Milan Boating Season is Open
The Italian Doll Convention was held in Milan this past month and the reports from this event spell out a most fantastic time. The reports are so glowing that I am seriously considering a trip to Milan next year to experience some of the fun. Like the Paris Fashion Doll Festival, a variation of one of the BFMC’s Silkstone Barbies was given as the convention doll. She is being referred to as “Milan Boater” and is a honey blond version of the 2013 BFC club doll “Boater Ensemble”
Source: Dutch Barbie World
Thanks to a very generous and lovely friend, I had the opportunity to obtain a “Milan Boater” and I love her.
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
Yes!! Finally another installment of Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi. I have been remiss on this for a while and it was well past time to reinstitute this favorite blog segment. James recently sent me two outfits so beautiful, I had to share. Normally, I pull out the silkies for these but felt it was Integrity Toys turn to get some love.
Models: Place Vendome Victoire Roux and Think Pink Imogen
Couture: Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)
High Toned Hankie Chic
I stumbled upon another fantastic Etsy site the other day and just received my first item. The very talented Sylvia Bittner of Hankie Chic makes these wonderful ensembles out of vintage handkerchiefs. http://www.etsy.com/shop/HankieChic?ref=seller_info_count
(Photo credit: Sylvia Bittner)
How cute and inventive is this?!! I was so intrigued by this product, I had to ask Sylvia a few questions.
1. Where did you get the idea to do this?
I got the idea for making Barbie dresses from a book, Hankie Couture, by Marsha Greenberg. I found the book while I was trolling JoAnn Fabrics a year ago. It was love at first sight. I bought the book for inspiration and then directed my husband to the nearest antique mall to stock up on hankies. Since then, I’ve made close to 100 dresses, some from patterns I’ve drafted myself (such as the outfit you purchased) and some from patterns by others or commercial vintage patterns.
2. Are you a fashion doll collector and if so, what do you collect?
I didn’t own a Barbie at the time I bought the book, but I’ve made up for it since then. I started by collecting most of the Barbie Basics dolls, and then moved on to vintage reproductions, and now Silkstones. I currently have 70 or so, but I’m thinking about downsizing and selling some of the model muse dolls on eBay and just concentrating on Silkstones, since most people seem to want to purchase clothes that fit Silkstones.
3. Where do you find these glorious handkerchiefs that you use?
I look for hankies everywhere … Antique shops, EBay, Etsy … I travel frequently instate for my job, and out of state on vacations, so I’m always looking for antique shops wherever I go. All the hankies I use are vintage and I’ve been blessed to find some really beautiful ones. You can see my entire hankie collection on my Pinterest board, pinterest.com/sylviabittner/ on the board, my vintage hankies.
I want to extend a huge “Thank You!” to Sylvia for being willing to be interviewed for the blog and for doing such amazing and creative work. I love it! And folks…these beauties aren’t just for Silkstones .
Model: High Toned Rayna
Purse: Redefined Accessory Kit by Integrity Toys
Shoes: Gift from a friend ( love ya!)
It’s a Nice Day for a Picnic in Paris
I am still feeling the inspiration from my recent trip to Paris ( hope that sticks around for a while too). That coupled with the recent sunshine and Spring temperatures had me feeling like a Picnic….and here it is.
Model: OOAK Debut Silkstone ( no she isn’t the Paris doll festival Debut but doesn’t she look like one!!) I rerooted a caucasian Debut and repainted the eyebrows.
Dress: Bellissima Couture ( http://bellissimacouturefashions.wordpress.com/)
Hat: Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)
Shoes, Gloves and Jewelry: Mattel
**The photos above were made possible by the following talented artists who were willing to share their amazing photoshop brushes on deviantart: Blazter(JavierZhx) and deseratedeceit. **
Miss Debut here represents my one and ONLY attempt at rerooting a Silkstone. That process is not for a first timer folks. I was lucky to have fingers when I was done and it took about a month LOL! I now have a completely new level of respect for anyone who reroots these Silkies.
The Blogging Blues
We all have them. Those times when we just can’t seem to summon the energy to get things done. I find myself in this state of ennui from time to time.
That is where I feel I have been for the last week. Yesterday, however, the sun came out and I decided to do some redressing and get with the program. I grabbed my trusty point and shoot and had some fun with the sunshine. Hope you like 
Model: Victoire Roux Place Vendome
Gloves: Victoire Roux Place Vendome
Suit and hat: Bellissima Couture (http://bellissimacouturefashions.wordpress.com/)
Shoes and Jewelry: Mattel
Model ,Gloves and Jewelry: Think Pink! Imogen
Gown: Victoire Roux Place Vendome
And…behind the scenes.
