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Monday, April 30, 2012

ART IMITATING LIFE - TAKING A CHANCE ON 'REBORNING' DOLLS (A STAGE PLAY)

Taking a Chance on Reborning Dolls

by Amy Tofte  |  April 26, 2012 
 
 Since opening its doors in 1999, the Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills has evolved into a small dynamo of the Orange County theater scene, racking up nominations and awards in multiple categories. This weekend Chance presents the Southern California premiere of Reborning — a thriller tackling the ongoing challenge of living with emotional pain.
Managing director Casey Long wears two hats with this production, serving in his administrative capacity as well as a member of the three-actor cast.
“Every community has that big regional theater,” Long says. “But then you have the smaller theater, like us, that does the more contemporary works.”


The Chance has produced many world premieres and West Coast premieres during its 14 years. Reborning is a southern California premiere, the second production of the play following its 2011 premiere at San Francisco Playhouse. It was written by Zayd Dohrn, a Chicago playwright and Chance’s 2012 resident playwright. Chance artistic director Oanh Nguyen is staging it.
The phenomenon depicted in the play and its title was first documented in the early 1990s, when dolls of babies were created to be as lifelike as possible in physical appearance, weight and even smell. These realistic creations (called “reborn dolls”) became increasingly popular. The more life-like their features, the more valuable they were to collectors.
Clubs, societies and experts sprouted in the reborn doll field. The process of creating these dolls is called “reborning,” with the artists who create the dolls referred to as “reborners.”

Using dolls to manage the valleys
But what started as artistic excellence in verisimilitude evolved into an emotional tool for those who had lost babies or experienced other forms of trauma. These psychological uses for the dolls are the fodder from which the play emerges.
“It’s a script that’s so new and tackling something so new,” Long notes. “Some of these people have lost children, of course. This only re-creates a small fraction of what the trend is about, but it is definitely a part of this world.”
The three actors in Reborning undertake a story that covers everything from abusive upbringing to how individuals eventually cope with that abuse through their adult relationships. Long believes that  Reborning goes the distance with its content. For this reason, it is not recommended for younger audiences.


“The show gradually devolves into this real psychological head trip,” Long says. “You do start questioning: Who is this woman? What are her true motives? And what’s going to become of her?”
With two of the characters portraying sculptors of different kinds of realistic dolls, there is plenty of room for debate and dissent when it comes to the buttons pushed by the narrative. Long believes this “meat” of the story is what takes it beyond the psychological thriller and into something more philosophical regarding human need.
“It’s one of those shows when I first read it, I liked it,” Long says. “But it wasn’t until the rehearsal process when I realized how it works on so many levels. It’s much more universal than you would think.”
In an America where people expose their most intimate problems on television talk shows and express themselves candidly through social media, the roadmap Reborning circles around questions the nature of trauma and what constitutes “normal” when it comes to surviving tragic events.
The production team maintained close contact with playwright Dohrn throughout the rehearsal process, asking questions about the script and seeking clarification on the practice of reborning. The play itself creates conversations between characters about the place of art within society and its appropriateness as a tool, particularly when used in such an emotionally charged way as that of a dead or unborn child.
“We even have conversations in the play about the actual craft of sculpture,” Long says. “That and dealing with loss, trying so hard to get the [reborn] baby to take the place of what was lost. How do we then relate to it emotionally when we actually created it?”

Finding terrific new plays is half the battle

“We’re an ensemble,” Long reflects, discussing script selection at the Chance. “So we all try to keep our eyes peeled on the national theater scene. We’re always looking.”
But the Chance is not interested only in the latest hot play making the rounds of the usual regional theaters or the Broadway scene. It also takes note of playwrights themselves, particularly new voices emerging on a national scale.
Producing a segment of a playwright’s body of work rather than just one offering at a time is something the Chance has used in its “On the Radar” program, which produces staged readings of two other works alongside a mainstage production by the same playwright. Reborning will be paired with Dohm’s additional plays Magic Forest Farm and The Origin Story of Mister Clean.
Long believes this helps the Chance engage more audiences in the creative process, via post-show and open forum discussions. For Reborning, with a week of previews already completed, the audiences are reflecting back to the artists the diversity of the play’s themes.
“Each audience so far has focused on completely different things,” Long states. “It was fascinating. One talked about characters, another abuse, and another focused entirely on the actual dolls we used in the show.”
A local reborning artist made all the reborning props for the play, providing an added level of authenticity. Long feels the production also benefits from the tight-knit group of Chance mainstays contributing to the creative process.
“It’s an all-ensemble cast and we are all resident artists who already know each other,” Long says. “So there’s no trying to figure out how the dynamic works with outside people. It’s a lot more flexible and fluid that way. It becomes really exciting and visceral in the rehearsal process.”


While purchasing a perfectly crafted baby doll to replace the real thing may seem like consumerism run amok, arguments exist for practical facets of the reborn dolls. In some instances, women who cannot have children use the dolls in order to “feel like a mom” while others cope with painful childhood trauma from abandonment or other forms of abuse by caring for the dolls. While some of this therapy may seem like a placebo for reality, anecdotal evidence supports it, and entire websites and support groups are dedicated to these therapeutic uses.
Reborn dolls also raise a deeper question — do these dolls make us more capable with our feelings or are we simply more detached because of them? Is reliance on such a product to feel better about a child being dead truly healthy or a hindrance? Or, as Long reflects on these ideas, do all these things simply point to the same universal theme embraced by so many dramatists—aren’t all humans always in need of creating meaningful connections?
“All three of these characters are trying to make that connection with somebody,” Long reflects. “They so badly need that human contact. How do you make that happen in this day and age? [Reborn dolls] could very well fill that gap for someone.”

