2.19.2016

The Norma Desmonds: The new wardrobe




Filippo: You did a great job Giovanna, this idea of using old Edith Head models for Tecla's wardrobe was a stroke of genius
Giovanna: Thank you Filippo, I hope she likes them. The hardest part was adding the leopard accents to each of them. That was boring!


Filippo: You know, the leopard accent is her trademark. The used to own one in the old days. Oh yes, Virginia, the fitting is good, nice job.


Virginia: Oooh, thank you Mr. Filippo!


Giovanna: I won't come with you, I think Virginia shall present the models to her. Because of Enrico, you know.
................


Filippo: Madame Tecla? Your wardrobe is ready, if you wish you can come to the atelier and have a look at the models.
Tecla: Well Filippo, I don't really feel like coming to the atelier. You can bring everything up at my mansion so I shall see it at my convenience.
Filippo: Naturally Madame, how silly of me. We will be there in the afternoon.
Tecla: Very good, Filippo.
.................


Tecla: Max! The wardrobe is ready, finally. They will be here today.
Max: I'll supervise the defille, Madame. Everything as you wish.

..................


Filippo: Madame, let me introduce you to Virginia. She's our designer. She will introduce you each piece of the collection she designed for you.
Virginia: Good afternoon Madame, the clothes shall be modeled by our  models: Greta, Veronica, Vittoria and Camilla
Tecla: They are a bit fat, aren't they? It doesn't matter, let's go ahead. I've been waiting for this collection long enough.

Virginia: As you indicated, I designed dresses in marroon and black, with cheetaa accents.  Each dress has been named after the defining moments of your carreer. The first dress is called "how to divorce a millionaire"





Tecla: I like this one.

Virginia: Thank you Madame. The second dress is called: Untamed




Tecla: Excellent!

Virginia: And this  one is "Indiscreet"





Tecla: I like the coat, the line of the dress is interesting, too.
Virginia: Something classic and something new, Madam. As you requested. And now the Dressing Gown. "Beyond Breakfast"





Tecla: Perfect. Filippo you outdid yourself.
Filippo: Thank you Madame. You're very generous

...............

Filippo and Virginia are going to give the good news to a nervous Giovanna, their ordeal is over (for the time being!)

I'm curious about which is your favourite dress, I'm willing to make some more late 40's early 50's dresses, those Edith Head sketches are beautiful and Costanza wants a wardrobe of her own too!

2.14.2016

Happy St. Valentine day!!!

Hello Everyone! I've been working on the new "couples" page, and making dresses for the new boys and girls. So St. Valentine day came somewhat unexpectedly upon me! 

I thought it would be nice to start to introduce the couples today, as well as some of the new arrivals.

Alfonso and Edgardo are wearing some "ready made" outfits, as I haven't figured out their style yet, while Adalgisa and Edvige are wearing new casual outfits, I'm working on more of these!!!



Alfonso and Vittoria

finally I've found the right guy for her, she's so elegant and I felt she needed a polished yet a rugged companion.


Edgardo and Greta

They are the perfect match! They would deserve a sort of Dowton Abbey sort of diorama all for them (this is not going to happen)


Emilio and Olga

I love these two, they are both pirates and in spite of ther big head he loves her madly


Corrado and Adalgisa

another perfect match! I just had to sew the right outfit for her, and she blossomed (she's a wonderful doll)


Eugenio and Edvige

I wasn't sure about them until I photographed them, they are awesome (she too beautiful to be true, and the new NuFace body is great!)



Goffredo and Ofelia

They are absolutely the perfect Thin Man couple....I have to write a story for them!


Giulio and Aurelia


Onofrio and Rebecca


Carlo and Billina


Attilio and Odette


Agostino and Caterina

Billina and Carlo made their mind up, they are going to visit Uzbekistan, Billina is packing while Carlo is checking the camera

Sparklez is curious


 Happy St. Valentine day!!!!!


