The image shows a women holding up a poster of three dolls wearing handmade doll clothes. There's a tripod holding a DSLR camera nearby, and the woman is smiling as she looks toward the camera. The text over the top of this image says, "how to really shine on video" and there is, in fact, a sparkle of tiny pale colored dots all around the woman's head, like stars.

Doll Photography Tip #12: How to really SHINE in your doll-related videos (thank you @salmajafri !) #Photography #Dollstagram

I get fan mail from my followers every now and then, and through our conversations, I’ve come to realize that many of you are using my free doll clothes patterns to help cut costs in your doll-related businesses, whether that’s selling your doll clothes on Etsy, selling your doll crafts on eBay, or making doll clothes or doll crafts for various in-person sales venues. About … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #12: How to really SHINE in your doll-related videos (thank you @salmajafri !) #Photography #Dollstagram

The image shows a Lammily "Photographer" doll wearing handmade doll clothes in a charming lace-trimmed business-suit-style. She stands in front of a cathedral in Paris, and she seems to be taking a photograph with her tiny black camera. The scene appears to be "to scale" for a tiny 11 inch doll! Please visit ChellyWood.com for free sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

Doll Photography Tip #11: Make an “Invisible” Doll Stand @ ChellyWood.com #DollPhotography #DollStagram

This is an older video, but it has been somewhat popular on my YouTube channel. Since my article was published in the March & April issue of Doll Castle News magazine, I’ve been following a theme of doll photography tips and tricks on Mondays, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to revisit this helpful tutorial, showing how I make my “invisible” doll stands. Now in my article … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #11: Make an “Invisible” Doll Stand @ ChellyWood.com #DollPhotography #DollStagram

Visit ChellyWood.com for free, printable sewing patterns for dolls of many shapes and sizes. Image shows a Liv Doll acting as photographer, taking photos of a Tonner doll in a professional photo studio. Overlay says, "Doll Photo TIP #10 Avoiding glossy doll 'skin'" and offers the URL ChellyWood.com

Doll Photography Tip #10: Avoid Glossy Doll “Skin” #Photography #Dollstagram

Fashion dolls are typically made of hard plastic, and yet we want them to look life-like in our photos. So how do we avoid the glossy look of a doll’s hard-plastic “skin?” This doll photography tutorial video helps you solve this notorious problem. My regular followers know that in my day job, I’m a school librarian, but you probably don’t realize that I teach classes … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #10: Avoid Glossy Doll “Skin” #Photography #Dollstagram

Doll Photography Tip #9: Set up a Studio for Photographing Your Dolls #DollCollector #CraftRoom

Indoor photography can be a real hassle when you have to set up the kitchen table for a photo shoot right after breakfast, hurry though your photos, and then take the kitchen-table-studio apart again in time for serving lunch or dinner. In 2015, I moved all my doll photography stuff out to the kids’ playhouse. They were in junior high and high school, and they … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #9: Set up a Studio for Photographing Your Dolls #DollCollector #CraftRoom

Visit ChellyWood.com for free, printable sewing patterns for dolls of many shapes and sizes. Image shows a Liv Doll acting as photographer, taking photos of a Tonner doll in a professional photo studio. Overlay says, "Doll Photo TIP #8 Light and Shadows" and offers the URL ChellyWood.com

Doll Photography Tip #8: Light and Shadows #Photography #Tutorials

We’ve all taken them: the photo that’s too dark or too bright. This video tutorial suggests ways to counteract problems with light and shadows. However, if you want to know more about how to adjust your DSLR camera and its ISO, aperture settings, etc., the place to look is Chelsea and Tony Northrup’s book, Stunning Digital Photography. I learned everything I know about my camera … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #8: Light and Shadows #Photography #Tutorials

The image shows a text that says "doll photo tip number six : believable setting" and offers a camera icon. Behind the words, a Tonner collectible doll in handmade doll clothes appears to be leaning back against a wall for a photo shoot.

Doll Photography Tip #6: Believable Surroundings for #PicturePerfect #DollPhotography

Where do you take photos of your doll? Is it indoors? Outdoors? In a studio? On the kitchen table? No matter where you do your dolly photo shoot, the setting needs to be believable to get a really good photograph of a doll. In this video, we’ll compare shots of dolls that lack that believability factor. Some additional things to think about when creating a … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #6: Believable Surroundings for #PicturePerfect #DollPhotography

Click here for all the patterns and tutorials you'll need to make this dress: https: https://wp.me/p1LmCj-GOj The image shows a Ever After High doll wearing a handmade A-line sleeveless dress for tiny-body 8" or 9" inch dolls like Ever After High dolls. In the diorama where the Ever After High doll stands, there's a tiny tea set on a wicker table, a wicker chair, and a bust of a musical composer resting on a pedestal. The patterns for making this A-line dress for Ever After High dolls are found at ChellyWood.com as a PDF downloadable sewing pattern. Chelly Wood designs free printable sewing patterns for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and sizes. Go to ChellyWood.com for both the PDF pattern and free tutorial video giving instructions for making this lovely dress which will fit Ever After High dolls and other similar-sized dolls.

