Straight From Paris Fashion Week
Since I showed off Hilda’s suits from Bellissima Couture in a very elegant way, I wanted to show how versatile these Chanel inspired jackets can be. Eden and Nadja have been hitting the fashion shows at Paris Fashion week this past month.
Models: Sneak Peek Eden and Out of Sight Nadja from 2015 IT Convention
Jackets: Bellissima Couture ( will be for sale this week at IT convention!)
Eden’s purse and sunglasses: Moschino Barbie
Nadja’s beret and wig: FR Monogram
The remainder of clothing came with the dolls that are modeling
These jackets will be for sale at 2016 IT Convention this week!!
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
A New Muse
Last week, Integrity Toys and David Buttry gave us an amazing Poppy Collection. In the same week I received, from SeloJSpa, my latest repaint from Jon Copeland-Childers. The second I opened this one up, I knew I was going to be obsessed for a while. Jon, I don’t know how you do it, but you continue to surprise, delight and amazing me. Since David Buttry left me dreaming of Poppy Parker in Paris, I simply couldn’t wait to take her there.
Model: Lash Out!, Poppy Parker repainted by Jon Copeland-Childers
* note* Poppy has been rebodied onto a FR2 FR white body
Gloves: Poppy Parker black gloved hands
Suit and purse: Fashions by Shane
Jewelry:Traveling Incognito Poppy Parker
Beret: Integrity Toys Monogram “Escapade”
Shoes: Idol Worship Kyori
Dog: Randall Craig poodle
The eyes in this image are almost reptilian. I took the shot and just went whoah…that’s a cover.
-Rebecca
Agnes at the Palazzo
For those of you following my Instagram, you have seen a little taste of this shoot. If you don’t follow, here is a little backstory. It all started with this amazing dress which I found on Etsy by the talented duo AquatalisBoutique . You may have seen some of their work over on Rogier’s Blog this week. It took a while for this gown to get to me because the first one was lost in the vast quagmire of postal services between Vietnam and my home. Aquatalis was great about it and after we waited a reasonable time without the dress showing up, they promptly made and mailed another one. Excellent customer service and kept me informed the whole time. When I saw this gown I immediately thought of Dolce & Gabbana and their 2012 and 2013 collections. Such vibrant color and opulence. I needed an appropriate backdrop. Nothing I had was doing it for me. So….time for a new one and I went to the Dutch still life masters to find inspiration. I had seen a wall covering recently that I was obsessed with and wanted to do something similar…this set was what came from all that brainstorming.
Inspiration room photo…
source: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/flower-mural/
The beginnings of a new background
The headdress is the necklace from Fiorella Silkstone Barbie. The flowers have been digitally altered to match the dress.
The detail on this dress is really something!
The minis in these shots are Orcara miniatures. These items are from their red wine set. Above are miniature paper sunflowers found at local craft store.
And the perfect photo to express the Agnes attitude.
-Rebecca
A Passion for Pink
This title should be a weekly entry at Inside the Fashion Doll Studio…maybe it will be now that I have said it. I recently discovered the beautiful work of Antonio Realli and was very pleased to add one of his recent collection pieces to my ever growing 1/6 clothing hoard.
For those diorama artists out there, the flooring I used in these shots is a new contact paper I used found here. I love that it is super shiny like real marble. Love the reflection it gives of the gown! We are finally starting to get some sunshine in the Pacific Northwest. The forecast for the next week is SUNNY!! I will be taking advantage and photographing many projects.
Some of you have already noticed that I have started an Instagram account ( see sidebar to the right just under archives). Feel free to follow me there for sneaks of upcoming items or additional photos of some behind the scenes stuff. It’s my goal to post something daily there. A goal….to be reached at some point in the future. 
