Nadja in the Garden
I am awaiting Spring. While I wait for it to arrive, I decided to make my own garden of sorts. As I have shared in previous posts, I have been playing around with making my own 1/6 scale flowers. There are lots of tutorials on making paper flowers online. There is not….however…lots of tutorials on how to make 1/6 scale paper flowers. Given that, I had to essentially come up with my own patterns and a way of making them in this scale. I enjoy the process itself of figuring out things in this scale. In order to feel accomplishment however, I need an end project to work towards so this garden was the vision I had for making these glorious 1/6 scale bearded Iris’s . I hope you enjoy the images half as much as I enjoyed figuring out and making these flowers.
Model: The Enchantress Nadja Rhymes – Integrity Toys
Gown and Jewelry: Spell of Kindness Vanessa – Integrity Toys
Background: Designed and manufactured by ITFDS
grass mats were found at Daiso, gate was purchased online years ago and I honestly have no idea where. Boxwood mini trees where found at local homegoods store but can be found at many places online. Back wall of greenery was made by combining 12×12 greenery tiles I found at Joanne’s crafts and glued to poster board. All other flowers were made by me with paper.
Styled and photographed by Rebecca Berry for ITFDS
For these shots, I am using a Canon 5dMark III with a Canon Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS lens. I used natural light for this shoot augmented by one Lume cube (with diffuser) on a stand. I also used a white board to bounce the light from the left. I use Adobe Light room Classic to post process then Adobe Photoshop to clean up anything I can’t do with Light room. Side note…Coffee grounds work really well as dirt. Just make sure you are binding it with something and gluing it down. It will get everywhere if you just use it loose. Modge podge works well to adhere it to surfaces. I used a spray adhesive here then just applied coffee grounds to the board after so the grounds would stay in place. If you use “used” coffee grounds, the smell isn’t as strong as fresh ground coffee. That smell can be a bit overwhelming even for a coffee lover like me.
I hope you enjoy these behind the scenes looks. I know I am always learning and am always grateful when others show their process or some of the equipment they use. I know there are photographers out there with a greater wealth of experience. I am simply showing what I do and what I use. Enjoy the journey!
-Rebecca
Poppy at the Flower Market
When I started making 1/6 flowers, it was with this diorama in mind. I wanted to do a French style flower market. I started with 1/6 roses and then just kind of took off into other types and varieties. I have not stopped. I work predominately in paper. All kinds of paper from tissue through crepe paper and into thicker cardstock. Each flower type has it’s different personality that requires a different structure. That is part of the beauty of discovery when crafting I suppose. For me, there is a photo shoot concept at the end that drives me. I have had some really epic fails and also..I am happy to report…some extraordinary successes.
Part of the project for this flower market was the construction of the flower shop window. That was accomplished with foam core board, stucco spray paint , plastic and dollhouse molding. I figured out how to make the little French flower pails out of paper. This glorious Dior inspired suit by Chris Stoeckel for Integrity Toys fits Poppy beautifully. It just needed a French flower shop backdrop.
Model: Looks a Plenty Poppy Parker GS 2018
Suit, accessories and hat: East 59th Mid Day Venture Aurelia Grey
Set: ITFDS
Bistro table and chairs: miniChair on Etsy
Styling and Photography: Rebecca Berry for ITFDS
In the Pink Nadja
What can I say…I am in a pink and Nadja mood right now. I adore this doll and in this amazing pastel pink she just sings to me. I don’t believe you can ever go wrong with pastel pink. For the past year now, we have been in quarantine in my area. We are located uncomfortably close to the first cases of the virus in the US. We knew we had community spread early on so my husband’s workplace told everyone to work remotely from home last March. Both of my college age kiddos also have been doing remote learning for their respective colleges for many months. It’s a full house once again and I kinda like it. I know it’s only temporary and will enjoy it while I can.
While I haven’t been active on the blog, I have not been idle. I decided last year to switch a now unused space in our home ( the kids play room) to a full time studio/craft space. I will do a blog post on that project at a later time but the crafting space is allowing me to pursue another passion for now…miniature plants and flowers. This love of crafting miniature plants has dovetailed rather nicely into a home re-landscaping project that has been in the planning for many years. We finally completed the bulk of the landscape project this year and await final pieces this spring. So, I guess what I am saying is…plants and flowers will be popping up on images for the blog.
My mindset for the images in today’s post was Spring. Since Jessy Ayala designed a very chic and edgy outfit with vibrant color for the original doll, I wanted to try and take her softer and more pastel for contrast. In my mind, this is her office in Paris where she runs some kind of floral or home decorating empire. It is springtime in Paris and you can imagine that the sunshine coming into the shot is from a set of french doors with a view of the Eiffel tower over the black ornate wrought iron balcony railing.
I am also channeling a bit of Frida Kahlo here with the miniature hydrangeas in her hair. Just go with it.
