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)
Articulated Silkstone Now Available to Order
But she won’t be shipping until March 1st folks. If you want her sooner, look to the dealers, they appear to be getting them first. I like this idea of giving the dealers first dibs on shipment. It makes sense to me and it helps support those dealers that have been loyally selling Mattel’s collector products for all these years. I called my trusty dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls the moment I saw these ladies showing up on Ebay ( not happy that this is where the first ones showed up but not surprised either). She sent one over as soon as they arrived at her shop.
Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll
Designer: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/1/2016…hmmm…this is what the site says but they also clearly state that shipping won’t start until 3/1/2016.
Retail: $40.00 at The Barbie Collection
So…what do I think? I think the face on this first Silkstone of 2016 is a winner. It is one of the best facial screenings I have seen in a while from the BFMC. Very soft, and pretty. The black dress is basic. The material is nice and of a good weight…but basic. The boots are…basic. They are plastic people and almost impossible to get off unless you use the hot water trick **see below. No jewelry, purse with this one nor undergarments..yep that’s right…Barbie is going full commando.
The bigger question I think is what do I think of the body of this doll. First and foremost, the dimensions are NOT the same as previous BFMC Silkstone bodies. The bust is most definitely smaller. Clothing does not fit exactly the same which surprises me as I believe Mr. Best said that the body was going to be the same proportions in the video announcing the articulated bodies. I am not saying the body is bad…just different dimensions and for us redressers, that will be an issue. The material feels weighty and solid which is nice and the joints appear to be solid and stay where you position them. It is basically ok…but not great. Here is why: 1) The articulation on the joints is minimal except for the legs. This girl can do the splits if she wants but she cant rotate her hand enough to fully bend it one way or the other…it only goes a little bit one way or the other. She can just barely put her hands on her hips. Compare the functionality with Integrity Toys dolls and you will find that IT bodies are loads ahead as far as flexibility. The new Silkstone body can however, do the splits whereas IT dolls cannot. Not sure how that is something I will utilize unless I get the letch to do Gymnast Barbie, or Pole Dancing Barbie or perhaps contortionist Barbie. You never know…it could happen. I am hopeful that the next iterations of this body will beef up the bust size and include some additional rotation in the joints. My other big concern with these new bodies are the rough edges and seams that show. The knee joint on the one I received had a big ugly rough edge at the seam right above the knew joint. Some may argue that you will hardly ever see that…maybe but in the dress she came in, it was VERY evident. It’s not worthy of sending back, it’s just sloppy work on the part of the factory. Am I expected now to file down the seams of Silkstone dolls that I receive?
On the very positive side however, the doll is only $40. That is an extremely low price point for a Silkstone Barbie doll. So…messy seams and all, this doll photographs beautifully. I admit, I had to pin the gown on her so it fit more securing up top. It was made to be worn by the older body. She does look good though and I guess each collector will have to decide for themselves if she is a good fit for their collection. I am keeping mine for the present and still hopeful for the year ahead for the BFMC. I think it will be a very much paired down year but time will just have to tell on that one.
Beatuiful dress was made by Hilda of Bellissima Couture.
Oh..and as an added not to my loyal readers…After filing multiple DCMA claims with various accounts on Pinterest and Instagram all of which were cutting the watermark off my photos and passing them off as their own, I will have to start putting even larger and more intrusive watermarks on my photos. Not my choice people but there you have it. Sometimes…I just don’t understand some people.
**Hot Water Boot Trick** To help get those pesky black boots off, I heated up a cup of water to almost boiling then stuck the legs and boots in for about 30-35 seconds. Using a towel because they will be hot, boots should slid right off. If not, put the legs with boots back in the water for a bit more.
Power House Ayumi
I just received the first of three of the 2015 revamped NuFace line that I ordered. All I can say is she is stunning! The facial screening is absolutely beautiful in my opinion.
The shoe strings were too short for me to tie into a bow so I ended up knotting them in the back and tucking the ends into the shoes. Not a bad fix. It will be a pain to untie and redress though. The jewelry is simple but sturdy and appropriate given the very clean chic lines of the outfit. Love the red, red lips and simple and elegant facial screening. The hair was really good when I deboxed but I wanted the bangs to lie closer to the head so I did end up pinning the end of the swoop of her bangs so It would lay closer to the head. Looking forward to redressing this beauty.
