Hello everyone .. My name is Sarah , i,m 37 and have just found the world of reborning . I have just bought my first kit , Zoe by Secrist and hope to start her any day now . I am a little nervous but everyone has to start somewhere . I hope you don,t mind if i ask you for hints and tips now and again as i,m sure i will need some ..
Welcome Sarah. You'll love this forum. I wouldn't have been able to finish my first doll without the help I received here. I'm on my second now - Phoebe, also from Secrist. You picked a great kit. Zoe is beautiful.
Hi Cathy and thank you .. Yes Zoe is beautiful isn,t she , i just hope she,s still beautiful when i,ve finished her lol .. I have already picked a few tips up from this forum , i have read most of the posts and they have helped a great deal ..
Thanks Cathy .. I shall do some pictures of her / him when finished and let you see what i have acheived . I got my practice limb this morning so i,m going to have a faff with that first and see how it turns out .. So here goes and fingers crossed ..
Hi Zona .. I shall definatly go look at your pictures. I have started the painting today , it doesn,t look too bad but i can see some little bits that i have missed with the first skin tone . If i don,t like it i shall strip and start again . After the first blush though she did look a lot better , it,s just getting the coloring right isn,t it and those little creases that Zoe has are a nightmare to get itno ..
I thought I would never stop "pouncing the paint" Hee Hee Hee I used a makeup triangel sponge. After pouncing and pouncing I noticed that the paint dots started getting smaller and smaller and making little pores. It was hard for me to go around the ears. I used a paint brush and sponge on that one. Just be careful not to let the paint stay in the creases. If that does happen I used a tooth pick to scrape it out.
I always kept Q-tips paint thinner and Fingernail polish remover right next to me.
I would love to find someone near me to learn and work on dolls together. I have found someone who teaches a class, but she mostly does porceline and all her other ladies stick to that. A few have tried the reborn dolls, but they only made one just to say they did it. Right now I am her only student that does the reborn dolls.
Sarah, Hello and welcome to the fun!! If you are having trouble finding the right tone or color to use you can always do what I do... although Pat B. worries about me for it... paint, apply the paint to your own skin, or any child that you can get to hold still long enough for you to get a good look. It wipes off easily, and there is no better place to do a real skin comparison. I'm not saying to take the heat gun to the real skin, but the colors don't change with drying/heating, so it will give you a really good idea of how your colors will work. Sorry Pat. I just had to share that. Have fun with your first doll... learn a thing or two... and then have tons and tons of fun reborning lots of little babies!! Pat C.
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Current Avatar Teme, the Black Dragon.
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I would love to find someone near me to learn and work on dolls together. I have found someone who teaches a class, but she mostly does porceline and all her other ladies stick to that. A few have tried the reborn dolls, but they only made one just to say they did it. Right now I am her only student that does the reborn dolls.
-- Edited by zona at 18:00, 2008-04-26
Hi Zona .. I live in England . It would be lovely to work on dolls with someone but i,m presuming with you asking what state i live in you live in America am i right ??. It is a shame if you do as that would have been great . I have started the painting and it,s not looking too bad , i did get one hand slightly chalky to start with but i think i have managed to get it ok now .
Sarah, Hello and welcome to the fun!! If you are having trouble finding the right tone or color to use you can always do what I do... although Pat B. worries about me for it... paint, apply the paint to your own skin, or any child that you can get to hold still long enough for you to get a good look. It wipes off easily, and there is no better place to do a real skin comparison. I'm not saying to take the heat gun to the real skin, but the colors don't change with drying/heating, so it will give you a really good idea of how your colors will work. Sorry Pat. I just had to share that. Have fun with your first doll... learn a thing or two... and then have tons and tons of fun reborning lots of little babies!! Pat C.
Hi Pat .. thank you for the tips , i shall definatly try that . I think i will try and get my son to help me out with that one as long as he doesn,t see the heat gun lol .. No i promise i won,t harm him . My hubby and son have both said for my first attempt it is coming on nicely but we shall see as i still have a few layers left to do yet . Sarah ..