Model and jewelry: The Enchantress Nadja Rhymes by Integrity Toys
Clothing: MUNLE ( @m.u.n.l.e on Instagram) and HOANGANHKHOI on Etsy
Shoes: Mademoiselle Lilith by Integrity Toys
Purse: @mydollhouse2005 on Instagram
Mac computer: Liluminiature on Etsy
Wall panel: divinitydolldecor on Etsy
Styling and Photography: ITFDS
This scene is also full of fun little miniatures that I have worked on for the past year and some that I have purchased ( the purse and computer). I always love to see detail photos in other people’s dioramas so I am including a couple here.
Behind the scenes . Happy first day of Spring!! I know, I know…meteorologically speaking of course..not astronomically.
-Rebecca
Celebrating Easter with Poppies and Daisies
Happy Easter everyone!! Since we are all at home and anxious during this global pandemic ( and there is a sentence I never expected or wanted to write) Hilda Westervelt of Bellissima Couture and I wanted to bring a little pastel beauty to everyone’s day and week. I hope these images bring some joy to your day and some hope into your hearts. We will get through this together and come out stronger for it. And with that…lets get on with the photos. Hilda and I have collaborated again with Laduree as our inspiration.
All dresses were made by Hilda and are up for sale through her blog Bellissima Couture . She has a limited supply of each color. I have also made some coordinating bags and boxes for these. The dresses do not come with the hats. I added those for these images.
The bags and boxes are available now. Very limited quantity. The pillows and rose filled little box will come out a bit later. The flowers are not available…sorry folks ( my supplier for these is not producing currently). If you are just interested in the bags and boxes, contact me via email at raberry65@msn.com. If you are interested in the dress and bags/boxes, contact Hilda through her blog. Bag with 2 boxes is $15 plus S/H ( pink, blue, white). Bag with 1 box $10 plus S/H( mint green). Hat boxes are $12 plus S/H. Shipping and handling on the these especially internationally will be a bit more because items need to be shipped in boxes.
The lovely Lemon Frost Poppy Parker in her Easter bonnet by Rogier Corbeau of Dutch Fashion Doll World
The adorable Groovy Poppy Parker and hat by Judy O’Connell of Aponi Designs
Split Decision Poppy Parker with hat by Tiny Kitty Collier ( I think this was from the charity luncheon outfit??)
Keen Poppy Parker with another hat from Rogier Corbeau of Dutch Fashion Doll World.
Digital Hugs to all and please, please, please keep up social distancing. Remember that we are doing it for others as well as ourselves. Also, if I have any followers who are health care workers in any capacity…you have my continued whole hearted respect and admiration for the valiant jobs you are doing.
-Rebecca
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
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
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
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
Chinoiserie
Ok…so many of you readers realize I am a little obsessed with my new Jon Copeland-Childers Poppy Parker repaint right? Another thing I was recently obsessed with was this pink chinoiserie backdrop I did. The apple green eyes of this lovely model inspired this setting and the chance to use this amazing backdrop. Hope you enjoy!
Model: Lash Out Poppy Parker repainted by Jon Copeland-Childers
* Poppy Parker has been re-bodied on an FR2 “FR White” body*’
Gown: Joe Tai
Jewelry: Integrity Toys Rare Appearance Dania
Backdrop: Chinoiserie wrapping paper I found ages ago
Chaise Lounge: Petit Luxury Couch ( repainted in silver/gold)
Flooring: marble contact paper
miniatures: Rement
Miniature Maltese: AnnaRyasnova on Etsy
-Rebecca
To The Manor Born
I never saw the BBC show of this name but am interested in the phrase. It is believed to be originally from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the actual line is “To the manner born“. Language and time have morphed this line into today’s “to the manor born” which essentially means someone born into affluence. The well known phrase “being born with a silver spoon in your mouth” is another example of similar meaning. Now…why am I going into this? Excellent question. When I first saw promo photos of Black Tie Ball Vanessa, my first thought was “This is a party girl and she is inebriated.” She had the half-open eyes of someone who has imbibed just a bit too much. When I opened the box and saw her in real life, my opinion changed a bit. I still saw the party girl but I thought it would be fun to portray her as the trust fund baby party girl. I love the platinum tresses on this lady and while the sleepy eyes kind of bother me, it definitely set my imagination flying and produced some fun shots. I have nothing to complain about…oh…except perhaps the skirt on the dress she came in. It doesn’t hang right. The jewelry, shoes and top of the gown are all exceptional though. Photos of Miss BTB Vanessa in her original gown are on my Flickr page.
The gown in these shots is by Eifeldolldress. Love it!!
For those interested in the set for these shots, here is the info:
Champagne glasses are exquisitely delicate and in correct scale. They are from Facets by Marcia.
Champagne bottle…have absolutely no idea where I got this. Most likely from a Gloria furniture set.
Bombé chest is a repainted plastic jewelry chest. My friend and artist Carolyn Grentz did this for me.
Gold chairs were custom ordered from China. You can find more like them here. Frankly though, you should just get ahold of some Barbie Fan Club chairs from this year and spray paint them gold…it would be cheaper.
Floral arrangement: Made by me of various silk and fabric flowers.
And this little adorable Maltese!! I found her on Etsy.
-Rebecca
Poppy Parker Live from the Oscars Red Carpet!
