More Silkstone News!!
So right after I posted yesterday, Mattel posted new images of the BFC exclusive Silkstone for 2016. We have all had a gander at the sketch for many months and many of us had a chance to see the doll in person at the NBDCC 2016. Here are a few images I took of her at NBDCC
And here is the information and official pictures
Designer: Robert Best
Release Date: 10/12/2016
Retail: $100.00
- Body Type: Posable Silkstone®
- Facial sculpt:
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Pink satin gown with flowing organza train
- Accessories: Black satin opera gloves, chandelier earrings
She is a BFC exclusive which means you need to be a BFC member to purchase.
Things to take note of….The IRL doll at NBDCC was sporting pink shoes not black and the fabric on the IRL doll did not show the same kind of fabric as the promo shots are indicating. Just trying to keep it real folks and set expectations appropriately. You be the judge but to these eyes, the ruffle material on the promo shots looks like it lays very nicely, whereas the IRL doll at NBDCC did not. The beading also looks very different but there are always differences between the promo shots and the actual production doll. The difference here is that the production doll was actually seen BEFORE the promo shots so, it feels kind of humorous to me. It’s like saying “ Yeah…this is what we could have done…but….we didn’t”
All else being held equal, I’m still buying the doll. She is a platinum updo with a pink gown…of course I’m buying. Whether or not I feel very good about it is another thing. I have a hard time supporting a company who is making some really unfortunate decisions regarding their collector line. I find it hard to plug a product in this blog when I have a very real concern for the direction of this Mattel division.
-Rebecca
New Barbie Look and Silkstone News!
There has been a bit of a Barbie drought in this collectors house for a while but that may change in the coming weeks. This morning, The Barbie Collection added a few items for preorder that has some collectors very interested.
First up are a couple of new Barbie Look dolls.
The Barbie Look™ Barbie® Doll – Park Pretty
Designer: Bill Greening
- Body Type: Articulated
- Facial sculpt: Millie
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Floral dress paired with yellow peep toe shoes
- Accessories: Doll, fashion, shoes, sunglasses, bracelets, purse, phone, coffee drink, Miss Honey, dog tag
Release Date: 9/30/2016 **** Caveat…don’t be fooled by the date people, it says release but in actuality, this one won’t ship until 11/11/16** Just keeping it real.
Retail: $29.95
I love the accessories this one comes with. Honey the dog is always a plus ( did you know this dog has her own Instagram account!) and the phone and iced coffee drink is adorable. It looks like this doll also has a semi ‘made to move’ body. The knees at least look that way and one would assume its so Barbie can sit very easily on the picnic blanket while she is at the park. Nice work Bill. I like this one.
The Barbie Look™ Barbie® Doll – Pool Chic
Designer: Bill Greening
Release Date: 9/30/2016
- Body Type: Articulated
- Facial sculpt: Karl
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Floor-length aqua blue halter dress with gold detail
- Accessories: Doll, fashion, shoes, earrings, bracelet, purse, phone, compact with pom pom, lipstick
Release Date: 9/30/2016 **** Caveat…don’t be fooled by the date people, it says release but in actuality, this one won’t ship until 11/11/16** Just keeping it real.
Retail: $29.95
Very elegant and I love the accessories again. Bill…you have this collector’s attention. I am really liking these Barbie Look collections so far.
Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll (Brunette)
Designer: Robert Best
- Body Type: Posable Silkstone®
- Facial sculpt: Vintage Silkstone
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Little black dress
- Accessories: Boots
Release Date: 9/30/2016 **** Caveat…don’t be fooled by the date people, it says release but in actuality, this one won’t ship until 01/31/17** Just keeping it real.
Retail: $40.00
OK…first off I am really happy that a brunette version of the adorable blonde classic black dress silkstone will be available to collectors now. The price point is very attractive too! However, this doll is eerily similar to a couple of the convention dolls given in Europe this past year. If I were an attendee for one of these conventions and I saw this, frankly, I would be a little pissed off. Those convention dolls are supposed to be super exclusive, a perk for going to them. Now Mattel is offering up a doll so similar it’s uncomfortable. Here is the Milan convention doll…
Odd choice Mattel.
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
The Madrid Fashion Doll Show Convention–Day 2
The second day of festivities in Madrid began with presentations and an OOAK artist cocktail by Sebastian Atelier. Rogier took some great photos of these events!
