Bogue’s Vogues…..Samedi
Okay okay….so I couldn’t get around to posting this yesterday so instead of doing my customary Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi (French for Friday)…I had to settle for a Bogue’s Vogues Samedi (French for Saturday). I have a new Bogue’s Vogues to share and I happen to have just received one of the most stunning dolls to model it for you. I have written before about my love and respect for One of A Kind ( OOAK ) artists. There are many, many talented OOAK artists in the fashion doll collecting arena. Jon Copeland is one whose work never fails to inspire and amaze me. I would say his largest body of work is within the Fashion Royalty repaint and retying category but occasionally he will work his magic on Barbie as well. I was fortunate enough to happen upon a picture of one of his Silkstone repaints for sale last month and it was love at first sight. I literally caught my breath as I opened the box with this lady. She is that stunning. Mr. Copeland….I tip my hat.
Model: OOAK Silkstone Barbie repaint and restyle by Jon Copeland ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/selojspa/ and http://www.facebook.com/SelojSpa) Note** sometimes flickr will filter his photos…there is nothing inappropriate about them so don’t know why flickr does that. Feel free to click through the filter and enjoy the eye candy of his work.
Dress: Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)
Elizabeth Taylor Silkstone photos released!
I wrote about the Elizabeth Taylor celebrity Silkstone a couple of weeks ago and now we hear there will be not one but two Silkstone releases of Liz. I was hoping for a “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” inspired set with the little slip and….I got my wish!!! While the dress is not exactly a reproduction, it’s close enough and I will take it. It will be available in a giftset called White Diamonds. It will retail for around $150.00 and will be available in the fall.
** Photos are property of Mattel Inc.**
The second Elizabeth Taylor offering is stunning!! It features Ms. Taylor in a gorgeous black gown inspired , I believe, by the movie Suddenly, Last Summer. It’s called “Violet Eyes” and will retail for around $130.00 . It will be available in the fall.
Love them both!!
Romain and Lilith…The Rock Wedding
After the stress of Romain’s coiffure, I was ready to have some fun so I went all soft and dreamy with the set. I was thinking it would be fun to have all this softness in the background and all the edginess in the dolls out front. I have had a number of friends comment that they were surprised I ordered this set…they are not what I typically collect. I was surprised myself how much these dolls appealed to me. I have to say my camera and I are IN LOVE with this trio of dolls. I adore the versatility of Lilith’s gift set. She has so many different looks and I can’t wait to start redressing. Romain aka lettuce boy , hair not withstanding, is just way cool. Love the square jaw and angles on this guy. From a photography standpoint, there are lots of angles to work with on his face…he will have a different look depending on how you light him and from what angle…lots of options. I would imagine that Romain and Lilith would not have the traditional wedding even though that is what the set and these photos would suggest.
And my favorite shot from the set
Erin’s turn is next…always the bridesmaid and never the bride…will have to see what we can do about that 
Rock Steady Romain
I keep looking at his name and hoping I am spelling it correctly. My husband has taken to calling him affectionately “lettuce boy”. He has a reason to gripe as I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to style and photograph this guy and my husband has had to listen to it LOL. Let’s face the facts folks..he came out of the box with clumpy and uninspired hair. Certainly not what the promo’s promised but I prefer to look at it as a challenge…so like a dog with a bone…I set to work. I know I didn’t hit the mark of the look of the promo shots but I am happy with the doll and photos. I think he is handsome and love the face sculpt. Just wish I had a smidge more bang length and I am too much of a wimp to reroot.
If you want a little taste of what I was listening to during this photo shoot and post processing, check out the playlist on the right hand side of the blog .
Rocking Ever After Lilith
For those of you who ordered her, you are in for a treat. For those of you who passed on this one, you may want to rethink. This lady is drop dead gorgeous and came right out of the box ready to be photographed. While Romain needed significant hair care before being ready for his close-up, Lilith was picture perfect within minutes of deboxing.
LOVE HER!!!
Lilith …The Muse.
Many collectors and photographers have favorite dolls or models that inspire them. I have a few “go to” girls that never seem to disappoint me. No matter what I dress them in or how I style them, I always come away with some keeper photos. My restyled Lilith is one of my muses. Here is one set I pulled from the archives to post on the blog. For those of you who follow my Flickr, you may have already seen these photos. I thought they were worth a relook.
