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Saturday, December 31, 2011

ARTICLE - REBORN DOLLS-PLASTIC MAKES PERFECT

Reborn Dolls - Plastic Makes Perfect
Posted: 12/31/2011
Dolls RebornSo you are thinking of buying one of these incredible dolls?

I believe nothing can beat seeing a doll before you buy it, but this isn't often an option as this is truly an electronic together with international (border-less industry).

If you can't see the real thing then photos are the next best thing. But beware photos- there are all sorts of electronic filters and artificial lighting that can make them look quite as good as they are. You ought to be delighted when your reborn arrives and believe that the photos did them no justice whatsoever. Ask an artist regarding the enhancements and lighting used in their photos.

Then evaluate the artist's reputation (and take into account that talent as an artisan, honesty and customer assistance can all be mutually distinctive). Guarantees of total satisfaction, repair damage policies should be understood and are indicators of good customer satisfaction. EBay feedback is a sign of honesty and customer satisfaction. Talent is up back as the judge.

My strong suggestion would be to look at the Internet or join a forum or two and find an artist on truth be told there. Beware the lists of reborn nurseries in the site- they are virtually no guarantee of quality and also honesty. Most artists will showcase their work and get it in their signatures on forums.

Here are some recommendations for what to look for when looking at dolls inside person or photos:

1. Judge the amount of the doll actually looks like a baby. A good reborn should be mistaken for a infant.

My daughter has had her reborns out shopping with us and she (is 6 yrs . old) gets sick of carrying them so i end up having to carry them. I am caught in the difficult position. Do I nurse the following baby like its real and people will think I are a nut who nurses dolls OR does an individual just carry her around like she is my daughters doll i now have to wagon around?
Reborn Doll
Well to get a good reborn you don't have a choice but the first option. I once had to endure the stares of many in a major shopping centre who glared at me like I has been a negligent parent. I have discovered it is not publicly acceptable to pop a newborn (and so therefore a reborn doll) in the bottom of a browsing trolley. It's also not acceptable to hold on to a baby casually relating to the elbow and your give with limbs hanging even though your hand is nicely supporting the top. Also generally people are pretty critical of you (and allow you nasty stares) if they think baby should be wrapped up a little warmer.

2. Have a look at the details- hands & feet (see the nail details), ears (how serious do they look- can sometimes be limited by the sculpt detail- more expensive sculpts have more detail), eyebrows (should look real) along with the creases and folds shouldn't are similar to cuts.

3. Artists work hard to obtain realistic skin tones and this also should make the infant look subtly mottled (look for this- it is a sign of quality).

ARTICLE - ASHTON DRAKE ANNOUNCES NEW COLLECTION OF DOLLS NAMED: 'FIST EVER SO GENUINELY REBORN INFANT DOLL COLLECTION"


30 Dec 2011, 1:22am

by vivian1989

Ashton-Drake Announces New collection of Dolls named “First-Ever So genuinely Reborn infant Doll Collection”

For greater than 25 years, Ashton-Drake has released countless doll collections to the life of passionate doll collectors everywhere. Ashton-Drake has turn into synonymous with level of quality dolls all near to the world. a producer new collection of reborn babies named So genuinely Reborn is now the newest doll choice introduced by Ashton-Drake – just in time for xmas 2010.baby doll Reborn Dolls are so beneficial and therefore are specific to sustain a unique area within your center the moment in time you lay eye balls on them.
The reliable creator of reborn infant dolls was sculptor and Master Doll Artist Linda Webb. the present choice is becoming revived by artist Helen Jalland. This Reborn by method of the center choice is truly a meticulously produced arranged of dolls that take place to be concerning the greatest level of quality imaginable.
The level of craftsmanship and concern to detail that was suit into producing these reborn babies is practically nothing short of amazing. one would think a development such as this would price tag a tremendous amount of bucks judging by other equivalent lace lingeriedolls, but at $179.99 these dolls certainly are a steal! You won’t find out a realistic, premium level of quality infant doll at a price tag such as this anyplace else.
The intricate particulars concerning the award profitable Ashton-Drake So genuinely Reborn infant dolls are spectacular. each and every lifelike infant doll has vinyl-enhanced layered complexion tones, delicate human-like veins, hand-rooted hair, handmade beautiful lingerie outfits with accent jewels at the same time to other good details, hand painted fingernails and toenails, at the same time to the total cutest infant eyelashes.
The length from mind to toe actions 22 inches or 55.8 centimeters – just like a specific newborn. It will be adore at 1st sight as quickly when you have one of those reborn babies within your arms! The delicate particulars depicted concerning the So satin black robe genuinely Reborn babies are precisely like you would see on the specific infant.
Emily Reborn by method of the center will be the 1st problem concerning the So genuinely specific series. The 2nd problem will be permanently Rose Emily. This unique limited edition sequence is becoming introduced to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of santa dress Ashton-Drake Galleries. each and every doll within choice arrives using a Certificate of Authenticity.
What a good offer better xmas current for every one of the doll collectors and small girls within your existence than an Ashton-Drake reliable So genuinely Reborn infant doll? At 1st sight, you will swear it’s a specific infant! this could be truly a beautiful inclusion to any doll collector’s collection. At this price, it will be smart to purchase now earlier to the provide runs out through the upcoming xmas rush.

ARTICLE - REBORN BABIES: PANDERING TO A MENTAL DISORDER?

Reborn Babies: Pandering to a Mental Disorder ?

By: Keith


Some people are not content with normal dolls.  Some people want dolls that are as close to the real thing as possible without actually being a real baby.  To be more precise, they would probably prefer a real baby but settle for a realistic looking doll as the next best thing.  The dolls in question are called reborn baby dolls, and the people who make them are artists.  A toy maker is an artist too, but we call him a toymaker.  Likewise, a doll maker is a specific kind of toymaker and, thusly, also an artist.  But, the people who make reborn baby dolls are not toy makers.  They are, simply, artists.  They don’t make toys and they don’t make toy dolls.  They create works of art and sell them to people, people who seem to treasure them beyond the normal happiness a toy gives to a person.   
   
