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
J’Adore Miss Amour
The title speaks for itself. When I first saw this doll my reaction was this…
And..that has not changed upon receiving her. She is EVERYTHING I was hoping for and more. David, I bow down! 
Miss Amour
Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll
The Bonbon Collection
IT Direct Exclusive
Approximate Ship Date: Mid-Late Summer 2016
Limited Edition Size: 700 Dolls
Doll Tech Specs:
Body Type: Poppy Parker™
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker™
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Ash Brown Mix
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-Applied
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker™
This amazing creature is gorgeous. The dress is beyond people…just…BEYOND.
It’s inspired by Dior I and many believe, what is not to love about that. Fashion inspiration image find goes to Nata-Leto on Flickr. Big THANKS to Rogier Corbeau of Dutch Barbie World for letting me use this image.
The jewelry is fabulous!
Me likey!!….Me likey a lot!!!!
-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
The Art of Fashion Doll Photography and Blogging–Part 1: The Introduction
I promised people who were not able to make it to the NBDCC presentation I did this July that I would repeat sections of the presentation via the blog so her is first section.
I introduced the class with this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl-__rM4IoE
Who am I?
Hello everyone. My name is Rebecca Berry and I am the creator, writer and photographer for Inside The fashion Doll Studio. It is a blog with around 1,000 subscribers and focuses primarily on 1/6 scale fashion dolls. First of all, I have to say a very quick and heartfelt “Thank You” to my readers and subscribers. Without all of you, I would not be here doing this so I thank you for your support and words of encouragement.
I am a self taught photographer which means I did not go to school for formal training as a photographer. I have been behind the lens of a camera for quite a while. In high school, I was the one typically behind the camera taking images of a friends sporting event and /or performance. When shooting I was usually most interested in capturing the relationship or emotion of the moment and not necessarily the action. I wanted a fun facial expression or quite moment of concentration before the long jump kind of image. When it was time for college, I never considered photography and instead studied an entirely different thing..number crunching and financial analysis LOL! A whole world away from photography, or so I thought. So how did I get here?
I am here today because first and foremost, I am like all of you…a collector. This is my eighth convention. I played with Barbie when I was younger and have many fond and happy memories from that but like many, when I hit my teens, I gave Barbie up for other things. Barbie was not done with me yet though…she came back into my life through this little munchkin….
How did I get Started Collecting?
This is my daughter Megan. When she was three years old she got her first Barbie for her birthday. It was a collector Barbie of all things and I said to myself “ Oh great…she is only three and she is going to trash it”. But she didn’t. She had other Barbies that she wanted to play with but the collector Barbie she considered “special” and put it on a shelf to look at.. and I thought “hmmmm…maybe this is something we can do together…like a Mommy/ daughter thing. We could collect every Birthday and Christmas”. So, I was a former financial analyst which means when I don’t know about something, I do research. I researched collector Barbies and found the Barbie Collector website. That is when I went down the rabbit hole 
.
While I may have started out researching for ideas of dolls to collect with my daughter, I soon realized that I was avidly looking through the images of amazing collectible Barbies for myself. I have always loved fashion and in particular fashion from the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. I found the Silkstone BFMC line ,in particular, very appealing and began to acquire those. That was thirteen years ago and I have no plans to stop.
My Photography Background
As I have said before, I am self taught. After many years of working in the shark tank of financial markets, I decided to stay at home with my kiddos while they were young. When you have little ones, you typically have “after school activities”. These activities had me picking up the camera again after years of neglect. Finding that love of capturing an images again was wonderful and after photographing a number of my daughters dance performances…I realized I wasn’t too bad at it. Again, it wasn’t necessarily about photographing the action ( although that was nice), it was more often about the emotion it conveyed. More importantly, it became more about showing these young and impressionable young girls the amazing work they were doing. It became a self image booster for them.
When I started photographing Megan in dance, she was at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School of dance which was the dance school arm of the professional ballet company in Seattle. Megan performed in their Nutcracker ballet for two years in a row. While there, I recognized a photographer whose work I had admired. Here name is Angela Sterling. She is a former soloist dancer with PNB who had to retire due to injury. When she left the company she realized there were very few images to show for her many years of hard work and decided to go into photography to give the dancers those images of “their best moments”. I loved that concept. Capturing someone’s best moment. I wanted to do this for my daughter and the young girls she danced with. I wanted them to have the opportunity to see themselves at their best dance moments. I wanted to improve my craft so I could do that in the way it should be done…with the best of my ability. 
While improving my photography skills and knowledge, I was also collecting. I became involved in the very vibrant collecting community that surrounds this amazing hobby and was noticing how the field of photography was helping to drive some very popular doll forums…and I wanted to be a part of that. I was always interested in fashion and some of my very first photography inspirations were images from Vogue and Harpers Bazaar from the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. I loved pouring over images from noteworthy photographers such as Horst, Cecil Beaton, Irving Pen, Richard Avedon and Norman Parkinson.
