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Hi Sweet Friends! Resident VDC Artist Diana Vining posted a photo of her blonde Grace doll with FRECKLES in the Summer Fling group. We all loved this so much that I asked her to make us a little blog on how to do this for your dolls if you want to change the look. I love this idea, and hope you like the possibilities, too. Enjoy the blog, and thank you so much, Diana Vining!

How to Make...Fabulous Freckled Friends!
by Diana Vining

There's just something so fun about dolls with freckles! They add a certain playful and sweet look to a doll's personality. When I'm painting (or enhancing) a doll, I often find myself adding a light sprinkle of freckles to add a little bit of that sweet and cheerful presence. I have two different methods that I like to use to do this. One is a temporary method, which is perfect if you're a beginner, or if you're not quite sure that you want to keep the freckles on your doll for a long period of time. The other is a more permanent one if you are already confident in your painting skills, and you're sure that you want to keep them on your doll. Keep in mind that there are many different ways to do this. I'm just sharing my own personal favorite methods. I hope these simple tips will inspire you to give it a try!

Applying Temporary Freckles:
(Materials: Brown Colored Pencil)

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Use a light brown colored pencil to draw on the freckles. For a more realistic approach, space them unevenly, and draw some smaller than others. I just like to sprinkle them across the top of the cheeks and across the nose, but you can place them anywhere you like. Once you've drawn on the freckles, take your thumb and kind of wipe it across the freckles. This will lighten them up and smooth them out so that they will look more natural. To remove these, you can lightly wipe them off with a soft eraser. (Note: My favorite pencils for this project are Prismacolor "Burnt Ochre" or "Chocolate.")

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Painting Permanent Freckles
(Materials: Ultrafine brush or toothpick, brown acrylic paint, cosmetic wedge, a drop of water, (optional) matte sealer spray)

You can use either a very fine paintbrush, or a toothpick to paint the freckles on. (I prefer a paintbrush, but many people find a toothpick easier)

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Use light brown acrylic paint (available at any craft store or even Walmart). All you need is a drop of paint and a drop of water mixed together. Paint the freckles onto the doll (unevenly spaced, and in different sizes), but paint only about three or four at a time, because acrylic paint dries quickly. After you draw four freckles, pounce them with a *slightly* damp cosmetic wedge to lighten them up and soften them. Then do the next four freckles the same way, and so on. Once you're happy with the freckles, let them dry completely. If you like, you can lightly spray them with a matte sealer spray (also available at craft stores) after they are completely dry. (If you spray matte sealer on the freckles, make sure you have your doll completely covered in a towel or plastic wrap, exposing only the areas that are being sprayed.)