A Bridal Still Life
I am continually inspired by miniature couture. In particular, I adore any and all images that come out of Le Petit Théâtre from Dior.
I love how they use real size items with miniatures. I had a free day in the studio…almost unheard of these days…so I thought I would try my hand at something like this. I decided to use my most recent bridal shoot as inspiration. For those of you following my instagram story…you got to see a little taste of the shoot. But…as most things go in the studio, you saw the prelim shots and not the final part of what I actually used in the processed images.
I have to give a shout out to my dear friend Rogier Corbeau of Dutch Fashion Doll World who did some additional art direction on this shoot. Your vision is always valued and appreciated my friend.
And…a chance to bring out the pearls! 
It’s always a treat to use my Laduree boxes.
But let’s face it…this entire shoot was all about this fabulous dress from Rimdoll on Etsy. 
For those of you interested in the set up for this shoot, it was all done in natural light with one reflector. Be prepared people when using natural light to be waiting half the day for optimal lighting. Since I always love to see behind the scenes from others, I will share a behind the scenes shot here of the set up. Yes…I have a flash in the picture below but I didn’t end up using it.
-Rebecca
A Spring Bride
I have been inspired by some of the free flowing fashions I have seen in the past week from Coachella so I decided to dress my new Giselle in a fashion I received this past week from Rimdoll. I have also been wanting too use these adorable paper roses hued in yellow and pink. I needed the right outfit to showcase them and this glorious gown from Rimdoll was just the thing. It is all that and a bag of chips people! Spring floral romantic with a little bit of edginess in there too.
Mode: NuFace Aka Gigi Giselle
Gown: Rimdoll on Etsy
floral crown and bouquet: Made by me of flowers found on Ebay
Earrings: Mattel
Garden Bench: Found it at Michael’s about 3 years ago.
I absolutely LOVE the facial screening on this Giselle. Very soft and romantic.
-Rebecca
A Little Glamour
Or a lot of glamour depending on your definition. I received a treasure trove of new outfits from the talented designer Hoang Anh Khoi on Etsy. I showcased one of them in a recent blog post with NuFace Totally Betty Ayumi. Today, a favorite FR2 Elise is wearing the fashion. The day before yesterday, I gave a sneak peak of my mood board for this shoot.
I also shared a couple of images along the way in this shoot on my Instagram story. If you are interested in seeing some of the process as I shoot these, feel free to sign up for my Instagram feed. The link for this is to the right on the sidebar of this page.
Model: FR2 Midnight Star Elise by Integrity Toys
Dress: Hoang Anh Khoi on Etsy
Fur: Dimitha on Ebay
Shoes: FR2
Hat: Bogue’s Vogues on Etsy
Gloves: Mattel
Purse: Lovetones Bonjour Baby Lena
Set: Clock was purchased from little gift shop on Rue du Rivoli in Paris. Bombe chest was a repaint by friend and artist Carolyn Grentz.
-Rebecca
The Millennial Chanel
Many fashion collections are targeting the rich pocket of the Millennial generation right now. I was interested in styling one of the most recent NuFace girls to embody that plus stay true to the original theme of IT and Jessy Ayala’s Reckless collection…the movie “Clueless”. It all started with this fabulous jacket from the Etsy shop ElenPriv. It continued with the amazing necklace from Etsy shop IsabelleParisJewels. The rest just came into place after that.
Model, earrings, hat and gloved hands: NuFace AKA Gigi Giselle
Top: NuFace She Owns Everything Erin
Skirt: NuFace Up All Night Lilith
Shoes, bag: NuFace Touble Eden
Stockings: NuFace Total Betty Ayumi
Necklace: IsabelleParisJewels on Etsy
-Rebecca
A Class Act
After a week of driving 20 hours down to Anaheim California and then doing the drive back…in a 26 foot truck full of luggage and orchestra instruments…I am ready for some play time. Lesson learned in the past week? Don’t ever underestimate Mother Nature in the mountains. You may think it’s too late to snow…but you would be wrong. I know we were. 
