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 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.