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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A catastrophic illness — one that kept her in a medical facility on a respirator for four months — changed Esther Manso’s life and career path in 2010. At the time, she was married, raising a large family, and had been working as a comptroller for a large Miami car dealership — a job she described as rewarding but stressful. Her 30-year career came to an end with her illness.
“It is hard to believe that because of that, I am now able to enjoy my later years in complete happiness and bliss, doing what I was meant to do and what I love the most,” Manso said. “When I became disabled, I taught myself how to sew and make cloth dolls, until I found polymer clay and fell in love. I love how the clay allows me to express myself easier.”
Marianna Nardin creates themed dolls that follow major holidays like Christmas, Easter, and, she said, “my favorite holiday, Halloween, as you probably could guess from the spooky nature of my characters. The walls in my studio are decorated with a Halloween theme all year round!”
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The idea of Enchanted Kreature Kits (EKK) started at the very beginning of my reborning days. I started reborning in March 2011 under the name Enchanted Moments Nursery. As a “noob,” I had no idea where to find blank doll kits. I didn’t know that there were reborn doll supplies and kit dealers out there, so I found everything I started with on eBay. I was so excited to buy a lot of reborn dollmaking supplies for a hefty (to me) $100. It included three blank kits, a set of used paints, and a Bountiful Baby DVD tutorial on how to reborn. I watched the video three times before I was brave enough to paint my first one. My first attempt was on a Berenger play doll, and my son instantly fell in love with him.
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In the complex world of doll design, ball-jointed doll (BJD) artist Rhonda Ingram never faced a challenge she couldn’t conquer. Every potential obstacle is an opportunity for professional growth and creative freedom. She’s also not afraid to reinvent herself or pursue a fresh start by figuratively wiping the slate clean and starting over.
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Although she retired from a successful modeling career years ago, Pasha Setrova is still representing on the runway. These days, however, it’s in scaled-down proportions, via the popular PashaPasha line of fashion ball-jointed dolls (BJDs) that the Russian-born artist designs and delivers. With names such as Giddy Heights, Lollipop, Pink Panther, and Glam Rock, each of these highly articulated, fashion-forward catwalkers is imbued with the elusive “it” factor and represents an intriguing dichotomy between fantasy and reality.
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I started making dolls professionally to combine several passions of mine: 3D graphics, sculpting, and fantasy. I studied computer graphics in college, specifically modeling. A few years ago, I got a 3D printer and was able to bring my digital art into the real world.
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My mother, when downsizing, came across a doll she had bought years ago, a 17-inch Ideal Shirley Temple. She was still strapped in the original box, which I believe is the first box with the gold lid and white stars with Shirley Temple’s picture on the end. The doll is flawless — I am amazed at the condition of the vinyl, plus the hair has never been disturbed.
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