2014 National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention…
…let the madness begin. By the time this blog entry posts, I will be boarding a series of flights that will take me deep into the heartland of the United States. The National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention (NBDCC) is gathering collectors from all over the world in Nashville Tennessee this year and I will be there to report and to enjoy.
I am especially excited to go and see old and new friends this year because I missed the big dance last year. I can’t wait to catch up with everyone. I will be sharing photos and updates on the blog here and on my Flickr account. Feel free to follow along. I will try to do my daily updates but am making no promises as I will also be selling out of my room this year. Things will most likely be a little crazy for a bit. Here is the sales flyer for what I have.
Fabulous silk scarves for our diminutive divas. Perfect for table gifts or as a hostess gift for your table hostess. The scarf sets come with a 5 inch by 5 inch silk scarf, designer scarf box and little scarf ring to keep it in place.
Each set is priced at $20.00 with over 40 different designs to choose from.
I will also be selling furniture.
If you are in Nashville this year, feel free to stop by. I will post the room number once I get in. Watch for the ITFDS flyers on the sales boards. Hope to post my first update tomorrow night. 
Reverence for the Repaint…Part II
Here is the third and final repaint I received from from the amazing repaint artist Jon Copeland. She was originally a Suite Retreat™ Barbie® Doll.
source: www.Barbiecollector.com
This is what Jon Copeland did with her. STUNNING!
Gown and Hat: Bogue’s Vogues
Gloves, shoes and jewelry: Mattel
Fur: Dimitha
-Rebecca
It’s been a while…
…since I have posted. For the past month, I have been photographing big dolls on stage as they fly through the air in time to music.
Yes, that’s my dancer daughter in the front. Proud mama moment. Now that dance recital season is over with photos processed and on my website available for happy parents to purchase, I can turn my time and energy to other photography projects. Namely, I can get back to photographing some new acquisitions into the collection. Before I do that however, I wanted to share something.
As a person who loves images and has an even greater love for capturing images, I enjoy going to Flickr to get inspired. I am constantly amazed at the wealth of creativity that can be found there. Yesterday, I saw a photo by a Flickr member whom I follow and who I truly enjoy trading witty comments with. On Flickr, her name is Malibu T. I knew she was a talented painter based on the photos she has shared but I was floored by the project she just shared.
This is what she started with: A Mattel Enchanted Evening Castle
source: Mattel, Inc.
And this is what she did with it:
** all photos below are under Malibu T’s copyright and are being used with her permission**
Holy cow!! She has also gone way above and beyond by sharing on her Flickr page how she did this. If you want to read about it, go here. Way cool!!
Yes, I know I am behind on responding to comments. I will be getting to those tomorrow. 
Reverence for the Repaint
I can do many things when it comes to doll collecting. I cannot do what Jon Copeland does. I can’t even contemplate it. I can, however, observe, enjoy and photograph it.
For those who are interested, she was originally a Mila™ Barbie® Doll.
A Dulcissima Bride
If you look up the translation for Dulcissima it says “Sweet” or “Sweetest”. I think this recent addition to the BFMC Alta Moda collection comes off as more sultry than sweet. However you see this one..sweet or sultry, she is a beauty. While her original Dolce and Gabbana inspired outfit may have not been my thing, dressing her in this Joe Tai bridal fashion definitely suited me and my collection.
-Rebecca
The Art of Redressing
I look at this process as an art form. Others may not but I do. One of the many meanings of the word “redressing” is to set right; remedy or rectify. However you view it, most of us at some point as collectors participate in it…the redress. The sometimes exhaustive process of finding the perfect dress for the perfect doll gives me mental hives at times. I have some definite preferences when it comes to redressing, displaying and photographing a doll. I may get a doll in and while I love the face, the dress does not speak to me…as in the case of my latest acquisition Principessa. It is not that I think the dress is bad. I just didn’t feel it on this doll. Many times the disappointment with a fashion is tempered when I see it displayed on another doll. This happened to me just last night when I saw the Principessa wedding gown displayed, slightly altered, on a different doll. The dress had a whole new life for me.
These next two photos are from the collector and photographer Julia Castro Fuentes whose photos I have followed for years. I love her eye for color, lighting and styling in her doll photography. She has an enviable collection and an even more enviable talent behind the lens. To see more of her fantastic work, feel free to visit her Flickr photostream at https://www.flickr.com/photos/castrojulia/. The two photos below are under Julia’s copyright and are being used on ITFDS with her permission.
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
I realized when looking at Julia’s photos, that this dress had a whole lot of potential. I also realized…it looked WAY better on a brunette..in my opinion. With that revelation in mind, I searched the doll room for a better model for this dress.
