ARTICLE - NEW DOLL STORE IN CINNAMINSON IS RELYING ON NICHE MARKET

New Doll Store in Cinnaminson is Relying on Niche Market 

Eleanor and Wendy McGhee, well-educated in the art of doll collectingg, have opened Dolls, Bears & Gifts in The Shoppes at Cinnaminson.

• By Catherine Laughlin
• December 17, 2012
•  
• Starting a business can be a chancy endeavor. But opening one selling dolls and accessories can be daring in an economy that's still struggling.
  Along a row of storefronts in the increasingly established plaza, The Shoppes at Cinnaminson, Eleanor McGhee and her daughter Wendy McGhee, both of Beverly, have confidence their newly opened store, Dolls, Teddy Bears & Gifts, will prevail among a small, but loyal following of collectors, hobbyists and of course, little girls.
  At the McGhees' store, shelves are lined with dolls bearing cherubic faces, pinched noses and bright eyes.
  “There is something about a doll’s face that draws you in, or reminds you of your childhood,” says Eleanor, 69, a gently spoken woman, who became a doll aficionado after her childhood friend taught her how to make crocheted dolls back in 1989.
  After she began selling her craft dolls, Eleanor opened her first Dolls, Teddy Bears & Gifts on High Street in Burlington that she ran for three years until 2002. Perfecting her art, she then made bed dolls with wide skirts to display on pillows.
  Eleanor says her artistry led her to make African American cloth dolls that she would show at national doll conventions and are now selling in her store, along with six-inch ornamental dolls made out from twisted craft paper of angels, breast cancer figures, or Holy Communion dolls.
  Besides the McGhees' handmade dolls, Dolls, Teddy Bears & Gifts have commercially made dolls ranging from Native Americans by Golden Keepsakes to 18-inch Madame Alexander dolls.
  Lifelike infant dolls by Adora and Lee Middleton are sold with baby clothes and frills. There are even Raggedy Ann and Andy, and an array of Precious Moments dolls, popular among collectors.
  “We had one woman come in to show us her Precious Moments doll with a porcelain face. It must be from the 1960s,” says Eleanor.
  Little girls will delight in the life-sized My Friend Huggles dolls, whose individual satin ribbons on the doll’s back come with a different character-building message. U.S. consumer magazine Creative Child endorsed the inspirational series of soft-bodied dolls with one of its prestigious 2012 Top Toy of the Year (Doll Category) awards in July.
  The store also carries figurines, totes, jewelry, and a large line of Greenleaf candles, sachets, oils and sprays.
  But according to Wendy, this season’s popular sale isn’t a doll, but the Gund peek-a-boo bears, of which they are currently sold out.
  “They keep the little babies interested,” says Wendy.
  To hear the ladies talk, where doll collections go—or grow—can be a problem for some of their customers.
  “We had a woman call who has more than 200 dolls, and she wanted to know if we would help her resell them,” says Wendy. “We don’t really do that, but we might be able to help her find someone who does.”
   

ARTICLE - LIFELIKE BABIES THAT ARE JUST FOR CUDDLING

December 4, 2012 

Lifelike babies that are just for cuddling

 

They don’t cry and don’t need changing or feeding but Suzanne-Lewis dolls are proving popular with ladies who want to cuddle a baby. CATHY SPENCER reports

As 12-year-old Ellie Morris cuddles the bundle in her arms she can’t help but smile, like any other new mother.
However, luckily the Willenhall school girl won’t have to miss any classes to look after her new baby, as the infant is actually made of vinyl.
Ellie is just one of the thousands of customers who are snapping up the lifelike Reborn dolls from the Suzanne-Lewis shop in Cannock.
The business was started six years ago by Suzanne Wood, who had launched a baby shop in Brownhills.
It was in September when she moved to her new site in Walsall Road, Cannock, and her shop is filled with dozens of the dolls as well as specially made accessories.
“Over the years I have seen how the Reborn babies have helped make a lot of people happy,” she says.
“But when we are seen out in the street with our dolls we can get a lot of abuse as people don’t understand – why is it fine for a man to collect matchbox cars, but not for us to have dolls?”
Suzanne says women who buy the dolls don’t tend to push them in prams but get enjoyment from cuddling them.
“One customer was diagnosed with cancer and she just wanted something to cuddle, to give her some comfort,” says Suzanne.

