How does being a dollmaker lead to socially awkward moments? Just ask the British doll artisan Julie Campbell of Bellabelle Dolls.

"I had just started to make portrait dolls and met a customer at a fair. I was a little nervous at this fair and as I said hello to my customer, I spotted a familiar face beside her. And before I could think, I announced loudly 'Oh! I made you!!' It was certainly an ice breaker! I had indeed made a miniature version of the gentleman just weeks earlier and had looked at his photo so long I felt I actually knew him," she said with a laugh.

These days she's looking at the faces around her for inspiration on who to make next.

"I find inspiration everywhere I go and often see someone who will make a great doll. I am an avid people watcher and always carry my notebook," she said.

Dolls from people watching are a long way from her childhood creations of pipecleaners and plasticene who lived in the tiny box houses she made.

"From being a small girl I loved anything tiny and although I didn't have a doll's house I would create settings in tiny boxes. As an adult, when I got my first doll's house kit, I had no idea how big the hobby actually was, it was a revelation to find some miniature magazines at a car boot sale and realize there were other people like me out there!" said Julie.

Her adult foray into doll making began as a way to stay home and make a little extra money.

"I started dollmaking to bring up my family as a stay at home mum after leaving work as a sales girl. My family have grown now but I still work at home in my garden studio.

"I am very proud of my studio in the garden having just moved into it. It is a beautiful summerhouse with lots of room and is full of all my favourite things, I feel very much at home in there. Although it has very quickly filled up with all my doll making clutter, it is great to have a peaceful place to work and I usually have at least one of the cats keeping me company," she said.

Her dolls are sculpted in 1:12th scale and some 1:24th scale. She sells them from her CDHM gallery, on Etsy, occasionally on Ebay and from her website www.bellabelledolls.co.uk for between £30 for a baby to £200 for an elaborately costumed lady or portrait doll.

"I would like to try bigger dolls one day but have no intentions of going smaller, 1:24th scale is fun but any smaller is mind boggling!"

Tiny scaled work is definitely a challenge to her eyesight, which she claims is her most valuable asset in making dolls. Coincidentally, the eyes are also the most challenging part of her sculpts.

"I truly believe they are the windows of the soul and I spend a lot of time making sure my doll's eyes are expressive and soulful," she said.

The artist herself is an expressive woman, bubbling with plans for future doll making.

"I would love to work in porcelain one day, maybe sculpting directly into the porcelain to make one of a kind dolls. I would also like to make miniature ball jointed dolls one day. Resin editions are also a possibility, I have lots of plans!"

In addition to CDHM she is a IGMA Artisan (awarded November 2009) and a member of the British Toymakers Guild.

Visit the CDHM Galleries for handmade dolls.