(Charlotte Webb)

Hats and Beds and Beyond

By Pam North

As a child, Charlotte Webb had little interest in dolls. An only child living on a Covington, Kentucky tobacco farm with her grandparents, she was more into the tomboy world of climbing trees than playing with girls’ toys. When introduced to dolls at age 10 by her stepsister, she responded creatively by making clothes for them out of some ribbons and lace they had found in an old trunk in the attic. 
Her next exposure to the doll world was as an adult with her own daughters, and that meant making accessories for their Barbies, and fashioning tiny fruits and vegetables out of clay to stock miniature markets. “I started actually making dolls when one of my girls came home with a clothespin doll that she said needed some friends,” Charlotte explained. “I developed a business making and selling those, along with teddy bears, at the gift show in Los Angeles. Then I took a job as a craft supplies representative, and became an instructor and teacher for Plaid Enterprises, a craft company.” Throughout the rest of her children’s childhoods she held various office jobs, but always relied on her talents in art to provide extra money for those special things she loved to give to her children. She became a kitchen and bath designer, painting tile murals for display in a remodeling showroom where an architect saw them and wound up training her to become an architectural designer. She continued to do her tile murals over the next twelve years until she retired. The tragic loss of one of her daughters eight years ago caused her to lose interest in everything, even art. Then one of her granddaughters brought a doll hat to her with the request that Charlotte make a new, more elaborate one, and so she did, a successful venture that led to her making more and selling them to other BJD doll owners. She did some online research, finding a YouTube interview with Jack Johnston, which gave her the first hope of a new direction for her life, and she took a class with Johnston, making dolls out of polymer clay.
Her daughter and son-in-law challenged her to make 100 hats for a doll show, with the promise they would help her do participate in a doll show. She made 110. and they did the Dollism Plus USA show in New York. Since that time they have continued to do two or three shows each year.
“I had added clothing to the line, as well as hand-sculpted hats and head pieces,” she continued. “We did the International Doll and Teddy Bear Show for the first time last year where I met a reborn doll artist, who quickly became a dear friend. She convinced me to try my hand at reborning, and although I love painting those beautiful kits, my heart still is with sculpting. Then Laurie Duncan, who made fairy dolls, asked me to make a dress for one. I wound up making her a leaf bed, and at the Kansas Doll Show the response to that bed was surprisingly great, so I made a few more. She shared these with some of her clients, who then purchased some from me online. We decided to redirect the business to this venue to see if the doll world would welcome it. They have been so positive in their support, and this year we are putting our focus on displays for dolls and teddy bears, as well as our hats. We are doing the International Doll and Teddy Bear Show, then the Rose Show and the Kansas Doll Show after that. Although I started making doll hats to sell, it was the reaction from people that made me want to do more to provide their precious dolls with accessories, outfits for BJD Dolls, and now the doll beds. We played with dolls when we were young, making up our fantasy worlds, and I feel like we are now doing the same thing as adults with the reborns and modern dolls. We are allowing our inner child to play again. The people I have met at the reborn shows are some of the kindest I’ve ever known. Although I enjoy making hats and clothing for the dolls, I enjoy sculpting more than any other type of creative work. Making these new doll beds gives me the opportunity to do what I love for the people I have come to care for. There’s nothing more fulfilling than making a piece for a doll owner and hearing their appreciation. They love their dolls, and that love spills over onto us.”
Charlotte is looking in new directions also. “While my focus presently is on display pieces, I always have two or three other types of projects going at the same time. I’m working on several dolls to make into vinyl kits to put on the market within the next year. This will be in addition to the one-of-a-kind display pieces I presently am making. The sky is the limit. It’s nice to be recognized as an artist, and I plan to continue to grow and develop until I just can’t anymore. I love the pleasure my pieces give others, and the peace of mind making them gives me.”

Contact Information: 
Name: Charlotte Webb
Business Name:  Charlotte Webb Creations, or BJD Outfitters
Address: 1732 Homestead Way, Northlake, Texas
Telephone: (425) 499-8444
Email: covingtonartist@yahoo.com
Facebook is the best way to reach her (Charlotte Webb Creations), or her personal page (Charlotte Ann Webb).