Della Dazzles
Well it’s a new month and I have a new muse. Rather..I have a couple of new muses. First off, I received the new East 59th ladies from Integrity Toys designed by Chris Stoeckel a couple weeks back and finally had a chance to debox them. Beautifully tailored clothing as one would expect from Mr Stoeckel. He never disappoints. My must have from this particular capsule collection was Miss Della Roux. Here are the promotional photos.
Merry & Bright
Della Roux™ Dressed Doll
The East 59th® Collection
Limited Edition: 550 Dolls
Expected Ship Date: Late Winter/ Early Spring 2021
Suggested Retail Pricing: $160.00
AVAILABLE ONLY FROM IT DEALERS
Head Sculpt: Victoire Roux 2.0
Body Type: E59 1.0
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled
Skin Tone: FR Black
Hair Color: Raven
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
The original gown pictured is based, I believe, on a 1954 Dior gown.
And I had seen another rendition in a paler color that I was inspired by…
I adored the fur cuffs on this one so I set about making some for Miss Della. I had some trim I had acquired years ago when in NYC with friends. We spent an afternoon shopping for embellishments and trim. Such great memories so I was happy to be able to use this recycled fur trim I found on something.
Hope this blog post finds you all healthy and fully vaccinated or soon to be vaccinated.
-Rebecca
Poppy at the Flower Market
When I started making 1/6 flowers, it was with this diorama in mind. I wanted to do a French style flower market. I started with 1/6 roses and then just kind of took off into other types and varieties. I have not stopped. I work predominately in paper. All kinds of paper from tissue through crepe paper and into thicker cardstock. Each flower type has it’s different personality that requires a different structure. That is part of the beauty of discovery when crafting I suppose. For me, there is a photo shoot concept at the end that drives me. I have had some really epic fails and also..I am happy to report…some extraordinary successes.
Part of the project for this flower market was the construction of the flower shop window. That was accomplished with foam core board, stucco spray paint , plastic and dollhouse molding. I figured out how to make the little French flower pails out of paper. This glorious Dior inspired suit by Chris Stoeckel for Integrity Toys fits Poppy beautifully. It just needed a French flower shop backdrop.
Model: Looks a Plenty Poppy Parker GS 2018
Suit, accessories and hat: East 59th Mid Day Venture Aurelia Grey
Set: ITFDS
Bistro table and chairs: miniChair on Etsy
Styling and Photography: Rebecca Berry for ITFDS
In the Pink Nadja
What can I say…I am in a pink and Nadja mood right now. I adore this doll and in this amazing pastel pink she just sings to me. I don’t believe you can ever go wrong with pastel pink. For the past year now, we have been in quarantine in my area. We are located uncomfortably close to the first cases of the virus in the US. We knew we had community spread early on so my husband’s workplace told everyone to work remotely from home last March. Both of my college age kiddos also have been doing remote learning for their respective colleges for many months. It’s a full house once again and I kinda like it. I know it’s only temporary and will enjoy it while I can.
While I haven’t been active on the blog, I have not been idle. I decided last year to switch a now unused space in our home ( the kids play room) to a full time studio/craft space. I will do a blog post on that project at a later time but the crafting space is allowing me to pursue another passion for now…miniature plants and flowers. This love of crafting miniature plants has dovetailed rather nicely into a home re-landscaping project that has been in the planning for many years. We finally completed the bulk of the landscape project this year and await final pieces this spring. So, I guess what I am saying is…plants and flowers will be popping up on images for the blog.
My mindset for the images in today’s post was Spring. Since Jessy Ayala designed a very chic and edgy outfit with vibrant color for the original doll, I wanted to try and take her softer and more pastel for contrast. In my mind, this is her office in Paris where she runs some kind of floral or home decorating empire. It is springtime in Paris and you can imagine that the sunshine coming into the shot is from a set of french doors with a view of the Eiffel tower over the black ornate wrought iron balcony railing.
I am also channeling a bit of Frida Kahlo here with the miniature hydrangeas in her hair. Just go with it.
Model and jewelry: The Enchantress Nadja Rhymes by Integrity Toys
Clothing: MUNLE ( @m.u.n.l.e on Instagram) and HOANGANHKHOI on Etsy
Shoes: Mademoiselle Lilith by Integrity Toys
Purse: @mydollhouse2005 on Instagram
Mac computer: Liluminiature on Etsy
Wall panel: divinitydolldecor on Etsy
Styling and Photography: ITFDS
This scene is also full of fun little miniatures that I have worked on for the past year and some that I have purchased ( the purse and computer). I always love to see detail photos in other people’s dioramas so I am including a couple here.
