After the birth of her 5th child several years ago, Linda Valentino Michel started making cloth dolls, took fabric-painting classes and then started making her own original cloth doll patterns.  The next step was to make porcelain reproductions of antique dolls.  She also restored antique dolls for approximately 10 years and developed a love of and feel for old fabrics.

Linda finally started sculpting in the early 90's and has sold limited edition original porcelain dolls through retailers since then.  Her designs usually include vintage laces and antique buttons and that has become a trademark.  She used to play with my grandmother's buttons as a child and her grandmother taught her how to crochet.   

Linda loves to decorate with dolls to be part of little vignettes rather than lining them up on shelves.  She believes in dolls because unlike anything else, they have human characteristics that people can identify with and love.  We see in dolls certain qualities that we see in people so that when we are attracted to certain dolls, it's because of a quality that we cherish in others.