Carlyle Nuera gave a presentation from Mattel. No photos were allowed at this event after the introduction. It looks like he was signing his fabulous sketches that people received in their registration bags before the presentation .
Ibrahim Ismail also gave a presentation on Bollywood cinema but sadly, I do not have any images of that. I’m sure it was fabulous.
Conventioneers were given option to attended the OOAK artist cocktail party given by Sebastian Atelier. There were some beautiful OOAK creations to look through and for a lucky few, purchase.
For those who attended the cocktail, there was a beautiful outfit given as a gift.
More info coming later and don’t forget…Gala dinner with presentation of convention doll!!!
-Rebecca
The Madrid Fashion Doll Show Convention-Jaipur Palace Party
What do you do after a fabulous fashion show? You go to a party of course. The organizers in Madrid had a fun evening of Indian food and drinks as well as henna hand painting available for the conventioneers. Beautiful henna tattoo work by Ibrahim!!
There was also this fantastic fashion ( limited edition of 30) by Marcelo Jacob, raffled off to 30 lucky winners!
Rogier will have more to report tomorrow with all kinds of presentations going on as well as the gala dinner and convention doll reveal!! Stay tuned….
-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
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
W-Club Exclusive! Sister Moguls
The WClub announced their second club exclusive for the year yesterday. It is a giftset sure to satisfy many collectors. I mean come on…it’s the power team of Giselle and Agnes! How can you not love that?!
Sister Moguls
Agnes Von Weiss™ and Giselle Diefendorf™ Duo-Doll Gift Set
The Fashion Royalty Collection
2016 W Club Exclusive
Limited Edition Size: TBA
Estimated Ship Date: Late 2016
Special W Club Price: $199.00 + Shipping, Handling and Applicable Sales Tax*.
*A non-refundable deposit of $25.00 is due immediately at pre-order; the balance of $174.00 + shipping and handling (and tax for Maryland residents) is due approximately late 2016.
Doll Tech Specs:
Head Sculpt: Agnes Von Weiss™ and Giselle Diefendorf™
Body Type: FR2013 (Agnes) and NU. Face 2.0 (Giselle)
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: Cream (Agnes) and Japan (Giselle)
Hair Color: Pale Blond (Both Dolls)
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand Applied
**Pictures of prototypes shown below; final production colors and textures may vary slightly. Any staging props are not included. Case and doll stand pictures are digitally rendered; final production may vary slightly.**
You have to love these giftsets and check out the dual stand!! I have not seen that before. I am completely digging the case with this one too. Very chic and elegant. I adore the sleek platinum blond ponytails and red, red lips. I am also a big fan of the cream skin tone and it looks like Agnes has it for this set. Hope to see these girls sometime before the end of the year. Integrity Toys thanked Jason and Vaughn for this offering in their release email . This collector thanks them too!
And…because we have sisters for the giftset…just had to add this, sorry, couldn’t help myself.
Get ready folks…Poppy Parker “right to buy” lotteries will be right around the corner!
-Rebecca
Elyse Likes A Party
Or at least she likes a party in Paris…but then who wouldn’t. I received this beautiful J’adore la Fête Elyse right before leaving for vacation and while I don’t advocate working while you go on vacation, I do have to say that my office view has improved with travel…this is what I am looking at while I write this post.
Now on to the doll photos. I borrowed netted fascinator from Blue Flame Vanessa.
She is a beauty! I love the dark locks and flame red lips on her. The jewelry is really stepped up and the presentation of this giftset in the red suitcase appeals to this collector in a big way. It’s just plain classy. I can’t wait to photograph this Elyse in the suit.
–Rebecca
The Black and White Ball Gown
I had the hardest time coming up with a title for this post. Usually, something comes to me right away and that is what I go with. For these set of photos, nothing was jumping out at me so I asked myself “ What are these pictures about?”. The answer that came back to me was…the dress. These photos are primarily about this amazing black and white ball gown made by Eifeldolldress .
