Transformation of a mess to a photo studio

Sooo...what does that clutter space in YOUR house look like?? LOL This WAS mine!

After two weekends of sorting, dusting and hauling off..it now looks like this! Here is my new photo studio!
(Since I took this picture, a lovely friend told me to turn the lights around and let the light filter through the umbrella's. Wow, that works so much better!)

Here are some shots I took of my personal reborn, Rory in the new studio. I think I am going to like this much more than fighting with the daylight hues and variances!

I pretty much have the babies put back into the nursery. I have a bit more work to do but REAL work calls me today. I'll be painting on Nicky most of the day today.

Have a good one!
XXOO

Whoever said "theres always room for one more"??

Hmmm...I think it was me but I am finding that maybe that statement is not true as I attempt to get all the babies back into the nursery!

So here we are so far....a look into the nursery from the door:


Another shot from the door:

My only two full size OOAK babies (Olivia Grace by Angela Harris and Kenji by Huti Babies:

The girls crib (taken in sections) These are all reborns except for the dark haired baby in the dark outfit. She is silicone Carrie by Laura Tuzio Ross (LTR) (thanks for the outfit for her Sharon!!!):

Crib cap reborns and mini OOAK by Sharon Robinson:

Manufactured mini dollies:

The boys crib in sections: Reborn Daniel, Manufactured "Matthew" by LTR and reborn Rory by Dawn Donofrio:

The Main Man, LTR Silicone Giovanni:

Two reborns I made ages ago!

Tiny silicone Laurel by Rita Rich Arnold, reborn 10" Emily (by me) and reborn prototype Tika by Valencia Lacey:

Halloween-ready girls. Sarah the unicorn, Debbie the Ballerina, reborns Miss Molly and Mary Kay:

I didn't get any close ups of the kids on the floor or of the mini OOAKS on the shelf above the lavender co-sleeper cot, and believe it or not, I still have 9 more kids to find places for AND, I've got 11 in other area's around the house! ACK! Oh yes, and I have "just ONE more" on order. I think I need therapy! LOL

And the clothes issue is out of control! I might be parting with some of my manufactured dolls and some clothes. We'll see if I can bring myself to that!

Wish me luck today as I try to work the rest of it out.

XXOO

You asked for it~before/during pics and 2010 Colliii Awards!

Alright ladies~you've pressured me enough to hang my head low in shame and show you BEFORE pictures! LOL Yes, I actually work in a tornado of upheaval on most days! (I know it's Friday and I'm supposed to share my personal collection but this is ABOUT my personal collection...does that count?)

So here is the nursery before I began my work last night. The crib without the railing is the crib that I used to take pictures in. It will now be used for my personal collection.

Crowded to the max! The edge of the chair you see at the left of the picture is the chair I sit in when I paint.

Mohair drying on a rack on the floor by the heater. This probably will not change in the future! LOL But this mess will!

So I began by taking most of the babies out of the nursery and placing them on the bed in the guest room. I started at the top of the room for deep down cleaning and when I moved the dark crib against the other wall I simply did NOT like the bare, white wall. I went to the garage in the middle of the night to find the leftover wallpaper from when I first did this room. Now I know that I did not have enough to cover the entire wall which is why I did not paper it way back when AND, the paper was discontinued and I could not order more~I tried~but I decided "you know what...it's my room and my house and we have no plans of selling this house and if we do, chances are the new tenants will want to redo the decorating anyway, so, I took what paper I had and wallpapered that wall at 1 am! I am please with the results :) The paper ended just where the bench starts leaving that entire corner white. I may paint it someday. We will see how I like it when I get the babies put back in the room. So this is how it is looking so far:

I put the railing back on the cherry crib and arranged the cribs differently. I love it this way! I'll have easier access to my personal dolls.

The corner where the wallpaper ends:

I'll continue to work on the nursery today.

In the meantime~the 2010 Colliii awards are announced! Congratulations to all the winners for their beautiful babies!

~2010 Colliii Awards Announcement~

Happy Friday!

This and that~LDC paints

I've not been a very good teacher here on the blog lately so today I'll cover just a little bit of color mixing with the LDC paints.

My color guides are for sale on my Artfire selling site but just recently, during the class at EXPO, my students gave me advice on how to chart the amounts of paints I use when I blend colors, as it's pretty vague in the color guides~I'll be changing that. (See, I ALWAYS learn things from my students when I teach a class~I love that!)

So when blending colors of LDC paints, whether using my guides or going at it on your own, basically, most blended colors are to the ratio of 1+T+T+T...meaning one unit of the main color (the first one listed on my guides) and a TOUCH of the other colors. Hardly ever is there a 1+1+T. I've been paying attention lately as I make new colors, jotting down what I am using.

Does this make sense??