Behind the scenes 
. Happy first day of Spring!! I know, I know…meteorologically speaking of course..not astronomically.
-Rebecca
Siren Silhouette Korrine
Last year Integrity Toys released a small Fashion Royalty capsule collection called FR Maison Paris. It consisted of two dolls and I received the second doll in the collection not too long ago. Everything about this small collection had huge glamour factor. Jessy Ayala indulged his creativity towards elegant pastels and classic lines for this capsule. The results were big hits with collectors including this one. Thanks to my trusty dealer, I managed to secure both dolls.
Siren Silhouette
Korinne Dimas™ Dressed Doll
The Fashion Royalty® Collection:
Maison FR
Limited Edition: 1100 Dolls
Expected Ship Date: Early Winter 2020
Suggested Retail Pricing: $175.00
AVAILABLE ONLY FROM IT DEALERS
Head Sculpt: Korinne Dimas
Body Type: FR 6.0
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled
Skin Tone: Hungarian
Hair Color: Dark Brunette
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
I think she is exceptional! I adore the intricate details of this gown…beads down the seams of the skirt people!! All of them!!. This gown is pure confection . The accessories start off with a statement cocktail ring paired with the over the top chandelier earrings and delicate clutch with butterfly clasp. The shoes are a lovely iridescent silvery pair of stillettos with ornate metal heel (à la Ralph and Russo).
Here is how this beauty translated through my camera lens. I am very happy.
And sometimes…when taking images…the light reflects at just the right moment and in the exact right spot. I realize that this effect can be done using lightroom but it is always a little bit of magic when it happens organically. Here is the Siren herself…
For those of you interested in the behind the scenes set-up for these images, this one is for you. I had a reflector bouncing light from the left and partly cloudy afternoon diffused light coming in from the right. Here I am using two Replica Surface background boards in “Smoke”.
-Rebecca
We Dream of Spring
Well hello, hello! I am borrowing that opening from my new favorite Instagram account @clausdalby. We have been in strict lockdown for almost a year here in the Pacific Northwest and a few days ago were hit with about a foot of snow. We rarely get that much snow here so basically everything comes to a standstill until the snow melts.
I have to admit…the last year and frankly the last couple of years my inspiration and creativity for doll photography has been in a holding pattern. I just couldn’t for the life of me find a willingness to create images. That is so unusual for me. I did however, pour myself into different projects ( new landscaping and gardens and conversion of a play space into a home studio/craft space) that syphoned off the creative energy for a bit. As they say…such is life. My hope is that now that the new large projects are completed, I can find joy again in my collection and photographing it.
During this quarantine, I have found so many inspiring images and stories in my daily scroll of Instagram and Flickr. I am amazed every day at the creativity in this world and so thankful for all of those who share images and the comments and dialogue that others join in with. It has created a community in which we all could participate even when we could not visit in person with others.
This morning as I looked out at a landscape of snow and ice, I felt the old familiar stirrings of doll photography creativity and I was spurred to action by an image a friend shared on Instagram. These images came together easily and organically in a short amount of time. I had the miniature cherry blossom branches because I have been trying my hand at making miniature flowers for the past year. It was well past time to put them on camera. Let’s hope I am over my creativity hump and will move back into the blog and doll photos.
Model: Like No Other Nadja by Integrity Toys
Gown and Jacket: M.u.n.l.e on etsy at HOANGANHKHOI
Cherry Blossom Crown and flowers: handmade
Background: Replica Surfaces
Shopping bag: handmade
-Rebecca
Tulip Festival!
There is a tulip festival about to happen over at Bellissima Couture. As many of you know, Hilda Westervelt( Bellissima Couture) and I are good friends and frequently collaborate on projects together. I met Hilda through this wonderful world of collecting and I am so thankful every day for that friendship. That’s why when we get to work together on something, it becomes extra special.
Recently, Hilda and I worked on developing a set of fabrics for some of her divine fashions. I came up with a tulip fabric that Hilda then helped me tweak to bring it into better scale with her fashions. This is how the collaboration turned out. I love working with my amazingly talented friends!
Model: Double Agent Poppy Parker
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Shoes: Mattel
Jewelry: Integrity Toys
Purse: Mydollhouse2005 on Instagram
So if you are interested in this lovely creation, look for it on Bellissima Couture’s website today!
-Rebecca
Day 1 at the Museum
Model: Integrity Toys Out of Sight Nadja
Dress: Mizi Dolls Fashion “Paris”
Purse: Phillip Nuveen on Etsy
Earings and Shoes: Integrity Toys
Glasses: ITFDS
Miniature Portrait: Kelly Rinaldi ( contact her @ you_are_a_doll on Instagram)
Day 2 at the Museum
I don’t know about you guys…but one day at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is never enough for me. Apparently it wasn’t for Nadja either.
