Debby Brooks - Rockaby Baby

Lemons to Lemonade

by Pam North

Debby Brooks had always loved dolls, but it took something more to turn her into a doll artist. An unfortunate tragedy (the death of her 8-month-old grandson), became the catalyst for Debby Brooks’ journey into doll making. The subsequent loss of her job then gave her the time. “At the beginning, I was stuffing teddy bears and cloth dolls. I did my first reborn doll to make a likeness of my grandson for his mother, so that she could keep his memory with her,” Brooks said. “The finished doll wasn't exactly right, so I made another more true to his likeness. I hope to inspire anyone who has lost a child or grandchild that it is possible to turn a tragedy into something positive.” 
Self-taught, Brooks works in a size range from 17” to 30”, with an age range of preemies to toddlers. Much of her journey has been about learning about techniques and the availability and use of materials. Using high-quality paints, she painstakingly imparts the shading and nuances that slowly bring the doll to life. The intensively time-consuming reborning process demands many hours of detailed work. Realism is achieved with delicate eyebrows and eyelashes over natural-looking glass eyes; wispy human hair or mohair carefully hand-rooted and styled; and applied simulated fingernails and toenails. To replicate the heft of a real baby, poly pellets or small glass beads are used to weight the body, and  soft pastel clothing completes the lifelike illusion. Her sweet reborns are marketed on her website, and are quickly “adopted” by appreciative collectors. Brooks derives a deep satisfaction from using her considerable talent to create and design heirloom dolls that can be cherished for a lifetime. 
“What I enjoy most about reborning baby dolls is the end result I achieve by taking a blank doll kit with a body and turning it into a precious, lifelike newborn infant.” She takes custom orders to adapt her reborns to customers' preferences. “I chuckle when I remember my first reborns. The first one that I made for my oldest daughter, Angi, had lipsticky lips, acrylic eyes, and a wig that didn't want to stay on. Eventually, her head came off! I now micro-root human hair, use the correct paint, and insert glass eyes.”
Brooks continues to develop her skills. “My goal is to become the best I can be, while keeping up with the latest techniques in reborning.” Her efforts have paid off, earning her Dolls of Excellence, Industry Choice Winner, and Diamond Awards in recent years.
She occasionally creates 9.5” ball-jointed dolls, and has made  portrait dolls: one of her mother at the age of 45, and one of her oldest daughter, Angi, at the age of 41. Angi passed away recently, and that doll, later returned to Brooks, remains a valued and inspiring reminder of her daughter.
“I am inspired by God who has given me this gift of talent in order to fulfill my dream of creating something beautiful and realistic that gives others joy. My goal is to become the best I can be, while keeping up with the latest techniques in reborning.”
Contact Information:
Debby Brooks”Email: rockabybabybydebby@gmail.com   
Website: www.rockabybabybydebby.com