The Best Online Reborn Help Forum!

Liselle · Guru

Just thought I'd introduce myself!

sage brush nursery · Guru

liselle, welcome to our little group----- you may be doing it to make money but these babys grow on you biggrin

. you are so right to worry about the birds you never know what going to be toxic to them,remember frebreze. i buy used babys to work on so its not so costly-- plus you can strip them back with acetone --- and do it over again. just wait till you start buying the sweet baby stuff. sage aww

Liselle · Guru

Thanks Sage! Yeah, the do grow on you for sure. I've been spending more and more time on Ebay just looking at all the babies.

I was out yesterday and actually did stop and look at baby clothes. lol

My mother makes heirloom clothing, so I'm hoping to make a doll that she can use as a model for her stuff. We're kinda talking about making this a family thing.

My BF is kinda cool with all this, he just doesn't want me to put a lot of money into it and then quit. I do sometimes have that tendency, but how do you know if you don't like something if you don't try?

At any rate, like I said, if you guys have any info or whatever, I'm open to listening!

Thanks!

sage brush nursery · Guru

we must be a lucky pair, my bf is pretty cool with the babys too. but then again after 5 doxies,2 teenagers and 2 preteens --- the babys are small beans. wait on till you take a baby out and someone thinks it's real---- great fun. the most informative dvd on lots of techniques is secrist special reborn technique encyclopedia part1. dvds are realy a great help. sage aww

-- Edited by sage brush nursery on Sunday 21st of March 2010 08:36:49 PM

Liselle · Guru

I'll have to check out that DVD, Sage! Thanks!

Ok, I looked at it, and it seems like it focuses a lot on ethnic dolls. Does it do more than that? How well does it work for the Secrist Dolls? And what about the Berenguer heads I bought?

-- Edited by Liselle on Sunday 21st of March 2010 08:45:49 PM

sage brush nursery · Guru

it has berry maker use for mottleing, 6 inch baby painting--- realy lots of stuff . the asian baby section has a good skin app technique--- it also deals with eyebrows ,painting eye lid veins-- life like nurseing bump. secrists course#2 is a nice starter dvd, bb also has a nice dvd --makeing reborn baby dolls with denise pratt. hope these help. sage aww

sage brush nursery · Guru

liselle,be careful buying cloth and vinyle berenger babys off ebay-- or any cloth and vinyle baby unless you can see it your self. alot of them are sewn to the body not cable tied. so ask before you bid ! sewn ones don't have the groove for cable ties to put it back together not to mention you have to cut the cloth to get limbs off evileye

. don't check just the head because it's usualy cable tied on. sage aww

Liselle · Guru

Oh, ok, good thing to know! So far, the only thing I've bought is just the heads. I will definitely keep that in mind when I'm looking either online or otherwise!!

Tina W. · Guru

Welcome Liselle =)
Reborning is a wonderfully addicting art one I'm sure you'll love. The thing is you have to love and enjoy it because although you may be able to sell some dolls, it isn't as easy as it looks selling them, and definately not a hobby you'll get rich from. Most artist you see on ebay selling dolls at higheer prices have been reborning for years and have established a reputation and a few regular customers (I don't mean to sound like I'm raining on your parade so to speak it's not my intention) but you should really enjoy reborning as an art and if you can make some money from it than all the better =) But there are so many people that try reborning as a form of income only to find that it wasn't what they thought it would be. So bad? Anyway, no more lectures =) I personally started with one complete kit including the dolls and enough paints to do a few babies until I saw if it was something I liked. Complete kit are fairly inexpensive compared to buying individual pieces. As for the Berenger babies, Sage it right, some kits have no grooves for the neck however there is a website that sells adapters for them so you can attach them to your bodies. I think there is a thread in the forum somewhere with the site.
Happy reborning!

Liselle · Guru

Thanks, Tina!

My very first attempt at this is the Zoe kit from our very own forum hosting company. I just got my heat gun in the mail today, and due to some very minor physical issues, haven't been able to start her, but I hope to tonight. After ya'll's comments, I looked at the berenger heads I bought and you're right, they do not have the neck line to connect. I will definitely be more careful in the future, but they were just sooooo cute!!

I didn't take it as a lecture. That's why I came here, to learn from you guys. I hope to be good enough to sell, and even if it's a couple hundred dollars, I'm cool with that. If I don't have to get a REAL job (no offense, you all know what I mean) that's even better. Just something to help out with household expenses.

At any rate, I just look forward to meeting new ppl and discussing things!

Buffington · Guru

Hello Liselle and welcome to our family forum! I'm sure you'll not only love it in here but also get tons of information either from other forumers or doing a "search" for info in our forum.
Pay particular attention to mentioning other forums or vendors full names in here (not allowed, so we just put BB or DD or DBS,etc), and also posting links or pics.

I think its great to have newbies here. Keeps us in the customer service mood :)
Be sure to get a/some dvd's and learn the basics.
Air-dry paints are ok but don't seem to be permanent or fade-resistant like Genesis.
Be careful with the heat gun, you can burn up a dollie in a matter of minutes. We have links in the website for tutorials and such that you might enjoy. We also have our new tutorial mag coming out soon with lots of stuff for everyone! www.secristdolls.com

Everyone is full of advice here in forum so you'll get lots and we DO share info, not like some forums. So have fun and again... welcome!

