Her name is Envied
I am a big fan of Integrity Toy’s Fashion Royalty Monogram line. I love the haughty expressions and the smaller body type that can wear most of the Silkstone Barbie clothing as well as my other OOAK Bogue’s Vogues and Bellissima Couture outfits. When IT announced that they were coming out with three new Monogram offerings this year my response was “Where do I sign up?” I received all three lovely ladies this past week from my fantastic dealer Barb from Windy City Dolls and I could not be happier. I know that the Caucasian one sold out in most places but the other two Latin and African American ladies are readily available. The golden skinned Latin lady (Envied) and the African American (Passionate) were the ones I was looking forward to the most. Here is Ms. Envied with Ms. Passionate and Ms. Bemused in the background. Ms. Passionate will be getting her own photo shoot in the next few days.
As of this blog posting, all of these beautiful ladies are available at http://www.windycitydolls.com/frmonogram.htm
Monaco Royale Vanessa has arrived!
I knew when I first saw photos of this lady that she was something that would fit right in with my collection. I have eagerly anticipated this first club doll offering from the W Club for 2011. She arrived this past week and I have to say….the promo photos did not even come close to doing this lovely lady justice. This lady harkens back to the high glamour days of Fashion Royalty’s earlier collections. She just drips style and elegance. I hope my photos are able to convey this. Her jewelry is gorgeous and extremely well made. I love the chunky necklace. There is an additional bracelet that came with the set but I didn’t feel she needed it ( It is sure nice to have extra though ). I love the fact that she came with her own cocktail..I keep wanting to remind her though “ don’t spill that on your gorgeous gown…I mean that’s cranberry juice in there and that is peach silk you are wearing…Danger!”.
The ornate gold table in the photo was a find on ebay. The picture behind Vanessa was a flea market find and the little red foo dogs were found at a Chinese import store.
Extravagant Bellissima Couture
Model: Fashion Royalty Monogram Extravagant
Gown: Bellissima Couture ( http://bellissima-couture.com/ )
Shoes: Mattel Barbie Louboutin shoe pack
It is always a pleasure to showcase the amazing work of Hilda of Bellissima Couture.
Poodle: Randall Craig
Chair: PureDreamfordolls (http://stores.ebay.com/PureDreamForDolls?_trksid=p4340.l2563)
Table: Jim Coates Collection ( http://stores.ebay.com/JIM-COATES-COLLECTION?_rdc=1)
Face Time–using props as inspiration.
I don’t know about others but when I photograph something, many times the inspiration for the set up comes from one prop. In many of my dioramas, I will start with one piece that will set the entire tone for the whole room. In this case, it’s all about the face. I saw these very interesting figures at my local Z Gallery and just had to have one for a prop. I don’t normally go for the contemporary pieces but this one appealed to me so home with me it went and into the studio for a photo shoot.
Model: FR Squared Engaging Elise
Dress and bracelet: Trace of Lace Silkstone Barbie
Shoes: FR Squared Engaging Elise
Wineglass: Ocara
And because I just couldn’t leave my macro lens sitting all lonely on the table…….
I just love the face on this Elise. **Note** Her hair has been slightly restyled from her original style. I took the the side down and pulled it over her forehead a bit. I had seen some other collectors do this on Flickr and on the WClub and loved it so I copied the style.
The Traditionalist by Vera Wang
I was able to get this beauty into the studio a few weeks ago. I have had her deboxed and waiting for a number of weeks and just needed the right time to photograph her. She has the sweetest face and the gown really needs to be seen in person to fully appreciate it. There are layers upon layers to this dress. You just can’t get that from the promotional photos.
Its all about the hat…Part two
Things have been crazy, crazy busy for the past three weeks so no chance to update the blog until now. I was recently lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and snag a beautiful pink silk suit and hat by Matisse. I just love everything she does. Whenever I receive on of her lovely creations, it’s like Christmas. She wraps everything so carefully and beautifully that I feel like I am receiving a special gift….and of course I am 
Outfit and jewelry: Matisse ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/brendavisaya)
Model: Restyled Silkstone Verushka
It’s all about the hat…..
I love hats. I love to photograph these diminutive fashion ladies in hats. If there is a cool hat with an outfit….I’m usually buying it. When the recent royal wedding festivities were on, I tuned in….to see the hats! In fact, it was the royal wedding that gave me some ideas. I had seen these scrapbooking fabric flowers in my local craft store recently and I thought “ Hmmmmm, I wonder if these would work as a hat?” They do! Or at least I think they do. You can find these online under “scrapbooking fabric embellishments” or “fabric flowers”.
