Gifts of the HEART!!!

How do I love thee, let me count the ways...... My dolls work hard for me. They stand for hours, days, months, never complaining about the workload or even when accidently pricked with pins. And even when I fit a dress on one doll only for me to pull it off and photograph on someone else, they utter not a word. Instead they look beautiful and smile which makes me smile! So this year, to reward them for all of their dedication and hard work, I decided to do something special for Valentine's day. I went to.... Tiffany's.

 

In the film, "Breakfast at Tiffany's," Audrey Hepburn's character gleefully remarks, "how can anyone not feel happy at such a wonderful place!" I totally agree. When I lived in New York, I'd go to Tiffany's just to lift up my spirits and dream. Yes, there are lots of diamonds and gold baubles, but there's also the works of contemporary designers like Paloma Picasso and my favorite...Elsa Peretti, best known for her sculptural heart collection which is where we'll start.

What is interesting about the Peretti heart (lower left image) is its freeform design. What that means is that when you make your wire hearts, they don't have to be perfect. I bent a small piece of 18 gauge silver tone wire into a heart as best I could.  After forming my heart, I gave it a few whacks with a hammer to flatten, then hung with fine chain around the doll's neck.

Her heart collection is comprised of a variety of items, including belt buckles! For the red belt, I found a ready-made heart, but you can simply bend a  piece of wire (18 gauge in this case) into a heart. Make a V then bend each end towards the center. Cut a narrow strip of leather (or ribbon) and fold it over one side of the heart and glue. Then wrap the leather strap around the doll's waist and knot it on the other side. Pssst.....Notice on the doll's index finger is a ring. I took a tiny length of 24 gauge wire and wrapped it around a toothpick. With the wire pliers I crushed the coil down and pressed each end inward. You can also use tiny jewelry jump rings as rings for your dolls!

You can make your own chain by joining a succession of small hearts together. The bracelet is  a string of tiny hearts made from 24 gauge silver wire. (Note: If you make more hearts, you've got a chain belt!)

Simply loop each heart together and make an S link to hold the bracelet together. Her pendant is simply a fine chain with a pendant of two intertwined hearts.

Inspiration for the next set comes from my own jewelry box.  I love charms! The top photo is a bracelet I bought myself when I reached a milestone birthday. The middle image is a heart charm necklace my mother gave me for Christmas many years ago. And the bottom is one of my charm bracelets. Each charm represents something from my life!

Most crafts and jewelry supply stores carry a wide variety of chain. At a major US crafts store, I found a silver tone chain dotted with tiny hearts and rhinestones. I measured the chain on the doll and formed two rows for the necklace. Then with the remainder, I made a double chain charm bracelet.

Paloma Picasso, the daughter of the late renowned artist, is also a resident designer for Tiffany's.

I found this silver bird pendant (bottom image) designed by her. I also found the stamped metal bird (left) at a store in Paris. Instead of using chain, I made this silver neck wire which I felt was more contemporary, then added my bird.

  

Look for interesting pieces of pressed metal to make pendants, like this Chinese red medallion.

Simply thread a bit of carpet thread, embroidery yarn or thin satin ribbon through the medallion. Make a loop at each end in the back and attach an S link to close.

If you have Fashion Royalty dolls whose hands come off (handspeak system), beads with large holes make for very pretty bracelets. The hole should be about 3/8 inch (7 mm) though you might get away with a 6mm hole.

For 16" dolls, look for beads with a minimum of 1/2" inch (12mm) holes. And....consider small (human) rings, as well!

Diamonds are a Doll's Best Friend...

Trust me.... they'll settle for ANYTHING that sparkles including those glitter shoes we made in the last post!!!

 

On her wrist, I took an ordinary plastic Barbie bracelet and gave it a coat of glitter. Rhinestone letters or symbols (generally sold in crafts stores) slipped onto a strip of leather makes for a glamorous belt or neck cuff.

Hollywood! Holly Would!!!

 

Nothing says rock star like a pair of wing tipped glittery eyeglasses! These were made from two weights of wire, then coated with glue and dipped in silver glitter!