Play Days Dolls · Guru

Welcome to our forum, Liselle. It is so nice to meet you!

As you have already seen, the forum members are so helpful, and ready to share their experiences with reborning.

I completely agree with Sage that a DVD is a wonderful way to learn. Classes are also good if they are offered in your area.

Tina is right about the pitfalls of thinking reborning will become a business that will bring in a nice income. It is very rare to make a living at this art without much experience. So... you gotta love creating the babies because that may be your only reward for awhile. As is often the case with making craft projects with the intent to make a profit, people often do not recoup the investment of time and materials.

Most of us are hooked on the art after we create our first reborn. Just have fun and enjoy creating your doll. If you end up loving it, you'll get better and better at it.

About the birds and baking the paint... if you don't end up liking the heat gun, some people bake their dolls in a portable convection oven that is outside or vented to the outside. There has been a lot of discussion on this so try searching the forum if you are interested.

Linda

Liselle · Guru

You guys have already been soooo helpful!

I did have to get a neck adapter, but I was able to find one of the sites you all recommend to get them. I also ordered the Secrist 2008 tutorial guide as well. Looking forward to getting started!

Buffington · Guru

As far as your birds, most are seceptable (sp?) to fumes of all kinds, which is why they used to use them in tunnels. Secrist kits made in the USA are non-toxic to humans and so are the Genesis paints, but no one ever says how animals will react.

I wouldn't take any chances if it were me. I'd get a countertop oven and maybe bake them outside instead. It would aleviate any worry about your birdies! As Linda pointed out, we have LOTS of comments in forum on the little ovens (toaster ovens are not the same).

sara zata · Guru

And I welcome you to the forum also, this is a great place to learn and share. As for the heat gun............................I'd give it a miss. I think it is only good for stripping the names off business vechiles. I made the little triplets and ruined them because the heat was so fast and it doesn't take like to make them shine like a new shilling.( Old Ozzie Saying.) Liselle you will have so much fun reborning but as Sage and some of the others have said, don't expect to get rich. I, the same as Pat B, make porcelain dolls and though I sold some, I spent just as much buying more sets of greenware, molds, material, as with Porcelain Dolls you have to dress them yourself if you are to put them into competion. Also there's laces, ribbons, bodies to make the list goes on. With reborning you can enjoy seeing your baby come to life right in front of your eyes. The thing I hate is the waiting between painting and the the rooting. I am quite impatient and like things done yesterday. But once agin a very warm welcome. XXXXX June.

Liselle · Guru

Thanks ya'll!

So far, I haven't had any problems with the heat gun, I'm probably over-paranoid about burning/melting the vinyl due to my birds, so I'm very careful with it.

This is definitely an interesting hobby, and my facebook friends think I'm insane when I posted pix of unfinished Zoe in pieces. lol

Dee · Guru

Hello Liselle and welcome to the forum and to the addiction of reborning, you asked about air dry paints they are the only paints I use for the fact that I probably would burn my baby if I used heat set paints,hopefully soon I will stop being afraid and try them because I want to enter secrists cover contest the next time they have it, but for now I love my air dry paints and i have no complaints.

Buffington · Guru

Yes, that heat gun goes really fast and hot June. You and others found out the hard way. And it can make your babies very shiny. I had that happen to one of the 6" Danielle Zweers mini triplets. :o

Be sure to do the test on your babies to make sure they're cured since you are using the gun. Its a simple test with water and a cotton swab. You can use the search feature in forum for that info. Lots of posts albeit some time ago.

Dee, I'll have to try the air-dry's this summer. I have some from DD and they request that we use them for their vinyl, just as Secrist requests that we use the Genesis for their vinyl.

So far the only vinyl I trust to bake in the house are the Secrist made in USA vinyl and the German vinyl from DD. Only 2 I know are non-toxic.

But glad you are enjoying the forum and also the reborning!
Have fun! :)

Liselle · Guru

Pat, Hey, I couldn't find any posts talking about a test to check to see if paint is cured properly. I have searched numerous times, with no luck. I couldn't even find this one for a while using keyword Test. So I don't have much luck with searches apparently. Any info on that would be appreciated! Thanks!!

Buffington · Guru

Ok. After you bake your baby, lol, :o you can test for doneness of the paint by taking a cotton tip and getting it wet with water. take that tip and rub on the paint in different spots, not real hard but firmly enough. if there is ANYTHING that comes off on the cotton tip, then your paint is NOT fully cured and you will have to bake it again for 8 mins at 265F. It is VERY important that you all make sure your paint is cured. Especially since some of you are using the "convection" part of your ovens. Genesis says "8 mins at 265F" not a lower temp or for less minutes. It's got to be exact according to them.

Oh yeah, if any paint comes off, be sure to repaint that area before baking.

Liselle · Guru

Ok, will do! Thanks for the tip!