Were you nervous your first time? (Modifying/changing your doll, that is.)

I took me a few weeks to find the courage to change my doll's eyes... I'll have to dismantle her for a make over soon... It will take me a few days looking at her with a mix of pity and worry... But I'll get to do it (nice and carefully) eventually.

 

Nope. Fell appart. XD

My first doll was a DoD Bee-A. I didn't know enough about dolls to know she was too tightly strung. The day I got her, I noticed some black goop in the crease of her mouth. It worsened over the days and the remaining gloss turned yellow first, then black, then gooped off completely. Someone on DoA told me I should take off the head before attempting to repaint the lips (looked so easy XD) and because it was so tight, it nicked my finger hard enough to bleed, so my pulling it free twisted the hook out of the elastic loops XDD Only the clothes kept the damned thing in one piece.

That aside, modding was something I was terrified of D= I eventually attempted a full-facial sanding two and a half years into the hobby, because the head wouldn't sell and would be ruined otherwise. Then a friend of mine showed me her attempt at modding her Nanuri 07 last year. She'd scratched it quite a bit and the eyes were totally uneven. She said I could have a go at sanding it into shape if I wanted, so I took it home XD I ended up using a scalpal and three grades of sandpaper. I even carved and sanded eye creases and full eye lids. It worked out really well ^__^

I think with modding and face-painting, for most people, start out with something you can't make worse if possible XDD

 

I get fairly scared.

I want to re-do my BBBs face up, but I just am too nervous to actually go ahead and do it. I'm sure I'll get over it eventually (since sending out to face up artists every time I want a change is not an option), but right now, SQUIIIIK! >_<

I'm getting a new girl fairly soon, so I think I'll try it on her first XD

 

Yeah I was nervous but it sure didn't stop me. The first thing I did to a doll was turn his elf ears into human ones. And it was my friend's doll xD MY doll is from migidoll so I had to choice to make a hybrid of him, and his body came to me with his legs unstrung, so there I had no choice either. I was shocked at how easy it was, since people are always making such a big deal about it O.o it's really not difficult at all.

I also did his faceup myself too... I haven't even had this boy together for a week xD And I hotglue sueded and unstrung/restrung my friend's doll too, just yesterday....

I dunno.. it doesn't really freak me out that much.... Maybe that's because I originally approached the hobby with the intent of making dolls, so mods don't seem like such a biggy...

As the mods say, it's hard to -ruin- a doll, when you look at people taking seemingly ruined dolls and turning them into beautiful like-new ones...

 

I was nervous, yes, but i got my OD Tae (my first) with the intent to do everything myself.. i took him apart, sanded his seams (i hate sanding seam lines with a passion.. i always strain my neck >_<), gave him a body blushing and did his faceup myself. I'm in the process of doin the same with my IH Barron but i've been working on crochet comissions so i haven't had time.

I do want to get a DZ Floy head and mod the elfs ears a bit to make him an orc but that will be later.. since he's not in my immediate interest.

Also, i find re-stringing to be fun... a pain sometimes when the tension gets wacked, but fun! ^__^

 

My husband was far more nervous then I. He was hanging over my shoulder as I disassembled my doll for the first time moaning, "Are you sure you can put him back together??"
Then as I sprayed the doll parts down with Mr. Super Clear (the newer stuff that doesn't yellow) he kept moaning saying, "Now your sure this won't ruin him??!"
Then he was horrified as I began blushing the body, "what if it's to dark? Is that the right color?? I can't watch this!!"

Afterwards: "Ah, wow! That looks really good!"

 

keekster, that's so cute! What a worrier, that husband of yours.

The first time I did a face-up for one of my dolls I was really nervous about messing up and ruining the head, but the artist side of me couldn't resist that deliciously "blank canvas" so I quickly got over it. And I found I couldn't get enough of it, so I blushed his man bits and nips that day, too. Now I love doing face-ups.

 

Yeas, definately.
I was very nervous and scared the first time I restrung the doll, I asked so many questions. But once I was done, I was like 'no biggie'
Even when I was scrubbing him with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser I was scared (oh dear).
But after a while, it is good to try it because, at least for me, I feel I know how he works.