“There are women who have a reborn after they have lost babies – they don’t get the doll to replace the baby but to help with the grief.
“When a woman holds a baby it releases oxytocin in the brain which makes people happy and relaxed. Ask anyone who holds a baby how they feel and they forget their worries and it makes them feel good.”
Suzanne says she has always loved dolls.
“I was the youngest of four and my eldest sister Margaret used to buy dolls for me,” she says.
“When I was 11 I moved on to porcelain dolls and Ashton Drake collectable dolls. It wasn’t long before I came across the Reborn dolls.”
Suzanne opened a baby shop in Brownhills in 2005 after her father, Lewis, and mother Joyce passed away, leaving her some money.
“The first thing I did was open a baby shop – I had cribs and prams in the shop and used the Reborn dolls as models in them for demonstration purposes,” says Suzanne, 46.
“It wasn’t long before people started asking me about the dolls.”
Suzanne, who grew up in Aldridge, says Reborn dolls are well-known.
“People have them for lots of reasons – the dolls helped me get over losing my mum,” she says.
“One lady bought one for her daughter’s 21st birthday and it will be kept as a family heirloom.
“We had one 14-year-old girl brought into the shop by her father as she was desperate for a baby.”
Suzanne who has two sons – Nathan, 19, and Daniel, 17 says people often think there is something wrong with a woman who likes dolls.
“Earlier this year I went on the TV show Daybreak and they sat me on the couch next to a psychiatrist – luckily the psychiatrist said it was natural to want to hold a baby,” she says.

“It is amazing to see how people with dementia and Alzheimer’s are helped by holding the dolls – with dementia people can revert back to their childhood, so having a doll helps them cope with that.
“Once a month we have a dolly club where customers can bring along their Reborns, have a coffee and talk openly about their interest without being judged.”
The dolls, which range from £120 to £500, take hours to create and each one is unique. A kit is made by sculpting a baby’s arms, legs and head out of clay and then it is used as a mould to make the doll out of vinyl. The kits are fitted together and eye colour, skin colour and hairis chosen.
The painting takes several hours as it can take 80 coats of paint, and each one has to be heat set in an oven.
It takes us around two weeks to make each baby and every one of them is unique.
Suzanne holds painting classes where she will teach people how to create their perfect baby.
“There are women who bring in photos of their children when they were babies and they want them reconstructed,” she says.
“The dolls are made to feel like they weigh around 8lb and the neck is floppy and needs supporting, just like with a baby.
“Christmas is a very busy time for us and at the moment we are selling around three babies a day.
“However, the time it takes to make one means we don’t make much money out of each doll – I do it because I have a passion for it, not because I want to get rich.”
Young Ellie Morris says she has been after a Reborn for two years and saved up her money to afford one, which she has named Charlie.
“I like that they look and feel real, it is nice to buy different clothes for Charlie for the day and night, and it is great to cuddle him in the evening while I’m watching TV,” says Ellie.
“My friends think it is really nice and I researched it a lot on the internet, looking at different pictures until I found one I liked.
 “It isn’t just me who benefits from having Charlie as my nan is keen to start knitting for a baby again, and now she can knit as much as she wants.”

