, I added up all of my Christmas and Birthday money, and told my mom that when we went to New York this year that I was buying a $100 doll. My parents weren’t exactly all for it, but they said that if I had the money I could get one. When we arrived in New York City in August 2012, we pretty much went straight from the plane, to our hotel, and then right to the AG Place. I decided that I wanted to buy Julie, and my mom was so proud of me that I had saved for so long, and she bought Julie for me! From that moment on, the obsession began and I had completely fallen in love with Julie. I even stretched out her name to the elegant Julianna, because I thought that she was so incredible, hahaha.
Julianna! She looks so pretty and well taken care of. You must take really good care of your dolls Kristen!
RF8: Why did you decide to create a boy doll, and do you have any hacks or tips for anyone wanting to make a boy doll? (BTW, I love Leo!)
TDE: Awe, thank you! My first boy doll, Carter, was created to be Charlotte’s twin. I really wanted to customize a doll, and I thought that a boy would be perfect! I had seen so many other YouTubers who had turned their American Girl Dolls into boys, and they were all so cute that I just had to make one too! I thought that by adding a boy to my collection of girl dolls that it would mix things up and make my collection more unique. I’m really happy that I did the customization, and I think that Carter turned out great! Later on though, I realized that maybe having only one guy around wasn’t the best idea, and I couldn’t film the videos I wanted with only one boy. So, about a year later I did another customization, and ended up with Leo. Having 2 boy dolls is great and I think they make my doll collection special. That also means that Carter doesn’t have to share a room with 3 other girls anymore too! If you decide to customize a doll into a boy, make sure that you have a parent’s permission first and have a basic understanding of what you have to do. If you’re planning on doing a wig or eye swap, be sure to watch some videos first or ask for help to make sure you don’t destroy your doll in the process! If you need video suggestions I know there are many AGTubers who have created boy dolls, and I have a few videos as well. Good Luck!
RF8: Do you have any interesting experiences about the AG Place or with your dolls you can share with us?
TDE: This is such a great question! In 2015 I went back to New York City, and I actually had a mini meet up with a few friends from AGTube! This was such a great experience, and about 10 of us were there. We took pictures with all of our dolls, and American Girl even gave us free ear piercing because we came in such a large group. It was probably the best day of my life, and I bought my doll Naomi (#47) that day as well. We all had a blast and didn’t want to go home! Now ironically, I had another ‘interesting’ experience with Naomi the following summer… While at our family cottage on vacation, I was trying to take photos of Naomi on the dock, and she fell in the lake! It was a bit of a disaster, and there was a lot of clean up involved, but I learned a lot about caring for my dolls through that experience. I had to completely take Naomi apart, and it was quite the ordeal. If you want to see that video it’s still on my channel; hopefully none of you ever have to actually follow the steps I go through in it though!
Naomi fell in the water!!!
RF8: Do your friends and family know about your dolls, and do you have any advice for anyone wanting to tell others about there dolls?
TDE: Most of my friends, and my entire family already know about my channel and my dolls. My family is so supportive, and I have a few little cousins who actually also have American Girl dolls, and they watch my videos all the time! I’m really lucky to have such a great, loving family who really accepts me no matter what. My parents and sister sometimes help me come up with video ideas, and whenever I upload a video, my grandparents always want me to send them the link! I’ve told a few of my closest friends, and they’re also very supportive. My best friend watches my videos, and she knows that it’s something I’m really passionate about! Once, one of my friends lent me her Lanie and Kanani dolls as well as a bunch of clothes and accessories for the summer, and I made an awesome summer film in honour of her. Overall, my friends are great about my dolls, and I know that if they disapproved of them or thought it was strange that I wouldn’t want them as friends anyway. If you’re trying to tell your friends, just tell them! If they really love and respect you, they’ll be all for it. If not, you don’t want them around anyway.
And that's that! Kristen's YouTube videos are so awesome, and I love how she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her dolls! You are never too old for dolls! It was so awesome getting to know her, and all of her answers were so... awesome! Thank you so much Kristen for wanting to do this! :)
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this interview with, TheDollEnthusiast! Make sure to comment below who you might want to see next! I'm open to bloggers, instagramers, youtubers, etc.
TheDollEnthusiast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_um2zWFYQ98qEY1XMtKTug
TheDollEnthusiast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedollenthusiast/
TheDollEnthusiast Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PinkPeachCreations
SHE FELL IN THE LAKE! Video by TheDollEnthusiast (mentioned): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGadPtuXlqY&feature=autoshare
Mentioned in this blog post:
MyFroggyStuff YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MyFroggyStuff
GirlOfTheYearStudios YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/girloftheyearstudios
Basilmentos YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basilmentos
(PS. Do you guys want me to post a 2017 school supplies haul? I posted one last year on my musical.ly (@agfaeries) but I was wondering if I should do one here too...)
Thank you so much Reyna! You're the sweetest and I had so much fun working with you! <3
ReplyDelete- Kristen
(TheDollEnthusiast)
Awwwweee, thank you so much Kristen! I loved learning about your passion toward dolls, and you are just so awesome! I had a great time working with you too! <3
Deletethis interviews are soooo cool. Do you think I could do this too on my blog?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm happy you like them. :) Yeah, that would be so cool if you did them on your blog as well!
Delete