Chris in VA Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I'm not completely anti-Barbie (but Bratz--yuck...). is a sweet video of something a Tasmanian woman did that went viral-- I hope Mattel doesn't come knockin'. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I like them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I've seen pictures of the dolls around but never the story about them. I agree, it is lovely. But I've never understood the appeal of the Bratz type dolls with their exaggerated features and makeup. I seem to recall, years ago, a Barbie that was styled similarly to Bratz. I don't remember the real name but I believe I called it "Streetwalker Barbie." It caused me to stop buying anything ever in the Target toy aisle. There may have been a loud meltdown involved too, but I am not sure. I'm not usually a public meltdown person. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 The video does a good job of characterizing the artist as quite innocent of the business end of what she has started... but I think if her values really are where they seem to be (and I hope they are) we will see her producing tutorial videos, not just the dolls themselves as a high-end hand-crafted product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 1. Remove the make-up with nail polish remover. 2. Paint on more natural features. 3. Put clay shoes on the dolls. 4. Knit clothes for the dolls. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Is it really that easy: just nail polish remover? I think I'd probably need patterns, instructions, and drawings, and advice of what kind of paints to buy and how to form a nice looking eye, and what shades make natural features look right. Maybe that's all second-nature to people who are already artistic. And what kind of clay (does it harden?) Not that I really need to know. It's just that I don't think someone like me could do it well without some detailed help, and I don't think I'm alone in that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I can picture this as a mom-kid home business. What a sweet way to give new life to a poorly-planned doll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I did a quick google and it looked like there are tutorials for repainting doll faces. I know of people (not personally) who make dolls so there are probably kits, products, tutorials for making dolls from scratch too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Oh wow! Her dolls are beautiful. Why didn't the Bratz people just make them like that in the first place? Those Bratz dolls are just bizarre to me. I don't like them at all. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 The only thing I'd worry about is Mattel coming after her for using their plastic doll as the base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiara.I Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 For the clay, she said she used "oogoo." A quick google netted me the instructions for *making* oogoo, which is a Sugru knockoff. (Now I want to make Oogoo....) But yes, I'd need help with eyeshapes and whatnot. And what kind of paint! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 "You realize the toy manufacturers" have a choice in how they make the dolls look. Exactly.... :glare: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 The new faces are quite beautiful! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Yeah, I was thinking that having her say what sort of paint she uses in NZ might not be particularly helpful for those of us living elsewhere. I like that she says on the tumblr that she hopes to inspire other people to be creative with old toys. Dd and I were entranced by the whole thing, and a good deal of the charm was that she was reusing cast off items. I think if a toy company manufactured these new we wouldn't have been so excited about them. I've painted flower fairy faces on tiny little wooden beads; that experience showed me that patterns are somewhat ... superfluous when you're painting little faces on dolls. You mostly have to have a steady hand and a willingness to screw up. But it would be nice if she explained her process of what she paints first, then next, etc. We were analyzing her choice of eye color, how she contours the nose, how she has experimented with mouth shapes. We also discussed how the looser clothing works for the proportions of those particular dolls' bodies vs. heads. (You know, I've often commented that I can't figure out literary analysis, but it occurs to me that analyzing crafting process seems easy peasy. Huh. Is this what you guys do when you're looking at literature -- noticing how all the bits fit together, and how the author's process worked?) (Okay, that was a total digression, but I tend to read many of the threads here with my "homeschool mom" hat on regardless of the subject matter.) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Ohh, I love this story! My oldest was into remaking her dolls at some point into "custom". It was a lot of fun. LittleDear re-makes littlest Pet Shop dolls in a very whimsical fashion: https://www.etsy.com/listing/221324091/ooak-petite-unicorn-girl-celeste?ref=shop_home_active_3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 She seems like the most genuine and honest woman. I would think any company would want to have her as an "idea" or creator. What a gem! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 The only thing I'd worry about is Mattel coming after her for using their plastic doll as the base. I think if she tries to sell them they could come after her, but other than that she is entitled to change the dolls she purchased. At least I would think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I call those (original) dolls "prostitute dolls". Love this Chnge doll version! ETA: She lost her job ("redundancy") and started this. Nice use of her time and talents. :) And her hubby is such a big fan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 The dolls are so adorable! My guess is that the nail polish remover is at least part acetone if not 100% so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Excuse me, but she isn't from New Zealand. She is from Tasmania, Australia. And yes they are awesome :) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Excuse me, but she isn't from New Zealand. She is from Tasmania, Australia. And yes they are awesome :) I wondered about that. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 They look like the Jenny Dolls (Ginny?) I had as a kid (minus the luscious thick hair) Of course, you'd have to be able to make your own clothes. One of the things I loved about dolls as a kid was changing clothes and the clothes just isn't available for this size anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I saw that on facebook and in the comment section someone mentioned Lottie dolls. I ended up placing an order that same day for the Lottie dolls. They are very cute - a combination of skipper (Barbie) type dolls and only heart club dolls. Much easier than trying to do it yourself! