I just love dolls of all sizes! Himstedt dolls range from a few inches tall to 48 inches in height! They were sculpted by now retired Annette Himstedt. Although they were available in a variety of sizes, Himstedts are known for their size and realistic features. Annette sculpted the dolls, then hand poured the vinyl into the molds on site in her little German shop. Then she and her staff went to work assembling the dolls and painting all of their details and features. They were dressed in an artistically detailed layering of garments and gently boxed before shipping all over the world.
About a year ago, this 37 1/2 inch doll "Sina" arrived in my shop. Rare to the Himstedt line, she was fully jointed at elbows, knees, neck, and legs. She was fun to pose, but I really wanted to add my artistic spin and make her even more unique.
I started with a full cleaning from head to toe. Annette Himstedt spared no expense with her creations. The vinyl is stunning, the eyes are glass, full rounds, and the wigs are crafted of human hair.
Sina's coloring is on the monotone side, so I decide to change her eyes to an aqua blue. Himstedt's have a convenient removable pate under the wig to nice easy access to the eyes and neck.
Her new eyes were pretty, but she wasn't quite finished. While human hair wigs allow for endless variety of styling, they often have a dullness to them. So, I experimented with different wigs and fibers.
Eventually, I decided on a new wig and gained the confidence to remove her original paint and repaint her completely. I added human hair lashes to accent her eyes, and a girly little outfit to define her personality.
I enjoyed this Sina's new look so much, I just wanted to keep her! However, I have to remind myself that I can't keep them all! Sina will be meeting her new family later this week.
Maybe there will be more Himmie makeovers in my future? ;)
wonderful job. sure would love to chat more about the mediums and techniques you used! beyound perfect
Hi, how did you remove the eyes? Did you use a heat gun?