Here is Ms. Poppy Parker to model my repurposed hat. I imagined her out on the terrace before a formal wedding.
Model: Restyled Pillow Talk Poppy Parker
White Suit: Fashion Royalty Monogram Incandescent
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi–Mellow Yellow
I am pulling from the archives here to satisfy a Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi. I have had these photos posted on my Flickr account for a while but have not posted them on my blog. I just love High Tea and Savories in this gown. I think the blue flowers really bring out the blue in her eyes much better than her original brown dress does. I love this design of James Bogue in particular and I have a number of versions in different colors.
Model: High Tea and Savories Silkstone Barbie
Dress: Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues )
Will be working on new photos soon….as soon as ballet recital season is done 
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Verushka Restyled!
I just could not get inspired by Verushka’s long hair so I decided to put it up and see what happened. I LOVE it!
Model: Silkstone BFMC Verushka
White Suit: Fashion Royalty Monogram Incandescent
Black hat: Bogue’s Vogues
Jewelry: Fashion Royalty Vibrant Dimension
Shoes: Fashion Royalty Going Public
Purse: Fashion Royalty Squared Metropolitan
Gloves: Silkstone BFMC Verushka
And because I LOOOOOOVE my Macro lens……
Extravagance visits the studio
Some musings about this set of photos and what I was thinking while doing it. There is something so rich and elegant about the Fashion Royalty Monogram line of dolls. Whenever my imagination comes up with an elegant set or background, I tend to go for the monograms to help finish the picture that is in my head. When I first received this black Bogue’s Vogues black silk dress, I immediately thought jewelry shopping. Don’t ask me why….just did. The hat, also a Bogue’s Vogues creation, was so wonderful it needed a strong face but not too strong because… let’s face it…it’s all about the hat. I felt I needed a blond model to set off the beautiful black dress and I wanted sunglasses because nothing says “I’m famous and fabulous!” better than a big pair of designer shades. With those things decided, I needed some amazing accessories to match but not too many. First I settled on this fabulous bracelet that came with the Mattel ‘s Anemone Barbie by Christian Louboutin . With that decided, the earrings could not compete with the bracelet so I decided on simple but bold diamond( okay rhinestone ) clusters With such a sleek and elegant dress, I figured I could go all out with the shoes. I wanted to use a fabulous silver pair of shoes that came in the Barbie Louboutin shoe pack. To my complete amazement, the shoes actually fit the Monogram foot so that’s what she is wearing. To complete the outfit, I added a La Boutique Dior purse of the month. Fantastic!
The set was simple because I wanted most of the focus to be on the model. The checkerboard floor was added for some interest but the rest was all tones on black. The mannequin and necklace were the only things I wanted to stand out amidst the background and now that I look back on the photos, I wish I had chosen a necklace with rubies instead of sapphires but, oh well.
Renegade Dasha is in the House!
I did not win the right to purchase this lovely lady in the lottery but thanks to a fellow collector and a fabulous trade, Renegade Dasha is in the house! I really love the styling of this particular FR Squared Dasha. She is very sophisticated and sleek. Yes, the half bun half ponytail hairstyle is a bit of a mystery but it is fairly easy to work around. I really like the blond hair, pale skin and red, red lips. She seemed to me like she needed a sleek and sophisticated backdrop so I imagined her at a swanky wine bar with a lovely merlot. We live in wine country so I will use wine many times for my props.
The Gang’s All Here
The Russian Silkstone gang that is. Well…not all of them. Darya will be here sometime in late summer but I just couldn’t wait to do a group shot. I received Verushka today and I was so enthused I just had to get the gang into the studio. First of all, let me just say it took a little while to warm up to Verushka. That hat! I guess I am just not the floppy sides down Elmer Fudd hat kind of girl. I was going to just take the thing off except I had heard stories that she is sparsely rooted under the hat. I decided to just tie the floppy sides up ( like any good hunting hat and much more like the Elmer Fudd we know and love) and I have to say I like it WAY better. I love the platinum blond with the black on this lady. Very dramatic and that is just what I was looking for with this line.
