Aprilart Dolls
Aprilart Dolls ® 495 Emery St. E. London,Ontario N6C2E9
I was born and raised in London, Ontario where I reside with my husband of 49 years. We have a son, a daughter and three beautiful granddaughter two of attend university and the youngest is in her final year in high school.
After highschool, I trained as a hairstylist and worked in salons until my chldren came along. At that time, I set up shop at home where I currently still do some long time customers, now good friends.
I have always had a penchant for dollmaking from a very early age. As young girls, my sister, Linda and I made our own dolls. We spent hours making our own cut-out dolls, featuring whole families and all their furniture made from paper and their houses make from cardboard boxes. Then we went to the three dimensional element and made our beautiful sock dolls.
This was before I received my first Barbie. She was a clone actually, named Mitzi. I bought a Mitzi on ebay a few years ago. She was just as beautiful as I remembered! Later came the Barbies and years of fantasy and fashion.
When I had a daughter, I worked very hard to instill a love of dolls in her. She played for hours on end with her Barbies, Strawberry Shortcakes and Cabbage Patch Kids which was good for me because I enjoyed just looking at them and sometimes cleaning them up, doing their hair, etc. I never made her any clothing for them as I didn't know how to sew at that time.
I seemed to always be into creating something, from macrame' in the 70's to wreaths and bowers in the 80's and thanks to my new neighbour I made ceramics in the early 90's. The curious thing is I never made these things with intent to keep them. Since I was an "at home" mom, I was always looking for ways to make some income without going to work outside the home. I always sold what I made, and lucky for me, people bought my products!
Around 1995 that same neighbour
, Janis Boisclair, introduced me to sculpting with polymer clay. I started to make my own character sculpts along with Janis and soon we were exhibiting our work at various doll shows in Southern Ontario. But I still had that love for pretty dolls, big and small, that could be redressed. While attending a doll show in London I saw some porcelain fairies and asked an exhibitor named Joanne Wilson, a porcelain artist and instructor, if she would make me one. She said no, but I could come and make my own at her place. So I went to her class and was just going to make a fairy. I ended up making 10 and by the time I was done, I was hooked! I loved working with porcelain, it's texture is so soft and smooth, not coarse like ceramics and I couldn't get over the wonderful way the china paints blended. I asked my friend's mother (Fran Constant) to make my doll clothes and I was back in business selling at doll shows again!
As time went on I started painting the eyes on most of them, mainly to save money at first, but for some reason I seemed to have a knack in painting great looking eyes and now constantly endeavour to create depth and personality in all my dolls through the eyes by learning new ideas and techniques. Over the last 7 or 8 years I have also learned to sew my own doll clothes. It still amazes me considering I couldn't figure my way through a pattern and now I make my own!
When I look back I realize all the creative mediums I have dabbled in, including hairstyling, have helped to hone my skills and become the artist I am today. I regularily feature my smaller dolls on ebay where they and countless small doll outfits sell worldwide as fast as they are listed. Check out my page "Adoptions around the World" to view some of them.
You may also enjoy checking out my page "Currently up for Adoption" to view my dolls that are now for sale. I am a very good packer and ship around the world. I accept VISA, Master Card, AMEX, Paypal, International Money Orders, and Email Transfers for Canadian Customers. Remember, all my doll are completely created by me in a non smoking studio or my non smoking home.
My first attempt at doll making was when I was about 7 or 8 years old...she was a cowgirl made from a sock with tinfoil hoop earrings and a gold satin outfit with fringe skirt and vest, and cardboard brimmed hat. Don't forget the black nylons! Amazing that my mother saved her.
Thanks Mom!
Here is the Doll Dreamers' Guild (and friends) at the MDCC in New Orleans this past August.
left to right:
Gwen Peard, Joyce Matthews, Lana Dobbs, Pat Green, Annette Herrmann, April Norton and Meghann Degraw
Meghann and me enjoying our balcony in NOLA
The doll community wastruly shaken by the loss of one of the most gifted and notable doll artists of our time, Dianna Effner. May she rest in peace and may her family find comfort from their love and memories of her.
All of us are thankful for her legacy of beautiful sculpts and soulful dolls that have and will bring us joy for years to come.
If you would like to read my tribute to Dianna please click here:
To read a lovely article on Dianna please click here:
Above: Bjd Alyce I took to MDCC this year
Below: Crystal, 14” full porcelain portrait #10 currently up for adoption
Welcome Autumn!
Now that we are just about in October I am starting to get pretty excited about new projects for fall and winter. And of course Christmas!
MDCC Convention in August took place in New Orleans and I spent a full week there with my daughter. I was so happy to introduce her to many of my customers as well as the other Guild members. What an amazing experience the whole thing was!
Next year the convention will be in Savannah, Georgia. Another place I’ve never been.(yet)
This fall I will introduce a white porcelain trio that I think you will love. They will consist of some lesser known faces that are cute as heck.
You can check out my interview with Dolls Magazine From 2023 MDCC
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Meet the Doll Dreamers Guild!
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