The BBC did a report on the dolls and the people who buy them.  The dolls themselves are borderline interesting, but the people who buy them, although they would deny it, have emotional problems.  They take their dolls for pram walks and hold them just as if they were real babies.  Some of them even have dedicated cribs and rooms for their baby dolls.  They check up on them in the night, they schedule time to be with them.  In short, their devotion is completely abnormal.  I may sound like I’m mocking these people, but I’m not.  Whatever happened to them in their past, to make them latch so strongly onto a lifeless object, must have been serious.  But, whatever they want to believe, it is not healthy.   

The Artists:   
    
 
I’m not going to deny that the people who come up with ever more fascinating strains of marijuana are great botanists.  But, however great their skill is, I have to disagree with their decision to misappropriate a skill that could have otherwise been put to better use.  Yes, yes, marijuana is a medicine.  Still, with all the other herbal and plant based remedies that need investigating, marijuana cultivation seems a bit self serving.  About the reborn baby artists: Skillful? Yes.  Exploiting a market?  Absolutely!  They know there is a market for these dolls just like the marijuana grower knows he is never going to be put out of business by market forces (although the DEA might be a different matter).  To be completely honest, I don’t blame the marijuana grower and I don’t blame the doll maker.  It’s the people who use the product who determine the direction of a free market.  Nevertheless, and even though I believe it would be my right, I would not grow marijuana, and I would not make reborn baby dolls, and it’s for one reason that I would abstain; I do not want to be the facilitator of a destructive behavior.  That is a personal, libertarian choice of mine. The ultimate responsibility for the unhealthy behavior lies squarely on the shoulders of the people buying the dolls, and the drugs.  The drug user needs intervention, and the needy doll ladies need intervention.     
    
What do you Think?    
    
 
Are reborn baby dolls an unhealthy escape from reality in the same way marijuana temporarily causes people to forget their problems?  Or, is marijuana legitimately a medicine in the same way these dolls legitimately help their owners cope with deep mental stresses?  Or are the two not comparable?  It has been established that certain mental illnesses are just as real as any physical pain.  Marijuana does not actually cure any disease; it simply relieves pain.  Reborn baby dolls do not heal mental wounds; they just relieve pain.  Is that a good enough reason for needy people to lean on them?  Or is the escape more damaging than the ailment?

Friday, December 30, 2011

HOLOGEN OVENS - 6 REVIEWS

so, im a member of a couple (ok a few) REBORN groups on FaceBook, and there is always chatter in the threads about this and that.

i read for the information, tips, tricks, etc.

and i can remember when i was looking through the forum for BountifulBaby.com, some people talking about a hologen/convectioners oven.

to which i was in a dumbfound..."huh? whats that?"
seems to save the regualr MEAL MAKING oven and you can use this smaller one exclusively for the dolls themselves.

that thought didnt resurface again till today, when one person showed an image of her Christmas Gift this year, a holgen oven and was asking how well it worked.

made me go google..

to which i found this information.

They roast a chicken in 30 minutes, clean themselves and cost just £40. We give halogen ovens a grilling

By Tessa Cunningham

Last updated at 10:21 AM on 4th November 2009

Does cooking an entire two-course Sunday roast dinner in a glass bowl plugged into a wall socket sound too weird to be true? If so, think again. Welcome to the world of the halogen table-top oven.
Halogen ovens started life humbly enough being sold on shopping channels, but in the past few months they've won an army of converts on internet chat rooms.
And that's because halogen ovens don't just save space, they do everything in one pot that normally takes an entire oven to manage (sautèing, boiling, roasting, baking cakes) - and three times faster.

The table-top oven was developed using halogen heating elements, which convert electrical energy into intense heat. They also rely on infrared waves and an inbuilt high-performance fan, which helps circulate the intense halogen heat to cook the food as quickly as possible. The ovens themselves are much smaller than their conventional rivals - and about an eighth of the cost.
They consist of a clear glass bowl with a lid on top that contains the halogen bulbs and the high-powered fan. This means you can watch your food cooking, and adjust cooking times according to how the food looks.
But while they're compact, they can fit a suprising amount of food in - I could easily fit a medium chicken surrounded by vegetables in the bowl.
Some of the ovens also come with shelves so you can roast a larger chicken on the bottom while your vegetables or potatoes could go on the layer above - and because the fan circulates hot air evenly around the oven, there's no need to swap the chicken and vegetables around, or turn your food during cooking as in a conventional oven.
But is this latest kitchen gadget just a gimmick, or will halogen ovens really push traditional cookers onto the scrapheap?

