Happy Valentine’s Day!!
I picked up this glorious gown at the last IT convention and have been waiting for the right lady to wear it. It is a power house of a gown so who better than “Power House Ayumi” to wear it.
Model: Power House Ayumi
Gown: PonnePP ( you can find his photos and work on Flickr at www.flickr.com/ponne1984)
Articulated Silkstone Now Available to Order
But she won’t be shipping until March 1st folks. If you want her sooner, look to the dealers, they appear to be getting them first. I like this idea of giving the dealers first dibs on shipment. It makes sense to me and it helps support those dealers that have been loyally selling Mattel’s collector products for all these years. I called my trusty dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls the moment I saw these ladies showing up on Ebay ( not happy that this is where the first ones showed up but not surprised either). She sent one over as soon as they arrived at her shop.
Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll
Designer: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/1/2016…hmmm…this is what the site says but they also clearly state that shipping won’t start until 3/1/2016.
Retail: $40.00 at The Barbie Collection
So…what do I think? I think the face on this first Silkstone of 2016 is a winner. It is one of the best facial screenings I have seen in a while from the BFMC. Very soft, and pretty. The black dress is basic. The material is nice and of a good weight…but basic. The boots are…basic. They are plastic people and almost impossible to get off unless you use the hot water trick **see below. No jewelry, purse with this one nor undergarments..yep that’s right…Barbie is going full commando.
The bigger question I think is what do I think of the body of this doll. First and foremost, the dimensions are NOT the same as previous BFMC Silkstone bodies. The bust is most definitely smaller. Clothing does not fit exactly the same which surprises me as I believe Mr. Best said that the body was going to be the same proportions in the video announcing the articulated bodies. I am not saying the body is bad…just different dimensions and for us redressers, that will be an issue. The material feels weighty and solid which is nice and the joints appear to be solid and stay where you position them. It is basically ok…but not great. Here is why: 1) The articulation on the joints is minimal except for the legs. This girl can do the splits if she wants but she cant rotate her hand enough to fully bend it one way or the other…it only goes a little bit one way or the other. She can just barely put her hands on her hips. Compare the functionality with Integrity Toys dolls and you will find that IT bodies are loads ahead as far as flexibility. The new Silkstone body can however, do the splits whereas IT dolls cannot. Not sure how that is something I will utilize unless I get the letch to do Gymnast Barbie, or Pole Dancing Barbie or perhaps contortionist Barbie. You never know…it could happen. I am hopeful that the next iterations of this body will beef up the bust size and include some additional rotation in the joints. My other big concern with these new bodies are the rough edges and seams that show. The knee joint on the one I received had a big ugly rough edge at the seam right above the knew joint. Some may argue that you will hardly ever see that…maybe but in the dress she came in, it was VERY evident. It’s not worthy of sending back, it’s just sloppy work on the part of the factory. Am I expected now to file down the seams of Silkstone dolls that I receive?
On the very positive side however, the doll is only $40. That is an extremely low price point for a Silkstone Barbie doll. So…messy seams and all, this doll photographs beautifully. I admit, I had to pin the gown on her so it fit more securing up top. It was made to be worn by the older body. She does look good though and I guess each collector will have to decide for themselves if she is a good fit for their collection. I am keeping mine for the present and still hopeful for the year ahead for the BFMC. I think it will be a very much paired down year but time will just have to tell on that one.
Beatuiful dress was made by Hilda of Bellissima Couture.
Oh..and as an added not to my loyal readers…After filing multiple DCMA claims with various accounts on Pinterest and Instagram all of which were cutting the watermark off my photos and passing them off as their own, I will have to start putting even larger and more intrusive watermarks on my photos. Not my choice people but there you have it. Sometimes…I just don’t understand some people.
**Hot Water Boot Trick** To help get those pesky black boots off, I heated up a cup of water to almost boiling then stuck the legs and boots in for about 30-35 seconds. Using a towel because they will be hot, boots should slid right off. If not, put the legs with boots back in the water for a bit more.
Power House Ayumi
I just received the first of three of the 2015 revamped NuFace line that I ordered. All I can say is she is stunning! The facial screening is absolutely beautiful in my opinion.
