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Thank you so much, Liselle! :)))

I always liked sculpting, ever since I was a kid. Babies are new to me, and I'm still learning the anatomy. I've got me a few ProSculpt baby bars, and some Super Sculpey. It's great working wirh both, still can't decide which is better :)

Thanks for your support, Pat! It's one of those "one with the most likes wins" competitions, but it's an honor just to be nominated :) I don't hope to win! It doesn't really matter that much lol :)

Also, my dolls have been on TV! There's been a TV team on that Creative flea-market, and they chose my stand to make a report on my jewelery and dolls. The word about reborns is spreading in the creative community of my country, and that's the thing to be most excited about!

A little update, ladies!

So, the word is spreading very fast! A daily newspaper (one of the biggest newspapers in the country) will make:

a) a presentation of my dolls, something like "top 10 best Christmas presents"
b) a story about my reborns and reborning altogether :D

OMG! I'm so excited! My dolls were on a pro-photoshooting today and the word is that everyone there had their pictures taken with them, that they love them! At first it should only be the Christmas gift suggestion, but they loved them so much hat they want to make a complete story :)

AND, I was once again on TV with my dolls, on another creative festival. How cool is that? :D

That's my biggest wish :) Ah, all those sales and great prices...
:))) A girl can only dream... for now! Haha!

OMG, OMG, OMG!!!

I've contacted BB today again... said to myself... "Why not be a little boring, sometimes it works!"...and said in my mail that their dolls will be in the newspaper soon, and that they have been on TV twice, and that people are very interested in them (which is true!) and to reconsider again to ship to Croatia.

And.... ta-da-da-dam... They added it to their shipping list!!!! Their answer came within an hour. I'm totally jumping around and screaming like crazy. I'm so happy!!!

Thanks for the positive thoughts, ladies!

Also, today was another creativity festival. I presented four of my dolls - Paisley, Honey, Harmony and Shyann. Everyone loved them, and they keep asking when will they be up for adoption :D :D :D

From their site: (Emphasis is mine)

 

We currently ship to the following countries (you will find them all on the "drop-down" country list during checkout):

Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bhutan
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Canada
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Hong Kong
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Senegal
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
UK
USA

If a country you are interested in is not in the above list, we do not ship there at this time.

Hope this helps!

Bountiful Baby

Thank you so much ladies! I'm sure your positive vibes helped a lot! I don't even know if I'd try to contact BB if it wasn't for your lovely posts :)

There's been something of a handmade "boom" over the last few months here. Now everyone is doing fimo, clay, decoupage, wood, cloth dolls, jewelry, etc. There are 2 "handmade magazines" that started out fresh, 2 handmade web sites that promote handmade culture and sell HM products. And - even four handmade festivals in December. I'm taking my dolls with me to all of them :) I really want people to fall in love with reborning :)

At first everyone kept asking me: "What is it exactly that you do? Do you sew clothes for this dolls? Do you make the doll yourself with fimo?" and other silly questions. But, now people seem to know exactly what these dolls are, how many hours is spent while making a single baby, and how much precision is needed for the tiniest details.

I started my first doll only three months ago. I've only reborned seven dolls, most of them aren't even weighted yet. They aren't perfect, far from that, but I'm learning, and loving it even more every day.

So... what I really meant to say was... thank you for all your advice, comments, posts... You've been a great help and support to me!

I have a feeling next year is going to be even more creative :)

Many hugs, and read you soon

Martina

Oh, Pat, I'm only a small part of this "movement". I get amazed every day at the things people make from scraps/wood/polymer clay/glass/wire etc. :) But I sure hope to encourage domestic artists to try reborning out! It's so easy to fall in love with :)

LOL I wanted to order a bunch of kits on sale, but waited since I don't know when will they arrive and where will I be during the holidays. Now they changed them :D I guess I need to be quicker next time haha!

Oh, and more good news! I got my first custom order - yaaay! I'll start working on her after New year. It will be another Harmony, only with less baby marks, and with light brown hair :) I feel so cool now, haha!

Hey, hey! I'm happy again!
Why, you ask? Why, I've been contacted today by a national TV today, and they want to come to my home an make a story about me and my reborns. How cool is that?!

And the other thing - the newspaper postponed the story, but they will probably make it next week, too. So, me and my dolls should be everywhere pretty soon. OMG, I'm so excited! I just hope I won't screw it up, I'm usually very stiff in front of the camera, and start babbling nonsence and even stutter. LOL, wish me luck!

