Raffle prizes from the Sasha Celebration 2016

Today I mowed the lawn when I got home from work.  However Daisy wanted the daisies in the lawn first so my girl dashed around and picked them for her before the mower got to them.

These are our raffle prizes from the Sasha Celebration weekend - Daisy the 1980s baby, the lovely smocked dress donated by Ginger from her collection, the tandem bicycle, a pink knitted dress, socks, hat and dress set Lorraine won and gave to baby Daisy, a petticoat by Alexisoffe donated by Linda Simpson, a hat and mittens set donated by Jackie Kraemer (and given to my girl by Jonny).  Not shown are Daisy's basket and the other bassinet (made up with mattress, coverlet and trim by Judith of Dollydoodles) and the miniature shopping trolley because Makie doll Isabel has claimed it for her own.   

Daisy, Daisy, her bicycle made for two and Laura wearing the smocked dress, with most of the other raffle prizes

Laura and baby Daisy with the spring flowers

Baby Daisy with the daisies

We were really lucky with raffle prizes, several wins so my girl nominated Iris to have one of our winning tickets and then two gifts from other winners towards the end of the raffle.  Daisy is now wearing the knitted dress set and looks very sweet in it.  The bunch of daisies is in a vase with water.

Sasha Celebration weekend 2016 - part 5

It was Sunday morning of the Sasha Celebration and we all gathered for breakfast together.  I brought my restored Ponfa pram to the table with Miranda who had not yet made an appearance.  My girl dressed Laura in her new smocked dress (thanks to Ginger for donating it to the raffle) and 3 of the babies came too.

Miranda, Laura and babies Amy, Leo and Daisy at breakfast

Jocelyn's girl was pleased to have a turn at pushing the pram

I also brought my Heather Maciak dolls Jenny and Lexie with the miniature knitting I'm doing for them, to show to Laura H, Jonny and Lorraine who are all knitters, but didn't photograph my little porcelain girls at the table.

After breakfast we all gathered in the room with the Robin Hood display for one last time of chatting.  My girl had got into the spirit of Robin Hood - a few years ago we had a caravan holiday in Sherwood forest so had a toy bow and arrow (and a hat belonging to her big sister).  We found some boots, leggings and a hoodie (from last year's Guide Camp) and a green sash I used in a school stage performance when I was about 7 or 8, so I didn't need to make anything - we just assembled the outfit.

Robin Hood and the display

Robin Hood at the Sasha Celebration

Some people had to leave before we got into position for a group photo.

Sasha Celebration 2016 group photo

One more joined the lineup for the Sasha Celebration 2016 group photo

Nicholas James and other dolls started to leave the Robin Hood display to find their way home through Sherwood forest.

My girl with Nicholas James in their Robin Hood outfits - she did most of the sewing for NJ's outfit

Kendal didn't have much time for her photo studio as her Sasha Brood was the highlight of the event so managed to squeeze in a few photos at the end.

Kendal photographing two Sasha dolls who had been in the Robin Hood display

Nicholas James in Kendal's photo booth

"Lights, camera, action" as Kendal photographs Nicholas James being Robin Hood

It was sad to say goodbye to people - we had such a wonderful weekend and I know I didn't manage to speak with everyone I wanted to this time.   I am really pleased to meet and chat with Ginger at last who was on her first ever trip to England, I also managed brief conversations with some of the other international visitors and some people I'd met before but not everyone.

I would like to thank Janet with her helpers Trisha and Theresa for doing a sterling job of organising the Sasha Celebration weekend in their 'spare' time.  Most people have no idea of just how much work goes on behind the scenes to make such an event successful - months of co-coordinating, negotiating, planning and checking on the tiniest details, smoothing things over when unexpected issues arise, taking risks (booking the venue means paying a big deposit) and some frustration is almost inevitable.  It is a huge responsibility and I do hope that the organisers enjoyed themselves in the midst of all the work of continually ensuring that things were running smoothly throughout the weekend.  I know they'll all have been very tired afterwards - that too goes with the territory of being a volunteer event organiser (I have experience of organising a multitude of concerts in the last 10 years for local fundraising).  I am very grateful for all their dedication which resulted in such a fun and memorable weekend together celebrating Sasha and Gregor, Robin Hood style.

Sasha Celebration weekend 2016 - part 4

After a fun day of crafts, raffle, sales tables and doll conversations we all gathered for dinner.  This time we had a dedicated room for our Sasha Celebration group, rather than tables in the main restaurant.  Just before dinner, two Makie dolls met for the first time.  At last year's Sasha Celebration, my daughter playing with Lorraine's Wren had inspired me to buy a Makie doll for my daughter, I had used the 'design your own' option and she had come out similar but not the same as Wren.  The dolls are 3D printed and are very pose-able.

Wren and Isabel are amazed to meet each other

"Wow, we look so similar" cried Isabel

"Look, same colour hair" said Wren

Wren and Isabel shook hands

Meanwhile two other non Sasha girls were meeting up again.  Last year I bought Betsy from Lorraine, she is a wooden Schoenhut doll. I gave her a new wig.  Peggy Sue was wearing her new outfit won that afternoon on the raffle including pearls (I think she fancies herself as Lady Penelope), Betsy was wearing an outfit my daughter received during last year's raffle.

Peggy Sue and Betsy saying hello again

Betsy was telling Peggy Sue about her favourite rocking chair at her new home

Wren and Isabel gave each other a hug - they were pleased to meet at last

On the dining table Isabel was hoping the wine glass would be filled soon - Wren was a bit shocked

Lorraine's baby wearing his mask joined Laura, Mabel and new baby Daisy on the dining table

Isabel tried some of the wine despite Wren's warnings

The wine made Isabel feel very dizzy, Wren caught her just in time

"Sit down" said Wren as Isabel held her head

"That was silly" said Isabel, "I didn't expect it to make me feel that odd"

"I did warn you" said Wren

"Hopefully you will feel better soon" Wren reassured her new friend

Once we had eaten our delicious 3 course dinner, it was time for the face mask competition.