Mermaid Gown Arrives..and Bewitches ITFDS!
When news and promotional photos were shared of this one, I was beside myself with excitement. I mean come on…she was all in pink! I have been waiting patiently for this one to arrive and my lovely Barbie Collector dealer Claudia of Pink Ponytail made sure my Ms. Mermaid Gown was shipped promptly to me. Typically, I will photograph a doll upon receipt in what’s come to be known as ( yes, Rogier…you have named it) putting her in THE WINDOW. I like to take photos of a new doll in natural light without enhancing anything ( no Photoshop!) up against a soft white window sill so people can get a good idea of the actual coloring of a doll. These are the photos I took of Ms. Mermaid Gown just after she came in the door.
Her gown is the softest crepe de chine in a dusty pink. Her skin tone is “Silkstone peace” which means she is very, very pale. I am not sure what the back of her hairdo was “supposed” to look like but I had to do some reconstructive surgery to get mine to look something other than a hot mess. It wasn’t difficult but it did take some work and some hair gel….just sayin’.
I am very, very happy with her though. She is a beautiful addition to the 2013 Silkstone Atelier line. And now…the studio shots!
And…because Rebecca was having WAY too much fun with Photoshop today…. Kind of had a Bewitched moment didn’t I?! I almost looked for a witch on a broomstick outline to put in the sky…
…almost .
Moving on….
Are we ready to leave the drama of the last post behind? Yes, I think so! The month of January has absolutely flown by and I realized I had not taken a single studio shot during the entire month. Bad me! I have had an idea floating around for the past month to showcase a doll that doesn’t get seen that much and a new product that people are very excited about. Here is the teaser photo…more photos coming soon 
2012 ITFDS Favorites
At the end of each year, a flurry of photos floods Flickr and doll boards with groupings of collectors favorite dolls for the year. I always have these grand ideas of doing a group photo too and never seem to get around to it . This year, I had a flash of inspiration and decided I was going to MAKE the time to do it…so.. here it is. I was inspired by this years Vanity Fair Hollywood Edition.
In no particular order, my favorite dolls for 2012 are
1) Glam Addict Giselle
2) Gala Gown Silkstone Barbie
3) Fame by Frame Imogen
4) Lilac Frost Poppy Parker
5) High Profile Eugenia
Inspiration photo…..
Seasons Greetings from ITFDS
After a couple of weeks of absolute holiday craziness…I am sure you all can relate….I have finally finished editing photos of the doll room and surround for your viewing pleasure. Because I have some avid pinners out there who are still pinning from my skydrive when I have asked “Please, please , please don’t do that ( you know who you are), I will not be posting all the photos in a slideshow. I have , however, put together a slideshow set to music which I have uploaded to youtube and am sharing here too. I will share a few stills but the bulk of the photos are in the slideshow. There are over 100 photos in the slideshow so a little something for everybody 
Happy Holidays! From my doll room to your home, I hope you enjoy the photos and slideshow. I also want to take this opportunity to say a huge, huge “Thank You” to my readers and commenters. You are..in a phrase…”why I do what I do”. I thank you all for your support and encouragement. I hope in 2013 that my work will continue to interest you.
Note**** If you want to see the high resolution version of this, you need to tell the youtube player on your scrren to give you the highest quality. It’s one of the small icons on the bottom right of the youtube screen**
Flickr 2012
Sorry for the long delay between posts guys. Things have been super busy with photo-shoots lately so…sadly….no doll time. Finished my last job for the holidays this past week ( or least the photo shoot part) so I can put some more time into the blog…yippeee!!
Since I don’t have any new photos to share today..but soon…I promise, I will bring up some favorites from the year. If you are a Flickr member and contributor, you have most likely seen many of these already. At the end of the year, many of the fabulous collectors and photographers on Flickr post their most viewed, most favorited, most commented on and personal favorite photos for the year. I decided to participate this year and wanted to share it here as well. It was a hard choice to come up with a personal favorite so I am going to also share the runners-up for my personal favorite photo. If you had a favorite this year, feel free to comment. I would love to hear what people are responding to and what they would like to see more of.
And now for the runners up for my personal favorite photo…..