Within the doll photography community, there was one photographer whose work I admired and really tried to emulate. His use of lighting, composition and styling is just exquisite. His work never fails to inspire me even to this day. His name is Ernesto Padró Campos. His doll photography blog is treasure trove of beautiful images.
If I can be as good as this someday…I will be happy.
So that wraps up the introduction. For the next couple of months, each and every Friday, I will be continuing the series. Here is a preview of the overall presentation
Within doll photograph basics, I will talk about.
Within doll blogging, I will talk about.
Hope you all enjoy and see you next Friday! Feel free to ask questions with each post and I will try my best to keep up with responses.
-Rebecca
Ooh La La Indeed!!
The WClub Poppy Parker Exclusive arrived just after I returned from Barbiecon a few weeks ago. As with most conventions, I have spent the last couple of weeks going through my acquired treasures and getting over “The convention cold”. When you put around 1,000 people together in a ballroom for multiple events, and these same people get on average 4-5 hours of sleep a night…there is bound to be illness. So… now I am on the mend, I managed to snap some images of this new Poppy Parker and get them ready for the blog.
Ooh La La!
Poppy Parker™ Gift Set
The Bonbon Collection
2016 W Club Exclusive
Limited Edition Size: 1115
Doll Tech Specs:
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker™
Body Type: Poppy Parker™
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Platinum
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand Applied
This one comes to this collector WAY better than the promo shots promised. And the promo shots were pretty darn good. She is simply stunning! Love, Love, Love her.
Love the accessories with this giftset! Lot’s of mix and match options.
I recently had a new logo designed for my main photography business and wanted to try it out on some of the doll shots too. Not too bad 
Thank you Daniel at Photologo!!
For those of you awaiting the beginning of the series of posts on the blogging and doll photography presentation I did at Barbiecon…fear not. It should be up starting this Friday, August 19th. For those of you who did attend the class, the images in this post were taken using the “light bouncing” technique I talked about.
Procrastination and … a Poppy Parker
So, I may not be the queen of procrastination but I believe I would be voted onto the court of princesses of procrastination. I kind of like the sound of that…”Princess of Procrastination”. Anywhoo, I am supposed to be finishing up my presentation for this years NBDCC. I am supposed to be putting the finishing touches on it, wrapping it up and putting it to bed so I can start getting packed for the flight I am taking in a little over 36 hours from now. Am I doing any of that? Noooooooo. Instead, today I received a couple new Poppy Parker’s and I am playing instead. Guess this means I am finishing up the presentation on the airplane.
Love the lavender eyes!! Everything about this set that was promised…was delivered. She is adorable and the little poodle is to die for. Well done David!! I will have to come up with a suitable Paris themed set when I get back from convention.
Now…back to the presentation. If you are attending the NBDCC and are interested in learning more about the photography that I do here on the blog, I will be presenting on Thursday, July 28th at 5 pm in one of the Riverfront rooms at the Hyatt Jacksonville. The time had to be changed from original schedule due to scheduling conflicts.
-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
Eden Wears It Better
No disrespect to the fine talents of Mr. Best and Mattel but…I think Eden from Integrity Toys wears this one better.
And yes people…this silkstone’s shoes will fit the Nu.Face model here….barely but it works. I am still trying to figure out if I like the swirl curl bang thing on her forehead. 
-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
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
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.
Classic Cocktail Dress Arrives
My trusted dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls sent one of these lovelies out as soon as she received them. She isn’t even up on the BC website yet. It looks like she will retail for $100.00
So what am I thinking?? Hmmmm. Well, I like the gown and the little pearl embellishments are delightful. Her face is sweet and I like the silvery lilac eye shadow. The lashes seem a bit spikey to me but not a huge problem. I love the little pearl drop earrings. The hair on mine was a bit of a fixer upper. The curls on top are soft so when you remove the hairnet, you will get some flyaway hair. Not super crisp curls but not a deal breaker in my opinion.
The dress is a strapless gown with a little crop top overlay that snaps in the back. She comes with a white slip underneath too. Considering the quality of some of the other outfits we have seen from BFMC lately, this one is pretty good. I mean we get earrings, pantyhose, a slip and a fairly well constructed dress. It’s up to you as collectors to decide if that is worth the price. I have to be honest and say, I am not a fan of this new body. The flexibility ( or lack thereof) in the wrist joint is a major problem. I do, however, love the elegant pose of the hand. I just wish it bent so I could comfortably put her hand on her waist. My other issue with this doll are the very flimsy shoes. The heal is very pliable so it bends under the weight of the doll when she is on her stand.
Is Miss Classic Cocktail Dress a keeper at ITFDS? Time will tell. I am anxious to see how she redresses then I will make my final decision.
-Rebecca
Who Says Redheads Can’t Wear Pink?!
This is a fashion rule somewhere right? The fact that redheads should not wear pink. Why do so many of us seem to have this rule stuck in our heads? Where did this come from? I am sure there are some circumstances in which redheads in pink don’t work out. Mustard yellow and I definitely don’t mix well…but that is a different story. I recently received a few items that my brain was telling me “don’t go together”, but my eyes were giving me a whole other input. I went with the eyes and told the brain to go have a glass of wine and relax.