1. To make the glasses, I used a 18 gauge wire for the top and legs. Form an M that spans the width of the doll's face and a bit more.
2. Bend the sides back and place on the doll's face. Make any adjustments needed.
3. Now take a thinner wire...in this case I used a 24 gauge wire. Wrap around one corner. Form a loop and wrap around the center. Form another loop then wrap around the opposite corner and cut. Adjust the loops over the eyes and using your pliers, squeeze the thinner wire into each corner.
For this pair of glasses, I used a textured, novelty wire for the top. This makes for a nice looking pair of glasses by themselves. For the Hollywood version, I used ordinary smooth wire, then coated the finished frames with glue and glitter.

Jewelry isn't the only thing Tiffany's sells. There are also handbags, like this one in the store's signature color!

For tips on making this bag, look at this tutorial to see how we made one that's similar (the purple bag near the bottom of that post.)

 

Before leaving the neighborhood, a handbag in Valentino's window caught my eye.

 

Love this clutch bag and I had an extra bird. So I folded a small piece of leather into an envelope handbag and glued on the bird! The diagonal cut, I felt, made the design more dynamic!

 

 

 

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CARNIVAL 2016!!!!

To all my friends in Trinidad & Tobago, I wish you a very festive, happy and safe... CARNIVAL!!

In the four years I spent in this lovely country, I learned to appreciate this very special holiday. The Trinidadians are a very proud people and I can attest to their creative and artistic ability. As usual, I set aside this time to dress my girls in skimpy, over-the-top showgirl costumes.

This isn't about real clothes at all. On the contrary, this is about creating losing oneself in an artistic fantasy crafted from feathers, beads, and an extravagant imagination. The party doesn't end there.

Twinkle Toes

According to vogue.com, glitter footwear is all the rage! In fact, we noticed quite a few sparkly sneakers on the streets of Paris last December. Look for everything from sparkling ankle boots to stiletto sandals to jazz up the feet of diehard fashionistas.


Sparkle footwear is very in, according to Vogue magazine.

So, we decided to take a few pair of cheap Barbie shoes (you can find them online and on eBay) and glam them up with a small vile of silver glitter!


Before and after, pink plastic Barbie shoes are given a glamorous new look with glitter.

At first, I was afraid that the end result would look a bit cheesy. But to my surprise, the shoes almost looked as though they were encrusted with tiny rhinestones. I was most pleased.

It is not so difficult to work with glitter. Still, here are a few tips to a successful finish.



 1. Use craft glue or (glossy) ModPodge for best results. For tiny areas or small shoes, I use a toothpick to spread the glue. For slightly larger shoes or boots, I use a Q-tip. But if you think you will be glittering lots of items, then you might want to use small paintbrushes.
2. Shake fine glitter onto the shoes while the glue is still wet. Shake it over a small sheet of aluminum foil or waxed paper. (When you are finished, excess goes back in the vial for reuse the next time around!) Pat the bottom of the shoe to shake off the excess.
3. Allow to dry, then paint on another layer of glue, followed by another generous shake of glitter. Shake off the excess and, again, allow to completely dry.

Don't stop there, have fun. Give new life to a Barbie bracelet or handbag. You can even create your own accessories from oven-bake clay then add a few shakes of glitter to glam things up.

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Doll's Eye View: Paris Couture: Spring 2016

This was the first fashion presentation to follow last November's terrorist attacks in Paris. Quite naturally, security was intense and the mood, quite subdued. Many couturiers pulled back and showed in smaller venues. We live in a dangerous world. People have more on their minds than expensive dresses! To make matters worse, there is ongoing chaos following the departure of some designers from key fashion houses.  including Dior where there is no creative director.

As time goes on and lifestyles change, there seems to be increasing less need or demand for this form of fashion. Traditionally, haute couture was produced by a hushed circle of designers for the needs of "high society." Women like Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Catherine Deneuve, Edith Piaf and a host of socialites, Hollywood stars, European aristocrats and Saudi royalty once flocked to their Paris salons for their biannual wardrobe fix. One could easily drop $15-20,000 for a tailored suit and $80,000 or much more (depending on the amount of embroidery) for a gown. Today the market has dwindled. The wealthy set is content with designer ready-to-wear and with few exceptions, only eveningwear floats down a couture catwalk.