Model: Mood Changer Poppy Parker repainted and hair redone by Jon Copeland-Childers of SeloJSpa
Gown: Eifeldolldress
Necklace: made by me
Gloves: Integrity Toys
Portrait of a Lady
My husband, daughter and I recently traveled to NYC. We were there to see my daughter perform at Carnegie Hall. It was one of those epic moments for a parent and she had a solo (which she nailed!) in one of the pieces they played so it was a piece of cake with major frosting kind of afternoon. While in NYC, my husband and I were encouraged by a friend ( Thank you Hilda!) to visit the Frick Museum. What a joy that was! While there, we saw this amazing portrait and the moment I saw it, I had a picture idea pop into my head. A visit to their gift shop provided the supplies and this is the result.
Model: Rare Appearance Dania Zarr with gloved hands that came with her
Jewelry: Rare Appearance Dania Zarr
Suit: Integrity Toys “In Good Form” from 2007
Shoes: Cold Shoulder Eugenia
If you are ever in NYC and have an afternoon to see some lovely paintings housed in an amazing mansion, I highly recommend visiting The Frick Museum.
IDC 2016–Cocktails and Barbie for President Gala
After the amazing fashion show, it was time for cocktails, nibbles and a really amazing dinner and convention doll reveal.
Once Cocktail hour was over, it was time to go to the Gala dinner.
The amazing Monica Nuñez del Castillo!
And our fabulous table host Rogier and OOAK artist and table hostess Corinne Thorner.
It sounds like the evening was a huge success with lots of money raised for charity…approximately 20,000 Euros!!
The end of the evening brought the anticipated convention doll reveal! Many were thinking it was time for a brunette articulated silkstone…and they were proven correct.
Photos below are courtesy of Jim Taylor {Hugs}. Thank you for letting us use these photos!
Scrumptious!!
Last but certainly not least…our Rogier received an award tonight from the IDC!!! A well deserved recognition for his efforts and work in the collecting community. Congratulations Rogier and Dutch Barbie World!!! ** Thanks to Jim Taylor again for this photo!!**
Happy, Happy Mothers Day!! Sales room photos will be coming your way soon!
–Rebecca
A Night With Superdoll
Paris Fashion Doll Festival
Day 1: Evening “The Sybarite Event”
Rogier reporting and Rebecca(ITFDS)writing again. This evening in Paris was the fabulous Sybarite Event. There was an exclusive outfit offered before the evening festivities. It’s called Sixteen
The event is a favorite and the energy, excitement and anticipation were all there again this year. The reveal of the doll at this annual event is a big production. This year did not disappoint. Think spring…think floral.
And they sure know how to throw a party!
And here she is…Miss Pavlova!! Limited Edition of 50
The detail on this gown is amazing!
Lovely shoes!
And best of all…jewels!!
Nice hand modeling Rogier!!!
Tomorrow is the presentation of the convention doll!!! What hair color and dress will she have?!!! We all await the unveiling.
-Rebecca
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.
The Art of Redressing
I look at this process as an art form. Others may not but I do. One of the many meanings of the word “redressing” is to set right; remedy or rectify. However you view it, most of us at some point as collectors participate in it…the redress. The sometimes exhaustive process of finding the perfect dress for the perfect doll gives me mental hives at times. I have some definite preferences when it comes to redressing, displaying and photographing a doll. I may get a doll in and while I love the face, the dress does not speak to me…as in the case of my latest acquisition Principessa. It is not that I think the dress is bad. I just didn’t feel it on this doll. Many times the disappointment with a fashion is tempered when I see it displayed on another doll. This happened to me just last night when I saw the Principessa wedding gown displayed, slightly altered, on a different doll. The dress had a whole new life for me.
These next two photos are from the collector and photographer Julia Castro Fuentes whose photos I have followed for years. I love her eye for color, lighting and styling in her doll photography. She has an enviable collection and an even more enviable talent behind the lens. To see more of her fantastic work, feel free to visit her Flickr photostream at https://www.flickr.com/photos/castrojulia/. The two photos below are under Julia’s copyright and are being used on ITFDS with her permission.
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
I realized when looking at Julia’s photos, that this dress had a whole lot of potential. I also realized…it looked WAY better on a brunette..in my opinion. With that revelation in mind, I searched the doll room for a better model for this dress.
And…the sunny window setup. Many times one of my kids holds the reflector for me ( a job that they crankily do for their dear old Mom) but, I also find an extra music stand works really well too. My trusty tripod is never far but many of the shots in this set were free handed…that lovely sunshine makes things easier with that. I used a Canon Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens with these shots.
-Rebecca
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 