Before & After Friday | Reborn Meg and Leah


Reborn Leah by Sandra White


Meg by Marissa May | Penelope Bella

Can I just say, I love these girls. ❀

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Weigh in Wednesday | Name the Reborn & to root or not to root

Okay, fellow reborns, collectors, and blogosphere, in addition to naming this little girl (sound off, all name suggestions welcome! We so far have a Harper)

I’m in a quandry about what to do about my “Blaze” kit in progress.

Funny story about him. Having now amassed five completed babies for sale, and three existing ebay auctions in progress, two photoshoots left to finish up later this week, I figured it was about time to clean up my work station, and take a mini break. I have Jordi, Blaze, and Drew lying around, and Violet and Shyann on their way to me (long story) so I figured now was a good time to just enjoy the babies as they are, before they head home to their forever homes.

But one thing led to another, and soon I was fleshing him.

But swear, I intended to JUST flesh. JUST.

I’d even moved the paints to the bottom shelf, and organized them in groups, for that purpose. Also, I have added a LOT of paints to my repertoire, and I still need about 7 more. Or maybe 8. *cough* addict! *cough*


Blaze and Leah in for a bake.

But see, it’s like when you give a mouse a cookie. . . this reborning thing. I was just like well, if he’s fleshed, he obv needs some veins.

Exhibit B.

And obv if he’s veined, I can use some of that blue for undertones. And we all know undertones need creasing, which needs blushing, which needs mottling. And before you realize it, that damned hungry mouse has. . . (too much with the metaphors?) that Shaylen has gone and done this:

(and of course put in the eyes, because a completed baby face needs eyes to go with it!)

And then I was all, well, I intend to root this boy, so what’s the harm in painting some of the wispy baby hairs. . . But we all know (by now at least) that I’m a painted hair addict!!! And I give you. . . quasi painted hair Blaze!


This was supposed to be framing the face. I JUST CANNOT STOP!


Hair line = LOOOOOVE!


I am painted hair obsessed! πŸ˜€


This is a mixture of mostly mars black, with the tiniest bit of brow brown (which I prefer to burnt umber) oh with some blue added too, to get a really ash looking colour. And I finally have the exact thickness of the paint down. Think thick syrup. I will either add some slightly more brown tones to it and root dark brown mohair, or make him combi. The problem is I just cannot decide! I’m probably not going to keep him completely painted, as I’ve more than done that enough already and want to broaden my reborning portfolio. I also think he looks really good with hair. Some kits don’t. But his. Yup. So it’s probably between combi and full head. BUT WHAT SHOULD I DO?

No, really, blogosphere, what would you do?! If I root, it’ll be very micro rooted around where the painted hairs are, so it blends really well. With thicker hairs for the rest of the head. But if I combi, it’ll look more like a mohawk (I’m leaning mohawk with my thicker rooted too).

What would you do? HELP!
Combi?
Full head?
No way, keep painting that hair?

Weigh in!

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Pretty Tuesday!


I never get tired of seeing body parts, prettily painted and ready to be assembled! It’s magic! πŸ˜€

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NOW On Ebay! | Reborn Dolls For Sale

Super low start price! AND low reserves! Add them to your watch list to root them on! πŸ˜€


Also added a lot more custom babies to my Etsy shop! Will be getting the shop up officially on here momentarily! And will have some behind the scenes looks at a rehair painted “Meg” Penelope, and a completed “Leah” my first baldie and preemie too! ❀

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Reborn Love Affairs!

This post is dedicated to my favourite part of reborning! My painted hair love affair!

I’ve gone on about this – quite a lot! In fact, it’s prettyΒ much all I’ve officially blogged about so far. But I loooove painting hair! I think it’s become my FAVOURITE part of reborning. I could sit and paint strands all day long. (And I have. . . *cough* *cough*)

“Sofie” in progress.

As mentioned, there was a learning curve. I’ve slowly found the precise consistency of the paint for a perfect head. It’s syrupy. Thick syrupy, with a really dry brush. And this liner, it’s my fave. So much so, I bought a few! πŸ˜‰ I don’t use a comb brush. I probably should, for my thicker heads. But I love the meditative quality of painting those strands. I freakin’ loooooooooooove it. Even when it’s not going well, I find it incredibly therapeutic! And I’m still not even close to emulating some of my favourite painted hair reborn artists. But I swear I’m getting there. One painted strand at a time!

Pic spam!

“Cozy”

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It’s been an equal learning curve getting my colours right too. I love the black, or burnt umber, but I’ve also loved playing around with a mix of brow blond and flesh for the blond peach fuzz painted look (as seen on Cozy & Sofie).

What’s your favourite part of reborning?

My close second is creases and the undertones and mottling. Okay, I think I love all aspects of the painting! LOL!

What’s your least favourite part?

Gluing the magnets! OMG. So infuriating!

And rooting! Fearing a broken needle makes my stomach hurt (literally). It’s still a little too stressful for me!

& I totally love painting hair SO much, that — if I get decently good at it — I’ll start offering my painted hair services for other reborners. (Perhaps in a trade with other artists who loooove rooting!) I could paint hair only with great joy!

