Interview With Debbie (Uneek Doll Designs)

If you like art, art dolls, a bit of history, humor and fun, you will love the work of Uneek Doll Designs. I met Debbie, the creative inspiration behind these miniature art dolls, through EGADS, an Etsy street team dedicated to promoting dolls as more than just toys for tots. You will be amazed and delighted at how intricate Debbie's work is. It is a pleasure to bring you this interview.

"At Uneek Doll Designs," Debbie tells me, "you never know who is going to show up! It could be King Henry VIII, or Granny Smith, or Scarlett O'Hara, Shakespeare ...well, you get the idea!" Debbie hand designs all her miniature characters, drawing upon an array of classical and literary genres for inspiration: Tudor, 18th Century, Victorian, Rustic Pioneer, Edwardian Era, Medieval, Ancient Royalty--all with an attention to detail sure to delight.

"I find a sense of satisfaction" Debbie continues, "in taking a simple, basic wooden clothespin and turning it into a recognizable character. There's also fun in adding my own whimsical touches to the final product!"

Debbie's miniature characters were born out of the need to find just the right match for some fancy doll houses being designed as a special gift. Debbie looked around, but could not find any dolls she liked, so she made her own. "My greatest pleasure in doing my hand crafted items is seeing other people derive pleasure from them, too! My characters have been made as gifts for different kinds of people and collectors for several years now."

Art and creating are something Debbie has always done in many different forms: painting, drawing, and designing pictures with free hand stitching. "My trademark I am most known for is not using a pattern for any of my designs on anything. I guess I just prefer to picture it, then try various techniques to get what effect I want! I design and create characters that I have read about in literary classics and the pages of history. I definitely feel my work reflects a huge part of my personality in the fact that I am interpreting my vision of what the character should look like."

"I honestly have to say," Debbie continues, "it is my faith in God that inspires me. I have had a lot of challenges--as we all have--and have been in situations that were impossible to change through human effort. That is where I have found the peace and strength that comes through my personal faith. It has gotten me through many hard things!"

Debbie finds artistic inspiration in books. "I have a huge library of classics by Dickens, Jane Austen, Ravi Zacharias, Anthony Trollope, and the list goes on. Reading is a way of taking a vacation for me without having to spend any gas money." She also appreciates most kinds of music: classical, some country, pop and gospel.

As to what shoes Debbie wears? "Hmmm..." she says, "my first thought is loafers...not that I loaf, mind you, but they are a comfortable, practical sort of shoe. Not too fancy, not too plain!"

Debbie is a married mother of four (yes, four!) teenagers and resides in Illinois with her family.

You may find out more about her artwork in her shop.