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I have a friend on a homeschooling fb group that did this with her daughter today. She had seen the video, she redid the face on one, her 7 yr old redid another one. They had a great time and the little girl is thrilled with the new look the dolls have now. I did not see this video until now and did not know what video she was referring to when she shared the pictures of the dolls she and her daughter did. Neat idea, I hate those Brats dolls but you can usually find them for a quarter to $1 at the thrift shops. I can see redoing them for my afterschool daycare. They want some barbie type dolls but I do not want trashy looking ones there 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Excuse me, but she isn't from New Zealand. She is from Tasmania, Australia. And yes they are awesome :) Thanks I thought I'd missed something. The altered dolls were much nicer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 I apologize about the Tasmania/New Zealand thing! It's my poor geography. :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit29 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 What a great story! Those dolls are fantastic. The appeal of Barbie and Bratz, is the plastic movable body. It's so much easier to accessorize and dress than other dolls. I can't stand them, so I've bought other dolls, but it's clearly not as much fun as her friend's dolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Those are fantastic! I vehemently HATE Barbies of any flavor. They are forbidden in my house. I am not ashamed to say I have trained dd to detest them, as well. These would be a great alternate for her. They remind me of Waldorf dolls or what Waldorf dolls might look like in Barbie-ish form. Wholesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 The video does a good job of characterizing the artist as quite innocent of the business end of what she has started... but I think if her values really are where they seem to be (and I hope they are) we will see her producing tutorial videos, not just the dolls themselves as a high-end hand-crafted product. I don't understand the pressure on the artist to produce tutorials. If she wants to, sure, why not. But if she wants to make high-end hand-crafted dolls, it is wonderful too. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 DD told me recently that I was "mean" for not letting her Bratz dolls when she was little. I asked her if she planned on letting her daughters have Bratz dolls when she is a mother and she said "Absolutely!" We'll see I guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I apologize about the Tasmania/New Zealand thing! It's my poor geography. :blushing: Another, "and they got into college anyway!" moment. haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I feel a need to point out that I was a parent who allowed Barbie and Bratz dolls, yet I have two teenage dds who choose not to wear makeup and aren't big on their appearance. I took them both for makeovers and to buy makeup for their 13th birthdays but they are like me and just don't wear it. I've never had to veto clothes because they dress so modestly. It's really not the dolls or the toys. I feel it's much more about the relationships. My dds know those toys are just that and have no meaning in their actual lives (just as I did when I played with Barbies). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 It is but the redone ones really looked happier and nicer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I don't buy it that playing with a certain type of doll makes or breaks a girl's self esteem and core values. However, I find Bratz dolls so utterly visually repulsive, I could never get them for my girls. Thankfully my girls found them ugly. I would've bought them a Barbie if they asked, though. They never asked either, but my girls are not "doll" kids, the mostly have stuffed animals anyway. I do wonder, though, what makes the dolls attractive to certain parents and children, and what kind of parents buy them and what kind of girls play with Bratz. I personally haven't met any, but mind you, I'm rotating in those "unworldly homeschooling" circles. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I love these - so cute!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 What a beautiful transformation! I have no girls and had really only heard about those Bratz dolls. This is the first time I have seen their faces up close. What a weird looking doll face until this lady came along and made them look natural and beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Barbies yes, Bratz no here. For one thing, the name! The girls prefer stuffed animals anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I feel a need to point out that I was a parent who allowed Barbie and Bratz dolls, yet I have two teenage dds who choose not to wear makeup and aren't big on their appearance. I took them both for makeovers and to buy makeup for their 13th birthdays but they are like me and just don't wear it. I've never had to veto clothes because they dress so modestly. It's really not the dolls or the toys. I feel it's much more about the relationships. My dds know those toys are just that and have no meaning in their actual lives (just as I did when I played with Barbies). Hmmm interesting point. My experience with Barbies (Bratz just didn't happen to cross our path): When I worked out how to be a Perfect Mother (i.e., before I had any children), I was definitely not going to allow Barbies. So we happily went ahead and didn't buy any, and none of the kids requested them. Then one day, my mother dug out an ancient box of Barbies that had been mine in the 1980s, and asked whether the kids might like to have them. My thought process went roughly like "No! Because feminism... ummm... actually... yes! because retro and nostalgia (and I'm too much of a tightwad to pass up something free)". The box of Barbies came home, not without some trepidation on my part. The kids started playing with the dolls, and I peeked in to see how it was going. The Barbies had discarded their dressy clothing and were looking for jodhpurs. The girls were talking about the dolls' anatomy. Comments included "They are so thin. They must not get enough to eat." and "Look at their silly shaped feet! Don't they know that wearing high heels all the time causes damage?". Moreover, the play scenarios didn't include anything different from what the kids already did with stuffed toys. It seemed that the Barbies made no difference. It was quite interesting to see how Barbies had changed over the years, in appearance - more manga-like, for want of a better word - and marketing - they are now cheap-ish toys aimed at little girls, whereas in my school days they were expensive and aimed at tweens (I still played with mine in 6th grade, and so did most girls I knew). I still don't like them much though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) I'm so glad to see this artist is continuing her work and is having such success selling her items on Etsy! I love reusing things, and she's made the dolls so much more beautiful. I hope she's enjoying her new job. :) ETA: Her downloadable coloring book is cute, too! Edited February 4, 2016 by MercyA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I don't like the Bratz dolls either. But I haven't paid close attention to them either. When she takes paint off their faces it becomes a lot more obvious how young the doll is-- the head to body size ratio is much more childlike than Barbies-- which makes it that much more horrifying that they painted up with so much make-up. Icky. I love how her new face paint makes them look more like little girls. I prefer that so much more than adult Barbies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 What a lovely story, and delightful woman, and supportive and encouraging husband. Cute kid, too. Thanks for sharing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 We tried to do this at home with some thrift store dolls - it's not as easy as it looks! I love everything about what Sonia has done with these dolls. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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