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Making Magic with Florence Lea


From Mystic Maidens, to whimsical bunny dolls, each creation from licensed artist, Florence Lea begins with a single idea, and is designed by hand to create the beautiful artisan dolls and figures you love.

Take a sneak peek into the creative process in this exclusive interview with Florence Lea:

A lot goes into your exquisite collection of dolls; describe your creative process:

"I get a lot of my inspiration from vintage prints and labels. I love antiques and vintage costumes and that's usually where my process begins. I see something I love and then I think about how I can turn it into a 3D figure. I usually create a storyboard of inspiration and slowly, from there, it begins to evolve into a collection. I'm very good at the visualizing part, it has always come very naturally to me."

What mediums do you use to create your sample pieces?

"I usually begin with a foam ball on a dowel rod. I layer clay or paper pulp to get the desired look for the head and then hand paint the face. I'll use an antiquing wax to really bring out the texture and detail. For the soft bodies and clothing, I create a pattern and sew everything by hand. I have been making doll clothes since I was a child. My mother was a seamstress and my grandmother was a dollmaker. Costume design in general, has always been an interest of mine."

How does your original hand crafted sample translate when it is mass produced for consumers?

"Everything is still hand painted and crafted by hand. I send very detailed instructions on how the faces should be painted and how the body should be assembled. Sometimes the fabric for the clothing changes, but it's usually kept very similar to my original design."

What is your favorite part of the process?

"I very much enjoy the hands-on creative part of design, but I have to say, there is something very exciting and gratifying in the end result. When everything is said and done, a customer is going to walk into a store, choose my doll off the shelf, and walk out and live with it in their home to love and enjoy. That's really my favorite part."


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