I am happy to announce a new product: recordable voice boxes! These are the same boxes used at Build-A-Bear Workshop. Make a doll or plush toy with a special message or one that says "Mama" or "I love you". Find step-by-step recoding and installation instructions on my blog. Purchase a box from my shops, link on the Home page.

The Census At Bethlehem by Pieter Brueghel The Elder

Early this year, I was hit with a premonition. We were driving up to the mountains and I saw a man walking along the side of the highway. I can't remember any particular thing about him but for some reason he struck me forcibly as the iconic tramp, a symbol, like The Walker in The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper (with which I was obsessed as a pre-teen) or Strider from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. I was still musing over why I saw him as a tramp and not just a stranded motorist, and also considering the ancient origin of the term "highway", when we passed a wooden wagon full of hay straight out of a Brueghel painting. The wagon wasn't in a farm yard or anything, just in a clearing by the road. It wasn't the kind of wagon you could attach to a vehicle and I have no idea how it got there. I suddenly had the impression we were hurtling backwards through time, driving inexorably into the past. As it turned out, I was somewhat correct. The arrival of the pandemic, the medieval quarantine, the slowing of life's pace are all experiences our ancestors would recognize. The year seemed to freeze us in amber, or at least in some viscous miasma we had to drag ourselves through, every movement labored and spotlighted. There were some blessings; I didn't miss our usual hectic summer sports rolling into the even more frenetic holidays. It has been especially hard on the children, however. They miss their friends and their usual activities. It was worsened by our daughter's advent of back pain and subsequent diagnosis with scoliosis. Swimming, her favorite sport and the activity most recommended by her osteopath, was closed to her.

And of course, the year has been a disaster for so many. The past again: bread lines, famine, mass unemployment, and the complete absence of any government relief. People have been left to sink or swim alone. Our town Santa Claus died of COVID, as did a high school friend. My sister's entire family caught it, though they seem to have come through okay, thankfully. I did the only thing I could think to help and wrote my Doll University book and Tiny Budget Tiny Cabin books. These teach you to set up your own home-based doll repair business as well as get into a tiny home as cheaply and quickly as possible. I fervently hope my advice helps you turn this year from the past into a prosperous, or at least stable, new future.

Here's to 2021. May we take only the good with us into the new year. Happy New Year, from Atelier Mandaline!

Merry Christmas! Atelier Mandaline shops are closed for the holidays. May you have a wonderful Christmas!

Several years ago I was lucky enough to get a vintage textbook from a Midcentury trade school that taught doll repair. This book has detailed instructions for problems with specific dolls, such as Saucy Walker, Tiny Tears, Cissy, Valentine, Thumbelina, and more. I am so happy to offer these to you in printable PDF form! You can view them on your device or print pages to see diagrams better. Some parts of these Midcentury lessons are obsolete, so each packet comes with an information section I wrote to help you update them. Purchase these packets here by choosing your doll's name. Please note, these are specific to each particular doll. For general doll repair, like eye replacement, purchase my Doll University, Repair Dolls for Fun & Profit book. Have fun with your doll repair career!

I am so happy to announce my book, Doll University, Repair Dolls for Fun & Profit, is available immediately for download as an e-book! I got concrete information today that the paperback copies are set to arrive November 30th, so I am extending my 50% off pre-order sale until then. I will also be offering a special sale price on the e-book until November 30th. Buy the e-book here on my website. The paperback my be pre-ordered here or from Etsy.

I set up my e-book to print full-page at high quality, so while you can read it on your computer or device you may also print out a paper version of your own. This is especially helpful when you are using my proven "cheat sheet" tutorials with step-by-step photos. As you can see from the Table of Contents, I cover every type of doll repair I find essential as a doll doctor and restorer. The e-book is set up with UNLIMITED access; once you buy it you can download it as many times as you like with no time limit. I am still working out whether to offer the e-book on any other sites. I would have to completely re-format it to sell on Amazon and other platforms. 
Order today and give yourself or a loved one the gift of a new career!

I'm so happy to announce my book is finally here! Are you looking for a new home-based career? Doll University, Repair Dolls for Fun & Profit is the answer! I have been working from home for more than 20 years restoring and selling dolls and running a doll hospital. Doll repair is an underserved field, especially in times of financial hardship when people desire to fix their dolls rather than buy new ones. My book will not only teach you to repair all kinds of dolls; I also walk you through opening a doll hospital or doll shop, purchasing wholesale supplies, manufacturing and importing your own goods, and creating and promoting your brand.

My book is currently in production. You may pre-order it here or from Etsy for $40 shipped in the USA. The price will double when the book is released. Pre-orders will take 3-4 weeks to arrive and you will get a paperback signed by me. If you were to send dolls to my hospital for all the repairs shown it would cost over $700, not including shipping, and that doesn't even take into account all my advice for setting up your business! This is your chance to start a fun new hobby or business or inspire someone else by gifting a copy to them. People all over the world have learned doll repair from my tutorials. All my lessons are included in this book and I've added a few new ones never before posted! Here's what just a few of my recent students had to say:

If you've ever wondered whether you could repair dolls or start your own business I am here to tell you YES you can! Place your order and get started today!