Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Toney
Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Jessica, most people call me Jess. I am 40 years old. I have 3 kids Jason who is 21, Lily who is 19, and issiah who is 16. I also have 2 beautiful grandchildren Nova 3 and Zakai is 9 months. My children and grandchildren are my biggest inspiration. They are my biggest supporters.
I have always been “artistic “ and I absolutely love clowns.I worked ans a body modification artist for several years. I also went to cosmetology school.
I started , Trash Clown Designs about 4 years .I initially started making memorial pendants with cremation ashes. I did this as a way to cope with My younger sister Melissa Sue passed away in 2019. I started making UV resin jewelry and jewelry with epoxy resin and I really enjoyed it. However, I just felt like I wasn’t able to do as much with it as I wanted, so I decided to switch up my medium.
I was shopping at Goodwill and found a bag of small dolls that had been started in 1993. The bag had everything the doll parts pattern and material. I decided I was gonna finish one of the dolls…… It came out awful. I didn’t like the pattern. I just felt like it didn’t look right once I completed the project. So i decided to make changes to the dolls. Started trying to find any patterns I could and then I couldn’t find any that I liked so I would take them apart and take pieces from pattern that I would find online and put them with different patterns so eventually, I just decided to draw my own”pattern “ on card stock.
I was super excited when I finally came up with something that I liked and it just kind of took over. I just wanted to make dolls all the time, and i literally do. I don’t really do much with UV resin and the dolls have become my primary focus. I absolutely love making them. It is not work for me. It’s fun for me.
When I initially started making the dolls, I just use regular yarn. I noticed that a lot of people that bought my dolls played with the hair, and I started thinking that the hair could be a lot softer. I tried velour chenille yarn and it was Perfect. It’s coming to people with sensory issues when they touch it.
Then created several different sizes of dolls in order to try and accommodate everyone’s budget. I have dolls that start at $25 and they go to $85.
every doll is one of a kind I don’t duplicate anything. The arms and legs aren’t the same shapes always and their smiles are crooked. They are imperfect but kind, which gives them personality if I made the same doll over and over again with the same face the same here in the same clothes nobody would be interested in it so each doll is its own individual piece of art. They have an adoption certificate as well.
One of my absolute favorite things to do is to make commissioned items for people I like being able to take other peoples thoughts and ideas and make it into something material that they can hold feel and see. I use a lot of horror themed or Halloween themed material.
Over the last year I traveled to SC,VA,TN participated in several events. I work my regular job Mon-Fri. And spend my evenings sewing, and my weekends traveling to vend.
I truly love what I do, and I get excited when I have new ideas. I put a lot of time and thought into what I make. I love watching people go through all them until they find the 1 for them. Art is truly amazing and being able to connect with people through my art is great feeling.
I would eventually would love to have a physical store, where you can come and pick out the materials you want your doll made with. I sell my dolls and various events as well as direct through my website trashclowndesigns.com
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I had kids very young and was a single mother of 3 by the time I was 23. I was overwhelmed, frustrated, and didn’t have the tools to deal with things correctly.
I coped with drugs and alcohol. my children went back to their father. I found myself homeless, in and out of jail, with a drug addition i didn’t want. I had failed and f*cked up not just my life but theirs. I hated my life and I was determined to change, and do my best to repair the damage I had done to my children.
My last arrest was in 2015, and when I was released I was on a mission to change everything. I found employment through and recidivism reduction program. The program was to help me integrate back into normal society and to start my own business.
The program lost funding and I stayed working for the company. I actually still work for them. I have been clean 9 years. I I was able to rebuild the relationships with my children and regain custody. I also graduated from cosmetology school in 2016 and bought a house.in 2022.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make one of a kind dolls. There is no set or specific pattern just some shapes I have drawn on card stock. I don’t use a ruler or measure for the most part. I feel like it interferes with my creative process. This means that every doll is different. They all have names and an adoption certificate.
I also make sock monkeys out of Halloween socks. I saw these freehand there is no pattern. Just the idea in my brain.
My dolls are different in many ways. I’m not using somebody else’s pattern and I’m not duplicating the same thing over and over again. I hate the idea so much that their arms and legs are intentionally always a little bit shorter longer than one another. They have personality, and their soft hair is comforting. I created them with my ideas
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I absolutely love vacuuming. It is so satisfying.
Pricing:
- $25 for hand sized dolls
- $35 for 8-12 in dolls
- $ 55 12-16 in dolls
- $75 16-20 in dolls
- $85 20 in +
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Trashclowndesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trash_clown_designs_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/ty46DR547FEinhT8/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@trashclowndesigns.com
Image Credits
Solomon Grungy
Grungeshots photography
