Indie Giver Guide: Damned Dollies
Canadian artist Dana De Kuyper's disgruntled designs are all about attitude
By Sara Grace McCandless
Published: December 15th, 2005 | 2:18pm
<img alt="florence.jpg" src="http://venuszine.com/stories/florence.jpg" width="251" height="288" align="left" hspace="5" />Dana De Kuyper's Damned Dollies look like they were born somewhere between <a href="http://www.timburton.com/">Tim Burton-ville</a> and <a href="http://www.spookyland.com/">Roman Dirge Lane</a>. The adorably cranky creations are all unique and handmade, carrying names such as Charmaine, Loretta, and my personal fav, Florence — who looks like she just rolled out of bed with her cigarette and beer and has no intentions of apologizing for it.
A Montreal native, De Kuyper has been making Damned Dollies for over four years and her work has been earning attention from places such as British Vogue, Bust, and Marmalade. For about $35 (plus shipping), De Kuyper will send you a handmade doll (5" tall) with its own display stand and traveling box. If dolls aren't your thing, De Kuyper also incorporates her art into hoodies, t-shirts, and brooches. I'm a fan of the Guitar Girl hoodie ($48), which will keep you both warm and distinctively fashionable through the winter with choices including black, cotton candy pink, or fire engine red.
Note, orders can take anywhere from two to four weeks to process, so if you're looking for a last minute holiday gift, you can always place the order and print out a picture of the item to slip into a card in the meantime. There's also the option of trying to snag one of these goodies in person, as De Kuyper is active on the craft fair circuit and her work is also available at a variety of brick-and-mortar stores across North America, including Montreal, Toronto, New York, Austin, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Check her website for a complete listing of upcoming events and store locations. De Kuyper recently launched a line of change purses with the Damned Dollies art, though she is currently sold out of this item so make sure to bookmark the site or email De Kuyper at <a href="mailto:dana@damneddollies.com">dana@damneddollies.com</a> for updates.
Visit Damned Dollies online at <a href="http://www.damneddollies.com">damneddollies.com</a>.
Issue #35
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