Painting Reborn Baby Dolls - Stage 2 - Adding first layer of blushing

Most instruction have the flesh paint applied first, but with this doll I am adding a first layer of  light blushing.  This will be under the flesh tone.  I also add the veining prior to adding the flesh.  This seems more natural to me.  I vein with the Secrist Authentic Reborn cream paints. The veining color is pre-mixed and no thinner is required, giving better control. On larger dolls like this one (31-inch Tibby),  I only add veins at temples, wrist and ankles. They are applied with a very thin bristle brush and blotted to fading.  You only want a vague resemblance of a vein to show.
The blush I use is Bountiful Baby pre-mixed Warm Blush and just a touch of their premixed Lip and Nail Blush. The Warm Blush has a lot of brown in it making the color look a lot like dried blood, so I have found for a more alive look I add just a little touch of the Lip & Nail Blush to add more red to the skin.
 This paint mixture is thinned to a very thin consistency, so thin you can see through it. There are various ways to apply- sea sponge, foam wedge sponge, mushroom sponge to name a few. With this one I used the sea sponge. To get the best effect you swirl  a small mop brush in the prepared blush mix and paint a surface of the sea sponge (this is the same technique I use for the other sponges also). Blot the sponge lightly around the head and limbs at random. You will see splotching of the paint, if it is too dark- thin your paint: if it is too light - add more paint to the mixture. The thinner will flow over the vinyl and also give a blushing glow to the skin. I always start on the back of the head to get the right effect and color before going to the face. Let the parts dry completely for several hours. After drying completely bake in a 265 F degree oven for 8 minutes. I use a NuWave oven and set the power setting to # 7 for 8 minutes. The color of the blush will be lighter after baking.  This is a picture of a wet just blushed head. looking closely you can see the veining and the blushing. I will add the Flesh tone next- watch for my next blog.

Comments are always welcome!  Visit our Gramma's Precious Babies website to view our baby dolls.   

Painting Reborn Baby Dolls - Adding the bluing, veining and deep shading.

My second stage in painting reborn dolls is to add the bluing, veining and deep shading. The paint I use for this is the Secrist Authentic Reborn cream paints. The colors are premixed and no thinner is required with these paints, giving better control for this painting stage application.

I use Eyelid Tint Purple and Eyelid Tint Blue and lay them out as shown on a glass pallet and mix the two colors together as I go according to what part of the doll is being painted.

The eyes are especially important for realism. First I apply very lightly with a #4 brush Eyelid Purple on the inside edge of the eye socket, around the tear ducks and on the lower corner of the outer part of the eye. I smooth it out so it gently fades away from the edges. On the closed eyed newborn babies I apply the purple tent along the upper lid near the crease covering the full length of the eye.
Now I have found it is not necessary to bake at this point so I go on to the next step.

My next step is to with the same brush apply a very light coat of  blue just below the brow bone, and around the eye in the corner near the nose and down into the circle indention. I have to be very careful not to add to much, for the blue stains and is very hard to remove if it is too heavy. At this point I mix a little of the purple with a very small part of blue and cover over the area again. I add a mixture of purple and blue on each side of the nose, in the nose and the sides of the mouth down to the chin. I also add the mix of purple and blue inside the ear to give depth. 
Veins are then added to the temple area with a very thin bristle brush and a few in the forehead area, for babies that are not going to be wigged I add a few on the head.  The veins should be very light and blotted and feathered just after painting on. Also on open mouth babies I use the bluing and purple for inside the mouth to give depth.

My next step is shading of the feet and hands, and adding veins to them. The picture shows a finished dolls foot and hand, but if you look closely you can see the shading in the arch of the foot that extends up to the ankle.  I use a mix of purple and blue and spread at random and up along the center of the foot and under the toes. I also shade behind the ankle and the top of the foot between the toes.  Adding the bluing and purple to the hand palm, in deep folds and in between fingers adds depth.  Each doll is painted little different due to the sculpt design and sometimes the same design differently.

( In these pictures the camera has picked up the red so the red you see shows up more intense than they actually are. In my opinion subtle is the answer.)

Next comes behind the knees and elbows. I use the bluing mixture bluer in the middle and more purple to the edges. Later in the painting process will come more blushing in this area. Picture shows a almost finished part so you can see the over all end effect.  Now these are pictures of one of the larger babies. It represents a 18 month old. It would be painted slightly different than a preemie or newborn. The newborn will have a higher level of blue and more veins and the preemie would have a even higher level of blue especially around the fingers and feet.


