Photoshoot From Hell

 I'm turning into a lazy photographer. I'd rather take stupid iPhone photos than go into my studio and do the real thing. I'm lazy in the studio, too. I had a handbag to sell so I hung up a contrasting piece of fabric and shot some pictures. Then instead of changing the background to suit the dolls I wanted to photograph, I decided to leave it. Blech. I knew it wasn't working almost immediately but didn't do anything to change it. It's a good thing I'm not doing this for money. On the other hand, if I were getting paid, perhaps I'd be less lazy.

Here you have a lesson in how backgrounds can ruin photographs. Ugh. I don't even want to talk about how much work it was to pull these images out. The last one, of course, has had it's background completely Photoshopped.
In the second picture of Dasha I desaturated the yellow tones. Compare it to the picture that follows and you will see what I mean. Both dresses are the same color IRL.
The dresses on Dasha and Elise are by Cholo. Vanessa is the former Intoxicating Mix rerooted. She is wearing Ayumi's outfit. That is also Ayumi's FR2 body. Ayumi's (ugly) head is on the way to Italy.

Fashion Inspiration?

Carmen Dell Orefice in 1954 Revlon ad

Monogram Allure

I think it's a great copy. I wonder how they get away with it. Apparently iconic images are not copyrighted. What about fashions?

I ordered this Monogram doll because of the outfit and it doesn't bother me that it was copied. I just can't believe that there is no copyright protection. I remember that a few years ago Jason Wu got involved in some kind of movement to protect designers' work. The copying of designs for dolls was brought up on the boards shortly after that. I think that movement sort of fizzled.

Sybarite Pompadour Alterations

Several new Sybarite Pompadour owners have opted to cover up her exposed breasts and/or otherwise alter her appearance. What do you think of the changes?

Caren Castro posted this image on Prego. Just look at all the fabulous accessories and miniatures. When Caren creates a diorama, she really goes all the way!

Here's one by Kat/SF dressed in Play's fashion with the curlers removed.

Another beauty with her chest covered photo by Marny.

This one id by 59DOLL:

By Stacy:

2012 DOTY Industry's Choice Awards Announced

I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to all these winners. The entire list is here.

Some of the winners are pictured. You can do Google searches for others by entering the name of the doll and its creator into your search.

Children's Play Doll
Lil' Cutesies Twins in Stroller – JC Toys Group
Playtime Baby Little Princess – Adora
Laura – Sonja Hartmann
Mosi – Playmates Toys

Collectible Baby Doll
Marei – Hildegard Gunzel
Nursery Time Baby – Adora
Joylee – MasterPiece Dolls
Olivia's Gentle Touch – Ashton-Drake Galleries
Harper – MasterPiece Dolls

Collectible Fashion Doll
Princess Catherine Bride Doll – Ashton-Drake Galleries

Grace Kelly the Bride Doll – Mattel

The Corpse Bride – Tonner

 Toxica – Superfrock

Dinner with Duke & Duchess – Joan Greene

Collectible Ball-Jointed Doll
Lydia Grimmsley – Kim Lasher

Winona – Connie Lowe

Eryka – Kim Lasher
Madame Eshe – Angelic Dreamz

Aurora – MasterPiece Dolls

Collectible Vinyl/Plastic Doll, Less Than $150
Goddess of the Galaxy Barbie – Mattel
Oink! – Adora
Madison – Ashton-Drake Galleries
Grace – Sonja Hartmann

Collectible Vinyl/Plastic Doll, More than $150
Lilli Princess Frog – Heidi Plusczok
Belladonna – Robert Tonner

Tanya – Maybe Baby
Amelie – Doris Stannat
Midnight Blue – Joan Greene

Collectible Miniature Doll, 8 Inches or Less
Lettie – Berdine Creedy
Snips + Snails Tommy – Heartstring Dolls
French Fashion Bru Tiny Tot – Marie Osmond Dolls
Little Belle Flower – Heidi Plusczok
Cosette – Kish & Company

Collectible Manufacturer's Artist Doll
Virginia – Zofia & Henry Zawieruszynski
Eden – Kim Lasher
Fee – Hildegard Gunzel
Princess Sarah – Heidi Plusczok
Suchin – Kish & Company

Artist Ball Jointed Doll
Chloe in Whisperland – Joe MacPhale
Eppie and Arnaud – Connie Lowe
Ava Le Cle – Kim Lasher
Candy Pink “Protea” – Berdine Creedy
Sierra – Judy Porter

