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Across the Fence:  "Reborn" babies - life-like dolls  |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 2:36:10 PM
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| Wow. At the risk of fueling a flame war, allow me to say that for my part, "creepy" doesn't even begin. I'm sure many people will appreciate the skill involved, and I guess I do, too, but...<shudder> |
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lilwing
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Brooke
Fulshear
Texas
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 7:23:35 PM
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I don't know if I exactly find it creepy.. I don't mind dolls but there's something about dressing them up with a cake and all that might make it more weirder....... but I don't know why ... the music made me laugh ..... only because it was with the dolls....
But I have to think that there might be women out there without children ... where it sort of gives them some kind of fulfillment ...or something..to have dolls like this? I feel for them ....(but maybe I am going waaaay out on a limb here...)
I hope this all made sense.
http://maggie.ecrater.com
http://maggiemerch.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/hh_reiki
http://www.myspace.com/brookealyson |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 7:34:43 PM
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| It's just the name that I find creepy. I thought at first that parents were commissioning replicas of their babies who had died. Kind of like getting your pet stuffed. But then I read the comments, and it look like it's just a doll maker who's really skillful and has a fanbase among collectors. Unfortunate choice of product name though! |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 11:19:41 PM
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i couldnt tell what i was looking at at first. kinda creepy. some of them were sweet. i think it would be a neat thing to have for parents later when their kids are all grown up, but i just dont know if right now i can appreciate that kind of art. it would have been better had i understood what was going on at first.
jess
Farmgirl Sister #235
http://crshelpmeet-heartssong.blogspot.com/
Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. -- Mark Twain |
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electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 01:46:59 AM
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I find them completely grotesque. There is just something beyond creepy going on. I don't understand why anyone would make these, much less want them....
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
Edited by - electricdunce on Aug 08 2008 11:43:10 AM |
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a rose
True Blue Farmgirl
443 Posts
Linda
Waterford
NY
USA
443 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 02:12:02 AM
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I have seen some really beautiful reborn baby dolls. Then there are some overdone in detail.
Remember me as a rose. |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 02:48:10 AM
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Do a search. It seems to be an amazing phenomenon. There are MANY people making/selling/buying these dolls for a variety of reasons. There is even a magazine devoted to just making life-like dolls. http://www.lifelikedollsmag.com Some of these dolls even "breathe" and have "hearbeats" and warming sections to make them feel real! Here's an article on Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUKL0373440320080717?sp=true Then of course, there is the report about the police in Austrailia who smashed the windows of a car because they thought a baby was dying in it... http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24019578-1248,00.html There is even a documentary out there called "My Fake Baby" http://www.channel4.com/video/my-fake-baby/series-1/episode-1/living-doll_p_1.html
OK...obviously I'm sleep deprived and have been wide awake since 4am. They can be a little disconcerting to be true but then my friends MIL spent big bucks on getting a My Twinn for each of her girls years ago... http://www.mytwinn.com Granted they still look like "dolls" but they do look like the girls too. And isn't that why we have dolls, to have a little person that looks "real"? For my own personal taste, they look a little too real but obviously they do have a dedicated following. |
Edited by - StarMeadow on Aug 08 2008 02:49:23 AM |
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Nigella
True Blue Farmgirl
386 Posts
Nigella
Chimacum
WA
USA
386 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 08:53:15 AM
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Ummmm yes very creepy and I like dollies! God, don't let my soon to be mother inlaw see those she already has a very large collection of babydolls that look similar..... I always wondered if her obsession with life-like dolls had something to do with the fact that she only had one child but wanted more..... Her husband left her years ago too.... maybe she's trying to fill the lonely void? There is something sort of haunting and and sad about looking at photos of something that looks so life-like but knowing that there really isn't anything there....
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If the ways is long
Let your heart be strong
Keep right on 'round the bend
Though you're tired and weary
Still journey on to your happy abode
Where all that you love
And are dreaming of
Will be there at the end of the road.
-Laura Ingalls Wilder |
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mima
True Blue Farmgirl
1573 Posts
1573 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 09:22:07 AM
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Um... yeah Sheri!!! That was totally creepy!!! I wish you could come on over for some coffee and we could laugh our heads off about how weird and creepy and funny people can be! hugs!
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 10:18:01 AM
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I would suggest reading Frannie's posts about appreciating the artistic creations of others.
When I read Frannie's reminder of respecting others I went back to take the negativity out of my posts.
Thanks Frannie for the reminder of what Farmgirl Forums are for. 
Who else enjoys dolls? Making or collecting young girl or women's are what I prefer.
I have made a woman boudoir doll for a friend. The doll was almost life size and she wore ladies clothes. She was crochet but we enjoyed her. 
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Jesus was a feminist!
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farmgirl #71 Linda in PA |
Edited by - yarnmamma on Aug 09 2008 10:40:59 AM |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 10:22:49 AM
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I have some real detailed porcelin dollies that are young girl "age" but small and you can tell they are dolls!
