Rooting til I can't root "no more"

Hey everyone.  Just a quick update today.  I've been so busy lately that I can hardly see straight.  I managed to get all my Christmas custom orders completed which was definitely a huge accomplishment.  I was sweating bullets for a minute!  My entire body was completely sore from rooting.  I managed to relax on Xmas Eve & Xmas day.  Now I'm back at it & rooting away.  I'm in the progress of rooting Lotus by Adrie Stoete.  She's painted with my signature "Porcelain" skin palette.  Please forgive her wonky eyes, they're temporary & not set.  I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years!

Winter Belle completed on a cloudy day

Happy Sunday everyone.  It looks like the rain isn't going anywhere so I tried my best to get a few shots of Winter Belle.  They aren't the best but they're the best that I can do with such awful lighting.  She'll be going up for auction soon if she can't find a mommy.  Wishing everyone a wonderful & safe holiday season.

Click the pictures to enlarge.  

AA, Ethnic, Biracial Florian by Petra Lechner WIP

Hey guys!  This is just a quick post today on Ethnic Florian by Petra Lechner.  I'm just starting her detailing & have a long way to go but she's turning out adorable.  This sculpt is da bomb dot com!  The details are impeccable!

Ethnic, AA, Biracial Vienna By Andrea Arcello... Rooting Done

Yayyyyy!! Last night I completed rooting little Ms. Winter Belle (Vienna by Andrea Arcello).  I just adore her full head of curls!  I can't believe how easy rooting her lashes were.  It's much easier than applying the false lashes AND CLEANER! lol  Ms.  Winter Belle will be going on sale soon but I'm so attached to her!   I have 4 heads of rooting completed for custom orders & 3 more heads to go!  I can't even tell you how sore my body is.  Anyway, here she is... I can't wait until she's finished!  Isn't she adorable?

WIP Ethnic AA Biracial "Original" Florian by Petra Lechner

Happy Tuesday everyone!  I've been digging deep into my stash of long sold out kits to start reborning.  I have no idea why I keep waiting to paint them.  They're just starting to collect dust so over the next few months you will see me starting to post pictures of their progress.  I already showed you Sarah Lyn by Sherry Rawn, Vienna by Andrea Arcello, & Bluebell by Romie Strydom.  Well today, I've pulled out the original Florian by Petra Lechner.  This kit was a LE of 250 worldwide.  It has since been re-released under a new name "Inja" I believe.

I must say that Florian's details are AMAZING!  Petra even sculpted the VEINS on the top of the hands!  Anyway, here she is with a few layers & mottling.  Look at those gorgeous lips!  I'm getting ready to start some detailing soon.  I can't wait to see her finished!

My very 1st Youtube video

Hey everyone!  I made my very 1st Youtube video!  I know it's dorky but i'm excited!

Ethnic AA Bi-Racial Sarah Lyn by Sherry Rawn WIP

Happy Saturday everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful Holiday.  I'm working on my "keeper" baby.  I've had this kit since 2007 & I've never had the time to reborn her.  Here she is with a couple mottle layers.  I hope I can do her justice.

New baby in the Nursery...Cianne by Romie Strydom

Hi everyone.  I've been searching frantically for Romie Strydom kits.  I've managed to find 3 more & one of them arrived today.  Welcome Cianne!  Cianne is a limited edition kit of 800.  Isn't she adorable.  I can't wait to reborn her.

Guess who has a Facebook?

Happy Sunday everyone!  I finally got up the courage to create a Facebook page.  Please stop by & add me or like my page.  I'd greatly appreciate it and can use all the advice I can get.  Just click the photo below & it will take you to my page.

Look whose getting some hair....

My ethnic/AA Vienna finally has a name.  Little miss "Winter Belle" is finally getting some hair.  I'm rooting her with black curly "kid" mohair.  As you can see, I've just started but I think she's super adorable.  She still has her temporary eyes.  After she's rooted I'll finish up her brows, lashes & painted hairline.  I'm also still working on her limbs & fine detailing. I've completed fallen in love with this little one!  I'm debating keeping her lol.  Isn't she darling?

Sarah Lyn by Sherry Rawn

Today I've decided to pull out my Sarah Lyn kit by Sherry Rawn.  This kit has been LONG sold out.  I managed to grab 3 of them long ago.  This 1 is a keeper for me  I never seem to have the time to reborn dolls for my own collection & constantly put it off.  But today, I will start the 1st in the series of my dream babies made just for me by me.  Even the kit is too cute!

Opened eyed eyelash rooting.. 1st attempt

Good evening everyone.  I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I'm dropping in to show you my 1st attempt at eyelash rooting an opened eyed baby.  Let me tell you that a sista was scared to death!  But once I got the hang of it, it wasn't as bad as I thought.  The verdict is still out until she's trimmed, glued & eyes are put in.  I'm crossing my fingers.  I'm also going to attempt to do tear ducts on her.  Wish me luck!

Warning:  Eyeless Doll below!

Asian Reborn - Lotus by Adrie Stoete WIP

Happy Friday everyone.  Just a quick update on Lotus by Adrie Stoete.  I'm still in the process of rooting.  I hope to be finished her rooting by the end of next week.  Don't mind her crooked temporary eyes, the bad lighting & my awful cell phone picture!   I still think she's darling!  I hope to be completely done with her within the next 2 weeks.  (Crossing Fingers).  I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend!

