The Mushroom Peddler Brings Unique BJD Designs to Life

By Hannah Kelley

Dolls are often thought of as human-form playthings, so when asked what she makes, Utah-based artist Sarah B. Seiter (aka The Mushroom Peddler) finds it challenging to describe her ball-jointed dolls with words. Some sculpts have a basis in reality, while others come com­pletely from her dream world. She said, “It is always easier to show photos, and I carry business cards around to do just that, because I always struggle to describe my dolls since they are… somewhat unusual.” With so many different characters, an image quickly provides clarity and brings in new fans.

Appealing to a variety of people has been a strength of The Mushroom Peddler’s since childhood. “As a young child, I would often create little stuffed or clay animals or jewelry and sell it next to the road or door to door to my neighbors,” she said. “I usually sold out of what I made, though I am not sure if it was because of the items’ appeal or my cute face and persuasive sales pitches.” Through the years, she has tried a range of art forms, includ­ing candy artistry, scrapbook design, and belly dancing. In line with her ongoing love for doll collecting, she eventually found her way to doll customizing, which proved profitable. This inevitably evolved into BJD sculpting.

Although people only see the physical manifestations of her imagi­nation, The Mushroom Peddler shared, “I do have a full story behind my dolls that I have created and that they each are part of. I am working on writing my Mush­room Peddler story down. When I am done writing it, I haven’t decided whether to use photos or watercolor paintings to illustrate it. Hopefully, I will have it ready to share by 2026.”

A year may seem like plenty of time for such a project, but between home­schooling the youngest of her five children — a teenager, a 6-year-old, and a 3-year-old — and completing other daily tasks, The Mushroom Peddler already has a packed schedule. Her dollmaking tends to happen after her husband returns from work and on some weekends. In hindsight, the artist said, “I confess that I might not have started this business if I had known just how much work it would be to run something like this on my own, but I am so glad that I pushed through all the challenges that were thrown at me along the way because I love the whimsical world I have been blessed to create.”

Operating a small business is undoubtedly daunting. How­ever, The Mushroom Peddler’s family has been immensely supportive of her professional calling. To ensure she has time to pursue her art, she and her husband take turns running the household. When preparing for conventions, the couple’s teenager steps up to help care for the two youngest boys. The Mushroom Peddler’s sister also lends a hand when needed, and a cousin has helped run her sales table at the Modern Doll Collectors Convention for the past couple of years. Until recently, The Mushroom Peddler’s mother happily pitched in with making the occasional doll outfit.

At the beginning of her sculpting journey, circa 2009, The Mushroom Peddler admits to being overly ambitious. Her first BJD was 24 inches tall and made of resin. It later went on to join The Mushroom Peddler’s per­sonal collection. She said, “I was doing all the work from prototype to resin casting back then completely on my own, and although I had a lot of people following my work online, hoping to order, I had to disappoint them and let them know I needed to find a smaller option.”

Shelly the Turtle soon fol­lowed, proceeded by Scratch the Cat. Fans were delighted, but the number of Scratch preorders exceeded The Mushroom Ped­dler’s expectations. She did everything she could to meet her target deadline but nearly destroyed her hands in the process. She said, “I thought I was done for, but then a wonderful woman named Grace, who used to help with Kaye Wiggs’ dolls, convinced me to try the same company that casts Kaye’s dolls. I followed that ad­vice, and they do such wonderful work that I still use their amazing service, much to my hands’ relief.” She has since produced limited editions for more than 50 unique sculpts, with 30 to 60 dolls per edition.

Excluding those sewed by her mother, The Mushroom Peddler also makes each outfit from scratch. She said, “I like to use all sorts of fabrics to dress my dolls. Since I usually make fantasy-themed outfits, they are often silky or sparkly fab­rics that I have singed on the edges with a flame to give a natural look, but I have been trying to offer more variety lately.”

Her doll wigs are similarly unique. “I have a few basic styles that I start with, such as planning for pigtails or swirls, but often the fiber dictates the style,” she said. The fibers she uses are hand-dyed and hand-spun by other artists. “This makes for highly limited amounts of most of them, which in turn makes my wig sculptures very limited in how many I can make from each fiber,” she said.

Describing her artistic process, The Mush­room Peddler said she works in cycles, focusing her attention on one portion of the process at a time. She produces several related items at once — sculpts, clothes, or wigs. When she needs to recharge her artistic bat­teries, she said wig making is her go-to. “I like to try to work with my artistic in­spiration since it is at its best when I am not trying to force it, but often I have deadlines that demand the front of the line,” she said.

The Mushroom Peddler has made numerous con­vention dolls over the years. These projects excite her, and despite the added pressure of external deadlines, it’s worth the effort. Each convention provides an opportunity for her to travel, meet new people, reconnect with friends, and share a touch of her creative magic with fellow at­tendees during the doll reveals.