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Selling Reborns | Ebay vs Etsy

This was a big one. Figuring out my marketplace.Β  And whilst I do love ebay for purchasing, I’m not especially a big fan of selling through them. I’ve done, hum, four auctions now. Sam I sold locally, after having him up there twice; Meg sold to a 12 year old girl who never paid me (I took Beldoe’s advice and deleted the part about having to contact me if you have a feedback score of less than 5). I tracked her down via Facebook and then opened a case with Ebay and I’m still waiting on that.Β  The hardest part of it was feeling as though I’d finally broken the market there, only to have the rug pulled out from under my feet. And then I listed Sam II & crickets again. :p

Perhaps in future it will be a place I list again. But the actual sheer volume of work I was putting into designing the templates and pics doesn’t actually make sense for the return. Which is why I went back to the tried and true Etsy. Sure, I have to list for a set price. But I was going to do that anyway! πŸ˜€ And the returns for the maker are higher. Market is smaller. BUT I’ve done it all before. It’s where I run my custom portrait shop. And I’ve got a custom formula I’ve honed through them, that I can replicate with my reborns.

And the best part? Every three months it basically runs itself. No scrambling for auctions and timing them just right (I’m terrible at that – being someone who is still up at 3AM working!) No watching the auctions end or constantly checking in. And what’s with ebay not sending email alerts when people bid.Β  And I can NEVER find my dolls. The tags suck. Etsy is much more my terrain. And I’m so happy to have finally — definitively — made this decision.

That being said, Alice Pearl (Sofie by Denise Pratt) is up there! As are Sam II and Cozy (my beloved combi baby! Still obsessed with her hair! LOL!) I just finished the last of Alice’s photoshoot so will be adding the pics to her album and here momentarily. And once Meg is officially removed from ebay, I’ll be adding her up there too! & putting up some shop icons on here for ease of use, if any followers are watching this blog! Haha. XD

Oh & check out these before & afters of Kameko (a few follicles away from finishing this boy) and Sofie.

Introducing Tyson Maddox | Kameko by Tasha Edenholm
rebornkamekio2
& Introducing Alice Pearl | Sofie by Denise Pratt
sofie

More soon!

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Name the Reborn Game | Sofie by Denise Pratt



So far Colleen, Rosie, and Piper have been suggested. What do you think she should be named? Leave your suggestions in the comments or name her HERE via my FB page!

Winners go into a draw for a free reborn prize pack! πŸ˜€

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Jonah Joshua Reborn Boy | Sam by Marissa May for Sale (2nd version)
































** DETAILS **
Jonah has been meticulously painted using Genesis Heat Set paints – custom mixed for a completely unique olive skin tone, complete with blue and yellow undertones, newborn mottle, and four tone lips for ultra realism. Capillaries and blushing is blended well, with delicate milk pimples on his precious little nose.

His skin has been sealed with matte varnish to keep him shine free permenantly. Shine has been added to the corners of his eyes, lips and nostrils. And texture to his nose. Jonah’s hair was micro painted one folicle at a time, building layers over the course of many days with two tones for dimension. His hair will always look perfect and never need styling! His eyelashes were rooted and sealed with E6000, in a matching black mohair by Ruby Red.

Jonah’s body is doe suede and string tied. He has 3/4 limbs,
perfect for shorts and a onesie this summer! I also left the strings long so you can cut to your own liking if you wish. His limbs and head have been sealed and weighted. His body weighted in all the right places to give him an authentic newborn feel (perfect for cuddles). Limbs have been filled with glass beads and polyfil, with poly pellets in her torso (so nothing will leak) & glass beads in his head. No sand is in his body so she can travel worldwide!

He also comes with a complimentary Donna Rupert belly plate. It was an accidental seconds purchase, so it tore and no ends just below the navel (it was trimmed and sanded). It still looks great, but it’s free of charge for this reason! ; )


** GOING HOME **

Jonah goes home with an H&M tee and short set, faux jean shorts and a seagull beach tee. Socks by H & M baby, and a cotton navy blue with stars hat; a custom knit koala bear earflap hat; modified waves Nuk pacifier (happy to magnetize it on request); a Beach Dreams footed sleeper by Joe Fresh; certificate of authenticity and birth certificate; and a hospital a blanket and bracelet with her name & yours (let me know if you’d like his named changed!)

Everything pictured with him, goes home with him! Everything he comes with is brand new and was chosen to compliment his gorgeous coloring – greys, blues, and neon green – in a summery beach theme! He also comes with five disposable diapers! He wears size newborn and 0-3 mos clothing!
He also comes home with a care sheet of instructions, on how to best look after your collectible baby.

Jonah is the β€œSam” sculpt by Marissa May and comes signed and dated with a certificate of authenticity by the reborn artist, Shaylen Maxwell. All birth certificate details can be customized and changed.
** ABOUT THE ARTIST **
I am a WAHM to Sneaky (3) and Meekly (1). Jonah is one of the many Bountiful Baby sculpts I’ve had the pleasure of reborning. In addition to my work as a professional reborn artist, I am a custom portrait artist full time, and am a part-time natural light photographer serving the GTA. I hope to eventually sculpt my own OAAKs (but one step at a time).