And…the sunny window setup. Many times one of my kids holds the reflector for me ( a job that they crankily do for their dear old Mom) but, I also find an extra music stand works really well too. My trusty tripod is never far but many of the shots in this set were free handed…that lovely sunshine makes things easier with that. I used a Canon Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens with these shots.
-Rebecca
Redressed Principessa
I am happy to have received this one and shared some much needed photographs. I love the fact that when Mattel fails to come through with information or images, the collector community steps forward and supplies what it can. Case in point, it looks like those of us who have received this doll first, are posting photos for those who are hungry for more information. Kudo’s to the collector community for “marketing” this doll.
For those of you interested in what this lady looks like redressed and what is happening under that veil…here you go.
Model: Principessa™ Barbie®
dress: Bogue’s Vogues
The braid is not too bad. I am not real happy with how it is left on the side of her face without being tucked in somewhere. I wish it went all the way over and under the other side. That would have been a cleaner look in my opinion. As it stands though it is not horrific…just could be better. You can tuck the little end of the braid into the surrounding hair but you will still see the bulky rubber band that secures the braid at the end. Solution….photograph from the left….or..you could just do away with the braid all together. I think I might do that at some point in the future. For today, however, I just put on my big girl pants and dealt with it.
I thought the hairstyle of this one was perfect for a 1950’s shirtwaist from Mr Bogue. I put holes in her ears ( nope..she does not come with predrilled holes) and inserted some pearl studs. Now she looks finished.
Principessa Bride Silkstone Is In The House!
I really don’t know what is going on with Mattel marketing this year. I have never received a doll before the promotional photos are out. I wonder if this will be the norm to follow. Anywhoo…my fabulous dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls emailed me and said she had this beauty in and I jumped at the chance to get her.
Normally, I put a link in my blog post to Barbiecollector. Since Mattel doesn’t even have a promo shot out on this one yet let alone a way to purchase this beauty…no link to you Mattel. I will link to my dealer instead.
She comes with a little bouquet, a small prayer book and white slingback pumps. She has a little tiara veil and short gloves. One notable omission….no earrings or jewelry of any kind. What bride goes to her wedding without some bling? Just my humble comment but geez guys…you would think over $100 bucks would give you at least a pair of pearl earrings. Just sayin’. I plan on adding my own.
Here face is really pretty. I wasn’t really sure about the glitter at first but I must admit…it is kind of growing on me. I think it will work really well for redressing. And…redressing will be happening here. The dress, while cute, is just not working for me.
The hair is different on this one too. She has a braid under the veil…
The braid is just kind of left there on the right side of her face…not tucked in or anything. I will have to do something with that when I redress. I will go into that in a future post. After deboxing her, the appeal of this one is increasing. She really is quite pretty.
Then I pulled out the big camera and liked her even more 
Pastel Fiorella
I just had to rip those black bows off. I adore the face paint on this one but the black bows, dress and knee socks had to go to another doll.
Model: Fiorella™ Barbie® Doll
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Hat: by the fabulous Judy O of Aponi Designs
Unexcused Absence…
I have been tardy from the blog and I admit it. There are good reasons for it , I promise. For the past three weeks, I have been busy prototyping some items that I am hoping to sell at Barbie convention and through the blog (Etsy shop still being set up) as well. While I can’t show many of the items yet, they are all in stages of doneness in my laundry room…I offer up some sneak peeks at the end of this post. In the meantime, I decided to put Miss Poppy in the window for a photoshoot inspired by the beautiful spring green color that is popping up(LOL! pun intended) all around the Pacific Northwest right now. Spring has sprung in the garden…and in the studio as well.
Model: I Love How You Love Me Poppy Parker
Dress: Bogue’s Vouges ( https://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)
Here are a few sneaks of what I am working on….
The piece above was repainted by a very talented artist I am proud to call a friend. There will be more about her and her work in a future post.
–Rebecca
You’ve Got a Friend
I have a friend who is going through a hard time right now. I always say that one of if not the most amazing things about the collecting community is its strength and ability to support its members. This friend is a doll collector and in the midst of the gauntlet she is walking right now, she still thought of others and helped out a few collector friends this week. Her grace and strength humbles me. My friend…this one is for you.
Models: Fascination Monogram, Breathless Veronique FR2,Sweet Smell of Success Veronique FR
Gowns: Illumination Monogram, Fine Romance Eugenia FR, Dressmaker Details After the Ball
Set: Suzy Goose Piano
Flame brush: http://firebug-stock.deviantart.com
Time for a Spring Fling…
…with Poppy Parker. As the light gets better in the Pacific Northwest of the US, it is imperative to take advantage of it. We had a few sun rays the other day so I had to grab my camera and a few models ready to show off some spring colors.
