Ok my laydee, I finally got this done! Hope it helps you to enter the exciting world of custom doll eyes.

Here we have Hid before I start removing eyes...
Here are some tips to notice when placing eyes:
1. Notice how I have placed the eye to not show all the pupil. part of it is not visable. This helps the eye look more realistic. Doll eyes that show all the pupil have that startled look.
2. Notice how a similar amout of white around the eye is showing on either side. The key to placing eyes that look symmetrical is trying to match the amount of white showing at the inner eyes and at the outer edges of the eyes.
3. It looks best to have the eyes a little more inward or bordering on cross-eyed than looking out like fish eyes.
4. Place the eye in the socket to have the lower part of the iris just touch or go slightly below the visable part of the lower socket.

Ok, Lets get started:

Find a place to sit down with good light. Position the doll between your legs as shown in the photo to stabilize it.

Grasp the head firmly and twist the headcap towards you and it will easily come off since it is held on by magnets.



This is what it will look like when the head cap is removed from the head.

I have removed some of the eye putty holding one of the eyes in and pushed the eye back to show you how it looks after you remove it.
This type of eye has a stem that makes it easier to adjust when you place it in the eye socket.

To adjust the eye position or to place a new eye in where the old one was, I hold the stem in one hand and turn the face of the doll towards me and get it where I like it keeping all the principles/tips I listed initially in mind. This may take a few minutes...


After you get the eye in place where you want it, just smooth the putty around it to hold it securely in place with your finger tip. Be sure to double check the position by looking at the face before you put the headcap on because sometimes the eye can move after securing the putty and you will have to do this again... No biggie!


This is what it looks like after smoothing the putty and now I am ready to put the head cap back on.


Just line up the pegs on the head cap to the holes on the head and it goes right back together with little effort.


Voila! Eye repositioned and head put back together! Takes all of 10-15 minutes the first time, and 5-10 after you get used to it!

Have fun and remember I am always just a phone call away!


Oh, about the eyelashes...


Here is a photo of how the eyelashes were glued inside the head of my Shiwoo, the previous owner did a beautiful job. You just use a bead of white Elmers glue on a toothpick applied to the inside of the lash (after you get it cut to the size you need-if from DDE you won't have to cut much off the length for a MSD) then push the lash in place with the toothpick and let it dry for 30 minutes before you start messing with the eyes.


It is good to check the position of your lashes before you glue them, by checking how they will look from the side and the front.


I think these are human lashes that were used on this doll. Note
the eye positions on this head...used the same principles.


Another tip...Note how you can see too much white under the iris and the doll looks like it is looking up, shoot for the bottom of the eye to just graze or meet the lower socket. Now this does look kind of cool IMO if you are going for a dreamy, old world look like I did with Esme...this also can look good with dolls with really big eye sockets that you want the eye to look smaller instead of two huge balls.

Hope this helps you!

Thanks so much! It was very helpful! I just hope I have the nerve to it this weekend!

I don't know how this is going to work with Milo. The iris on the eyes I got are so much bigger than his stock eyes and with him looking down I am not sure how it is going to look. I'll give it a try though. If I need to get smaller eyes I will.

So the lashes are glued to the inside of the head and then you put the eyes in. Lordy I hope I don't totally screw this all up!!

Remember, this is much easier than the flipping Pullip lashes that interfered with the eye mechanism if you did'nt get it right! And remember you scalped stock wigs off them too!
This is cake really. A little tedious because the heads are small, but once you get the hang of it, it really is no sweat! You just need to dive in and get your feet wet!

There really is nothing to mess up....Promise!

Try and avoid the metal thing that pokes up through the head that holds the strings, it is easy to avoid touching or moving it-so don't worry. With the headcap off you lots of room to work on the eyes.

Milo's strings are hooked to the top of his head! His head does not come part like that picture. That hook is in the top of his scalp. I tried to work around it and I could see the elastic slipping off the hook. I know it would go down the hole and that would be that! I closed him back up. I am afraid to open his head again for fear of the elastic coming off the hook as it is close to the end of the hook now. I guess maybe the newer dolls are different? I am going to open Saran and see if her's is the same way.

ETA: Yep - the same way. The two parts of the head are hooked together with hook and elastic. I can pull the two pieces apart and see inside, but I cannot just remove the top part from the face part. Am I making sense? The inside top part of their scalp has a large flesh colored hook that the silver "S" hook with the elastic goes through.