After seeing many amazing photos that people have taken of Ekaterina with her hat off, I decided to remove her hat and reposition it. LOVE it now. I had thought I might replace the hat with a fur Dimitha hat but for now…she will keep her original hat. Finally, I am so excited to be using these amazing Russian stacking dolls I found at a doll show recently. I was encouraged to purchase this particular set by a dear Barbie friend ( cough, cough Silkyfever, cough, cough) and I am so glad I listened to her.
Nicolai is adorable!
And last but not least….little Mila.
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi!
Many of you know I am a huge fan of James Bogue and his work. He has a store on Etsy where he sells his exquisite creations http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues. I completely adore the styling and workmanship that goes into his designs. His creations never fail to inspire some of my favorite photos and this recent shoot was no exception. I received an especially frothy and pinkalicious ( yes it’s a word! LOL!) dress that I could not wait to photograph. Miss High Tea and Savories Silkstone had the pleasure of modeling the dress for the shoot.
Vendredi in French means Friday and I thought it sounded better than Bogue’s Vogues Friday 
The pink ladies have tea
Thanks to a dear Barbie friend I was able to add City Smart Silkstone to my collection. I just love this lady and she will show up often in my photos. For those of you who have told me you never get to see City Smart redressed….this one’s for you. 
For those of you who want more info on the details…this next bit is for you.
Models: City Smart Silkstone and restyled Tout de Suite
Pink dresses: James Bogue of Bogue’s Vogues http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues
The Set
Display Cabinet and white/gold side table are 1:6 Bespaq from
http://stores.ebay.com/JIM-COATES-COLLECTION?_rdc=1
Pullip Petit Luxury chairs repaited in gold
Pink Tea set found at a doll show in Washington State.
Cake stand: Re-Ment Princess Tea Party #8 ( The princess’s favorite)
Treats on the stand: Re-Ment Special Cakes for me #7 ( Garden Party)
The background is foam core covered in gold moiré patterned wrapping paper. Flooring is black and white checked contact paper on foam core.
Dark Swan FR Squared gets married
I guess I just wasn’t quite finished with Dark Swan in this gown. My first idea when sewing her into this dress was to do a wedding shoot. Somehow, the wedding shoot turned into a high fashion photo first then looped back around for the wedding shoot. Ahhh…the creative process was never a straight line where I am concerned.
Spring has arrived at The Fashion Doll Studio!
It was sunny in the suburbs of Seattle yesterday so that meant time in the studio. I received some absolutely stunning fashions from James Bogue of Bogue’s Vogues this past week and I am having fun photographing them. I will be doing a segment on my blog called “Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi!” and it will pop up on random Fridays. My first one will be this Friday and here is a taste of what you will see….
Ekaterina arrives in the Fashion Doll Studio
Robert Best has designed a new line of dolls for the BFMC inspired by Russia and Russian fashions. The first one into the doll studio is Ekaterina. She is exclusive to the Barbie Fan Club . I am always a sucker for any doll with red hair. When I saw the promo pictures, I knew this lady would be destined for my doll room and The Fashion Doll Studio. Upon arrival, I was not impressed. In her coffin of a box, she appeared very pale and the hair was not the riot of curls the promo picture would indicate. That being said, I decided to debox and am very glad I did. This is definitely a lady that needs to be DEBOXED to reach her full potential. I did have to finesse the hair a bit to get the fuller look…more curls not one big curl on either side of the head. The hat….not the best but I can deal. I foresee a hatless model in the future but for now it will stay on her beautiful head. I am a little afraid of the hat hair situation under there. The bracelet was a surprise because I was expecting the same bracelet as D2D and Preferably Pink but it is slightly different – yeah! The brooch on the hat is beautiful. The outfit is similar to JNSQ but not too close. The boots people…are…. TO DIE FOR.
I had some fun with my macro lens in the photo shoot so I was able to get some great up close shots. Hope you enjoy.
Behind the scenes in Rebecca’s studio
I have had a number of board members write and ask me to share how I take my photos. With their encouragement, I thought I would share some information on my thread. I know I always love to see the “behind the scenes” shots on other peoples dioramas and photos so I hope you will find it useful.
I take most of my photos in a photo tent:
It is basically a nylon cube ( that can be folded up and stored away but I leave mine up as I use it all the time). I use a variety of backdrops – most that are made specifically for the 30 inch photo cube that I use.
Lighting is a key feature in what I do. I use three separate lights that difuse through the nylon photo tent.