The reborning of Chance itself?
The Chance’s current venue in Anaheim Hills, a cozy 49-seat house, isn’t a permanent home for the ensemble. But Long hopes this will soon change for the company.

 We are ready for a permanent home,” Long states. “And we’re also looking forward to becoming more of a mid-size theater with 150 to 200 seats. It’s very exciting taking that next step.”
As the planning stages of a capital campaign begin, the Chance plans to keep moving toward a permanent home that allows for expanded programming while maintaining the intimacy that has allowed the freedom to pursue challenging plays from lesser-known voices.

Reborning, Chance Theater, 5552 East La Palma Avenue, Anaheim Hills. Opens Saturday. Plays Thu–Sat 8 pm; Sat 3 pm; Sun 2 pm. Through May 20. Tickets $35. 714-777-3033. www.chancetheater.com.
***All Reborning production photos by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio

Sunday, April 29, 2012

ENTERED A CONTEST FOR A 'BOO BOO JENESYS" SILICONE DOLL BY LORNA SANDS MILLER!


heres the email (or some of it, anyway)
Hello Michelle,
I thought it would be a great idea to have a giveaway for my boo boo Baby Jenesys! However, due to Internet regulations, I'm unable to have a giveaway that only allows for persons purchasing the kit to enter.
  Therefore, I'm sending an e-mail out to you inviting you to enter the drawing for Jenesy.
 The drawing will be held on June 23rd at the Down East Doll Show in NC. Each name will be assigned a number and the winner will be selected via a random electronic number selector. The winner will pay shipping cost for the baby if they're not in attendance. One entry per person."

so, naturally, i entered.

would be so cool to win the silicon doll.
winner has to pay for the shipping if they arnt at the show.

so, wish me luck!

MICHELLE


EYELASH TUTORIAL

Eyelash tutorial

ORIGINAL TUTORIAL CAN BE FOUND HERE

 Gather all supplies needed:

Gloss: I use a few different kinds depending on the results I want. For this baby, I selected Ceramacoat Gloss Varnish.

 Small lint free cloth

Small Pallet

Coffee cup

Two sized of paint brushes used just for glossing

Tiny scissors

Pointed Tweezers

Choice of lashes. 

 To help stabilize the head, I roll up a receiving blanket and place it in my lap. This keeps the head from rolling and also I can tuck the edges of the blanket to help tip her head up to get the right angle when applying the lash or the gloss.

 Tip the head....

 Hold the lash with the tweezer....

 Place it in the correct spot. Many first-time reborners place the lash in the crease on the lid~this is the WRONG place for you lash. The lash goes down into the eye, usually all the way back to where the eye meets the lid, however, it is different with each sculpt.

 Use toothpicks and the tweezers to help "set" the lash and gain an idea on the size needed.

 Trim the lash in small trimmings until you are happy with the size. You may trim from either side depending on how the lash looks on the doll. I trimmed the nasal side of the lash. Place the lash into the eye pushing the edged of the lash back into the correct place. Notice that I do not use glue for the lash. We will use the gloss to seal the lash in. Most pre-made lashes have a bit of two sided glue that helps hold the lash in place. This glue is NOT enough to hold that lash in for good on your reborn.

 Fill your coffee cup with HOT water, place the brushes in the hot water and pour a pool of gloss in the pallet. 

 Remove the largest brush from the water and blot it out on the lint free cloth. Dip in into the well of gloss and steadily let a dollop of the gloss fall into the center of the eye. Do not use your brush on the eye ball itself. Let the gloss naturally fall into place. (This is why you need the rolled up blanket and why you need the head to be laying down. Adjust the blanket as needed)

 Continue to add gloss until the eye is fully covered being careful to not brush the eye ball. Rinse your brush as needed in this process and blot with the cloth. 

 Use the small brush and or a toothpick to help adjust the pools of gloss to be even around the edges of the eye.

 There is just a bit more gloss in this eye than desired....

 I used the small brush to remove some of the gloss from the nasal side. I removed the gloss, rinsed and blotted the brush and continued until I was satisfied with the amount of gloss in the eye.
Let the gloss set for a short time and then use toothpicks to assure that the lash is placed in the correct place, pushing the lash against the eye lid to secure it. Be very careful not to touch the eye ball with the toothpick.

Bring some gloss to the outside crease of the eye and also to the tear duct. This gives your dolls eye a very life-like appeal.

Repeat the procedure for the other lash and eye.

 Place the head still in the blanket in a safe area where the head will not be bumped. Adjust the angle of the head so that the gloss will dry where you desire it to. Check the eyes often and adjust the head if the gloss is running in areas you don't want it too. Check for bubbles and check the lash to make sure that it is in the correct place and that it is sealing to the eye lid.

For this head, after the gloss dried, I desired more gloss. I added more gloss in the same procedure as above. 

 Here is the finished result. For newborn babies, I usually add 3-4 layers of gloss but this baby is older so only two were needed. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i followed these directions for my 2nd doll, a toddler (TIBBY KIT) and here are my results:

still wet



Thursday, April 26, 2012

NEWS - DOLLS & BEARS ON SHOW

Dolls and bears on show



A WAITING list for exhibitors wanting to trade at Ipswich's Gala Doll Fair demonstrates the event's popularity.
Bears, crafts and collectables will also be on show and for sale.

