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Show IP - V ; : By KATHY CHRISTENS EN BOUNTIFUL For local businesswoman busi-nesswoman Julie Corbridge, the Christinas rush is on. Julie's craft makes a very popular gift, especially especial-ly at Christmas time. In nine years of perfecting her trade, Julie has made 2,000 of these treasured gifts, claiming no two are alike and each has its own personality. person-ality. What are they? They're porcelain porce-lain people. Or some would say, "Dolls by Julie." Julie previously worked as a hairstylist and make-up artist, until her sister-in-law from California introduced in-troduced her to the world of doll making, and from then on, Julie has engulfed her talents in this one hobby. The dolls are porcelain, and Julie hand paints their faces with china paints, adds elaborate hairstyles and detailed, sophisticated clothing clo-thing to create her tiny people. "A lot goes into making a doll," Julie explained. "Some dolls have glass eyes, some have paper weight. Some have lace dresses covered co-vered with hand-sewn beads on them." All the different factors, including includ-ing size, determine how much a Doll by Julie will cost. She has dolls from $35 to $700. It's these large, exquisite dolls that have won Julie awards and praise, in state and nation-wide. The small shop Julie has owned for five years is divided into showcase show-case and work areas. The showcases show-cases are full of gorgeous award-winning award-winning pieces, laden with dozens of first place and blue ribbons rib-bons from the Utah State Fair. Among the ribbons are a few "Best of Show" awards. Sitting in the work side of her shop, she meticulously hand-painted hand-painted the eyes on a doll she is working on with care and expertise. exper-tise. "I like making little people," she said with a smile, "there's something some-thing fascinating about it to me." It's a good thing Julie enjoys her TJ... . work, because from now until -Christmas, she will have all the . work she can handle. Not only does her local business increase at this time of year, but her orders from the ZCMI Center, where her dolls are displayed, are demanding. deman-ding. "Now's the time when I do most of my doll shows too," Julie added. "I've participated in shows in Los Angeles and Anaheim, Calif, and Las Vegas." - Making dolls has led Julie to rfffirw meet a lot of fascinating people, she said, but she gets the biggest kick out of men's reactions to her . work. "Men are as fascinated with my work as women are," she said. "They look at the dolls from an artistic view. It's fun to see their expressions, and hear their questions." ques-tions." : Julie said she takes a lot of orders to costume make dolls to look like wives, daughters and grandmothers. grand-mothers. And she can make dolls that have a haunting resemblance to the actual person. "I've created people from the past by looking at a photograph," she said. One such doll was made for a grandmother, using a picture of the woman when she was about five years old. Julie duplicated the hairstyle, hair-style, facial structure and even the style and fabric of the dress. 'Talso do a lot of bridesmaid and wedding dolls," Julie continued. "I can make a' bride by looking at the wedding picture, and the dress can even be used to create the doll's dress." I guess you could say she is in the business of making keepsakes. But she also gives classes at her shop. So apparently she is not interested in a monopoly. "I usually have a waiting list for classes," Julie said. "I take 8-10 people for three-hour classes. They work at their own pace and do as many dolls as they can." Julie described the shop and the classes as being really fun, and business is good, she added. Many of the extravagant dolls in her shop are Victorian inspired. She explains that dolls came from a Victorian time in history. "That's why we see so many period dolls," she said. . "We're seeing a lot more modern mod-ern dolls now." Julie has also been known to fashion dolls like ballerinas, babies, little women, and Santa Claus, among others. "The only way I can do a doll for myself is to promise myself I will sell it under no circumstances, but even then, someone usually takes me out of it," she mused. ' Other items Julie sells in her N downtown Bountiful shop include collectable stuffed bears and cats. "I try to find things that are un- I usual," Julie said. ' Dolls by Julie is located at 203 Si I Main. Also, watch for a special on Dolls by Julie, this fall on KSL's , "Prime Time Access." Julie is from Centerville, she has three children and two grandchil- dren. 2 i . . . , 1 lit $ -A Silllll Iww&ri " ..... . - P yiiifr I M 'fcH3$5:f M&A:' iff 'r"'v' i J I ' Wj m if' r I IttlilW -w I CV Tage design by JUnda Mtcfiell N f Julie ' ;' f 1 ' o. s |