About Karen

Hello, folks. My name is Karen Ryan, and I’m excited about porcelain doll making! I made my first doll in 1996, and was absolutely hooked! I found a lovely lady who was a great instructor and learned as much as I could from her before she retired, at which time I started to teach my own classes in a small way, trying to fit them around my job. I have made and sold a number of dolls and now that I’m retired I’m able to start new doll classes for beginning students. I can only hope they will enjoy it half as much as I will!

I‘m about more then just making the dolls, however. I have been into all types of needlecraft for years, many of them learned at my grandmother’s knee, and I find that doll making for me brings all of these skills together in each project. I make the doll, sew the clothing (sometimes from patterns I have made myself), crochet their stockings and frequently make their shoes, hats and handbags. I look forward to sharing some of these enthusiasms with you and hearing about yours in the days to come, so, like my grandma used to say, “don’t be strangers”! You can chat with me through our online chat or email me at karen@yakkityyakdolls.com.