Pre Convention Report Photo Shoot
I am the worst procrastinator…I really am. I have been sitting down to do post convention reports for the past week and somehow…I just get going on another project. I have no idea why I do this because the convention was AWESOME and all the reports will be fun. All I know is that today…when I had every intention of sitting down to do the convention write-up, I decided to do a photo shoot. Hopefully this posting will clear the logjam of post convention information gathering in my head and clear the way for future posts.
I recently took receipt of some amazing OOAK repaints by the amazing artist Jon Copeland (selojspa). I loved the Mood Changer Poppy Parker set we received through the WClub but wanted to see what Jon could do with the brunette and lavender haired heads. What I received blew my mind. Here is Miss brunette mood changer Poppy Parker enhanced by Jon.
Model: Brunette Mood Changer Poppy Parker
Outfit , Shoes and Jewelry: On Set ( gift fashion from 2015 I.T. Cinematic Convention)
Note** Miss Poppy has been upgraded to an FR2 body for these shots.**
Jon…many, many thanks and {hugs}
Agnes of the Jungle
I can’t take credit for this title…that goes to my husband Jon. He was my faithful reflector holder during this photo shoot and we both learned that a full size “human” reflector for these small shoots are super HOT! Had no idea how hot those things can get in full sun…to models all over the world…”I’m truly sorry you have to deal with this on a daily basis” So I re-dressed Ms. Agnes in uptown haute couture last time so I needed to go a different way. I went straight for the animal print and leather moto jacket. **It is important to note here that I had to undo the seam between the legs in the bodysuit top to get it to fit the FR2 body**
I dressed her in this outfit and all I could think of was a leopard laying on a tree branch. Once the vision is there, I was compelled to find myself a tree branch and drape her over it for this shot.
And since she is wearing animal print…had to do a Roberto Cavalli ad LOL!
** Note: No rhododendron bushes were hurt during the filming of this blog post. We may have inadvertently signaled a satellite in space with our reflector and for that we are truly sorry. **
Aristocratic Re-dress
Is it redress or re-dress?? Could not come up with a consensus so I just published anyway. This Agnes is stunning! The re-dressing ( again…not sure if I am using the right spelling) potential is high for this one. She can go casual chic or uptown haute couture very easily. She is very much the Baroness here. I need to get her a little 1/6 Louis Vuitton passport cover .
Aristocratic Agnes
I know I will get hate mail for this but Agnes is not my favorite face mold. When I saw the promo shots for this one, I was on the fence. I loved the dramatic eyebrows, almost platinum blond hair ( not mademoiselle Jolie platinum but close) and red, red lips so I decided to gamble and purchase. Result: gambled and won!!
I love the dramatic eyeliner.
Making a Rare Appearance Dania
WClubbers waited an exorbitant 6 months for this one. Yep, I checked the numbers…first deposit went in on this baby around December 3rd of 2014. Was she worth the wait? I honestly have to say…YES. The promo shots on this doll had expectations levels extremely high so I was very skeptical on whether it would deliver. I am happy to say Rare Appearance Dania delivers and then some. This lady exudes chic upscale class.
I will say it again…this is one classy lady. She comes with a pair of grey gloved hands which I adore. Here jewelry is simple, classic and understated. The handbag and shoes are TO DIE FOR.
I had WAY too much fun shooting this one.
Oh yes…new favorite model has entered Inside The Fashion Doll Studio.
Little Red Dress
My fabulous dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls sent this lovely lady to me last week and I finally had a moment to get her out of the box and in front of the camera. She does not disappoint. The fabric of the dress is nice and soft. Very feminine.
I had heard some concerns from other collectors regarding her hair. The promo shots showed an elaborate updo. The question was…how will this translate to actual production ? Will the hair look like the promo shot or will it be “one hot mess” when it arrives? I opened the box and am happy to report that the hair does in fact closely mimic the promo shot, or at least mine does. I also love the honey highlights in this hair.
And really the best side of this coiffure…
I am not going to lie, I had to make one little adjustment to the hair. One of the curls in the back was not as tight as it could have been and it stood up too high for me. I solved it with some hair gel and a pin. If I were braver, I would give her a little bit of a bang trim too. There are visible rubber bands in this coiffure …not a particular favorite of mine… but given the ornateness of the design, I am willing to live with it.