Organiser Val Metcalfe expects to pack the Civic Centre this Sunday with stalls, displays and an enthusiastic crowd.

"I've got a lot of new traders in the 85 already on the list from Bundaberg, Lismore and Warwick," Ms Metcalfe said.

"We've got a whole range of collectible and antique dolls and bears.

"I've got a busload of people coming from a retirement village on the Sunshine Coast.
"There's more reaction because the fair's in with the Ipswich Festival."

Ms Metcalfe said the lifelike "reborn" dolls were still very popular at doll fairs.

Valuable antique dolls costing more than $1000 each will also be on show.

Fair-goers can have their dolls and bears valued for free.

"Ipswich has been hosting doll shows for 29 years and interest has never waned," Ms Metcalfe said.
The Ipswich Gala Doll Fair runs from 9am-3pm at the Civic Centre (cnr Limestone and Nicholas sts).
Raffle proceeds will go to Ipswich Hospice Care.

Register any inquiries by phoning 3282 2434.
Val Metcalfe

We've got a whole range of collectible and antique dolls and bears.


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

ARTICLE - REBORN COLLECTORS 'PLAY' WITH THEIR DOLLS

reborn collectors “play” with their dolls

reborn collectors “play” with their dolls
The greatest trend in doll collecting is reborning. A skilled specialit takes a regular baby doll,reborn. strips it down to its essentials and then begins to rebuild it layer by layer. After tens of hours of work and a variety of skills and techniques applicationlied the doll is reborn into a new creation.Reborn Doll Artists. Quality reborns are so life like they can easily fool people into thinking they are real babies.Reborn Doll Artists.reborn.
Top quality reborns are created by hand,What Kind Of Doctor Delivers Babies?. one at a time by skilled specialits all over the world. This new sub-section of the doll collecting market has quickly gained worldwide notoriety due to the uniqueness of the dolls and the obsessive nature of their fans.How To Make Porcelain Dolls?.
While classic doll collectors were content to keep their purchases locked up in glass display cases, reborn collectors “play” with their dolls.I Feel like Dying Lyrics. They dress, “feed” and pamper their dolls as though they were real babies.with. They take them for walks in strollers and put them in car seats when they run errands.Zapf Baby Dolls. Besides these unique ways to enjoy high priced collector’s items,dolls.Custom Baby Dolls. they what’s more amass large collections to make a reborn nursery.
The mainstream media has pounced on the phenomenon of a reborn nursery.Almost Real Life like Baby Dolls. The Today Show,collectors. MSNBC, 20/20.Virtual Baby. Dr.Interactive Realistic Baby Dolls. Phil and a whole host of talk shows and that internet videos have lead the practices of reborn fans to the public’s attentions.What Does a Miscarriage Look like?. The combination of the doll’s realness and the actions of their owners have driven some to label reborning as “weird” or “creepy”.their.
Yet,北京代售印花税.”play”. many mental health professionals have found a reborn nursery therapeutic.. Many women who are dealing with emotional issues have found that reborns can offer the distraction and escape they need.Vintage Baby Dolls. Those who have lost a child during pregnancy,collectors. as an infant or even those who have had full-grown children leave the house all find comfort in reborn dolls.their.
A reborn nursery can allow women who are suffering from the emotional distress related to their maternal feelings a way to express their emotions. While you should never buy a reborn doll for a woman without her consent,View Graphic Vaginal Childbirth Videos. under the supervision of a mental health professional these outlets can be very helpful.
When you combine the therapeutic effects,collectors. the high level of skill it takes to create and the rarity and money involved the collection of reborns into a reborn nursery is not surprising. Many specialits,. studios and companies are making a whole lot of money all around the world selling reborns.”play”. The owners are fanatical about their dolls and buying more so the market continues to grow!

ARTICLE - WAIT, WHAT? THE REBORNING TREND

Wait, What? The Reborning Trend

 

Recently, someone mentioned an unusual trend that I had never heard of, and I was intrigued. I am a fan of the unusual and eccentric, so of course I had to read more about it. It seems that there are women out there who collect very lifelike baby dolls called “Reborns” and play with them. When I say play, I mean that they talk to them, cradle them in their arms, and sometimes take these dolls with them when they go shopping or on an outing. They even have conferences centered around Reborns, sponsored by the International Reborn Doll Artists.
My first thought when this was mentioned? Whoa. Weird. What adult carries around a doll, pretending it is a real baby? But these women (and I say women because I have not found a case of any man participating in this trend, although there may be some out there who have stayed off the radar) insist they know the dolls are not real. They say that the feeling of holding the Reborns is just like holding a real baby and gives them comfort. In fact, Reborns are weighted to mimic the weight of a real child. You can even get a Reborn with an heartbeat, or one whose chest rises and falls. These folks are serious about their collecting.

