The Dolls: Childhood Expressions

18" and 25" Character Vinyl Dolls

All of my dolls are derived from my original sculptures, and produced in the U.S. Every aspect of the doll is designed and created by me. They are considered "character dolls" because of their humorous concept, and unusual facial features.

I designed the cloth bodies which are weighted with arms and legs, unstuffed for a fluid, "rag doll" feel;  very soft and realistic. Sometimes the doll's arms are wired so they can be posed holding their "toys".

My wigs are made of English mohair or human hair. I designed my wig making process, and I hand make my own to achieve a unique look on my dolls.

I design all of the clothes and hand pick the fabric. All of  the costumes are made here in the U.S. I have a couple of artists that knit sweaters for me and help sew costumes. I sew most of the costumes myself. The doll is conceived as a total presentation which includes hair and eye color, costume, and accessories. The accessories are not made by me, but I hand pick them with both value and quality in mind.

Each doll is hand finished by me which includes painting the eyes, painting the details on the faces, styling the wigs, and packing them with great care. These dolls are designed for adult collectors and are not meant to be a child's play doll. Each one is unique and truly a work of art.

Reborn Babies

One of a Kind Prosculpt Babies and Character Children

The Artist: Sandi McAslan

I was born and raised in Connecticut and moved to Arizona in 1998, where the business is located now.

After the birth of my older daughter in 1988, I began collecting dolls on a small scale - her birth had rekindled my childhood love of dolls. After a while, I decided that I wanted to make a doll that was as good as the ones I had been buying - so I did. With no knowledge of dollmaking, I spent 9 months of 1990 making that first porcelain doll, using the very popular trial and error method. I had success selling my first dolls locally, so when Jim lost his corporate job in late 1990, we decided to jump into the doll business with all four feet. We began with a porcelain line of character dolls which quickly gained popularity due to their unique look. I was an artist before making dolls (color-field, abstract paintings) which I think has given me a strong color sense for creating interesting, different dolls.

My dolls are entirely conceived from my imagination and sculpted directly with the clay. I do not use photographs or live models. While my three children (son Devon,  daughters Morgan and Lennon) indirectly influenced my work, I never used them as models.

We started our vinyl line in 1995 so that many more collectors could enjoy and afford my work. I love working with vinyl and think it is a wonderful medium for my dolls. The intricate detail of my sculpting is retained in the vinyl mold making and the pouring process.

Since our move from Connecticut, circumstances have caused us to discontinue our porcelain dolls.
I look forward to many more years in this business and to continue bringing pleasure to the collectors, who make it all worthwhile.

Sandi McAslan

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