To find out, I put six to the test. In each oven, I cooked a roast chicken, roast potatoes and carrots, followed by a ready-made sticky toffee pudding.
In a conventional oven, my 1.5kg chicken would have taken around 90 minutes at 375f (190 c). But my trusty halogen oven cookbook - My Halogen Heaven by Maryanne Madden - suggested one of the new machines could do it in just 33 minutes at 400f. The potatoes, which you put in raw, would need 50 minutes.
The pudding would have needed 22 minutes at the same temperature in a conventional oven. I tried five minutes - again on 400f.
I also wanted to check whether it's possible to cook two very different dishes without washing the oven in between. I simply poured the chicken juices away before popping my pudding inside the bowl.
Here are the results.
ANDREW JAMES DELUXE HALOGEN OVEN, £44.95
This oven is brilliantly easy to work and instructions are clear, although there's nothing fancy about it - it emits a tinny ping when cooking is complete and the light instantly switches off. The bowl - 33cm wide, taking a maximum of 12 litres - is light enough to carry to the table if you want to serve direct from the pot and the base is reassuringly solid.
The Andrew James model cooks well and is good value
The Andrew James model cooks well and is good value
It's inexpensive and would be superb value apart from one important detail. There's nowhere to put the lid. It's too heavy to lift easily and got so hot I was terrified of putting it down on the work surface. With halogen ovens, it's the lid that plugs into the wall, so you can't take it far from the cooker.
As this model doesn't come with a stand, I ended up holding the lid in one hand while trying to check the chicken with the other. The chicken was succulent - and took only 45 minutes to roast. I heated up the pudding in only five minutes, and there was no whiff of chicken despite using the same bowl.
VERDICT: 7/10. Cooks well, great value but let down by having no stand.
FLAVORWAVE OVEN PLATINUM, £112.90
This all-singing, all-dancing model is like a mini-spaceship. And the control panel, built into the lid, is as complex as anything you'd expect on a lunar rocket.
There's a digital display panel to set cooking time; a panel which lights up as you select the temperature and a touch panel to set fan speed. 'High', for example, helps the food cook even faster and improves browning.
Flavorwave Platinum halogen oven
The flip-top lid made the Flavorwave Platinum halogen oven easy to use
This is the only model where you don't have to remove the lid to open. I just had to flick it up, which I found much easier and safer.
When the cooking cycle is finished the oven emits a long beep. Unfortunately, I heard this rather more often than I expected as I kept having to blast my chicken and veg to get them properly cooked.
My chicken took an extra 25 minutes (on top of the 30 minutes recommended in the instructions) to cook thoroughly. By then, the outside was disappointingly dry and the vegetables still remained hard. The pudding was OK, but not brilliant.
The oven comes with two racks and a pair of tongs. A bewildering number of optional extras include a breakfast tray - complete with toast rack and space for eggs and bacon - an extender ring to cook larger turkeys and a steam basket.
VERDICT: 6/10. It looks good, but is not worth the money.
PROLECTRIX INFRACHEF, £54.99
The least attractive of the models and the most intimidating. The cooker is contained in a black case with two huge dials for timing and temperature, but the numbers are so small they are difficult to read and, disappointingly, temperatures are only in centigrade.
It does, on the plus side, come with a lid stand and the chunky handle makes it easy to hold, but it was really fiddly to try to remove the bowl.
The Prolectrix Infrachef might not be attractive but it cooks chicken and vegetables to perfection
The Prolectrix Infrachef might not be attractive but this halogen oven cooks chicken and vegetables to perfection
The instruction manual has a few recipes such as olive and sun-dried tomato focaccia, which is quite useful and the oven cooked brilliantly.
The chicken took just over 35 minutes to roast and was definitely the tastiest. The vegetables were also roasted to perfection. I don't believe any conventional oven could have cooked them better. The pudding was also delicious.
What it lacks in looks, it definitely makes up for in results.
VERDICT: 8/10. If you can overlook its appearance, this definitely delivers.
JML HALOGEN OVEN, £59.99
For my money this is the most appealing-looking model. The temperature and timing dials are easy to use. The lid fits easily on the bowl and the handle is sturdy.
But again, there's no lid stand and I had to clear a space beside the oven for a heat proof board that I could place the red hot lid on.
JML Halogen oven
The JML halogen oven looks good and is easy to use
Also you can't turn the timing control backwards if you make a mistake as this could damage the timer. Instead, if the timer is set longer than required, you have to turn the oven off and wait for the timer to naturally count down to the time required.
The chicken cooked through in just 40 minutes but didn't crisp and looked decidedly unappetising. However, it tasted nice and moist. The vegetables were more crunchy than I would have liked and tasted boiled rather than roasted.
The pudding cooked in five minutes and tasted OK.
VERDICT: 5/10. Easy on the eye but with no lid stand it's tricky to use and the food was disappointing.
FLAVORWAVE TURBO, £74.95
The original FlavorWave is a more basic model than its souped-up big brother. But at almost twice the price of some models it's hard to see whether it's really twice as good.
However, it's still worth bearing in mind that, even at the top end of the price bracket, this is a fraction of the cost of a built-in cooker.
Flavorwave Turbo halogen oven
The original Flavorwave Turbo halogen oven scores higher than its souped-up big brother
It comes with a lid holder and tongs as well as the standard two racks. I would have liked temperatures in Fahrenheit as well as centigrade. And the instruction manual was rather patronising: how many users need to be told not to let their children play with the oven?
The clock ticks throughout the cooking time and a little bell rings at the end. But they're hard to hear over the roar of the fan.
However the results were excellent. The chicken cooked in time. It was nicely browned and moist, and the vegetables were gently roasted. The pudding also worked well.
VERDICT: 7/10. Works well and looks nice, but a little too pricey.
COOPERS OF STORTFORD, £39.99
For A budget buy, this does everything you need. There's no lid stand but you can buy one for just £6.99, which still makes the oven better value than some of the others. The instruction manual is easy to follow and contains a few useful recipes.
Coopers halogen oven
The value for money Coopers of Stortford halogen oven has easy to follow instructions
My chicken took an extra 15 minutes but, to be fair, the recipe in the handbook suggests cooking for at least an hour at a lower temperature of 325f. The veg remained undercooked. Again, this might have been different had I followed the recipe.
The pudding also needed an extra three minutes.
VERDICT: 8/10. No frills, but works efficiently and at a great price.

ARTICLE - TIPS IN CREATING YOUR OWN REBORN DOLL

Tips In Creating Your Own Reborn Doll

December 30th, 2011 by david | Filed under Home Recording Studios
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Generating real-life seeking child dolls is what reborn art is all about. Inside the 1990s, enthusiasts began exploring the possibility of developing realistic-looking dolls therefore became the start off of this hobby. Vinyl will be the most frequent material utilized in creating the dolls, together with numerous layers of paint. Vinyl is one material that can’t be broken, which ensures buyers that they’ll not shatter the doll to pieces when they handle it. The locations where you can order and acquire these items consist of conventions of Reborn artists in addition to on the web shops.

The cost for every doll range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, and is priced according to the good quality and size. Every time buyers get ready-made dolls, it is very advised that they should cautiously examine the merchandise. You have to check the particular type of material utilized to create the Reborn doll considering that some items sold by sellers don’t use the top and safest materials.

For instance, softer physique fat pellets may well melt within the vinyl parts and can rapidly get damaged. Soft physique fat pellets are truly a lot more effective if they may be placed inside the cloth physique. Buying these items is truly a lot more of a personal decision and it could vary according to your preferences. It is essential to talk about using the artist all of the specifics you need for the Newborn doll.

