A good while back I bought a Barbie Style on sale over at Amazon. I was totally enamored with this doll because she had poseable knees, elbows, and even wrists. She also had rooted lashes and two-toned blonde hair. I was never a big fan of Barbie but fell for it right away. At first she was stiff and wouldn't sit up straight. As I posed her and dressed her she kept getting better. Then one day I went too far and the spikey thing in her neck snapped. I was upset and the doll was no longer on sale anywhere. I put her aside and tried to think of a way to fix her. When I pulled the spikey thing out of her neck it was worse, the rooted lashes came out with a big blob of glue. Now I know where all the complaints about glue head Barbie come from. I attempted to root her new lashes but they looked like animal fur. So I pulled that out. Rubbed acetone on her face and attempted to paint her. Her rubbery head wouldn't take any of my pencils and pastels too well. I tried spraying her first. Didn't work.
Finally I get out a bit of acrylic paint and began to see some progress. I ended up gluing some eyelashes in place just to cover the holes where eyelashes once were rooted.
Then the head fixing thing. I used elastic string that is used to string tiny YOSD sized BJDs. I wrapped it around the straight bar in her neck and pulled it through a wooden bead with the hole large enough to string with elastic. Plus the wooden bead was easily sanded down till it could slip inside the neck of the Barbie head. Of course it had to fit tight so it would stay in. I tied the knot first, of course, before I worked it into the head. Wow what a difference it made too. Her head can pose up, down and all directions and stays posed where I put it. It is much better than what I had for a Barbie. I put good old-fashioned Elmers glue in her head to make sure her hair didn't come out too. Of course, I washed her hair a couple of times during the process of repairing her. It was a lot of work for a Barbie doll, but I am so happy, it's worth it. She's Make it Mine Barbie for sure. I just wish I could get a BJD that wears Barbie stuff ,is customizable with changing eyes, face up, and wears heels or flats.
This whole scenario reminded me of when I wore make up for the first time. I would put it on, wash it off and imagine how I look in front of "Ken". I felt like I was bonding with Barbie. I bought her a Ken a while back too, so she has a date now.
I put a casual handmade outfit on her for today. I wanted to make her picture. She insisted that she have make up on with jewelry and heels (that's all she can wear) just in case she sees Ken. She went shopping and bought a hanging basket of flowers. It's the first time she has been out of the house in such a long time after her catastrophe.
I made the cute hanging basket and flowers myself. I started with some cardboard backing off of old used up notepads. I thought I should recycle some of this stuff while I am cleaning my office space. I made the beads with the cardboard and some Harbor Freight super glue. Then I made the basket with cardboard and Elmer's glue. I colored it with some acrylic paint and permanent marker. I sprayed the basket with Krylon Matte finish to hold the color. I used some hemp I had to do the micro-macrame. I used an eyepin to make the hanging hardware.
I am so looking forward to the 4th of July Holiday and I hope everyone has a safe Holiday too.
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