Ever since I started making dolls, I’ve wanted to figure out a way to sign them that looked elegant and unobtrusive. Since they are so small, nothing I tried seemed to work…

Until now!

Starting this year, all of my dolls with be “signed” with a tiny ultra-suede label that has been laser engraved with the Nonesuch Garden insignia. Cool, huh? I think so!

Sproutlings are anthropomorphic seed-like creatures with a woolly seed pod that they wear as clothing. Their pointed fingers and toes act like roots, drawing nutrition from soil. They can eat food to supplement their diets which allows them to be highly mobile and survive in many different environments. They are largely vegetarian, but will also eat insects. They have bright, reflective eyes that allow them to see well in the dark. In the wild, Sproutlings dig burrows to live in with their long arms and claw-like hands.

Urban development has pushed a lot of Sproutlings out of their native forest homes, but many have adapted to living in gardens where the soil is packed with nutrients. Not only is having a Sproutling in your garden considered good luck, they keep pests under control and care for the plants. It is customary to leave out sweets or milk for Sproutlings as an offering in exchange for a healthy and beautiful garden.

Sproutlings can understand human speech, but cannot speak it. They can vocalize in small peeps and whistles, but often prefer to listen with their large ears. While Sproutlings all look generally the same, you can tell males from females pretty easily. Males have pointed ears that tend to stick up or out and females have rounded ears that tend to hang down.

Spoutlings make excellent companions and do well indoors if they are well tended to. Just be sure to supply them with a healthy diet of fruits, veggies, and whole grains and allow them to play in your garden from time to time. They are communal creatures, so getting your Sproutling a friend is highly recommended.

This little critter appeared in my home over the weekend. She says her name is Annabelle and that she is something called a Sproutling. She is a bit shy and a little rough around the edges so she’ll be staying home with me. I expect some of her more polished siblings to arrive soon. Annabelle says they are a bit more adventurous than her so I’m sure they’ll be happy to be adopted out! I’ll have more information about this in January.

I’m working on a new doll project and these arrived in the mail yesterday. They are eventually going to be used as eyes!

I guess this is as good a time as any to announce…

Yes, I will be taking a new direction with Nonesuch Garden in the New Year.
No, I will not be discontinuing the Nonesuch Dolls at this time.

This does mean that made-to-order Nonesuch Dolls will no longer be available and custom Nonesuch Dolls will be somewhat limited throughout the year. This wasn’t an easy decision for me to make, but it was a necessary one. I’ve been working on the Nonesuch Dolls for over two years now and it’s time to shake things up so I can grow and evolve as an artist. You can still expect to see new Nonesuch Dolls in the New Year, but I will be focusing more on new, OOAK art dolls that are completely different from anything I have done previously. I hope this excites you and I can’t wait to start sharing what I’m up to!

Thank you for your support! I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!