Wishing all you Mom’s out there a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Models: The Great Pretender LIlith (with hair restyled) and Silkstone Ken
Gown : Monogram Magnetism
Jewelry: Monogram Magnetism and Mattel
Dark Swan Sings the Blues
I don’t know about you guys but when I work or process photos, music is a big part of it. I guess that is why I include a playlist on my blog. You can always find what I am listening to currently or what I feel works with the content I am sharing on the blog in that playlist. Today we have the incomparable Billy Holiday as a soundtrack for the photos. While I was not listening to Billy Holiday when I styled Ms. Elise, the second I added the white flower to her hair the thought “Lady sings the blues” came to mind and it stuck with me. That’s why I added the microphone and the story went from there. Hope you enjoy….
Model: Fashion Royalty Squared Dark Swan Elise Jolie
Gown,Earrings and Microphone: Stunning in the Spotlight Silkstone Barbie ( with flower removed )
White flower is another scrapbooking element
Using my Canon Macro lens……
Lilith Shops La Boutique
I am always amazed at how Diana and Janet of La Boutique manage to reproduce high end handbags in 1/6 scale. The purses of the month for April 2012 were inspired by Valentino and I am absolutely enthralled.
Model: Nu.Face Great Pretender Lilith
Suit,Hat and purse on model: Walking Suit Silkstone Barbie
Shoes: Nu.Face Great Pretender Lilith
Purses on display: La Boutique POTM April 2012 ( for info on how to purchase contact Diana at dianawieler@sympatico.ca )
Dark Swan Elise dons a day suit
Now try to say the title of this post five times quickly {snort}. I almost made the title “To my props…How do I love thee, let me count the ways.” I seem to be using these busts quite a bit but oh well. People often ask me about the lighting I use in my photos and I thought it would be fun to show these photos because the shots that came out the best ( In my opinion, and that of my partner in crime and in house tech support…the husband) are actually the ones that used the least light. They used the least number of photography lights but were placed in such a way as to add drama and texture to the shot. I am forever changing lights around as I shoot something because I want to see what else I can get to come out on film. I love how the low lighting shows off the angles on the face of this Elise. I will also admit to adding some vignetting on the full length shot.
Model: FR2 Dark Swan Elise
Suit and Purse: Fashion Royalty Foreign Affair
Shoes: FR2 shoe pack from 2011 FR convention
Hat: I could tell you but you wouldn’t believe me
Okay so hat is really a scrapbook embellishment. 
The Upper Echelon of Integrity Toy’s Monograms
** photo property of Integrity Toys, Inc. **
I have to admit….the original outfit on this one just didn’t do it for me personally. I know what a bubble skirt looks like on me ( NOT PRETTY!) and I just could not get past it on this doll. I love the black top, shoes and bag…the rest…. well…time to repurpose. On to the positives…. Love the face of soft color and the hair was a different style. I typically like most variations on an updo so the little curl this girl has in the back was just too adorable. Yes, the hair bump has been overused ,in my opinion, at Integrity this year but on this doll, I like it. Since the outfit wasn’t doing it for me, I had to find an appropriate replacement and inspiration struck while I was perusing the latest edition of Vogue. There is a wonderful spread highlighting the Ritz in Paris. I would absolutely die to have a backdrop of some of these rooms for my dolls. It’s the ultimate in style, I mean come on…Coco Chanel lived there! I saw one photo in this spread and it inspired me to do this shoot. Hope you like it.
< Let them eat Cake… >
Model: Fashion Royalty Monogram “ Echelon”
Coat, skirt and gloves: F.R. Power Play
Shoes: F.R. Monogram
Fur: Dimitha
Fascinator Hat: made by me
The Monogram Exaggeration
Right off the bat, I have to say that the color palette on this offering from Integrity Toys is beautiful. The coral in the skirt and hat and the insane green of the gloves, shoes and bag are just way out cool. These”exaggerated” colors are not typically ones that are going to excite me and certainly not together but I love them on this doll. I like the fact that we have a soft color block dress paired with a solid navy structured jacket. I love that the outfit is punctuated with the frilly hat like an exclamation point at the end of this fashion sentence. The hat/feather fascinator looks different here than in the promos….I did some restyling and had to curl some feathers. I like the fuller look but it may not appeal to everyone. The whole package screams refinement and fun energy to me. This lady looks like she is stylish and strong. Let’s face it…it takes a strong fashionista to wear coral and acid green together…….