Before I left on the big journey, I had an opportunity to photograph something yummy and I am anxious to share. Given that IT is giving us 1950’s glamour in a few short months, I anticipated just a bit with this one. Hope you enjoy!
Model: OOAK Rim Doll repaint and restyle of Lovetones Hello Honey
Suit: Bellissima Couture
Faux Fur Stole: Lovetones Timeless Show Roxy Fashion Set
Shoes: Integrity Toys
Hat: Rogier Corbeau of Dutch Fashion Doll World
Jewelry: Mattel
Screen: Custom Dollhouse on Etsy
Planter: Local plant store and boxwood topiary is from Joss & Main.
The gorgeous ornate wall in the background was photoshopped in so..sorry but it doesn’t exist outside of Photoshop at this time.
-Rebecca
A Romantic Era Concludes
All good things must come to an end. Or…in my case…all sunny days in the garden eventually give way to rain. I managed to get three separate photo shoots completed before the rain started so I am happy with that. For the last installment of this romantic garden series I paired a favorite embroidered sheath from Bellissima Couture and a yummier than yummy coat from Lovetones. The hat is a story. It originally came from Bogue’s Vogues and I have to admit…I got creative with the Russian netting on this one. Hope you all enjoy.
Model: Lovtones Romantic Era Roxy
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Coat : Lovetones Timeless Show Roxy
Hat: Bogues vogues
Shoes: Lovetones Romantic Era Roxy
Purse: Integrity Toys AKA Gigi Giselle
Accessories: the box, macaron and bag were all done by me. The boxwood trees in planters were from Pier One. The bench was found on Ebay.
-Rebecca
A Romantic Era Continues
So I am continuing the photo series with Romantic Era Roxy from Lovetones. In this next series of photos from the garden I have capture Roxy in a stunning gown From Natalia. Beautifully designed and constructed.
Model: Lovetones Romantic Era Roxy
Gown: Natalia 2010 Chizhik on Ebay also on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/85292334@N02/with/30684365700/
Jewelry: Isabelle from IsabelleParisJewels on Etsy
I restyled the hair of the doll for this shot.
-Rebecca
A Romantic Era Begins
As we turn the corner into spring, I am in the mood for soft hazy imagery, pastels and florals. A sunny day in the garden ( an absolute surprise in the Pacific Northwest in spring) led me to bring out a new line of 1/6 fashion dolls I have been intrigued by since their debut.
Her name is “Romantic Era Roxy” and she was the prefect model for the next set of images I will be sharing on the blog this week. Are we ready for some soft images to take us through the gloom of early Spring? I know I am!
More images from the garden coming up this week 
-Rebecca
Ayumi is a Total Betty
The actual name for this doll is Totally Betty Ayumi. If you have never watched the movie Clueless you may have missed the meaning of the reference. Per the Online Slang Dictionary, the definition of Betty is
noun
-
an attractive female; "hottie".
Oddly enough, the citation for this definition is the movie Clueless. Well..whether or not the movie coined this term and it’s meaning, this Ayumi is definitely a stunner. The outfit she came in was perfect for the urban and hip look. My collection runs more towards the elegant and sophisticated so I wanted to transform this current Ayumi with an outfit I had recently received. I suspected she would fit into “elegant and sophisticated” without a problem….and I was right. This also gave me a chance to use one of the amazing screens I recently picked up on Etsy.
Model and jewelry: Totally Betty Ayumi
Shoes: FR2 shoe pack
Suit and faux fur: HOANG ANH KHOI on Etsy
Screen: Customdollhouse on Etsy
Tulips: Available soon at ITFDS
I absolutely adore the soft facial screening on her!! A number of collectors have said she bears a striking resemblance to Chrissy Teigan. I can totally see that!
-Rebecca
Sparkle Poppy Sparkle!
And sparkle she does! I realized I had not given any love to this particular convention Poppy for well over a year. Not good. She was part of the 2015 IT convention collection. Here she is in her original outfit and jewelry. She is however, sporting a new set of hands that were a recent find on Ebay.
