Kimberly Lasher Originals creates charming and quirky girl dolls in limited editions. Big or small, baby or teen-ager, each doll radiates Kim’s unique style. My doll Sweet Pea was first unveiled by the artist at the Doll & Teddy Bear Expo in North Carolina last October. Unlike many of Kim’s dolls which tend to be small limited releases which tend to sell out very quickly, 8 inch tall Sweet Pea is an edition of 150, so I was able to nab one. The doll was sold as a full-set with face-up, eyes, wig, a onsie, white socks, green flower bunting and a flower hat. The doll was ordered from Let’s Play Dolls on an easy layaway which went smoothly. The day after final payment, Sweet Pea was shipped. The doll arrived to me soon after in perfect condition.
Sweet Pea came wrapped up in a pink floral cloth roll. The roll has ribbon ties to hold it together, The normal skin resin doll inside came fully dressed, faced-up and wearing a blond wig held on with Velcro. She had her open-eye face-plate on with the eyes installed. The floral wrap has a little pocket sewn inside which holds the other face-plate. There was also a certificate of authenticity. The faces are easily changed as they are held on with magnets. Once the face-plate is removed, Kim’s signature is revealed as well as the doll’s number from the edition. (Mine is number 32.)
The outfit is well made and suits Sweet Pea perfectly. The colors and materials go very well together. There are enjoyable little details to the costume such as the crocheted flower on the onsie and the matching tiny prints on the hat that are well thought out and pull everything together visually. The face-ups are painted by Kim herself and they are well done and quite charming with warm rosy coloring. Unlike other BJDs, Sweet Pea has little fat rolls molded on the torso. One hand is a fist and the other is open. The details to the torso, hands and feet look carved-in and give the effect of the doll being handmade, though of course Sweet Pea is a cast. The feet are flat but have detail to the bottom. Her tiny toes are curled, yet Sweet Pea stands quite well. Depending on how she is dressed, Sweet Pea can pass as either a baby or young toddler.
Sweet Pea holds poses well, and her stringing is neither too tight or too loose. She has only single joints, so she is not an elaborate poser. Her two faces are asymmetrical as if she is twitching, pursing and moving the corners of her lips. The faces attracted me to the doll when I first saw her last fall, and she is even better in person!
Kim Lasher has made OOAK dolls for years, and she still produces them occasionally. Her resin dolls are cast leaving some of the marks of her sculpting rather than having all of the parts refined and smoothed out. Even though Sweet Pea is one of 150 similar dolls, she exudes much of the same charm seen in Kim’s OOAK dolls. The resin dolls are well made, but the real attraction of owning a Lasher BJD is possessing a doll which is unlike any others on the market. Sweet Pea, like the rest of Kim’s dolls, reflects the unique style of the artist. The resulting works are carefully designed, from the individual parts to the outfit, face-up and the packaging. The doll I received is the final realization of Kim’s vision of what she should be. If a collector is attracted to her vision, purchasing a Lasher doll will never disappoint.
Photo above: Detail showing Kimberly Lasher’s signature on the doll head-back.
Kimberly Lasher Originals
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