Christmas Baby Swap went wrong

I feel so badly for the person who received this baby. What a disappointment. I would have loved to join the Christmas Swap but because I’m new to reborning I didn’t. I know I’m not good enough yet and I felt it definitely wouldn’t be fair to the person I would have been in the swap with. I’m still learning and have a long way to go before I would ever subject anyone here to one of my dolls!!! It just blows my mind that the sender of this baby would even think its alright to send a reborn in this condition as part of a swap.

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I have some glass beads that look like those pics…it’s just very, very, fine glass. That said, I still think it could’ve been more well contained.

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I’ve gotten some from Harbor Freight that looked like that, too. Not sure if it would clump like I see in the pics.

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I get my Glass weighting beads from BB, I have seen the type beed that look like that at Harbor Freight too, but didn’t buy any of it because it seemed and felt more like sand.

I use the harbor freight glass beads, they are very fine and need reinforced stockings. I did find that adding the beads to the polyfil while in the stocking will make a solid rock! Hard as a rock too! So that was trial and error. I do like the Harbor Freight glass beads, they seem to be heavier and the limbs can be squishier with polyfil but still have weight to them.

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You are so right about the containment! Stocking are not suitable for most all glass beads unless it is the bigger ones that are more the size of poly pellets. Even the thicker stockings can leak glass beads over time. I like to use the vinyl gloves for my beads and then put the gloves down inside a trouser stocking to keep it all together. I place 2 filled gloves in the trouser sock with palms facing each other and finger tips to wrist of the other glove.

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The recipient will be receiving another baby from her list and she will have it by Christmas. And to let everyone know I will not have to make the baby as someone else has a baby that was on her wish list that is almost complete and will be able to have finished and shipped out so that the baby will make it in time for Christmas.

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YAY! THERE’S some Christmas spirit!

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Praise the Lord for the new baby. I am glad that so far this is the only incident. Lets hope all the rest goes smoothly. Still debating on whether I will open my box or wait until Christmas.

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I didn’t take part in the swap but, i m surprised for this reason. If I did join in and make a baby to be shipped to a fellow artist; that baby is gonna look super beautiful and have high quality. Because, another reborner will spot in mila seconds a sloppy, half hinney, wrong materials doll. I am a slow reborner so I would of never made the time line :smiley: It is good you’re making her a new one. Sorry this happened though.

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Like Izzy…I have seen glass beads that look like this…it’s just a super fine grit…I use a grit that is not that fine…but still could be mistaken for sand…I don’t like the huge grit because it’s too “crunchy”…if that makes any sense!!!

I do not use hosiery of any type…but sew muslin cloth bags to hold the micro-glass.

I have also heard of people using some type of tissue paper inside the head when gluing the hair to hold it better, but
if glued properly the glue will do the job without adding paper inside the head.

SO sorry this happened to whoever received this baby…

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I do not participate in swaps because they are nebulous at best. Everyone has their own idea of what is pretty in a reborn baby and if someone did not specifically choose your work there is always a chance that they will not like your style and be disappointed. I am very picky about what I like and do not want a doll made by just anyone. Often times I would rather just make it myself. Not meaning that in any conceited way, just that I know what I like. Then there is also the issue of the random reborner who will send out a totally crappy looking doll and in their own eyes they are convinced their own work looks great. Everyone is at different levels, preferences and abilities. In addition to that, not everyone has the same standards and sense of decorum when it comes to what they give away. I have seen swap boxes go wrong too where one person would fill the box full of very nice things and the other person would send out used junk. It is very sad.

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If this baby came from the person that I believe it came from, this is her usual work. She has been reborning for years and has never progressed in her skill. The sad thing is that she thinks that her work is beautiful and claims to sell her babies but I cannot believe that her customers are happy. Not even knowing what is inside these babies, the painting and rooting of these babies is early beginner work at best. Unfortunately, this reborner does not take critique well and when she has been given help/advice on how to proceed with a baby, she gets offended and retreats. Now don’t get me wrong, this person probably was not trying to cheat and send a substandard baby - she actually believes in her work.

I am so sorry that this happened and ruined the experience for her recipient!

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That is what I believe also Carmen. Well, I guess the light will turn on after all of this… She prob won’t come back to forum. She did recurve her new baby, and maybe it’s the first time she she’s what a proper reborn is supposed to be like. ??? Well, I’ll bet this will be the only hitch, I can not wait to get my baby!!! I’m so excited to see him or her!!!

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I doubt it, Nikki - she has taken part in multiple baby swaps in the past and it has not affected her work. But, I sincerely hope you are right… I pray that this is the only hiccup experienced by the ladies participating in this baby swap.

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Darn that is so sad. I remember this happened to my friend on here a few years ago during the Christmas swap. She received a baby that was just purely slipped with brown paint all over the whole thing. It was so bad. Sucks when stuff like this happens to people.

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Well, not to be a grinch but she must be banned from future swaps if this is not her first offense. No more OPPSIES!

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Yes, I recognized this lady’s work right away. She’s been on other boards before. It’s a shame, really that she continues to produce low quality babies.

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I have to say that I felt the same as what Carmen has said…that the lady most probably did not think her work was bad. That is why I made the comment that it could be the perception that she sees her work better than it is and that it could end up with both receiver and sender with hurt feelings…I would find it hard to believe that anyone would intentionally send out substandard work to another reborn artist knowing full well that there could or would be negative repercussions that would adversely affect her on this forum as it was stated that all the babies would be photographed and posted here…Sadly, her work is not up to standard and maybe she has trouble taking advice from others but she could genuinely believe that she does a good job. I see ladies put their dolls on Ebay with prices that rival the proto artist that I would not give to my grandchild but they truly believe they are outstanding artist…beauty IS in the eye of the beholder and how many of you ladies can look back at your early work and say, what a gorgeous baby it was compared to what you do now…not many of us, if any…I do think name and shame would be below us on this forum…The lady knows who she is and if she did something intentionally she has surely gotten a ‘bashing’ here…BUT if she did her best and she believed that it was a good job…then we should be ashamed for all the 'bashing" that has been done…there are no guarantees that everyone is going to love another’s work…

eg: I ran the Christmas Challenge and some of the ladies here did not do so well on the number of votes they received - that is not being negative on anyone…only that they saw their babies as beautiful but other reborn artist may not have been as impressed… It did not mean that their work was not great, just that others did not see it the same as they did…

If everyone thinks they are going to get their ‘dream baby’ from this swap…there are going to be some very disappointed ladies…if you are looking at it with the Christmas Spirit - that some one took the time to create something to send, then you have to understand that the baby you receive may not have been one on your ‘Christmas list’ but it was part of the ‘fun and games’ in doing a swap…I don’t know the case here but whatever has happened here is quite sad…for everyone :disappointed:

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Just a question…Did the ladies swap names with each other…meaning did say Nikki get Cassie and Cassie get Nikki (that is just an example) or was is a here we go round the mulberry bush sort of thing where Nikki got Cassie and Cassie got someone else, etc??? Just that if it was a swap between 2 people could the lady be asked to return the doll to the lady she sent it to and the lady that received hers put it back together and send it back to her??? just curious…It would fix things up a bit???