Dolls - a new obsession?

[frualeydis]

Ever since I first visited clothsprogs back in 2005 I've been awfully tempted to start with dolls myself. I think I have shown great restraint in this.

But now Maja found American Girl dolls on Pinterest and we are happily getting entusiastic about dolls together. I did manage to turn her love over to slightly cheaper, and in my eyes prettier dolls. This is Emily, who she wants for her birthday. If she can wait until May. Otherwise she'll use her saved birthday and christmas money (for several years) to buy her herself.

I'm ratehr fond of the Kidz'n'cats dolls myself, and I consider buying this little sweatheart. Except that I don't have the money for dolls right now, since I am making new garb for the baroness stuff, and I am also going to Florence in April, and I haven't paid back that trip in full yet to our savings account.

Anyway, since all my hobbies tend to come in flares, and I get wildly enthusiastic about them, I started yesterday with cleaning a very 60s doll that Maja's (paternal) grandmother bought for her at a charity shop. I've always like dher, but Maja didn't like the very typical for the period lipstick and hair. I softened the hair with conditioner, and it's better, though the mullet like hair-do isn't our cup of tea. I also removed the lipstick. And this morning, before Maja went to school I gave her freckles and a little more eyebrows, as well as lover eyelashes. I will probably remove those though.

Then I gave her pink lips (and nostrils).

So, this Lily. She's 42 cm tall and badly needs new eyelashes, but I guess that something that one can fix?

Comments

[clothsprogs.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Lily's makeover is a vast improvement (and Freckles are always a good choice)

BTW, I talked to a friend who has a Kidz-n-Cats doll at the weekend. He's replaced the wig because it was so coarse but informed me that the longer haired dolls tend to have nicer texture to the wigs and the very coarse ones may be the old productions runs from before they switched countries. So if you do get one, the wig may be fine and not need changing at all.

Also, Our Generation dolls have a number of nice outfits and accessories and aren't as horribly high-priced as American Girl... but I have no idea if they're available, or easy to get hold of in Sweden.

Teddy

[clothsprogs.livejournal.com]

Also, You could cut Lily's hair and give her a wig in a style you like, or (but it would be more work) remove her hair entirely and reroot her with new hair.

Eyelashes can be replaced, but I've not done it on this type of doll so have no idea (yet) where to get them or how to do it.

Teddy

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Thanks.
I was thinking about removing Lilly's hair and get a wig, but for now Maj ais happy with her as she is.
I will probably buy myself a Kidz-n-cats doll myself later. Maja has fallen for a Goetz doll.

/Eva

[clothsprogs.livejournal.com]

It is a very pretty Goetz doll.

Teddy

[clothsprogs.livejournal.com]

OK, after a bit of research, it seems to be a case of plucking ot the remaining eyelashes and cleaning as much out of the slit as possible, then sticking in replacements

For replacements you could use bristles from a paintbrush, human false eyelashes (harder to get into the slit) or strips of doll eyelashes that are available from Ebay etc.

The bristles cut from paintbrushes look more like the original lashes for dolls of this type but as she's already had a makeover, that probably isn't a consideration here.

Teddy

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I was even contemplating using some of my own hair, but it's probably too soft. There is a swedish webshop who sell doll's eyelashes, so I'll probably order some.

It was so much repainting her a little, I can see how you can get really into that.

/Eva

[clothsprogs.livejournal.com]

Some people make a lot of money doing repaints. Especially for the ball-jointed dolls:
http://www.jayspetitesalon.com/gallery-1.html

But vinyl doll repaints are popular too:
http://ellenharris.com/arepaints.html

Monster High dolls in particular are popular repaint and makeover models, including hair rerooting.

Teddy

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've seen the Monster High ones, a friend has pinned lots of photos of that on Pinterest. You repaint yours sometimes too, don't you?

/Eva

[clothsprogs.livejournal.com]

Only the resin ones - mostly ones I've bought unpainted. I either paint them myself (I'm not very good at it) or I send them to face-up artists to do them for me.

I've had one vinyl doll repainted by a repaint artist to try ad make her look more cheerful (it filed she has a miserable sculpt, but it's beautifully done).

Teddy