Hey there Pat B.! Grandkids have managed to stay clear of the heatgun, but they do allow me to do "test colors" when I need to. With 10 of the little monsters I have a good variety to work from.
Sarah, glad to be of help. Unfortunately I'm on the same side of the pond as Zona so this is the best I can do.... but happy to do it!! We were all beginners at one time. You'll get the hang of it quickly, I'm sure.
Pat C.
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Current Avatar Teme, the Black Dragon.
Does not play well with others and run with sissors!
Thank you Zona and Pat C , i,m sure i,m going to have loads of fun here even though we are miles apart . I,m nearing to the end of painting now and i,m quite proud of myself as she,s coming on pretty nicely . On the first skin layer you don,t see much at all do you but when you add the veins and the blushing you can see how it transforms from a doll to something so lifelike it,s unreal . Hope to post pics very soon , i think i,ll do it before the rooting and then if you think i should change anything i can do . Hugs Sarah ..
You'll see that it seems very subtle and then yes, the veining starts to make you take more notice. But when you put on that final blushing layer... WOW!
Hi Everyone, My name is Tami K and I am new to the reborning craft. My husband and two cats (my original babies!!), live in PA, although I am originally from MI and he is from NJ (born in Canada). I first saw the reborning dolls on Ebay. I had only wanted to purchase a doll and then my hubby suggested that I try reborning my own dolls. That is how I started. I haven't yet done a doll, although I have been practicing on the trial part purchased through Secrist. I am very excited to try a doll and have decided to try one out tomorrow. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to introduce myself and I hope to get to know all of you. I have asked for advise and am impressed with the response so far. Thank you so much!!!!
Hi Everyone, My name is Tami K and I am new to the reborning craft. My husband and two cats (my original babies!!), live in PA, although I am originally from MI and he is from NJ (born in Canada). I first saw the reborning dolls on Ebay. I had only wanted to purchase a doll and then my hubby suggested that I try reborning my own dolls. That is how I started. I haven't yet done a doll, although I have been practicing on the trial part purchased through Secrist. I am very excited to try a doll and have decided to try one out tomorrow. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to introduce myself and I hope to get to know all of you. I have asked for advise and am impressed with the response so far. Thank you so much!!!!
Tami K
Hi Tami! My name is Meghan and I am also new to reborning/newborning. What part of PA do you live in? I am in the Northeast, near the Pocono's. Have fun and talk to you soon!
Hey Beegirl... you are not too far from me... just get on 84 and head east until you hit the NY State Thruway.... that's me!! Tami, how far away are you? Gee, neighbors~~ That's a first for me!! I think I like it. Pat C.
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Current Avatar Teme, the Black Dragon.
Does not play well with others and run with sissors!
Hi All, I live in Shohola, PA. Near Milford,PA and Port Jervis, NY. Does any of this ring a bell We are just inside PA from the NY side. An hour from Poughkeepsie. Anyway, just our whole in the wall.
Tami, I was realy happy alot of years ago, when my husband suggested I buy a kiln to do porcelain dolls, now I have 4. They Haven,t been used for awhile because we shifed and nothing is set up to do them untill the house and show room is compleated. But by the time I,d made about six or so in class, made Shay by Donna Rubert and finished her dressed her in red instead of black like everyone else, I went and bought a childs rocking horse, when he came home from work ,I said" Dad, look what Mum got me for my birthday , he,s Irish, and said oh thats nice kiddo, We think we,re mad but we talk to them all the time and I,ll bet your husband will play a big part in your reborning, and give yoou heaps of compleaments and encouragement. Mine could be a judge, but I think he would be a bit hard on some of the painting in the comps here.June M from Oz
Thanks June... it is not just a name... it is also a description. My hands have been shaky for years and only seem to get worse with the parade of years Many people are surprised that I continue to paint, draw, crochet, and do other crafts with these silly hands. The secret is that I have always had a shake in my hands and have just learned to adapt. I am seldom aware of the fact that I'm shaking unless it is a very bad day. I just put away the rooting needles on bad days... they hurt!! Have a good day.