The grey eyes with a hint of yellow are fabulous! The smoky eye liner goes very well with the red lipstick, hat and gown. I ADORE the fact that there are earrings with this one. Perhaps the last set of earrings we will see on a Silkstone ( or so it would seem by the promo shots)
I am very pleased with this latest BFMC effort by Robert Best. I mean come on…how can I not love a Silkstone in a Dior inspired dress . Photos below are both 1950’s Dior dresses. 
source: http://hellomydearblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/j-dior.html
source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/110197522106507198/
-Rebecca
Poppy’s in Petal Dresses
As many of you know by now, I adore Hilda Westervelt of Bellissima Couture. Her work epitomizes what I love to collect. Her gentle spirit and friendship have been and will continue to be a treasure to this “sister friend”. This past December, Haute Doll Magazine approached a number of OOAK doll clothing makers to submit work for their Spring issue. As with all publication submissions, you never know which photos will be accepted for an issue. Here are some of the photos I shot for Hilda that did not make it into the issue. If you have not had a chance to check out Haute Doll’s spring issue, you should. There is a treasure house of OOAK doll clothing makers in it…including Ms. Hilda’s work.
Models: Especially For You Poppy Parker, Elegant Evening Poppy Parker, To The Fair Poppy Parker
Gowns: Belissima Couture
Love this “especially for you” Poppy! When I was setting up the shoot, I got carried away with all the shabby chic pinkness and it was too sweet. I had to throw this red lipped siren Poppy in black to cut the cotton candy in this shot. If she was the vixen of the piece…she could not be sipping tea. She needed a DRINK. You will notice that her glass is empty 
.
For more Haute Doll Magazine news, check out their Facebook page.
The Perks of Being a Shipping Buddy
If you are a doll collector outside of the United States, it is sometimes very handy to have a shipping buddy within the U.S who can combine a bunch of your purchases and send it in one big box to help save on the shipping. If you are a BFC member that lives outside the U.S., you need a shipping buddy to receive your purchases from BarbieCollector as they do not ship outside the U.S. ( grumble, grumble…really?!!). It is also a treat when you share the same collecting habits of your shipping buddy and they allow you to photograph some of their purchases. I have to give a big shout out to my friend and fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World for allowing me to photograph and share one of his recent OOAK purchases. She is a beauty!!
Model: Repainted and re-rooted 45th Anniversary Silkstone by Xiaolan. Here is her Facebook page. Here is her Ebay store. She does beautiful work!
Dress: Bellissima Couture. Love the little dragonflies in this print!!
Shoes: Mattel
The doll came with a certificate of authenticity. Nice touch.
The Fashion Doll Vignette
I think you can tell by now that I love collecting fashion dolls. I also love photographing my collection and sharing those photos with you all. Another thing I really enjoy doing is displaying my collection. Some of the most popular images I share either here or on my flickr page involve some kind of diorama. To me, it is infinitely more interesting to share a scene rather than just a fashion image of a doll and outfit. One is editorial, the other shares a story. The second you add items and accessories, it becomes a scene and scenes have stories. Do I have a story when I set a scene? Sometimes, yes, sometimes, no.
This vignette started with the following youtube video. This is where I imagine all of my Silkstones live LOL!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxufpX8yFc&list=UUonF9muPaQugKknkbQfQ2iw
In this diorama there are a number of amazing pieces. First and foremost, there is this exquisite suit, hat and gloves from Matisse. It is worn by Ballgown Silkstone.
The other treasures in this diorama are the 1/6 terrarium, 1/6 garden cloche and the OOAK painted 1/6 bombe chest. The plants are all miniature scale plants found on Amazon. The picture above the chest was a find on an antiquing trip to a local shop.
I don’t know if these little terrariums are available anymore but they are too adorable.
The miniature cloches can be found in most fairy garden supply stores. I have added a link for some at Amazon. Just click on cloches.
Let’s talk about this amazing bombe chest for a moment. It started life as a plastic jewelry chest. I have dear friend ,Carolyn Grentz, who is an amazing artist and she transformed this plastic jewelry chest into a 1/6 French baroque treasure. I am trying to talk her into doing a few more to sell at Barbie Convention.