Let the parts dry for a few hours then it is time to bake them at 265 degrees for 8 minutes. I use a NuWave Oven and love it! 
Many artist next step is the flesh coat, but I prefer to use a light coat of over all blushing and texture first.  I take into consideration that the veins, and blushing color of our body comes from beneath the skin not on top. So our next session with be on the first blush.

The doll shown in these pictures is Tibby a Bountiful Baby sculpt by Donna RuBert.  It represents a 18 month old baby. Our standard weight for this doll is 8 pounds, but could be weighted more if desired. She or He is one of our most popular reborn dolls.

Painting Reborn Baby Dolls- Washing as first step

Your first step prior to painting is to wash you vinyl parts.  I use Ivory Liquid and warm water and gently wipe them down being careful not to get water on the inside of the vinyl.  This will remove any oils or dirt on the vinyl that may inhibit your ability to give the parts a good layer of paint. On the Lee Middleton doll kits I also pre-heat at 265 degrees them for 5 minutes to draw out any oil left in the vinyl, then after they cool wash them.  The Lee Middleton reborn babies vinyl is similar to the texture of silicone and oily. After washing your doll parts lay them out to dry completely. Don't forget if your doll has open eye sockets dry them out as well.
After they are dry the next step is adding the bluing for deep shading. That is for next time.
Comments are always welcome!

Gramma's Precious Babies website

Ovens used for - baking your Reborn Babies- to set the heat-set paints.

In between each layer (application) of paint the parts should be baked. There are exceptions, (such as touch-ups or creases, nails etc.,) to this rule that we will explore later during one of our painting sessions. Finding the right oven for this was a real challenge for me. I found many suggestion on Reborn Doll forums. It is advised against using your oven that you use for cooking family food. The vinyl gives off fumes and could contaminate your oven. Before I heard that I had used my oven, but found it did not hold temperature at 265 degrees F which is the desired baking temperature.

Convection ovens are recommenced by many. I found that most of them were too small. The oven needs to

be a large one, with the inside at least 16 inches wide and  12  inches high to accommodate the dolls parts. Although many people seemed to have success with their convection holding temperature, I did not!  I would preheat to 265 degrees F, but when the vinyl parts were inserted - the oven would cool down at least 100 degrees. I suspect it was the air blowing over the cool vinyl bring the temperature down. You are suppose to bake for 8 min., in this oven it took 4 minutes to come back up to 265. So I started to preheating to 365 to try to compensate, that did hold the temperature better, but also scorched by towel I had under the vinyl part to keep them from having contact with the medal tray. Parts in contact with hot medal will destroy the vinyl.  One day  the towel started to smoke and almost caught on fire.  So you need to be very careful with a convection oven even if it holds temperature. Never leave it during baking!!

Then I heard about the NuWave Infrared oven.  I have found it works really well, with
some manipulation. I guess nothing is perfect.  This oven blows a constant heat at the set temperature, So it is instant heat, you do not need to preheat (although I do just slightly). The only problem is the timer is digital and setting 6 is for 255 degrees and 7 is for 275, with no in between.  I use the setting 7 when I place the parts in and when my oven thermometer reaches 265,  which means the air temperature in the oven has now reached 265.  this takes about 5 minutes. At this time I turn the oven off and let the parts sit in the oven for another 3 minutes. This usually works well.
 Although one time the holding temperature dropped to fast and I decided to restart and must have put in the wrong setting and before I knew it I had melted the dolls face.  And this was my last bake on the doll.  Boy was I up set, so lesson learned not only don't text when you drive- don't text while you are baking dolls either. 

Painting your Reborn with different types of Heat Set paints

Many different mediums may be used to paint your doll. The three that I use are all heat set paints. Heat set paints requires each layer of paint to be baked at 265 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes to cure the paint on to the vinyl before going to the next layer. Some dolls could have as many as 8 or 9 layer or as few as 3 or 4 layers.  The paints I use are Authentic Reborn pre-mixed colors by Secrist Doll Co.; Genesis custom pre-mixed paints by Bountiful Baby; and Genesis heat set colors that need to be mixed to create the proper color.