Though reborn dolls could be purchased as they may be, you may also decide on to have them custom-made using the use of reborn kits that consist of doll parts in addition to other materials in developing your personal doll. The process of creating a doll using the use of a kit is named Newborning. It enables artists to eliminate a number of steps of the fabrication. Nonetheless, so that you can make the product a lot more realistic, you would still need some support from specialists. Supplies of reborn kits can now be availed in some retail stores.
A number of the items that include the kits are the reborning essentials like faces, limbs, and heads. Moreover, the kits also have cloth bodies, glue, brushes, cosmetic foam wedges, and paint. Plenty of tedious operate is needed in performing this operate due to the fact you have to concentrate on every detail even to each hair strand. Plenty of time is also required in creating your personal newborn child doll. Should you are trying to own a customized doll, it is advised that you simply make your personal doll instead of purchasing one that is certainly already performed.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

SILICONE PAINT : CIRIUS SILICONE PAINT

Silicone surfaces require a silicone-based paint for adhesion. 


WARNING: Only Cirius brand silicone paints will adhere to both types of silicones (tin-based and platinum-based) as Cirius Silicone Paints are formulated to adhere to both surfaces when combined with Cirius Paint Medium.


Our paints may be used as a dye/pigment by adding to the silicone base before adding the catalyst (intrinsic). For this purpose a little goes a long way. The paints are most often used extrinsically to paint the silicone surface after it has set. The dye will only work with tin-based silicones. If added to your mixture of platinun silicone, it will interfere with setting of the rubber.

Thin Cirius Paints with Cirius Silicone Painting Medium. Clean your surface with acetone and let dry. You may thin Cirius paints for airbrush work with Naptha VM&P. Use Naptha VM&P to clean you airbrush as soon as possible after applying your paint to prevent clogging.
 
 

INFO -TASHA EDENHOLM CREATES LIFELIKE BABIES WITH DRAGON SKIN SILICONE

Tasha Edenholm Creates Lifelike Babies with Dragon Skin® Silicone

Like many young girls, award winning doll maker Tasha Edenholm was enchanted by her Grandmother’s doll collection. She was so taken in fact, that it wasn’t long before Tasha had a growing collection of her own. Collecting however soon lost its appeal. “I always wanted to create my own dolls,” she said, “and I’ve always had a passion for infants.”  Since then, her greatest love as been sculpting newborn babies. “I am always striving to learn and develop new techniques so that I can make each and every baby as realistic and unique as possible.” 

Tasha does not work from pictures, but instead sculpts each piece from a vivid picture that she has created in her mind. Once the clay sculpture is finished, she makes the molds and casts the babies with Dragon Skin® silicone. Then skillfully hand paints each detail, using Psycho Paint® pigmented with Silc Pig® silicone pigments, Tasha makes them come to life. All of her babies are completely hand made and "One-Of-A-Kind". A limited run of 10 to 15 babies are cast from each mold and sell out within 24 to 48 hours of being posted on her web site. You can view more of Tashas work at www.tashasbabies.com








http://www.smooth-on.com/gallery.php?galleryid=222

Monday, December 19, 2011

SILICONE BABIES

as im looking around on the web recently, i came across a video on youtube of an artist who has made some silicone dolls..

FULL silicone bodies!
that intriqued me! and i have been hooked ever since...
i want one..but man! are they expensive.

i suspect thats because 1)- they arnt cheap to make with the silicone.
2)- they arnt that high in demand
3)-its still pretty much an undiscovered doll
4)- most reborners dont work with silicone
5)-i have heard they are quite different to paint.

i specualte, of course, not really knowing anything except the videos and images i have seen..

i adore the fact they 'flop' like a real baby. the head 'bobs' to and fro, like a newborns would. and they are said to feel incredibly like a real newborn because of the special silicone they are made with.

i have been on a few pages on FaceBook and have seen people talking about them..
and today, one of the ladies who was 'schooling me' on the manufaturing of these dolls, sent me a private message telling me that CLAIR TAYLOR has 1 Stephanie doll available and all it needed was to be rooted...

its at a time like this i waish i was  rich, or had won the lottery, or had a tree in my back yard that grew dollar bills..lol

stephanie is a doll with only 15 in her production..and...shes SOLD OUT!


Sorry, Stefanie has Sold Out!
My Newest Silicone baby Stefanie is available in Solid platinum silicone.

Stefanie is a full size chubby newborn baby, a LE of 15 babies. Her head circumference is 14" and she is a 20" baby. Stefanie has full limbs, and an anatomically correct chest/belly plate with magnetic umbilical cord over a custom made doe suede body. She wears a white Will'Beth outfit with little colored flowers. Stefanie is available as a completed doll only. There are no kits available for Stefanie.

There are only 15 babies available in the edition of you can choose if to have one of these 15 babies asleep or awake. There are NOT going to be 30 available ONLY 15 and the collectors' choices will dictate how many will be asleep or awake by their choice for their Baby Stefanie.

You can also choose if you would like to have

Dragon skin or soft platinum silicone, skin tones for your baby. I made a new biracial skin tone I call Stefanie, just for this beautiful baby, but you can also choose from my other skin tones, l offer Light Caucasian, Caucasian, Biracial, Asian, and African

If you choose to have an awake Stefanie you can to have newborn blue or brown eyes. I use only high quality glass eyes for my babies.

