I was born in Port Huron, Michigan as the only child of antique dealers. Being born into that business gave me an early appreciation of Art History and finery. It also came with a lust for hunting for bargains! My favorite places were family friends' homes, as many of them collected an endlessly interesting assortment of teddy bears, dolls, carousel horses, music boxes, pop art, vintage clothing and handbags, Deco furniture and Art Nouveau décor just to name a few. I have always been in love with the Boudoir dolls and Liddle Kiddles of the 1960's in particular. I truly appreciate the doll making genius of Martha Armstrong-Hand. At age three I was snuck into a ceramics class with five to seven year old's because I would not stop doodling on any unadorned space! Soon I began drawing anthropomorphic women and girls when I was fairly young. Some were even robotic. Also, I was privileged to be exposed to many antique children's books that I don't think the average child gets to see. I still love the comics of Winsor McKay (1905). I was equally proficient in writing, so it seemed only natural that I would study Illustration and Writing. I attended Kendall College of Art and Design and Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. Portraiture and the use of color were my specialities, My illustrations were mainly Prismacolor, Acrylic and Watercolor. I have painted the walls of estates, the windows of businesses, vehicles, a 20-foot canvas live to music, thousands of faces as a professional face painter of nearly 15 years. I have been on the radio, in newspapers and magazines. But still, working in 3D has always been my calling. Artdolls require an artist to be a sculptor, painter, fashion and jewelry designer, seamstress, caricaturist, engineer, illustrator, photographer, colorist, beautician, conceptualist, and more. My favorite dolls to make and appreciate are dolls that invite a story or offer a surprise. My art is taken from what I already know about life drawing and then stylized. I am not so much interested in my art looking like a photograph as I am in it being uniquely mine. I love a good challenge, so when two of my pieces broke in shipment to the Kansas City Art of the Doll, I decided a change was in order. So I began to experiment with Superflex. Now I have even made articulated hands and feet - and I am going to keep going. Look for me to head into puppetry. Now 36, I attribute my ability to work to my supportive husband, Jim Lampshire, and our 3 great kids. They love what I do which means so much. The Lampshires are all cozy in a little house in a Detroit suburb. We never forget to LaFF!