Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Endwell woman turns Barbie into Cher

BY:SARAH D'ESTI MILLER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

Since 1959, Barbara Millicent Roberts has had dozens of careers, more friends than she could possibly count and everything anyone could ask for -- cars, boats, dreamhouses. But the careers never last long, the friends are plastic, and her stuff is, well, pink. Yes, Ms. Roberts is better known by her first name, Barbie, and she has been a source of fascination, not to mention makeovers, for generations.

Julie Bill of Endwell has been doing fashion doll makeovers for nearly three years, and recently one of her creations took a bronze award in the Fashion Doll Makeover Artist Award Competition sponsored by Barbie Bazaar, the official Barbie Doll collector's magazine.

"I've always, since I can remember, sewn sequins or beads onto clothing," she said.

Bill's creations go beyond making elaborate costumes; like most fashion doll makeover artists she removes the paint on the dolls' faces and then re-paints them. Her natural attraction to sequins and beads means her creations are mainly mermaids, genie/harem girls and -- of course -- Cher. In fact, Bill's award-winning entry was a fashion doll repainted and dressed -- more accurately, undressed -- to look like Cher.

"I'm going to the concert tonight," she said. "My hopes are to present it to Cher tonight."

To see some of Bill's creations, visit http://jewels byjulie.com. Contest winners can be seen at www.barbiebazaar.com.