Elise Maurine,based near New York City,is an artist of all trades! She is also a playwright and Off Broadway theater producer, a video editor, content creator, a painter, a singer and a drummer, a graphic designer, and most of all, she is a HUGE fan of Barbie dolls! Elise began ‘Mad Cow Dolls’ in her living room for fun in the 2000’s as a way to create unique and one of a kind doll gifts that reflected the special people in her life. Raised in a small, rural mountain town in northern Nevada, Elise and her sisters Marie and Elizabeth, entertained themselves by playing with Barbies every chance they got, and into adulthood, they have become collector’s, while still enjoying customizing Barbie houses, furniture, clothing, & accessories as fun decor pieces! Elise loves to rescue unwanted and used dolls/clothing/accessories for repurposing as the possibilities are endless! She also creates her own boxes and custom labels, ALL from scratch and by hand to reduce carbon footprint.
When Covid hit, Elise was a New York, out of work playwright due to the lockdowns and decided to create and sell light hearted ‘quarantine themed family doll sets’ and ‘Health Care Hero’ dolls to the public in order to support herself and her husband, while also “enjoying the process of creating to keep a positive mindset through that rough time.” This was the first time she publicly sold her custom dolls and they were a hit! She sold over one hundred sets in just six months, leading to being commissioned to create all types of custom dolls for her now loyal customers all over the world! Previous one of a kind creations include a Flashdance ‘Alex’ doll, an entire 80s Breakfast Club doll set, many human look-alike dolls, pandemic postal hero dolls, pandemic teacher hero dolls, a Sixteen Candles ‘Jake and Samantha’ set, her famous LGBTQ pride dolls, and a Cobra Kai set featuring ‘Johnny, Ali, and Daniel-son’! As an edgy artist, Elise likes to create custom dolls for many reasons… as a peaceful protest, to celebrate and/or parody pop culture or a celebrity, to bring a smile to a face, or to perhaps make an important statement reflecting the state of the world. Elise continues to create new and fun dolls/sets that aren’t necessarily ‘found in stores!’
Elise and her sisters still collect Barbies to this day and work together in creating ideas for new doll diorama’s, accessories, and displays for fun and decor! Elise’s favorite Barbie project was restoring her custom 1979 Barbie A-Frame dream house which she updates in creative style every year, including a Haunted Mansion doll themed room and a working arcade video game room!
CONTACT US for custom doll quotes, questions, or comments! MadCowDolls@yahoo.com