I also have a "life-size" Barbie doll that I love, BUT she is 36 inches tall to be the size of a 6 year old girl to play with if ya know what I mean.
:-)
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Jesus was a feminist!
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farmgirl #71 Linda in PA |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 10:46:01 AM
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| We had a baby doll from the 1950s that was realistic enough to fool the neighbors a couple of times. One lady just about threw a fit when she saw my mom trudging through the snow to the car with what looked like a naked infant stuck under her arm like a football. Up close, though, you could easily tell that she was a toy. |
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lacisne88
True Blue Farmgirl
1181 Posts
Chelsey
Lake Stevens
Washington
USA
1181 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 2:03:38 PM
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These are definitely too much for me! I love some types of dolls, but these just aren't them. I collect Peggy Nisbet dolls depicting English Historical figures from the Tudor/Elizabethan and Medieval eras. They are 8 inch beuatifully dressed dolls. They are vintage and well on their way to becoming antiques. I have about 70 so far! You can take a look at my collection at http://www.mythings.com/portfolio.aspx
Chelsey
Farmgirl Sister #283
http://farmgirlpleasures.blogspot.com/ |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 4:25:33 PM
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| Do any of you remember Baby Tenderloves? Those are the "squishy" ones I remember as a kid. They were supposed to be "lifelike" but couldn't hold a candle to these new kinds of reborn dolls. I know we use baby dolls at school for one of the "real life" classes. They have computers in them that can register if the "baby" has been ignored or "abused". Each baby has a sensor and then the student wears a bracelet corresponding to his/her baby. When the baby cries, the student must hold it in a certain way so that the bracelet matches up with the baby. If not, the baby can register that it was ignored. It will also show if if has been shaken or abused in any way. Kids have them for a weekend. |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 5:32:05 PM
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I always thought the computerized babies for school was a great idea. I would have so enjoyed that and I wouldn't want to take it back!
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Jesus was a feminist!
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farmgirl #71 Linda in PA |
Edited by - yarnmamma on Aug 08 2008 5:33:16 PM |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 7:58:54 PM
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I wonder how many are sold to commuters, so they can use the carpool lane :0
Trish
Farmgirl Sister #91
Make cupcakes not war!
FREE TIBET! |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 10:44:16 PM
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o.k. .. me and my two cents worth .. i appreciate immensely this dollmaker's ability to make such realistic dolls .. when i used to attend dollmaking seminars and workshops .. there were quite a few dollmakers who made extremely realistic (and yes, sometimes, lifesize) dolls. their 'workwomanship' is phenomenal .. and i think they are WONDERFUL! they don't creep me out at all .. gosh .. my kids had dolls that ate and pooped .. and i loved my 'tiny tears' doll that seemed to cry real tears. my sister collects child-sized china and bisque dolls that look much like these and she adores them. if you look at some grungy primitive dolls .. some people might they they are bizarr-o .. and they tug at the heartstrings of others. and oh my .. some of the victorian era dolls with such stern faces scare some people and others love collecting them and living with them.
(my sister shakes her head and just does not get .. and thinks they are indeed UGLY .. primitive dolls .. whereas, they sure make me smile).
i don't think either of us is 'right or wrong' .. we just have different tastes. and i am sure there is a loving audience for these re-born dolls too .. and i think that is great .. that someone can use their doll-making talents to create a living for themselves and to bring happiness to those that do love them.
i've seen anatomically correct dolls .. life-like dolls .. walking/talking dolls. there simply isn't anything in me that sees these dolls as anything but beautiful. it truly is 'different strokes for different folks' when it comes to taste in just about anything.
i appreciate the ability of someone to create such life-like looking dolls .. i think there are probably children that would adore owning one (a little sisiter or brother mayhaps).
some people love their own pets like (or more than) people .. is that strange?
i surely do not think it was a kind post that someone left about 'pedophiles' on this woman's site .. how mean-spirited. stuff like THAT should be kept to oneself .. because it is simply their opinion .. it does not make it a universal truth. i think it says more about the poster than it does about the dolls.
yeppers .. it is o.k. for them to creep some of us out too .. and we surely can express our opinions to each other .. but to be so unkind on the woman's web-site is simply mean (and ignornant in my opinion).
True Friends * KENTUCKY FRANNIE
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 11:10:19 PM
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Man, I didn't see that Frannie - was it on the site where the dolls were pictured? That was uncalled for. I think what gave me the willies was the name "re-born" and a couple of the dolls truly did look like babies that had passed on. You are right about the dollmaker's abilities - they are incredible - completely life-like. And absolutely - everyone has their own opinion and preference but no need to be mean.
Farmgirl Sister #98
Check out my new online store
http://www.shopthefrontier.com/VFstore/index.php?manufacturers_id=79&osCsid=6be4b25bf9555031c6e2e86bbde23dba |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 11:53:47 PM
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hey sweetie .. that comment sure was on her site! re-born might sound too much like 'born-again' for some people perhaps? i'm not sure how she came up with her dolly name .. it would be interesting to hear her tell us the story of it. it doesn't really bother me.