 

i actually havent done anything to my dolls.. for mods, faces, etc..

i dont have the space right now or the proper tools really but once i get things here sorted out, i want to try. i have a can of MSC some where i think. also i bought some tools to start restringing and whatnot...
for face ups.. i dont have any paint , etc yet, but i will be getting it sometime.
When i bought my FL Riff, i got the sleeping head outout make up so i can try it.

Im afraid that when i do it, i will mess up, so i will prolly buy a few heads and sell em afterwards when i dont need them or something (or keep em)

im sure later on i will be pretty good at face ups, mods, tattoos etc... but right now, all i can do i make sure i have some time, the right tools and read up on stuff so i dont have to read how to fix it later.

 

Not really~ X3

I'm pretty fearless with my boy, I've already gone through taking the eyes out for ones I liked, fiddling with his stringing. He has a weird foot that won't hold a position for love nor money. XD But nope, not scared. I'd already fiddled with a couple friend's dolls, so I knew how it all went together and all. The only thing that makes me squidgy is if I ever do my own face-up, or a mod of some sort, not that I ever plan to do any. None of my boys have anything drastic, besides a few tattoos. >>

Oh god, if I ever make Varek into resin...... That's going to be a heckuva process......

 

I have painted a few of my own dolls now and it does get less scary the more you do it. My eyebrows need a lot of work though, I haven't found my own way to do them properly yet!

The only time I've modded a doll was when I pierced my Yuu head's ear. The drill got stuck and snapped off so it was sticking into the earlobe and it scared me so much that it might have to stay like that. Luckily my Dad came to the rescue and got it out with pliers haha! I then finished his other piercings in that ear and I'm pretty proud of how he looks now!

 

i always feel nervous when i work on my dolls. but the more i do it the more i feel confident about it. the other thing is that i always take pics of my dolls as i work on them and they help me realize that i do improve the more i do it. its a nice feeling.

what i was completely freaked out about doing was when i coated my doll wit MSC because it was my first time taking her apart. but i did ok and now i feel pretty good about doing it again.

 

Surprisingly, I wasn't super nervous about this. XD It was a "I saved, s lets see wha I can do here". Then again, my doll was second hand, so that mighthave eased it a bit.

 

I was very nervous when we did our first face-up... and the doll came blank. I didn't have to wipe off a previous face-up. It took me about an hour just to get the courage to unstring her. When I was soaking her, I found myself prolonging the soak so I wouldn't have to face the challenge of the MSC. My husband ended up spraying her; and, like Keekster's husband, I was bothering him about it... every detail of it. 'Did you put the mask on? Properly? Did you put on the gloves and eye protection? Is it too windy? Did you spray at the proper distance? Was she too wet? Too dry? I drove him mad. He almost lost his temper, which is unusual for him.

In spite of myself, we were able to finish. He did the spraying, I did the body blushing and face-up portions and we both re-strung her. She didn't come out too bad for a first try. The face-up and body blushing bits were a lot of fun. I'm ready for the next one now, if hubby is willing to do the MSC part .

 

I wasn't nervous at all the first time I re-strung my doll, blushed her and did her faceup.

I don't have any desire to attempt a more serious mod though. Maybe if I was getting in to doing faceups or mods to try to make some money I would buy some cheap heads to practice on, but I don't want to practice on anything I don't want to screw up.

 

I actually think I would perfer to buy blanks but that might be due to that I used to make porcelain dolls I love doing it all. I just have a hard time with choosing what colors to use when doing them.

 

I'm too scared to restring mine. And he needs to be restrung BAD. I just can't take him apart, I'm too scared O.O

 

It's actually really easy. You should watch this video:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09mRo78HnDg

Here's part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MRzIiHafzA

It shows you step by step of how to take them apart and put them back together.
Makes it super easy!

 

I'm first doll is coming to me either Friday or Monday and yes....I'm very nervous about doing anything to her! I know what they are made out of is very durable but I keep thinking they are fragile like they're made of glass! XD

 

I think I'd be nervous doing anything to my doll for the first time. I know I was nervous doing my first face up, even though I knew it wasn't permanent. It turned out to be a lot of fun though, I can't wait to get him all together! (still just a head as of now ) Though as far as mods go, idk if I could bring myself to do any permanent damage.