On Cameras and Clones

Having a camera is liberating. And yet still frustrating. This camera is deficient in many ways (scratch on the lens, older than sin, etc.), yet having one at all is so nice. See how some of my recent posts have pictures now? Isn't that cool? Isn't that part of what makes a knitting blog worth reading? Don't you love the pictures? I know I do.

And since I have a camera and can take pictures, I'm going to post some more now. They aren't knitting related. But guess what, loyal readers: It's my blog and I'll post pictures of whatever I darn well please. And what I want to post pictures of is an entry into the recent Craftster DYI Twin challenge. The object was to create or recreate a doll that looked like you. This challenge had many interpretations, and there were some really stunning entries. Mine was lowly in comparison. But the original idea that spawned this event was to remake an existing doll, like a Barbie, to look like you, and that's what I really wanted to do, so that's what I did. She is Mommy Rock Star Barbie.

I started with a Ballerina Barbie from a few years ago. I found her at a thrift store, and she looks like she's been mildly chewed about the nose and fingers. Ah well. She had lovely pale skin, which is unusual for a Barbie, and pre-painted purple tights. Here is what she looked like:



Well, she had blonde hair and blue eyes, of course, and that will never do for me. I took out all her hair and re-rooted it with hair stolen from a Walmart dollar fasion doll. It's about the right color, and I went with straight because my hair isn't CURLY anymore, and for a while there it was downright boardish, so this hair seemed to fit, and it's about the right color; mid to dark brown with a hint of red. And I repainted the eyes, eye makeup and lips. Brown eyes with purple metallic eyeshadow in two shades and elongated eyelashes and plum lipstick.



I made her a short, black, velveteen circle skirt from some scraps and a lacy, purple top from a pair of thong underwear. (It was new and purchased for this purpose, just for the record!) I let her keep her purple tights. Her boots and the silver sash came from a pre-made Barbie fashion from which I now have a completely useless dress, but the boots were clear green. I "painted" them with black Sharpie, and it gave them a cool, glossy finish that I think is quite nice.



The cool thing about the outfit is that though it doesn't actually match any outfits I have in detail, it is something I would wear on stage. I do have a lacy purple top (with straps, though, and a tiny bow, not a great big one) that I pair with a short black circle skirt (lycra knit, not velveteen), tights (usually black) and big, clunky boots (the boots are actually a near match). Last but not least, the final fun little detail is her tattoo. I have a dragon on my left shoulderblade. Painting a tiny dragon didn't strike me as a fun prospect, and I couldn't find any kind of decal quite that small, so instead of a dragon, Mommy Rock Star Barbie has a dragonfly on her left shoulderblade.



Like I said, this was a really fun project. I enjoyed the remaking process and plan to do it again. I have a niece who collects barbies, and plan to make a customized Barbie for her. Plus, the money is actually pretty good for so-called "OOAK" (one of a kind) Barbies and clothing. Hmm... perfect my miniature painting skills and away we go!

PS: More on knitting tomorrow, I promise.