OH .. and i have a story to tell you! when i lived in Denver, and had two YOUNG daughters, i went to an antiques shoppe .. and there was a whole box full of photos of 'deceased babies, children and young teenagers'. (most were in coffins .. a couple laid out on a table .. SITTING in chairs .. and some were just surrounded with black cloth so you couldn't really tell where they were. YES .. some had their eyes open too!) It only cost $20 for about 30 of these olde photos .. lordy! you can't touch one of those for less than $20 to $50 if you can even find the olde ones anymore. (i used to collect victorian 'funeralia' .. lordy! i don't know why! no macabre reason .. i just realized it was part of 'history' .. i had seen 'hair jewelry' and 'hair flower pictures' (YEP .. hair from deceased loved ones!) in musueums .. and i found it fascinating and actually quite wonderful that people chose to keep a little part of their loved one. years later, i finally did find ONE photo of a precious baby who had died and was actually dressed in a beautiful white christening dress .. 'propped up' in a chair .. and it's photo was taken. i was showing my 'funeralia' collection to some women who came to my house one day .. and a nurse from Johns-Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore told me that this tradition was still more 'alive' than many people realize. She said that some families did indeed ask for a photo to be taken of their baby (just as they are for surviving babies) .. this nurse told me that some families just find comfort in being able to have a physical reminder that their child did exist .. if only for a few moments or hours. She said it was very healing for some people. Now .. many of us would find that strange, weird, awful (fill in the blank adjective). But if it gives any comfort to someone else .. then that is truly all that is important.
ohhhh .. and back to the box of photos .. i just COULD NOT bring myself to purchase them and bring them home .. because it was too sad .. perhaps being a young mother at the time was the reason. (TODAY ..i would absolutely buy them if i could find them). (Same as i collect antique 'instant ancestor' photos). from the 1800's to early 1900's .. and all of these people are now deceased).
Something kinda' similar to me as far as perhaps being 'creepy' to someone and not to another .. was how i used to feel about seeing 'crosses' on the sides of roads where people had car accidents and died. I was riding with my friend, Cyndi one day .. and we passed one ... and she started crying. She told me her brother had been killed in a car accident when he was 17 years old. Most of her family wanted to erect a cross at the spot. She went CRAZY with grief .. and said she could not BEAR to be reminded of the very spot where he had died. They honored her wishes and did not put the cross there. Years later, a friend pointed out a cross on the side of the road where her child had died in a car accident. She told me it gave her comfort to know where she believed her son's soul left its body and ascended into heaven.
I look at GRAVES in much the same way ... it is just a box of bones and rotting flesh to me .. what is important about my loved one is NOT in that BOX! YET .. it gives my sister peace and comfort to be able to go sit beside her young teenage son's grave and talk to him.
Gurlfrenz, think my biggest concern about saying negative things on a public forum is the fact that THE VERY PERSON we are speaking of .. or one of their friends or loved ones .. may very well be on this very forum .. and read those words .. and i do believe that would hurt. I know my homely little primitive dollies probably creep some people out (ha! they creep my beloved sister out!!!) She does not like ANYTHING 'primitive' ... we love each other and we tease each other about "my primitives and her prissies" .. but we truly do it in love. (she even has a few of my dolls sitting amongst her prissy little lacy-layered china dolls!) But .. it would be unkind to read words from friends or strangers about how stupid or ugly or bizarre or creepy (fill in the adjetive) my dollies are.
Yep! that would hurt my heart. xo
True Friends * KENTUCKY FRANNIE
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
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Edited by - CabinCreek-Kentucky on Aug 09 2008 12:10:49 AM |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2008 : 12:04:23 AM
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ohhhhhhhh .. i thought of another story!!! i have a good friend who has Amish friends here in Kentucky. Sadly, one of their infants died. The baby was to be buried on a certain day and many Amish families came to their home. My friend went there to extend her condolences too. Something she was totally unprepared for happened. She saw the deceaded little baby being passed from person to person to hold in their arms. The mother picked the baby up and brought her to my friend to hold. She simply could not. She just stood there and cried and cried.
This was so foreign to her .. she hugged the mother and left. She searched her mind for her 'feelings' about this.
Strange? Weird? Creepy? ... NO! simply their custom .. important to them. A few weeks later, she returned to sit and talk with the young Amish mother. They held each other and no words were needed. They both understood.
True Friends * KENTUCKY FRANNIE
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2008 : 12:15:29 AM
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CHILE!!! it's 3:15 a.m. here in Kentucky .. WHAT am i doing still awake!!!!
i guess it's only about midnight in Washington state?
anyhoo .. to bed with me now! sweet dreams sweet friend.
p.s. i ADORE your children's clothing!!!!!!!!!! xoxo
True Friends * KENTUCKY FRANNIE
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
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Edited by - CabinCreek-Kentucky on Aug 09 2008 12:15:55 AM |
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Across the Fence: "Reborn" babies - life-like dolls |
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"Reborn" babies - life-like dolls