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I just have to share with you my WIP custom order, Robyn. She is from the Nicky sculpt by Jackie Gwin. This is the second of this sculpt I have worked on and it's always very fun! The first one was Ethnic/AA...I've posted her picture below this Caucasian version of Nicky.

She hardly has any color to her yet. I've worked on her now for 2 days with color. Today there should be some real changes as I move into coloring her creases, coloring the tips of her fingers and toes and adding all that glorious details to her nails such as half moons, tips and my special technique of extra added color on the nail beds themselves. I'll also build up her brows even more.
Not sure if I'll get to any blushes today.

Here is the first Nicky~I totally loved this baby! She has a very good home now:

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Well, my husband will be out of town and I have some BIG projects on the TO DO list! Two weekends ago, I moved my photo studio into another section of our house (in the office area) which freed up some much needed space in the nursery for my collection. Moving the studio was already a huge project as the area it went to was piled high with stuff we just have not done anything with for years. But starting tonight, the nursery is getting revamped! I am so excited to re-arrange and get my personal collection in an order where I can appreciate them more and have elbow room as I "birth" my new creations. Hmmm...do I dare take "before" pictures??? Eeekkk...that is a scary thought! (I did take "before" pictures of the office area where the studio was being placed but I'm waiting for some new backdrops to arrive before I take "after" shots of the new studio...am I brave enough to show you what a mess that was???)

I'll let you know tomorrow here on the blog! LOL

Hugs for the day!
Debbie

21 TNGUN reborns in ONE house?? Times 2 houses!

YES! It's true!

I have two customers who evidently are in a competition to see who can adopt the most TNGUN reborns! LOL Actually, both of these dear ladies have become my very good friends and they too, are friends and NOT in competition. LOL

One of them has 20 of my reborns and as of today, the other one will have 21. She recently adopted Noah and Dalton to add to her growing number of siblings and they are to arrive at her house today. *****Update on November 9, 2010...both of these ladies have 21 of my reborns (I miscounted one group of babies) and one of them is buying one of mine from yet another friend so she will have 22! That's a latta babies!*********

I am so grateful for both of these ladies for loving my babies the way they do and, because they have become good friends mine, I occasionally get to see the babies again!

I am blessed!

XXOO

Oh my! I ordered a silicone doll!

Remember little Lauren, the OOAK that I first fell in love with from Jorja Pigott's pictures and then REALLY fell in love with her when I got to meet and hold her at EXPO?

Well at the time of EXPO, Jorja did not know what she was going to do with Lauren~produce her in resin, silicone or kit. *I* wanted to buy her as the OOAK but Jorja just was not ready to make that decision. After EXPO, Jorja decided to produce just 20 Silicone baby and 200 vinyl kits. She has asked me to do one of the prototypes of the kit which is very exciting but even more exciting is that I put my deposit down on my little Sili Lauren yesterday!!! I am giddy with excitement!

There is just something so amazing about this little baby! And she is little too~about 15 inches.

The vinyl kit will come out after the silicone dolls are poured, which Jorja is picking up some of the silicones from Angela Harris on Thursday of this week! Whoooo-hoooooo!

I believe there are still some silicone spots left for Lauren so if you want one, hurry on over to Jorja's website to order!

~Pigott's Playpen~

Excited Dolly hugs!

Sydney Prototype on eBay

I was able to get her listed! Wish her well!

~Sydney on eBay~

I have a little lull in the prototype line up right now so I'll be starting a custom order. No, I am not again taking custom orders~I still have three on the list for late 2009 and 2010 that are paid for and just waiting to be birthed! Then there are two others that have deposits on them. I feel bad it's taken so long.

So this next custom is going to be a fun one! It's the Nicky kit by Jackie Gwin~a smiling fun little gal. This will be fun! I processed her hair last night.

Have an excellent Monday!

XXOO

Great weekend! I got a trophy!

But it was not for a reborn doll!
Yesterday, my husband and I traveled to Boise Idaho for the
"High Speed Pursuit at the Prison" 5k, 10k and half marathon event. This event is a fundraiser for the Idaho Peace Officer's Association that supports family members of fallen Peace Officers. They really made the atmosphere fun with a SWAT team at the start line, an old Warhawk fly over and scattered police and correctional officers along with the fire team and Life Flight to cheer us on.

I competed in the 5K walk, my first competition of this kind...ever!

I was pleased to have placed 2nd in the women's overall division. :) Although I kept my pace at what I thought was a good clip, I knew I was not first because the first place woman came flying by me in stride! She was fast!

My husband did not place for a trophy in his division of the 10K run, but he placed 5th in his age group in the mens run.


We had a really great time!



~In the Nursery~


I will be setting up little Miss Sydney's auction this morning and working on mohair this afternoon as I "gallery sit" down at our gallery.

It's a lovely, raining, fall day.

XXOO

Prototype Sydney is finished!

