A HOLME Valley woman has set up a business making these incredibly lifelike baby dolls.

And Rosie Mowatt says there has been lots of interest in the dolls - especially from women who have lost or are unable to have children.

The 52-year-old from Thongsbridge, whose burgeoning business is called Rosie's Little Lambs Nursery, explained how it all started a few months ago.

She said: "I was actually looking on eBay for something and I came across this thing and thought: 'Oh my God, what a lovely baby that is'.

"Then I looked at it and it was a doll!

"I've never been artistic at all, but I thought I'd like a go at this."

Mrs Mowatt spent time researching the subject until she found the best ways of creating the lifelike effect.

"In a nutshell, I take a plain, vinyl doll and strip it apart. Then I slowly build it up, again using heat-set paints and micro-rooting hair, adding eyes and filling the body with special materials, until you end up with what now looks like a baby, whether premature, newborn or infant size."

Mrs Mowatt says each doll is unique and customers can specify the details.

They also have 'floppy limbs' and so have to be handled carefully - just like real babies!

The business has only been going for a few months but Mrs Mowatt has already sold eight.

She said: "I tried a couple online and I got a few customer orders from it. That's the stage I'm at now."

She's now building up a website and hopes to increase her business.

"Hopefully it will just be like a little cottage business.

"It's usually private buyers who buy them. You won't find anything like it in a shop.

"This comfort baby thing was an American idea. When I looked at it at first I thought: 'That's a bit scary'.

"Then I thought no, if someone has just lost a baby and they haven't got anything to hold, then it might be a great help for them.

"Other people who buy them are women who can't have children."

Some customers were older women whose children had left home.

The prices of the dolls range from £69 up to a few hundred pounds.

And Mrs Mowatt says she is really enjoying making them.

"Once you get started with a doll you get so fascinated seeing it building up." She often works until 4am.