ARTICLE - REBORN DOLL SHOP OPENS THEIR DOOR

Reborn Doll Shop Opens Their Doors

Monday, 03 December 2012

After a much-anticipated waiting period, the Reborn Doll Shop has finally opened their doors and is ready for business. Whether you're a reborn doll artists, aspiring artist or just someone who's looking to own one of these ultra-realistic dolls, the Reborn Doll Shop has you covered. They were created by a small group of reborn artists and collectors who were looking to create a community-driven environment for reborn lovers to come together. The fact is that collecting reborn dolls is a growing hobby that has continued to rise in popularity in recent years. Not only are there millions of collectors in the U.S. and U.K., but the craze has spread into other countries as well. Now, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and even parts of Asia have jumped on board. Even with this newfound popularity, trying to find reborn dolls for sale can be a challenge. You can visit doll shop after doll shop and still not find a single reborn, so where you supposed to get them from? This is where the Reborn Doll Shop steps in -- they've created a simple solution for people to find the exact type of reborn doll they want. So, how exactly does the Reborn Doll Shop work? After visiting www.reborndollshop.com, you'll be able to select from a list of categories on the right-hand side of the page. These categories contain everything from boy and girl reborn dolls, to reborn doll kits, eyes and even hair. While some people are looking to buy an entirely new doll, others simply need a couple pieces to finish theirs. After clicking on the appropriate store category, you'll then be greeted with their up-to-date selection, at which point you can purchase the ones you like. While offering the best selection of reborn dolls at the lowest price is their specialty, the Reborn Doll Shop also features loads of useful guides, how-tos and information on the hobby. If you're looking to build your very first reborn, you'll should follow their step-by-step instructions. They walk you through everything from stripping a vinyl doll of its paint and limbs, to applying over a dozen layers of heat-set paint and warming it in the oven. Some people may be thrown off with the reborning process, as it's certainly time-consuming and downright difficult at times. However, the people are the Reborn Doll Shop explain it in a way that nearly anyone can understand, regardless of your past experience. Instead of spending 40+ hours piecing together a new reborn, the people over at the Reborn Doll Shop recommend using a kit your first time around. These kits contain paint, hair, limbs and everything else you need to make a reborn. The only extra thing that's required to use them is a traditional toy vinyl doll, which can be purchased from any toy or doll store for as little as $10 bucks. While these kits aren't going to give you the same high-quality level of detail and realism as a handmade reborn, they are still a fun and effective way to create your very first reborn, so give them a try today. Contact: Jennifer Harris Atlanta, GA Link: www.reborndollshop.com After a much-anticipated waiting period, the Reborn Doll Shop has finally opened their doors and is ready for business.

ARTICLE- REBORN DOLL SHOP OPENS ITS DOORS

Reborn Doll Shop Opens Their Doors
After a much-anticipated waiting period, the Reborn Doll Shop has finally opened their doors and is ready for business.

BriefingWire.com, 12/03/2012 - After a much-anticipated waiting period, the Reborn Doll Shop has finally opened their doors and is ready for business. Whether you're a reborn doll artists, aspiring artist or just someone who's looking to own one of these ultra-realistic dolls, the Reborn Doll Shop has you covered. They were created by a small group of reborn artists and collectors who were looking to create a community-driven environment for reborn lovers to come together.The fact is that collecting reborn dolls is a growing hobby that has continued to rise in popularity in recent years. Not only are there millions of collectors in the U.S. and U.K., but the craze has spread into other countries as well. Now, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and even parts of Asia have jumped on board.
Even with this newfound popularity, trying to find reborn dolls for sale can be a challenge. You can visit doll shop after doll shop and still not find a single reborn, so where you supposed to get them from? This is where the Reborn Doll Shop steps in -- they've created a simple solution for people to find the exact type of reborn doll they want.
So, how exactly does the Reborn Doll Shop work? After visiting www.reborndollshop.com, you'll be able to select from a list of categories on the right-hand side of the page. These categories contain everything from boy and girl reborn dolls, to reborn doll kits, eyes and even hair. While some people are looking to buy an entirely new doll, others simply need a couple pieces to finish theirs. After clicking on the appropriate store category, you'll then be greeted with their up-to-date selection, at which point you can purchase the ones you like.
While offering the best selection of reborn dolls at the lowest price is their specialty, the Reborn Doll Shop also features loads of useful guides, how-tos and information on the hobby. If you're looking to build your very first reborn, you'll should follow their step-by-step instructions. They walk you through everything from stripping a vinyl doll of its paint and limbs, to applying over a dozen layers of heat-set paint and warming it in the oven. Some people may be thrown off with the reborning process, as it's certainly time-consuming and downright difficult at times. However, the people are the Reborn Doll Shop explain it in a way that nearly anyone can understand, regardless of your past experience.
Instead of spending 40+ hours piecing together a new reborn, the people over at the Reborn Doll Shop recommend using a kit your first time around. These kits contain paint, hair, limbs and everything else you need to make a reborn. The only extra thing that's required to use them is a traditional toy vinyl doll, which can be purchased from any toy or doll store for as little as $10 bucks. While these kits aren't going to give you the same high-quality level of detail and realism as a handmade reborn, they are still a fun and effective way to create your very first reborn, so give them a try today.
Contact:
Jennifer Harris
Atlanta, GA
admin@reborndollshop.com
Link: www.reborndollshop.com