The “Allure” of Fashion Royalty Monograms
Allure….as a noun it means “ a highly attractive quality”. As a verb it means to “ attract powerfully”.
I have to admit….when I first saw this beautiful lady at the IDEX reveal….I was going to pass. The promo shots just did not do it for me. I felt the Marilyn Monroe vibe but the big cape was not something I was looking for. I decided to go ahead and buy her because I thought I could sell her if I didn’t like her when I got her. I am so glad I purchased her because she is one of those in real life ladies that blew the promo shots out of the water. As I was photographing this lady, I could not believe how well she translates on to film so I was even more surprised that the promo shots did not do this lady justice. She is fire and ice all the way. LOVE HER!
I feel honor bound to state that I was completely enabled and inspired by JennFL’s photos on Flickr of this lovely lady so please check out her photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennfl/with/6865483260/
Revlon did a campaign in the 1950’s and I and others believe it was the inspiration behind this gorgeous lady and gown.
** picture obtained at http://coutureallure.blogspot.com/**
Model, gown and jewelry: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Allure”
Note** she does not come with the diamonds pictured ….bummer!
“Inspiration” for the First Day of Spring
When I saw the promo shots for this lady, I immediately emailed Barb of Windy City Dolls and said “Sign me up!” I don’t know if it was the updo or the frothy blue confection she was wearing that caught me but this was a no brainer for me. I love the ice cold silver and crystal jewelry she comes with. The dress is gorgeous and full and the shoes are so different…kind of like ballet shoes on wedges….if that makes any sense LOL!
My anticipation of this lovely lady fueled the photographer in me and I have been thinking….”How should I photograph this stunner?!” In the end, the time of year gave me inspiration and I decided the soft dress needed some springtime flora to accompany it and if I was going with the flora…I wanted dramatic reflection of the gown and flowers. So, to my trusty black acrylic floor I went. I decided to add a couple of my portable LED lights to my lighting set up and was very, very happy with the result. I hope you guys are too.
Model : Inspiration Fashion Royalty Monogram wearing what she originally came in.
Set: Gold urns filled with artificial cherry blossoms and finished with apple green moss. Miniature paper roses from craft store have been thrown randomly on the flooring.
Behind the scenes……
Afternoon Suit Silkstone–Dior’s “New Look” reimagined in 1/6 scale
The year was 1947 and a new designer Christian Dior seemed to be thumbing his nose at the still lingering austerity measures of post WWII and put yards and yards of fabric into the silhouettes of his “New Look”. If you look it up in the dictionary, the “New Look” was defined by a narrow waist and full pleated skirt. If you are a fan of fashion at all, you have seen this iconic photo.
Or have seen it on display at a museum…..
John Galliano paid homage to the house that employed him and reimagined this famous look for Dior in his Fall/Winter 2009 Haute Couture Collection.
It is a completely timeless look and it would not surprise me if Robert Best was inspired by it for his Atelier Silkstone collection.
***Photo is property of Mattel, Inc.***
Model: Afternoon Suit Silkstone Barbie
Edition size: No more than 4300 Worldwide
Gold label and BFC exclusive…you must be a member to get this lovely lady.
Mannequin: BFC gift with 2012 membership
Backdrop: Made by the lovely Sheree ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fabulous-White-Silkstone-Photo-Display-OOAK-Set-LAST-ONE-FOR-NOW-/170800865221?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c4865fc5)
You can even backlight the backdrop…cool effect!
Here Comes the Bride–Poppy Parker Part 2
Yep…not done with the wedding theme yet. I just love the Silkstone Barbie Wedding dress. It has graced a good chunk of my collection over time and I swear it looks amazing on every single doll I have put it on. I also added something I don’t usually have in my wedding shots…a groom.