-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
The Sales Room
This will be my last Paris Fashion Doll Festival report as I finish up my stint of co-blogging with Dutch Barbie World. As I finish up this blog post, Rogier is making his way back home with a lot of goodies he picked up at the festival. I am sure he will give us his overall impressions when he has a chance to unpack and unwind. I hope you all have enjoyed these R&R ( Rogier and Rebecca…perhaps a new blog down the road LOL!) reports.
There was a final Sybarite offering from Superdoll Saturday and those intrepid enough to get up super early and stand in line, were able to get her. She had an edition size of 30. Very limited indeed. Her name is Meringue.
The last event of this Paris festival was the sales room and by the look of Rogier’s photos, there was much to look at and choose from. Many OOAK artists came to show off their talents. There were two offerings from the popular 16 inch doll line Numina
And a large group of beautiful OOAKs from Artist Creations
Créations Cotho by Corinne Thorner
And much much more…
You can find more photos on Rogier’s Flickr page. That wraps it up for me. Thank you Rogier, for taking us along on this fantastic journey!! It has been an honor and a pleasure to guest/co-blog with you! Safe travel home my friend.
–Rebecca
Paris Fashion Week
It sounds like collectors are finally receiving their classic black dress silkstones after ordering them back in February. I thought it was time to bring this lady out and showcase her in a setting that touches on what is going on currently in the fashion world…Paris Fashion Week. Hope you enjoy!
Model: Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Hat: Scrapbooking element from Joann’s Fabric
Jewelry: necklace made by me
Shoes: Mattel
Gloves: Have absolutely noooooo idea. I don’t think they are Mattel. They may have come with a DEA fashion. They fit this new articulated body very snuggly though.
Set: Ornate wall made by me, gold chairs obtained through special order, flooring is checkerboard contact paper.
-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 
The Power of Pink!!
Actually, I wanted to title this blog post “The power of pink, a new frock and a little bit of sunshine” , but it would have been too long. When you live in the Pacific Northwest and it’s the dead of winter ( which means rain people…lots and lots of rain), if one ray of sunshine peaks out, you are grabbing your camera and saying “What can I take a photo of!!” Or maybe…that’s just me. Yes I am seeing someone about my random photo tendencies when in the presence of intermittent sunshine LOL!
So, recently I took ownership of this adorable little dress from Hilda of Bellissima Couture. To me this dress just makes me happy. It’s pink yumminess with a hat. Also, it gave me a chance to use a new model in the studio..Ms. IT Airways Poppy Parker. She came with a pair of hands with white gloves ( Thank you David!!) so I knew I had to use them in a photo. I know by reading the WClub boards that a number of people were less than pleased with how the hair came out for their Poppy’s. Mine was not the best when she arrived but a very thoughtful and gifted group of souls on the WClub talked some of us through what they did to fix their Poppy’s hair. It worked like a dream on mine. If you are a WClub member and want to see the tutorial, head over to the WClub forum and look under IT Airways Poppy. My “thanks” to the contributors!
She is a young Anna Wintour here. The hat did not come with the dress. It is a floral scrapbooking embellishment. The pink pearl necklace is one I made.
-Rebecca
Back to Basics
What do I mean by that? Good question. With all the negativity going on right now surrounding this new articulated silkstone body from Mattel and the general feeling that they are not listening to their adult collector community, I took a moment to refocus. I was getting too wrapped up in the negativity of the bad front end user interface of the Barbie Collection website and the lack of information and general feel of apathy coming from Mattel. I needed to come back to why I like to collect…”Why am I doing this?”. I needed to go look at my collection and start falling in love again. It didn’t take long. I went into the studio and took some photos and started rediscovering why I love to collect fashion dolls. It’s not about Mattel and what they do and don’t do. It’s not about Integrity Toys either. They do play a part because it is their products that fuel a passion but it’s not why I collect.
