Dollhouse Tour

Dollhouses and miniatures have always been my first love. This is a dollhouse I've been working on for over twenty years. The TV lights up and the electric train actually goes around in a circle with lights and sounds, and all the lights in the house work as well.

Some of My Favorite Doll Sites

I've been asked many times where I buy my dolls. The answer is, everywhere. I've decided to post some links to some of my favorite doll websites.

*Warning* clicking on the links will take you to outside websites over whose content I have no control. Click at your own risk.

Paradise Galleries--For more affordable but good quality dolls, you can't beat Paradise Galleries. They have both older dolls and baby dolls.

Ashton Drake--A little more expensive than Paradise Galleries, but their dolls are beautiful!

Franklin Mint--This company doesn't make as many dolls as they used to when I first began collecting. Those they do make are gorgeous works of art, and are always very expensive.

Danbury Mint--They have a great variety of quality dolls.

Tonner Doll Company--This company makes high quality fashion dolls. I do not actually own any Tonner Dolls, but I love to go and window shop from time to time on their site.

Dollhouses and More--This is my favorite miniature dollhouse web site. They have everything you could want to decorate your dollhouse in style!

I have only recently discovered Asian ball and joint dolls. They are amazingly beautiful, incredibly exotic, and there is nothing else quite like them in the world--especially for a fantasy doll collector like me. I thought it might be fun to list a few ball and join doll websites that I like to haunt on a regular basis. Before visiting the links below, I must warn you that these dolls are extremely expensive and almost impossible to resist purchasing once you've seen them. Also, since the dolls are purchased separately from their clothing they are often pictured nude. Click the links below at your own risk! : )

SOOM Emporium--Their gorgeous monthly fantasy dolls have an amazing ability to make me drool--and shell out way too much money. Looks like a centaur doll is going to be debuting there in the near future.

AngelHeim--Also has some fun fantasy dolls.

Iplehouse--I LOVE their line of multi-ethnic dolls. I want that doll in the pink Kimono really bad.

Dollmore--This website has a really large variety of doll clothing that can be purchased for ball and joint dolls.

Souldoll--I had to add this link as well. I own their Chiron Centaur Doll. And where else in the world could you purchase a Shiva doll with four arms? No place I know of.

Luts--This is the first ball and joint website I ever saw. This doll site has a huge variety of eyes and wigs in just about every size and color. Not only do they have beautiful dolls, but they also have some little dolls with animal faces that are bizarrely cute. Check them out.

Volks USA--Dollfies have a very distinct large-eyed anime look. They also have a lot of fun doll clothes to peruse and purchase.

Denver Doll--This site has a little of everything. Dolls, clothing, shoes, wigs, eyes, etc.

Fairyland--This company has a line of adorable little fairy dolls that are too cute for words. Check out their tiny mermaid as well!

Miniature Sculpture Jewelry

This post isn't exactly about dolls, but it IS my love of dolls and dollhouses that led me to become a miniature sculpture jewelry artist. I currently own five dollhouses. The biggest one being a ten and half room Victorian mansion with working lights. Anyone who collects miniatures will tell you how expensive items are to buy. So early on, I learned to make a lot of the stuff that went into my dollhouse by hand to save money. Creating miniatures became my passion. The smaller the better. So recently, I got the idea to create miniature sculptures and make them into wearable jewelry. One piece led to another piece and pretty soon, I had more miniature sculpture jewelry than I knew what to do with.

This locket with a hidden Victorian scene inside, was one of the first pieces of miniature jewelry I ever did. It looks like a normal locket until you open it up. The locket is the size of a postage stamp. I love to wear it, because when people compliment me on it I then get to open it up and show them its hidden secret. Children are always especially delighted when they see inside.

The necklace with the merhorse below is my very favorite piece of miniature jewelry. When ever I wear it, complete strangers will stop me to ask about it.

I've had people offer to buy it, but I tell them it's not for sale. I do sell pieces of my work from time to time. For those who are interested in seeing what is currently available--click here to go to my official Small Secrets Jewelry blog. New items are posted there as they become available.

If you are interested in seeing some of my past work, click here to see some photos of even more miniature jewelry. Most the necklaces pictured on this blog are not available for purchase.

Mermaid Sculpture Doll

Here are some photos of a mermaid doll I sculpted myself. Each and every one of those braids was braided by hand. It took FOREVER to do! The rest of her was easy in comparison.

My Dolls on Display

A few of my dolls are currently on public display at the Provo City Library in Provo, Utah. For any of you who live in the area stop by the second floor and check them out! They won't be there too much longer so make your visit soon.

Faun Doll Luka

I can't resist an unusual or rare fantasy doll. This little faun was too adorable to pass up.

Beautiful Blue Skinned Fairy

A True Gentleman Doll

New Dolls are Coming Soon!

Sometimes years will go by without my finding any dolls I want to buy. Then suddenly, I go crazy and buy three new dolls for myself in one month. What is up with that? And I swore the last doll I bought was going to be THE VERY LAST.

Really. I mean it this time.

Maybe.

I will be posting pictures of the dolls once they are delivered, so check back soon to see the new arrivals. It takes something pretty fantastic to make me want to buy a doll these days so expect something out of the ordinary.

Why Dolls Fascinate Us So Much

When I was young, my mother took me to visit a local doll museum. I remember being charmed and awed by the variety of different kinds of dolls. Learning the history and story of each one showed me how dolls can be so much more than mere toys. They can be works of art, and reminders of history itself. And each one was created in it's own unique way. Porcelain dolls, compositional dolls, dolls made of cloth and wood--there is no end to the inventive ways those of the past have chosen to bring their greatest creations to life. As an artist myself, I can not help but be in awe of all that goes into the making of a beautiful doll. Sculpture, painting, clothing design and superior sewing on a miniature scale. There are very few other works of art that include so many different medias just to create one single work. I have recently begun studying more about the history of dolls and doll making while preparing to write a book. I have learned that one single doll represents a labor of love for many different people. The artist that originally creates and sculpts the doll's form, the designer of the clothing and wig, the seller who acquires that particular doll to sell it, and the person who falls in love with their creation and invites it into their home to display it for all to see. Is it any wonder, dolls are so fascinating to those who view them.