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We have a new look!!

You may have noticed over the past week that we have a new look at Inside The Fashion Doll Studio.  One of the best things about this world of doll collecting are the people that you meet through this hobby.  It has been my extreme pleasure to meet and talk with some immensely talented individuals.  My friend Matty is one of them.   We struck up a friendship through our mutual love of doll collecting and photography.  Matty has a particular talent for graphic design and he graciously agreed to design a new header logo for my little blog.  I LOVE it! 

Matty has a blog called Fashion Doll Foto where he shares some very useful tips on photographing your dolls as well as showcasing some fabulous photos of his collection.  You can find it here http://www.fashiondollfoto.com/ .  It’s also on my blog roll on this page.

Thank you, Thank you Matty for being so generous with your talent!  “Mwuah!”

Elizabeth Taylor Silkstone photos released!

I wrote about the Elizabeth Taylor celebrity Silkstone a couple of weeks ago and now we hear there will be not one but two Silkstone releases of Liz.  I was hoping for a “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” inspired set with the little slip and….I got my wish!!!  While the dress is not exactly a reproduction, it’s close enough and I will take it.  It will be available in a giftset called White Diamonds.  It will retail for around $150.00 and will be available in the fall.

** Photos are property of Mattel Inc.**

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The second Elizabeth Taylor offering is stunning!!  It features Ms. Taylor in a gorgeous black gown inspired , I believe, by the movie Suddenly, Last Summer.   It’s called “Violet Eyes” and will retail for around $130.00 .  It will be available in the fall.

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Love them both!!

Christmas in June!

The Poppys have landed….I repeat…The Poppys have landed!  I received a wonderful box yesterday and it feels like Christmas in June. 

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Ahhhhhh….don’t you just love that new doll smell.

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First out of the box was “Isn’t it Romantic”7184357005_b799562f85_c

Second was “ Miss Fairchild”

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Saved the best for third….”Most Sophisticated”

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Ahhhhhhhh!  She is just as gorgeous…maybe even more so ….than her promo pictures.  Complete and total love.

 

“The Chauffer’s daughter” ended the Poppy parade.

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Tooooooo cute!

I also received FR2 Tatyana

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So much to contemplate, it’s hard to know what to debox first…..

“Most Sophisticated” won hands down.   Just removed the pin from her hat and adjusted it lower and she was good to go.  This set is Amazing!  And the luggage!!!  Don’t even get me started on the fantastic luggage LOL!

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Tatyana came out of the box second

Oh my those cheekbones!  Must get her into the studio ASAP.   My fingers are itching for my good camera and my light boxes.

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Isn’t it romantic has some hair issues so she needs a few adjustments before her photos.  Thought I would share what I do for “hair adjustments”.  I like to have bangs lie flat against the head and not floating off the forehead so I slather it with gel and “train” it down with some ribbons.  This is a picture of what I mean

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In 24 – 48 hours it should be set.  And the bangs will hopefully lie flat against her head and the back will lie close to her neck.  Will have to see how it turns out.

More Rock Wedding Spam.

This is the final set for now.  After this, let the redressing begin.  I love this Rock Wedding set for a variety of reasons but perhaps one of the biggest reasons was the options of redressing that you were given for Lilith.  She came dressed in her funky sculpted top bridal gown.  Underneath is a skirt that coordinates with a satin and lace bustier that gives her a whole other look.  I know that many brides these days are favoring the idea of one dress for the ceremony and one dress for the reception.  In Lilith’s world, this one would be the reception look.  Romain has decided to go more casual as well and lose the jacket.

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Mad Men to the 1/6 Max

I have admired Michael Williams’ work for many years.  His photography is something I can only aspire to but his humor and way of telling a story with a photo is what I truly admire.  He recently shared some new Mad Men inspired photos and I knew I had to share them here.  With Michael’s permission, I share with you his fabulously witty write ups and 1/6 scale interpretation of five of the main characters from AMC’s hit series MAD MEN.

**Photos are property of Michael Williams**

MANDATORY CREDIT ©Michael Williams/MyLifeInPlastic.com

 

MANDATORY CREDIT ©Michael Williams/MyLifeInPlastic.com

 

MANDATORY CREDIT ©Michael Williams/MyLifeInPlastic.com

 

MANDATORY CREDIT ©Michael Williams/MyLifeInPlastic.com

 

MANDATORY CREDIT ©Michael Williams/MyLifeInPlastic.com

I love these!  I am sooooo hoping he has a perfectly coiffed Betty with the cigarette in her mouth and the shotgun aimed to the sky in the works.  Anyone remember that episode LOL!

He has an AMAZING body of work to look through and you can find it at www.mylifeinplastic.com

You can also follow him on
Twitter @MyLifeIsPlastic,
Facebook MyLife InPlastic
Instagram @MyLifeInPlastic
Pinterest MyLifeInPlastic

It’s time for another Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi!

