When Miroslava (the pink haired lady) creates dolls she does so in a couple of steps that she’s found work for her. Not everyone creates dolls the same way, this is just how she goes about. There are many cool ways one can make dolls!

Her steps are described below for the curious. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

Step 1. making a concept

The doll-making process for Miroslava often starts with her finding a concept that interests her. Sometimes it’s a broad concept like wanting to make “a doll that looks soft despite being made of hard resin” (this idea is partly why Moppet Mae is so chubby and round). It can also be more specific idea like wanting to make a doll “that looks like children who try to stay awake even when they’re tired” (which is partly why Dumpling Mimmi and Minni were created).

When Miroslava has a concept she will start gathering reference-images and sometimes sketch out her ideas. This is her first step when making a doll.

Image: In Figure 1. you can see the two sketches that were the basis for Tella, the first Dumpling Miroslava ever created. She wanted to make Tella chubby.

Step 2. sculpting the concept ‘roughly’

When Miroslava has decided on a concept for a doll she will place everything she’s collected (for the concept) in front of her. She will spread reference-photos/sketches on her working-table as best as she can or pin them to the wall if there’s no room. This is so that she can always see them as she’s working.

The material Miroslava uses.
After the table is set with concept-images Miroslava will start sculpting. She will grab her clay, sculpting tools and aluminum (to stuff the head/body with to save on clay). She uses LaDoll Premix clay (a paper clay) because she’s found it works best for her. But there are many great other clays out there, like polymer clay. For tools she uses various things she’s gathered over the years like nail-drills, sandpaper and proper sculpting-tools among other things. Initially the sculpture will be very rough, and as she continues working on it she will slowly add more details.

How long it takes Miroslava to sculpt a doll.
The sculpting-processes can take many months, especially if she is working on a body.

Miroslava’s main focus when sculpting.
Miroslava takes care to make the doll aesthetically beautiful, and at the same time puts a lot of focus on making them functional. To Miroslava it's been most important that the dolls she makes are of high quality in the way that they are stable but still flexible, because she thinks the dolls should be played with.

Image: In Figure 2 you can see when Miroslava had created the first Dumpling body using the paper clay. The photos also show Miroslava’s first three Chibbis as she was in the process of sculpting them. You can also see part of a reference-photo she’s placed on her table.

Step 3. priming & testing the sculpt

After Miroslava has finished sculpting the doll “roughly” she will move on to be more careful with the sculpture. She adds more small features, sands in between. If she thinks something isn’t quite right she may even re-sculpt it. She does this until she is happy with how it moves, feels and looks.

Spraying the sculpture with primer.
When Miroslava is happy with the sculpt finally she will spray it all over with acrylic primer. This will seal the clay and make it water-proof. Usually the primer is grey in color so that imperfections will become visible, like bumps, scratches and the like. When Miroslava finds these she will sand, re-sculpt and prime over and over again until everything is smooth and looks exactly as she wants it. She will also test the movement of the sculpt and rework it by sanding/drilling until the doll is stable and moves smoothly.

Image: In Figure 3 you see Tella, the first Dumpling, when Miroslava was first making her. Tella in the photos is sprayed grey with primer and is smoothly sanded. In the middle picture you can see some of the white clay poking out around Tella’s hips, that’s because this area had to be retouched after testing, and also then needed to be re-sprayed. You can also see Miroslava test-posing her making sure she is as flexible and stable as she wants.

step 4. casting the doll in resin

Once the long process of sculpting is complete, and Miroslava has sculpted, sanded, primed and finished all the parts of the doll she double-checks that the doll is flexible/stable. When she’s happy with it the doll is ready to be cast in resin!
Casting a doll in resin means one creates a perfect replica of the clay sculpted doll but now in high quality resin. This makes them durable, realistic and easy to play with.

Miroslava used to do the casting by herself.
In the beginning Miroslava would cast her own dolls. This means that she made silicone molds of every body part, and by hand poured resin into each one. She waited for each part to harden, then removed the silicone and sanded each part to make the doll-parts smooth. Today Meadowdolls sends the dolls to a professional company that casts her sculptured dolls in very high quality, higher quality than her previous home-casts. When the dolls are fully cast and arrive back to Miroslava again they look something like in the pictures in Figure 4. They are now in high quality skin-colored resin and fully strung.

Image: In Figure 4 you can see naked resin factory-casts of Giggi, Patti, Sissi and Tella. They have all also received their factory faceups. This is how the dolls look when they have finally been casted in high quality resin and are fully strung.

step 5. style and play!

Ready to be shipped.
After the dolls have been cast in resin and they arrive back at Miroslava’s they are now ready to be played with! ❤️ It is also at this stage they are ready to be shipped to their new parents. From starting to sculpt a concept to Miroslava having the first finished resin-cast doll in her hands can take 1-2 years.

Playing with the dolls.
Now one can pose them, give the doll’s new eyes, custom hair and clothes. They can have every look, personality and hobby in the world. 
Photographing dolls and sharing ones’ creativity with others online (on for example doll-forums or to friends) is something many doll-lovers love. Miroslava also loves to do this.

Image: In Figure 5 you can see a photo Miroslava took of her first high-quality cast Dumpling Tellas stealing cookies from the table! You can also see a photo of Patti on a walk through snowy woods.

And that’s it! A doll from concept to finished and being played with. Hope this was interesting to some of you :)