The fact that there is defused light really cuts down on shadows. Some people use one big soft box light from the front ( I think this is how Mattel does theirs) but I prefer the flexibility of different light points.
The studio does take up space….
But, for me….I use it almost every day. It is set up in the corner of our bonus/play room so I enjoy being up there when my daughter is practicing her violin or when my son is playing a video game. I have the tent set on two shelves so I can store props that I use for photos.
The other big component of my photography is the processing afterwords or post production. For me, that is photoshop Elements. I try to get most of the componets I want when I actually take the picture but I normally tweek every single photo with photoshop before I post it..even if it is just to resize it to the appropriate dimensions for the various doll boards. I like to whiten backgrounds with photoshop and saturate colors if necessary. Here is a raw photo:
And here is the finished product after photoshop.
Here is an example of what a set up looks like when everything is lit up
I hope you found this information helpful. Feel free to ask questions.
–Rebecca
Dahlia visits the museum
I was able to fit a photo shoot in this weekend as I slalomed through costume fittings, rehearsals, ballet classes and social engagements for my daughter. I am just her chauffeur LOL! I have had this idea for a while of setting up a museum scene and I finally had the prefect Bogue’s Vogue that could be showcased in this setting. Here is a shot of the full set
The resulting photos turned out very good, I think. They all had the feel I was going for.
I was just about to put the camera away when the sun streamed into the area that I have my photo studio so I moved Dahlia to a smaller table just inside the pool of light and took a few shots. This was just freehand without a tripod….always risky…but I managed to get some pretty clear shots. Here is the one I think is the best of the bunch. Very film noir.
Shopgirl’s fancy shop gets a name and some press
Ahh Photo shoot Friday yet again. Many, many different projects going on this week. First and foremost, Shopgirl’s fancy shop received a name and it’s Grand Opening photo shoot. I had to set it up on the table in the doll room so it had better light for the shoot ( thank goodness for the good weather this week!!) I had to fit in bits and pieces of time for the photo shoot throughout the day so I could get the best light – afternoon works the best with the maximum amount coming in through the doll room windows. Here is the setup
The photos turned out pretty good and I spent a huge chunk of time photoshopping and tweaking. Then a brainstorm hit and I decided to do another slideshow set to music just showing the shop and introducing the shops new name. Now there is a whole other story…..how did I decide on the shops name. I decided I couldn’t just keep calling it Shopgirl’s fancy shop. It needed its own name. It needed something classy to fit with Shopgirl. It needed something French as it felt like a European style shop. I bounced ideas of my trusted in-house technical support. He suggested I try translating directly “fancy shop”. Translated to French it read ” Boutique de fantaisie “. I looked at my technical support and he looked at me…..something was not quite right. “What?” he says, “Sound too much like an exotic dance place??”. Yep, it did. So off to find a better name. After much discussion we finally settled on “Belles Choses”. Translated, it means beautiful things. Yeah!! Shopgirl finally has a name for her beautiful shop. I finished up the slideshow and then began the arduous task of converting it to WMV (chug,chug,chug goes the computer) and posted it to youtube for everyone’s viewing pleasure. I think it turned out really cute. The snappy music is from the soundtrack “Miss Pettigrew lives for a Day”. A number of people have asked for more information on the lighting fixtures in the shop. Here are some more up close and “behind the scenes” photos of the shop.
The white panels with the gold embellishments are just mirrors from some Disney princess sets that I painted white (Krylon white spray paint for plastic ) and added gold scrapbooking photo corners to. The light fixture is a doll house candle sconce that I made look bigger by adding a gold escutcheon ( fancy word for keyhole cover). The light fixture could work if you wanted to drill a hole through the back of the plastic mirror. I was too lazy so that light fixture does not work. The built in display shelves have working lights however. They are just the clip on book lights that you find everywhere. Notice how I like to reuse silkstone boxes to LOL! I always love the “behind the scenes” photos from other people’s doll blogs so I hope someone else will find these of use. I also wanted to show the absolute carnage in the doll room after one of these shoots.
There is usually stuff everywhere because when the light is good, I’m just pulling stuff out and getting it set so I can get the shot. I worry about clean up much later. I was also able to do a phototent shoot that day and used a seldom used model in the silkie world…Chataine. I recently aquired some outfits from Fashion Boulevard. I LOVE them. Here are a few shots from that set
. Well that about does it for now.
Photoshoot Friday – Shopping for Props
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 