This statement of a gown is another beauty in sequins from PonnePP you can find him and contact him via his Flickr site( www.flickr.com/ponne1984). I featured the red version in February. The other dazzlers in this shot are the amazing Silkstone repaint of Gala Gown by Jon Copeland-Childers of SeloJSpa and a princess tiara by CHATIARA2015.
This combination just had me seeing her as a princess.
I have to admit…I am a little obsessed with this tiara right now. It’s so detailed and exquisite. It’s an investment for sure (not cheap!) and in my opinion a good investment. I received my first crown and it was damaged, so they immediately sent me a new one and paid for the return shipping of the damaged crown. Fair and fast. A class operation. The shine and sparkle of this just can’t be captured adequately in my photos. The designer’s name is Chawalit Chommuang and you can find him on Facebook at God Diamonds. Really beautiful work. The link to find and purchase this crown is CHATIARA2015. **note: the crown might be a little big on some smaller heads or tight hairstyles. Just want to mention that. **
PonnePP’s gowns are just amazing. All those little elongated sequin tiles!
-Rebecca
Cream and Caramel
No, it’s not my latte order..but now that you mention it…I’ll take a grande please. I have been waiting to redress this stunning Tatyana that IT came out with in their 2015 Fashion Royalty collection. I predicted this doll to be a bit of a sleeper doll when her production photos were released. I still stand by that. While I liked her original ball gown ensemble, I think I prefer her redressed. She looks so regal and those perfect pink lips are the best. I looked at her and thought…elegant, luxury…leopard.
The Ivory leather dress is a recent purchase from the fabulous Etsy store Elenpriv. The clean lines and expert tailoring of her pieces have encouraged me to return to her shop again and again. You will be seeing more of her work in my photos. You can find her on Flickr too. Purse is from another Fabulous Etsy store DollhouseAra. They are expensive little pieces but you simply can’t beat the quality of them..or at least I have not found anything that rivals it…not even close. Lastly, coat is from Andy Warhol Barbie® Doll. Is the coat worth the price of the doll you ask? Hmmmm…it just may be. I am in love with this coat. This whole look is something I would put on my “ I would wear that!” Pinterest board.
The necklace was fashioned from a unique connector I found here. From the moment I found it, I knew I had to make a necklace out of it. Miss Tatyana pulls it off beautifully!
You can’t get more regal than that!! Robyne…I think one drives a Rolls Royce. 
And another perfect bag from DollhouseAra!
–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
Lavender Luxury
Easter weekend is upon us and everything is coming to life in the garden again. The trees are all blooming pink and white, the daffodils are up and the lilacs are on the way. Life is good. With this symphony of pastels booming in the yard, I had to do something in the studio to celebrate it. I had the perfect model in mind too. Recently, I sent the lavender haired Mood Changer Poppy Parker head over to Jon Copeland-Childers for a “spa” treatment and what he sent back to me had my jaw dropping.
Model: Integrity Toys WClub exclusive Mood Changer Poppy Parker repainted and restyled by Jon Copeland-Childers of SeloJSpa. Poppy has been re-bodied on FR2 body.
Suit, shoes and earrings: Integrity Toys Breathless Veronique
Fascinator hat: made by me with a scrapbook flower and a bit of birdcage veil
Fur: IT Le Smoking Adele
Luggage: Poppy Parker as Sabrina Most Sophisticated ( trim color has been altered via Photoshop)
Pin on suit: rhinestone fleur de lis purchased at Facets by Marcia
Here is what she looked like originally
There are spa treatments and then there are Jon treatments. I stand by the Jon treatment.
**Note** Before I get a gazillion questions, I have to declare here that the luggage I used is not OOAK. It is the set from the Poppy Parker Sabrina series but I have photo shopped the trim to lavender.
This suit is a favorite of mine. It is from the IT 2013 Premier Convention Collection. I was searching through some Edith Head sketches a couple months back and stumbled across what might have been the inspiration for this one.
-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
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
Love in Praga
This past year at The National Barbie Doll Collector Convention, the talented Magia2000 team of Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi presented a collection that was very close to their hearts. They showcased a OOAK collection centered on the theme of love. A fitting theme as they announced at this event that they would be tying the knot themselves later that year. How special is that?!! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after that announcement. With all of the love going on in that room, many collectors walked away with the right to purchase some of this stunningly beautiful collection. They used a new system of drawing numbers and when your number was drawn you could choose from what was left or decline to purchase. The people who had their numbers chosen early walked away with their first choice of the options. I was lucky enough to have my number chosen while one of my favorites was still up for purchase. Her name is “Love in Praga” which I understand to mean Love in Prague. I am honored and so very pleased to have this one of a kind creation in my collection and was so happy to participate in this celebration of love at the NBDCC in 2015.
To see more of the beauties Mario and Gianni designed for this past convention, feel free to visit the gallery at their site Magia2000.
-Rebecca
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
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 
