Puppets & Whimsical Winter Wear
Franklinville, NJ

I am the sole creator of new and unusual puppets and dolls. They are one of a kind, as I do not use patterns and cut each puppet individually, freehand. Absolutely nothing is mass-produced. The puppets’ faces and horns are stuffed and sewn by hand. Every part is made from scratch. For example, there are no glass eyes or plastic noses. If the puppet is wearing clothing, I fashion the clothing from recycled articles of clothing, once again, designing the outfits freehand. Each year, I feel it’s important to keep changing my creations. I also design hats, scarves, and mittens, which are also puppets. These are all freehand cut and sewn in the same manner as the original puppets.

I graduated from Glassboro State College (Rowan University) as an art education major. I then taught Kindergarten to 8th grade art for 13 years. One of the many graduate courses I took was puppetry. As a sideline, I began making and selling puppets at local craft shows and now participate in fine art and fine craft festivals in the Northeast. I’m never bored and people come back to see what’s new. I have been creating original hand puppets for over 40 years. I often demonstrate or show photos of the process I use to create my characters. The puppets are displayed in a way that encourages children and parents to try them. It is not unusual to see an impromptu puppet show taking place in my booth. The combination of my zany creations and my contagious sense of humor make my booth a very enjoyable place indeed.