The rare couture daywear on the catwalk.

For me, even the young designers who show during couture week, seem to have lost the meaning of couture as it is now a word to describe anything and everything. This "art" should be an escape from reality. These clothes should make the rest of us dream. Sadly, most of them do not. I struggled to find something that inspired me.. Either I had done similar silhouettes before or the outfits were just not that interesting due to poor choice of fabric, cut or functionality. But I persevered and finally found a few styles

On Her A-Game
There was a lot of volume going on with gowns that seemingly are designed with red carpet events in mind. These silhouettes which are narrow at the top and super wide at the bottom, make for grand ball gowns.

It's not that difficult to make either. The skirt is a circle skirt. I used a circle of white silk topped with a circle of white tulle for the skirt. The top is a strapless camisole with shoulder straps and a little apron of gathered black tulle tacked under the bustline.

I didn't really care for this dress, as is. I felt the fabric wasn't special enough, the silhouette is too stiff and the stark white color doesn't add anything to the over all look. Using the same concept--slim strapless dress with a full flared over-dress--I used a soft, sheer georgette fabric in a boudoir blush tone which flatters the pale "skin" of my model, Violetta. With the fabric now softly flowing around the body, it is a sexier, more glamorous look. Moral of the story: you don't necessarily have to like the garment in front of you. Slip into the skin of the designer and try to envision the message he was trying to convey. Then make whatever changes you feel best makes the point!

It's kind of surprising to see grey for spring, but think morning fog at the seaside. Though we've seen these silhouettes before, it's the choice of fabric that makes them current. Soft chiffon, lace or embroidered sheers, even a rayon/lycra jersey will ease dolly into any of these subtly pretty looks.

Summer Princess

Ballet  dress turned princess ball gown, the old fashioned fit and flare looks are big. Notice too, all of the tulle and sheer fabrics used here. Again, making a version for dolly is pretty straight forward. These fit and flare looks consist of a fitted bodice or a flared (or circle) skirt for an understated elegant look. Gaze into the skies for your color palette.

Here, we like the subtle contrast of textures. Textured sheers with black velvet roses, taffeta cabbage roses against a bell shaped 2-piece gown, lace with appliques fluttering over a black chiffon jumpsuit.

This last dress is simply, a strapless mini dress with a skirt that ties over it like an apron. On top are lots of textured flowers. It looks more complicated than it is. Take a look:

1.This is a strapless sheath dress made from the foundation sloper. Since I'm using  a sheer, instead of hemming this dress, I stitch on a bit of lace trim at the bottom. Leave the top alone for the moment.

2. Using a 1/8" (3mm) ribbon, stitch on the straps near the top of the dress.

3. Pin, then sew your lace trim over the top edge. The straps will be sandwiched in between the dress and the trim.

4. Make the flowers out of bits of crinkled fabric in different sizes. (I used polyester taffeta.) It doesn't have to be perfect.

5. Attach above the waist and be sure one is placed on one of the shoulder straps.

 

 

 
6. Make an apron by gathering a length of fabric into enough ribbon to wrap around the doll's waist plus an additional 1/2" (1 cm). Fold each end in and glue. To one end, stitch on one of the larger flowers. The waistband can be closed with a snap.
7. For an addition bit of texture, I added in a single feather. To finish off the hem, I stitched on a row of lace trim. What's nice is that you now have two dresses for the effort of making one!!!

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All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist. Copyright 2016.

Three Years A Charm!!!

Can you believe it? Today, we celebrate our three years in the blogosphere. How time flies when you’re having fun! Someone once asked me if I was afraid of running out of ideas. My response:  not at all! As long as there is fashion—be it from on catwalks, red carpets, museum exhibitions or simply, gritty urbanwear from big city streets—there will be plenty of inspiration to fuel this blog.

I’m pretty happy with the way things went over the past 12 months. There were slightly fewer posts than the year before, but I spent more time and space on each project in an effort to explore the multitude of options.  Inasmuch as today’s fashion is the sum of its parts, we steered a good share of our focus towards accessories: belts, hats, gloves, hair pieces, shoes and T shirts for Ken, Uggs and Chanel transformations for Barbie.  We remain faithful to our ongoing conversation on trends, but paused to properly finish our dresses, jackets, coats and skirts. In fact we even launched a new page dedicated to sewing tips!