Authentic Reborn pre-mixed are heat set paints and come in pre-mixed complexions of Peaches and Cream, Strawberry, Vintage Rose.   They require no thinning with Mineral Spirits and are designed to be transparent creams.  These are very good paints for beginners taking the guess work out of how much thinner to use. The Paint is spread as a very thin layer on glass pallet and the flesh and blush is applied with various sponges.  For veins and creases a brush is used. These paints were designed for the Secrist vinyl doll parts, which is a darker Peach color.  This is the only paint I used when I first started adding additional enhancements to Secrist Apple Valley Dolls that are pre-painted at their factory in Michigan. This paint is easy to use, but the flesh tones do not give the best flesh effect in my opinion. But I feel the two colors in the picture to the left:, eye lid purple and vein blue work best around the eyes and to give dept in the shadows, so I use these on all the dolls.

Bountiful Baby pre-mixed paints are heat set paints that shades of Genesis paints have been blended to achieve the color tones that BB feels best suits Bountiful Baby vinyl. Mixes include flesh, blush, a darker blush also used for lips and nails, and creases.  These paints do need to be mixed with an odorless thinner such as Turpenoid. Each paint application  is thinned to various degrees of thinness depending on the layer and effect you are to achieve. ( I will have more about layers and thinning in an up coming blog on Painting).  This is the medium I use most often for the Bountiful Parts and for the Lee Middleton doll parts. Although I do also use the Authentic Reborn paints around the eyes and their cream blush as my last blush on the Bountiful and Middleton dolls. The BB blush is actually a blood color and dries slightly brownish like real blood does. In my opinion that leaves the baby looking too brown so I add the last layer of blush from the AR blush to give a rosier complexion and brighten, making the baby look more alive.

Genesis heat set paints come in standard colors that you mix together to create the shade and the effect you want to achieve. That mixed base is then thinned with an orderless paint thinner. I use Odorless Turpenoid that I get from my local art supply store. Mixing the colors and knowing how much thinner to use becomes a challenge but with practice it can be mastered.

Visit us on our website- www.quality-dolls

On the road to Reborn Baby Dolls

My Love for baby dolls that really resemble children started with the Lee Middleton Dolls in 2009. They captured my heart as their little personalities were shown in each ASC sculpt. I became a successful retailer offering the full line of Lee Middleton dolls.   My first introduction to Reborn babies was when Lee Middleton came out with their first kits to reborn.  I was fascinated by the idea of painting my own baby. But before starting, Lee Middleton Dolls sold out to Madam Alexander Dolls and my business went in a different direction. In 2012 Madam Alexander Doll sold out to  KLL Dolls (Kahn Kucas) and they changed the whole concept of the Middleton Dolls then basically dropping the line.  At that point I started putting together my own dolls offering custom orders using the Apple Valley Dolls. AVDolls offer pre-painted (air brushed) vinyl doll parts for making your own dolls. They come in many different expressions. AVD  owned by Secrist Doll company that specializes in providing soft vinyl Baby sculpts for reborn artist along with their own painting supplies.  Secrist paints are pre-mixed and pre-thinned, no guess work.  Wonderful for beginners. Starting with these and began adding more detail to the AVDolls and painting some of the un painted ones. Their paints I found  easy to work with and instead of baking the vinyl parts,  Instead of baking I used a heating tool.  Purchased very good quality wigs from Monique and provided some very cute dolls.
 Then I found Bountiful Babies and fell in love with the realism of their sculpts. They do a wonderful job of providing pictures of the finished dolls, reborn to perfection by reborn artist.  Bountiful Baby  has their own brand of paints which are also pre-mixed Genesis  heat set paints and they also sell the standard Genesis Paint for mixing your own shades.  Thinner is required for both. These are a little harder to work with because you need to thin to the right consistency.
  By now I'm hooked, buying glass beads for weighting instead of poly pellets, premium poly fill for stuffing, investing in oven for baking (3 to be exact until I found the best one), spending hours viewing how too videos, Practicing, Practicing, and Practicing- now comes the art of rooting hair- harder than painting.  Oh, forgot to mention before Lee Middleton closed their doors I bought up lots of their reborn kits and tucked them away in storage.  Smart move on my part. Thank you God for the insight.
My next post will be on the differences in painting with Secrist Reborn Paints and Bountiful Reborn Paints.

