Wednesday, September 23, 2015

I did something that scares me.

(Pictured above is Dead in her Tracks Dani by Integrity Toys before and after her makeover.
Re-rooted in More Titian from Restoredoll.com) 

A full re-root with a full face up.
There is something that stirs in me when I see a blank doll face.
Pretty certain it is fear, no, crippling terror.
That's definitely it.


Maybe it is the blank slate of expectation that causes the stirred anxiety?

The good news is, I pushed through it and actually finished her.
She was a commission for my lovely doll friend Nick.

Her belief in my work has propelled me forward on many occasions and I wish to thank her publicly for her selfless sweetness. Thank you Nick! You're AMAZING. <3

(Just a note to others who may decide to re-do this dolly in the future. 
Those rooted lashes made things pretty tricky.) 

Oh yeah....a close up. ;)


I loved seeing her emerge from the icy persona of her former visage into a lovely butterfly.
I was inspired by the monarch butterfly as I painted her, so I think the above statement is a good fit. ;)


She has made it home safe as I write this post.
I'm glad I pushed through the fear of defacing and then refacing a doll.
Now to keep the trend going.

I'm working on some fun projects at the moment.
You'll have a couple more blog posts from me in the next week.
Things are swinging back into a normal ebb and flow after 2 years of craziness.
I'm looking forward to what comes next.
<3

...Finally.

Hoping each of you are finding things to smile about.
+Cat and all her weird/obnoxious dolls.+
(^_^)

21 comments:

  1. Doing something that scares you is great for growing! The painting job looks very neat and professional, granted I prefer the initial look but the customer wants what the customer wants! You should do more repaints!

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    1. It really is! :) I've been trying to force myself to paint a blank face on several occasions but could just never quit shaking long enough to do it. I'm not saying I won't be scared in the future, but my fear will be diminished. Your comment means a lot to me. It isn't your taste but you still appreciated the work and art behind it. So many would have passed over it without saying a word. But you brought more encouragement to me and I want you to know I GREATLY appreciate it, thank you so very much! <3

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    2. You're welcome :) I WAS going to close it without saying anything but I realized, here is a first repaint that doesn't look like a first repaint, this artist needs encouragement regardless of my personal preferences! You have what it takes to repaint dolls and I would love to see what you do next.

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    3. You're awesome! Thank you again!! <3 You are one of those individuals that are what is RIGHT in the world. ^_^

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  2. The After looks incredible: really great balance of subtle and glamorous. Her eyes are very speaking!

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    1. Thank you so much!! ^_^ I tried to give her life in those eyes, and I'm glad you enjoyed the end result!

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  3. Cat, she's fantastic!!! What a gorgeous transformation.

    The idea of doing repaints terrifies me, I have to admit. I've tried in the past, but I can't seem to stop my darn hands from shaking! I'd probably have an easier time doing something less stressful, like open heart surgery. ;) I'm impressed that you went ahead and faced your fear, with such a great result!

    I'm glad things are settling down for you, by the way. In spite of being stressed, I'm definitely finding ways to keep busy and happy, and dolls are a huge part of this. Thank goodness for little plastic friends!

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    1. Thank you Sarah!! <3

      I suffer severe anxiety, so the shaking is rough if I get too nervous. So, I walk away, put on calming music, breathe, and try again. It worked. Finally. lol Open heart surgery is a potentially life saving procedure, so there is nothing wrong with doing that too. Although,I will not be attempting it in the near future unless it is on a dolly. LOL ;)

      I am so happy to hear you are getting the air you need to move forward. Sometimes that centered peace is near impossible to come by. I have seen you posting again and that makes me happy. (^_^) You're a wonderful person and I appreciate you being a part of the doll community. The dolls provide an escape from the normal hectic nature of life, and that's something we all need. <3

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  4. That is an amazing re-paint! You did a great job!

    <3,
    Andrea

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  5. Great job on both the hair and face. I did my first repaint and while my is nowhere near as fabulous as yours is I still love it. I'll be looking forward to your future repaints!

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    1. Thank you so much! <3 Do you have a link to a picture of your re-paint? I would love to see it! :)

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  6. Cat, she is absolutely be a-u-ti-ful!!!! I love her hair, her face, her cute little freckles... everything! You should be so very proud of yourself to take on a challenge like this. Awesome job! Don't stop here. They can only get better.

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    1. I'm not going to stop. Practice makes things better as we go, so practice I shall!! ;) A HUGE thank you for this super sweet compliment! Seriously, thank you!! <3

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  7. I think the job you did on her is simply amazing. I always wondered if Integrity was on crack when they did this doll as the other two were so cute and Halloweenish. But you have made her look like a cute teenager, so sweet and less zombie-ish. I love how you re-rooted and re painted her face! I wish I had your talent for rerooting, my hand strength sucks at it though I have tried. I have tried repainting too and it is something I think you are going to enjoy! You can add this to your list with the best of the artists out there!

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    1. Thank you Lisa! She was my least favorite of the 3, but I only have Damon now. I had considered customizing this doll when I had her but was really overwhelmed at the time so I sold her. I'm glad the opportunity to give her new life came around again. :) Re-rooting can be rough on the hands (especially if the head is harder.) I make good use of needle nose pliers to take some of the strain off of my hands and wrists. Have you tried that? I'm hardly one of the best, but I hope I can be, one day. ^_^ If not, I'll know I gave it my best shot. lol Thank you again for the incredible words of encouragement Lisa! <3

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  8. You did an awesome job! Her eyes are stunning. So lifelike. It's always great when we are pushed beyond our self created limits. Take a bow.

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    1. Thank you Vanessa!!! <3 I know you have been through so much and know intimately what it is to push beyond limits. I do not take your encouragement lightly. Thank you so very much for your kind and encouraging words. ^_^

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  9. Completely transformed. She's charming.

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