Check out the teeny, tiny acrylic nails!! I found them on Ebay. Don’t know if this vendor offers them up regularly or if they were just a short term thing but this is where I got them.
Love the facial screening on this one. While nails like this are not something I normally go for…I think they do add a very glamorous look to this Poppy.
-Rebecca
Have a Very Poppy Christmas!!
For those of you who follow my instagram account, I shared a little teaser photo back in August of these holiday photos.
I decided to do a shoot of a few of my favorite things. 1) Poppy Parker 2) That gorgeous Tiffany Blue color 3) 1/6 French furniture and 4) All things Christmas. And here is the result of that shoot.
Enjoy!!
Model: Out of this World Poppy Parker
Dress: Sanglian on Etsy
Set is comprised of furniture I ordered from China, lamp and boxes were handmade and white feather tree was purchased at Target.
–Rebecca
Fall Fashion Week
Milan fashion week wrapped up day before yesterday and I was inspired by the Instagram feeds. I posted a photo of an outfit I felt would have worked at Milan fashion week and brought in the colors of the season.
The next step was to find a model to put it on and shoot.
Chanel purse is DollhouseAra on Etsy . Outfit is Barbie Look Urban Jungle.
Many of you may have already figured out that I have started posting preliminary images on Instagram of upcoming outfits or behind the scene things. I am also sharing on Instagram stories. The stories will include some videos of the doll room and new diorama or display items. If you are on Instagram, come and join the fun. Follow me to see the stories.
—Rebecca
The Power of Pink Continues…
Yep…not ready to let go of the pink theme this week and I am sticking with the same designer as well. As we approach this years Integrity Toys convention, I though I would pull out one of my favorite gift dolls from last years convention…Paper Doll Poppy Parker.
From Rimdoll on Etsy
Love this Poppy and love this pink confection of a dress!
— Rebecca
Poppy Goes to Paris–A Recap
This years theme for the Poppy Parker collection by David Buttry hit a chord with many collectors. I know it hit this collector right in the wallet. I absolutely adored it and can’t wait to see what David has in store for us Poppy collectors at the Integrity Toys convention in October. While we wait for convention, I thought it would be fun to get a group shot of the Poppys we have enjoyed so far this year. Since Poppy is in Paris, I drew inspiration from one of the most iconic Parisian fashion houses of all time…Dior.
Ma Petite Fleur Poppy Parker – WClub 2016 Registration upgrade doll
Powder Puff Poppy Parker – IT Direct Lottery doll
Paris in the Springtime Poppy Parker – 2016 Poppy Parker The Bonbon Collection
Night at the Ballet Poppy Parker – 2016 Poppy Parker The Bonbon Collection
C’est Si Bon – 2016 Poppy Parker The Bonbon Collection
Miss Amour Poppy Parker – IT Direct Lottery doll
Magnifique Poppy Parker – 2016 Poppy Parker The Bonbon Collection
Très Chic Boutique Poppy Parker – 2016 Poppy Parker The Bonbon Collection
Ooh La La Poppy Parker – WClub Exclusive doll
Bonjour Mademoiselle Poppy Parker – 2016 Poppy Parker The Bonbon Collection
-Rebecca
Magnifique is Fantastique
When I saw the name on this doll I kept singing the words from a song in “Devil Wears Prada”…”Supersonic, maginfique, tres tres cool and tres tres chic”.
She is definitely tres, tres chic. the hair color is vibrant and beautiful. It needs to be trained a bit when you take it out of the hair net but not too bad (it was packed with hair off to the side so you will need to push it or train it down to sit down against the neck).
Magnifique
Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll
The Bonbon Collection
Approximate Ship Date: Late Summer/Early Fall
Limited Edition Size: 900 Dolls Worldwide
Suggested Retail Price: $120.00
Doll Tech Specs:
Body Type: Poppy Parker™
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker™
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Luscious Red
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-Applied
The promo shot shows her as this…
What arrived was…I believe…better than the promos but with one caveat.
