Sunfaders…what do you use?

[cricket]

Hello!

I just got the most amazing Cherry Treats from Ebay.  She is super bright white with silky hair.  She is so gorgeous I can't stop looking at her.  The problem is on her NDS where she has two purple ink marks.  I want to try sun fading the marks.  It has been many years since I have attempted to sun fade a pony.  I find that the longer I collect the more fussy I get about looking for and buying ponies that are mint and require no work.  I'm willing to make an exception with this girl though because she is so amazing.  When I sun faded several years ago I used Remove-Zit but it looks like that product is no longer available.  I have heard collectors in the past say they have used zit cream but I don't know which brand to use.  Any advice of what had works well for you would be appreciated.  Also does anyone know if Cherry Treats is prone to sunburn?  I would rather leave the purple marks on her then mess up the whiteness in those two areas. 

Thanks!

[mlp4me]

If cherry treats is already yellowish brown she most likely will burn. She is one that is prone to burning. All you can do is wrap her up and watch her very closely.
I've never been a fan of zit cream on ponies as you just don't know what will happen in the long term. (Doesn't help that my US tuneful has it allover her undersides and has had random spots pop up even whiter over time on her body-she is kept in a bag at all times now.)

[hathorcat]

It may depend on whether she is a HK or China Cherry Treats - one is prone to yellowing and burning, the other tends to stay whiter and does not have as many issues when sun fading. (Cant remember which right now...I think the China one is the one that tends to stay white but I could be misremembering).

Personally I actively dislike remove zit or similar chemically based products - they bleach coloured plastics and they will yellow white plastics  over time. They work awesome at the start but years and years down the line you may suffer for it. I just rely on the sun to do its own thing without any help.

[cricket]

Thanks for the advice guys.    So you would recommend just covering the pony with the exception of those two areas and placing her in direct sunlight?  My pony is the HK version so I plan to check her everyday for signs of sunburn.

[mlp4me]

Yup, wrap her up like baked potato. :o)

[PrincessStarlily]

I'll admit mlp4me and hathorcat know a lot more than I do, so I'd follow their advice. Right now I have a Glory sunfading who had some pretty awful permanent marker marks. She's been on the windowsill for months (honestly, I don't know how long ), but she seems to be doing really well. Her eyes and hair are great, but since her symbol has lost so much glitter, I'm leaving it uncovered and am just going to redo it later.

Here are pics for inspiration; I wrapped her hair in tin foil, and fixed it and her eyes with painter's tape.

Once she's completely done, I'll make a separate thread for her.

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[Shimmer Mist]

I'll admit mlp4me and hathorcat know a lot more than I do, so I'd follow their advice. Right now I have a Glory sunfading who had some pretty awful permanent marker marks. She's been on the windowsill for months (honestly, I don't know how long ), but she seems to be doing really well. Her eyes and hair are great, but since her symbol has lost so much glitter, I'm leaving it uncovered and am just going to redo it later.

Here are pics for inspiration; I wrapped her hair in tin foil, and fixed it and her eyes with painter's tape.

Once she's completely done, I'll make a separate thread for her.

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I'm sure these are going to be some dumb questions, but I'm new to the whole sun fading thing ._. That blue coloring in the tape won't bleed into the plastic after a long enough time, will it? Also, how is it on leaving residue when you peel it off? None at all, unlike masking tape?

[shelti]

Cherry treats is the type of pony that will burn easily in the sun.
I would wrap her up in double layer paper towels (white only) and use the blue painter taped to hold it all in place.
Just leave the marks open to the sun and keep a close eye on her.
I have seen them fade out minor marks nicely.
Good luck.

[PrincessStarlily]

I'm sure these are going to be some dumb questions, but I'm new to the whole sun fading thing ._. That blue coloring in the tape won't bleed into the plastic, will it? Also, how is it on leaving residue when you peel it off? None at all, unlike masking tape?

Honestly, I'm new to sunfading as well. Glory is the first pony I've attempted it on, but so far she hasn't shown any signs whatsoever of discoloration. And I'm pretty sure painter's tape is meant to keep color away, not leave any on the surface it's sticking to.

As for residue, I covered our entire front door with the same blue painter's tape for Halloween (to make it look like the TARDIS from Doctor Who), and when I took it down, not a speck of residue was left on it and it looked as good as ever. So I'm not too worried about anything unexpected happening to my Glory; and even if something does happen, I won't care so much because she's pretty common.

I'd say if you're super nervous about sunfading, first 1) do lots of research (there are probably lots of threads here), then 2) experiment tried methods on a cheap, common pony (perhaps a marked-up bait?) before attempting it on one you really care about.

[mlp4me]

Oft times if you do not cover up ponies eyes or exposed symbols the colors will fade (purple eyes will turn blue for example). That's why we recommend wrapping them up well. I'm not a fan of painters tape. I will only use it if I cover the pony in plastic wrap first... To each their own.

[Shimmer Mist]

Oft times if you do not cover up ponies eyes or exposed symbols the colors will fade (purple eyes will turn blue for example). That's why we recommend wrapping them up well. I'm not a fan of painters tape. I will only use it if I cover the pony in plastic wrap first... To each their own.

Even if the tape is used super sparingly to just cover small paint apps? What is it about the painter's tape that you dislike?

[shelti]

Oft times if you do not cover up ponies eyes or exposed symbols the colors will fade (purple eyes will turn blue for example). That's why we recommend wrapping them up well. I'm not a fan of painters tape. I will only use it if I cover the pony in plastic wrap first... To each their own.

Even if the tape is used super sparingly to just cover small paint apps? What is it about the painter's tape that you dislike?

I personally like the blue painters tape.  The only issue I have found is a sticky residue which easily washes off with hot soapy water.

[hathorcat]

Anything with a dye or a glue back is potentially a source of staining so I do also avoid them both. But I know plenty of people do use them. I find tinfoil effective enough and with some careful scissoring you can get a pony very well covered and only the parts you want exposed. However, everyone here has different experiences and different tales of wonder and woe so sometimes its best to take the tips and fashion what best works for you and your circumstances. Cant wait to see the results!

[Shimmer Mist]

Anything with a dye or a glue back is potentially a source of staining so I do also avoid them both. But I know plenty of people do use them. I find tinfoil effective enough and with some careful scissoring you can get a pony very well covered and only the parts you want exposed. However, everyone here has different experiences and different tales of wonder and woe so sometimes its best to take the tips and fashion what best works for you and your circumstances. Cant wait to see the results!

I figured the coloration of the painter's tape might be the  issue. But at the moment I'm favoring it or plain masking tape since I have a whole cream-colored Denim Blue with highlighter make-up on her face that needs to be faded. I've mentioned her in another thread I started a while back, I think. >>; I don't have too many nice places to lie her down flat with tin foil simply covering paint apps so she'll probably have to stand in an window. I'm considering the tape over tin foil for that reason. She's already y lab rat  as she's pretty bait-worthy so if anything happen with the tape I won't be too torn up about it.

[shelti]

I have never had any bleed out from painters tape, on the other hand masking tape can be a bear to remove and if left on too long or if it gets damp you may never be able to remove it all without a chemical remover.