Pat C.
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Current Avatar Teme, the Black Dragon.
Does not play well with others and run with sissors!
My shakeyness is good when I have to do veining! lol The drs aren't sure if it's Parkensons or just familial tremors. They're keeping an eye on me for the next 5 years they said! :o
Hey Tami and Pat C, it does not sound like we are all that far apart We should get together sometime. I don't really have anyone else around me that makes dolls so it would be fun to "talk shop" sometime with you girls. Just let me kniow.
Hi there, I would love to get together!! I work until 1pm, Thursday thru Sunday, so anytime after that would be great. I would love to compare note, although I am new to reborning, so it would probably be more of a learning thing for me, for which I would be greatful for. I think you are right about my hubby. He has already tried out his hand on my trial parts. He was very impressed with my first attempt last week. I haven't got the doll put together, a wig on it or the eyes in yet, but he liked the paint work. Next thing ya know, he'll want to do one himself!!! Let me know about a get together. It's a great idea!!!
I am new to this art as well so maybe we would both learn something. I am a teacher so I am off for the summer so I am usually available, except I don't drive so it would need to be during a time when my hubby or a friend could bring me. Just let me know!
Beegirl, like you I am off for the summer too, at least until the end of August, so now would be a great time for a get together. Tami, weekdays are fine by me. Maybe we could "find" beegirl and kidnap her. Lets see if we can work out the details! You can send a pm and we can leave everyone else alone and not drive them nuts....
Pat C.
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Current Avatar Teme, the Black Dragon.
Does not play well with others and run with sissors!
Pat C, my hands don,t shake yet , but I guess time will eventually catch up, but It,s what you can do with your hands that I think about. I know a lady with shaky hands and head but she makes some beautifull dolls. I think it all comes from the heart, don,t you.June M from Oz
I forgot to mention, I make a mean batch of piklets, and morning tea would be good, if only. Doing craft with a friend is something I realy miss.June M from Oz
June, you're right... the heart matters the most!! I'm not as bothered by the shaking as the people who watch me work are. My "original" shaking comes from a neurological problem and like Pat B. there is a strong suspicion of Parkensons as well as it has run in the family for many, many, many years. However, the neurological problem makes definitive diagnosis difficult... so, as long as I can function to drive, walk (don't ask), cook and keep myself functioning I'm not worried about it and told the doctors to (deleted because this is a family site). And Pat, you're right too..... it makes the paintbrush do just the perfect thing when painting in those little blue veins.... I WANT SPELLCHECK!! And the same has also held true for drawing, needlefelting, and most crafts... but you wouldn't believe some of the places the glue ends up when I'm scrapbooking!! I love glue dots.
Pat C.
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Current Avatar Teme, the Black Dragon.
Does not play well with others and run with sissors!
I am so glad that you won't let the shakyness or any ather problem keep you from doing waht we like most. Some years ago I made jewellery and my own dolls from air hardening clay, but I had to stop because I couldn't work the clay anymore and the filing and other work on the gold I worked were completely out of the question. My hands are a lot better now but in the meantime I discovered the fashion dolls, the Kish kiddies and reborning. Now I am happy to sew, knit, crochet for all and reborn my babies. So sometimes when one thing falls away another good thing comes along and you can happely adept to another great hobby.
Yes, Francisca - you are so right. I used to play mondolin - but it damaged nerve endings in the second fingertip of my left hand, making it far too painful to play mandolin any more. So then I took up the fiddle - Irish fiddle. I really got addicted to it, and still love it. I always loved dolls too and now, although very new at it, I'm addicted to newborning also.