Lorraine Gerbi

We proudly present
PIECAKE PRIMITIVes
Handmade Folk Art Dolls
by
Lorraine Gerbi



Lorraine lives in in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, located about 30 minutes East of Pittsburgh. She works a few weekday mornings at Express (sounds cool) in our local mall. One day she hopes to create on a full-time basis. Until then, hey, she is having fun helping others be fashionable!



Lorraine has liked to make things and draw ever since she was young.   She graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, but majored in Fashion Merchandising.  Lorraine spent many years in retail management before her son was born in 1999.



About 10 years ago Lorraine’s mom gave her a sewing machine. It had belonged to her late Gram. She had lived with them all her life, so Gram was a great inspiration to Lorraine.  When her son was about a year old and she was not working full-time, she started to make simple things like pillows and very simple animals to give as gifts and for decorating her own home.  About a year or so later, she ventured into on-line selling. She started on Ebay, and has been selling her own line of primitive dolls, with a touch of whimsy, ever since!




I asked about how her family supports her talent. She says she is very fortunate to have a very supportive family!   Her husband and son (now 11 years old) are pretty good about finding sparkles, fabric, etc all over the floors.  When her son has  his friends sleep over, she thinks they get a little freaked out with all the dolls around the house.



Lorraine sells her dolls on Ebay, Etsy, and one of my favorite places Queens Castle Bootique, a very cool site that she belongs to with all her Halloween Art-loving friends!



  I asked about her inspiration. Lorraine says her inspiration comes from the world around her. It could be something from the garden, a fairy tale, a painting, a piece of fabric, or something she finds at the flea market.   She is a member of Art Dolls Only, and she gets so inspired by all the other members’ dolls. Each doll maker has their own unique style!



Her favorite style to create for is Halloween!  She also likes Summer, when she can make Americana pieces. Lorraine also loves to make bug dolls. Lorraine’s favorite personal collectible is bowls. Whether Primitive wooden bowls or  Yellow ware bowls, she just loves bowls.



I asked her if she had any tips to help others be successful in an online business .
She thinks that when we first start out, it is especially important to just get our name out there.  Just sell on Ebay user id: piecakeprim, open an Etsy shop, join Facebook,  build a mailing list, etc.  We also need to keep offering new things to keep your customers interested. Most shoppers don’t come back if they have not seen something new recently. 
Also, be patient and believe in yourself!



Lorraine’s dolls have been seen in the Fall 2007 issue of Mercantile Gatherings.  You can also find them in  the Spring 2010 issue of Art Doll Quarterly, the Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 issues of Prims, and also the April/May issue of Soft Dolls and Animals.  One of her patterns was featured in the July 2010 Soft Dolls and Animals.  She has not done too many patterns, but maybe one day she will offer more for sale.




Be sure to stop by Lorraine's blog often for all the latest news.