Cruelty-Free Paint Brushes for Reborning

Sunday, August 23, 2009

I am a strict vegetarian, otherwise known as a vegan. I do not consume animal products of any kind including eggs, fish or dairy. I do my best to use cruelty-free products in my every day life including my reborning activities. As such, I will no longer be using the popular Maxine's Mop paint brushes. It has been brought to my attention that Maxine’s Mop paint brushes use real goat hair and are not considered cruelty-free by the standards of http://www.caringconsumer.com/cosmetics_squirrel.asp. Please click the link for more information but be warned: the information is very detailed, graphic and harsh. Below are suggested cruelty-free alternatives that have been outperforming Maxine's Mops for me.




The cruelty-free E52 Robert Simmons Expression Oval Mop Series paint brushes are a great alternative to Maxine’s Mop paint brushes (which use real animal fur). These brushes use synthetic fibers and perform beautifully for paint mixing and mottling. They can be purchased from http://www.dickblick.com.






I highly recommend the Loew-Cornell Comfort Series. These brushes are made of durable taklon (a synthetic fiber) that is easy to clean and maintain. I purchase these brushes from my local Michael’s store. These blue-handled brushes come in all of the standard sizes and shapes. I love the small filberts, large oval washes, and medium rounds for blending paint in the creases. The spotters work wonderfully for veins. I cannot live without the chisel blenders and tiny angulars for lip and eye detailing.






For fine detailing such as eyebrows and hair, I use the cruelty-free Princeton 3050 Mini Series liner brushes. I use the 20/0 and 30/0 sizes. These brushes use synthetic fibers and can be purchased from http://www.dickblick.com.

Reborning Guilds

Sunday August 23, 2009



I receive lots of emails asking what guilds I belong to. Those asking are always surprised when I tell them that I do not belong to any guilds, but are immediately comforted when I explain the reasons why.

I have nothing against guilds and those who find them attractive, but guilds are not for me. I have been reborning for almost 8 years now and have been invited to join reborning guilds. I am naturally bubbly enthusiastic by these thoughtful invitations, but always end up declining after critically thinking through what I would be up against as a guild member. I am not willing to be bullied into to sharing techniques that may not work well for others. I am not willing to take responsibility for the actions of other guild members. I am not willing to alienate outside artists and collectors by being part of a group they may perceive as a clique.

I am not using the term clique facetiously; I am using it as in the dictionary definition: “clique: a small, exclusive group of people”.

The problem I have with being part of a clique is that historically, cliques evoke powerful emotions in people. Specifically, in women, cliques evoke feelings of envy, hatred, hurt, and despair. These emotions can cause women to lash out, and that is not something I care to experience. I was around when reborning guilds first surfaced in 2001 and witnessed the changes they caused within the doll community.

I have a high level of respect for differing viewpoints. As a person in business, I prefer to maintain a neutral status within the reborning community. During my 8 years of reborning, I have made friends with tons of doll collectors, doll artists, and of course customers. I would never want to alienate those I consider friends by becoming part of a clique. I do not want to give a false impression of being unapproachable. This is the same reason why I declined sorority and clique-type club invitations during my college years. The bottom line is: If you are cool with me, I am cool with you.

Xoxo,
BN

Infant Fashion

Sunday August 16, 2009





Ok, this is officially the cutest outfit I have ever seen! Why?

1. It is pink…my favorite color…
2. It has a dog on the front…*you all know I love dogs more than I love people*...hehe
3. And, the tushy is fuzzy, wuzzy, wuzzy, fuzzy!

Seriously, does it get any better than this?? The polka dots really set everything off. Since the outfit does not come in my size, I will purchase it for a baby doll--but just a warning...

I will be SO envious of that lucky doll!

Cach Cach's designers really know how to make me say "awwww". Kudos to the Cach Cach team and their fabulous fall line! The outfit can be purchased from NeimanMarcus.com for $50.

Xoxo,
BN

Kenzo Lee Hounsou

Friday, August 07, 2009



Two of my favorite celebrities Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou recently welcomed a baby boy, and WOW is he ever soooo adorable! His name is Kenzo Lee Hounsou. I love that name!



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Brooke Nicole - Photographer + Doll Artist | Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial License | 2002-2015 Brooke Nicole