Doll Castle News Vol. 46 #1

NEW!

March/April 2006
Volume 46 #1

I have been restoring dolls since 1994, and as a Doll Restorationist I have worked on the many types of mediums that the doll industry has produced. Antique to modern dolls, bisque to new vinyl collectibles, I have repaired and restored them all. But my specialty and true passion is the restoration of the American Made Composition doll. I feel, there is no other era that has captured the look, charm, appeal and expression of a face, like the composition doll era. The celebrity faces of the time, Judy Garland, Deanna Durbin, Margaret O'Brien and of course Shirley Temple and others were dancing, singing and dazzling millions long before I was born, and because of the Composition dolls that have immortalized them forever young, I have found myself captured by these endearing faces of the 1920's and 30's.

My love for restoration, of course, goes beyond just composition dolls. Doll restoration is definitely a true labor of love. Time consuming and sometimes tedious, but yet very fulfilling. Restoration can be as simple as restringing a doll or as tedious as resetting rocker eyes on a bisque doll. But I have found that one of the most tedious and exacting works is rebuilding a foot for a composition doll. The rebuilding is a complicated task in itself, but you have to be sure to match the likeness, style and shape of the foot and toes to the existing foot.

This particular foot that I have restored and will talk about belongs to a 19" Shirley Temple from the 1930's. As you can see by my photos, the right foot is missing basically half of the foot and most of the toes.

The first step in a substantial repair like this is to take a thin piece of cardboard and glue it to the inside of the foot, to create an existing form to begin rebuilding upon. The first layer that I began rebuilding , I used wood filler but you can also use Durham's Rock Hard Putty, either is sufficient for the interior layer. I allowed this to dry for a day or two before applying the next layer.

The next medium I used is Sculp-Epox, which I order from Van Dykes Restoration Catalogue. This is a wonderful medium to work with, but you must follow directions when using this type of material. Sculp-Epox does not shrink or crack and can be sanded, carved, etc., it is very resilient. I love working with it. I then applied a layer over the wood filler, as I did this, I made sure to overlap the Sculp-Epox over the existing composition of the dolls foot. I made sure to overlap just slightly. If you do not overlap, later on you might find you have a small gap or space, and when sanding the final layer it makes the finishing work much easier.

With this particular foot, I had to apply two layers of the Sculp-Epox, because the damage was significant. With the second layer, I began to model the toes with my paintbrush and sculpting tools. I allowed this layer to dry for a day or two. I like to let the layers dry at least two days, to guarantee the medium I have used is thoroughly dry. I then sanded the toes and foot smooth, to prepare for the sealer.

I then sealed the Sculp-Epox with Duncan Matte Sealer. Always seal your materials before attempting to paint them. Most mediums, like wood fillers and epoxies are porous and will grab the color and produce a darker shade than you have mixed to match the existing color on your doll.

After I sealed the foot, I mixed the appropriate color to airbrush her foot. I use acrylic paint that is thinned with Airbrush Medium for all my composition doll work. Results are beautiful when paint is thinned properly. I also use a Paasche Airbrush with a double-action trigger for my work.

Lastly, I sealed her foot again with Duncan Matte Sealer for the finishing and final coat. You can see by the photos that both feet match perfectly.

This Shirley did need additional work. I washed and styled her hair.

Her pupils were crazed, so I replaced them (You can check my website for more pictures of her finished).

She also needed some touch-ups on her face and body. She was beautiful when she was finally finished.

As I said, Restoration is a Labor of Love, but when the doll is finished you feel you have "Breathed" new life into a small treasure of the past. And the Biggest reward that I get is when the owner of a restored doll smiles or cries tears of happiness (I've had both!), and you know that all that hard, tedious work was so worth it!

To learn more about my Restoration business or if you have questions about repairs or composition dolls, go to my website at:

http://louiseslittleladies.com

I also Buy, Sell and Appraise Composition Dolls.