Oh, and a third thing! I've gotten my first custom order. My second "baby powder scented" Harmony will be sold for about $140. No hair, slightly weighted girl I'm still working on. Pics will come soon :) Edit - LOL I've already announced my first custom order haha. In any case, the order was slightly changed because she chose a bald baby. But it is still the same doll :)

-- Edited by Friki Fimo on Monday 9th of January 2012 09:51:10 AM

Yup, you got it right! Friki is just my alter ego, the "artistic" side of me :)
Thank you and wish me luck! They should come to my house tomorrow. OMG, and my living room is a mess! :)))

Hi ladies!

So, the first TV interview went well, I guess :)
To the question why do I do it, I simply replied - I do it because it's so interesting, and I love challenges.
To the question "what is their purpose", I said that they could be great display dolls for baby clothes shops, collectors items, doing the "acting" instead of real babies in movies or in theatre, a great gift for an older and responsible girl that loves dolls, or a kind of a "3D portrait" of a baby that has grown up.
To the question do I think this is art I replied with - no. The work I do is more of a craft than art itself. And there is nothing wrong with that. Everyone seems to love pronouncing themselves being artists, in which they only trivialize the whole concept of art (this was mentioned in the topic of the " creative boom" that happened here lately, where every hobbyst seems to think of themselves to be artists). And to the question do I think this is some sort of hyperrealism, I replied with no as well :) I said that hyoerrealism is also a form of art and it would be pretencious to call painting of already sculpted doll parts like that.
I also spoke of the difficulty to even start doing it because of non-shipping online stores. Also, how much I enjoy putting layers and giving a "soul" to the blank vinyl face.
They made a few sequences of me rooting Harmony and painting eyebrows on Tayla.

They will also ask a pshcologyst their opinion of women that carry reborns around, treating them like
real babies, positive and negative.

I know many reborners will dissagree with my opinions, especially those regarding reborning (not) being a form of art. I only said that regarding my own work, which I don't find artistic at all. I strongyly respect the work and abilities of all you ladies. Hope you won't take it personally :)


Next week I'll be doing another interview. This time, it will be on the largest national TV in Croatia, in their morning show. I'll do my best not to mess something up.

Sounds like you did wonderfully!

Wow, those are beautiful little feet! I can see why they've caught on. Best with your future I think it's looking bright!

I think they will put it on the web in a few days. As soon as they do, I'll post the link :) You won't understand much (or anything), but at least you will meet me "in person" :D

Next one will be filmed tomorrow afternoon. This will be for a main national TV (a show called "Good morning, Croatia"), so I'm getting that tingly-nervous ticks again! The lady from the TV said she would like to make a hobby story - something of a step-by-step WIP for people to see how I'm doing it. Well, I don't mind showing off a few tricks LOL
I trust that this one will get people motivated to start reborning, too :)

It was great!!!

A 3.5 minute "special" about this hobby. No one mentioned any negative connotations, it was only only me working and talking how I've fell in love with reborning. And they've announced it by my term (mentioning that it is called "reborning" in the world. Yaaay! I'm so happy! Again! :D

Hey, hey!

They've put the today's clip on the web. Already, yaay! :)

So, meet yours trully! You won't understand much haha, but it's all cool and nice, I promise :)

http://djh.hrt.hr/component/content/article/4501

The caption above the video translates to this: "About 10 years ago, a new hobby has spread over the world, called "reborning", or making "hand painted dolls". Recently, it has started in Croatia as well. Dolls like these are most interesting to collectors, but are also used as "actors" in the movies, series, etc."

Haha, yeah, me and my rolling eyes and faces LOL. Everyone that saw the clip said I looked so "serious" hahaha! That was probably because I was scared outa my pants while trying to answer five questions in one sentence :D

Anyway, I think that the highlight of the clip is when I say: "I never planned for this to happen. All I wanted was to try and make one doll. But something happened, and I soon found myself surrounded with many little heads, feet and arms. It was so overwhelming and unexpected." :)

Now that the media interest is almost over (one more story for the daily newspaper to go!), I believe it is time to finally start putting these dolls in loving homes. They are falling out of every closet in my tiny, tiny apartment! :)

WOW! I didn't understand much either but I think you did a super job telling and showing! When you get ready to post pics and stuff from the news interviews put it in artist showcase so everyone can see! Congratulations Martina!!

Martina I am so happy for you!

So very awesome Martina! I had to share it on my facebook page! And don't worry at all about being as good as someone else who has been reborning for quite some time, you're doing fine and you will soon have 1 year under your belt and you are still an artist!

Also, thank you for sharing and cheering on me!

Thanks for looking, Dee! Glad you like them :)

You are very welcome keep up the awsome work!