Every time the Oscars roll around, I feel compelled to do some kind of red carpet or Oscar themed shoot. I have done Barbie getting dressed in her closet. I’ve done Barbie on her way to presenting the Oscar. I’ve done Barbie on the red carpet. I have yet to do any Integrity Toys, Inc products for the Oscar night festivities. Well…I’m going to fix that right now! Poppy Parker is going to the Oscars!
Model: Mood Changer Poppy Parker repainted and restyled by Jon Copeland-Childers of SeloJSpa ( she has been re-bodied on a FR2 body)
Gown: Pansak Charoentonphubal of Eifeldolldress
Jewelry: On Set ( gift fashion from 2015 I.T. Cinematic Convention)
Will try and have my red carpet picks and pans from the Oscars on Monday
2016 Inspirations-The Year Ahead
So…I am sitting here this morning with my morning cup of java ( hating the fact that its non fat creamer because I am doing that “lets do a diet” to start the year off right thing) and getting inspiration for the year of blogging ahead. I finally have some free time ahead of me and really want to devote more time to this blog that I love and the collection that is such a hobby of joy for me to photograph and talk about. As I was sinking my teeth into the first few screens of Pinterest and Instagram images for the morning, I stumbled upon a number of images that just took flight in my head and had me thinking about dioramas and lots of yummy content for the blog. I just have to share.
I don’t know about you guys but I love illustrations. I particularly enjoy fashion illustrations which is why I have a number of limited prints by Robert Best. If you follow the Barbie Instagram account, you might have already enjoyed this woman’s work. I have to admit, I’m a newbie to her lovely illustrations but I am already a huge fan. Her name is Kerrie Hess
And the next couple I am including for my sister Hilda
Aren’t these scrumptious!!! Now…to figure out how to percolate some of these illustrations and ideas into background and diorama ideas for our 1/6 ladies. Oh yes, Rebecca is inspired now.
-Rebecca
The Art of the Vignette
Thank you so much for the response to my last post “The Fashion Doll Vignette”. I have been toying around with doing a regular segment on the blog for a while that is devoted specifically to the small sets or dioramas that I use in my photos or displays. In particular, I want to share some diorama items and furniture that I have obtained over my years of collecting. I look forward to sharing these “vignette” or “diorama” posts on a more regular basis in the future.
The word Vignette has multiple meanings. In photography, to vignette is a verb meaning to darken or lighten the corners and edges of a photo in a way to highlight a part of the photo. I use this technique on many of my photos. It helps to bring the focal point to a part in the picture that you want everyone’s eye to travel to…typically the center. Vignette used as a noun can also mean a small pleasing grouping or portrait. When I photograph things, many times I like to use a small diorama with it. Sometimes it is elaborate and sometimes it is just a small piece or two. For this set of photos, I used a number of pieces.
First and foremost, I used another Carolyn Grentz exquisitely painted OOAK bombe chest in 1/6 scale. Still in talks with her to see if she has room in her commission books for more.
The two side chairs were found on Ebay. I was able to get them marked down and even at that price, in retrospect, they were kind of pricey. If they came down to say, $65, they would be a better purchase I think. The floral arrangement was made by me and I used various artificial flowers that fit with the scale. Many of the flowers are scrapbooking elements of some kind or picks you can find in the boutonniere making section of your local craft store. The purse is slightly big for 1/6 scale but it works as say an over night bag or oversized bag for the playscale girls. It is a Kate Spade keychain/coin purse.
Model: Victoire Roux workshop doll from The Premiere Convention
Dress and coat: Bellissima Couture
Shoes: Mattel
Hat: Floral Scrapbook element
The coat of this beautiful ensemble is out of fabric that is a map of Paris. Too cute!!
Here are some more photos of that fabulous bombé chest.
Mademoiselle Jolie is 9 to 5
When this lady arrived I was so excited to photograph her in her fluffy ball gown. Once that was completed, I decided to do a 180 and cast her in the role of tough business woman. Another inspiration in this shoot for me were the little glass globes. I found these at a little hole in the wall store I love to go to. I had to use them in something and the headquarters for W Cosmetics felt like the perfect place to use them. I hope you guys like this set because it may come back.
Model: Ombres Poétique Mademoiselle Jolie
Suit: Le Smoking Adéle Makèda
Shoes and Lingerie top:Ombres Poétique
Watch:Le Smoking Adéle Makèda
Jewelry:Ombres Poétique
Sunglasses:IT sales room convention 2013 purchase
Purse: Lead Singles Lilith and Eden
Gloves: Hands from Edge Vanessa
Set: Desk is clear acrylic riser. Chandelier is a laser cut paper holiday ornament. Chair is clear 1/6 armless ghost chair.
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
Since I am getting back into the swing of things blog wise again, I thought it was well past time to do a Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi. In the past couple of years, I have been approached a few times to submit photos to publishers to help them pitch a book for production. I was approached last year to submit some photos for a book being considered to highlight James Bogue’s work. While the book idea may have not come to fruition this time around, James’ inspiring work is most definitely worthy of it. Here were some of my submissions.
James sells his fashions on his Etsy site at Bogues Vogues originals.