Lemon's drop-inn

[DaystarNemesis]

Well, there's actually a lot of different kinds of plastics! It's a very broad term. Some break down a lot easier than others. However, most plastics get into you by eating things prone to eating tiny plastic pieces known as microplastics, like fish. What happens with most animals (humans included) is when the body doesn't know what to do with it and can't digest it, it stores it in a safely isolated part. They can still hurt you there, hermit crabs get notably docile to the point of not even wanting to fight over mates, for example, most organisms just don't (yet) know how to safely be rid of them. And then we eat them, not even knowing they're there, and the process multiplies.
As far as the leaching thing, and the other way you get plastic in you, is that a lot of cheap plastic breaks down when exposed to heat. This leaches poison into the food in the form of fumes, or actually very tiny pieces of the container being brittle enough to break off into the food.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Makes me not want to eat or drink!

I have been trying to move towards glass or stainless steel for eating or storing with.
I am trying silicone items out but even the word screams chemicals to me.... that and the texture is just weird & I feel like I can't get it clean properly.

[DaystarNemesis]

Silicone is one of the few plastics (I'm not sure if it even counts as a plastic? Closer to a rubber.) that are absolutely chemically harmless to most organic creatures, specifically human. It's why it's used in surgical parts, like implants. It's due to how stable it is, which means it doesn't really react to much, except itself, and things like it, and even that takes a lot of effort. Try boiling and/or baking your silicone! That should help loosen the grip the food has on it. Make sure you're using the proper temperature for your grade of silicone, though. It won't hurt you, but it might fall apart or crack if you heat it too much too quickly.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I should probably research it all better ... it certainly sounds like you are! I am impressed!

I didn't think about boiling the silicone items, I thought that might make it too soft... might help to clean the baking sheets though! Thanks!

[DaystarNemesis]

I may have researched it before. I was thinking about a good skin for a poseable doll, and that was an option. An unfinished project, not even at that phase of design, yet. Still prototyping joints. I may have something workable, I just need to get it into a format I can actually send to a printing place.

[galled]

3d printing?

[npixelz]

Sounds fun

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Sounds very intricate. Do you make the wigs for the dolls too?

[DaystarNemesis]

Yes! There are many good printers in my general area, so I'm lucky in that respect. Shipping won't be too high, and neither will the turnaround.

Making toys and props is my passion, but funds are low. SOON, THOUGH, I MUST PERSERVERE; I can still plan in the meanwhile. My fingers aren't broken, and I have drawing supplies.

I have made wigs before, for other dolls. I need to know what skin method I'm going to do before I make many of those. The smartest way would be to have a replaceable magnetic hair scalp and root it ala fashion doll style, if I go the route of silicone skin.

[galled]

Ooo, what kind of props have you made/do you like to make?

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I knew someone who collected dolls & had them specifically made to design ... she had others make them but I recall her saying they had real human hair.

Would be cool if you could get paid to make toys & props!

[npixelz]

My sister has bought dolls that she's made hair for, but never made completely new ones. Either way it seems p cool

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Actually one of our other Windlyn Members made dolls I think & posted pictures.
Someone else here collected them & posted pictures too ... might have been the same person.

[DaystarNemesis]

galled
For wearables, I've made wigs, shoes, gloves, wings, hats bendy claw (just the one finger, I was ready to be done with it, by the time I figured it out x'D), an absolute metric ton of hair beads from various materials (wrapping paper, foil, claydough, fabric, shrinky dink plastic, hot glue), bookmarks (only counting this because I've seen bookmarks used as charms on backpacks), earrings, sawdust wood glue horns.
For hand props, I've made tiny red HYDRA skuids (skulls with six arms, like the logo), paper shuriken, and a variety of paper mache and plaster shields, resin bottles, dice (definitely not balanced), feathers, and flowers. Uh, that's just what I can remember off the top of my head for full-sized person and child things. I've made way more for dolls and digitally. I've been making things since I realized I could squish mashed potatoes into different shapes.

Lemon Cheesecake
That's the dream. However, I can't really get to craft fairs, and Etsy... eh. The listing fees aren't actually too bad, but trying to ship and claiming it gets lost in transit is too much hassle. I was probably just unlucky, but until I can get more of a cushion, it'll be when I can find flea markets and craft fairs. I'm more likely to get a good deal in craft fairs, but the competition for tables is quite fierce. I might try a convention or two, since I'm not too far from a Convention Center, but those are pretty expensive.
Ideally, once I have the dolls ready and can print them confidently, I'll have enough of a cushion to not have to sweat over bad actors.

npixelz
It's definitely trial-and-error. But that's part of the fun!

[galled]

Way cool! For cosplay and just for fun? I ask because the term "props" in this end of the world usually refers to things used in productions (wardrobe is stuff you wear although there is some crossover as in "things" you wear not made by tailoring).

How you get paid is like any art, get your work in front of those who will pay for what only you can create (with the quality, speed, cost equation).

Working on productions (many start for free at first--production pays for materials--which is kinda cool to work with stuff outside your personal budget) starts you building your portfolio and reputation. Work begets paying work.