About the Artist

Cheri Calvert began working in leather in 1973, making custom moccasins, sheepskin coats, and a variety of frontiersman clothing. The influence of Native American culture and her time spent living in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and the Northern Rockies was evident in her designs and her desires to preserve an ancient craft.

In spite of her daily accomplishment, Cheri insists she rarely "works" but considers her busy-ness "play." It was such a spirit of playfulness that resulted in patterns being miniaturized and the creation of her first mountain man doll in the spring of 1985.

Faces were crude back then, produced by stretching deerskin over a Styrofoam ball and using bead headed pins for the eyes. The ensuing years and the development of sculpting and mold-making skills have refined this unique deerskin face to capture the hearts of many. Her leather sculptures stand out as distinctly different in the competitive world of collector's artist dolls. They carry with them a breath of fresh mountain air, a feeling of rich earthiness, and a simple country charm; all representative of the love that goes into the meticulous hand stitching of each limited edition and one-of-a-kind piece.

Cheri's work has received numerous National Awards and Blue Ribbons. Her dolls have been featured in Doll World Magazine (Jan.1987,) Dollcrafter (Dec. 1987 & Dec. 1989,) Doll Artistry (June 1991,) Gift Reporter (May 1988,) Handmade Accents (Fall 1988,) Better Homes and Gardens, Christmas Ideas (1989,) and Early American Life (Dec. 1987 and Dec. 1991.) They have appeared on the cover of Handmade Accents and Early American Life and been used in Early American Life's 1991 Christmas card collection. She has also given seminars and had a number of her patterns published.

Leather gave way to sequins and lace in the spring of 1994 when she went to work for Bobby Vinton and the Glen Miller Orchestra. Two years as Wardrobe Mistress of the Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, Missouri provided a wealth of experience she put to good use later with her own Seamstress Shop in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Today, with a Bachelor's degree in Technology, Cheri's creativity continues to evolve as a freelance Web Developer, Publisher and author of The Garden Song.