Visit us at www.quality-dolls.com

Fell in Love with Reborn Babies

The first time I saw a picture of a beautiful reborn baby I fell in love  .........The artist sculpts can be just amazing, as they have those unique qualities of real babies. The qualities that make you want to hold one and cuddle.  I knew I could not sculpt a baby, but I asked myself "could I paint one"? So I set on a venture of watching videos and decided, "yes I could".  If you have the same desire you could probably paint reborn babies too.  But I will say it takes a self-critical eye and lots of practice to get the right technique. Truthfully I'm still working on mine and probably always will be.  The videos out there are good, but I have found leave a lot untold for they give the basics or one point of view.  In this blog I hope to take you on my journey and share tid-bits of what I have learned. Since I started over 2 years ago, I will start this section - back tracking until I bring you up to date with my progress.
I hope you will join me for I hope to add a new entry at least weekly. Would be happy to answer and questions you might have, and of course suggestions.

Visit us at http://www.quality-dolls.com

Life-like Babies - Reborn or Newborn

Reborn or Newborn

 Reborn is the art of removing or painting over the paint from a factory painted doll and replacing it with a new more life-like paint application. Newborn is the art of a life-like paint application on raw unpainted vinyl or other medium. 
 With that said- the term Reborn is used and has been accepted by reborn artist as a standard way of referring to these life-like babies no matter pre-painted or unpainted vinyl.  Quality Dolls both Reborns and Newborns their babies. 

To see our Babies on Gramma's Precious Babies visit www.quality-dolls.com

What happened to Lee Middleton Dolls & Madame Alexander Dolls?

In 2010 Madame Alexander Dolls purchased Lee Middleton Dolls.  Alexander Dolls may have had good intentions, but as a long time retailer of Middleton dolls, it was very frustrating and sad to see the Middleton babies put to the side in their priorities.  Dolls were scheduled to arrive the Summer of that year, but never were received until late October, November. The ASC dolls were made of a different vinyl and not accepted well by the lovers and collectors of  Middleton Dolls.  The next year were promises of better timing, but ended up being worst .  The Middleton Artist Studio Dolls were discontinued and the other products were even later, so late most retailer stopped stocking them.
In June of 2012 Alexander Dolls was sold to  KLL Dolls, (Kahn Lucas). Kahn Lucas main interest was the line of Alexander Favorite Friends Play Dolls. Favorite Friends dolls are 18" dolls similar to American Girls dolls, but at a lower price.  KLL continued with many of the other Alexander 8" collectibles and play dolls placing them in their displays in large retail stores. Only the Middleton Nursery Babies were continued, all others we were informed would not be continued.   As one of the top ten Middleton Retailers, it was a heart breaking time and the destruction of my and many dolls business that specialized in Middleton Dolls.
What I am Doing Now
In Spring of 2009 Middleton Dolls introduced a new line of Reborn Doll kits. Not only were they a success but they sparked my interest in Reborn Baby Dolls.  When the company closed I purchased the remaining stock of Reborn kits and decided to become a Reborn Artist.  After many years and many hours of practice I have accomplished that goal.  I now reborn the Middleton Doll kits, Secrist baby dolls, and Bountiful Babies. Babies are made to order, with your choice of eye and hair color.  My Blog now continues showing the finer art of reborn babies.

 Hope you will join us often

Pan Am Stewardess -

Pan Am Stewardesses - Inspired by  the New TV  show 'Pan Am'  that aired this winter on ABC. Being in my 60's I love watching this show, and gather a great deal of the life portrayed by the cast was not all fiction. Glamor, prestige, espionage, love, and stylish women.  Depicting a time when Air Travel was fun and exciting, when you dressed in your nice clothes and traveled in style.  Very un-like today's air travel where you feel like a herd of cattle.    I have read this show may have been cut-and not return for another season, which in my opinion would be a real shame!!

 There will probably be many dolls fashioned after these Pan Am Stewardesses, but Madame Alexander,  known for their impeccable detail in their clothing designs, will far out-do all others.  These two Pan Am Girls will be available come July 2012. The Blonde is a 16-inch Alex doll and the Brunette is a 10-inch Cissette Doll.   They are Limited Editions and will sell out very quickly.  You may pre-order to ensure receiving one of your own. Below is Alexander's detailed description of these Dolls: 

"Our Pan Am Stewardess Collectible Dolls are inspired by the stylish women who created the panache for which the airline is still know today, many years after the airline stopped flying.  Pan Am - the world famous airline was know for its world-class service, distinctive style, and its glamorous stewardesses. Those women who flew for Pan Am had a reputation for being the best looking in the business and no one ever failed to notice how impeccable groomed they were in their trademark "Pan Am Blue' outfits.  Alexander's two stewardesses meet the standard set by those flight attendants and present a look that would make any airline proud."