The reasons the women give for their hobby are varied. Some just appreciate the lifelike details, like the individually placed eyelashes and hair, while others get a sense of happiness and peace from holding the Reborns. Still others, who have lost a child or who have grown children, buy a Reborn to help them with the transition of not having children. Is this healthy, I wondered, but came to the conclusion that I don’t really know. Maybe it is. Who am I to judge?
All of us have our quirks that others might find odd. These women choose to spend a lot of money and time on collecting and caring for Reborns as their hobby. Many of these Reborn fans now also make their own Reborn dolls, which takes a lot of patience and skill – and I respect artistic creation in most forms. Whether I find the outcome beautiful, or just a little bit creepy, the creation process is still amazing.
As in any hobby, I am sure there are those who take it too far. But the majority of the folks doing this, as I have said, have normal lives, friends and family and are just average folks. Not only did I learn about this trend, but I also started thinking about people and their hobbies. When it comes down to it, are any of us ‘normal?’ What is normal, and who decides? Collecting life-like dolls might not be something I would do, but if it makes folks happy and harms no one, then why not?

Friday, April 20, 2012

NEWS - POLICE LAUNCH FULL SCALE ALERT AFTER MISTAKING A DOLL FOUND IN A PLASTIC BAG FOR A REAL BABY

Police launch full-scale alert after mistaking a doll found in a plastic bag for a real baby

By Tom Gardner


Blundering police sparked a full-scale alert when they discovered a realistic toy doll discarded on a park bench – and mistook for a real baby.
Shocked Martin Ziegler, 37, raised the alarm when he discovered the 'baby' in a plastic bag at Neu Ulm in Germany.
He told police: ‘The baby is not moving or breathing - and its body is cold to the touch. I think it's dead.’

The doll was so realistic that it even fooled officers who urged ambulance staff to get to the park as quickly as possible.

They then alerted colleagues that the incident was an abandoned baby.
It was only when medics arrived that it was discovered the baby was actually a lifelike doll.
A police spokesman said: ‘It was only when they opened the baby's eye and shone a light on it that they realised the baby was an unbelievably lifelike doll.’
He said they were now searching to track the owner of the valuable doll and to work out how it ended up on a park bench.

what bothers me most about this. is the fact that someone just tossed that doll away, thats art. 
i wonder who the artist is for this doll. MICHELLE

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

NEWS - DO 'REBORN BABY' DOLLS CREEP YOU OUT? (With Video)

Do 'reborn baby' dolls creep you out?

 

There's a strange new trend for all you baby lovers out there, but instead of inspiring the "goo-goo's" and "ga-ga's" most babies bring out of people, it's giving most the creeps!
The trend, however, isn't creepy enough to keep people all over the world from ordering what have been dubbed "Reborn Babies."


Blanca Nemecek earns her living making the ultra-realistic looking "Reborns" and shipping them across the globe to collectors.  Some collectors who simply appreciate the artistic aspect of the dolls, others who seem to think they're real babies. Nemecek says she understands why some people think the dolls are strange.
"What people will do with them I think that's bothersome to some people, as far as some people taking them out to the store, treating them like they're real child. They're not a real child. They're not a real baby. They're a collector’s doll," she says.
That does bring down the wierdo-factor a bit.
Some of the custom dolls go for over $600! Guess it's still less expensive than diapers!
To each his own, we just hope none of those sweet little baby dolls turn into a "Chucky" kind of toddler.

ARTICLE - SWISS TV 'LIFESTYLE' ABOUT REBORN DOLLS & ARTIST MARINA WIESER (VIDEO INCLUDED)



The Swiss television programme "Lifestyle" visited Swiss doll artist Marina Wieser, to find out more about her art and her webshop. You can find out everything here!

Marina Wieser with reporter Patricia Boser
 
The Swiss TV reporter Patricia Boser was fascinated by the lifelike qualites of Marina Wiesers reborn dolls.
Wieser (22) presented her finest pieces to the camara crews of the Swiss television programme "Lifestyle" and promoted the webshop that her and her husband are running in Switzerland www.rebornshop.ch
You can watch a repeat of the programme by clicking here
http://www.telezueri.ch/webtv/?&channel_id=85&video_id=246979

NEWS - SURREALIST ART EXHIBIT UTILIZES DOLLS, ANIMATION, TO EXPLORE FINDING NEW LIFE THROUGH DEATH

Surrealist Art Exhibition Utilizes Dolls, Animation, to Explore Finding New Life Through Death

Portland, OR, contemporary artists Diana Crites and Erin Robinson Grant present a conceptual exploration of rebirth through death in original oil paintings, illustration, sculpture, and video at Pearl District art gallery, Gallery 114. The multi-discipline exhibition runs June 7 through June 30, 2012, with First Thursday opening festivities on June 7.

Portland, OR, April 17, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Gallery 114 is pleased to present a provocative new exhibition showcasing the work of contemporary Northwest artists, Diana Crites and Erin Robinson Grant. "Consumption," a surreal exploration of rebirth through death, utilizes dolls, animation, and more traditional mediums to convey the inescapable nature of destruction and the challenge of rebuilding. Consumption will be on display at Portland’s Gallery 114 from June 7 through June 30, 2012, with opening festivities on Thursday, June 7.

Exhibiting artists Diana Crites and Erin Robinson Grant share an appreciation for many of life’s darker inevitabilities. The themes of self-destruction, metamorphosis, and death figure largely through their independent work, so exhibiting together under a common theme was intuitive. And it proved inspirational. In Consumption, their art continually intersects -- even uniting in projected animations-- before reaching different, and sometimes startling, conclusions.

Employing many vehicles – including dolls, video installation, oil painting and illustration – the artists attempt to communicate the multi-faceted nature of consumption. Through conceptual narratives of memory, desire, and decay, a common thread is formed: that although consumption is inherently destructive, it is also an inevitable step towards progression and rebirth.

