Dolls That Touch the Heart

by Pam North 
	
	 It's an element that is difficult to define, as it's often in the eye of the individual beholder. A doll either has it or it doesn't – it's just that simple. Kim Arnold's ball-jointed resin dolls radiate that special, elusive quality – they touch the heart.
	Kim's creativity has been a personal journey through her life, encompassing various endeavors at different stages through the years. As a child, she made clothes for her own dolls. In the 1980s, she collected porcelain dolls, learning to make her own from molds, and then teaching doll-making classes to others.  “Although I've been an artist all my life, I've had no formal training. My mother tried to teach me to sew, but I was willful, and I ended up learning on my own.” Her strong personal perspective likely evolves into her imaginative creations.  “I like magical, whimsical, fun things from the fantasy realm, such as fairies and elves,” she explains. “Innocence has a strong impact on me. I also like to borrow from nature, using elements like flowers, leaves, butterflies, and berries. I like to use vintage fabrics and laces, and I sometimes restyle antique christening gowns.” 
	Kim had a lengthy history of making clothes for the popular Annette Himstedt dolls owned by her customers until the Himstedt factory stopped production and closed in 2008. Then in 2009, Kim discovered ball-jointed dolls (BJDs) when she saw Kaye Wiggs' delightful “Nyssa”, and she shifted her focus to creating innovative, imaginative costumes for this new genre of dolls. She began experimenting with fabrics in new, artful combinations, departing from the more conventional costuming she had done in the past, and resulting in fanciful mixes of fabrics and trims that perfectly enhanced the personalities of the dolls for which the costumes were intended. She also made her own mohair wigs of teeswater mohair, sewn onto felt caps fitted to each doll. It wasn't long until she realized that she wanted to create her own line of ball-jointed dolls. She formed her first doll in Super Sculpey, refining the modeling until her creation was ready for fabrication in resin by an overseas company, and her first original doll, Flower, became a reality in 2013. Kim obviously was on a roll, because other dolls quickly followed: Cookie, Olivia, and Meadow. Currently her Trinket Box Kids - Michelle, Mazey, and Duda - are being added to the ranks, as well as Jia, an Asian doll. She prefers to work in the 17” to 21” range for her dolls.
	The resin material of BJDs offered its own particular and positive aspects for creativity, including being apropos for the fantasy element Kim wanted to project. The media's matte surface accepted feature painting and subtle coloration; it had suitability and durability for molding joint articulation; and it was light for shipping purposes. Kim found resin to be a fun and versatile media, a perfect material for her creative purposes. 
	Kim is not one to remain static, and her mind constantly searches for new, exciting possibilities for her creativity. “I always am thinking,” she remarks, “and every day is an inspiration.”
	She vows that she wants the year 2015 to be about her own dolls, and that will include a new series that have a unique significance for her. “The Misfit Project is my new line of BJDs - a very special project soon to be be introduced. I still am working on the body, but I do have the first three heads completed in the sculpted form. Each doll will have her own printed story card explaining how she portrays a certain emotion. These BJDs represent a personal part of my own life as I was growing up, during my public school days. They express how I felt as I was having to deal with bullies, and the making of these Misfits is a release for me. They signify how we may feel vulnerable or different as we seek out being accepted by our peers. I know that many people, young and old, will be able to relate to these dolls and the experiences that they represent, and I feel that this project is very important.”  Kim's Misfits are resin dolls about 21” tall, with 14 joints, glass eyes, high-quality mohair wigs, and they can utilize the clothes and accessories of the popular mass-market 18” dolls. Another upcoming creations is “Silly Setter”, an articulated, resin-bodied English Setter with faux fur ears and tail. Kim plans to earmark a portion of proceeds from the sale of this character to go to dog rescue organizations.
	Kim's talent has begun to achieve additional recognition. She competed in the 2014 DOLLS  Awards of Excellence (also called the Diamond Awards), and won in the Ball-Jointed Dolls category for her “Raggedy Cookie”. She plans on entering again in this year's  competition.  
	“I'd like all of my customers/clients to know how much they are appreciated,” Kim asserts. “All of them mean the world to me for their support throughout my journey thus far. Without their support, I could never continue onward, so I wish to thank them all – they are a very important part of who I am.”
	When asked how she viewed the progress she has made as an artist, Kim replied, “I don't think about it much until I take the time to look back, and then I realize how far I have come, and I'm in awe. I get excited about what I'll think up with next. I surprise myself sometimes when I realize that has been my journey, and that makes me happy.”

Contact Information:
Kim Arnold
422 Murray Street
P.O.Box #1
Corunna, Ontario
Canada N0N1G0 
www.thetrinketboxbjds.net

Good Morning Ladies ,
 
I have read over the article and I do have just a few minor things that I would like changed or re-worded.
 
1 - The misfit project..if you can remove the part of them being 18 inches tall like a certain fashion doll..this should have been put in for the Trinket Box Kids not the Misfits.
 
2- when you start talking about the mohair wigs..can we change it to  " made her own wigs of teeswater wool locks. Glued with care over a felt head cap fitted to each dolls head.
 
3- at the very end of the article change to..I get excited about what I'll think up next. I surprise myself sometimes when I realize this has been my journey, But in the end I am more than happy
 
I would also like to not have my address or phone number at the end..to me this is a privacy issue. I would suggest if anyone wishes to contact me that they can use my web site to email me through www.thetrinketboxbjds.net  or my cell phone can be added 1-519-312-3154 
 
Please let me know that these changes can be made & many thanks for this wonderful article
 
Kim Arnold
The Trinket Box