"Our 10-inch Stewardess (Edition size 200) is a fully-articulated Cissette with blue eyes and a black bob with bangs. And 16-inch fully- articulated Alex ( Edition size 150) with brown eyes and a side-parted ivory page boy, both wear the classic Pan Am stewardess outfit. Their fitted blue twill suit features black buttons on the jacket and sleeves, a white shirt attached to her slender-cut skirt and an organza scarf that's worn at the neck.  Her matching pillbox hat is trimmed with white satin piping and a Pan Am pin.  Includes classic White gloves; black pumps; pantyhose; a Pan Am "wing" pin on the jacket; and an iconic blue twill travel bag with blue grosgrain straps and the Pan Am logo.  Officially licensed by Pan American Airways". 
They are very reasonably priced at $139.95 and $169.95.

 

Middleton Doll Newborn Cuddle Babies Review

Middleton Doll (now owned by Madame Alexander Doll Company) introduced a new line of dolls in 2011- The Cuddle Babies.  They arrived late Fall just in time for Christmas shoppers.  The 12 new dolls -dressed as 7 girls and 5 boy dolls came in 5 different Reva Schick face sculpts. Girls Babies are dressed in a very cute pink cotton gown, and the boys are in teal cotton rompers.(pictures below) Both styles come with matching hats and wear diapers under their outfits.  They are boxed in their own special gift box.

Cuddle Babies size and body style is the same as the original Middleton 19" Newborn baby used as: Middleton  NOW dolls, My Own Baby (MOB), and the famous Newborn Nursery Babies. The body slip has jointed disk at the shoulders and hips for easy movement of arms and legs.  The body slip is stuffed with fiber-fill and weighted with poly-beads to the over all weight of 3 lbs. Bodies are attached to the head and vinyl limbs with zip lock straps. The weight gives the doll a life-like feel when holding and the flexibility to sit with natural realism as show in this picture.

Cuddle Babies are a very popular doll with both children and adults. There quality construction provides years of play and a doll to cherish for a life-time.  2011  Alexander Doll suggested retail price was $100.00. In 2012 the price has been raised to $110.  We at Quality Dolls will continue to offer the dolls at our price of $99.00 throughout the Spring and maybe longer.  We not only offer the Cuddly Babies at a lower price, but we also include our own 'Certificate of Adoption' and periodically a gift of a bottle or pacifier.  Stop by our Website and adopt a Cuddle Baby for your special 'little one'.

 Below are the description on the Cuddle Babies now available.

Mommy's Delight; come as boy or girl dolls with blonde or brown hair and blue eyes. As you can see by the picture they have an open mouth that is large enough to fit a (real baby) size bottle or pacifier.  (Pacifier needs to be the straight nipple style)
Angle Love; African American Cuddle Baby also come boy or girl dolls with open mouths large enough to fit a full size bottle or pacifier. They both have big brown eyes and tight curly dark brown/black hair.
Mother's Joy: comes only as a girl doll with a big smile on her face. Her mouth is open enough to play pretend bottle and pacifier.(by pretend I mean a regular size pacifier including the Middleton doll pacifier is too large to be inserted in the mouth- but could be held up to the mouth for pretend)  Mother's Joy may  be purchased as either a brunette with brown eyes or blonde hair and blue eyes.
Baby Face: comes as girls only either with brown hair and brown eyes or as a strawberry blonde hair with blue eyes. Baby Face has big wide open eyes and a somewhat of a surprise look on her face. Her mouth size is also good for pretend bottle and pacifier.
Lil' Peanut; comes as boy dolls only with blonde hair and blue eyes or brown hair and brown eyes.  He has a very lovable face with a look of wonderment. Lil' Peanut face is my favorite. His mouth is also a pretend bottle and pacifier.

Alexander Dolls also provides some adorable additional outfits and shoes to dress and re- dress your Cuddle Babies Dolls. And for hours of play we have the perfect doll furniture and accessories.

