Helloooo!
My name is Jessica
I'm in the USA

I fell onto reborns and ooak clay babies on ebay about 5-6 years ago. I tried first at the clay babies, I gave up when I started getting better.
Personally, and unfortunately, when I fall into a bad experience with other people within a hobby or art - that hobby or art loses its spirit for me. That shouldn't be how it is, but that's how it is for me.


Roughly 5 years ago, I did buy a small Berenguer from the store and Genesis paints and rooting tools, mohair, everything I needed and tried reborning. I really loved it! BUT, I didn't want to use my cooking oven so I tried putting my baby parts in the toaster oven I bought specifically for my clay babies and I burned and partially melted the torso. The arms and legs came out beautifully but there was no way the head would fit in there and so I gave up and went into the clay babies instead.

After the clay babies I fell into ball-jointed dolls. I love customizing them (painting their faces, changing their wigs & eyes, etc.) They're a lot of fun. But BJD owners incorporate a lot of sexual implications into their photo-stories and such. And I just got tired of it. There is also a lot of snobbery involved within that hobby with regard to expensive items, photography skills, etc. I've pretty much threw in the towel with that hobby as well.


I'm needing a hobby that doesn't put up such walls. I need people to be friendly and accepting. I don't believe that a "hobby" should ever make someone feel bad about themselves or their dolls in any way (outside of honest critiquing, which is different).
I've wrapped back around to reborning, I'm going to give this another go, I'm going to do it right this time. And I just hope that it's the niche and atmosphere I've been longing for. I decided that instead of commissioning someone to do a baby for me, perhaps it's time for me to be involved in it myself....again.

Thank you for having me here.

Welcome, Jessica! You are in the right place for learning this art and we are a friendly bunch around here, too. A lot of forums end up with what you described the BJD sites to be but we do try to be a bit more humble around here and we accept everybody the same, new or not so new. Again,

Hi Jessica, you said it all in your intro! You are re-starting this time with the help of a great forum. Lara's online classes are great and she has eBooks on her other classes. We all love to learn and chat here!

Hi Jessica, Welcome to REAL. So glad you could join us! ..Kathy