Regarding the theme of consumption, Erin Robinson Grant states, “It conveys decay, destruction, and a necessary use of a limited material. No other word so beautifully captures the constant struggle of humanity to survive in both physical and philosophical terms.” Adds Diana Crites, “Consumption, for me, is about an unwitting trip to places you don’t want to go; and, having gotten irrevocably lost, the struggle to get somewhere new. In the end, sometimes you have to waste away to find yourself.”

Consumption runs from June 7 through June 30, 2012 at Gallery 114, in Portland’s Pearl District. Please join them on Thursday, June 7, from 6-9 pm for the exhibition opening and artist reception. Gallery 114 participates in “First Thursday” festivities, previewing art exhibitions showing at downtown art galleries. In conjunction with Consumption, Gallery 114 will present, “A Theory of Morbid Attraction: An Artist Talk” by Erin Robinson Grant on Saturday, June 16, from 1-2 pm in the gallery. Gallery 114 is located at 1100 NW Glisan, Portland, Oregon 97209. Admission is free and open to the public.

About Gallery 114
Gallery 114 is the only established gallery in Portland that has persisted in allowing its artists absolute artistic freedom throughout its 20-year history. Founded in 1990 as an artist collective, Gallery 114 and its members have consistently produced a diversity of artwork.

Images available upon request.

ARTICLE - SISTERS LABOR OF LOVE DELIVERS REBORN DOLLS

Sisters Labor of Love Delivers Reborn Dolls

Posted on


Williamstown, MA -  Sisters Kathi George and Julie Crosier are filling their newly-launched “Until Forever Nursery” with hand-crafted artworks reflecting a contemporary version of a traditional skill: dollmaking.
“This is something that I love to do,” George said during a recent interview . “[Julie and I] have been dollmakers on and off for about 35 years. This is such a creative art form.”
A small home-based workspace hosts the tools necessary for creating dolls as well as a ”nursery” populated with several baby boy and girl dolls. The dolls are placed in baskets, dressed in pajamas or dresses and accessorized with bonnets, hair ribbons or decorative headbands. The impression is of babies sleeping or laying awake and gazing at their surroundings.
Crafting the dolls is a labor of love and includes much detail work, George and Crosier said.


George and Crosier displayed about 10 finished, beautifully dressed dolls.  The term “reborn dolls” was generated when doll kits known as “sculpts” were not readily available, and artists boiled the paint from completed dolls to create a blank canvas for their own visions, George said. Sculpts include a head, arms, and legs with feet. Bodies are separate. Heads offer a variety of facial expression. Reborn dolls are exceptionally realistic and have been mistaken for living babies. The art is receiving much attention; both the “Today” show and the daytime talk show “Anderson” recently featured reborn doll artisans.
“These dolls are not childrens toys,” Crosier said. “They are collectibles.”
Dolls may designed to order, meaning hair color, eye color, and ethnicity may be chosen. George said she would like to try a custom doll and would be willing to work from a photograph to try and capture an image. The dolls may be ordered as singles, twins, or other multiples.
Initial doll design steps include mastering “veining,” a technique requiring a slender, finely-bristled brush and special blue paint. “Veining” means placing veins on the face, wrists, and knees of the doll. George demonstrated the technique and then used a makeup sponge to gently soften the paint appearance. The result is a faint line that will later be covered with special face paint. The effect is very subtle but adds a life-like dimension to the finished product, Crosier and George explained.



“One thing is that you have to work in natural light [for superior results],” George said. “By the time we’ve completed the blushings [face paint applications], you will barely see the veins. Even though it is subtle, the veins are vital to create the realistic look.”
Purple and red “veining” follow the blue, and each paint layer requires an 8-minute baking  in a 265-degree Fahrenheit oven. Each doll requires about eight layers of paint. Lips are painted. Eyebrows are most often painted but Crosier said she intends to try “rooting” the eyebrows with mohair.  False eyelashes may be glued or rooted to frame glass eyes. Sea sponges are used to color the faces and bodies. The tools help give the dolls their lifelike appearance, George said.
“You have to be meticulous when applying color to the faces,” George said. “Too much paint and you’ll have little white dots after you bake, and too little won’t provide the skin tone that you need.”
Hair is placed on doll heads using a very fine barbed needle that punctures the surface and distributes hair strands piece by piece. George demonstrated the “rooting” process.
“It takes anywhere from four to eight hours to do a head,” George said. “I liken it to knitting. I can do it while I’m watching T.V..”
Once the strands are placed, George said she uses a hemostat and a makeup sponge dipped in glue to coat the doll head interior and secure the strands in place.


The dolls have soft bodies created by filling doe suede with a fine glass material that resembles granulated sugar. The material adds realistic feel and weight to the dolls, George and Crosier said.
Each doll is designed as a one of a kind creation.  The business is selling dolls via Internet venues as well as accepting orders by phone or e-mail. George and Crosier said they plan to participate at seasonal events such as the town’s “Summer Sundays in Williamstown” endeavor. Dolls are priced at $200-$250 each, they said.
Creating the dolls is relaxing, Crosier said, but the business offers something else to warm her heart.
“This is quality time with my sister.”
Those who want to order a doll may contact George at  Kgeorge957@adelphia.net or by calling 413-458-8383. Crosier may be contacted at Julie.crosier@comcast.net or by calling 518-466-8655. “Until Forever Nursery” has a Facebook page as well.