ARTICLE - BABY DELIGHT WITH NONE OF THE NOISE & SPIT

Baby delight with none of the noise and spit 

By AISHA DOW

Dec. 3, 2012, midnight

FOR Chrissandra Lawrence and her clients, they are better than the real things.
And if the “double-takes” she and little “Michelle” received as she carried her around in a pink blanket at Albury’s Doll Bear Hobby Show is anything to go by, there is no doubting her authenticity.
Michelle has all the features of a newborn baby girl, down to the spit around her mouth.
But she’s nothing more than a convincing replica that only comes out for special occasions like fairs and shows.
Not so for many of Ms Lawrence’s clients.
Many of them carry around her “reborn” dolls and treat them as if they are real.
“It’s 100 per cent better than having a real child,” said Ms Lawrence, a professional doll-maker and teacher of Wangaratta.
“It doesn’t cry and it doesn’t wake up at night,” she said.
Ms Lawrence should know. She has three grown-up children.
While teddy bears and dolls are the obsession of children, it was mostly grandparents making up the crowd at Saturday’s hobby show at the Mirambeena Community Centre.
Judge of the doll’s house competition James Dowdall said most adults involved hadn’t had doll’s houses as children — including his wife who roped him into the fad.
“I say to parents: ‘buy your daughter a doll’s house and save her husband trouble’,” he joked.
Mr Dowdall said he often was asked to build miniature buildings and said most of his clientele were adults.
“Miniatures are something very much for adults,” he said.
“We started doing doll’s houses, but now 90 per cent of what I do is for adults.”
It was the first time the Albury show has had a doll’s house section — localised by an Ettamogah Pub replica.
The rules stipulate each house conforms to a 1:12 ratio.

ARTICLE - THE ARTISTRY OF NEW LIFE

November 19, 2012

The artistry of new life

By Jason O'Boyd, Staff WriterSNAP

Monday, November 19, 2012 — With five children, including 10-year-old twin girls, Angela Moore certainly knows a thing or two about life’s creations.

Holding each of her newborn children in her hands has been a blessing she’d never want to turn away, though she says with a giggle “I think I’m finished making those babies.”

Nowadays, she’s creating life in a different way. She makes miniature clay babies that are a work of art with their attention to detail and life-like features. From the little fingers and toes right up to the button noses and wrinkled features, all of that comes from a 3.5- to 4-inch model she’s been making since she began her work, more out of curiosity, back in 2006, not long after she had her last child.

“I was looking on eBay one day for these old Cabbage Patch Kids dolls I used to have as a kid,” Moore said.

“… As I was looking, I saw this sculpture on there and I was like ‘Wow, that’s crazy looking.’

“I started reading and I found out it was hand sculptured, and I was like ‘I want to really try to do that.’ I did some research to see what materials and tools I would need, so I ordered all that.”

Moore has dabbled in the arts before. She says she’s sold paintings she’s done and even has a beautiful hand-painted ironing board she made that sits in her living room, a creation as much for its beauty as its uniqueness.

She had never tried making little bundles of joy out of clay, paint and lots of love and detail. But when she began working on her first doll, using her newborn son as a model, the inspiration and talent free-flowed from her fingertips onto the block of clay.

“He was still little, so I’d look at his little wrinkles,” Moore said of her youngest son.

“When I made my first one, when I look back at it, it was so horrible. It looked like E.T. It was hideous.

“But as I progressed, the better they got. Now, people are like looking back at this and comparing it to this, how life-like they are.”

Moore first did the dolls with the idea of selling them on eBay. Before long, she got enough interest that she decided to start her own website, newbornbliss.webs.com. She was also starting to get a lot of personal requests from people wanting a clay doll that resembled their own baby.

Moore asks people to send several photos of their new baby. She’ll get information on the child and find out how the people interested in purchasing the finished product want the baby posed, whether they are making a face and any other small details.

From there, she estimates it takes about six hours to make the head and face then the body. After contouring all the details, she’ll place the molded product into her home oven to bake it. After that, she applies special paint for the hair, eyes and skin color. Then that goes back into the oven to make the completed project.

She purchases her clay online and can typically get 5-6 small babies made out of a $20 block of clay. She’s shipped her finished product through donations from the people purchasing to places such as Japan, Ireland and Australia, in addition to the United States.

“When I first started, it was because I was interested in it … I can do this,” Moore said.

“When I say I can do something, I think I can do it and I usually do it.

“I feel I’ve come a long way. Some of the sculptures I’ve made I look at and don’t like and I’ll just squish them up and start over. But I enjoy knowing it touches other people when they receive it. That’s why I do it.”