1st Runner Up
2nd Runner Up
3rd Runner Up
Envied, Bemused and Passionate…A Second Look
I was moving the displays around in the cases the other day and decided these guys needed a second look. I had these ladies displayed on this couch just as I have them posed for a while but it is time to move them out and display some different dolls. I know that most people ordered these gals for their cute little dresses but I actually really like the dolls. I know that Barb at Windy City Dolls still has a few on sale http://www.windycitydolls.com/frmonogram.htm#Sale
Models: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Envied”, “Bemused” and “ Passionate”
Couch: Horseman Urban Environment ( meant for 16” dolls so scale is slightly off for this shot)
Birdcages: Found at favorite flea market. I think they were holiday ornaments.
Bogue’s Vogues…..Samedi
Okay okay….so I couldn’t get around to posting this yesterday so instead of doing my customary Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi (French for Friday)…I had to settle for a Bogue’s Vogues Samedi (French for Saturday). I have a new Bogue’s Vogues to share and I happen to have just received one of the most stunning dolls to model it for you. I have written before about my love and respect for One of A Kind ( OOAK ) artists. There are many, many talented OOAK artists in the fashion doll collecting arena. Jon Copeland is one whose work never fails to inspire and amaze me. I would say his largest body of work is within the Fashion Royalty repaint and retying category but occasionally he will work his magic on Barbie as well. I was fortunate enough to happen upon a picture of one of his Silkstone repaints for sale last month and it was love at first sight. I literally caught my breath as I opened the box with this lady. She is that stunning. Mr. Copeland….I tip my hat.
Model: OOAK Silkstone Barbie repaint and restyle by Jon Copeland ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/selojspa/ and http://www.facebook.com/SelojSpa) Note** sometimes flickr will filter his photos…there is nothing inappropriate about them so don’t know why flickr does that. Feel free to click through the filter and enjoy the eye candy of his work.
Dress: Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)
Elizabeth Taylor Silkstone photos released!
I wrote about the Elizabeth Taylor celebrity Silkstone a couple of weeks ago and now we hear there will be not one but two Silkstone releases of Liz. I was hoping for a “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” inspired set with the little slip and….I got my wish!!! While the dress is not exactly a reproduction, it’s close enough and I will take it. It will be available in a giftset called White Diamonds. It will retail for around $150.00 and will be available in the fall.
** Photos are property of Mattel Inc.**
The second Elizabeth Taylor offering is stunning!! It features Ms. Taylor in a gorgeous black gown inspired , I believe, by the movie Suddenly, Last Summer. It’s called “Violet Eyes” and will retail for around $130.00 . It will be available in the fall.
Love them both!!
It’s time for another Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi!
I feel like I have been neglecting my Silkstones for the past few months so it was time to bring em back and do it right. I joke with James Bogue all the time about the fact that I am such a “pinkophile” when it comes to his creations. If it’s in pink…I’m liking it. It came as a complete shock that I was drawn to a powder blue dress he had on his Etsy site and once I received it…I was in LOVE. I had the perfect lady to model it too. I had finally worked up the courage to cut and restyle a Preferably Pink Silkstone Barbie into the hairstyle I feel she should have originally came with…a shorter bob cut. I love it on her and I hope you do to.
Model: Restyled Preferably Pink Silkstone Barbie
Dress and Hat: Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)
Shoes: Mattel
And because I am headed into dance recital season and things are about to get wayyyy stressful, I threw this in for fun. This needs to be my mantra for the next 4 weeks…should I take up yoga????
You Look So Fine Erin
Oh M…er..Erin you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind hey M…er Erin, Hey Erin. I have to admit this song was kind of going through my mind as I typed out the name of this doll. Guess that shows my age, yes, I was and still am to some degree a teenager of the 80’s. This lovely Erin is no child of the 80’s. She if a full on fashion diva of the present. Her dress is TO DIE FOR folks..worth the doll alone in my opinion but I digress. This is the last Erin produced with this original face mold. She has been given a facelift and we will see her new visage IRL when the first W Club doll ships sometime this summer. Many people are not fans of the “open mouth show us those pearly whites” face mold. I don’t have a problem with it. It kind of makes her look sweet and innocent. Her fashion is anything but. I have to admit, I was trepidatious about photographing this lady in THIS gown sitting down but I went there.
**Photography note for those wanting to photograph this lady in her original outfit or any doll in this dress for that matter**. Try to lean this baby up against a wall if you can. What I learned during this photo shoot:
1. Armature wire isn’t going to work because most of her leg shows with this gown but hey..if you want to spend countless hours Photoshopping the wire out..have at it.
