Since there is a thread just recently on doll art - here is something I found not long ago. It's one of the many sites of people who take regular Barbie dolls, wipe off the features, redraw the face and create something with a bit more personaliy, not to mention the costume. Quite inspiring.

http://www.dollsbypeggy.com/

Very cool. This one is my fav.  She even has tutorials. I can't seem to paint that tiny face though. 

http://www.oneandonlydolls.com/

I love this one, Magenta. And, yes, they all seem to have the same face. The author's signature, I guess.

It gives an opportunity to make adornment without having to build a doll.

Those are all great sites.  I used to make designer Barbie shoes and sell them.  They were hysterical.  I made them out of polymer clay and even made tiny shoe boxes with writing on them.  I really enjoy doing miniature work.  I once wanted to have a site dedicated to Barbie accessories much like a little shop.  I wanted to have dress forms and "manequins"....hehe.  I am a nut!  I also made little hats for them, too.  Hmmmmmmmmmm where is that box full of leftovers???  I know I have a dusty box somewhere of my Barbie art.

There is also a Barbie art magazine that I have seen in the past.  It used to be big business.  I'm not up with it anymore ever since the Bratz dolls came out.

O, Nikole! Send us some pictures, that'd ve sooooo neat to see! I love miniatures, and doll accessories, I cannot imagine little boxes with little shoes!

I am so impressed Nikole, I just don't have the patience for that level of minature work.  Peg dolls are about my limit.  Thanks for the sites, I have never been a huge fan of Barbie and her co-horts, so I love seeing what can be made of them by real artistry. 

Dolls were not my thing mainly due to having two older brothers and being more tomboy than anything.  Any dolls I had used to surf down waterfalls (the stairs) work on oil rigs (the swing frame) and generally lead more exiting lives.

I have only really got dolls as an adult, and then the quirkier the better

I never owned a Barbie when I was a child. I think they didn't make it to my home town in Serbia in sixties. So when I left the country, I decided to send a piece of Barbie clothes to my nieces every month (they were 5 at the time) and once I came to visit, I brough with me the biggest Barbie house I could find, with all the furniture, accessories and a bicycle. The girls brought the whole class home to see such wonder! And from Canada! Wow! To this day they keep that house in a special place.

I remember one year for Christmas I ran to go get my stocking and found what I thought was a Barbie but turned out to be BARBARA....a cheap immitation.  She had "straw" legs.  By that I mean that her legs were plastic and hollow like a straw so I had to be careful when I played with her so she wouldn't get a kink in her leg....HA HA HA.  I'll tell you though....she was my favorite "Barbie" doll til this day.  I of course got a lot of REAL Barbies that year when I opened up my big presents but I never played with them as much as I did with Barbara.  My mother I am sure just died because Barbara only cost a buck!

Ah sweet memories!

I just came across this posting, I haven't been in here in a while... too busy being creative I guess. I was intrigued with the whole face-up idea too and played with a few barbie faces bvefore I tried my own with a ball jointed doll I bought online. It was a lot of fun, I even rooted the hair wchich was really interesting. Just recently I reconstructed Barbie you can see the result here, I've posted her on my etsy. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11542706
I'd love to see what you guys have been doing with them.

Nancy
http://littlebitwired.blogspot.com

Excellent job............. There is a lady at the Flea Market where I work that has a whole box of these dolls all types..... She sells them a $1.00 each. I would never have thought of that type art. I think it is outstanding.


Oh................. and the price  Some barbie dolls sell for well more than that.

Billy D.