Model: Sweet in Switzerland Poppy Parker
Shirt, Skirt, belt and shoes: Fashion Royalty Spring Forward Eugenia
Hat: Barbie Basics hat that I refashioned into something completely different. {You have to imagine John Cleese saying that}.
Quick behind the scenes look
Presenting at the Oscars
I love watching the Oscars. Well…mostly I just like watching the red carpet and posting my picks and pans after. Last year I had a lot of fun and success with my “Getting ready for the Oscars” photo. See all the information about this photo here.
Mattel had just released this new wardrobe piece and I was anxious to use it. In my head, Barbie was getting ready to go to the Oscars as a possible recipient. Because she was one of the contenders for the gold statue, she needed to be in a drop dead gown. The story continued in my head that she went on to win the Oscar. That means that this year, she will be presenting the Oscar for the award she won last year.
Model: Barbie Basics®Model No. 01 — Collection 001
Gown: Miniature Couture by Mary
Jewelry: Fashion Royalty Monogram Completist accessory pack
Diorama: Wall panel was made my me. More info here. Clock was found in Paris and the beautifully painted bombé chest will be featured in a future blog post. More info coming. Floral arrangements in golden urns were made by me.
Now…I am really ready for the Oscars. Fashion review should be up on Monday.
The Hollywood Issue
I am a subscriber to Vanity Fair. Every year, before the Oscar’s, they have an issue called “The Hollywood Issue”. I am always impressed with the cover photography of these issues and never fail to feel inspired after viewing it. Last year, I was inspired to do my own cover and this is what I ended up with.
This year, I was inspired to try another one and Integrity Toys’ newly revamped Fashion Royalty products were my muses.
Models: “Evermore” Vanessa in her original outfit, Workshop Elise in Mattel Hervé Léger by Max Azria, “Bellissima” Natalia in her original outfit, “After Tonight” Eugenia in Mattel “Hollywood Cast Party”, “Baby It’s You” Chip, “Black Orchid” Vanessa in Bellissima Couture gown and Jakki Peters hat.
Now…are we all set for the Oscar’s? I think so. 
Cupid’s Kisses has Arrived…
…And her hair is the big story. I won’t lie to you folks…it’s a bit of a fixer upper. Let me start by saying, her box is cute. It is streamlined and classic. I like it.
Here is Ms. C.Kisses in her box. Pardon the crappy cell phone pictures…they were all I could manage whens she arrived.
And here was mine and pretty much everyone else’s question….where is the cute little curl that goes on her forehead?? Here is the promo shot
No need to panic folks. The curl is there..you just have to coax it down a bit.
She comes with some adorable accessories
The dress is adequate though I have to be honest…I did not buy her for this dress. I have other fashions in mind for her. It is not Silkstone quality but it works well on her. There is a Velcro closure in the back so there is some room to make the fit better if it isn’t working on your doll. I think the velvet embossing on the dress is cute and appears to be applied correctly. The hair though…was some work. The ponytail does not have a hard curl at the end . Therein lies part of the problem. Mine came out of the box looking a bit like someone took a pair of scissors to the end of the ponytail. I will put a better curl in it when I have some time to hard set it. For now, I am content with getting the curl to come down on her forehead. Want to see how I did it? I figured….so I included pictures
The handy dandy pin trick! I keep these small silk or applique pins in my deboxing kit. They can solve a whole manner of hat and hair dilemmas.
Push the curl down on the forehead to where you would like it. Hold it down and insert a pin. Make sure you are putting the pin into hair and not into the dolls forehead ( that would be bad…especially if you want to move the hair off the forehead later…you would have a lobotomy scar to deal with and nobody wants that LOL). You can try weaving the pin in and out a little so it is catching different pieces of hair as it goes in. It will hold better this way. Be gentle with handling the hair on this one. It gets messy very easily so don’t overwork it.
Push the pin in. On a vinyl head it is so easy. You can do it with your finger. DON’T try this on a Silkstone. You will end up with a hole in your finger {ouch!}. You need a thimble for Silkstone heads.
You can leave it like this if you want. You can barely see the pin unless you are looking straight down at the curl. I photograph from different angles and since I try to avoid photoshopping when I can, I just ever so slightly move the hair over the pin so it is invisible.
Easy peasy right?!
Hello 2014!