Monday, April 16, 2012

NEWS - STEVIE JOHNSON DROPS FAKE BABIES WONDERS WHY YOUR STILL SO SERIOUS

Stevie Johnson drops fake babies, wonders why you’re still so serious

 *DISCLAIMER - i do not endorse child abuse in any form, this was a video, with an article on fake babies, so i added it. please, do not drop any child. for any reason.*

 by Ben Tsujimoto  • 

In a world filled with many humorless, heavily-scripted professional athletes, it's fantastic to watch the select few who like to have fun. Fortunately, in addition to dropping beats, Stevie Johnson likes to toy with gullible folks by dropping plastic babies on the floor, eliciting stares of disbelief, dirty looks and even a laugh or two. "Why so serious?"

Saturday, April 14, 2012

TUTORIAL - HOW TO MAKE ICE CUBE SHAPED TINY BABY HEADS (Great for Any Reborn Party!)

How To Make Ice Cubes Shaped Like Tiny Baby Heads

 

When it comes to serving a chilled drink, you can use cube-shaped ice like adults do—or you can show your eternal youth with custom ice replicas of your favorite toys. With a few basic supplies and a bit of patience, you can make a reusable mold to cast frozen replicas anything—even a baby doll head that's just about the right size for a rocks glass.

You Should Do This If:

You love Batman so much you actually want to ingest him.

Moment of Satisfaction:

Watching a block of ice shaped like a human head slowly melt into a glass of bourbon.

Biggest Pain in the Ass:

Not being able to reenact the latest Avengers trailer while waiting for Mjölnir's silicone grave to firm up—some mixtures can take up to a week to cure.

Materials and Tools Required:

 

  • Small, hard toy without too many hollow features
  • Container that closely but entirely fits toy
  • 10-ounce tube of clear 100 percent silicone caulk (but not "Silicone II"), caulking gun, and cornstarch (or use Sugru or a catalyst-driven food-safe RTV silicone from Smooth-On)
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Plastic cups, spoon and knife
  • Non-stick food spray (canola oil worked well)
  • Wax paper or aluminum foil
  • Duct and masking tape
  • Nitrile gloves
  • X-acto knife of sharp box cutter
  • Well-ventilated work area and/or high quality filtered respirator

Difficulty:

On a scale of one to ten, five.

Cost:

About $20 if you mix your own silicone. Lots more if you buy the real stuff.

Building It:

1. Set up a mold box. I did two castings: The decapitated head of a baby doll from the 99-cent store, and a Storm Trooper. Each required different molding techniques—a firm, two-part mold for the figure, and a one-piece, supple, peel-able mold for the baby head.

 For the Storm Trooper, I used a plastic storage box for cream cheese that left about 1/4-inch of silicone on all sides. A quart-sized plastic yogurt container fit the doll's head. You can also use Legos or a duct tape-lined cardboard to build a mold box. Professionals make theirs out of high-quality plywood. Just don't pick something much larger than your object or you will waste silicone.
 2. Plan placement. Because of their pesky limbs, figurines need to be cast with a two-piece mold, otherwise you would never be able to extract them from the hardened silicone. They work best when molded front and back, with the seam running down the side.

All molds need an opening (called the sprue) where you can pour in the casting material. I affixed a segment of a plastic straw to the back of the Storm Trooper for mine. Air holes at the ends of long narrow sections (legs, arms) help the water flow through without getting blocked—toothpicks work well for this. And look out for narrow segments on limbs; the skinny joints on my Storm Trooper's knees caused weak spots that broke easily when the ice was removed. Reinforce those areas by adding putty to thicken them up before making the mold.

Deeper objects with less extremities (like the baby's head) can work in a one-piece mold made from a softer mix of silicone, then peeled off after casting. Sometimes cutting the mold will be necessary to get past a tight sprue. I let the neck of the baby head extend out of the silicone as my spot to pour in the liquid, and then cut it halfway apart when taking the head out.

Once the container, sprue, and placement are determined, give everything a healthy spray of canola oil. This will help keep the silicone from becoming permanently stuck.


 3. Mix silicone. Note: Although inert, most silicone caulk isn't listed as food safe, nor is Sugru (although they're working on FDA approval). There are varying reports that once cured, the widely-available GE Silicone I (but not Silicone II) may be okay for this type of use, but if you don't like living on the edge, get a food safe silicone putty like this stuff on Amazon.

Standard silicone caulk, poured thick, will remain liquid on the interior—not useful for mold making. You can force it to harden throughout by mixing the silicone with cornstarch (as pioneered in this Instructable by Mikey77), which provides the necessary moisture needed for the silicone to completely harden. But when it does, it releases a strong acidic odor, so make sure to have good ventilation or a good respirator for this part. And use a sheet of aluminum foil as a work surface, instead of gumming up your dining room table. I wrap a piece of plywood with foil for a transportable work surface.

For a fast-curing, firm rubber mold, use one part silicone to two parts cornstarch—squeeze the silicone into a cup, shake the cornstarch into two similar cups, then pour everything into a larger container and mix thoroughly with your plastic spoon, knife or Popsicle stick. It might seem that there is too much starch for the silicone, but keep mixing and cutting through it and eventually it will all absorb and you'll have a sticky, wet paste. You can also mix this by hand right on your work surface, like kneading pizza dough. Wear gloves. Keep a small dish with cornstarch nearby for dipping, and the silicone won't stick to your gloves. This mixture only takes a couple minutes to start getting hard, so be prepared to work quickly.

