Doll Mum's blog: garden games

Showing posts with label garden games. Show all posts

Tuesday, 28 October 2014

Chat 'n Snap 2014 - part 1

In preparation for the Chat 'n Snap my younger daughter helped me box up the planes and boats, she also decided on outfits and dressed our Sasha family (7 dolls) and we decided to take my Kids 'n Cats doll Jakob as well, because we knew that there would be a few others at Dee's Chat 'n Snap.

When we got the hall, even though it wasn't officially opening time yet, the place was buzzing with conversations about dolls. People were busily setting up their stalls and discussing the many course dolls, the Studio Doll project dolls, the table load of toddlers and crowds of other Sasha and Gregor dolls who had travelled from far and wide to a village hall in Hertfordshire for the day.

It didn't take us long to set up our Toys & Games for Sasha & Gregor table as we didn't have many items to sell. It gave us a chance to look around at what everyone else was selling and have some conversations too. We met friends we had only ever known online (such as Sharon from Spain). Sales were not permitted until 12 noon and no one was allowed to reserve anything in advance, so when Dee announced that sales were open there was a mad dash to the sales tables as people swooped on the items they had spied earlier. My girl tried to get a coat and hat set from Vintage Sasha but the crowd around the table was too much for a small girl and she stood back while all the coats and hats disappeared within 30 seconds! She did however manage to buy a gorgeous pale blue dress with pink flower decoration from Sarah and hopefully we'll get a Vintage Sasha coat and hat set soon. Miranda changed into the dress straight away and soon had a parasol (which my girl found on Jane W's stall).

It was fascinating watching (from a stall holder's perspective) what people were going for in the sales - most people were purchasing outfits and shoes for their dolls, though wigs were popular too. Even for seasoned sellers it was hard to predict what people would want, Lisa H had made up lots of winter boots but people wanted sandals! There were more stalls and more stock to choose from than last year, I think only Vintage Sasha sold out.

On my toys and games stall I sold two aeroplanes, a boat, two glove puppets, one skipping rope and one hobby horse. My girl knew that I was giving her money from our stall and when she saw that sales were slow she didn't ask for more cash though I did give her some more. She was lucky enough to receive gifts from 3 people during the day which was really kind: a panda hat from Gayle, a guitar (I think from Chris M) and some money to spend from Kendal - she purchased a mini slinky and had great fun with it that day and the next. I went around the sales tables and bought some items as well (which will feature in future posts) - I had come with cash to spend.

During the afternoon Dee drew the two raffles. We'd bought several tickets for each but didn't win anything. We also admired the amazing fairground which Dee and her husband Paul had created on the stage (for another post) and had several more conversations with various people. My girl was thrilled when Dawn L allowed her to hold her toddler and a baby, Dawn had curled the toddler's hair and she was delightful. My girl decided she had to start saving up for a toddler, so saved her last £10 of spending money towards this goal (it has now been banked and she has a cash book to keep a running check on her toddler fund).

To help her toddler fund I have listed all unsold items from the Chat 'n Snap on the playthings page.

The day was over all too quickly. I'd like to thank Dee and all her helpers for a great Sasha Chat 'n Snap, it was lovely to meet so many Sasha enthusiasts again and admire the dolls.

DollMum's Glove puppets, sailing boats, spitfires and hobby horses

Florence, Reuben, Miranda and Nicholas James with the Garden Games
(with Clemence the bear)

The model boats before the sales started

The model spitfire aeroplanes on sale

close up of 3 of the planes

close up of the other 2 planes, the one my elder daughter painted is on the right

Jakob holds the DollMum contact cards

Miranda in her beautiful new Vintage Sasha dress with a parasol

Raffle 1

Raffle 2

The baby from Raffle 2

Dawn's gorgeous toddler holding
Clemence the bear who had sneaked into our bag
to see the Sasha's at the CnS

Friday, 27 December 2013

Happy Christmas to the dolls

The dolls in our home had a small Christmas tree, a visit from Father Christmas and some lovely gifts for Christmas 2013.

Last year at the Sasha Festival in Stratford upon Avon, Laura in Devon won the American Cora and all her clothes and accessories. She recently decided that one or two of the outfits were not being used by her doll family and mentioned them on the Sasha Mart. She then contacted me privately to find out if I'd be interested in a particular outfit - to swap for one of my Garden Games sets. I was very happy to do the swap and she included lots of additional doll sized items she no longer wanted, which was very generous of her. Several of these items turned into Father Christmas presents for the dolls - thank you so much Laura.

On Christmas Eve I found a delightful little fireplace in a local charity shop. It has little hooks for hanging stockings and a tealight holder behind the fireplace which makes it 'come alive'. Jenny and Lexie my Heather Maciak dolls laid claim to it as soon as it was set up. I made a couple of tiny felt stockings for them to hang up (rather hurriedly late that evening). I had bought them a pair of outfits via ebay a month before, so having the fireplace to set the scene was a bonus.

Lexie and Jenny await Father Christmas with their stockings

Our fireplace (temporary, work in progress) and Christmas gifts for the dolls

The cloth Advent calendar my girls have enjoyed for the past 9 years and the temporary fireplace

Laura with her wonderful Sasha Festival Raffle cowgirl outfit (thanks to the other Laura) - my younger daughter was delighted with it

Nicholas James with his Elliott Shirt and jeans (Passion for Sasha) - see http://absolutely-sasha.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-elliott-shirt.html

Baby Leo unwraps his snowman suit (thank you Laura)

Peter unwraps his trumpet (I've had this hidden in a drawer for 3 years)

Peter tries his new trumpet

Reuben was pleased with his new sweater (thank you Laura)

Matilda was thrilled with her cow glove puppet (thank you Laura)

Jayne received some new plimsolls (also lurking in a drawer for ages)

Harriet adores her teddy with a lilac flower (thank you Laura)

Samantha thought the tartan dog glove puppet was super fun (thank you Laura)

Florence was overwhelmed with her new
blush pink Ruth Hartley shoes (thank you Laura)

Miranda discovered a Hattie hat and white tights in her parcel (thank you Laura).
I had finished sewing her Christmas dress on Christmas Eve.