She has a very sharp look to the left eye placement that frankly…borders on “wonky eye” for my taste. I have photographed her at her best advantage but I had to work at it. Not sure how I am feeling about that. She is gorgeous. Coloring and facial color screening is spot on. Dress is beautiful and jewelry is beyond…really beyond. But…that far to the left stare is looking slightly wrong for me. Not sure what I am going to do yet. Maybe it’s just mine so will be interested to hear what others are experiencing.
-Rebecca
The Sleeper has Awakened
Ok..I have to admit the title was for all you “Dune” geeks out there LOL! This line may be from the book and movie “Dune” but we have a bit of a sleeper situation going on in the Poppy Parker Bon Bon collection. Her name is Night at the Ballet Poppy Parker and she has turned out WAY better than the promo shots.
Here is what we were expecting…
Not bad but I have to admit…she was my least favorite in the whole lineup and I almost didn’t order her. Boy oh boy am I glad I did because this is what arrived on Saturday. Check out the gorgeous green eyes on this lady!
Night At The Ballet
Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll
The Bonbon Collection
Approximate Ship Date: Late Summer/Early Fall
Limited Edition Size: 700 Dolls Worldwide
Suggested Retail Price: $120.00
Doll Tech Specs:
Body Type: Poppy Parker™
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker™
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: Japan
Hair Color: Ash Blond
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-Applied
Couple things to note:
1) The hair on my doll needed a little tweaking after I took the hair net off. It didn’t take too much to put it all back in order.
2) The necklace is just gold, no stones. This seems kind of weird to me as the bracelet has beautiful blue stones in it but there you go. It looks like it should have a few stones in the necklace or it looks like there was space for it but there aren’t any. Don’t know if this is an oversight or just a last minute budget cut but a number of people have commented on FB that they don’t have any stones in their necklaces either so I don’t think it’s just me. The promo shots of the accessories don’t really show the necklace that well so it may have been intended to be just plain gold all the way along. Just wanted to make people aware.
Huge thanks to my dealer Barb at Windy City Dolls for getting these new Poppy’s to me so quickly!! You are the best.
Let the redressing and photographing begin!!!
-Rebecca
Singing in the Rain
Trying to photograph things in natural light in the Pacific Northwest is pretty much a crap shoot even on a good day. Last week, we enjoyed days and days of 90 degree weather and loads of sunshine. This week it’s 62 and what else…rain. I would have shot this last week, if I had had what I wanted to shoot last week. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive the item I wanted to shoot until this week. Here was my perfect location…
Loved the natural texture of this and the green moss that spindled out like vines. But…
It was rather wet.
And not looking like it was going to change any time soon. So what do you do? You change your shoot location and make the best of it. So this is the rain part of the title so where is the singing?
Have you ever had that moment when you dressed a doll in something and it just “sang”? You know what I mean right? It just makes you go “ Oh man…that looks so amazing on her!” I had that happen this week and while my first choice for background did not pan out, I found a couple alternate solutions that worked out just fine. I was still singing even though it was raining.
Model: Out of Sight Nadja
Dress: SL Doll Fashion
Jewelry: Integrity Toys Inc. ( Lash Out Poppy Parker, Perfectly Suited Giselle and As Dusk Falls Eugenia)
Shoes: Bellissima Eugenia
This gown is gorgeous! Very well made and tailored. It arrived quickly and well packaged. Love this vendor on Etsy and have purchased a number of things from them.
-Rebecca
Naughty or Nice?
Ok, I have to explain the title a bit. As you all know, I am a huge fan of Poppy Parker and her creator David Buttry. For me, she was the gateway drug from Barbie to Integrity Toys. I realize I need a 12 step program for my addiction but I’m not ready to commit to the program just yet. 