She also holds a special place in her heart for people who want a miniature baby made after losing a child, usually during pregnancy or childbirth. If someone contacts her with that kind of request, she says she puts them in front of the line.

Getting requests like that used to really break her heart, but she says she’s gotten used to it, somewhat. Still, she places the goal of finishing that project high on her list to help those grieving.

“I’ve had a lot of people that have come to me that’s lost a child,” Moore said.

“Most of my work, maybe 75 percent of it, is memorial sculptures, which is from pictures of a child.

“Sometimes you don’t even have a picture … it’s a pregnancy they lost. So I’ll make a sculpture for them, a keepsake.

“I’ll always put the people first that’s lost a child. … When somebody’s lost a baby, that’s something I just go ahead and do. It’s not even about the donation, it’s about what it does for them.

"It’s something I can do that a lot of people can’t do that can help them. I’ve received letters, emails, thanking me. That’s why I keep doing it, because of how it touches them.”

But the work she does in making these precious little treasures doesn’t come easily. She has a full-time job and also has the ups-and-downs that come with raising a family, like homework, cooking and cleaning.

Moore said she has maybe 14-15 people currently on a waiting list and will try to be honest with people about her time constraints and how she may not be able to fill every order. But her work certainly doesn't go unnoticed to her family and the people who make the purchases. In fact, she says she’s even had several local businesses wanting to gauge her interest in selling the completed works in their store.

So, in more ways than one, a labor of love has developed from what started as a simple search on eBay.

“That little search on eBay and seeing that inspired me to … ‘Hey, I can do this.’ ”

ARTICLE - JAN DEPUTY MAKES LIFE LIKE DOLLS IN MARTINEZ

Jan Depuy makes life like dolls in Martinez

Posted Nov 18, 2012

Antique lace, hand sewn dresses with thousands of beads, blown glass eyes and detailed painted porcelain heads make up some of the dolls found at Nature’s Way Doll Centre in Martinez, Calif. Owner Jan Depuy teaches classes on doll making and repairs dolls at her shop where her collection spans centuries.

ARTICLE - TRAINING IN CREATIVE ARTS THRIVES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL : FIND YOUR PASSION AND SELL IT WELL

Training in creative arts thrives at the local level: find your passion and sell it well 

By Isabell Petrinic

Nov. 12, 2012, 11 a.m.

REBORN doll artist Lyn Conlon is proof you can make big bucks from the creative arts.
Her Castle Hill business — Lyn's Reborn World — began as a hobby and turned into a full-time job with a shop.
She took the leap after consistently achieving a $150,000 annual turnover.
"If you have a passion, learn to do it to the best of your ability and then take it out to the market," Mrs Conlon, a long-time porcelain doll artist, said.
Her comments follow the introduction of Education Minister Adrian Piccoli’s Smart and Skilled reforms, which confirmed fine arts courses would not be subsidised at TAFE in 2013.
Under his reforms, subsidies will be offered in areas considered as having employment growth, such as health, construction and engineering.
Ms Conlon disagreed with this logic, however.
‘‘It’s definitely viable [to make a profession from the arts]," she said.
Her reborn doll business, which she owns with husband Paul and daughter Toni, provides other artists with the tools and equipment to pursue their craft.
"Two of my dolls (kit names Ariella and Arieanna) played Ruby in (Channel 7's) Packed to the Rafters," Mrs Conlon said of her lifelike dolls, which are made using imported vinyl doll kits.




"I studied at community college for pottery but learnt how to make reborn dolls from a DVD I ordered from America," Mrs Conlon, 69, said.
The Kellyville artist's dolls have also appeared in Channel 7 soapie Home and Away, Nine show Rescue Special Ops and the 2011 movie Say Nothing, starring Joel Edgerton.


"Today we have orders going all over the world.
‘‘I’ve travelled to different states judging doll shows. I also write the Reborn page for the Australian Dolls, Bears and Collectables magazine.’’

NEWS - ARTWALK : REBORN DOLLS IN DOWNTOWN ABILENE THURSDAY

Artwalk: Reborn Dolls in Downtown Abilene Thursday

By: BigCountryHomePage.com Staff

Updated: November 8, 2012

On Thursday, November 8 downtown Abilene will host ArtWalk: Reborn Dolls in the main library display area from 5 to 8 p.m.

Victoria Lovett of Abilene makes dolls, but it's more of an art than a craft.  