For a runnier batch of silicone, use the reverse ratio (two or more parts silicone, one part cornstarch) and add in one part distilled water. This mix will flow over details easier and minimizes troubling air pockets, but will take longer to cure—possibly a lot longer.


 4. Mold a toy. For the Storm Trooper, place a layer of the silicone mix on the bottom of the plastic container, thick enough to cover the front half of the figure. While still supple, carefully but firmly press the oiled figure into the silicone. The goal is to get all of the figure's details surrounded and covered, without gaps or air pockets. But make sure you don't push it all the way through. Get an even level of silicone around all sides, as close to the halfway point as possible, without any parts fully covered. This will make extraction easier.

While still hardening, use the edge of the Popsicle stick to press a 1/8-inch deep impression around the figure, tracing its details but not touching it. This will be the key that will help keep the top of the mold perfectly aligned, and will also act as a gasket to keep water from squeezing out or having excess ice flashing where the two halves meet.

For the baby head: start by lubing it well with oil (which might be the creepiest thing you'll ever do). Then goop a thin silicone coating onto the entire exterior of the head up to the neckline, making sure the details are perfectly coated. Pour the silicone into the bottom of your plastic container, then push the coated baby head into the silicone, adding more to fill up the container as needed. There is potential for large air bubbles to get trapped inside the silicone during this part, which will cause undesirable voids, so be careful to pour and mix it in smoothly. Allow the neck to remain exposed and set this aside to firm up.

 5. Wait. For the thicker silicone/cornstarch mix, this should be firm in about 30 minutes. For the thinner mixture, it took about five days to reach the right firmness.


6. Make a mold top. (This is for the two-part mold only.) Once the front half of the mold feels solid, give everything another coat of nonstick spray. Forget to do this and you'll probably never get your toy out from the two halves. Mix up another batch of one-to-two silicone/cornstarch, and working quickly, press the mix firmly into the container, working from one end towards the other to surround the figure while avoiding pesky air pockets (use those cornstarch-powdered gloves for this, or spritz them with oil). Allow the sprue and any toothpicks for air holes to remain exposed, and if you're picky about things, use the back of the plastic spoon (lubed with oil) to smooth the top of the silicone as it cures. Bonus points if you slope the silicone inwards towards the sprue and air vents.


 7. Remove the original. The hardened silicone will have the tendency to stick to the container. You'll have to start working it loose—a few spritzes of canola oil between the plastic and silicone (spread apart with an oiled Popsicle stick) helps things drastically. If you made your own box out of legos or wood, simply disassemble it.

Take out the object you are molding and inspect the inside of both sides of the molds. No air pockets or voids? Keyed gasket filled in? Holds together nicely when put back together? Good job.

For the stretchier, one-part baby head mold, press around the silicone to find the thickest area. Then, from the neckline, carefully cut a line towards that side. Get a sense for how far you'll have to cut to remove the head without tearing the mold. Some spritzed canola oil helps with the release. Looking back, I could have probably made a smaller cut for mine.

You should now have a mold with an inverted duplicate of your toy.

8. Freeze stuff. Clean your mold with warm soapy water, just to be safe. Close the mold and wrap some tape or rubber bands around it to keep it sealed, but not so tight that the rubber distorts. For the opening on the mold for the baby's head, a few pieces of tape were placed to seal the rubber.

Fold a long piece of duct tape onto itself and place under the mold, extending outwards. Stick this into the same container used to make the mold. The container will help make sure the mold maintains its shape, and the duct tape will act as a handle to help remove it when taking it out of the freezer.

 Carefully pour water into the sprue and let it flow up until you see it start to peek out of the air holes. This is where the sloped exterior comes in handy, keeping any spills from getting all over the outside of the mold.
Carefully put this in your freezer, and wait a few hours. The insulating silicone rubber makes it to take longer to freeze, but also helps get a clearer piece of ice. Small pieces like the Storm Trooper take about three hours; the baby's head took twelve hours and still had some liquid on the inside.

9. Party. Put your creation in your favorite libation and feel the incredible freedom of never having to cool your drink with cube-shaped ice again.

Don't have time to make your own? You can get one of these, custom-made, by me, in my online store.

