Dolls

Doll Repaint

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Vendors at annual doll show repair, dress up owners' dolls

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Doris O'Keefe had an old doll in need of a little help, so she approached Sandy Ilgen's booth at the 16th annual Valparaiso Doll and Bear Show. Ilgen, of Hobart, repairs dolls. O'Keefe, who attended the show Sunday with her daughter, Sharon Robinson of Michigan, wanted to find out about having the doll, which she received as a child, repaired. "I'm trying to figure out how old it is and I really ...
How do you remove face paint from an Ellowyne (Tonner) doll?

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I would like to repaint my Ellowyne doll for my granddaughter, and possibly try some different looks. I have ordered a CD on tips and tricks, but I would like to get started.
I tried nail polish remover and laquer thinner, neither one had any effect.

If the doll's head is porcelain, [glass like] then the facial making are for ever. Now you can paint the whole face as long as you 1st. rub 000 grade steel wool all over the face so to scuff the porcelain, then spray paint a coat of B.I.N. primer and allow to dry, spray a second coat and allow to dry for 12 hours to cure the primer. then you can paint 1st flesh tone color on the whole face, and if you are artistic, then the eyes, nose, & mouth details. I have seen this done, even though I am very good with my hands, I'd leave this type of thing to a professional doll restorer. OH, cover the hair with a plastic bag, and tape it tight. Good Luck.

Delilah Noir

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Having Children Crafts For A Rainy Day

Another rainy or snowy day and you are stuck at home with the children.  They are full of too much energy and are driving you crazy.  The weather is too bad to let them go outside and play so how do you keep your sanity and them busy at the same time?  Regardless of the age of the children, there are literally hundreds of different children's craft projects that you can have readily available for such miserable days.

Plan ahead for these days and have a few special children's craft projects ready to pull out of the closet.  Remember that they should be appropriate for the age of the child and something that will catch their interest and keep them occupied for hours.

Go to your local craft store and browse through the endless aisles of items.  The employees there will be more willing to help you come up with a few ideas on projects that you can take home and keep available for future use.  For younger children there are paint sets that include special paper, pens and brushes that only take the addition of water.  

You let the child paint the picture and it colors each section automatically-after it dries, it goes back to a solid white that can be repainted again and again.  No fuss or mess to clean up but it will amuse them for hours.

Give the children colored paper, blunt scissors, glue and crayons and have them make pictures of their family and friends.  Teach them how to cut out special shapes such as baby dolls that come in a chain or even snowflakes.

You may want to consider a special needlepoint project for beginners.  These come with everything needed to make a small picture and it usually includes the frame for hanging.  This is especially good for a young girl who has watched their own mother do needlepoint while growing up.  Now, she is a big girl and can also work on her own projects.

There is also special clay you can purchase in numerous colors that each child can make into different shapes.  Consider having them make their favorite animals, stick people or special symbols that they enjoy.  After each is shaped, you bake it in the oven for a few minutes, let it cool, and then you can paint them and glue magnets to the back.

The specific children's craft project you select is not as important as the quality time you will have with your children.  The hours that would have been filled with bored children driving each other crazy and a frustrated parent will now be transformed into hours of fun.  

Remember that your children will only be young once and that time goes by quickly.  Planning for bad weather days with special children's crafts are just one way to create and enjoy quality time with your children.  They will remember the times that you spent together working on their craft projects, laughing and just having fun.

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