Stefanie is $1595, and the non-refundable deposit to for Stefanie is $350. Shipping is included in the USA an additional $40
for international shipping.
Lay away is available up to 9 months

All lay away and deposits are non refundable and not transferable to another doll.
to me, this stephanie doll has 1 drawback to me...and a main reaso i wouldnt get her at all..shes not a complete body silicone...
i want a full body silicone baby...

i have seen some sites offer kits that are silicone...so making one is a possibility...but they would have coth bodies and silicone limbs...and im really interested in the whole thing being silicone.

whats been handed to this one individual is like...gold! the dolls value will increase as the years go on..and shell be sitting on a gold mine one day (if she never sells her)






this woman came to me letting me know this was available...but unfortunatly, i cant get her.

i dont have the funds, and i dont ahve the skilsl yet to work this doll...
but oh how i envy..lol

CONGRATS MIMI...if you do get this doll, shes one in a million (ok, of of 15 in a million, lol)

MICHELLE

Friday, December 16, 2011

NEWS - WANN MAKE A BABY: SPIELBRGS PROPOSAL TO TOOWOOMBA MUM

Wanna make a baby: Spielberg's proposal to Toowoomba mum 

 

Chris Calcino
December 16, 2011


When Toowoomba mother Natalya Edsen was asked to make a baby for Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, she was torn between laughing and hanging up the phone.
Luckily, she heard her mystery caller out and the Kumiko Kids Reborn Nursery owner discovered she was destined to be a baby-maker for the stars.
"Out of the blue, I got a call asking me to design a 'reborn' doll for [hit TV show] Terra Nova. I was in the middle of a shopping centre. My mum came out of the shops, saw my face and asked me what was wrong. When I told her I was making a baby for Steven Spielberg, she couldn't believe it,'' she said.
The Toowoomba mother has built a career on custom-making some of the most realistic dolls in the country and she jumped at the chance to see one of her bundles of joy on the small screen, working tirelessly to meet her four-day deadline.
"I was just hoping she wouldn't be eaten by a dinosaur! I still don't know if she will make another appearance, but I hope so. It's funny; I had never even heard of Terra Nova before they called me. Now I have to watch every episode, just in case,'' she said.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

ARTICLE - RDK (Reborn Doll Kits) OWNER CINDY KOLSHEEN HAS BEEN EXPOSED DEFRAUDING REBORN ARTISTS AROUND THE WORLD


RDK ( Reborn Doll Kits ) owner Cindy Kolsheen has been exposed in a American TV News report as having defrauded Reborn artists around the world....Read on to find out more...


Reborn Doll Kits Inc
 
American television station Action 3 News has blown open a case involving American doll suppliers Reborn Doll Kits and their owner Cindy Kolsheen.
Kolsheen has been involved with the "Better Business Bureau" in over 20 cases in the past and the bureau´s President Jim Hegarty commented that customers should pay attention to "The ultimate warning that you should proceed with extreme caution if you do business with a company with a rating such as this"Hegarty continues to mention that complaints started coming in back in 2008 and said "The company has not been responsive to any complaints that we have brought to its attention"
Further complaints of fraud have flooded in against Kolsheen from as far away as Australia and Costa Rica after customers paid for their products and did not receive them.
When confronted about the allegations Cindy Kolsheen commented that she "told the Better Business Bureau that I was was not going to give them the time of day to answer those complaints"
We urge all to voice their own experiences and feel free to send us an email by
clicking here These experiences can be confidential if required.
To see the full exposé video click here to visit the Action 3 News report.

ARTICLE - THINGS THAT KINDA FREAK ME OUT: REBORN DOLLS

Things That Kinda Freak Me Out: Reborn Dolls


For those of you who don't know, a “reborn” doll is a baby doll that's made to look as realistic as possible. So much so that on at least two separate occasions, police officers have broken into locked cars to rescue what turned out to be a toy.
 These dolls are made from vinyl, painted to look like real baby skin. This is achieved by painting the inside of the doll blue, and the outside flesh-colored. Real hairs or mohairs are threaded into the scalp, one at a time. The doll might be weighted, as appropriate for its “age,” and some will have magnets inside the head or mouth for attaching hair bows or pacifiers. Some reborn dolls are heated, make baby sounds, or have gadgets inside them that simulate breathing and a heartbeat. A really fancy reborn doll can cost thousands of dollars. They are sometimes called “living dolls” or, even creepier, “unliving dolls.”
 
Artists began making these creepy little critters in about 1990. Apparently, the doll collecting community wasn't happy with your standard dead porcelain eyes anymore, and wanted something even more soul-destroying. The International Reborn Doll Artists (IRDA) club was born (pun intended).

Some people simply collect them, like you'd collect any doll. While this may not be the wisest use of a n adult person's money, it's not that unusual.

Other people, however, have taken this way, way overboard, and actually treat the dolls just like they're real babies, except, I guess, for the “leaving them alone in a locked car” part.
 
 
Reborn dolls come with birth certificates and adoption papers. You can have your doll handcrafted to resemble the baby your grown child used to be, just in case that grown child still loves you at all. Or, you can have the reborn doll handcrafted to resemble your dead or miscarried baby, because nothing says “moving on” like taking a replica of your dead child everywhere you go.

Scientists believe that holding a real baby causes people to release bonding hormones, such as oxytocin, and they suspect that holding reborn dolls may have the same effect. Doctors in the UK have used them to soothe elderly patients. Some psychiatrists support the use of reborn dolls as part of the grieving process for bereaved parents. Others, however, think that's the stupidest thing they've ever heard.

There's some concern that the use of such a doll could inspire the mentally unsound to kidnap a real baby. Others point out that owners of these dolls can easily wreak havoc in social situations by carrying, changing, and, I'd imagine, attempting to feed a piece of plastic.
 
 One lady told Reuters that she bought a reborn doll because her (living) child wanted a sibling and she, the mother, didn't feel like having any more children. When I asked for a little sister or brother, my mother said “No,” and bought me a puppy.
 
 Some women presumably buy these dolls because they don't want a real baby, what with all the puking, screaming and sh*tting real babies tend to do. Those who carry these dolls in public say they enjoy the positive feedback from strangers, who compliment the “baby's” good behavior. I'd like to know how many of these women respond, “Of course it's well-behaved, it's a doll.”
 
 Honestly, though, these things are freakin' creepy. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Harrod's has refused to stock them, on the grounds that they might come to life at night and kill the janitor.
 
 

Friday, December 9, 2011

ARTICLE - IM BESOTTED WITH MY FAKE BABIES

I’m besotted with my fake babies

Mum treats dolls
like real children




CRADLING little Amy in her arms, doting Rachel Stephens gently places the baby into her Moses basket.