Friday, April 13, 2012

ARTICLE - GETTING TO KNOW STACEY HASKINS OF HASKINS HEAVENLY BABIES

Getting to know Stacey Haskins of Haskins, Heavenly Babies

 FIND THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE


Stacey Haskins of Haskins, Heavenly Babies discovered Reborns in 2005 while searching for a special doll for her daughter’s birthday.  Stacey has always been an admirer of beautiful dolls and once she saw Reborns she was immediately hooked.  After purchasing a few Reborns and watching auctions for a year Stacey decided to use her artistic background and in 2006 Haskins Heavenly Babies was born.
In six short years Stacey has gone from being a newcomer in the Reborn world , and melting heads in a microwave, to winning the prestigious Worldwide Colliii Award in 2010.  Her work is nothing less than breathtaking, with clients worldwide seeking out her creations.  On her Reborning journey she has won numerous other titles of Artist of the Month, 3 Lifelike Dolls Magazine G.L.A.D.  Awards and the most Outstanding Artist award from Simply Reborns.  To learn more about Simply Reborns or the Colliii awards visit the following links.
http://www.simplyreborn.ltd.uk/SROF/
http://colliii.com/
Stacey would like newcomers to know that “Patience is a virtue!  To never ever rush a baby to get it done.  It will show in your craftsmanship.  To always stay humble and be kind because you never know where the road will take you. “It takes weeks for Stacey to take a blank kit and turn it into a magnificent work of art.  Stacey’s clients are well aware of the pride she has in the quality of her work.  She states, “You will only find the finest of materials with a Haskins baby.  You will never hear of her using rubbish inside of one her creations.”
Stacey would love to see the Art of Reborning grow and become recognized more in a positive light.  She says, “It seems that all attempts to get this art out to the public have been about collectors and how weird they must be for collecting these babies.”  She would love to see Reborning shown from the Artists perspective and from collectors that collect for the artistic value of the work.
Stacey told us that as she continues to grow in the Reborning world she would also like to learn to sculpt in the next year or so.  If her sculpts are anything close to her Reborns, Reborn Artists will be in for a real treat when they hit the market.
Stacey will be at the Down East Doll Show and Conference in Greenville, North Carolina in June of this year, showcasing her amazing babies.   She has also shown her work at IDEX in previous years.  More information for the Down East Doll Show and Conference can be found:  http://www.examiner.com/travel-in-joplin/down-east-doll-show-and-conference-featuring-reborn-babies-and-ooak-dolls
To view more of Stacey’s works please visit her website at: http://www.haskinsheavenlybabies.webs.com/

, Joplin Doll Collecting Examiner

Debra C. Jadick is the owner and operator of Lasting Memories Reborn Nursery. She has been a fixture in the Reborn Doll community since 2008. She has recieved recognition from her peers in the Reborning world by winning first place in different competitions. Her creations have been purchased...

NEWS - CRAZY TALK : BLUE IVY IS FAKE

Crazy Talk: Blue Ivy Is Fake

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  • Ready Set Gossip has eight points of "proof" (if you use a very, very loose definition of the word) that Beyoncé and Jay-Z's baby, Blue Ivy Carter, is a fake. And there's now an equally unconvincing and conspiracy-theory-inspired YouTube video to go along with it.
    Highlights of the video include this:
    The legs and arms are in the same position. Not one change of position.
    A big cover over the baby in the hot. How smart is that? Or is it a baby?
    A hot day but still wrapped up. That baby must be hot. Or is it a baby?
    It's hot but the baby is wrapped in fur. Wow, Beyonce, if that baby was real it would be dead.
    We're not sure when all these stifling hot days were during the winter and early spring days of Blue Ivy's life. Or why protecting an infant from the glare of the paparazzi isn't seen as a reasonable excuse for bundling her up.
    In any case, the dramatic conclusion is that Blue Ivy is a very realistic "reborn baby doll." The creators of the video purport to provide proof in the form of photos of other such toys.
    Watch the video, from Ready Set Gossip.         
  • may i conjecture here...if in fact beyonce' does have a 'fake baby' out in public, could it NOT be for the reason to shove off the paparazzi AWAY from her daughter? the pics in People Mag, seem real enough to me. 
  • but, to be fair, i do recall someone on something, saying they were commissioned by some celebrity to make a reborn. and thats all they could say. couldnt tell for whom. or why. so, maybe THIS is the reborn. one never knows. anything can happen in hollywood.

ARTICLE - THE ARTIST BEHIND 'PRECIOUS NEWBORNS' - LISA BEELER

The Artist behind Precious Newborns, Lisa Beeler

ORIGINAL ARTICLE CAN BE FOUND HERE 

 


Lisa Beeler is the Artist behind Precious Newborns.  She began Reborning in 1999 after seeing Reborns on eBay.  Lisa loved the way that Reborns looked like real babies.  Tragically Lisa suffered the devastating loss of twin girls and wanted another way to remember her girls by.
When we asked Lisa, How do you honestly feel about Reborns?  She replied “I love my babies!  They are great therapy when you are feeling down over a loss but it is more than that.  It is simply walking by and glancing at them.  They always pull at your heart strings and bring a smile.”
Lisa has gained recognition of her work by peers and collectors alike by winning several AOM (Artist of the Month) awards.  She has also been featured in a couple of magazines both for her work and her hair rooting tutorial.
One of the most memorable moments in Lisa’s Reborning career was when she was able to meet her favorite Artist, Laura Tuzio Ross.  Lisa said “It was so great to learn she is just like everyone else and she and I have become really good friends.  It was a real honor to work with her bringing her babies to life.”
Lisa would like for new Reborners or people considering becoming Reborners to know “that you have to make the babies because you are passionate about them.  It isn’t about the money.  If you are hoping to make a lot of money at it know that it is usually the opposite. “She hopes that the Art of Reborning continues to grow with Artists that are passionate about their work.
Precious Newborns offers a wide range of services.  Lisa can do custom Reborns, painted kits and custom rooting.    She believes whole heartily in great customer service and wants her clients to be a part of the Reborning process.  She includes her clients in the process by sending numerous photos along the way.  She wants her clients to ask questions and be comfortable with their purchase. 
We asked Lisa what she thought would be the perfect sculpt to Reborn, Lisa stated “that she would love to see a newborn sleeping sculpt with his/her hands clenched in little fists just like a real newborn.”
To learn more about the services and her pricing please visit Lisa and Precious Newborns at
http://preciousnewborns.com