See her work in the main library display case during November, as she demonstrates the steps to create a beautiful, unique Reborn Doll.  

Ms. Lovett will be on hand during Artwalk to answer questions about her work. 

The children's librarians will have a make and take craft for fun.  

Visitors can also view the library's own original mural by Abilene artist Debra Warr in the children's storyroom.

ARTICLE - (EBAY) - REBORN BABY RENAISSANCE

Reborn Baby Renaissance

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Serena Makofsky

The last time we wrote about the phenomenon of artist-made, startlingly realistic baby dolls, in the post Hauntingly real “reborn” babies, readers were divided on whether these collectibles were creepy creations or beautiful (and sometimes personally meaningful) works of art.  Since that time, the interest in these dolls has not waned, at least if you use eBay listings and sales as a barometer of popular opinion.

In fact, today’s first listing has garnered a surge of interest and bids, for a doll that looks so real, from the dimpled knees to the variations in skin tone, you would probably have to pinch its cheeks just to make sure.  See the baby pictures here for **A Romie Baby**SOLID Full SILICONE DOLL***LENNOX***#5 by Romie Strydom -reborn:

The fans set us straight last time, instructing us to do our homework and distinguish between true reborn dolls and silicone dolls, so we only quote the listing title, which perhaps uses the term “reborn” to attract collectors’ attention.  And it has, to the tune of 28 bids and a high bid of $10,700. Last week, another Romie baby, the LENNOX #4, sold for $15,100. Incredible!

If you fall on the “this might be creepy” side of the spectrum in regard to these realistic dolls, watch this video of baby doll Lennox #1 being moved about by the artist, Romie Strydom:

VIDEO WAS SET TO PRIVATE ON YOUTUBE

What mostly seems strange here is to see a baby handled so much, especially as the disembodied laughter loops in the background but, the longer the video goes (and it goes over six minutes), the more real Lennox seems, to the point where at least this viewer began to worry: maybe even real babies are a little creepy, while also being cute and adorable?

Here is everything else you need to know about Lennox, from the listing:

“Lennox is a full bodied silicone baby, with a ball jointed neck.  She is flexible and moves like a real baby…

I sculpted her from a ball of clay, which I am reproducing  into a small edition of soft platinum silicone babies.  Her body is poured in ONE piece for realism and strength.  The limbs are not joined on afterwards, so no seam lines.

Lennox has been painted with the recommended silicone paints, with beautiful coloring and mottling.  No detail has been missed on her.

She is totally adorable,  very realistic and is totally solid.  Nothing has been hollowed out, she is solid silicone.  For this reason her hair cannot be sealed inside her head, so extreme care must be taken with his hair as it can come out with brushing etc.”

Another intriguing listing is for this Boo boo FULL BODIED SOLID SILICONE preemie ooak BABY doll GIRL not reborn NR!. Take a look at this collage:

Again, this is silicone creation not a vinyl one, made by Sherry Bowden.  She has a solid legion of fans, garnering 37 bids and a current high bid of $3,050 for what the artist describes as a “Lil’ early bird preemie girl baby.”

Last time we wrote about these realistic dolls, we focused on the dedication of collectors, but this listing is striking for providing a window for looking at the experience of the artist as she labors on her dolls. Last week, Sherry also had another micro preemie named Gracie up for sale (sold for $765) and describes her nicely in the listing. Read below, it all sounds quite maternal:

“I enjoy painting my silicone babies very much and go the extra mile to make them as realistic as possible!  Different lighting situations (day, night, evening) have been employed during the photography of this baby so you can see her coloring under different conditions.  Many many hours alone when into her painting alone and many weeks into bringing her to life for you!  All photos were taken before her eyelashes were delicately rooted, but she will have wispy eyelashes upon arrival for her new mum.”

The experience of creating the silicone doll sounds more than a little like pregnancy, although without all the discomfort.

If you find this boundary-blurring between humans and silicone depictions of humans produces feelings of uneasiness, you are not alone.  The Wikipedia entry on “Reborn doll” describes this reaction as falling under the “uncanny valley” hypothesis, which states that as an inanimate object looks more lifelike, our empathy toward it increases, until it reaches a point in which our response changes to repulsion.  So some people’s turning point from interest in to distaste for lifelike dolls occurs at a far earlier point than others’.  And for those passionate collectors, that turning point never arrives.  Where do you fall on the spectrum?

