Crawford Manor...Beautiful Pre-Raphaelite Dolls

Today's feature is a website I have drooled over for several years now. Back when I had a nearly occultish fixation on Lord of the Rings, I admired the gorgeous Arwen doll done by Cheryl of Crawford Manor. Her other doll gowns and resculpts were equally gorgeous, and I was hooked on occasionally visiting the site and imagining her gowns as full size outfits.

So imagine my thrill when I went to the site one day and saw that she had created a doll wearing the beautiful blue gown from my favorite Waterhouse painting of Ophelia!

Cheryl's description of the doll is below:

Ophelia wears an underskirt and narrow sleeves of soft brick red "suede" embellished with a golden nail head design. The “Princess” gown of soft blue “suede” has bell sleeves and a slightly boat shaped neckline. The pattern was designed to skim her figure and then flare into a wide skirt and train. The sleeves are lined with a pale caramel to coordinate with the camel “suede” band at the hem. In order to recreate the designs in the portrait, a stencil was cut and then the design was applied using a rich gold paint to the bodice front on each side of the neck lacing and along the entire hem banding. The neckline and sleeves edges were embroidered using a single strand of metallic gold thread. She wears caramel “suede” slippers which are laced with golden threads and golden panties.

Her bouquet of wild flowers, daisies and poppies rests in the folds of her upswept skirt and a golden thread loop can be caught over her hand to secure the folds. Matching daisies and red poppies are caught in her long auburn tresses. She wears a medallion on a golden chain, gold hoop earrings, embossed golden brow ornament and a “sapphire” faceted crystal signet ring.

A Robert Tonner 16" Fashion Doll Sydney Chase has been completely repainted and re-styled for her role as Ophelia. She has green eyes shadowed in soft charcoal, russet feathered brows, beautifully shaded natural lips, a French manicure, partially braided, shaped and gently waved hair and carefully trimmed applied lashes.

I would love to someday very soon make my own version of this absolutely beautiful gown, so I was fascinated to see it rendered in real fabrics.

Cheryl has also done several other dolls of interest to the Pre-Raphaelite afficionado. These include a beautiful version of Kinuko Craft's Eleanor of Aquitaine (as I've mentioned, I consider Craft to be a modern Pre-Raphaelite), and a beautiful version of Mucha's the Four Seasons (Mucha of course was an Art Nouveau artist, but I find that many fans of Pre-Raphaelite art also like his work, myself included). While you're on the site too, be sure to explore some of her original doll gown creations. Her work is endlessly creative.

I am honored to feature such a talented artist!