Celebrating Spring
I love Spring. In the Pacific Northwest, it means the birds start singing and the constant grey rain gives way to a few sunny days here and there. I have always thought of Spring as a beginning…and I am so ready for some new and wonderful beginnings.
My camellias are starting to bloom…
and so are my crocus.
Lilacs are starting to bud.
Forsythia is holding court in the garden. The first sentinel of Spring.
My dear friend Hilda of Bellissima Couture gifted this exquisite gown for me over a year ago and I wanted to share it. Not only is it exquisite in every way, it also incorporates some lovely lace found on our trip to Paris. It is simply too lovely for words. A treasure in my collection..and heart.
Oscar Night Glamour
For the past couple of years, I have shared an elaborately styled diorama photo in honor of the academy awards season. There was the “Getting Ready for the Oscars” post. Then there was the “Presenting at the Oscar’s” post. This year, I decided to go back to simple glamour and use the newest addition to the BFMC Silkstone Barbie line. She redresses incredibly well.
This is such a Hollywood glamour shot!
For those who wanted a better look at her hair, here you go. 
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I am going to resurrect some old photos to help celebrate the day .
These are some oldies but goodies back from 2012.
Model: Air Apparent Veronique
Gown: T.D. Fashions
Fur: Dimitha
Models: Sweet Confection Poppy Parker and Dynamite Girl Most Beautiful Boy Auden
Wedding Gown, Veil and bouquet: Marie Therese Silkstone Barbie
Tuxedo: Umm….have absolutely no idea. I am running a blank here.
BFMC Fashionably Floral Has Arrived!
Don’t walk to get this one people….RUN! For $50 this Silkstone is an absolute steal.
Fashionably Floral™ Barbie® Doll
source: www.barbiecollector.com
The liner in the box is a soft pink! Adorable.
The new tags have pink lettering instead of blue…nice touch.
Hair is slightly different than promo shots. The hair comes into a curl closer towards the face on the production doll. I advise that you be very, very careful when removing the hair net from the chignon on this one. While it is nice that the chignon is not glued into lacquer hardness, it does mean that it can be messed up fairly easily. I decided to just sacrifice the hairnet and cut it off little by little. I then applied some hairspray and gel to keep things in place. All in all, not too bad.
Does that hat come curled like this you ask?? Nope. Want to know how I did it?
Just curl it inside a toilet paper roll for a couple hours. You will need to switch it around from one side to the other a couple times so both sides curl evenly.
She is a beauty!! Well worth the $50 in my opinion. I can’t wait to redress and photograph this lady.
Beyond the Sea
The news in the United States right now is reporting the amazing and record breaking snowfall amounts on the east coast. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are dealing with typical winter weather…rain and gloom. So, for those dealing with less than desirable weather situations, I decided to go to the beach for a day. I seem to be having a bit of a “Poppy crush” going on with this new convention Poppy.
Yes…I was listening to Bobby Darin as I typed this 
Dark Moon Rising
I posted earlier this week about how some collectors will go back and forth over whether or not to purchase a particular doll. Here is another one that I was on the fence about. She is from the 2014 Integrity toys Gloss Convention collection.
Dark Moon
Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll
The 2014 Integrity Toys Convention: Gloss
Limited Edition of 500 Dolls
source: www.integritytoys.com
source: www.integritytoys.com
source: www.integritytoys.com
The promo pictures didn’t do it for me and the purple disco dress CERTAINLY wasn’t doing anything to recommend this doll to me. The disco theme is just not what I like to collect. Something about this doll spoke to me, however, and I am glad I purchased her. Here is why…
For photos below
Model: Dark Moon Poppy Parker
Gown: Shadow of Her Smile Poppy Parker
Jewelry: Fashion Royalty Regal Solstice Anja
Obviously I was having some quality time with Photoshop on a few of these shots. I have to say that the facial screening on this Poppy is a bit more sophisticated than the norm for Miss Poppy. We saw this same palette on the Poppy’s that were introduced at IFDC this year. To be perfectly honest, I am not sure I am ready to say goodbye to the dewy eyed fresh faced Poppy quite yet. This harder, more polished Poppy does make for some dramatic photos though.
Mademoiselle Jolie is 9 to 5
When this lady arrived I was so excited to photograph her in her fluffy ball gown. Once that was completed, I decided to do a 180 and cast her in the role of tough business woman. Another inspiration in this shoot for me were the little glass globes. I found these at a little hole in the wall store I love to go to. I had to use them in something and the headquarters for W Cosmetics felt like the perfect place to use them. I hope you guys like this set because it may come back.
