Arts
Doll gets a smile, bear gets a nose
I'm Elouisea Stone, and I live in Cloake Place, Cargreen, where I've been nestled for nearly 4 years. My journey with doll repair began at the end of 2021, when I lived across the road in Hatt. I spotted a doll at a car boot sale, lying face up in a box, her eyes closed and limbs loose. Three weeks later, I finally brought her home. She was a 1940s composition doll, needing restringing and some TLC. I was shaking as I worked on her, but she turned out beautifully, and I was hooked.
I've since expanded to bears and other vintage treasures, that I feel deserve a chance in life. My goal is to rescue dolls and bears, to prevent them from going to landfill, and give them a new lease on life. Many are wearing original clothes, which is also a snippet of history worth preserving. I'm self-taught, working from the heart, and I've had the joy of fixing dolls dating back to 1880. Sometimes, a name pops into my head during repair – maybe it's the child's name, or the previous owner's – and I attach it to the doll or bear, with details of the repairs I made, and where they were purchased or obtained, so their story isn't forgotten.
I've donated dolls and bears to charity, I even had a little charity pop-up shop, and would love to keep doing more. My shop donations will continue to support The Woodside Animal Charity in Saltash, which supports an animal sanctuary close to my heart.
© Elouisea Stone, February 2026, All rights reserved
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