But she has no fear of being woken in the night by the little one — because the tiny bundle is a DOLL.
Rachel, 44, is one of a community in the UK who care for the ultra-realistic imitation babies known as "Reborns".
She was warned by doctors that polycystic kidney disease meant her body was not strong enough to cope with another pregnancy after she had her second child.
Rachel was devastated she would never again have a newborn to cuddle, so she turned to a fake baby instead.
Amy cost £300 and Rachel treats her as she would a real baby, taking her for walks in her pram — and she even considered expressing milk to feed her.
Rachel's own children feel jealous of the baby and her husband David* will not touch Amy, though Rachel insists she will never give up her fake child.
The full-time mum says: "When I first held Amy at a dolls' fair it was one of the happiest moments of my life.
"I've always been a maternal woman. Even as a child I adored babies and I bought my first Mother And Baby magazine when I was just 13.
"I met my husband when I was 19. He was my first boyfriend. We married four years later and it seemed natural to have kids straight away.
"I lost my first baby. It was an awful experience but then I fell pregnant again and this time it all went to plan. I felt like I was floating on air."
Rachel, from Liphook in Hampshire, gave birth to Toby*, who is now 15.
She adds: "Breastfeeding came naturally to me, as did night feeds and changing nappies.
"Just as Toby was being weaned, I fell pregnant with Rebecca. This was perfect as it meant I had another baby to breastfeed which I loved. I enjoyed motherhood so much I planned on having six babies."
But after the birth of Rebecca, now 13, doctors told Rachel she should not have another pregnancy as it would put her kidneys under too much strain.
She says: "I was devastated to be told not to have any more children. I am so broody that even now, in my forties, a baby crying in a supermarket or me holding baby clothes will make me produce milk."
As Rachel was fretting over no longer having babies to look after, she saw a TV programme about Reborn dolls.


She says: "The presenter shocked me by explaining that the gorgeous eight-month-old girl with peachy skin was actually a doll.
"I was mesmerised as she was so realistic — painstakingly modelled and painted by hand to look and feel just like a real baby.
"Each hair had been added individually to her head and eyelids and she was painted with veins before layers of paint were added to build up the skin tones. I discovered each doll has fingernails, milk spots, flaky skin and downy baby hair.
"One woman was filmed sitting on a park bench cuddling her Reborn doll and anyone passing would have mistaken it for an actual baby. She looked so happy and I knew then and there that I wanted one for myself.
"I began scrimping and saving and even selling some of my belongings, including my pet guinea pigs, to pay for a doll without dipping into family funds." Five months ago Rachel had finally saved enough and went to a dolls' fayre in Peterborough, Cambs.

Walkies in the pram ... Rachel with one of her Reborns
She says: "I picked up the doll I had my heart set on and rocking baby Amy in my arms I felt a wave of love wash over me.
"I gazed at her perfect newborn skin, tiny fingers and downy hair and never wanted to put her down. I told the woman behind the stall this tot was the one and paid her the £300.
"I was over the moon as I carefully placed Amy in her new baby clothes and gently cuddled her against my chest in her baby sling.
"On the bus home the driver cooed over her and said how gorgeous she was.
"I smiled proudly but confessed she wasn't real. The driver looked confused, as though she didn't quite believe me.
"A couple who started cooing over Amy at the train station were equally shocked when I revealed she was a doll. At home the reaction was less positive. My husband was horrified and refused to look at Amy and the children were just as appalled.
"Rebecca even asked, 'Aren't we enough for you?' Her words hurt but I explained that loving Amy didn't mean I loved them any less.
"I'm aware Amy is a doll but when I rock her in my arms I feel so happy as nothing compares to holding a newborn. I even got Amy into the routine of a new-born and considered expressing milk to feed to her but realised it would just dribble down her chin.
"She sleeps in a crib at the foot of my bed, I get her dressed in the morning from the pile of outfits I have for her in her own chest and take her out in her pram alongside the other mums. If it's cold I wrap her up warm.
My family's attitude has not softened in the five months Amy has lived with us. Rebecca hates me taking her outside and refuses to come with me when I push her to the shops.
"But since getting Amy I've become even more obsessed with Reborns and recently bought a toddler doll who I call Abby. My children hate Abby even more than Amy.
"My son says she scares him and on a couple of occasions they've insisted I put her outside in the wendy house for the night.
"I don't like to see my children distressed but I'm not going to let their disgust stop me from adding to my collection.
"Eventually I'd love a room of cribs filled with Reborn dolls.
"My love for them isn't hurting anyone, so where's the harm?"
* Names have been changed

ARTICLE - MOM BUYS REALISTIC BABY DOLL, TREATS IT LIKE A REAL BABY

Mom Buys Realistic Baby Doll, Treats it Like a Real Baby




36-Year-Old Ashleigh Kirby is obsessed with her new-born baby, Finlay. Only, Finlay isn’t a real boy. In a story that strongly reminds us of Pinocchio, Ashleigh is emotionally attached to a realistic, life-size baby doll, even more than with her own daughter when she was born.
Ashleigh lives with her 12-year-old daughter Becky in Andover, Hampshire. She separated from her partner when Becky was just five. After trying several years, she lost hope that she would ever find a suitable man and have babies again. Describing herself as strongly maternal, she wanted to have a baby in the house at any cost. When Ashleigh came across the ‘reborn’ dolls online, she immediately placed an order for one, priced at £250. She has since spent hundreds of pounds on the doll, on clothing, nappies and more. She takes the doll out to the park for a walk in a stroller, cuddles with it and even takes it shopping, treating it just like a real baby. Sometimes other women come over to her to see the baby, mistaking it for a real one. Ashleigh says she just plays along.

 If you’re wondering why she couldn’t have just adopted another baby, she has answers for that too. Ashleigh says she’s too lazy to go through the process of adoption and she did not want all the worry and anxiety associated with a real baby. With Finlay, it’s always cuddle time. The doll sleeps in her room on a cot that takes up most of the space. Becky, her daughter, does admit that the whole business is rather creepy and hides her ‘brother’ from her friends. “I don’t really understand it. I don’t think Mum prefers Finlay, but she can’t give me all the attention like she used to.”