We toured the exhibitions and marveled at the works of master couturiers, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent and Jeanne Lanvin. We played around with textiles: sun-printing with leaves, adding spark with foiling, even stringing together bits of metallic cardboard to form a Paco Rabanne style dress!

And so, you wonder, what could I possibly come up with for 2016. MORE OF THE SAME!!!

Me and the girls will be taking you to Barbie’s exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris later this spring. We’ll also be paying homage to the late French couturier, Andre Courreges, best known in the 1960’s for his “space age” fashion. We’ll do more cool things with fabrics and textile techniques. I also think it’s about time for our girls to spend a day at the spa so I’ll be sharing links to other blogs and videos for  tips on caring for our vinyl ladies and even styling their hair.

Of course we’ll occupy our usual front row seats at all the major catwalk shows in the US and Europe.  In fact, the Spring/Summer 2016 Paris Couture report follows this post immediately. The Academy Awards are not far off (my girls are working on their poses.) We’ve already collected the guy’s faves from Fall/Winter 2016 Menswear weeks. The only change: I’ll spread out those reports so they don’t take up a month at a time. The journalist in me has always felt the urgency to post my reports soon after the shows. However, I think the average reader, would rather see trends closer to the season for which they are designed. This will also give me time to stop and post tutorials on those special items that peak your interest.

Finally, there have been calls for me to put up a photo with my entire doll family. My New Years photo (above) comes closest, though about a third of the dolls are not present. It will take me a bit to construct this photo, but I promise to get that up at some point.

Again, I would like to thank all of you for tuning into my blog each week. You make all worthwhile. Thank you for your continued support and your most generous kind words.

Now let’s get this party started!!!!! Cupcakes anybody??!!!

 

 

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Liebster Award--Thank you Brini!

Here we are, the first Liebsters of the year. Thank you, Brini for nominating me. I'll begin right away with my answers to Brini's questions:

 

1.   What is your most treasured doll and why?

My most treasured doll is the one my mom gave me when I was just 20 months old. Her name is Sandra and I still have her. She is on my bed at my parents' home. The body was originally rubber, which over time, disintegrated so I had her re-bodied. She is the matriarch of my doll family! As far as the most treasured doll in my collection...it's too difficult to choose. From my natural haired So In Style Barbies to my most recent Fashion Royalty dolls, all are precious to me. In an earthquake, I'd probably bypass my own clothes and grab as many dolls as I could!

 

2.   What motivates your to continue your blog?

My passion for fashion. In putting together my blog I use many of the same skills as  those employed during my career in fashion and fashion education.  The blog keeps me connected and engaged in this field. It also provides an outlet allowing me to channel my creative energy while giving me something that gives purpose to my daily life now that I am no longer in the work force. Ideas for each post are drawn from current edgy looks as well as fabulous fashions I've seen throughout my life. Since digital cameras didn't exist until fairly recently, I use Pinterest as my scrapbook. My dolls are like tiny avatars, allowing me to "wear" fashion both past and present. All of you who are gracious enough to leave comments and lend support, make all the hard work that goes into producing this blog, very rewarding. Thank you.
 

3.   What doll challenges have you faced, (limiting, selling etc)?

The dolls themselves pose no challenges other than sneaking lots of their friends and families into my home. (How else could 20 turn into 100!)  I'm terribly sentimental so I haven't given any of them away. The challenge really comes with the blog which takes up nearly all of my free time. You know by now, I won't put anything up unless 1) it has a distinct link with "fashion" or has  "fashion appeal" 2) it is photographed in a way so as to seduce my visitors 2) and most of all----it is  interesting! As you've noticed, I operate more like a "magazine" in that my blog runs all year long with no real breaks. I do get away from time to time, but either I prepare posts in advance or I simply take the dolls with me and incorporate them into my trip. It's sort of the way fashion designers live.

