Hey everyone! I’m Jessi and I’m 37! I have been wanting to start making dolls for 20+ years! I have just recently gathered up the courage to learn how and I completed my very first baby (during a class) back in October! I had so much fun but still have tons to learn! I am seeking any and all advice anyone has for me! I have already come up with a name for my nursery and working on getting a page together so I can track my progress as I become closer to being able to sell! I have always used the name Legend for every username or gaming tag I’ve had for as long as I can remember. So I tried to come up with a name that reflects that. I ended up with “Legendary Blessings”. I hope this sounds good? Anyways, I’m still a few months away from being able to make dolls to sell so I’m welcoming all tips and tricks I can get! I did not put eyebrows or hair on the baby I completed because I still need a lot of practice with those! I have settled on genesis heat set paints and my nuwave oven is going to be my Christmas gift from my family this year. I am just really overwhelmed with it right now and I don’t want to get discouraged. That’s what usually happens. I let my anxiety or my feelings of I’m not going to be very good at it get in my way. I am determined to succeed at this as it is going to be a dream come true for me! One of the questions I have is does it matter how soft/hard the vinyl is when it comes to painting? Or is that more so an issue when it comes to rooting hair? I just got the real born Emmy kit to add to my collection but one of the reviews said she is a harder vinyl kit.
I will try to add a picture of the baby I already completed. Please if you have any help or advice for me for future success I could really use it!! 
thank you!!
Welcome to the forum!!
Your baby is beautiful,welcome to the forum!
Welcome…and your baby is very pretty!!
Great job on your first one!!!
Welcome to the forum! Nice first baby,
Thank you
He’s GORGEOUS!
Welcome to the forum I am so excited to see your babies you paint.
The hard/soft vinyl may or may not affect the paintability of a kit. Some for whatever reason take paint easier than others, but that can happen with both hard and/or soft vinyl. The hardness will make it tougher to root but might not be an issue if you use a heat lamp.
I just got NB Emmy asleep and her vinyl is harder and peachier than kits from a year or so ago which I’m sure is a product of covid so the next shipment could be different.
Welcome to the forum! It’s a nice 1st baby. Is it a cuddle baby? Did you take your class on line?
Welcome to the forum! Great first post, and lovely first baby, very detailed!
Yes he is a cuddle baby! One of my sisters friends does reborning and she gave my mom and I some classes on the basics
Thank you so much!
Thank you all so much!
You are off to a good start! Love the soft skin tones, well blended, and I can see some good mottling as well. He’s a really nice first baby. Welcome to the rabbit hole!
Welcome to the forum. You’re clearly a natural. This baby is beautiful! 
Thank you!! 
You are all making me feel more confident in my future creating these babies!
Beautiful work! Welcome to the forum!
I think you did an incredible job!
Welcome to the forum. Your baby turned out very sweet. I’m looking forward to watching you grow and progress so I really hope you’ll stick around.
I have a soft spot for the word Legend, so I also really love the nursery name you’ve chosen. (LoZ is my absolute favorite vg franchise but FF is a close second.) Here’s a photo of my hero, Link. He helps with my pain and anxiety.
Speaking of anxiety, I really hope that the sincere compliments on how well your first baby turned out helps to allay your fears. You ARE good enough. I’m also really glad that your family is being supportive and getting you an oven. You’ll make them proud for certain.
As others have already said, the thickness of the vinyl doesn’t affect the way a kit will take paint, only the rooting of said kit. One tip to bear in mind that your reborning friend may have already mentioned is that it is important to thoroughly wash your vinyl in dawn (or a similar grease cutting soap) before painting it. Some artists will also varnish a kit before painting it to give the vinyl a bit of extra tooth for the paint to stick to. It can also help to keep residual oils from baking to the surface of the vinyl and affecting the paints ability to stick.
Again, welcome and I look forward to seeing you around!
That is a very nice first baby! You can absolutely succeed at this! Your babies will only get better as you learn and you are already off to a very good start!