The dolls are created by artist Yvonne Walters, who is regularly contacted by people who want to use them as a substitute for real babies and even to replace babies that have died. She says she doesn’t understand it herself, but it’s okay if it provides solace to people. Customers get to design their own dolls, that are made of glass beads or steel shots to make them feel as real as possible. Each hair is added individually to the head, taking 40 hours to complete. Veins, fingernails, milks spots, flaky skin and baby hair are all painstakingly created.
Ashleigh is an unemployed mom claiming £13,000 ($20,000) a year in terms of benefits. She has spent most of it on Finlay, and now plans to get him a companion, an older girl-doll called Summer. If only she could find a fairy-god mother to make the babies real.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

ARTICLE - ARTIST YVONNEs LIFELIKE DOLLS ARE 'REBORN' AS SUBSTITUTE BABIES

Artist Yvonne's lifelike dolls are 'reborn' as substitute babies

 Wednesday, December 07, 2011

 

A Westcountry artist who makes incredibly lifelike dolls says she is regularly contacted by people wanting to use them as a substitute for real babies – and even to replace dead ones.
The dolls each take four weeks to make and their bodies are weighted with glass beads or steel shots to make them feel as life-like as possible.


Each hair is meticulously added individually to the baby's head and eyelids, which can take 40 hours to complete.
The dolls are then painted with veins and then layer upon layer of paint to build up the skin tones to give them a realistic look before being placed in a kiln to set.
Each "reborn" has fingernails, milk spots, flaky skin and downy baby hair, and can weigh up to 9lbs.
Artist Yvonne Walters, 56, who makes the dolls in Newquay, said: "Some people find having the dolls therapeutic while others send pictures of babies that mean something to them. I can generally make one that's similar.
"I've been approached by women who have lost babies and want a doll to remember them by."
Yvonne, who also runs a guest house in Newquay, sells the dolls for thousands of pounds at a time and makes them by placing them in the oven, which acts as a kiln.
She added: "I don't understand it myself but if people take solace in them then that's OK as far as I'm concerned.
"The aim for me is to make them come alive."

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

ARTICLE -SHE CANT GIVE ME ALL THE ATTENTION LIKE SHE USED TO: MOTHER SPENDS MORE TIME WITH FAKE BABY DOLL THAN HER OWN DAUGHTER

'She can't give me all the attention like she used to': Mother spends more time with £250 'baby' doll than her own daughter

By Daily Mail Reporter

 6th December 2011

Ashleigh Kirby looks like any other proud mother pushing a pram through her local park.
But the 'son' she keeps wrapped up to ward off the cold is actually an incredibly lifelike doll.
The 36-year-old, from Andover in Hampshire, also takes Finlay shopping, regularly changes his nappies and has spent hundreds of pounds on clothes for the £250 'Reborn' she bought online. 


She has the doll - made to replicate a new-born - sleeping in a cot in her bedroom, where she keeps Finlay's tiny clothes in a specially-bought wardrobe.
Ashleigh, who already has a 12-year daughter Becky, bought the doll six months ago after splitting up with her partner made her fear she would never have children again.
She is now planning to 'expand' her family, with another doll to keep the first company, which she is planning to call Summer. 
Ashleigh said she thought about adopting after separating from her partner but was 'too lazy'.


She added: 'I always thought something was missing in my life and, when I saw the babies, immediately I knew what it was.
'The dolls are a substitute for me. I am very maternal. I bought Finlay six months ago for £250 from a lady I found online. 
'Half of my bedroom is taken up by his cot and I also have a pram, a car seat and a wardrobe of clothes. 
'He wears a nappy which I change - although not as regularly as you would a real baby. 
'I'd have liked to have met another man and had a brood of kids, but life didn't work out like that.


'I considered adoption, but I'm too lazy to go through the process. Real children are hard work - you worry all the time. With Finlay, it's cuddle time all the time.'
Ashleigh, who separated from Becky's father when she was just five, was desperate to add to her family but was worried about finding the right man. 

She took the drastic step of buying the incredibly lifelike doll - called 'reborns' - after watching a documentary. 
Unemployed  Ashleigh - who claims £13,000 a year in benefits - spent months painstakingly researching and designing the perfect doll. 
The dolls take four weeks to make and arrive in plastic kits of a head and four limbs - like Airfix models. The body is weighted with glass beads or steel shots to make it feel as life-like as possible.  Each hair is meticulously added individually to the baby's head and eyelids, which can take 40 hours to complete.
he dolls are then painted with veins and then layer upon layer of paint to build up the skin tones to give it a realistic look before being placed in a kiln to set.  Each 'reborn' has fingernails, milk spots, flaky skin and downy baby hair, and can weigh up to 9lbs. 
Ashleigh spent months worrying about minute details such as Finlay's red new-born skin tones and mousy blond hair.  And now she walks alongside other mothers in her local park, where people regularly approach her and coo over her baby boy, assuming he's real. 
She added: 'Sometimes I just play along with it. Looking at Finlay for the first time, there was a stronger bond than I had with Becky. 
'There was an immediate rush of love. With Becky, I was so tired after the birth I didn't feel as close to her.'
Becky admits she has hidden her 'brother' from classmates and says she finds her mum's obsession 'weird'. 



She said: 'I find it creepy - I don't really understand it. I don't think mum prefers Finlay, but she can't give me all the attention like she used to.'
Ashleigh is now 'expecting' another baby - a three-month-old girl she will call Summer, who will also cost £250. 
She said: 'I can't wait to have a baby girl in the flat. I wanted a slightly older baby as Finlay is very much new born.
'Summer will have long blond hair, I have seen pictures and she looks gorgeous. 
'As she is a girl I am sure she will be spoilt with lots of new clothes.'
Artist Yvonne Walters, 56, who makes the dolls in Newquay, Cornwall said she is regularly contacted by people wanting to use them as a substitute for real babies and even to replace dead ones. 

