Salvaged Souls Dolls coming to fair

For years doll maker Angie Spaulding of Salvaged Souls Dolls heard about the craft fairs in Northwest Arkansas. A normal Oklahoma resident, she's been making dolls full time since 2013 and has visited many craft fairs. This year she heard about the Bella Vista Arts and Crafts Festival and she knew it was the right fit for her and her handmade dolls.

Her dolls aren't toys. In fact, her web page clearly states, "My Salvaged Souls Dolls are in no way, shape, or form, suitable for children." Instead, her message states that her dolls are collectibles, meant only for display.

Each one is different, she said. They range in height from 12 to 17 inches, with a variety of fabrics for clothing and hair, although the body is often make out of muslin.

"I love fabric. If I never made another dollar from (making dolls), I would still do it," she said.

She had a career as a barber and owned her own shop.

"I love cutting hair," she said, but something was missing. She was always a creative person, but cutting hair wasn't quite enough. So she closed the shop and started making and selling her handcrafted dolls.

Few of her dolls are smiling. In fact, some of them look decidedly unhappy. There's a reason for that.

"Most us have various trials, tribulations, and oftentimes, dark and sad events that occur within our lives," she writes on her web page. "However, it is not socially appropriate to display these traumatic or horrific events on our outside appearances; we are taught to cover the suffering and the pain experienced inside by assuring we appear socially acceptable on the outside. Therefore, we dress in a manner that is socially acceptable or fashionable, women make sure that their make-up and hair are perfect, and oftentimes we display a made up and frequently fake appearance to hide our internal scars.

"Salvaged Souls Dolls do not hide or try to cover the pain and sadness on the inside. Salvaged Souls Dolls represent an external, genuine representation of what they feel and who they are on the inside."

She mails many of her dolls when she's not showing them at craft shows. Orders come from all over the United States and Canada. Often she keeps in touch with new owners. Sometimes they become friends.

Occasionally she gets messages from people requesting specific types of dolls, but that doesn't always work out. Although her dolls sometimes appear tortured, she will never make a doll that is meant to be or to represent evil. She turns down orders that are just too "creepy."

Sometimes it's difficult to find the inspiration to build a made-to-order dolls, she said. She prefers to wait for inspiration to strike.

Because her dolls are very labor intensive, preparing for a craft show can be very stressful.

"I've been sewing around the clock," she said as she prepared for the Bella Vista show. She plans to have 70 to 100 dolls with her, each with an individual name that suits their personality.