Colliii.com: Hello Sandra, thanks for meeting for the interview...Why don´t you start by telling us a little about yourself:

Sandra: I was born and raised around Pittsburgh, PA here in the states. I did study German in High School and visited Germany back in 1985 - Loved it! I’m 41 and married with two young daughters, 4 & 6 that keep me VERY busy. I send the youngest off to Kindergarten in the Fall so I'm looking forward to having "full" days to put toward my sculpting.

Before I had children, I dabbled in designing and sewing couture bridal-wear. I have always been creative and into the arts. Back in the 70s when I was growing up the magazines had dolls, bears and home decorations as the "crafts". My mother always laughed that I had the crafts made up before she even had a chance to sit down and look at the magazines. I was always creating something! If I saw something, I'd just try to make it.

Colliii.com: So its one year on since you were nominated for the Colliii Award with little Oliver, do you still have him, if not what has happened since then?

Sandra: Yes, poor little Oliver is still sitting in my workroom in pieces waiting to get shipped off for production. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is, at the end of last year the money set aside for his production went toward family expenses. I am currently raising the funds to send him off and I intend to have kits of him THIS year. I also have a kit named “Tessa” expected out this year through Doll Dreams.

Colliii.com: You studied art at college in the USA, how did you get into sculpting dolls?

Sandra: Funny thing is I never took sculpting in college. I had drawing, painting, photography, design….you name it but no sculpting. Back in the late 80s, early 90s I had bought a few books on making dolls and Santas but never took the time to delve into it. After I had my girls, I stayed home with them. I happened to come across Reborns on Ebay and decided to "make one myself". After seeing some of the kits, I thought I want to try to sculpt. I originally planned on sculpting dolls of my daughters. That's when it all started and I've been knee deep in clay since! I still haven't sculpted my daughters!!! LOL

My cousin recently pulled out a “mock” Cabbage Patch Doll I had made for her back in the 80s. I had forgotten I had made up some of those. My Mom still has one that starred in one of the High School plays.

Colliii.com: You do a variety of dolls, OOAK dolls, Resin dolls and you have also had some made as kits. Which is your favorite kind of doll of them all?

Sandra: I started out with the OOAKs. I have a lot of minis shown on my website but they aren't my favorite. I recently sculpted a lot of minis because that is what was selling and I’ve been trying to get my name out there. I think there is just as much work in a mini as in a big doll because of the small details. Personally, I think the price of the minis should reflect that. I do like to occasionally sculpt the little full body 5” minis. I’d love to have some of those reproduced in resin. I love sculpting for kits because I tend to get bored and flit between projects. I'm constantly tearing baby and children pictures out of magazines to use as inspiration for my next sculpt!

Colliii.com: You have also won another award for little Oliver. What inspired you to make him?

Sandra: The front cover of a Reader's Digest. It was sitting on my mother's coffee table (comes back to my mother's magazines!!!LOL). It was a older baby...just his face...smiling with 2 little teeth and those squinty eyes. I couldn't keep my eyes off him and ended up taking the picture home. He was originally sculpted with a shoulder plate and ball jointed neck. I took polls on the forums I frequent and most were afraid to try the ball joint. I sculpted a neck flange for him and that is what the kit will have. I do, however, like the shoulder plates and ball jointed necks because they offer such adorable posing opportunities.

Colliii.com: Are you a member of any guilds or doll making groups, if so why?

Sandra: Actually no. I planned on joining some but never got around to it. I do frequent a few doll forums.

Colliii.com: Which kind of dolls do you like making the most?

Sandra: My favorites are bigger babies, toddlers and children. I LOVE dolls with expressions. Hildegard Gunzel is one of my favorite artists and I just LOVE her children dolls. I have a life sized Vietnamese child doll sitting in my work room that I just can't find the time to finish. The idea of freezing the moment of a child’s life is what first inspired me to start making dolls again. I love dolls that are super realistic….the ones that “fool the eye”. That is what I am always striving for.

Colliii.com: What are you working on right now?”

Sandra: I just finished a larger baby, just slightly larger than Oliver. There are always those "works in progress" dolls that sit around my workroom waiting for something! I have a gorilla baby head started, my Vietnamese child that I’m determined to get some limbs done for and a BJD I started. I tend to sculpt whatever interests me at the time so there is always a variety. I also have plans to get a new and improved website up this year so please stop by to visit!