Recently, Integrity Toys held a lottery to purchase two beautiful Poppy Parkers and I was lucky and incredibly thrilled to be picked to purchase not just Miss Amour but the fabulous Powder Puff Poppy Parker as well. I have to thank my daughter for the opportunity as it was her membership that won it and she willingly handed over the option to purchase. Collectors are receiving these dolls and posting some amazing images. This doll is so sweet. Mostly she is portrayed as “nice” and I like it that way.
For these images, however, I decided to portray her in a slightly different way. David Buttry had mentioned in his webinar announcing the Bon Bon Collection that one of his inspirations for this particular doll was the movie “Valley of the Dolls”. I decided to go a little more with that theme. So Poppy comes off as a bit more on the naughty side in these pictures. I want to point out however..that Chip has appeared to have “put a ring on it” at least.
-Rebecca
Emerging Rebel Kyori – Will The Eyes Have It?
The first doll of Integrity Toys’ Fashion Royalty “A Delicate Bloom” Collection is starting to hit collectors’ doorsteps. Her name is Emerging Rebel Kyori and true to her name she is entering the collecting world with some controversy. The title of this blog post is kind of a play on words. When you vote to pass a measure for something the verbiage is always, “Those in favor say ‘AYE’“ and if there are more yes’s than no’s the motion passes or “The Aye’s have it.” There is a current issue being voted on by collectors of Integrity Toys and it’s all about the eyes.
Let me explain: Integrity Toys is trying out a new process with the eyes on some of their dolls. Instead of painting the inner eyes (outline, white, iris, pupils and "catch light" dots) they are using water decals. Per IT, the reasoning for going to these decals was to offer more consistency in eye placement and facial screening. (Too many “wonky eye” issues with the previously used methods.) Some collectors are concerned about the durability and quality of these decals. Given all the concerns, I was curious to see for myself if there were negative aspects to these decals from an aesthetic perspective as well as a photography perspective. I was concerned as to whether or not these decals would make the eyes appear more “dead” in a photograph. If something is too matte, it won’t reflect light effectively and gives off a dead appearance. On the other side, if something is too shiny (especially the eyes) it can create too much of a reflection that you have to clean up in Photoshop afterwards… and… that is a big pain in the back side, believe me. Who wants to spend hours in post-process just because of shiny eyes? Not me.
So… I was curious to see what would happen when I photographed one of these dolls with these decal eyes. What did I find?
1. From an aesthetic aspect… just looking at her… I wasn’t noticing anything concerning. Her screening is appealing and I think she is a pretty doll. The eyes don’t stand out as odd or off in any way. She does have a very far “to the side” eyeball placement and some are finding that fact unappealing. I can understand this. That doesn’t work for everyone.
2. From a photography stand point… there are some differences.
First and foremost, the eyeball is printed not painted so there are dots of color not continuous color. Is this a problem? Not normally in my opinion. As you see this image on your computer screen or phone, you are seeing it as dots of color as well — they are just really, really small dots. Let’s face it, most of us are not going to be looking at this doll under a microscope.
Can you see the dots in the picture above? Maybe a little but not much. Our eyes and brains are really good at melding those dots together to make it look like one cohesive color.
Secondly, I’m not going to lie — these decals catch the light differently, so when photographing, that needs to be factored in. Is this a deal breaker? For me, not really. It’s just something different. Now, as to whether these decals will hold up over time… only time will tell that one. For now, I am willing to give them a chance. For now, I’m voting “aye”.
Enough about the eyes — let’s talk about the accessories and dress! I love this dress!!! It is so elegant and fits her beautifully. The lavender shoes are perfection and the grey glasses and oversized bag are refined and chic. I don’t know who is taking over jewelry at IT but all I can say is, “Keep it going!!” The earrings and bracelet are a new design and I adore them.
Kyori’s hair color was described as medium brown in product write-ups. Have we seen Kyori with these lighter brown tresses before? I like it.
