The Best Online Reborn Help Forum!

Lovely looking forum, my compliments to you all. Hopefully I'll become a useful member in a short space of time!

The new Forum looks Great!!! This is JenniferKy from the old forum. I just wanted to let you know that I like the way that the new forum has been set up!

hi im all new to this craft i have started my very first reborning baby cant wait to see end result.have a great day cheers Ann

I am brand new to this forum and it looks to be a great one. I have not yet done any 'reborning' or newborning. Does everyone agree that Genesis heat paints are easiest for a newbie? Thanks for your input.

(the auction site link that was listed here has been removed due to too much drama and sniping for our family forum - moderator perogative)

This is crazy - she (in another forum) is AGAINST Genesis Heat Set Paint? Before robyn's comments she said that "most" vinyl dolls not suitable for using GHSP, but she changed her wording to "some".

Everything I read convinces me that GHSP are the way to go - that acrylic paints flake off.

I would be interested in comments please.

Yes, I'm a newbie newborner - but I've been an artist for years. I have started reborning with my artists' oils, but I firmly believe that GHS is the way to go! This aution astounds me, to say the least.

-- Edited by Buffington at 05:14, 2008-05-11

Are only the Secrist dolls safe for using GHS paints on? Is it safe, for instance, to use GHS paints on, say, the new soft vinyl Elly Knoops molds, such as Hannah, Luca, etc? Or would it be safer using ordinary artists' oils on these dolls? I am getting very confused - probably because this is such a new art form. What I'm trying to do is gain enough information so that I don't run the risk of ruining expensive molds through lack of experience and knowledge - but everywhere I look I see controversy about paints, heat, purple washes, mottley skin techniques, etc.

The dolls made in Germany are safe. My sister lived in Germany with her husband and had her son there about a year ago. When my mom went out they tried to find bleach and found it is illegal there! Most of your European countries are much stricter about environmental safeties than the United States. There are many substances that American companies use which are banned in the European countries, particularly the Western ones. I've worked on 2 dolls "made in China" and did not have any problem with using the oven or heat set paints. People are a little over reactive to the whole lead and China thing. You can only ingest lead through liquids. So you don't want a water glass or wine glass to have lead in it because the liquid can absorb it. But if you have a candy dish with lead in it and put wrapped candies in it you won't have an issue, the lead can't seep into a dry substance unless there is a liquid medium. So if you are going to put it in your mouth, then yes, lead is an issue. This why it is so important to keep it out of children's toys and paint.

Glad you like our family forum!

First let me state that if you would like to know about the "toxicity and safety" of kits other than Secrist/Apple Valley it would be best to write the manufacturer of those kits (not the seller as most times the sellers do not know any more than you do about it).   Also, as far as toxic fumes, etc... it's not just a lead issue, its also PVC's, silicone, phthalates, etc that can cause this. And like carbon monoxide, sometimes its what you can't smell that can cause health issues!

For the answer to the Knoops kits question, only Knoops and Genesis would know for sure. I know Secrist vinyl is safe, and I know Genesis is safe with our vinyl as I asked them myself. And we also state it right on our website (as was quoted already in this thread). We can only speak to our vinyl/Genesis combination with surity.
And whoever made the comment about most kits on the market (or a good majority of them) were never made originally to be heated by the consumer, nor painted by them (commercial toy dolls anyway) was correct. Genesis told me that their paints ARE NOT compatible with the older plastic vinyl dolls but people choose to use them anyway. Do your own research, ask your own questions, make your own decisions based on what you have found out from those companies! It's the only way you will know for sure! Go to the source, not just the middle-man (or woman lol).

The vinyl made in Germany is listed as not having phthalates in it now so it's safer. Also I have heard that kits made in Europe are held to a higher standard of manufacturing that most countries. So hopefully they are also safer than the toxic fume-making kits out there.

As far as the precut needles... if the uncut and the precut are both the same guage then they are the same on the needle end. The precut only means that the "L" shape on the handle end of the needle has either been cut short or cut off. It has nothing to do with how they root (or the guage). It just makes them fit easier into the wood or plastic handle. So if you have 38 guage ultra's (whether or not they are cut) a 38 is a 38.

Hello!  My name is Meghan, and I am very new to this art but I have really enjoyed what I have tried so far.  I have finished one baby and I will begin work on a second when my kit arrives.  I am going to try rooting the hair on this one.  I am looking forward to interacting with others who are also interested in this art. 

Thanks!
Meghan

beegirl_01 wrote:

---

Hello!  My name is Meghan, and I am very new to this art but I have really enjoyed what I have tried so far.  I have finished one baby and I will begin work on a second when my kit arrives.  I am going to try rooting the hair on this one.  I am looking forward to interacting with others who are also interested in this art. 

Thanks!
Meghan

---

Hello Meghan, pleased to meet you. My name is Caroline. I have micro-rooted my first doll - I painted him with ordinary oils - and I loved it - I thought that micro-rooting would be the one thing that I HATED - but it proved not to be so - I really enjoyed watching his hair develop. My next baby I will be painting with Genesis Heat Set Paints. This is a new venture for me also. Keep in touch - I'd love to hear how you get on with your first micro-rooting job.

