Doomtree made into dolls at Robot Love

The Minneapolis hip-hop crew Doomtree has been transformed into stuffed dolls by Rachel Sell, a Bloomington elementary school teacher with little previous sewing experience who is currently displaying the toys at Robot Love (2648 Lyndale Avenue South, 612.871.9393612.871.9393, www.robotlove.biz; click photo to enlarge, or check out this photo of the dolls in a club-like light). Sell says Doomtree commissioned and purchased the dolls (with each member owning his own figurine) after seeing her make similar ones for friends. Now she's launching a line of custom dolls called Play With Yourself (pwysdolls.com). "How it all started was, my friend Jenna was moving to New York," says Sell. "So I made myself, her boyfriend, and her old roommate into dolls so she could have us with her in New York. I know that sounds really cheesy, but the first week that she was there, she called me to say that it creepily was kind of consoling to have the dolls with her." Sell is busy sewing two more dolls for rockers, one for Andy Lund of the Swiss Army, one for James Lynch of newly arrived New York-Minneapolis rockers Beret. But voodoo dangers aside, isn't it a little weird and self-indulgent to have a doll made of yourself? "As far as I know, Andy's doll is just for him to play with."