About me and what I do
I have been involved in dolls for a very long time - since the early 1980s.
It first started when I was invited to a Christmas party and was shown a doll kit given to my host's daughter as a present. I admired it, and at the time thought nothing more about it ..... but not for long!
The following week I came across an antique doll's head in a local shop; bought the head, and being a very creative person made a mould. I poured the head in porcelain and had it kiln fired at a local pottery as I didn't own my own kiln at that time; and before long had been invited to join the pottery as a second crafts person in residence.
My work began to attract the attention of local and regional newspapers which led to the BBC hearing about me and I was invited to appear on the national lunchtime programme "Pebble Mill at One", which was broadcast live on weekdays.
While working in the pottery, people would look at my work and make comments such as: “How gorgeous, but I could never do anything like that!” My reply to them was that of course they could if someone taught them; and it was at that stage that I was asked about the restoration of antique dolls, which I carried out in addition to making replicas, feeling that involvement in original antique dolls would aid the authenticity of my own replica dolls.
I soon started giving lessons in porcelain doll making from the pottery and from home, and went on to teach for several local education authorities including Worcestershire, High Peak College in Derbyshire and the Borough of Southwark in London.
I have also taught at the Plymouth College or Art and Design where I become a student as well as a tutor, going on to do a BA degree course in Applied Arts, covering ceramics, glass and metals.
Dolls and doll making took a backseat for a while, until the Covid pandemic hit the UK and during the lockdown period I spent time restoring a number of French and German antique dolls which gave me much satisfaction and an exciting return to the repair and restoration of ancient bisque porcelain dolls.