Stop by for a visit real soon - Quality Dolls at www.lee-middleton-dolls.com to adopt your Cuddle Baby

Marilyn Monroe -Some Like it Hot- Madame Alexander Cissy Doll

Madame Alexanders Hollywood Series doll -  Marilyn Monroe

 

Some Like it Hot: Marilyn Monroe as "Sugar' Kane Kowalczyk is played by 21-inch fully articulated Cissy with blue eyes and a side-parted, gay-gold chignon that has a loose curl accenting her right eye.  She's wearing a smokin' hot 20"s dress of off-white crinkle chiffon which dips to the waist in back.  The nude mesh bodice of the sexy dress is enhanced with embroidered beads, sequins and metallic silver lace while the body of the dress is rich with metallic silver 'cracked ice' and silver bugle beads.  A metallic silver applique on the left shoulder features strands of silver bugle beads that hang off the front and back of the shoulder.  Off-white stretch lace panties, a luxurious, white 'fur' stole lined in white satin, a silver bracelet, silver and rhinestone earrings and , white satin pumps, with a silver metallic mesh overlay plus silver beads, completes the hot look for Some Like it Hot: Marilyn Monroe As 'Sugar' Kane Kowalczyk who comes with a ukulete.  (Description by Alexander Dolls)
This 2011 Marilyn was introduced as part of the Alexander's Hollywood Series- with a limited edition of 75 pieces.  She is even more beautiful than her picture and is a definitely worth the $499 Alexander price tag. If you are a collector of Marilyn dolls she is a must have.
"Some like it Hot"- Tony Curtis as Joe AKA Shell Oil was announced as a two doll set but never arrived. Maybe at a later date.

 

Madame Alexander partners with Sonja Hartmann

 Blog posted to my old Blog site on May 12 2010
Announcing a New Partnership between World Famous German doll Designer Sonja Hartmann and Madame Alexander!

The Alexander Doll Company has announced that they are now the sole U.S. distributor of world famous doll designer and sculptor Sonja Hartmann’s exquisite 18″ Kidz ‘n’ Cats® collectible fashion dolls.  Many retailers have been successfully importing and selling Sonja’s creations  for years. Now Alexander Doll company can offer to their retailers easy access to the product being shipped directly from their New York warehouse.
Sonja Hartmann established her company, Heart and Soul in year 2000, but has been designing and sculpting dolls since 1981 when Sonja developed her first doll for her newborn daughter Gesa. Her Kidz ‘n’ Cats collection is inspired by children’s contemporary, fresh fashions and the jointed dolls look startlingly real.
The  Sonja Hartmann Kidz ‘n’ Cats dolls level of detail, quality and style are akin to the best of Madame Alexander. All the dolls are wigged with set-in eyes, eye lashes and a body that bends in nine  places. (neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees).  Upon viewing the dolls you can immediately appreciate what a world class German doll designer and sculptor Sonja really is.  The faces are exquisite, hair true to life and clothing fit for the best children boutiques.
The level of realistic detail on the doll and in the outfits makes these dolls true masterpieces. Alexander has introduced 12 dolls and 9 additional outfits to be available in stores June 2010.  To view and order dolls visit Quality Dolls web site. Doll are already in demand and the first shipment is selling out fast.  Pre-orders are recommended.
Madame Alexander states that this is the first time the company has imported another brand in its 87 year history.  Visit Quality-Dolls  at our www.lee-middleton-dolls.com site for Lee Middleton & Madame Alexander collectible and play dolls.

Middleton Doll Company Purchased by Alexander Doll Company

Blog posted on my old Blog site in March of 2010:


On March 11, 2010 the Middleton Doll Company was purchased by the Alexander Doll Company, aka- Madame Alexander® Dolls.
The business assets of Lee Middleton Dolls have been acquired by Alexander Doll Company. The acquisition was made official on Thursday, March 11, 2010.    CEO of Alexander Doll Company, Robert Porell states in press release, ” the shop and former factory in Belpre was not acquired as part of the business, but is under consideration as a separate purchase.”
As a Lee Middleton Doll retailer- collector- and lover of these unique artist sculpt dolls,  I am pleased that Alexander Dolls is planning to continue selling the Middleton dolls under the Lee Middleton Doll label.  The falling economy hit hard and  Middleton Dolls managed to introduce only eight  new Artist Studio Dolls  in Spring of 2009 -Lovebirds Twins, In Dreamland, Ireland, Blossom Fairy, Bunny Hugs, Baby Cassidy, & Sweet Jasmine and one doll in the fall Precious Hope an exclusive sold by Quality Dolls.
Middleton Doll Company placed a freeze on shipping stock from the warehouse on Tuesday the 9th. and plans to resume as soon as the two “book keeping’ systems can be worked out between the two companies. Middleton doll retailers are still waiting for information on what will happen next.
Playbabies and Newborn Nursery babies are being manufactured as soon as possible and should be available by late summer.  The manufacturing of the NOW (artist dolls for older children) and ASC  dolls (artist dolls for collectors)  is not known.  I have only heard speculation on the possibility of their return sometime next year.
There are many question that have not been answered, for I’m sure there are many decisions to be made.  I am trying to reserve judgment as to how this will effect the future of our ‘beautiful little babies’.  For the collector I see this as a time the value of the dolls introduced up to this point will climb.
This Blog is written and maintained by Susan of  Quality Dolls™.  Quality Dolls is listed by the Middleton Doll Company as one of their top 10 retailers. Quality Dolls offers the full current line of Lee Middleton dolls via of two websites;  www.lee-middleton-dolls.com and www.quality-dolls.com.
Our hope is to share with you reliable information with updates being posted as new information is made available.  Your comments and questions are welcome.