Baby Mabel received new Christmas tights (I bought these from Michelle at the Chat n Snap)

Baby Mabel in the Christmas dress I made from the classic yoke dress pattern
in the 3 Anns book and her new tights

Belle received pink bunny slippers (thank you Laura)

Matroshka received some miniature pencils (found in a local Charity shop)

Anna received some miniature playing cards (thank you Laura)

In addition, my younger girl received a Sylvanian families mini food set in her Christmas stocking which had come from Laura as well.

I will blog separately about Jenny and Lexie and what they received (it was too big for their stockings).

Later on Christmas Day we went to my cousin for 2 days hence the delay in posting this. I also unwrapped my Secret Santa Sasha swap gifts which had arrived on 23rd December, however I haven't had an opportunity to photograph them yet. I will soon blog about them and what I sent.

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Chat n Snap 3

I realised that I didn't take a photo of baby Mabel in her new onesie at the the CnS last weekend, so this evening took some quick photos.

Baby Mabel is sharing her carry cot with baby Leo. I don't think this carry cot is a Sasha baby cot though it is similar, it is a little bigger and came with a soft doll in it from a church fete some years ago. Baby Leo is holding his teddy which Chris M gave him as part of the swap for the chair my girl made.

Babies Mabel and Leo share Mabel's carry cot and babble about their teddies

Baby Mabel proudly wears her Sashapotomus onesie

Close up showing Mabel's eyes

Close up showing Leo's eyes

These photos aren't great (artificial light) and I need to use the tripod and daylight to get their eyes completely in focus for a better comparison. Mabel is a sexed waif and Leo is a sexed early boy with gorgeous eyes (possibly painted by Sara Doggart). Mabel's eyes are lovely, they are hand painted.

I've now created a page about the toys and games I've made so far for Sasha/Gregor dolls.

Sunday, 27 October 2013

Chat n Snap

My younger daughter and I attended the Sasha Chat n Snap yesterday organised by Dee of Sasha Village and we had a great day. The event ran in her local village hall in Hertfordshire with Sasha enthusiasts from all over the country attending.

We arrived 30 minutes before the official 11 am start and had plenty of time to set up the few items I had made to sell, chat to others as we set up and admire each other's dolls and accessories. Sale start time wasn't until 12 noon which meant later arrivals still had time to set up. We were pleased to be between Gill and her wonderful knitting and Chris M and her variety of accessories and dolls. Early on we made a beeline for the dolls which Angela was selling (she had brought about a third of her collection) and were attracted to the early 70s sexed baby boy she had for sale, as I've been looking for one for some time.

My girl helped set up our stall, prowled around all the others spotting items she wanted us to buy and chatting to people.

I had made some Garden Games sets, inspired by the prototype set I had created for Lorraine for the Simple Summer Swap, with the addition of a fourth game. It has taken some development, a lot of drilling, sawing, sanding, filing, painting and gluing (and a lot of pleasure, I have particularly enjoyed using the pillar drill in our small workshop). Each set contained 1 rope ladder, 1 skipping rope, 1 quoits set and 1 croquet set (which was the most time consuming to make). I had no idea how it would be received at the CnS, so was gratified to sell 3 of the 8 sets I had made and take an order for a garden quoits only set. My daughter had made 3 of her lolly stick chairs (with my help) and although we succeeded in dropping and breaking one during the day (oops) she sold the other two (one was a direct trade with Chris M who had a felted hat my girl liked, and proceeded to spoil her with a few other items). I had also made two hobby horses, inspired by the one I owned as a child. Neither of these sold, however there was plenty of interest (maybe the price was too high) and I did sell one of the 5 skipping ropes I had separate from the Garden Games sets. I need to calculate how much postage and packing will be for the unsold items.

Theresa pointed out to me that the baby boy for sale had eyes very similar to those of a baby boy doll who had been painted by Sara Doggart, we compared the eyes and I decided to buy him. We immediately went to Michelle who was selling the Sashapotomus outfits and bought the new baby his own onesie with a VW Combi on the front (we had already bought one for baby Mabel). My girl took him to the playpen where travelling baby Drake (just back from Spain) was playing, took possession of the camera and experimented with photographing our new baby. She tentatively named him Joey, but when we got home and checked the name book, we chose Leo as his new name (Angela had not named him) and I had personal reasons for favouring this name.

The 3 shop fronts which Paul had made for display were a big hit with everyone, as were the boys polishing the car they were too young to drive. One of the shop fronts was raffled (along with a few dresses), we didn't win anything though. Buffet lunch was available for donations to the Alzheimer's Society.

I will write separately about the other items we bought in addition to baby Leo. I had a number of good conversations with people during the day, it was lovely to catch up with people I had met at the festival last year or at Dawn's house in June as well as meet others I hadn't met before. I wish there had been more time, it was all over too soon!!!

I would like to thank Dee, Paul, their family, Gill and her daughter and everyone else who helped organise the event - it was a fun way to spend the day and I hope Dee has the energy to organise another similar event in the near future.