Joyce Wisman Designs

By Lisa A. Lawrence

With a father in the army, Joyce Wisman was born during a tour of duty in Nuremberg, Germany.  While she has little recall of Germany, their Oriental tour of duty sticks in her mind.  "I do remember some of Japan and have enjoyed Oriental culture and style," Joyce recalls. "I remember the quiet grace and gentleness about the people and their way of life. I admire how they incorporate artistry into every part of their lives and daily routines."  Having also lived in the South and the Midwest, Joyce now resides in Northern California.   

Joyce went to cosmetology school and also took reproduction porcelain doll-making classes.  She co-owned a hair salon with her husband and also had an antique and collectible gift shop.

While her current doll collection has numerous brands, most of them are Tonner dolls.  She bought her first vinyl fashion doll, Tyler Wentworth®, in 2001.  Within a year, she had started designing clothes for Tyler.

"I had been making and selling reproduction porcelain dolls for many years." Joyce notes. "I did everything from pouring (using commercial molds), firing and china painting to costuming and wigging. When my husband and I moved from Florida to California, I  suddenly found my creating and display space became very limited. I knew about vinyl fashion dolls through doll magazines and shows.  Living in earthquake country, vinyl also seemed a safer direction in which to expand my collecting and creating focus. There seemed to be many dressed dolls with not many separate fashions and because vinyl invites "play and re-dressing" I felt more fashions for the vinyl dolls were important."

On many occasions, Joyce has had the privilege of collaborating with repaint artist Gena Claire (featured in the last issue of HM!).  "Gena Claire tells me which doll she has in mind to repaint." Joyce states, "Based on the hair color and make-up palette we decide on a theme and colors for the costume. I send her swatches of the fabrics and photos of the costume while it's in progress. Our tastes in colors and styles are very similar.  Working with her on a special project is always a pleasure!"

Joyce has her website at http://www.angelfire.com/hi5/joycew_designs/.  She also has pictures at http://www.picturetrail.com/joyce_95437.

As a child, Joyce received a trunk full of doll outfits each year.  "After awhile," she remembers, "I figured out that Santa had not made the outfits.  My mother had." Joyce states, "By then, she was willing to teach me to sew for my dolls and for myself. Or maybe was it that Barbie® I received for Christmas 1959 and my baby sister's arrival that made her give up sewing for dolls and agree to teach me?"

For the outfits she designs, Joyce finds inspiration everywhere.  "Books, magazines and electronic media!"  Joyce states, "I usually have plenty of ideas swirling in my brain and am constantly searching for the fabrics and trims to bring them to reality.  I can be inspired by a new fabric or search for the right one to complete a design I have in mind." 

Joyce doesn't know how long outfits take her to make.  "I don't keep account of the time I spend because I'm often working on more than one project at a time." She notes, "I can be waiting for supplies or special fabrics or trims and have to move on until those things materialize for the outfit."  She's also had to make design changes when she's been unable to find the correct materials for what she has in mind.

*My taste in fashion dolls is directed to contemporary looks." Joyce notes, "So daily fashion and special events can trigger my desire to re-create something similar in miniature. I think seeing other cultures as a child helped me understand that this is a very big world we live in and it's filled with diverse styles and tastes!"  Joyce enjoys movies and suspects that she has been inspired by them also, but not by any particular actresses.

As for male doll outfits, she notes,  "I have fitted commissioned outfits for Trent® and now Matt®, but I think there's much more flexibility in creating for female fashion dolls."

Joyce claims she loves the design process from start to finish.  Snaps too???  "Well, sewing the fasteners is the boring part, but it also means the outfit is completed and I can move on to the next one!"  She enjoys the actual creation of outfits and has no desire to just sketch out her ideas and have someone else sew them up. 

She does make sketches before she sews.  "I have not had any drawing classes." she says. "I do make rough sketches of ideas to keep things from being lost, because I'm always thinking ahead to the next project. My worst subject in school, geometry, has turned out to be the one I used the most!  I used it in hair styling, where cutting shapes into the hair creates the style and in sewing to cut shapes into fabric for the outfits. Guess my teachers can say: I told you so!"

Regarding her home office, Joyce notes, "After years of going out to work it's a privilege to 'walk to work.'"  Joyce enjoys the creative process and has no interest in having a large business. "Size has never mattered," She explains. "One person can only do so much and that is all I am, one person."

She does not attend doll conventions and relies on online message boards, yahoo groups and eBay as her advertising sources. 

Since Joyce is "living her hobby,"  her future plans seem to be to just keep up the status quo. "I can be found at my sewing machine from a.m. to p.m.," she states.  Joyce's many customers and admirers appreciate that!