2. Thought about leaning her back against a block or something sturdy but short…Nope. The skirt of the dress is pretty sheer so you will see whatever you put back there
3. Thought I was smart using strings to suspend her…WRONG!! I failed to realize the folds in the fabric and the impact they would have on Photoshopping out the strings. BAD ME! Yep…had to spend the thankless hour and a half Photoshopping out the strings then cloning back in the folds on the background for the roughly 20 full standing shots of this set…AAAACCCCKKKK. Note to Rebecca: When using complicated backdrop DO NOT USE STRINGS!!
4. The above mentioned reasons should explain why I then had to sit this lady down. Yes, I realize that she is getting dangerously close to performing a Sharon Stone Basic Instinct but it was either that or learn to embrace Photoshop as a way of life.
Okay, enough of me whining about my inability to think ahead LOL…on to the photos.
And…just because this was a rocker wedding and I don’t think Erin would have attended alone.
**A Note to all you pinners out there on Pinterest. If you are pinning photos from a slideshow embedded in someone’s blog….PLEASE DON’T! I am suspending showing all the shots of a set via slideshow because people are pinning photos from the slideshow and it will send people to my skydrive instead of the blog when they click on the photo. I really, really don’t want people surfing around my skydrive so until I can figure out a way to prevent people from pinning off of the slideshows/skydrive….no more slideshows. Other than that…Pin to your hearts content. I love that you enjoy the photos enough to pin and share them. 
**
Romain and Lilith…The Rock Wedding
After the stress of Romain’s coiffure, I was ready to have some fun so I went all soft and dreamy with the set. I was thinking it would be fun to have all this softness in the background and all the edginess in the dolls out front. I have had a number of friends comment that they were surprised I ordered this set…they are not what I typically collect. I was surprised myself how much these dolls appealed to me. I have to say my camera and I are IN LOVE with this trio of dolls. I adore the versatility of Lilith’s gift set. She has so many different looks and I can’t wait to start redressing. Romain aka lettuce boy , hair not withstanding, is just way cool. Love the square jaw and angles on this guy. From a photography standpoint, there are lots of angles to work with on his face…he will have a different look depending on how you light him and from what angle…lots of options. I would imagine that Romain and Lilith would not have the traditional wedding even though that is what the set and these photos would suggest.
And my favorite shot from the set
Erin’s turn is next…always the bridesmaid and never the bride…will have to see what we can do about that 
Rock Steady Romain
I keep looking at his name and hoping I am spelling it correctly. My husband has taken to calling him affectionately “lettuce boy”. He has a reason to gripe as I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to style and photograph this guy and my husband has had to listen to it LOL. Let’s face the facts folks..he came out of the box with clumpy and uninspired hair. Certainly not what the promo’s promised but I prefer to look at it as a challenge…so like a dog with a bone…I set to work. I know I didn’t hit the mark of the look of the promo shots but I am happy with the doll and photos. I think he is handsome and love the face sculpt. Just wish I had a smidge more bang length and I am too much of a wimp to reroot.
If you want a little taste of what I was listening to during this photo shoot and post processing, check out the playlist on the right hand side of the blog .
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.
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.
When Re-Ment becomes an obsession/addiction.
ad·dic·tion
[uh-dik-shuh
n]
–noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
ob·ses·sion
[uhb-sesh-uhn]
–noun
the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
I have often wondered if I am addicted to or obsessed with Re-Ment. There is just something about those little reproductions of daily items…dishes, food, perfume bottles…ahhhh the list could go on forever. I am not quite sure what it is but as a photographer, I love these little items because they can help fill out a scene and make a photo infinitely more interesting. There is also the fact that they are just plain fun to stage and play with. Like many collectors, I started off with just a few sets I had found at a local Japanese market. Then…because those first few sets were so fun…I had to have more.
And then more…..
And then more…..
I used to just store the sets in a big box but then it became so difficult to find what I wanted, I was not using them at all. I found these hardware organizers that work very well for these small sets. The added bonus was that they could be hung on the wall next to my little studio space. This way I can just grab what I need.
“Hello….my name is Rebecca….and I am addicted to Re-Ment.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Wanted to share some wearing of the green today.
Model: Restyled Dusk To Dawn Silkstone
Dress: Bogue’s Vogues
Purse: La Boutique
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 