Models: Sweet Confection Poppy Parker and Most Beautiful Boy Auden
Bridal gown , veil and bouquet: Marie Therese Silkstone Barbie
Groom’s tuxedo: Twilight Breaking Dawn Pt 1 Edward
Set: My new favorite…the cake candelabra painted silver on a candle holder. Buyers Choice fence. The floral arrangement is a greenery ball on a candlestick with some paper roses thrown in. Literally..that’s what it is.
Elise Jolie Styled in the Roaring 20’s
I was so looking forward to the Hope Diamond Barbie. I loved the promo pictures of the red haired siren with the gorgeous 20’s inspired gown and jewelry. I received her a couple of weeks ago and must say..I was underwhelmed. I adore the gown and jewelry. The doll…Meh. I guess the biggest disappointment was her hair. It was nothing like the promo’s . In reality..it was a big hot mess. I am fairly confident with fixing doll hair. This…was beyond my expertise. I am hoping that it was just my doll who had bad hair and that others received dolls with better hair. Pictures from toy fair showed this lady with promo prefect hair. I did not receive one of those. So, time to make some lemonade out of this lemon. I chose to repurpose the gown and jewelry right away. The gown was a tight fit on an FR2 body but I managed to make it work….just barely.
Model: FR2 “Dark Swan” Elise Jolie
Gown and jewelry: Hope Diamond Barbie
Set: My white shelves set at an angle. Statues I found at a small shop in Snohomish ( my favorite place to find props!). Background is a graduated black to white background and I added a black acrylic floor. I use this floor a lot because I adore the dramatic reflection it gives. There is a blue spot on the black background. It is a small portable LED light that produced a white/blue light so it has colored the black background blue.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Red is the color we associate with this holiday so I have put Air Apparent Veronique in this lovely color to celebrate the day.
Model and jewelry: Fashion Royalty “Air Apparent” Veronique
Gown: T.D. Fashions ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/T-D-FASHIONS-DOLL-FASHIONROYALTY-SILK-STONE-/180605975443?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0cf47b93 )
Fur: Dimitha
Hit Single Darla Daley gets a redress.
In a recent post about up and coming 2012 dolls Debbiefs in Australia pointed out that we were not sharing enough love of Darla Daley. She is right so …. Debbiefs….this one’s for you.
The original face sculpt of this lady was …okay.
At the Fashion Royalty convention we learned that the face mold had been redone and I am happy to say…I LOVE the new and improved Darla.
Model: Hit Single Darla Daley
Gown: T.D. Fashions ( http://stores.ebay.com/t-d-fashiondolls70 )
Jewelry: Facets by Marcia ( http://www.facetsbymarcia.com/jewelry/detail/flair.htm )
set: Fence is by Buyers Choice. Small urn is holiday ornament. Candelabras are repainted cake candelabra candle holders on top of silver candle holders. Flooring is miniature flooring paper.
Dania Zarr..a Real Star!
I have to admit, it took me a while to warm up to this face mold. The very cut angles of her face can give her a masculine feel in my opinion but the latest iteration Integrity Toys did of her is..in a word…STUNNING. Thanks to a really great doll friend, I was able to get a ticket to purchase Bare Essentials “Day” Dania Zarr at the Fashion Royalty Convention this past year. I love her face, hair and new body ( a vampire doll body I believe…not as busty as the Fashion Royalty line). She is a dream to restyle and I had to pull out the macro lens for this beauty as her face really is something else. Added to this beautiful doll, I was able to procure a white Joe Tai gown off of ebay. I am also excited about finally purchasing a De-Zyns by Joy jewelry set ( after drooling over her things for quite a while…finally broke down and bought). Oh..and the chairs!! LOVE them. Found them on ebay..see my source list for the link.
Models: Bare Essentials “ Day” Dania Zarr and 007 James Bond Ken
Gown: Joe Tai
Jewelry: De-Zyns by Joy ( http://de-zynsbyjoy.com/ )
Set: Wall panel by me. Flooring is miniature flooring paper. Candelabra…now that is a story…pewter candlestick with a new find. It’s called a cake candelabra. I need to spray paint it silver but I was so excited to use the thing I just threw it in there ‘as is’ LOL! I think the scale works well here. They are approx. $8.99 on various sites. Chairs are from Ebay ( http://stores.ebay.com/The-DIY-Dollhouse-Center?_rdc=1). They sell a number of different 1:6 scale items. All shipped very fast and well packaged.