ARTICLE - EDMONTON MOM CREATES DOLLS THAT HELP EXPLAIN CHILDBIRTH TO KIDS

Edmonton mom creates dolls that help explain childbirth to kids

Emily Mertz, Global News : Monday, September 24, 2012 2:30 PM

When an Edmonton mother of three wanted to explain the birthing and breastfeeding process to her young children, she decided a birthing doll would help explain it better than she could with words alone.

Adriana Guerra had seen birthing dolls while training to be a doula, and decided to make her own for her children to play with, and learn from.

“One of my trainers had a little doll from Brazil, and it was a birthing doll,” she recalls.

“I looked at it, and I said ‘oh this is a great tool.’ I made one for my own children because I was expecting my third child, and we used it as a learning tool – about how the birth was going to go.”

Imagine a simple, soft material doll, much like a Cabbage Patch Kid, with an opening for a baby doll to emerge.

The dolls come with an infant that inserts into a tummy pouch; created by a second layer of fabric sewn across the mother doll’s front, with an opening at the bottom. The doll also comes with a detachable placenta and umbilical cord.

“They can show a mother that is pregnant, they can see how the baby is inside the belly, then they can see the birth of the baby, and the baby comes with a placenta and a cord, and they can talk about the placenta and the cord - what they are and what they’re used for,” Guerra explains.

Simplicity was a key focus for Guerra. She wanted her children to understand the basics, without being overwhelmed with too much confusing detail.

“The idea of showing how a birth happens in a natural way, in a very simple way, it is a way to learn, to keep them interested,” she says.

“I think it is a very, very good learning tool because children learn through play.”

Each infant has a snap on its mouth that can be attached to a snap on the mother doll’s nipples to mimic the breastfeeding process.

By including education at a young age, Guerra believes a child’s comfort level when it comes to experiences like childbirth and breastfeeding will be improved.

“He learns this is the way children come into the world. When he is an adult, he will carry on with that belief, and things are not going to be scary, they’re not going to be unnatural.”

When the dolls were initially conceived in 2007, Guerra was studying to be a doula. Her fellow students soon caught wind of her birthing dolls, and wanted some of their own. After that, the demand continued to grow.

“Immediately after, my doula colleagues started to request some, family wanted some, friends… and it ended up being a business.”

In 2008, Guerra started the company “MamAmor Dolls” to sell her creations. In Spanish, the name means “mother love.”

They’ve since been used by expectant parents; to give older children an idea of what’s to come, as well as midwives, doulas, and sexual education teachers.

“This is the best way to do it, just tell them exactly what’s happening with a tool that’s simple and visual.”

There are numerous styles and skin colours, and the dolls can even be custom-made to resemble a customer upon request. There are also caesarean versions of MamAmor Dolls. Guerra says they’re recommended for children ages 3 and older. They cost between $160 and $200, and Guerra says she’s already sold 400 this year. Most of her business comes from online sales. She has since employed five Edmonton workers and two women from Uruquay to help her sew the dolls.

Guerra says MamAmor dolls are all about showing children that childbirth and breastfeeding are natural life processes, and nothing to be squeamish about. She’s seen the benefits of the dolls – and the conversation they spark – firsthand.

“Play is a fabulous way of teaching them about the world, and something that is very natural in humans is birth,” she says.

Guerra believes incorporating birth into regular play makes it more natural, comfortable, and establishes these processes as a part of life. Guerra believes children deserve to hear the truth about childbirth.

“Children need to know the truth. These days, children are really smart. They really need to know what happens. You don’t have to go into details,” she says, adding the level of conversation would depend on the age of the child.

“I truly think it’s important to tell them things are the way they are,” she adds.

 

ARTICLE - INCREDIBLY REALISTIC DOLLS BY LAURENCE RUET

Incredibly Realistic Dolls by Laurence Ruet

Posted by Inspir3d on September 4, 2012

It is hard to believe that these little girls are not real.  French artist Laurence Ruet creates incredibly lifelike dolls using polymer clay.  Details on the face and the limbs are painted with acrylic afterwards. There is no mold, which makes each creation unique and original.

Price range from 450 euros to 480 euros for a little 7,87 inches baby, 800 to 900 euros for a 13,77 inches piece, and 1250 to 1350 euros for a 20 inches tall girl. More details can be found here.