I look forward for your comments, what do you think of the couples so far? which is your favourite one?

ps. I'm sorry for having very little time to comment on other people's blogs, unfortunately lately I've been barely able to  keep up my reading while commuting to work ... a huge kiss

Billa




2.05.2016

What has been going on, and some 2016 projects

Hello Everyone!
I'm more or less back, and I'm going to try to post regularly. I wanted to post this before the "Norma Desmonds" new chapter, but I wasn't able to take any pictures, and I didn't want the hiatus to be too long.

First of all I would like to thank Brini and Phyllis for tagging me for the Liebster Award. It was very sweet from both of you. I really appreciate it, but right now I don't feel like talking about me, it may sound silly, but right now I just want to chat about dolls.

Now I'm going to  show you what has been going on in my collection since november:

I played Frankendollie and rebodied my favourite Model Muse girls to FR2 Bodies:
Here are Maddalena, Matilde, Rebecca and Olga.



They are wearing samples of  the  girls' tartan collection, a steampunk outfit and a 30's dress (I needed a model for this dress, Olga stile will be different): I love them with these new bodies!!!!

Here Agata and Emilia are wearing the remaining outfifs from the girls' tartan collection



Of course I finished Tecla's wardrobe, but this will have a post of its own.

These are the new girls from IT 2015 collection:



Adalgisa (Tatiana) and Bice (Erin). They are absolutely beautiful. I love their honey coloured hair and I like a lot the new NuFace body!
They are wearing dresses from last Summer Collection.

  


This is Emilio, in his steampunk outfit. He's a shady character and I love his smirk!

I also ordered these three new guys who are on their way:


Alfonso

Edgardo

Orlando

So I was two girls short and I've decided to mak a huge investment and ordered "Up all Night Lilith" (she' going to be called Edvige)


And Chrome Noir Erin (she's going to be called Priscilla)



With these dolls I feel like I really have all the characters I may need, both for modeling and stories. They are nearly too many and I'm starting loosing track of them! And I want to be able to play with them all!!!! So unless something incredible will happen (i.e. a JamieShow guy in 1/6 scale) I don't feel like adding anything more this year. Maybe it is because Lilith has been my grail doll for such a long time and now I just look forward to seeing her.

Last but not least, I sew a whole 30's wardrobe for Ofelia. Sometime  I'm going to write a noir story for her and Goffredo and she screamed for the right wardrobe to wear!!!


Here  is a sneak preview of the whole thing, hopefully I'll have time to take some nice B/W pictures of the girls wearing these outfits!

This is all for last three months events. You can see I haven't posted a lot but I sew like crazy!

Let's take a look to what I'm planning for 2016

This year destination for the Redhead Connection will be "Cinqueterre. This place is one of the landmarks you must not miss when visiting Italy, and they are not very far from where I live.



The Norma Desmonds are going to keep us company for a while, I've already written 6 chapters (I published two so far) and the story is unfolding nicely. I'm planning to use as many dolls as I can in the proceedings, so stay tuned!

As usual we are planning two trips this year, we have not decided yet, but we are really tempted to return to Santo Domingo in november, let's keep finger crossed....

In order to keep track of all the new girls and boys I'm going to add a page with all the "couples" and I'll leave on the "models" page only the MM unarticulated dolls. In the new page I'll also add a description with the original name of the doll.

Billina and Carlo will travel too, I'm still undecided about their destination too: it could be Mexico (in at least 3 instalments) or Uzbekisan and Jordan. What would you like best?



I have to spend some time on Billina's travelling wardrobe first, and I have all these new dolls to dress.....

I already  have an idea for the Summer Collection and also this year the models will present it in Japan. I only showed you Osaka and the temples this year, there's a lot more to see!

As I'm not making any progress on the Urban Cowboy collection I will probably introduce the guys with the dresses I've made so far, possibly I'll be able to make the one for Sebastiano, as I planned this as vehicle for him (poor guy, since he met Pietrina he's been living in her shadow).