Why I Sell Lee Middleton Dolls

In 2008 I was searching for a doll on line for my granddaughter and ran across the Lee Middleton Doll website.   Immediately fell in love with their dolls. And you can see why above.  They have a life-like reality to their faces that just captures your heart. Very unlike most vinyl dolls you would find in the traditional toy stores. I bought my granddaughter, Alexa's her first  big girl doll,-Zoe aged for 3 years and up.   I already had a business in Miniature Dollhouses, furniture and supplies and when I spotted the invitation on the Middleton website to become a Dealer.  I thought -what a wonderful idea!  

My intention was to develop a website, sell the dolls and have them 'drop shipped ' from the Middleton Warehouse directly to my customer.  I chose the URL (Domain name) Lee-Middleton-Doll.com because I intended to offer the complete current line of  Lee Middleton dolls. And within a short time I did have them all inventoried on my website.  Soon I realized to give the best customer service and answer the wide range of customer questions about the individual dolls, I needed to have 'hands on' ability. So I started stocking the dolls.  That is when my house became a Doll Shop and warehouse.
 My love for them grew with each doll, with their impeccable quality soft cloth bodies and perfectly painted vinyl faces & limbs, all dressed in top quality outfits.

A word about Why Lee Middleton dolls are so special
Middleton PlayBabies were and still are specially designed to reflect the stages of a young child's physical and character development.  Many of these dolls also come in ethnic skin tones as well as Asian sculpts giving great diversity. 
Middleton NOW dolls were (I say were because they are no longer being manufactured) collector-quality dolls safety tested for children aged three and up. The same artist sculpts that were used for the ASC (Artist Studio Collection). Their bodies are weighted for realism, but not to the extent of the ASC Dolls. As of this writing I still have several of the NOW dolls in my inventory and offer them at discounted prices, because they need a home! 
The Artist Studio Dolls (ASC) dolls are rated as Collectible dolls for 14 years and up, but many are purchased for younger children, especially by Grandmothers wanting  to give a gift that will be cherished for a life time. Note the dolls are not dangerous for young children, it is just that the manufacture chooses not to have them certified for children. (Certification is expensive for the manufacture)

 Check out our Website www.lee-middleton-dolls.com to see what is New

Over the years there have been many changes in the Middleton doll company that is now owed by Madame Alexander Doll Company.  But one thing that never changed is the Quality of the dolls or my love for them.
 Follow our Blog;  for updates on the New and  retired Middleton and Alexander dolls, with special reviews on the dolls; On my new adventure with Reborn Dolls; and On the ups and downs of owning a doll business in these changing times.
Have a wonderful play-filled day,
Susan

  

Dolls Dolls Dolls -A Gift your little girl will never forget.

Dolls, Dolls, Dolls my house is full of them.  I don't think there is a room (including the basement) that does not have a doll or a part of a doll, either in the process of being made, already displayed or boxed ready to ship.

My love of dolls started with my 'Tiny Tears' baby doll over 60 years ago. A baby doll you fed a bottle and she cried real tears. (why I wanted the baby to cry I don't know- I guess I  loved realism even then)  My next favorite was my Madame Alexander Bride doll I received around 1957 give or take a year.. I still have the Bride doll, with her wig replaced. (At some point in my teenager years I thought I was a beautician and cut her beautiful hair. Ruined her hair - gave quickly up that career goal.)    The original Tiny Tears was destroyed by mold,  (which was one of original flaws with the doll) but my daughter gifted me a replica made by Aston Drake a few Christmas's ago.  What a wonderful surprise and gift! 