I am so pleased to introduce my latest Labor of Love, Sydney Prototype #1 by Jorja Pigott or Pigott's Playpen.

Sydney has just barley there, peach fuzz hair.

This kit is very, VERY sweet!
Sydney is available for pre-order!

~Pigott's Playpen~

A good body for her is Bountiful Baby body #1804

Sydney Prototype will be on eBay Sunday morning.

I'll get back to sharing my collection next Friday. Have a great one!
(tomorrow is my first 5K walking competition!!)

Calling all reborners! Would you make a baby for...

An Alzheimer's patient?

I talked a little bit about the Dolls for Alzheimer's organization the other day but since then, I have contacted the organizer and sole "team member" of that organization. She shared with me that she has a real need for more reborners to join her mission as she is the only on on board of HER particular organization. I'm not saying that people do not make reborns for these special patients, I am simply just stating that she needs help in her area.

I want to help, but I simply do not have the time. I told her, Jacque, that I would post it around the need for help.

The reborns for Alzheimer' and dementia patients do not have to be top-of-the-line reborns. They simply have to have life-like appeal with soft hair and a nicely weighted (but not too heavy) bodies. They do not have to be made from the most popular kits.

If you have some reborns that have not found mommies or you would like to specifically make a reborn for a specific patient, please contact Jacque through her website for information on how to donate.

~Dolls for Alzheimer's Website~

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

2010 Colliii Nominatons

Well, I failed to tell you yesterday that the gorgeous Ethnic baby I posted the auction link for is also a 2010 Colliii Award nominated baby! I think she is very deserving of the nomination and wish Emma the best of luck through the Jury Panel.

My friend, Stacey Haskins, also received a Colliii Awards nomination~I am so excited for Stacey! Good luck girlfriend!

Another friend, BethDowning, was also was nominated! Way to go Beth~good luck!!

The post is up on the Colliii website.

~View Public Nominees Here~

The Colliii Awards jury is permitted to go back through the entries and place back into the nominations, dolls that may not have made it past the pubic vote.

~See Jury Post Nominations Here~

As you can see, Your's Truly did not make it into the 2010 Colliii nominations this year. I entered two prototype babies, Jayden and Kristaleta.

I was a bit sad but on the flip side, this tells me that the reborn art is expanding with great artists who go above and beyond the standard reborn doll. That means there are many more exceptional choices for you and I when we are looking for our next reborn to "adopt".

And this tells me that I need to work harder, go further and work on my photography skills. :)

Best of luck to all the 2010 Nominees!

The most gorgeous baby of 2010~IMHO

I was browsing eBay the other night and came across this listing:

~Beautiful Baby~

I think that is the most gorgeous baby I have seen all year! If I could afford her, she would be mine! She is worth every penny of her bids so far and will be worth whatever she shall bring in the end. STUNNING!

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I also came across this article via a Doll Fan post. It's an article on reborn babies and the effect they have on dementia and Alzheimer's patients. It is fabulously written and encouraging to see a positive article about reborns.

~Excellent Read~

I know of one organization that takes donations of doll supplies to make dolls for dementia and Alzheimer's patients. I think it's a fabulous organization!

~Dolls for Alzheimer's~

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Prototype Sydney is all painted! One of my friends thinks I should leave her bald. I've not done a totally bald baby before. Hmmmm...what to do!



Have a fabulous Monday!

Pictures of dolls from EXPO!

I didn't get too much time to walk the EXPO floor but I did get a few pictures and grabbed a few pictures from others.

This little lady has won my heart! This is Lauren OOAK by Jorja Pigott. I completely love this baby! She looks like she is just trying to crack her first smile. She just needs another "couchie coo". The thrilling news on Lauren is that, as much as I wanted her in OOAK, Jorja is going to produce her in a LE Silicone baby AND a LE reborn kit! I think the silicone is a must have for me. And I get to do the prototype kit :)

Angela Harris OOAKs. I adopted the one second to left.

Loved this little cowgirl!

Cathy Rowland OOAK:

Laura Tuzio Ross Silicones, Lil Angel:

Laura Tuzio Ross Kylin finished doll:

Laura Tuzio Ross finished Kristaleta's:

More LTR finished Kristaleta's:

Helen Kish dolls:

Helen Kish dolls:

Helen Kish dolls:

Helen Kish dolls:

Helen Kish dolls with signs:

Doll on display in one of the hotel's sliding glass doors. I loved seeing this every day as we passed to the elevatores/stairs and to the main fairway to the adjoining hotel.

Dianna Effner dolls:

Dianna Effner dolls:

Dianna Effner porcelain baby doll:

One of a Kind solid silicone doll by Laura Tuzio Ross. GORGEOUS!!! She was a custom order and was picked up by her new mommy at EXPO.

The doll display and options were so fabulous at EXPO!