Ok, so the craziness is mostly over in our house. I don’t think I have entertained that much during the holidays in a very, very long time. Now the daunting task of taking down all the holiday décor is ahead of me. I did not think about that today though. Today, I grabbed my trusty point and shoot, one of my favorites from the Fashion Royalty convention and an outfit by a dear friend that I have been wanting to shoot since I got it.
Model: Interlude Monogram
Suit and hat: Bellissima Couture ( adorable little cameo was added by Hilda too )
Purse: Re-ment…..yes…it is absolutely true….Re-ment
The Doll Room Goes On Display
At the end of August of this year, just as my family and I were home from a long vacation abroad, I was approached by the fabulous ladies of the Assistance League of the Eastside. They hold a holiday home tour fundraiser every year that raises money to fund programs that support families in need in our community. They typically have 5- 6 homes on the tour every year and these homes open their doors to roughly 1200 visitors for a day to show off their holiday décor. The tour runs from 10AM in the morning until 7PM at night. This year, they had a house that had to pull out of the tour and the Assistance League approached me to help out. The main reason they came to me…..the doll room.
Apparently news of the doll room is out and about in my local community. I have to admit, I am always a little nervous talking to non collectors about having a doll room. You get the gamut of responses from people when you tell them that you…as an adult…collect Barbie. Some will take an uncomfortable step back and look at you as if you just said you were schizophrenic…and off meds. Some will immediately downgrade their opinion of you and lump you in with the sad individuals they recently saw on a “Hoarders” episode. You can understand that making the decision to open up the doll room for viewing did not come without a great deal of anxiety. I wondered what people would think. I know that my fellow collectors love the doll room but I was really unsure about what a non collector would think of it. Then I had a moment of clarity….I came back to the reason why I collect in the first place….because I enjoy it. When anyone collects anything, it typically is because they enjoy doing it. If they like it enough to hook into a group of other collectors who enjoy collecting the same thing, they REALLY enjoy it. I decided I was not going to be worried about possibly being labeled the crazy “Barbie” lady and just enjoy showing off something that I truly love to collect. There would be people who get it…and people who didn’t…and that was okay.
To me, and I am finding to many many others, Barbie is a touchstone of sorts. Most woman you talk with today have a Barbie experience to share. I have found that when you put a group of woman together and give them this touchstone, it creates an amazing bonding experience. You can have a group of woman from all different backgrounds, ages, professions and all of the sudden you are all connected through this one toy. You all have an experience to share and that connects you. There are multiple points of connection too. Sometimes it isn’t about the doll but about the fashion and the discussion that promotes. My greatest joys in sharing this doll room through the blog and with friends and family are the sharing of those stories and memories and the connection it creates. It is just plain fun.
If I was going to do this, open up the doll room to roughly 1200 people, I decided I needed to call in some fellow doll experts for the event. I enlisted the help of my dear friends Hilda and Deanna. They graciously agreed to donate their time and expertise to help me show off the collection. I could not have done this without them…from the bottom of my heart “Thank You!” We had told the Assistance League that we would proctor the doll room and landing during the evening hours of the holiday tour. If people had questions, they could come back during those hours and “ask the experts” so to speak.
So…what was the response?? Tune in tomorrow for more pictures and The Doll Room Goes On Display: Part II.
Delphine Poppy
I had a few moments to shoot some photos before I left for convention so I have some new material to share. This particular Poppy has been a muse for me many times and I knew this shade of blue would look fabulous on her.
Model: The Happening Poppy parker
Gown: Delphine Silkstone Barbie
I am using a slightly different lighting formula on this one. I have been looking for a small spotlight that was inexpensive and easy to use. I found some really great mini spot lights with magnetic feet that snap right onto my photo tent…the problem was…they are LED lights and turn everything pretty much blue. How do I get a LED light to look like a warm soft box light? Easy…add a filter.
The only thing tinged blue on this shoot was la tour Eiffel behind Miss Poppy….and that was on purpose.
Diorama Finds
I purchased a couple of things that I wanted to pass on to people. Halloween is just around the corner and I know many collectors are into that gothic look and feel. Someone on Doll Divas posted about a set of black gothic chairs a while back ( sorry I can’t find the original post) and I decided to check them out. I was a bit skeptical about the sizes but I gambled and won on this one. They are , in my opinion, the right scale for 1/6 fashion dolls.
You can find these beauties at the Victorian Trading Company. http://www.victoriantradingco.com/item/80-ha-8023219/100100104/gothic-arm-chairs-set-of-3
They cost $49.95 so that works to $16.65 per chair. I don’t feel that is exorbitant for three 1/6 scale chairs. They are made of resin so kind of heavy but not too bad. One of the kind of cool features is that they have a hanging hook on the back so you could put them on the wall. It’s kind of an interesting display idea don’t you think?! I may have to try that one. Also, it looks like these could be painted as well so there you go. A big “Thank You” to whoever posted this link on Doll Divas!