LOVE Her face!!
Darya enjoys a winter concert.
Model: Darya Silkstone Barbie
Jewelry: Darya Silkstone Barbie
Gown and Coat: Winter Concert Barbie
Ken: James Bond 007 Ken
Set: Gold console table found on Ebay. Leopard shade lamp – Marann Roy furniture ( http://maryannroy.wordpress.com/) Ornate wall panel made by me. Flooring is wood parquet floor paper.
Empress of Emeralds Elise
Had an idea for a photo shoot when I saw Jon Copeland dress one of his beatiful creations in this gorgeous gown. I think the Royal Jewel Collection by Mattel resulted in some of the most amazing jewelry for fashion dolls. I only have Empress of Emeralds but if this is any indication of the quality of jewels in the other dolls of that series….I think I will be searching for them.
Model: Dark Swan Elise Jolie FR2
Gown and Jewelry: Empress of Emeralds Barbie
Bracelet: Fashion Royalty
And…just because I can’t resist adding more drama to a shot….
Poppy Photo Shoot 2011/2012 Resort Wear 4
Are you sick of Poppy yet? Well I’m not so here is more Poppy spam. Today Poppy is showing us a more muted and refined South Beach look. Robert Best designed a number of dolls from 2006-2007 called “On Location” Barbies. The swimsuit in these shots is from “On Location South Beach” Barbie. All the dolls in that series were fabulous and I still have them. They came with a swimsuit, sophisticated evening outfit and a more casual day wear look. What more could you have asked for in a set? Sadly, he only did four and that was it. The set was worth it for the clothing alone but the dolls themselves are gorgeous as well. Here is the link to their photos at the Barbie Collector website:
http://www.barbiecollector.com/showcase/category/fashions#BestModels
Model: Sweet Confection Poppy Parker
Swimsuit: On Location South Beach Barbie
Shoes: Barbie
Earings: BFMC Debut Silkstone Barbie
Bracelet: Barbie Basics Collection 03 – Look 01
http://www.barbiecollector.com/shop/doll/look-no-01-collection-003-w3338
set: Please refer to Poppy photo shoot day 1
I am really appreciating these sunny shots today. We have about 6 inches of snow on the ground with more on the way tonight. This is unusual for the Pacific Northwest in the United States. We don’t typically get this much snow so close to the ocean. I’m glad that Poppy is enjoying her time in the sun. 
Poppy Photo Shoot 2011/2012 Resort Wear 3
Today Poppy is gracing the patio with some Palm Beach style. Beautiful Tan, vivid color and a touch of bling…or maybe more than a touch.
Model: Sweet Confection Poppy Parker
Swimsuit and cover up: Mattel BFMC Palm Beach Swimsuit Barbie
Earrings: Mattel BFMC Debut Barbie
Sunglasses: Mattel Barbie Basics Look 01- Collection 003 ( http://www.barbiecollector.com/shop/doll/look-no-01-collection-003-w3338)
Shoes: Barbie ( have no idea what set these orange slides came from )
Set: refer to Poppy Photo Shoot 1 blog post
Poppy Photo Shoot–2011/2012 Resort Wear 2
Yipeee!! Color profile fiasco problem from yesterday has been fixed..and can I just say I HATE it when a program I use almost every day decides to up and change a color profile on me…out of the blue. Naughty, naughty Adobe Lightroom. I sent it to it’s room without dinner. Great…watch it get all cranky on me and really rebel. Alright, I really do digress…on to the photos.
Today Poppy is showing us her second look for lounging by the pool. A definite Italian flare here.
Model: Sweet Confection Poppy Parker
Swimsuit: On Location Barcelona Barbie
Shoes and hat: Look 01 Barbie Basics collection 03 ( http://www.barbiecollector.com/shop/doll/look-no-01-collection-003-w3338)
Sunglasses: Fashion Royalty
Earrings: Sweet Confection Poppy Parker
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 