Over the years I have collected dolls of famous people 'mostly women', or dolls that looked like or reminded me of family members.  So there is no real surprise that 5 years ago I became a doll retailer of Lee Middleton, and Madame Alexander dolls and now have expanded my horizons to Reborn Babies that I paint and assemble. The surprise is- it took me so long.
My purpose for this blog is to share the love of dolls, and my adventure in the world of the doll business. 

My Tiny Tears - Originally manufactured by the American Character Company. First introduced in 1950 made of rubber (that is why they did not last- the rubber rotted over time.) She cried real tears- as did a few other doll of that time. What made Tiny Tears different was that she was filled with water by placing her full bottle in her mouth and squeezing her left arm.  When you removed the empty bottle, squeezing her left arm again would make her shed tears. Below is a Magazine advertisement I found for Tiny Tears. The ad shows Tiny  blowing bubbles, being bathed, and getting a diaper change. Lead caption reads " A Gift your little girl will never forget" OH- How right they were!  I might add - I find that the same sentiment for the Middleton Dolls. 

My Bride Doll:  When I started selling Madame Alexander dolls I did not realize this doll was a Alexander doll.  She is not in the best shape- but looks better now that I have replaced her wig with a Auburn Jessica wig.  She no longer has her shoes, stocking or veil.  Her gown is satin with a crochet trim with rhinestones. Although I can not fine any information on her I believe she has a Margret Face. I can find no marking on her the only thing that tells me she an Alexander doll is the tag in the dress.  LOL - If anyone can shed any information on her it would be appreciated.

What is it about Lee Middleton Dolls that makes them so Special?

30 Years and Counting:

Lee Middleton Doll Company celebrates Thirty Years: Lee Middleton-Urick captured the beauty and innocence of childhood 30 years ago while sculpting at her kitchen table. Since then, Middleton Doll has introduced thousands of dolls in various skin tones, eye colors and sizes sculpted by many talented doll Artist.

Masterpiece of Realism:
Artist Studio Collection dolls are limited edition, hand numbered babies. They are styled as either infant, newborn or toddler body styles and made of soft ‘Baby Skin’ vinyl. Each doll sculpt is a masterpiece in itself capturing the very personality of the child it represents. They are hand painted, lashed, and exquisitely dressed. The dolls are so life-like that many have been mistaken as real babies. In fact the Breath of Life series dolls actually appears to breath. Dolls and/or individual faces are retired after a pre-defined amount of time to insure them as collectibles. Middleton babies reach right into your heart and hold it captive.

Personality Plus:
This life-likeness does not stop with the collector dolls, but carries over to the Middleton NOW and PlayBaby dolls designed for children. The NOW dolls are designed with the same three body styles as the ASC dolls. Each Middleton doll has a unique face and expression all their own. While other dolls companies manufacture dolls to have that perfect little look alike doll face with different hair or eye colors. Middleton NOW dolls have different face shapes, with different expressions. They not only have different color hair, but also different lengths, straight or curly and easily combed. NOW dolls come in light, medium and dark skin tones, some even of Asian decent. They come as girl or boy dolls styled for girls and boys to befriend. Boys you ask? --Well yes, boys need friend too.

Child Development:PlayBabies are styled for children in different stages- newborn, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2, 3 and 4 years. They also come with beautiful one of a kind faces, different skin tones, removable clothes, washable bodies and meet the best in safety standards. Your little girl or boy will learn how to love and nurture with these life-like babies.

Grandmother Approved:Lots of parents purchase Middleton dolls for their children, although I have found more dolls are purchased by Grandmothers for their Granddaughters. I think the reason for that is Grandparents do not think as much about pricing as they do about the quality. Grandmothers think of the memories the doll will hold for years to come and how that doll will become a keepsake and be cherished for many years after they themselves have passed-on.

Tradition Passed On:Lee Middleton died suddenly in 1997 of heart failure. A fellow doll Artist Reva Schick took over the company and just like Lee, Reva has a strong religious background and credits her artistic talents to God. Lee always tucked a tiny Bible into each ASC doll box and Reva has continued that tradition. Giving God honor, not only for their talent, but by passing on- Gods love through His Word.

What is so Special about Middleton dolls? - All of the above and when you hold your own doll or see your child interact with theirs you will truly understand why.

To see for yourself visit us at www.lee-middleton-dolls.com