While I was perusing my recent Pottery Barn catalog I ran across something interesting. I am all about Christmas décor planning right now so I was looking at the new ornaments coming out. They had the most adorable bottle brush dogs as ornaments. I looked at the sizing and thought “Hey, I bet those could be really cute as diorama pets!”.
It’s an Airedale!! I Had to have it. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/bottlebrush-airdale-ornament-holiday-2013/?pkey=cornaments-trim-holiday&cm_src=ornaments-trim-holiday||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
And a Cocker Spaniel .. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/bottlebrush-cocker-spaniel-ornament-holiday-2013/?pkey=cornaments-trim-holiday&cm_src=ornaments-trim-holiday||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
They run from $8.50 to $10.50 a piece. I was really, really tempted to get the St. Bernard one too but you just have to stop somewhere. The beauty of these are, they will grace my Christmas tree during the holidays and then grace my dioramas and pictures for the rest of the year.
Happy Weekend!
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
Oh yes…it is that time again. 
Ever since a dear Barbie friend helped me obtain this Milan Boater Silkstone, I have been looking for the perfect purple dress to photograph her in. Mr. Bogue was ,of course, obliging and I had to share.
Model and Earrings: IDC Milan Boater Silkstone Barbie
Gown: Bogue’s Vogues
Gloves and Shoes: Mattel
Hot Pink Perfection
That is what I call this suit by my fabulous friend Hilda, designer and owner of Bellissima Couture. She makes the most exquisite 1/6 clothing and her creations never fail to inspire the photographer in me. Some of my all time favorite photos have resulted from shooting her work. One of my muses, Lilith with an updo, has been wearing this ensemble since it arrived a few months ago. It was time to pass my extra Silkstone Walking Suit outfit on to another fabulous artist and I realized I needed to take some photos of this smart looking lady before I sent the hat to another home.
Model and shoes: Restyled The Great Pretender Lilith, Integrity Toys NuFace collection
Suit: Bellissima Couture
Hat: Walking Suit Barbie® Doll
Poodle: Randall Craig
Song of the shoot:
Exceptional Tatyana
While the rest of the fashion world is focused on New York this weekend and the debut of designers 2014 spring ready to wear lines, ITFDS was focused on this fall. I love fall. I love the colors and the bite of cool temperatures that typically we awaken to in the Pacific Northwest this time of year. Another thing I love is to rediscover something I had put aside for a while and had not looked at. I do this a lot with dolls. I debox, photograph, then it is off to the next one. Even sweeter for me, is an opportunity to give a model their due. In other words, finally show or photograph something in a way that I have yet to be able to capture. I typically have something in my head that I want to capture when I photograph…but sometimes it just never transfers through the camera. That happened with this amazing Tatyana. Thanks to a very generous table mate at convention, I was able to purchase her and after deboxing, was never able to quite capture a set of photos I was happy with….until today.
Model ,jewelry and shoes: Exceptional Tatyana FR2 ( hair has been restyled slightly)
Shirt, pants and purse: Lead Singles Eden NuFace
What I am listening to in the studio this week:
The Journey
As many of you know, I have just returned from a month of traveling. It was the most amazing trip with my family and for a few glorious weeks some dear friends. The memories made during those travels are priceless and the new perspective I bring back with me every time I journey out of my own country is such a gift to me. I feel richer emotionally than when I left and so appreciative for all that I have seen, experienced and learned. My hope is that I can bring this into the pictures that I take.
For this set of photos, one of my new arrivals Ms. Splendid Jordan has just returned from a journey of her own. I wish I had her luggage…..
Model , clothing and accessories: Fashion Royalty Splendid Jordan
Trunk: Barbie Convention gift 2012
LV Purse: La Boutique
LV makeup case: Fashion Royalty
Martini glass: Facets by Marcia
“All of life is a journey which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there.”
Wishing everyone a safe and happy journey today 
Neutral Ground
I am constantly amazed and inspired by my fellow doll collector community bloggers. A recent blog post by Shuga-Shug got me thinking about a new arrival in a whole new way so it was time to do a redress.
Shug…Thank you for your love of neutrals and your fantastic modern styling . This post was completely inspired by you and what you do.
Model: The Young Sophisticate Poppy Parker
Dress: City Shopper™ Barbie® Doll – Brunette
Shoes: Mattel
Purse: La Boutique
Scarf: New York Yorkie™ Barbie® Accessory Pack
Jewelry and Luggage: Integrity Toys
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 