Inside the Studio
A Day in the Life of Mira Petkova's Workshop
Light, repetition, and carefully timed pauses shape a working day in Mira Petkova's Sofia studio.
ArtDoll archive
Stories
Studio visits, artist conversations, collecting guides, and essays on material culture.
Materials
Mixed-Material Miniatures: Choosing Stable Materials for Art Dolls and Display Figures
The best materials for mixed-media art dolls are not the hardest or most durable in isolation, but the combinations whose movement, weight, porosity, …
Process
How to Make Doll Clothes Fit Art Dolls
Treat an art-doll costume as a small supported structure: measure the posed figure, test a toile, control tension, and plan every closure before …
Collector's Guide
How to Document an Upcycled Art Doll’s Materials and Provenance
Create a reliable object record for a one-of-a-kind or recycled-material art doll, separating documented facts from observations, assumptions, and …
Editorial
How to Document a Handmade Figure’s Provenance Before Sharing or Selling
Build a linked provenance file that records how a handmade figure was made, identified, photographed, transferred, and cared for—without treating …
Materials
Miniature Food and Resin: Choosing Safe Materials for Small-Scale Scenes
Resin can create convincing translucent depth, but it is rarely the best default for miniature food. Choose materials according to the visual job, …
Process
How to Build a Stable Armature for a Polymer-Clay Figure
A stable polymer clay figure begins with a proportioned, lightweight support planned before detail work—not with extra material added after the …
Editorial
How to Document a Handmade Figure Before It Is Shared or Sold
Create a dated, repeatable record that preserves what a handmade figure looked like, how it was described, and where its ownership history begins.
Materials
Polymer Clay Figure Armatures: Hollow Forms and Preventing Distortion
Construction choice and controlled measurement are the most reliable ways to keep small polymer clay figures light, stable, and in proportion from …
Process
How to Sew Elastic Thread for a Better-Fitting Doll Wardrobe
Elastic-thread shirring can make doll clothing easier to dress and more forgiving to fit—provided the setup, fabric, and scale are tested together.