Well, I have been looking high and low for a monkey or chimp kit to reborn as soon as I get enough practice, just because I think they are adorable. The only kit that I have found for a chimp is the "Lola" kit which is $100 just for the kit alone. I think that is a bit too much to pay for a kit.
Have you guys seen any kits for chimps that aren't that expensive? I would even settle for just the leg limbs of a monkey (because of the feet).
I know this is a weird question, but I just love the little monkey dolls that I have seen and would love to make one and keep it for myself :)
irresistables has the lola but also a tiny 4" by ashton drake called "monkey cuddles". they only have the one but from what i know there are a number of these little 4" monkeys by Ashton Drake - the whole collection is called "Heavenly Handfuls Li'l Monkey Hugs". These come already made though you can strip them back and re-create it again your own way.
Dolls by Sandie has ONE lola (head only) with a slight flaw selling for only $25 but you'd still need the limbs so hmmmm - i've done a search on her site and it doesn't seem you can get the limbs seperatly.
there is also a "Kipawa sculpt" but this was a 500 limited ed i don't know who sells it or anything but came across it already been reborn on ebay just now. i can't seem to find the actual kit though.
i've search through all of my suppliers webpages and can't find any other than the Lola sculpt. But i KNOW i saw a different chip sculpt at some point but i have no idea what it was called or who it was by.
sorry i can't be of more help.
PS- $100 for a kit is on the higher side but its not unusual.
but i think that "Joey" from BB looks like a chimp-baby, and would make a really cute baby monkey or chimp. but he comes with normal limbs so don't know if you'd want that. You could still root mohair into the back of his hands etc i think it would still end up looking like a chimp should even if they are baby limbs. But he's about 1/2 the price of the Lola sculpt.
Hmmmm...Joey does kind of look like a monkey. I always just thought he was little bit homely. I think the Jesmar dolls look kind of Monkey-like too. I thought about doing one as a bigfoot baby-- but I figured there wouldn't be much of a market. ( I wanted to do a batboy one too, but same problem...)
I think BB were going to do two chimps.. there are some chimps featured on the forums recently and they were guaging interest over kits :) they were quite cute too, and I don't usually like the chimps much haha..
I'd like to try doing say *joey* as a chimp... but i'm doubtful of there being a high market for such a baby.
I'd like to do it just as a challenge, something different... but the target audience would be much smaller and therefor i'd fear losing money in the end. Right now i can't afford that, but maybe at a future date or something.
I don't really have any desire to keep a chimp baby, but i would like to rise to the challenge and see what i could produce
Haha, we are on the same page...Joey was the doll I was going to do! There are a few more with chimp-like features that I thought about also! That's why I was wondering if maybe I could find the limbs somewhere else...But honestly, I probably could just use regular limbs and it would still do the trick.
Bigfoot is a cute idea Heather M...not sure how the batboy would look, I would love to see it though.
I like "out of the norm" things and adore animals, so making any animal doll is right up my alley :)
I agree, I'm not sure that many people want a monkey doll (I would, but that's just me), I guess if you advertised it at the right time it would be a big hit.
There was an adorable chimp doll (Lola reborn) for around $250 on ebay a few days ago...sadly, it didn't sell, but I'm sure it will eventually. I would have gladly bought it if money wasn't an issue...Like you ladies, I need to sell a couple first to have money to invest back into it.
Again, Thanks for everyone's help
*****Edit to add: Where do you guys get your mohair? I didn't see a wide variety on secrist (I just got the darkest they had), But I want to work with different shades of red/auburn mohair...can you suggest any places with a bigger selection of colors? Thanks so much*****
i finally found the other chimp sculpt i was thinking of for you... this one is totally chimp - not a monkey looking baby... but real chimp features and at $69 is a little easier on the budget
the sculpt name is -- "Peek-A-Boo by Christo Skouroyannis" nikkie dolls currently has it for pre-order.
Have you tried Ebay for mohair? I sometimes buy from there. I also buy from Prilly Charmin (I like their blondes and light browns) and Miniword dolls. You could also buy some platinum mohair and dye it whatever color you want. You might also try other fibers, like alpaca (which might be too fine for a chimp) or llama.
Thanks Naomi...I did come across that one actually. I found these too...It's still not available yet, but the maker is going to contact me if she decides to have a kit made of "Chester" http://www.firstmomentsnursery.com/id7.html I know most probably think they are ugly, LOL...I have no idea why I think they are so cute.
Thank you Heather for the tips. I was just about to ask if you guys ever buy blonde mohair and then just dye it the color that you want to use. Is that what you do, just buy the blonde and dye it? And what do you use to dye the hair...anything special?
you can't use normal hair dye -- tryed that and it turned out purple, also it all matted together in one big mess.
nope - best to buy the colour you want already dyed. Ive shopped around all over the place for quality mohair that is well priced, feels nice and looks natural. It is a big task... many blondes can be brassy and orange, some browns end up looking kinda green, others might be grate in the colouring but feel course or lack in their quality.
I've also often felt i just foudn the *perfect* supplier and then they've closed down or the supplier can no longer get the same hair.
Anyway i've just trued Lyns hair from lyns reborn world here in Australia. Its well priced and i love her light brown and mid brown straight mohair. I dont like the curly mohair much, though i will use it sometimes in the *right* baby. Cury dark brown works really well when cut short for african or african-american babies -- that thight short fuzzy curl that is unique to these nationalities.
I'm still looking for light blondes that arn't brassy. Though lyns light brown does look like a dark blonde when rooted sparcely.
Also see the link in he rooting tech section titled "nice mohair" as others have also shared their fave suppliers in that topic.
Hmmm...I have dyed some mohair using the same hair dye that I use on my own hair and it turned out fine--not the same color as my own hair, but still a very normal shade of blonde. But I usually just buy mohair in the color that I want.
HI, everyone , I have dyied mohair successfully, as I decribed in one other post There is a picture of it in the artist show case. Just the head of Hannah, I rooted the head first, then dyied the hair with permanent hair dye and then my own, that way you are only changing the mohair you,ve used, I thought it would be messy but if you use a small comb on damp mohair and squeeze a small amount along the middle of the comb, you dont get it on the vynal.June M from Oz
Yes LovesD i ended up with a "dirty-dishwater-purple" colour and a big matted mess. I was aiming for an ash blonde or light brown (can't remember exactly but something in that toning).
Okay, my first instinct was to just read these and move along.... but had to come back. I forget who was looking for a monkey and I have never made a monkey, BUT why couldn't you make a few changes to a baby and do that up as a monkey?? (remember I'm working with a kid fryed brain). Yes it would be a heck of a lot of rooting... and then some, but it would be cute!! Some minor re-sculpting around the lower part of the face, around the nose and mouth which would not need to be rooted, should provide a wonderful and expressive face.
I have rooted the feet of a doll.... yeah, I know Buffington, I'm nuts. I made a hobbit doll for a very good friend. I made the elf-like ears and rooted the feet as well as the head. She came out kind of cute... Bella Took I named her. She is very well loved and enjoys pride of place near a large cardboard display of Gollum.
Okay, I'll go away now.
Pat C.
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The reason I was looking for a monkey doll kit is mainly just because the feet are different. I collect monkeys (any kind) in fact, just bought a ooak gorilla doll on ebay yesterday!. But honestly, it was mainly because of the feet issue. But since they are so hard to find, I believe I will just use doll kits that resemble monkeys.
I know that Ruth from SR makes monkeys and orangutan doll kits but they just took their american branch and transfered it all to the UK and I think they are a .com now but I'll check on the addy for sure. She sent me an e a few weeks ago. Hang tight! :)