ARTICLE - REBORN DOLLS : WHEN A HOBBY BECOMES AN OBSESSION

Reborn dolls: When a hobby becomes an obsession

 Posted on September 4, 2012 By Amanda Edwards

 A rising number of women around the world are succumbing to the strange addiction of collecting and caring for dolls that look eerily like newborn babies. The reborn dolls are made to feel just like a tiny baby in a person’s arms and women of upper and lower classes are falling victim to their desire to nurture these “babies” sometimes to the detriment of their family dynamic. Why is this happening? When does a hobby become an obsession?

In the field of mental health, to summarize plainly, a hobby brings joy while an obsession brings destruction. Painting is an example of a hobby that, for most, is enjoyable and enriches a person’s life. Most of the time, painting (or engaging in any other hobby) for a few hours a week would cause no harm to an individual or those around them. Partaking in a hobby is a healthy way of expressing self and individuality in a world where we’re often defined by our career roles. A hobby becomes an obsession when the damage done to a person, their family, or their existence outweighs the enjoyment they gain from the experience.

Collecting dolls is absolutely an acceptable hobby, one that dates back hundreds of years and provides work and fulfillment for many people. The fascination with the reborn doll movement is that it’s not simply about collecting and creating these dolls as a hobby, it’s about providing care for them, nurturing them, and sometimes, choosing them over family.

Recently, Voxxi reported about Alice Winston, a woman who collects these dolls and has lost her husband in part due to her emotional connection to her “babies.” Despite having five children of her own, she stated that, “No relationship will ever come between me and my babies, and I wouldn’t give them up for my children.” Clearly, a woman who chooses her doll collection over her relationships with her husband and children has an obsession, but why?

Alice started collecting dolls when her kitten and child fostering didn’t fill the void that she felt upon accepting that she should have no more children, as reported by the Telegraph. Her adolescent and adult children were no longer filling the void within her and she, like many women, felt the need to nurture something… anything…

A logical person may say this woman is crazy for spending thousands of dollars and countless hours on her “babies” while her marriage fell apart and her own children continued to grow. She doesn’t seem to think so and neither do her supporters.

Some women start collecting the reborn dolls to replace a stillborn child or lost pregnancy. For a woman who goes to the hospital, expecting to bring home a bundle of joy and doesn’t get to, there is no “proper” way to grieve and mourn and if a snuggle with a doll commemorating the short life of a lost baby helps a family heal, they should not be judged. Alice is not one of those mothers though. She has five children of her own already, her obsession has damaged herself and her family and, while no one with mental illness should be judged, she is putting her own children in danger and that cannot be ignored.

The unreasonable obsession starts when that “baby” takes precedence over other important aspects of the mother’s life. Then, mental health treatment is absolutely necessary in order for the woman and her family to remain safe and stable, physically and emotionally.

Whether it’s reborn dolls or model cars, hobbies are healthy while obsessions are not. The reborn doll movement can be a cohesive network of women supporting one another and engaging in a joyful experience or it can spiral into a dependency on nurturing something that’s not living. Let us all be aware of the difference.

NEWS - DOLLS & BEARS DELIGHT

Dolls and bears delight

Craig Cobbin | 3rd September 2012

ENTHUSIASTS came from as far as Adelaide to take part in the popular annual Bundaberg Doll and Bear Fair to appreciate the detail and craftsmanship of the lifelike creatures.
Now in its 23rd year, the event is organised by the Bundaberg Doll Crafters and Collectors and attracted more than 200 people to the Civic Centre over the weekend.
One of the organisers, Barbara Taylor, said she was thrilled with how well the fair had gone this year.
"We had lots of people say they enjoyed themselves and said they would be back next year," Mrs Taylor said.
"I've been doing it for 15 years."
Bundaberg councillor Judy Peters, who looks after the community services portfolio, said she had been a regular attendee at the event over the years and always marvelled at how incredible the workmanship was on the many dolls and bears on show.
"There were dolls in prams that you would think are real babies," she said.
"You would think, 'why is no body attending this baby?' That's how lifelike they are.
"The fine detail was amazing. There were lots of grandmothers with grandchildren at the event, which was lovely to see too.
"We had an array of magic woven into dreams to be loved and cherished."
The event attracted 170 entries from all over Australia, including Cairns, Toowoomba, NSW and South Australia.
The grand champion doll of the show was won by Wendy Schmerl, from Adelaide.
The proceeds from the day will go to the Bundaberg branch of BUSHkids, a community group that offers free health services to children living in rural Queensland.