Artist Baby Doll
Sweet Cheyenne – Lori Ivanovic
Louise – Pat Moulton
Lully and His Teddybear – Luciana Miglioranzi
Baby Bridgette – Lori Ivanovic

Artist Miniature Doll
Anna – Elizabeth Cooper
Addie in Pink – Bo Bergmann
Nell – Elizabeth

Artist Doll, Less Than $1,250
Celebration of Sisterhood Set – Bo Bergmann
Peppermint Green “Protea” – Berdine Creedy
Liliana – Zofia & Henry Zawieruszynski
Little Grace – Diane Effner
Lizbeth – Anna Hardman

Artist Doll, More Than $1,250
Blue Funky Fairy – Susan Krey
Kristina – Zofia & Henry Zawieruszynski
Wonderland Alice – Gregg Ortiz
Rapunzel – Hildegard Gunzel
Ambriel Antoinette – Bo Bergmann

One-Of-A-Kind Doll, Less Than $1,250
Spoonful of Sugar – Roxanna Maria
Iris Blue – Lorella Falconi
Love’s Pledge – Joy Calhoon
Lucky Child Heidi – Gaby Dolls
Crème de la Rose – Diane Effner

One-Of-A-Kind Doll, More Than $1,250
Masako – Lynn Cartwright
Glenda the Good Witch – Gregg Ortiz
Jacob the Daydreamer – Nina Tugarina
Hoshi – Lynn Cartwright
Dorothy of Oz – Gregg Ortiz

Click on the DOTY logo below to go to the explanation of the requirements and guidelines for dolls to be entered into the competition.

Luminous Ayumi and Lottery Drama

Luminous Ayumi was the IDEX exclusive doll offered by Integrity Toys to the public at the recent event. She was $160. The remainder of the dolls were put up for lottery to the W Club members and the results were announced yesterday. 
I was browsing a doll board yesterday evening when I saw a very angry and resentful post regarding the actions of lottery winners who post their lottery wins at an inflated prices. I checked the W Board and saw that, indeed, one winner had posted Ayumi for sale.  She stated that she open to offers higher than what she was asking on eBay. This person native language is not English.
There was anger directed at this woman in the succeeding posts. It was disturbing to read. Why couldn't these  people email the seller to tell her that posting a lottery win on the W Board immediately after the lottery ended could cause a problem and it's not a 'friendly' thing to do? Someone could have explained this to her. Last year a member did the same thing more than once and no one attacked her. I couldn't understand why this woman left to hang in the wind.
Anyway, today the angriest W Board post had been removed (by the poster?) and several voices of reason prevailed. The thread was also closed.
Sad.

Here's Ayumi. A friend picked one up for me at IDEX.

The designers are playing the Name Game again. They call this doll Ayumi however she looks nothing like Ayumi. IMO this new sculpt is unattractive. That could be partly because of the ginormous eyebrows and huge forehead. It's too bad because her fashion is very pretty. The shoes are well made which allows the doll to stand without support.

 Luminous Ayumi has a beautiful and complex hairstyle that is woven with ribbon. This certainly took skill to create and it was done well. For redressers, this could pose a problem as the ribbon probably cannot be removed without undoing the hairstyle.

As of right now the average eBay going price is about $240.  It will drop because as more people actually receive their dolls, more will be offered for sale.

Silkstone Grace Kelly Bride Doll 50% Off

If you have been wanting the Grace Kelly Silkstone bride doll, Target is offering her for 50% off the original price of $175.

http://www.target.com/p/Barbie-Gold-Label-Collector-Doll-Grace-Kelly-Bride/-/A-13575146#?lnk=sc_qi_detailimage

Photoshoot

Monogram Magnetism was not one of my favorite dolls but tonight I redressed her and she's moved up the ladder. She is gorgeous in the right color.
In these images she's wearing the FR2 Only Natural dress, a shawl from a Randall Craig fashion, Rising Sun Kyori jewelry and Spring Forward Eugenia shoes.

What a difference from the fashion she came dressed in!

Here's Geometry wearing the Tribe wig and Basique Black gown.