I feel like I have been neglecting my Silkstones for the past few months so it was time to bring em back and do it right.  I joke with James Bogue all the time about the fact that I am such a “pinkophile” when it comes to his creations.  If it’s in pink…I’m liking it.  It came as a  complete shock that I was drawn to a powder blue dress he had on his Etsy site and once I received it…I was in LOVE.  I had the perfect lady to model it too. I had finally worked up the courage to cut and restyle a Preferably Pink Silkstone Barbie into the hairstyle I feel she should have originally came with…a shorter bob cut.  I love it on her and I hope you do to.

Model:  Restyled Preferably Pink Silkstone Barbie

Dress and Hat:  Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)

Shoes:  Mattel

 

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And because I am headed into dance recital season and things are about to get wayyyy stressful, I threw this in for fun.  This needs to be my mantra for the next 4 weeks…should I take up yoga????20120531-IMG_9205-Editwmsizedclipart

Next Celebrity Silkstone is….Elizabeth Taylor

The news coming from the 2012 Italian Doll Convention is that the next Celebrity Silkstone will be Elizabeth Taylor.  Mattel has not confirmed this but I am assuming it was a Mattel Representative who shared this information in Italy last week.  This is not suprising as they already have the face mold.  The speculation has already begun on which outfit she will be sporting.  My vote goes for the white gown in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and I would DIE if it came as a gift set with the slip dress as well…..ohhhhh pretty please.

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Although…I have to pay tribute to some of these looks as well.  Liz, you were one gorgeous lady.

 

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F.R. Convention 2012 is Open for Registration!

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Oh yah baby!!  Integrity Toys has opened up the link to register for the 2012 Fashion Royalty Convention.  I went to my first one last year and am soooooo going again this year.  WClub members had a few days to preregister but now the link is open to all comers.  If you want more info, feel free to check it out at

http://www.integritytoys.com/page/events/latest_events 

Feel free to visit my blog posts from October 2011 to see and read about some of the happenings from these conventions.  If you are a Fashion Royalty collector, you cannot beat the camaraderie and amazing stuff to be had at these conventions.  As far as endorsements go from me…you won’t get better than that LOL!

FYI..Registration is limited to 450 .  Last years registration filled up within 3 weeks so If you want to go, I would recommend signing up sooner rather than later.

You Look So Fine Erin

Oh M…er..Erin you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind hey M…er Erin, Hey Erin.  I have to admit this song was kind of going through my mind as I typed out the name of this doll.  Guess that shows my age, yes, I was and still am to some degree a teenager of the 80’s.  This lovely Erin is no child of the 80’s.  She if a full on fashion diva of the present.  Her dress is TO DIE FOR folks..worth the doll alone in my opinion but I digress.  This is the last Erin produced with this original face mold.  She has been given a facelift and we will see her new visage IRL when the first W Club doll ships sometime this summer.  Many people are not fans of the “open mouth show us those pearly whites”  face mold.  I don’t have a problem with it.  It kind of makes her look sweet and innocent.  Her fashion is anything but.  I have to admit, I was trepidatious about photographing this lady in THIS gown sitting down but I went there. 

**Photography note for those wanting to photograph this lady in her original outfit or any doll in this dress for that matter**.  Try to lean this baby up against a wall if you can.  What I learned during this photo shoot:

1.  Armature wire isn’t going to work because most of her leg shows with this gown but hey..if  you want to spend countless hours Photoshopping the wire out..have at it.

2. Thought about leaning her back against a block or something sturdy but short…Nope. The skirt of the dress is pretty sheer so you will see whatever you put back there

3.  Thought I was smart using strings to suspend her…WRONG!!  I failed to realize the folds in the fabric and the impact they would have on Photoshopping out the strings.  BAD ME!  Yep…had to spend the thankless hour and a half Photoshopping out the strings then cloning back in the folds on the background for the roughly 20 full standing shots of this set…AAAACCCCKKKK.  Note to Rebecca:  When using complicated backdrop DO NOT USE STRINGS!!

4.  The above mentioned reasons should explain why I then had to sit this lady down.  Yes, I realize that she is getting dangerously close to performing a Sharon Stone Basic Instinct but it was either that or learn to embrace Photoshop as a way of life. 

Okay, enough of me whining about my inability to think ahead LOL…on to the photos.

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And…just because this was a rocker wedding and I don’t think Erin would have attended alone.

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**A Note to all you pinners out there on Pinterest.  If you are pinning photos from a slideshow embedded in someone’s blog….PLEASE DON’T!  I am suspending showing all the shots of a set via slideshow because people are pinning photos from the slideshow and it will send people to my skydrive instead of the blog when they click on the photo.  I really, really don’t want people surfing around my skydrive so until I can figure out a way to prevent people from pinning off of the slideshows/skydrive….no more slideshows.  Other than that…Pin to your hearts content.  I love that you enjoy the photos enough to pin and share them.  Smile**

In Honor Of…

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. 

“Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.] Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. (Southern ladies’ organizations and southern schoolchildren had decorated Confederate graves in Richmond and other cities during the Civil War, but each region had its own date. Most dates were in May.) By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.”  –Wikipedia

Peace to each manly soul that sleepeth;
Rest to each faithful eye that weepeth…
~Thomas Moore

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! ~Maya Angelou

Memorial Day 2012