These dolls are no longer toys, but works of art to be appreciated and enjoyed. I invest a substantial amount of time, money and love into my craft.

Vinyl doll parts can be "mixed and matched" depending on the effect desired. Full vinyl dolls produce a very realistic looking baby, yet partial limbs with a soft stuffed body produces a more realistic feeling baby. When I first started reborning vinyl dolls, I prefered the full limbs as I wanted my dolls to look as real as possible, but over time, I've discovered that the real joy comes from cuddling a baby doll and having it "cuddle" back. There are plenty of baby fashions that will accomodate a 1/4 to 3/4 limb doll and still allow for that important cuddle factor. Hence my moto... Precious Newborn Moments Relived.

I pride myself in achieving some of the most realistic skin tones and textures you'll find on a doll. The color and shading on my babies is built through layering complex variations of color to produce an overall finished effect. This results in a complexion with realistic ... almost living ... depth and texture that a single color just cannot convey! Attention to the smallest of details, including veins and capillaries, contribute to the realism. I use Genesis heat set paint which is permanent and won't rub off.

Simple flesh toned cotton cloth bodies are common. I usually choose to upgrade to a higher quality, flesh toned, jointed, doe-suede cloth body. I weight my babies with pellets made of either glass, steel, plastic or silicone and often a combination of all of them to best mimic the feel of holding a real baby. Also, for the sake of realism some of my babies are made to be "breathers" by carefully sculpting the nose open and placing dark felt behind for depth. My Babies even SMELL like real babies! I've started incorporating a small portion of a soy based tart (candle) into each of my babies to give them the freshly bathed and lavished with "Baby Magic Lotion" scent.

Wigs in several styles and colors are available, although I've found that hand rooting individual hairs, (soft baby angora goat mohair) gives the newborn doll such a realistic look, I will spend several hours on this task alone. It is sealed from within and can be gently dampened and styled.

It is easy to mistake a well reborned/newborned doll for a living infant. Depending on the artist's talent and the buyer's preference, most of these dolls sell for at least $100 a piece and it's not unusual to see a few auctioned for over $1,000 by artists who have previously made a name for themselves in the industry. (These more expensive dolls often come with a wardrobe 2-die-4. My own children were never dressed so well!) I price most of my reborn babies in the $200-$400 price range depending on their size and upgrade features. Shop around until you find a newborn doll that pulls at your heartstrings and you'll know you've found the one for you. Please remember that these are not play dolls, should be carefully handled just like real babies, and are meant to be a lifetime investment and keepsake for some special "New Mama".