Alices Babies is based in United Kindgom.
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The picture above shows how the doll kits usually start out.
Above is a Pooky kit by Petra Lechner.
I paint the dolls using Genesis heat set paints, applying several thin layers to build up a realistic complexion.
I then micro root the doll hair using very fine kid angora goat mohair, which I buy from either Susan Nagel in the United States or Slumberland Nursery in Canada. These 2 sellers have, in my opinion, the best mohair available. The hair is delicate and can be brushed and combed, but it has to be done very gently. Rough handling causes the hair to stretch and break. It takes me about 3 to 4 weeks to complete rooting the hair on a doll head.
I usually make or purchase a cloth body with moveable joints , and insert pouches filled with tiny glass beads, like grains of salt inside the body for weight. This is surrounded by the softest fleece to give the feel and weight distribution of a real baby. I also insert a smaller pouch inside the head, sometimes using steel shot, and surround it with the same fleece, then seal the head at the neck area. I never use sand in any of the dolls.
The limbs are filled with the same glass beads and fleece. The toes and fingernails are tipped off with a very fine off white line then sealed with varnish to give the impression of fingernails. In most cases, a magnet is placed inside the head with another magnet attached to a pacifier to attach to the doll's mouth. Hair decorations are attached in the same way.
It usually takes me about 6 weeks to complete a doll.
If you would like a custom order, please contact me for details.
If you are thinking of starting out on reborning as a hobby, it can be very expensive. For the most popular kits, expect to pay around £65 plus postage of between £5 and £8.
If you are making a kit with open eyes, the best eyes to use are German glass, costing between £18 and £25.
Mohair comes in different grades. The very cheap mohair is really a waste of money. It snaps and snarls when you are rooting and doesn't look very realistic when the doll is completed. I use mohair from Slumberland nursery in Canada which is about 50 Canadian dollars an ounce, or from Susan Nagel in the United States which sells on ebay. Prices vary but are usually very high because of the amount of people bidding for the same item.
Then you have the filling. You have to use the softest fleece available to give the doll a realistic baby softness. For weight, most reborners use very fine glass pellets, sometimes baby fat pellets or poly pellets, or a combination of all three. These items are expensive and you do need a lot. Do not use sand to weight your doll, as many countries will not accept a doll with this filling. Apart from that, it can get damp and solidify.
Then you have your paints and brushes. Unless you have your paint brushes already, you will have to purchase brushes of varying sizes from large mop brushes to the finest of detail brushes for eyebrows, capillaries etc.
Most reborn artists use Genesis heatset paints as they are permanent and do not fade or rub off. You will also need a drying gun for the paint. Previously reborn artists dried the paint off in the oven, but it was discovered that some vinyl kits can give off toxic fumes, so you have to very careful. There are a couple of other mediums available but at present Genesis are the most popular. They do last a long time and a small pot will see you through a few dolls, but you do need quite a few colours when you are starting out.
Finally, clothes. The dolls are dressed in real baby clothes and it is up to the individual how much they want to pay to dress the doll. If you can knit, dolls with hand knitted baby outfits are very popular.
