What is a "Reborn" doll?
Reborn dolls are fast becoming the most sought-after dolls for collectors and enthusiasts alike. The art of "reborning" a doll creates the most realistic doll possible. In a painstaking and very detailed process, reborn artists spend countless hours on the smallest details to bring their creations to life. When you see a reborn doll, you almost expect to hear him or her giggle and laugh.
Note that Reborn dolls are hand-made, one-of-a-kind masterpieces - they are not suitable as play dolls for children.
The Reborning Process
Reborn dolls begin a normal vinyl or collectors dolls, from manufacturers including Berenguer and others. During the reborning process, the artist disassembles the doll and strips it of all factory paint and hair. She carefully bathes the doll to remove all residue, and it is then thoroughly dried.
Once the doll is ready, the artist carefully hand-roots its hair using
Angora Kid mohair. The hair is sealed from the inside, to allow for styling. The hair is then hand-dyed to the chosen color.
Once the hair is completed, the inside of the doll is carefully painted to achieve the appropriate skin tone. The doll is then dried completely, then the artist uses oil paint or oil pastels on the outside of the doll to highlight natural skin creases. Eyebrows are painted on with acrylic paint, and lips are painted and sealed with a gloss sealer.
Eyelashes are hand-rooted mohair for sleeping babies, or glued on for open-eyed babies. Eyes are realistic polymer.
The artist opens the nose so the baby can breath, and backs the opening with black felt.
The final touch is to paint and seal the doll's toenails and fingernails with white tips and nail beds.
The doll is then reassembled. The artist fills the limbs with high-quality sand for a realistic weight. Each limb is topped with poly fill and sealed with glue to prevent leakage. The doll's body is filled with pellets to the neck, then topped with poly fill.
The artist also weights the head appropriately, by inserting sand-filled balloons and filling the rest with polly fill.
Once the doll is assembled, she pencils the veins in and paints the ears.
About Tiny Saints
Shelly, the artist at Tiny Saints loves Reborning babies. She is the mother of five children: Savannah, Chase, Corban, Caeden, and Tru. Shelly has recently received the "Reborn Artist of the Month" award from the Reborn Artist Circle.
Shelly is an active member in the Reborn Dolls Artist Circle and the Your Baby Forever Reborn Artist Guild.
 
She and her husband Shawn are proud to have been married for 10 years, and are looking forward to many more happy years together.
Shelly is a stay-at-home mom, who home-schools her two oldest children.
"Be thankful for every moment because you will never get it again. " -- Shelly, Tiny Saints |