Model: Ombres Poétique Mademoiselle Jolie
Suit: Le Smoking Adéle Makèda
Shoes and Lingerie top:Ombres Poétique
Watch:Le Smoking Adéle Makèda
Jewelry:Ombres Poétique
Sunglasses:IT sales room convention 2013 purchase
Purse: Lead Singles Lilith and Eden
Gloves: Hands from Edge Vanessa
Set: Desk is clear acrylic riser. Chandelier is a laser cut paper holiday ornament. Chair is clear 1/6 armless ghost chair.
Love these little globe paperweights!
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
Since I am getting back into the swing of things blog wise again, I thought it was well past time to do a Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi. In the past couple of years, I have been approached a few times to submit photos to publishers to help them pitch a book for production. I was approached last year to submit some photos for a book being considered to highlight James Bogue’s work. While the book idea may have not come to fruition this time around, James’ inspiring work is most definitely worthy of it. Here were some of my submissions.
James sells his fashions on his Etsy site at Bogues Vogues originals.
Ombres Poétique
There was a new arrival this week at ITFDS.
This gown is so much frothy yumminess that I can barely contain myself as I type this. All that tulle!!! Love the lace too. The necklace on this beautiful lady is a new design for IT and it appears to be strung on some kind of stretchy filament rather than string. We will see if it holds up better than the plain string. The hair bump was overdone a few years back at IT but it is subtle on this one and works very well. The hair color is a beautiful platinum blonde.
Edge Vanessa
The 2014 WClub had many spectacular offerings for its members this past year. Here is the latest to arrive at ITFDS.
Edge Vanessa Perrin Dressed Doll
The Fashion Royalty Collection
2013 Design Competition Award Doll by Lisa Ramsammy
Edition Size: 985
Suggested Retail Price:
$150 public/$135 W Club Members (+ Shipping and tax if applicable)
Estimated Delivery Date: Approximately Late Fall/Early Winter 2014
Doll Tech-Specs:
Head Sculpt: Vanessa 3.0
Body: FR 2013
Skin Tone: FR White
Quickswitch Feature: No
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Hair Color: Luscious Blond
This particular offering from The WClub is a special one. The doll and gown were the winners of the design competition at the 2013 Integrity Toys Convention.
Thank you, Thank you Lisa Ramsammy for this amazing design! She is stunning. You can find more of Lisa’s amazing work at her website The Doll Place.
A New Poppy Plus Silkstone Sneak Peeks
I received the new “That Holiday Feeling” Poppy Parker a couple of days ago. Usually I get a shipping notice but not this time. It was a nice surprise. Here is her promo shot again
Source: Integrity Toys, Inc.
And here is the actual photo
The hairstyle is quite a bit different than the promo shots. The bangs needed some work to get them into a pleasing shape but a little bit of gel goes a long way to solve that dilemma. The rest of the hair while different is very pretty. Her face is sublime. Classic Poppy Parker. The dress came out of the box fairly wrinkled hence the tight in shot but that can be ironed to fix. The fabric of the gown is nice and the cape is adorable. I hope those lucky enough to win the chance to purchase get her in time to enjoy her over the holidays.
In other exciting fashion doll collector news recently, new Silkstone Barbie photos!!! Mattel shared information on two new Silkies to be released in 2015.
Fashionable Floral Silkstone Barbie
Available February 2015
Suggested Retail: $59.00
source: Mattel, Inc.
Hold the phone people!! If this price point is right… $59.00 is a steal!! I adore the little side chignon on this one. This one screams “gentleman caller” to me. She has to be from the south with an elegant hat like that.
Available April 2015
Suggested Retail: $110.00
Source: Mattel, Inc.
Oh the Chanelness of it all!!! This one is a no brainer for me. I hope the actual production doll has a shorter bob haircut like this. She is going to look fabulous next to my Preferably Pink Silkstone. I am noticing that there are no earrings with either one of these Silkstones. I guess this is one way to alleviate the “green ear” issue. This girl desperately needs a pair of pearl earrings to complete the look. I mean come on…what fashionista is going to leave the house without earrings….not this one.
-Rebecca
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 