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.
Care & Display
How to Display Large Handmade Figures Without Warping or Tipping
Before choosing a plinth or mount, understand where the figure’s weight sits, which surfaces can bear contact and how the display will behave in …
Collector's Guide
How to Document Art Doll Provenance: A Practical Collector’s Checklist
A practical record-keeping system for handmade figures, inherited dolls and family-created objects whose histories are incomplete.
Care & Display
How to Display Mixed-Material Art Dolls Safely
Display mixed-material figures in a shaded, stable, low-dust setting, designing the enclosure around the most vulnerable material rather than the …
Materials
How to Choose and Finish Fabric for Art-Doll Clothing at Small Scale
The best fabric for a small costume is not necessarily the prettiest piece on the bolt. Judge it by the finished scale, folded thickness, seam …
Process
How to Mount a Handmade Figure in a Diorama Without Permanent Damage
A reversible mount should steady the figure without making the costume, paint or body carry unnecessary strain.
Collector's Guide
How to Document an Art Doll’s Provenance Before It Enters a Collection
Create a dated, organised provenance file before an art doll enters your collection, preserving what is known, what is uncertain and what future …
Care & Display
How to Display Mixed-Media Art Dolls Without Fading, Dust Damage or Fabric Stress
A practical guide to choosing cases, supports and locations for art dolls made with textiles, paint, paper, glitter, printed parts and lights.
Collector's Guide
What to Record When You Make or Buy a Handmade Art Doll
A durable record can preserve what you know about a handmade art doll—and clearly mark what remains uncertain.
Care & Display
How to Make a Dollhouse Display Scene Stable, Safe and Easy to Maintain
A convincing miniature scene needs more than visual balance: build it around a rigid base, reversible fixing methods, protected projections and …