Shauna McCullough has been seriously making dolls for the last 20 years with a handsome bunny (Justin Tyme) as her first piece. This character was created in her mind after reading Beatrix Potter stories to her young daughter at bedtime.

Never quite sure when a creative mood may strike her, Shauna's mind is always open to ideas. She could be walking down the street, seeing an older couple walking hand-in-hand, or an afternoon at the circus could serve as an inspiration for a clown riding a bike and holding cotton candy.

During the course of an artistic vision, she may produce anything from a rugged cowboy decked out in a duster with worn out jeans; a mountain man Santa Claus or an authentic Native American Indian...use your imagination.

Often Shauna sees objects in antique stores or western shops that she is almost obsessed to buy because she knows there is a character she will make that will enhance the accessory and make a visual experience for the viewer, making the pieces actually come to life in their hearts and mind.

Making these specialty dolls poses particular problems, like finding just the right accessories or props. This is not only frustrating to her, but also may delay production until that accessory is discovered. As a result of the frustration of not finding what she needs for her projects, Shauna often makes her own accessories such as the cowboy boots, peace pipes and other props for her hand-sculpted characters. Shauna's husband also initiates his creative and technical skills by making guns, golf clubs, and fishing poles out of wood, just the right touch for her dolls.

Most of the dolls stand about 22 inchs tall and are hand-sculpted in prosculpt. This unique polymer clay is used for the head, neck, hands, and feet. the pre-formed body inserted with a wire armature comes in various sizes. The clothing is designed with a help of two tailors and "Owl Woman", a Shumash Indian from St. George, Utah. Each doll's clothes are unique to that character.

Shauna would very much like to be known as a "One-of-s-Kind" artist, recognized by doll collectors but, she adds, "I want my work to tug at people's heartstrings or just simply when they look at them they get goose bumps like I do when I get though making them."

Shauna's work is fast becoming an item for doll collectors, but her desire is to give the viewer or owner that same deep-down whimisical or "goose bump" feeling she gets when she is creating them.

Let them into your heart... and you will always have a friend.