Another Signature Skin Palette Revealed - Destini Neveah Update

Happy Sunday guys.  Lately I've been busy busy busy!  Today, the sun came out & my ethnic/AA Bluebell by Romie Strydom finally had her photoshoot!  I lovingly named her Destini Neveah & she'll be ready for eBay soon.

Destini Neveah was made using one of my Signature Palettes.  

"Chestnut Almond Berry"

A medium brown the color of "Chestnuts" with "Almond" & reddish/"berry" undertones.

This skin tone was created after my granddaughter Jordynn.  I worked tirelessly to get her complexion accurate, right down to her lips, fingers & toes.  Please enjoy more photos of Destini Neveah below.

Isn't she adorable?  Thanks so much for reading!  I'll post her link when she's listed on eBay.

Signature Ethnic Skin Tone Color Palettes

I've been reborning dolls for over 6 years now & I've learned that human beings have very complex skin tones.  This is one of the reasons that making ethnic dolls is so difficult.  I used to have "custom order" clients try to describe the complexion/skin tone that they wanted without a reference but I quickly learned that my perception of light skinned or dark skinned was completely different than someone else's.   I realized that I had to have a base guide for my customers & developed my very own signature ethnic skin tone palette.  These signature palettes serve as a "base guide" & starting point only.  This base & my "artistic vision" are used to complete their babies.

I've had multiple questions as to what colors i'm using to complete Vienna.   I'll be sharing the others at a later date.

Blushing Olive:

 A velvety olive hue with cool & blushed undertones.  I use this palette to create many different ethnicities.  It is the current complexion of my daughter Amiah & I worked tirelessly to perfect it.

Pictured Below Ethnic Vienna - Blushing Olive Palette in Progress

As you can see from the picture above, I still mix custom colors along the way so that each baby is truly one of a kind.  I hope this has helped.

WIP Ethnic Vienna by Andrea Arcello

Hello everyone.  I wanted to give you a sneak peak of my Ethnic Vienna by Andrea Arcello.  This kit was a limited edition of 350 in 2009 & is long sold out.  I managed to snag 4 of these lovelies & I couldn't be happier.  Pictures below are taken with my camera phone so the picture quality isn't great but I couldn't wait to share her progress.   She is pictured with most of her undertones & mottling completed.  I've just started her lips & have quite a ways to go on them.  I've also just started her detailing such as her eye brows & painted hairline (all of which are still wet & hasn't been set) & she has in temporary eyes.  She's probably about 68% completed.  I think she's coming along nicely.

Quick update on Ethnic/AA Bluebell by Romie Strydom

I told you guys yesterday that I'm pretty much finished with Bluebell by Romie Strydom.  She's still nameless & needs clothes & a photoshoot but I took a quick picture of her in the shade today.  I hope you like her!

Kits! Kits! & More Kits!

I completed Ms. Bluebell today!  Unfortunately, she doesn't have a name yet.  I hope to have her photo shoot completed by next weekend.  In the meantime, I have to go shopping for her.  She turned out to be such a cutie!

In the meantime, there are so many beautiful kits on my want list!  Some are sold out & impossible to find, others are pre-orders!

Today I want to spotlight Annie by Karola Wegerich!  This kit has so much character & looks amazing as an ethnic baby.  Here she is reborned by the amazingly talented Beatrix Schroder.  Isn't she gorgeous?  That little face has so much character!

Bluebell finally has some color!

I'm dropping in for a quick update on bluebell's progress.  I'm loving her milk chocolate complexion.  It reminds me of my granddaughter's skin tone.  I'm almost finished painting her but 1st I have to get her rooting done.  After her rooting is finished, I'll finish up the rest of her detailing, blend & seal her paint job, add her permanent eyes & lashes & put her together.  I just love her grumpy face!  Thanks for reading!

Bluebell WIP Day 1

I've been working on Bluebell for most of the day.  I still have a very long way to go as I want her to have  a deep milk chocolate complexion.  Pictured below are a base layers only.  I mix my own colors for each baby without a recipe so each of my babies are truly a one of a kind.  She's such a cutie!  Hopefully by tomorrow she'll have so "chocolateness" to her lol.

W.I.P Bluebell by Romie Strydom

Hey guys.  I wanted to share with you my current baby projects.  I have so many kits that it's hard to decide which ones to do next.  HENCE, I'm officially on a "no buy" (I hope) lol.  In the meantime, I'm digging way back in the vault & pulling out Bluebell by Romie Strydom.

Bluebell is a limited edition sculpt of 400 worldwide & has been long sold out.  I believe she's from 2009.  I fell so much in love with this little sad face that I purchased 3 of them.  I plan to eventually reborn them in 3 different ethnic skin tones.  I'm starting with a milk chocolate AA skin tone.  I can't wait to see how she turns out.  

Look at that adorable Face!!

I finally started a reborning blog!

Hi guys, my name is Crystal & I'm the professional reborn artist behind Colorful Creations by Crystal.  I have over 6 years of reborning experience.  Although I reborn all types of babies, I specialize in ethnic babies of color. In the beginning, I chose to make custom dolls for co-workers & friends & this exploded into referrals received from people living in other parts of the country.  I am proud to say that I now have babies living all over the world!  Many of my customers would always ask me did I have a website or blog & seemed disappointed when I told them that I did not.  So today I'm taking the plunge and writing my very 1st blog post.  It is my goal to step out of my comfort zone & venture into the world of social media.  I have set goals for myself to get a website completed within the next 6 months. I would also like to get a matching blog template.  I plan to get Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & Tumblr accounts.  And the big whammy of them all, I plan to start selling on eBay!  Wish me luck!  And thank you so much for reading.