Ficon Presents Ga-IN

A new doll from Ficon is now available for ordering. Her name is Ga-IN. She is LE30 and sells for $795.

collaboration with Park:Original makeup designed by park

skin:pale skin(not regular skin)

eye:side glanced eye.

doll includes:

doll+outfit+stocking+fur+wig+shoes+extra hands+tabaco pipe

outfit:inner dress+out dress+long black coat+fur

makeup:Yian & K

outfit:Rhi

wig:chewin

shoes:Ko

Clicking on the image will take you to the Ficon website where you can see more of Alexandra's magnificent photography of this gorgeous doll.

Toxica in Fugu

New JAMIEshow Dolls - Winter 2012

Angelic Dreamz revealed their new JAMIEshow dolls at IDEX this weekend.  JAMIEshow dolls are 16" resin ball jointed dolls.


Click on any image to see the entire line.

Eshe

Grace

Cameron

Sasha

Link to IDEX 2012 Horseman/Vita Pictures

Click on the image above to go to Sharon Meyer's pictures from IDEX.
You can contact her at mmtn52@gmail.com if you wish to order anything.

Are poodles really from France?

Answer:

 

No. Poodles are really from Germany, 'Poodle' comes from 'Pudel', a germanic word meaning 'puddle'. They were bred as water dogs, hence their other name 'puddle dogs'.

History of the Poodle
by Lee Weston      The Poodle's history is shrouded in antiquity and hypothesis. By the 15th century we see dogs that actually resemble the Poodle as we know it, in writings and in art work It is believed by some that the poodle is the original water spaniel. It is known that the Poodle was, and even today, is used as a working hunter and duck retriever. The very stylish hair trim that is distinctive with the Poodle, and seen in conformation, actually has a real function and purpose.  The Poodle's coat protects the dog from water and debris in the water, it buoys the dog, and adds insulation to keep the joints, and the rest of the dog, warm while working. The hindquarters of the dog is shaved so that the dog can swim more easily rather than being weighted down with the equivalent of a diaper and long footed pajamas.
     Breed historians are in general agreement that the Poodle had its origins in Germany, with some influence from Russia and then became standardized as a distinct breed in France where it is the national dog.  That is why many people today refer to the Poodle with the misnomer of "French" Poodle.  In Germany the Poodle (from the German word pudel - meaning "to splash in water") was a very sturdy dog, that possessed two coat types, curly and corded.  The corded type of coat is rarely seen in the United States, but is still in existence.  The Russian variety was described as somewhat "greyhound" in body type.
     We know that the Standard (sized) Poodle developed first, and that the Miniature and Toy Poodles were developed afterwards, and all three varieties have a long history.  It is not known for certain if the Miniature and Toy Poodles are "bred down" versions of the Standard, or if these smaller Poodles developed in their own right. An interesting hypothesis dealing with the history of any breed that predates written history, did the breed develop from a common ancestor, or did the breed develop because dog fanciers from different countries were trying to breed a dog for a particular purpose and function and, independently developed a breed of dog that had similar traits?
     In France, Poodles were used for a variety of purposes.  There was the Caniche which was a large dog widely used for duck hunting.  The Petit Barbet was a Toy size dog that led a pampered and primped style of life in the royal courts.  The Truffle dog was used in the search for that flavorful morsel that was used by so many of the French chefs.
     A very important event in the history of the Poodle is when the breed was imported from France to Great Britain.  The Kennel Club of England registered its first Poodle in 1874, and the Poodle Club of England was founded in 1876. In 1910 the curley and corded dogs were put in separate divisions, as was the Miniature.  Prior to this time Poodles of all sizes and coat types were shown in the same classes.
     The foundations that were developed in England became the cornerstones of the breed in the United States. Precisely when the Poodle was imported to the United States is not known. The American Kennel Club registered its first Poodle in 1886. The Poodle Club of America was originally founded in 1896. Shortly after its establishment it was disbanded, and then reorganized in 1931. The P.C.A. used the Standard and Rules of the Curley Poodle Club of England as its base for establishing the Standard in the U.S. The same Standard now applies to all three sizes of Poodle, the only difference is in the height measurements for each size.
     The Standard and Miniature Poodle are shown in the Non Sporting Group of the A.K.C., and the Toy Poodle is shown in the Toy Group.
     The F.C.I. (Federation Cynologique Internationale) recognizes four sizes: the Standard, Miniature, Dwarf and Toy.  All four sizes are shown in Group 9.

Ich bin Berliner.

Wir sind Berliner.