OH no! That is a huge surprize! My hid that I got a year ago isn't like that! I wonder why they reverted to the old style headcap? Or if the dolls you got were made a long while ago, they just put the new clothes on them, added the new face-ups and marked them as the new version. That kind of stinks.

The way your dolls are is the same way my AOD dolls head is. It is much more difficult and tricky to take the head cap off, but it is doable. Not something you will want to do very often though.

I use a hemostat ( a medical clamp tool) for to hold the elastic and keep it from going into the body then have to turn the headcap to get it off the S ring, then it easily comes apart. If you do't have a hemostat do you have anything else that you can clamp onto the elatic that will hold it secure like plyers that are'nt sharp to hold them secure while you disengage the head cap from the S ring?

I am not sure I want to do that It is easy to see that if the elastic comes off the S hook it will be gone for good and the doll unstrung. I am not going to do that. I just can't. I'm afraid to even open Milo's head again the elastic is too close to the end of the hook. That is way too scary for me. I will keep the eyes and lashes and hopefully be able to use them in the future on different dolls. Or try to sell them on the Dolly Market. Oh well, I will have to be content with just changing wigs.

BTW, I don't even know what a "hemostat" is let alone have one!

I know you don't have a hemostat LOL, but thought plyers would be find too.
I totally understand though, why you choose not to go there with this. It is times like this, I wish I was just around the corner and could stop by and do it for you!
I will admit to you that I do need my husbands help to put the mess back together with that type of head cap...you just need another pair of hands. I'm sorry this did'nt work out, but heck you tried! I do think it is kind of lame of DZ to still be using their old system on some dolls though...

I may be interested in buying some lashes and eyes...why don't you show me what you have?

The eyes I got are on this page - the Aurora Blue and the Cobalt.

http://www.denverdoll.com/glibeyes16.php

They are really pretty. I am so disappointed.

Both pair of lashes are black. One pair is Charming and one pair is Innocent.

http://www.denverdoll.com/perfectdolleyelashes.php

Hey, I won't charge any shipping!

That is nice of you!Hey, I thought about something with the lashes...before you sell them you may want to try to add them with a toothpick like you did with Pullips. I was able to do that with Pru's eyelashes...you know attach them just using the sticky stuff they come with onto the outside of the eye and on top of the lashes that are already there. I that does'nt work I will buy the lashes from you. Can't use the blue eyes since I already have one blue eyed doll.

I will do that with the lashes. I was already thinking about that this evening. I will just keep the eyes and see what the future brings. I WILL sell that ring someday to get more dolls!!! Hopefully they will be ones that I can easily perform surgery on!

I highly recommend minifees if you get more...they have the easiest heads to take on and off and their sculpts are just beautiful.

I got Thorn's new wig today and man am I thrilled. It compliments his face-up beautifully and makes him look more sophisticated. I put his other goldish brown and gray eyes back in and think I will use those again, they are just the right color for him and have a smaller pupil which is better for him.
I must say there is something mezmerizing about a doll you have done their face-up on and you are relatively pleased with.
They put a spell on you or something! I am waiting to put him all back together again though until I get his new lashes that you are so graciously sending. No sense hassleing with all that until I glue some lashes in again and then he will stay as he is probably indefinitely.

OMG that little surgical emoticon is just priceless!

Yes, when I sell that ring I will get a Minifee for sure. Someday things will work out.

Yes, I know they will. You are destined to have one someday. Which one would you start with?

Marcia and Lishe. Yes, I prefer the girls when it comes to the Minifees. I love Ruth, Shiwoo and El for their faces. I just wish the boys were bigger.

SO! The lashes worked out great! Milo looks gorgeous! I trimmed his bangs so the lashes would show really well. The lashes went on Saran just perfectly! But, I have her in her new black wig and the wig and lashes sorta blend. JPOP had that wig that you bought from me for Mo on clearance for $16 in black and I had to get it! I think she looks amazing! I will try to get pix tomorrow, but it is suppose to be stormy so I won't have good light. It was gloomy today too and it is suppose to be gloomy for the next several days So at least the lashes got put to good use! I will save the eyes for Marcia and Shiwoo - who should be in here within the next couple of years

I am taking the ring in for an appraisal really soon and I think I will try putting it on ebay just for the heck of it and see what happens. I guess I could just leave it on there for a long while - if you can do that

Y'all are making me nervous thaking those doll heads off. My Brother ALWAYS took my Barbie's heads off.