Maggie,

I would say buy a kit and be sure to buy the 1st Secrist dvd. I would say start with one of the preemies (I like Zoe--she's the one in my avatar) because they are smaller and easier to finish.

Good luck!

Hello lovely ladies! I'm glad I found this site as I am very new to this wonderful hobby. Let me tell you about me first, mom of two kids (13mo and 3 yrs, almost), married working a 9-5 job, pretty nice I guess.
Anyways, after my son Alex (13mo) was born, I had my tubes tied. What a mistake that was! I still want kids so bad I was considering adoption at any cost for another baby. Then I found reborn dolls and fell in love. I am right now doing my homework on them and how to properly paint them and wow... theres a lot! Everything I will need to make one I have to buy online because of the area around here, no hobby stores with anything about any dolls. I am an accomplished artist so this would be right up my ally hopefully!
Can anyone suggest a good book or dvd that would help me out a little more as I am kind of confused about paints (what kinds work best really) and weighting the bodies.
Sorry this is so long, just really excited!

Thanks! I did place an order for a DVD and a book last night after watching the video clips on the site. My mother-in-law just dropped by my house this morning with some dolls that she's aquired through yard sales so I can practice the techniques and stuff so we'll see how it goes. Thanks again.

Hello everyone,

I just joined your forum tonight. I have been following Secrist Dolls and the art of Reborning for 3 or 4 years now. I found something on ebay that caught my eye and I have been dying to start. I bought the DVD "The Art of Newborning" about 3 years ago and I knew it was the perfect Hobby for me. But with no job, a sick husband (unable to work) and me being a full time college student at the age of 34 and two children; I just could not justify spending the money needed to get started. I researched and saw all the other ways and products that you could use, but I new that I did not want to go that route. I live in Georgia, and I have not ever had anyone in this area know what reborning, newborning, Secrist Dolls, or Genesis Paint was. This Christmas, my husband and I were out shopping at one of our local chain hobby stores when I saw this tiny sign  Secrist Dolls, I marched right to the shelf and all I saw the sculpting kit and that was all. We were tight on time so and I could feel my husbands eyes rolling behind me. I put it passed me and went on with my shopping. Christmas morning I opened a gift from my husband; It was the Authentic Reborn Course #2. I am so happy to have received it. I have not started working on it yet because I have ordered a few additional items  that I wanted to use. They have arrived this week so now I am getting orginzed tonight so I can start tomorrow. I know I am going to have a few questions along the way so be looking out for me. In the mean time if anyone can share with me the steps to using the AR skin texture paint and the AR shine remover that will be some advance help. I look forward to working with you all and getting to know you. Happy Reborning.....

Kelli 

AR skin Texture is: Authentic Reborn Skin Texture Foundation. It is the new pre-mixed genesis paints. I think it is used to give the babie the little white pimples that they get on their face. I could be wrong. That is what I am trying to figure out before I apply it. I want to make my babies look as real as possible without over doing it. I have seen some pictures of these babies and you would never believe that they are a doll and then there are some that you see that are just over done and they look like dead babies or clowns.

Welcome to our family of forum Kelli! I'm sure you're going to just love us all here lol. Everyone is warm and welcoming and full of tips, tricks, and information ;)
I know how it is to not have time or money because of college. I'm 55 and in college, work part time, have 2 adult daughters in college, and a husband getting ready to retire at the end of the year! I'm also partially disabled. I start back to school tomorrow so I'll be gone from 9-9 basically :o but while on Christmas break I managed to at least paint 4 baby heads (you can check them out in the artist showcase under... trying to get ahead lol).

Please feel free to post, and also post pics (in artist showcase only), and post links most anywhere else. We do have a "search" feature so just put in what you're looking for or just look manually in each interesting topic.

June and Tina were spot on with the comments above. You can also pm someone by clicking on their underlined name. Those comments will not be seen by anyone and are private messages. Also, please try to read the rules, etc so you know whats going on with posting :)

The little "pimples" you were speaking of are called milia (sp?) or milk spots and there are several posts in forum. Also use of the texture and no shine are also posted, just search for them :)

Again, welcome!

Thanks Tina! This was really great!

Hi Kelli,

Somehow I missed this discussion.  I think the others answered your questions, but I wanted to at least send a welcome message.  I'm so glad you found us.  Sounds like we have a husband to thank!

OOOOHhhh yeah! I can't wait for the new one, should be out any time now :)

Yes it is a good idea. Bathe the kits in dish detergent and warm water. This helps to get off any oily residue left on the kits from the manufacturer. I usually do mine the night before I plan to start. Happy reborning!

Howdy, this has been an excellent informative article! I definitely appreciate all of your wisdom. Thanks alot .

Hello Pat, Love the pic of Mara in your avator, looks like she is in some serious thought........... ALSO a quick HI for repski, it is nice to have a male against us, have you been making any reborns yet? This is a very family frriendy forum and a lot of lovely ladies to share their reborning experiences with you. Our mistakes as well as our creative reborning. Welcome again. XXXXX June.