Model: Integrity Toys “Out of Sight” Nadja
Jacket, Dress, Hat, and Boots: Integrity Toys “Female Icon” Dasha
Floral jacket pin: Scrapbooking element….swear…to God LOL!
Purse: Tiny Frock Shop
Earrings: Integrity Toys
–Rebecca
Giselle in the Flowers
Wow!! Do I even know how to do this anymore? {snort}. I’m not going to lie people…it felt like rusty gears starting to work again setting up for this photo shoot and getting it done. When all was said and done, I have to honestly say…”Dag it felt good!!”
I have always been a fan of Vogue style editor Grace Coddington and her work. When I first had the idea for this image, I thought of her and her styling and went from there. I had to use this glorious background and then I needed natural light. For those who follow me on Instagram, I teased a few photos there.
Here are a couple quick behind the scene shots and a little peak at my new studio space….will be sharing more of that through the holiday season 
.
And after some post production magic…this is what we have.
I think this Giselle was the breakout hit from last years Integrity toys convention. Many people had difficulty seeing past the the retinal searing yellow outfit she sported. I have to admit, I almost didn’t get her. But then I took a second look at her soft makeup palette and decided, “yeah…I can work with that”. Believe it or not, I had an image in my mind close to this final floral image when I first bought her over a year ago. Yes…I really do have images sitting in my head that long and longer before I can get it on film. So often, it never gets rendered. I was happy to get it and bring it forth today. Hope you all enjoy.
–Rebecca
Coquettish in the Sunshine
The first release from Integrity Toy’s 2017 Fashion Royalty La Femme collection has entered The Fashion Doll Studio! I really didn’t think I was going to be able to do any shots in the natural sunshine today as we have smoky haze( welcome to the Pacific Northwest and all of it’s summer forest fires) but it has turned the light this really cool pinkish red so I thought “ why not!” Keep in mind that these shots are done through a pinkish red filter which gives Jordan’s skin a rosier hue than normal.
Coquette
Jordan Duval™ Dressed Doll
La Femme
The 2017 Fashion Royalty® Collection
Edition Size: 725
Estimated Delivery: September 2017
Retail Price: $145.00 US
Head Sculpt: Jordan
Body: FR 6.0
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled
Skin Tone: A-Tone
Hair Color: Sand Blond
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
Love this mocha skin tone and the honey blond tresses on this lady. One of the softest Jordan’s I have seen in a while. The clothing is on trend and the quality is good. the fabric is nice and supple as well as the pants. The bustier has a nice leather feel and fits well. The real stars of this show are the accessories though.
Gorgeous from head to toe! That purse though….oh…my…word!!! I am loving the details of this first release from the Fashion Royalty 2017 collection. Can’t wait for future releases!!
-Rebecca
Champagne anyone?
Hello all!! It seems like a year since my last blog post and in reality…it has been almost 2 months! Yikes. First and foremost, I need to send out a belated and public “Thank You!!” to my dear friend and fellow blogger Rogier from Dutch Fashion Doll World for taking over my blog and doing a wonderful job reporting for me while I was at the National Barbie Doll Collector Convention in Houston. I hope you all enjoyed the posts and images.
A little bit of an explanation for my absence. In the months preceding NBDCC, I am typically hyper busy producing miniatures to sell in the convention sales room. This year, I started extra early and produced about twice the amount I normally do thinking I would have a bunch left over afterwards so that I would have plenty to sell at Integrity Toys convention. The good part…I sold a LOT more than I expected to at Barbiecon…The bad part…I have had to turn around and start producing again for Integrity Toys. This has meant little to no time for blogging or photography. Sorry folks. Best laid plans and all that went out the window…but it was for a good reason. I am more pleased than I can say that my minis appeal to you guys. Thank you for your support. If I ever have a spare week free..I will set up my etsy site to sell to all. So far…not happening. Perhaps after IT convention. Fingers crossed.
Today, being a day of rest, I chose to have some fun with my camera and my relatively new “First Taste of Champagne” Poppy Parker came to mind. Hope you enjoy!
Model and earrings: First Taste of Champagne Poppy Parker
Outfit: Spotlight on Broadway Barbie ( NBDCC 2015 Convention doll)
Models: First Taste of Champagne Poppy Parker and Baby It’s You Chip
Gown on Poppy: Rimdoll
Glorious Piano!!: Grand Pianist by Sega Toys
I have been wanting to get one of these pianos for AGES!! I finally found one used for a price that didn’t require a kidney. It actually plays people!!
Future reports may be sporadic as I get ready for IT convention in October. 
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 