Doll Photography Tip #5: Shoot Dolls in Motion #DollPhotography #FabricLove

A lot of you know that between times when I’m creating free patterns and YouTube tutorials, I’m also filming a stop-motion version of Romeo and Juliet with dolls. In filming stop-motion, I’ve come to realize that certain doll poses are more active than others. For example, look at the Ever After High doll in the photo above. She isn’t just standing around wearing a dress; … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #5: Shoot Dolls in Motion #DollPhotography #FabricLove

Lammily.com's "Photographer" doll is seen posing for pictures in a magical forest landscape. Overlay offers the website, "ChellyWood.com"

Doll Photography Tip #3: Photograph Dolls You LOVE #DollPhotography #DollStagram

As I started typing today’s blog post, it occurred to me that I’d chosen the “Photographer” doll–how ironic for a post about photgraphy! But she really is one of my favorite dolls to photograph. She has those adorable dimples and such a genuine smile! So even though my first photography tip post was about the importance of choosing a highly articulated doll, another thing to … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #3: Photograph Dolls You LOVE #DollPhotography #DollStagram

Visit ChellyWood.com for free, printable sewing patterns for dolls of many shapes and sizes. Image shows the 7" Breyer doll riding Don't Look Twice from the Roxy Mold. The background shows trees in sunlight with a grassy foreground. Overlay says, "ChellyWood.com: free printable sewing patterns and tutorials for dolls of many shapes and sizes."

Doll Photography Tip #1 from ChellyWood.com: Use Articulated Dolls for #DollPhotography in a #Diorama

As my regular followers know, I’m not only a certifiable doll clothing designer, but I’m also a YouTuber and a writer. If you subscribe to Doll Castle magazine (like I do), you’ll get to see an article I’ve written for them, on doll photography.  That article is scheduled to be published at the end of this month. But for those of you who also follow … Continue reading Doll Photography Tip #1 from ChellyWood.com: Use Articulated Dolls for #DollPhotography in a #Diorama

Photo of Large Instagram Pillow

Felt Instagram pillow w/ a FREE PDF pattern @ ChellyWood.com #sewing #pillows

  Today’s tutorial video is one of my oldest tutorials. You’ll be able to see how far I’ve come as a filmmaker and YouTuber… The video shows how I was experimenting with photography and text. But, of course, it’s still possible to follow the tutorial to make an Instagram pillow of your own. Here’s the pattern you’ll need: Free printable PDF sewing pattern for making an … Continue reading Felt Instagram pillow w/ a FREE PDF pattern @ ChellyWood.com #sewing #pillows

Image shows an OOAK doll that has been fashioned to represent the doll clothes designer, Chelly Wood, of ChellyWood.com. The doll, with her grey hair and blue glasses, sits in a wicker chair. She wears a hand-made apron and simple doll clothes that have been handmade. She holds a tiny 1:6 scale book that she appears to be reading. On the wall behind her are paintings representing the famous Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. Beside her is a 1:6 scale tea set decorated with roses. The tea set rests atop a wicker side table. Next to that is a large cabinet filled with books of all kinds in 1:6 scale. One of the shelves also houses the bust of William Shakespeare, which measures about 2 cm tall (approximately half an inch). The doll appears to be engrossed in the book she's reading. At the bottom of the 1:6 scale doll diorama is the URL and watermark that states, "ChellyWood.com: Free doll clothes patterns and tutorials."

Trademarks, Copyrights, and Permissions, OH MY! #FiresideChat about #dolls

Since this blog has been growing (I just reached 2 million hits), it’s no longer fair to call it a personal journal. Lately I think of it as a small business. So it’s time to request permission to use names and images of dolls that have trademarks. Don’t panic, everyone! I’ve already been given formal permission from two doll companies, and one of them is … Continue reading Trademarks, Copyrights, and Permissions, OH MY! #FiresideChat about #dolls

Visit ChellyWood.com for FREE printable sewing patterns for dolls of many shapes and sizes. Image shows Mattel's "Curvy" Barbie wearing a musketeer-style outfit, complete with Renaissance coat, feathered hat, tights, and laced-up boots. She stands in an art gallery with a painting of Romeo and Juliet on the spackled wall behind her. Overlay offers the website where the FREE printable patterns for this outfit can be found: ChellyWood.com

#RomeoAndJuliet w/ #Dolls @ ChellyWood.com

Does this outfit look familiar? It’s one of the earliest outfits that I posted here on ChellyWood.com. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this “Musketeer” outfit (minus the pants and original boots) will actually fit Curvy Barbie®! So this week I’m going to be nostalgic. We’re going to look back at this outfit, piece by piece, and I’m going to offer you newly re-mastered … Continue reading #RomeoAndJuliet w/ #Dolls @ ChellyWood.com