Phone Photos: How to Take Sharp Pictures for Doll IDs, Appraisals
Cameras in cellphones and other devices can take great photos, and there are some simple things you can do to achieve sharp, detailed photos.
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Author: Joyce Greenholdt
Island Dreams: Alena Amicus Settles Into New Life in Britain
Fashion and fantasy BJD artist Alena Amicus (Elena Kochurova’s professional name) won an Industry’s Choice award in the Teen/Adult Doll category in last year’s Dolls Awards of Excellence. Late last year, the Russian artist and her husband were able to move to Great Britain. Alena is continuing her dollmaking and working on new designs as they both settle into their new home.
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Linda Macario Remains Fascinated by BJDs
Italian-born artist Linda Macario is nearing the quarter-century mark of her dollmaking career. She started out in the field of graphic design after high school, taking freelance jobs illustrating children’s books and textbooks. Then she discovered the world of dolls.
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World of EPI Pioneers New Techniques to Make Authentic ‘Black Panther’ Dolls
Doll and toy manufacturer World of EPI is set to release Series 1 of its Fresh Dolls Fierce collection Oct. 1. The dolls depict the powerful characters Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia from the upcoming movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, arriving in theaters Nov. 11. Dr. Lisa Williams, the company’s founder, said that working with Marvel Studios to create the licensed dolls is “truly almost unbelievable. Even though we’ve been working with them for about a year, it’s still one of those ‘pinchable moments’ — you want to pinch yourself to make sure this is real, that I didn’t dream this.
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World of EPI: Dedicated to Entertainment, Publishing, Inspiration
Entertainment, Publishing, Inspiration: Those three words are what the “EPI” in World of EPI stands for. Dr. Lisa Williams had already built a stellar career in academia before she founded the company in 2003, having earned her Ph.D. in marketing and logistics, and becoming a tenured professor at Penn State University’s College of Business. Then she saw something that changed the course of her life — researchers were replicating a famous doll study originally conducted in the ’40s by Kenneth and Mamie Clark.
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Beverly Stoehr Creates Babies, Toddlers in Many Mediums
In a career that’s already passed the half-century mark, artist Beverly Stoehr has designed dolls for porcelain, vinyl, resin, and more. “My first and greatest love is creating babies,” she said. “I’m looking now at a new sculpt I made to be cast in silicone. I’m looking at coming out with two different sizes: one would be a 22-inch older baby and the other an 18-inch newborn. I would love to see my new sculpted baby produced as a kit for reborners.”
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Autumn Bellar Makes Monsters, Fairies, More
Texan artist Autumn Bellar entered the Dolls Awards of Excellence for the first time in 2021 and came away with an Industry’s Choice Award in the One-of-a-Kind Fantasy category for her Ladybug Fairy. Now living and going to school in South Carolina, Bellar said she’s relatively new to the dollmaking world.
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STEAM-Themed Clothing Brand Adds Matching Doll Line
Svaha (svahausa.com), an online seller of STEAM- (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) themed clothing for adults and children, is expanding its line even further to include designs for dolls. Svaha’s new doll dresses, sized to fit 18-inch dolls like American Girl, are available in several designs matching the fashions offered for kids, as well.
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Hermosa Arts & History Association Fundraising Auction Includes Dolls
The Hermosa Arts & History Association (HAHA) in Hermosa, South Dakota, is holding an online auction fundraiser through McPherson Auction March 19, 2022. McPherson is donating their services so that 100 percent of the money raised through the auction will go to support HAHA’s building renovations and programs. The lots up for sale include several dolls which may be of interest to collectors.
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Year in Review: So Good to See You in 2021
In looking back at the events of the last year, we wanted to provide as many different perspectives as possible. So we invited several artists, retailers, and doll manufacturers to share their memories from the past year, including both personal highlights and their thoughts about the doll world in general, and what they’re looking forward to in 2022.
Read MoreBrielle Preview: Allison Hernandez Unboxing Video Now on YouTube
Allison Hernandez, an avid and active doll collector, hosts her own YouTube channel, Muñecas,...
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Poised for Flight: Linda Zalme’s OOAK Fairies
One of the most striking features of Linda Zalme’s one-of-a-kind (OOAK) fairy dolls are their detailed, realistic-looking wings, all patterned after real butterfly and moth species. Both her love of art and drawing on nature for inspiration date back to her childhood, the artist said.
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Pioneering artist Pat Moulton continues to expand her knowledge
Over her career of 40+ years, Pat Moulton has created award-winning baby dolls and BJDs; invented new tools and been at the forefront of innovations in the doll collecting field, and taught and mentored many other artists. Her many contributions to the doll-collecting hobby earned her DOLLS magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. And still, she continues to expand her knowledge of dollmaking techniques rather than resting on her laurels.
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Crowning Glory: Tamika Spencer creates amazing doll wigs from paper
Doll collector Tamika Spencer started creating her own doll wigs about 2.5 years ago. What makes her creations stand out is the medium she chose for her elaborate hairstyles — paper!
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Integrity Toys celebrates 25th anniversary in 2020
Integrity Toys is celebrating 25 years of success and innovation this year. Founded in 1995 by Percy Newsum, Integrity Toys is a family-owned business that has worked over its 25-year history to improve the diversity and artistry of collectible fashion dolls.
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Wonderland Aesthetic: 4 Generations Create Dolls, Miniatures
“It was a wonderland over there.” That’s how Jennifer Latham-Robinson describes her mother’s house — filled to the brim with antiques, vintage children’s books, and old dollhouses. It’s no surprise, then, that Robinson fell in love with fanciful old things.
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Hollywood Doll Company had a hit with ‘Queen for a Day’ tie-in
The popularity of the “Queen for a Day” show inspired the Hollywood Doll Manufacturing Company to create and market a doll specifically named for the show. One of the largest doll companies of its era, the Hollywood Doll factory was located in Glendale, California, from 1945 to 1958.
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Curious Collector: Mattel’s Julia Doll
Q: I just loved the television show “Julia” when it debuted in 1968 with the lovely Diahann Carroll. I found this doll at a show, and of course I bought it. I see from the tag that it is a reissue. What can you tell me about this wonderful doll?
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Debby Brooks adds new dimensions to reborn artistry
Purchasing a reborn doll as a gift led to a career that has spanned more than a decade for reborn artist Debby Brooks. She began finishing and selling reborn dolls in 2008 and has won several awards for her realistic babies.
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Korean dollmaker Latidoll continues to grow BJD line
Latidoll is a Seoul-based company that’s been producing resin BJDs since 2005. The company specializes in child designs and uses colors to designate the size of each line.
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