Mini Monday - Fairies' Nest

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade fairiesnest.etsy.com

Meet Cynthia of Fairies' Nest:

My name is Cynthia Toy (really!) and I have been a doll maker for about...hmm...ever... but seriously and professionally for about 20 years.

I think my dollmaking developed from an acute fiber addiction that I inherited from my mom; plus an overactive imagination, reading lots of fantasy, 3 sons, and I just love to play with dolls! I've always been interested in needle crafts of all kinds and have spent many years experimenting and learning how to manipulate cloth and fibers; sewing, spinning, knitting... you name it, I wanted to learn it!

I love to make dolls, it never gets boring because so many different techniques are involved... tired of sewing? You can glue for awhile, or knit, or play clay, or stuff, cut, weave... there's are all kinds of fun to be had and new techniques to learn all the time. I'm also a huge believer in all things fairy and making dolls lets all those fairies that have been living in my head find their way into the world. (Whew! It gets crowded in there!)The hardest part for me is letting my babies go off to new owners...but that's what pays the bills, so off they go!

Each of my dolls requires many hours to make as I design and create each doll completely from my own imagination. Many of the dolls are made from the inside out without patterns and each face is carefully drawn and painted by hand using no patterns or stencils. Because of this, no two dolls are EVER exactly alike, they are all one of a kind; like people, each has its own distinct personality.