Baby delight with none of the noise and spit
FOR Chrissandra Lawrence and her clients, they are better than the real things.
And if the “double-takes” she and little “Michelle” received as she carried her around in a pink blanket at Albury’s Doll Bear Hobby Show is anything to go by, there is no doubting her authenticity.
Michelle has all the features of a newborn baby girl, down to the spit around her mouth.
But she’s nothing more than a convincing replica that only comes out for special occasions like fairs and shows.
Not so for many of Ms Lawrence’s clients.
Many of them carry around her “reborn” dolls and treat them as if they are real.
“It’s 100 per cent better than having a real child,” said Ms Lawrence, a professional doll-maker and teacher of Wangaratta.
“It doesn’t cry and it doesn’t wake up at night,” she said.
Ms Lawrence should know. She has three grown-up children.
While teddy bears and dolls are the obsession of children, it was mostly grandparents making up the crowd at Saturday’s hobby show at the Mirambeena Community Centre.
Judge of the doll’s house competition James Dowdall said most adults involved hadn’t had doll’s houses as children — including his wife who roped him into the fad.
“I say to parents: ‘buy your daughter a doll’s house and save her husband trouble’,” he joked.
Mr Dowdall said he often was asked to build miniature buildings and said most of his clientele were adults.
“Miniatures are something very much for adults,” he said.
“We started doing doll’s houses, but now 90 per cent of what I do is for adults.”
It was the first time the Albury show has had a doll’s house section — localised by an Ettamogah Pub replica.
The rules stipulate each house conforms to a 1:12 ratio.
And if the “double-takes” she and little “Michelle” received as she carried her around in a pink blanket at Albury’s Doll Bear Hobby Show is anything to go by, there is no doubting her authenticity.
Michelle has all the features of a newborn baby girl, down to the spit around her mouth.
But she’s nothing more than a convincing replica that only comes out for special occasions like fairs and shows.
Not so for many of Ms Lawrence’s clients.
Many of them carry around her “reborn” dolls and treat them as if they are real.
“It’s 100 per cent better than having a real child,” said Ms Lawrence, a professional doll-maker and teacher of Wangaratta.
“It doesn’t cry and it doesn’t wake up at night,” she said.
Ms Lawrence should know. She has three grown-up children.
While teddy bears and dolls are the obsession of children, it was mostly grandparents making up the crowd at Saturday’s hobby show at the Mirambeena Community Centre.
Judge of the doll’s house competition James Dowdall said most adults involved hadn’t had doll’s houses as children — including his wife who roped him into the fad.
“I say to parents: ‘buy your daughter a doll’s house and save her husband trouble’,” he joked.
Mr Dowdall said he often was asked to build miniature buildings and said most of his clientele were adults.
“Miniatures are something very much for adults,” he said.
“We started doing doll’s houses, but now 90 per cent of what I do is for adults.”
It was the first time the Albury show has had a doll’s house section — localised by an Ettamogah Pub replica.
The rules stipulate each house conforms to a 1:12 ratio.
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