-Rebecca
A Terrace in Paris
For those of you awaiting the next installment of “The Art of Fashion Doll Photography and Blogging”, it’s coming. Most likely tomorrow. I forgot to factor in that we were running our son to college ( 5 hours away) this past week so that cut into the available time I had. Fear not…it’s in process for publication in the next couple of days. This also explains why I have not responded to comments in a week. I will be getting to those as well.
In the meantime, I have been sitting on these shots since the initial posting of “J’Adore Miss Amour” and I can wait no longer. These shots came about because 1) I can’t get enough of this pink confection Miss Amour and 2) I had these fun pink balloons and had to use them and 3) I didn’t get a chance to include the adorable little perfume bottle in the last set of shots. 
Now…is she looking at the tray like “I love this perfume and I need to use some” or is she saying “This shoot is boring…I need a drink!” You make the call.
P.S. I have to send a shout out to my friend Rogier at Dutch Barbie World for a little bit of art direction on this one. You were right and It was much appreciated!
-Rebecca
J’Adore Miss Amour
The title speaks for itself. When I first saw this doll my reaction was this…
And..that has not changed upon receiving her. She is EVERYTHING I was hoping for and more. David, I bow down! 
Miss Amour
Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll
The Bonbon Collection
IT Direct Exclusive
Approximate Ship Date: Mid-Late Summer 2016
Limited Edition Size: 700 Dolls
Doll Tech Specs:
Body Type: Poppy Parker™
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker™
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Ash Brown Mix
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-Applied
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker™
This amazing creature is gorgeous. The dress is beyond people…just…BEYOND.
It’s inspired by Dior I and many believe, what is not to love about that. Fashion inspiration image find goes to Nata-Leto on Flickr. Big THANKS to Rogier Corbeau of Dutch Barbie World for letting me use this image.
The jewelry is fabulous!
Me likey!!….Me likey a lot!!!!
-Rebecca
Opening the Treasure Chest: “Tokyo Chic”
One of the things I enjoy most about The National Barbie Doll Collector Convention are the amazing One of a Kind (OOAK) artists that bring their creations to the convention. Most of them sell at private shows or in their rooms in the days leading up to the official start of the convention. Many collectors, including myself, go up to 4 days early to convention so they can attend these private parties and see what kind of OOAK creations they can add to their collections. For some collectors, these OOAK’s are the focus of their collection. There are so many talented artists within this community.
One such artist is Julia Lapshova of Julia Originals. I was lucky to get to her room early enough and purchased this lovely creation. Her attention to detail and tailoring is always extraordinary. I am so very happy to have Ms. Tokyo Chic in my personal collection. You can also follow Julia on Facebook.
“Tokyo Chic”
-Rebecca
A Picnic in Paris
Now that Integrity Toys has announced their collections and all of our collector wallets are sad and limping, I thought it was time to return to Paris for some fun. If I was returning to Paris, Ms. Poppy was going to join me. This new “Ooh La La” Poppy Parker is my current muse and I am loving the giftset mix and match options.
You have to love rement!
-Rebecca
Procrastination and … a Poppy Parker
So, I may not be the queen of procrastination but I believe I would be voted onto the court of princesses of procrastination. I kind of like the sound of that…”Princess of Procrastination”. Anywhoo, I am supposed to be finishing up my presentation for this years NBDCC. I am supposed to be putting the finishing touches on it, wrapping it up and putting it to bed so I can start getting packed for the flight I am taking in a little over 36 hours from now. Am I doing any of that? Noooooooo. Instead, today I received a couple new Poppy Parker’s and I am playing instead. Guess this means I am finishing up the presentation on the airplane.
Love the lavender eyes!! Everything about this set that was promised…was delivered. She is adorable and the little poodle is to die for. Well done David!! I will have to come up with a suitable Paris themed set when I get back from convention.
Now…back to the presentation. If you are attending the NBDCC and are interested in learning more about the photography that I do here on the blog, I will be presenting on Thursday, July 28th at 5 pm in one of the Riverfront rooms at the Hyatt Jacksonville. The time had to be changed from original schedule due to scheduling conflicts.
-Rebecca
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 