An Interview With Lynne from BlossomBabies

I'm a mom of 3 boys which suits me well, I'm a dig in the dirt, play hard kind of girl, but when I found out in 2008 that I was having a baby girl, (and after I recovered from the initial shock), I squealed (well, like a girl)and clicked my way over to the most adorable little dollies ever, in Blossombabies' shop on Etsy.  I had known Lynne's work already but now I had a legitimate reason to own some!  I bought my daughter her first baby doll, one that was made with love, and one that is cherished by both of us.  I wanted something special, made of natural materials, and well-made, and what I found was that not only is Lynne a talented doll-maker, but sweet, caring, and funny too.  Yeah, I'm a fan.  I bet you will be too.

Tell me about you:

My Name is Lynne and I live in a small(ish) German town near Frankfurt.

What do you make?

I make Waldorf-inspired toddlers dolls and I also free-lance design toys and plush things for babies.

Is there a particular theme in your work?

My work is really focused around simple, unobtrusive playthings. I don't like to have anything complicated or artificial on a children's doll or toy, because I really believe that simple playthings and simple natural toys inspire gentleness and nurturing in children. Especially fabric toys. They help them to be more attentive to subtlties. How fabric feels, how it ages with play and loving, how it acquires a certain scent, these are all experiences a child takes with him his whole life. A simply designed toy made by hand has a value children intrinsically appreciate.

Where do you find inspiration?

I am most inspired by my own children and their nurturing play. My children are just moving on from doll play but their deep love and care for the many dollies and animals always touches my heart. I try to capture this feeling and even that wistful bit of nostalgia in my heart about these beautiful growing children of mine when I make my dolls.

What do you love about what you do?

I really love the fact that I can create things which may, ideally, become a very special part of a child's life. I don't think that every single child who receives one of my dolls will connect in a special way to it. But of course, I really hope some may. What an honor that would be for me!

Tell me about a favorite piece that you've made

My favorite piece is the very first Sweatshirt Baby I made. The afro! The afro! He was special, and I kept him.

What do you do when you're not creating?

I am a manager and a key buyer for a shop here in Germany. I love my job because I get to work on a lot of interesting projects (we design some of our own products as well) and I also get to visit some of the biggest and most interesting trade fairs in the world. I love it. Its a big job, so I can't always keep my personal projects going at the speed I would like, but I try to make room for everything.

How can people find you?

I have an Etsy store:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/blossombabies

Thank you Lynne!