The Sasha and Gregor dolls wearing their masks line up for the competition

The Sasha and Gregor dolls in their face masks disguising their identities

Laura and Mabel were beside Lorraine's dolls and Alice's doll

A pair of mischievous toddlers had found their way into the lineup even though they were not wearing masks

Some more elegantly dressed Sasha and Gregor children in their masks

Alice was thrilled to win the face mask competition with her green/forest themed mask

Wren was pleased to greet baby Daisy, who was wearing a new outfit for the evening, though would not part with her hat

Jonny's wonderful NiNi doll sat at our table

Jonny is a very talented doll maker.  The NiNi doll eye painting was beautiful

Isabel, who had recovered from her great wine escapade, went to meet the NiNi doll

There were various thank you presentations - Janet gave gifts to her helpers Tricia and Theresa and to all of us who had run a craft workshops.

Tricia and Janet during gift presentations

My gift from Janet was a lovely little wooden doll with a Sasha themed felt outfit.  Betsy was pleased to open the box to reveal this delightful surprise.

The little wooden doll with Betsy

Janet was presented with a bouquet of flowers to thank her for doing such a fantastic job of organising the Sasha Celebration again

Theresa presented Kendal with a specially engraved trophy and a card we had all signed to thank her for bringing her entire amazing collection of 68 Sasha and Gregor dolls to be the main feature of the Celebration

Kendal and Theresa with the trophy

Isabel sensibly drank water for the rest of the evening

Laura H with a doll wearing one of Emma F's lovely sweater outfits

Laura H appreciates good knitting - she does plenty of it herself

Baby Daisy with the NiNi girl

Betsy, Peggy Sue and NiNi girl

We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, chatting to several friends, meeting people we hadn't spoken with before and posing the dolls for photographs.

Sasha Celebration weekend 2016 - part 3

... or Daisy, Daisy and a bicycle made for two!

During lunchtime once I'd tidied up my workshop table, I took some photos of the Robin Hood display. Nicholas James had joined the display during the morning wearing his outfit which my girl had sewn (with a bit of help from me).

Nicholas James in the Robin Hood display standing just behind the log next to the valiant knight

The wonderful outfits on the dolls in the Robin Hood display were all unique and special, I could not imagine how they would choose a winner

Three beautiful medieval ladies gathered under the Greenwood tree

Some of the face masks which were made during the morning workshops - the black and sequinned mask on the left just below the green mask was made for Kendal by my girl

The face mask my girl made for Kendal

Laura was wearing her new face mask while standing on the table alongside the Robin Hood display

Back in the other room where I had spent most of the morning I took a few more photos of Kendal's Sasha Brood.

Kendal's only todder, Bea, was naturally the doll welcoming everyone to the display

Bea the toddler and her big brother, a 1960s Gotz boy looked after the Brood sign

After the delicious lunch we all settled down to the fun of the raffle.  We all crowded into the room with the raffle table and Robin Hood display.

Janet explained about the silent auction for the wonderful paper dolls of the Princess Elizabeth, kindly donated by Ann Chandler

Our raffle tickets laid out on the floor awaiting the start

Raffle tickets laid out on a table as Janet explained about the raffle

Janet announced that there was a first prize and a final prize - each of them a special doll

The first prize was donated by Gayle R and Rosie S (who had made his wonderful clothes).

Theresa's granddaughter drew the first ticket

And the lucky winner of Mikey the spikey haired boy with his Radio Flyer trolley was Liss

Just a few tickets later and our lucky number came up.  We looked at the heap of prizes on the table and suddenly my girl realised that there was a baby doll in a basket which had not yet been claimed by another winner. She could not believe her luck!

My girl and baby Daisy (who had been donated to the raffle by Petrana)

We won a few more prizes including a lovely smocked dress donated by Ginger and the tandem bicycle.  It was when we picked up the bicycle that I joked about Daisy and the bicycle made for two. This made my girl decide that Daisy suited her new baby doll.  After more than an hour of raffle draws, with people nominating others who hadn't won anything (my girl nominated Iris who had said to us in the morning that she never won raffles), the final prize was reached.  Jocelyn, who had won the second last prize, drew the winning ticket.

Jocelyn, who had won the second last prize, drew the winning ticket.

Jonny was thrilled to win the girl with the eyes repainted by Janet

It was an epic raffle and we were extremely lucky - a big thank you to everyone who donated prizes (I think each of us must have donated at least two) and to Tricia and Janet for ensuring that it was run with such humour.

While the sales tables were being set up those of us not selling anything congregated in the refreshments area for plenty of doll chatting.  I didn't take photos of the sales tables however I took the opportunity of taking photos of the dolls on display, spotting those who were proudly holding their new marionettes.

Janet's marionette being held by this Gotz girl

Lorraine's Henry and baby with a girl in tartan holding a marionette with green feet

A Gotz girl holding a marionette with pink an purple feathers

Two girls and marionettes

More of the dolls who had joined Janet's lovely collection on the table

Four children with their marionettes - Florence with the duck, Reuben with the ostrich, Ginger's girl with her ostrich and Finn with his ostrich

Nicholas James between Robin Hood and a princely looking knight

Nicholas James as Robin Hood in the outfit my girl made.  I made the bow and arrows, though she made the flights for the arrows

We bought a few things during the sales which I'll feature in a future post.  It was a good opportunity for more doll chatting with friends.  Once the sales tables were packed away again there was enough time to take our raffle wins and purchases back to our rooms and get ready for dinner.