The love lies in what is done with these fashion models. It’s the creativity and support of the community that truly fuels and sustains the love of this hobby. With so much hurt and negativity going on right now, I think it’s time to pull back and refocus on my collection and what I enjoy most about it. I am not one to be driven by the acquisition of a thing nor am I what some consider a completest. Contrary to some people’s believe, I do not own every Silkstone Barbie ever made ( although I would not turn down the opportunity to LOL!). What I strive to do is have a collection of things that I truly enjoy. So…that is what I am going to try do do with the blog this year. Focus on enjoying the collection I have and not get tied up in where Mattel is going with their product line or not going with their website. It’s time to enjoy the collection I have. And I hope to share that enjoyment with you all through the photos I produce.
This gorgeous lady came to me at this past year’s Barbie Collector convention in Virginia. She is a Mannequin Maven. Mannequin Maven’s are the collaborative team of the very talented Maryann Roy and Hilda Westervelt. I love it when these two gifted artists get together and create! They never disappoint. Hilda and Maryann have collaborated for various charity donations for GAW, Kenvention, NBDCC and Rome Fashion Doll Convention.
The poodle…well…the poodle is a whole other story. That little guy came to me through a new friend made at Barbie convention and it quickly became my travel companion and sort of travel meme through the entire trip. For those in the “poodle club” …and you know who you are…it was time to bring the poodle out for a real photo shoot. We really need to give this little guy a name before next convention.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
I picked up this glorious gown at the last IT convention and have been waiting for the right lady to wear it. It is a power house of a gown so who better than “Power House Ayumi” to wear it.
Model: Power House Ayumi
Gown: PonnePP ( you can find his photos and work on Flickr at www.flickr.com/ponne1984)
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.
ITFDS is finally back online!!
Hello loyal readers. First off..I have to say I am sorry. I had every intention of posting every Friday but did not factor in how unreliable my Wi-Fi would be while traveling. In retrospect, I should have hung my “Gone Fishing” sign up and left it at that. Live, Learn. Happily I was able to post travel photos to my Flickr while we traveled ( it was a slow and painful process though) so for those who followed along on that, I am happy you enjoyed them. Thank you for all your comments! They were much appreciated.
We had the most amazing time journeying through Europe and my mind is absolutely bursting with new diorama ideas. I will be working on those in the coming months along with some new doll related business ventures ( more info to come….). For now, I will post some of the photos I had lined up to share while I was traveling.
Model: Spicy in Spain Poppy Parker
Dress, hat: Bogue’s Vogues
Jewelry: Spicy in Spain Poppy Parker
Shoes: Silkstone Barbie
Model: Sweet in Switzerland Poppy Parker
Dress: Bogue’s Vogues
Hat: Fashion Royalty
My fascination with Black and White’s continues….
Model: Fascination Monogram
Dress: Cocktail Dress Silkstone Barbie
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!)
Gala Dior
I almost always love a redhead in a green dress. Most people do and there are aesthetic and photography reasons for this…see upcoming blog post this next week. I recently took receipt of the most exquisite green dress from my dear friend Hilda of Bellissima Couture. She patterned it off of a Dior gown from the 1950’s as seen here in this iconic 1957 Life magazine photo
(Photo credit: Loomis Dean – 1957 LIFE)
I had to find the perfect model for it and who better than my muse o’ the moment…Gala Gown.
Model: Gala Gown Barbie® Doll
Gown and hat: Bellissima Couture
Necklace and gloves: Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Verushka Attends A Holiday Party
I was shocked at how a simple updo changed the entire look of this doll. She is now one of my favorite models.
Model: Restyled Verushka™ Barbie® Doll
Gown: Joe Tai
Earrings and gloves: Hope Diamond Barbie
What this picture would look like as a Chanel ad…..
Bellissima Couture is having an Event!
Hilda is calling it “Pretty Things” and my oh my are there many pretty things on her blog. She has very limited editions of these gorgeous creations so if you are interested RUN don’t walk to her blog….
http://bellissimacouturefashions.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/pretty-things/
**Photos are property of Bellissimacouture **
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 