The shoe strings were too short for me to tie into a bow so I ended up knotting them in the back and tucking the ends into the shoes. Not a bad fix. It will be a pain to untie and redress though. The jewelry is simple but sturdy and appropriate given the very clean chic lines of the outfit. Love the red, red lips and simple and elegant facial screening. The hair was really good when I deboxed but I wanted the bangs to lie closer to the head so I did end up pinning the end of the swoop of her bangs so It would lay closer to the head. Looking forward to redressing this beauty.
Agnes of the Jungle
I can’t take credit for this title…that goes to my husband Jon. He was my faithful reflector holder during this photo shoot and we both learned that a full size “human” reflector for these small shoots are super HOT! Had no idea how hot those things can get in full sun…to models all over the world…”I’m truly sorry you have to deal with this on a daily basis” So I re-dressed Ms. Agnes in uptown haute couture last time so I needed to go a different way. I went straight for the animal print and leather moto jacket. **It is important to note here that I had to undo the seam between the legs in the bodysuit top to get it to fit the FR2 body**
I dressed her in this outfit and all I could think of was a leopard laying on a tree branch. Once the vision is there, I was compelled to find myself a tree branch and drape her over it for this shot.
And since she is wearing animal print…had to do a Roberto Cavalli ad LOL!
** Note: No rhododendron bushes were hurt during the filming of this blog post. We may have inadvertently signaled a satellite in space with our reflector and for that we are truly sorry. **
Aristocratic Agnes
I know I will get hate mail for this but Agnes is not my favorite face mold. When I saw the promo shots for this one, I was on the fence. I loved the dramatic eyebrows, almost platinum blond hair ( not mademoiselle Jolie platinum but close) and red, red lips so I decided to gamble and purchase. Result: gambled and won!!
I love the dramatic eyeliner.
Making a Rare Appearance Dania
WClubbers waited an exorbitant 6 months for this one. Yep, I checked the numbers…first deposit went in on this baby around December 3rd of 2014. Was she worth the wait? I honestly have to say…YES. The promo shots on this doll had expectations levels extremely high so I was very skeptical on whether it would deliver. I am happy to say Rare Appearance Dania delivers and then some. This lady exudes chic upscale class.
I will say it again…this is one classy lady. She comes with a pair of grey gloved hands which I adore. Here jewelry is simple, classic and understated. The handbag and shoes are TO DIE FOR.
I had WAY too much fun shooting this one.
Oh yes…new favorite model has entered Inside The Fashion Doll Studio.
BFMC Fashionably Floral Has Arrived!
Don’t walk to get this one people….RUN! For $50 this Silkstone is an absolute steal.
Fashionably Floral™ Barbie® Doll
source: www.barbiecollector.com
The liner in the box is a soft pink! Adorable.
The new tags have pink lettering instead of blue…nice touch.
Hair is slightly different than promo shots. The hair comes into a curl closer towards the face on the production doll. I advise that you be very, very careful when removing the hair net from the chignon on this one. While it is nice that the chignon is not glued into lacquer hardness, it does mean that it can be messed up fairly easily. I decided to just sacrifice the hairnet and cut it off little by little. I then applied some hairspray and gel to keep things in place. All in all, not too bad.
Does that hat come curled like this you ask?? Nope. Want to know how I did it?
Just curl it inside a toilet paper roll for a couple hours. You will need to switch it around from one side to the other a couple times so both sides curl evenly.
She is a beauty!! Well worth the $50 in my opinion. I can’t wait to redress and photograph this lady.
Beyond the Sea
The news in the United States right now is reporting the amazing and record breaking snowfall amounts on the east coast. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are dealing with typical winter weather…rain and gloom. So, for those dealing with less than desirable weather situations, I decided to go to the beach for a day. I seem to be having a bit of a “Poppy crush” going on with this new convention Poppy.
Yes…I was listening to Bobby Darin as I typed this 
Ombres Poétique
There was a new arrival this week at ITFDS.
This gown is so much frothy yumminess that I can barely contain myself as I type this. All that tulle!!! Love the lace too. The necklace on this beautiful lady is a new design for IT and it appears to be strung on some kind of stretchy filament rather than string. We will see if it holds up better than the plain string. The hair bump was overdone a few years back at IT but it is subtle on this one and works very well. The hair color is a beautiful platinum blonde.
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 