She said: 'Some people find having the dolls therapeutic while others send pictures of babies that mean something to them. I can generally make one that's similar.
'I've been approached by women who have lost babies and want a doll to remember them by.'
Yvonne, who also runs a guest house in Newquay, sells the dolls for thousands at a time and makes them by placing them in the oven, which acts as a kiln. 
She added: 'I don't understand it myself but if people take solace in them then that's OK as far as I'm concerned.  The aim for me is to make them come alive.'


Monday, November 28, 2011

ARTICLE -DOLL-MAKER GIVES NEW LIFE TO US BOGUS BABIES

Doll-makers give new life to US bogus babies

Published: 28 November, 2011

RT discovers why the business of making life-like dolls is anything but child's play.
Life-like baby dolls, known as ‘reborn’ dolls, were first made in the US back in the 1990s. They were meant to resemble a human baby as much as possible.
“Each of my dolls comes with a birth certificate like this – you can fill in the name, weight and height, as well as the date and place of birth,” reborn doll artist Tatyana Tsorn told RT.
Only a couple of years ago, these dolls were seen as exotic and could only be bought abroad. When Tatyana wanted to learn how to make them, she had to take a course in Germany because there were none in Russia. Now though, dozens of local doll artists have picked up the trend – and their customer numbers are growing.
“When people place an order with me, they usually specify what hair and eye colour they want the doll to have,” Tsorn told RT. “Some clients bring a photo and want the reborn to resemble it. But I like it when it’s left up to me to create and invent.”
Reborns were first made because doll enthusiasts wanted more realistic toys, but these are hardly playthings. Making one – in a process called “reborning” – is long and complicated. Artists initially transformed manufactured vinyl dolls, but today they mostly use special kits that have the necessary parts and supplies. Depending on craftsmanship, the dolls range in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
They look incredibly life-like and can be mistaken for a real child, so it is no wonder these fake babies leave no one indifferent. While some just love them, others say the fascination with them is a little odd.
Yet these dolls are said to have important therapeutic purposes. They have been known to help coping with the loss of an infant, or fill a void after a mother’s children have grown up. Psychologists say there is nothing wrong with mothering a fake tot, as long as the game remains just that.
There is also another reason for getting one – they are valuable collectibles. For Anna Volodina, an interior design fan, her five dolls add an extra touch to the look of her home.
“I wanted to use dolls as part of the decoration and reborns proved perfect,” Volodina told RT. “For each of them, I invent a story, choose clothes and find a special place in the house. For example, one of the baby boys is a hat-maker and he lives in an old hat box. Also, as my husband and I don’t have kids yet, these dolls create a very nice baby feel at home.”
Whatever the reason for getting a reborn, these babies are fast winning over those Russian women for whom dolls are far more than child’s play.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

38 FACTS ABOUT REBORN DOLLS



38 Facts About Reborn Dolls



Culture Buzz A reborn doll is a play doll that has been transformed to resemble a human baby with as much realism as possible. Here is everything you need to know about them.

1. The craft of making reborn dolls began in the United States in the early 1990s. 2. Almost all reborn customers are women, particularly older women. 
3. The internet has allowed doll artists and collectors to create an online society focused on reborn dolls. 
4. The process of creating a reborn doll is referred to as reborning and the doll artists are referred to as reborners. 
5. Reborn dolls are primarily purchased on the internet. 
6. Depending on craftsmanship, they range in price from $50 - $4,000. 
7. The International Reborn Doll Artists (IRDA) group was created to educate artists in the art form of reborn doll making. 
8. Some consumers of reborn dolls use them to replace a child they once lost, or a child that has grown up. 
9. These dolls are usually taken seriously and are cared for like an infant. 
10. In 2002, the first reborn was offered on eBay. 
11. Reborning is most popular in Britain and Australia. 
12. “Preemies” are smaller dolls molded after premature infants. 
13. Preemie dolls may come in incubators with a breathing apparatus attached to their nose. 
14. Purchasers can have magnets attached inside the mouth or head for attaching a pacifier or hair bows. 
15. Electronic devices that mimic a heart beat, or make the chest rise and fall to simulate breathing are common. 
16. In July 2008, police in Queensland, Australia smashed a car window to rescue what seemed like an unconscious baby only to find it was a reborn doll. 
17. Reborn hobbyists refer to the emotional response to holding their dolls as cuddle therapy. 
18. Mothering reborn dolls rather than just collecting them can become a problem when it is used as prop and becomes the person's only form of socializing. 
19. The remarkable degree of realism is achieved by dozens of layers of paint, beginning with tiny veins and mottled skin. 
20. Some women dress the dolls, wash their hair, take them for walks in strollers and take them shopping. 
21. At least one nursing home in the United Kingdom makes dolls available to female residents. 
22. Reborn Doll therapy has had amazing effects on Alzheimer's patients. 
23. They are sometimes called “memory” babies. 
24. What started out as a sub niche of the doll collecting industry has soon risen to become a world wide phenomeon. 
25. The best reborn babies come equipped with spines, squishy tummies and other soft, human like body parts. 
26. If you're willing to pay top dollar reborns can even be tailor made to resemble a picture of an infant you provide. 
27. Some reborn dolls are made to resemble monkeys and apes. 
28. Hair and eyelashes are usually made out of real human hair. 
29. People who amass a large collection of reborns make reborn nurserys. 
30. You should never buy a reborn doll for a woman without her consent (if you are trying to fix mental problems). 
31. Memorial reborn baby dolls can be made to memorialize lost babies. 
32. Reborn babies will never grow up, never move away, and never wake you up in the middle of the night for a faux baby bottle because they are hungry. 
33. In addition to a complete baby wardrobe the moms will have pacifiers, car seats, faux milk and faux juice bottles for their precious reborn babies. 
34. Their bodies are soft and weighted with rubber pellets, micro glass beads, and sometimes sand. 
35. The proccess of getting a newborn baby is often reffered to as “adoption.” 
36. Reborn dolls are usually made individually by home-based artisans. 
37. The first annual International Reborn Doll Artists Conference! was held in Orlando, Florida on January 21-23, 2005.  
38. Reborn owners often rotate their dolls. Fran Sullivan, 62, says she rotates her dolls, choosing a new one to care for each day depending on how she feels.