 

4.   What new skills have you challenged yourself to in your selected play scale?

 
At first I found very simple ways to dress the dolls (draping designer scarves, feather boas or jewelry) around them. But one day while rummaging through my closet, I found clothes I'd made for myself that were really well sewn. Instead of approaching my work with the attitude of "Well, it's better than those made by Mattel," I started challenging myself with more complicated styles for the dolls and paying more attention to finishing. As a result, I think my work has really grown. I think this is especially important in maintaining the attention and interest of those who follow me.

 

5.   What was the last item you created or purchased for yourself that you had second thoughts about because you'd rather have a doll?

I have so many clothes in my closets and my lifestyle has radically changed now that I am no longer in the work force. So I don't feel the need to buy new clothes for myself and I don't need to update my tech toys as much as I once did. But, when I travel and say, dine out at a restaurant, I tend to think about what kind of doll I could have bought for the price of the dinner. This is very bad! Signs of a doll addict!

 

6.   How do you decide what to add to your collection?

I'm looking for dolls who have the same look and swag as real models on the fashion catwalks of the world. When I do see a doll who speaks to me, and is not outrageously expensive, I set my sights on her.



7.   What was the one doll mistake you made and what did you learn from it?
Making a Frankendolly without really thinking through my objective. Since all I need my dolls have to do is to simply strike a pose,  I had this crazy idea the body didn't really matter. I put an FR doll head on a Barbie Model Muse body, thinking I'd have the look of the doll without the full expense. Aside from the FR doll not being happy with her unarticulated Barbie MM body, I ended up with a devalued FR Kyori Sato doll. Even though she looked hot with either body (Photos: FR body on the left, Barbie MM on the right), the doll screamed and nagged me until I finally gave in and bought a proper FR body for her. In the end, it all came to the same price as a nude doll on the after market. Lesson learned----just go on and buy the whole doll!

 

8.   Which doll was your holy grail and do feel the same about the doll now?

The holy grail wasn't one doll it was Fashion Royalty dolls. Like many of you, I began collecting Barbie. I discovered FR while looking at other collectors' dolls pictured online. It took me awhile before I felt like parting with more than $20 for a doll but eventually I was seduced by the beauty of the FR dolls and how fashion relevant they were. My first FR was a "Envy" Monogram. I love her, but discovered quickly how challenging it was to fit clothes on dolls with articulation. (She kept bending in all directions.) Today, I still love FR and have stopped collecting Barbies. I bought an FR mannequin to avoid draping directly on those dolls!!

9.   Has anyone ever giving you a doll gift that you did not know if you should accept it or not?

With the exception of my "Christmas" gift (picked out by me and given by my dad) I'd rather people not give me the gift of a doll because I'm at a point where I'm looking for something very specific.

10. Which doll or item on your wish list that you will no longer pursue?

I was looking for the FR Hommes Takeo. On Ebay has always been expensive. Now there are so few on the market, he has become completely out of reach!

 

11. Which doll will be the doll you have to have this year?

She has not yet been created but I already know I MUST have her!!!

 

On that note, I nominate the 5 following blogs to continue the madness:

 

 

Blog o Barbie Fashionistas (Olla)

My Collection of Dolls and Other Miscellaneous (Urszula)

Pikulina dolls (Pikulina)

My Barbie's Closet (Chris)

 

 

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who present you the award and link back to their blog.

2. Post the award image on your. 

3  Answer 11 questions posted be the presenter (see below)

4. Nominate 5 blogs with less then 200 followers (or in my case, those you love)

5. Create 11 questions for the nominees to answer.

6. List these rules in your post. Inform the people you chose to nominated by leaving a comment on their   blog and link them to your post!

 

1. What was it about the first doll you ever bought that prompted you to start a collection?

2. When you get a new doll, how does it make you feel and what do you do right after de-boxing?

3. Do you name all your dolls? If so, where do you get ideas for their names?

4. Do you do anything special to care for your dolls?

5. How do you organize your dolls' clothes, accessories, props?

6. What motivated you to start writing a blog?

7. How has your blog evolved since you first started?

8. What kind of camera do you use to take your photos?

9. What challenges does this hobby (or blog) present? (What have you learned?)

10. Where do you go to discover new dolls to buy?

11. Doll-wise, what are you hoping for in 2016?