Janet Crescenzo Caudle
Hi! I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Janet Crescenzo Caudle, and I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as across the bridge in New Jersey. I have been happily married to my sweetheart Mike for 47 wonderful years. We are blessed with two sons, Daniel and Joey, who have brought immense joy to our lives. Born in the year of Barbie, my passion for dolls, sewing, and creativity has been a lifelong journey. My late mother, Janet Crescenzo, taught me the art of sewing for people, children, and dolls, along with many other valuable lessons. After her passing in February 1999, I decided to return to sewing for Barbie in December 1999, as creating and selling doll fashions was something she always supported with pride. I fondly remember how, back in 1978, my mom would take my handmade Barbie outfits to work and sell them all within minutes. We shared countless joyful moments, and I believe she is still my little angel, guiding me as I create fashions for one of my favorite fashion dolls from the 70s, Dawn.
I could talk for hours about my experiences with dolls and creativity, starting from when I first began making Barbie outfits and selling them locally. I learned to repaint their faces, re-root their hair, add eyelashes, and eventually create and sell One-of-a-Kind Barbies. I’ve received Barbie fashion awards, One-of-a-Kind awards, been featured in doll magazines, made special appearances at bookstores, written doll articles, and even became a dealer for the reproduction Dawn and friend’s line. I’ve donated OOAK Barbie dolls for various charity events and attended numerous conventions. However, I’ll spare you the lengthy details and just share this.
Back in February 2003, I created a few Dawn fashions and put them up on Ebay. During that time, I received numerous emails from Ebay members asking to be informed when new fashions would be available. One lady was particularly persistent; she wanted to see every design before they were listed on Ebay. So, I created them, and she purchased them all. To cut a long story short, it wasn't long before I established a "first to know" list. One of the most exciting things that happened during that period was that Pippa fans joined in. I was well-versed in everything about Dawn but knew very little about Pippa. Wow, did they give me a quick education, and what a fantastic time I had merging the two doll worlds together.
I kept designing for Dawn & Pippa dolls until Spring 2008. I took a break for a while, and then in January 2014, I reopened the Fashion Boutique. I’m uncertain about what the future holds, but I do know that I have many friends here. After all these years, they haven’t given up on me. It’s because of them that I’m back, creating and enjoying myself again! I hope that one day I can publish a pattern book featuring my designs.
I sincerely thank you all for your ongoing support for me and my creations.
"I have been fortunate to have formed many friendships along the way, with new ones waiting to be discovered.”
With Love, Janet xxxx
Me, working on a Barbie convention donation in 2002
Email: janetsdolls@janetsdolls.com
