Diary of a Doll Maker™

A wedding dress holds more than fabric; it holds a story. Discover how a bridal gown can be transformed into a handcrafted heirloom keepsake.

 

A timeline of awards and finalist recognition received by Upper Dhali®, celebrating handmade craftsmanship, emotional storytelling, and purpose-led design.

A curated list of beautiful baby girl names inspired by handmade dolls, storybook characters, and timeless meanings — names saved for stories yet to be told.

Recently I applied for the most recognised and trusted certification symbol for genuine Australian Made products - the iconic green triangle - the Australian Made, Australian Grown certification.

Celebrating 10 years of Upper Dhali® — a journey of grief, creativity, and building an award-winning Australian handmade doll brand rooted in meaning and memory.

From hand-embroidered expressions to thoughtfully sourced materials, discover the fine details that define Upper Dhali’s heirloom-quality keepsake dolls.

I love reading snippets about other creatives and getting to know them more. I hope these 10 things you may not know about me brings us closer together and you enjoy learning a little more about me too ♥

Some keepsakes are created not just to be seen, but to be felt. It was a warm autumn day here in Brisbane, Australia, when I first spoke with Katie to discuss the design brief for her daughter Alessandra’s bespoke doll....

The story of my very first handmade doll — created with love, shaped by loss, and the moment that unknowingly began Upper Dhali.