As many of you loved Onofrio  I'm planning some very short stories about him.

The last project is the last chapter of Cecilia's quest for love, again I'm working on the outfits. So far I've made one and selected the other dresses. I also decided where this great event will take place.

If I'm going to put off half of what I have in mind I'll be very happy. They are so many this blog is starting to look like a job! LOL

I look forward to your comments and suggestions, I'll try to work first around the most popular ideas!

A huge Kiss
Billa








1.29.2016

The Norma Desmonds: finding a director


Before starting with the photostory, I want to thank you all again for you kind words, sympathy, prayers and sweet comments. I really love being part of this community. I usually don't share personal things on my blog but I felt I had to give an explaination for my sudden disappearance. 
And the warmth of your response  really gave extra strenght. A  huge kiss to all of you!
Tecla's story is almost finished so it is possible I'm going to post several chapters in a row, if I'll be able to take and fix the pictures.

Nicola: Hi guys, I think I've managed to find us all a fancy job!
Omero: Uh?
Orso Maria: Are you serious?
Nicola: I'm serious as I can be. Just listen. I've just met Madame Tecla, she's planning a "return" and she offered me to write the script.



Orso Maria: Very nice, what it will be about?
Nicola: Salome. In her own words "What a woman. What a part. A princess in love with a holy man. ... He rejects her so she lays his head on a golden tray kissing his cold dead lips"....ha ha ha
Omero: Creepy
Nicola: Well, she's creepy enough to fit the part
Orso Maria: Where we do fit in?
Nicola: She's looking for a young director and cameramen. So I thought of the two of you.

Omero: Very kind of you, but it sounds like a crappy project
Orso Maria: Not really. If she plays Salome it would make  a nice horror movie. Do you think it will ever leave the ground?
Nicola: It is possible, she's got the money. She just have to find someone to actually produce it and get her a distribution contract. And even if we don't actually get it finished we could get some real doe out of this.



Orso Maria: I'm not convinced. I really want a real project to work on, I'm tired of commercials.
Omero: I agree with you brother. Nicola, your plan sounds as crazy as her movie. Besides, are you able to write this script?
Nicola: Thanks for the nice words guys, this is the reward for having though of you. And yes, she asked me a ten page treatment in a week's time. I believe she won't notice if I'm going to rip off Oscar Wilde.

Orso Maria: Oh oh.....Hot stuff. Now that I think about it, the Rambova movie was a mess but had a lot of interesting costumes and settings.
Omero: Don't tell me you are seriously thinking to go along with his plan!
Orso Maria: We can meet the lady, and if she's crazy as a bat as they say, we just go away. But if there's only one chance this is going to be a serious movie we should be in it!
Omero: You and your damned avant-guard silent movies!



Orso Maria: Well the dance in the Rambova's is completely still, it would be perfect for an inarticulated actress! Tell me Nicola, how well preserved is she? I mean do you think she can look the part?



Nicola: She looks very fine, I think that with the right lighning she could actually be perfect.
I was sure you would have liked the idea in the end! Now guys you just have to help me with this treatment.

Orso Maria: Uhmmm, I think she's got a De Mille thing in mind


Omero: If it is so, and you're going to direct this, she's in for a shock.
Orso Maria: Just try to be open minded for once!



Later on they are going through Sebastiano's library and Nicola is taking down some notes




Orso Maria: It was nice of Sebastiano to give us access to his library.
Nicola: He's a real friend, now he's busy rehearsing with his band so we have plenty of time.
Omero: Too bad he left this stinking dog here.
Orso Maria: Don't be rude with Winston! He's such a cutie. You're just nervous and you pick on the poor thing.
Omero: Ok, ok.


At home



Omero: Do you really think this will work out?
Orso Maria: I don't know, but she was a big star, and her butler was a great silent director. It will be interesting. And maybe Nicola will be able to write in a part for Camilla.
Omero: Improbable. And I do not feel comfortable with the whole idea.