I draw inspiration from many of the very talented reborn artists out there, Melissa George, Isabelle (Babies by Isabelle), and Samantha Rose-Harker to name a few.

I can’t get enough of Jonah’s detailing. β€œSam” was the first sculpt I reborned, and I loved reborning it a second time, just as much. I am confident you’ll love him just as much as I do.

His name was selected via the Name Game on my Facebook Fan page (Reborn Sweet). If you love naming babies as much as I do, check out the page to
participate.

To see my existing portfolio of portrait work, visit me at Custom Pop Portraits



** Please Note: **

I do accept layaways! If you’re interested in a payment plan for Jonah, please email me at shaylenmaxwell@gmail.com.

Jonah will be tracked, insured and will require a signature.

Lots of love,
Shaylen πŸ˜€

SUMMER SPECIAL 25% OFF
$399 + FREE shipping

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Updatery Before & After Pics| Reborn Babies for Sale

It’s that time again! BEFORE AND AFTER PICS!

I wrapped “Cozy” and “Sam” II on nearly the same day, so I decided to do their photoshoots together. I even got it down to a science, because I didn’t have the usual three hours to invest in taking pics of just one baby. I squeezed both of them into an hour’s time (thanks to Beldoe for keeping the kiddos entertained during it). I even got a new header out of it. It’s up everywhere now, FB, Twitter, here. And I LOVE it. Penelope “Meg” is still awaiting being sent to her forever home, so it was a good time to get a group shot! ❀

But enough of that. Here are the before & afters!

rebornsweetsam2

Meet Jonah Joshua (thanks everyone who played Name the Reborn again!)
Sam sculpt by Marissa May

And Cozy, by Linda K Smithreborncozy

Can I just say, I loooooove this baby girl! I love her so much, that if I didn’t really really really need to sell her to pay our bills, I’d keep her in a hot second. She’s perfection! And not just because she was my favourite kit. But that hair! It’s my first attempt at combi and I’m sold completely! She has baby fine painted hair, and a rooted crown in palest blond. It’s exquisite! I can’t wait to get her listing up on ebay (& reveal her name). That’s all going down on Monday, however.

So in the interim, here’s Jonas’ intro! And he’s on ebay already! If you’ve got an account there, please add him to your watch list to root him on (& help him find his forever home!) Super excited about this boy. And I know I ended up accidentally doing his kit again, but I bet this isn’t the last I’ll see of Sam. I love that boy’s face!jonah1

And now for a preview from “Cozy”‘s shoot. Check out this hair. Swooooooooooon! (Also won’t be the last time I do combi!)
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And speaking of making more reborns (with combi hair), up next on my to-do:
– officially finish rooting “Kameko”. His name is still undecided, so if you want to name him, get over here & leave your name choice!
– start “Leah” by Sandra White (swoonx2) Already decided she’s a she, and have the CUTEST outfit picked out for her, perfect for those full length arms!
– unwrap “Drew” he’s coming in the mail too! Woot!

. . . AND
the most exciting news of all. . .

I’m getting a Blaze next week! He’s set to arrive by Tuesday, likely! OMG! He was on my dream list, but was never in stock (until now).
AND
I’m also getting a Jordi, by Elisa Marx. I found a local retailer, shipping is soooo cheap. I just had to order her too! I am sooooo excited about my first not-BB kit. Yes, it’s pricier, but I’ve proven to myself this is something I’m going to be doing for some time to come (hopefully a LONG time to come). And I’m ready for a pricier kit. I’m confident I won’t totally wreck it out of the box. So, soooooo exciting. Just check out this face, yo? Beautiful, right?

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Name the Reborn – Ultimate Edition | Reborn Dolls for Sale

Yesterday was soooo exciting. Ebay auction on Meg/Penny came to a close and I’ll be packing her up soon to send her home to her forever Momma.

And three of my new babies are ready to be named. Two are nearly ready (minus magnets) and the third is almost fully rooted and thus ready to be named. I loosely assembled him for a photo opportunity I’m putting together tomorrow.

So. . . it’s that time again! I give you The ULTIMATE Name the Reborn Game! 3 babies, in need of 6 names. First and Middle (if you can think of one). Rules are simple. It has to be a legit name (nothing too eccentric like Window or something!) & nothing kre8tvely spelled. If it’s a name with multiple spellings, that’s quite alright. I’ll be using it in my listing, eventually. Winner gets. . . uh, recognition, for the time being. And knowing they named a fake baby! I know, I know, you def want to play along now, don’t you? ;D


Kameko, by Tasha Edenholm. Boy name, please! πŸ˜€


Cozy, by Linda K. Smith. Girl name, please! πŸ˜€


Sam II, by Marissa May. Boy name for him too! πŸ˜€

Let the game commence. Winners will be revealed when the official photoshoots go up!

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