Chat n Snap 2021

There was no Chat 'n Snap in 2020 because of the pandemic and the 2021 event was held with some precautions in place: fewer attendees allowed, doors and windows of the hall all wide open, no theme display or additional doll displays, lateral flow tests beforehand and mask wearing by some people. Despite all that, it was a very enjoyable day, so lovely to see familiar faces again and meet some new Sasha people.

This was my first Chat 'n Snap without my younger daughter, she wanted to come but had musical and volunteering commitments so instead I kept her updated with a few photos via WhatsApp. Jocelyn gave me a lift (thank you Jocelyn) and we had a good catch up on the journey there and back. When we arrived we found the sales tables were in their final stages of being set up.

Sasha sales tables being set up

The only child at the Chat 'n Snap (until her big brother arrived in time for the raffle). Permission was given for me to take and post her anonymous photo on my blog by her grandparents.

Looking at some of the Sasha goodies on sale, before sales opened

Petrana's wonderful Sasha shoe shop

On Linda's stall I spotted a long sought after item...

I had a very useful discussion with Chris about her milliput method for restoring chewed limbs of a baby waif I had just purchased.

More sales tables (Lee's, Judiths Dollydoodles and in the distance Theresa's stall)

Theresa's sales table (I watched the Doucet pram being bought by a delighted person)

When the sales opened, I went to Linda's stall and bought this sofa which I had spotted earlier, then a sleepsuit for the baby waif from Dollydoodles. I also bought four pairs of toddler size shoes from Petrana, a doll magazine from Linda, a lovely lilac outfit consisting of a floral skirt, tights, cardigan and hat from Dawn (which she said was something she made for the 2012 Sasha Festival) and 3 t-shirts for toddlers from Ginny (Passion for Sasha). Oh, and a wonderful piece of rainbow themed knitwear (a hoodie with wooden toggle buttons) which Linda had only finished making the night before, it became a gift for my daughter (she was delighted put it on Nicholas James over his Sasha festival dungarees when I got home).

My new baby waif in her Dollydoodles sleepsuit with Roxane on the sofa. 

On the stage instead of the theme display was the raffle. There were 3 main prizes including this baby layette and two dolls, though the first two people to win actually went for Catherine French's wonderful fine knitwear (a sweater and a beret).

Raffle prizes

Raffle prizes including the Gregor who was the final prize

Raffle prizes including the Sasha who was the final prize

Later, after eating lunch and chatting to Sasha friends, I met new Sasha collectors while admiring the six Sasha Studio dolls Diane brought to show people, including the toddler my daughter and I first met in 2017 when she still belonged to Dorisanne in the USA.

Diane had brought six of her Studio dolls to show a couple of people new to Sasha collecting the wonderful variations in the different Sasha Studio dolls. 

One of the Sasha Studio dolls

Diane's lovely Sasha Studio dolls

I had brought Melanie, Nicholas James, Trendon Elliott and Laura in their Sasha 'Read a Rainbow' Festival outfits (all in one bag) and they all gathered around the new sofa.

Sofa so comfortable!

Dee, one of her daughters and Dawn did the raffle draw, which lasted quite some time as there were so many prizes, though there were sometimes bumper moments when people were asked to grab 4 or 5 items in a countdown!

Raffle time!

None of my own tickets were drawn however I was gifted 3 raffle tickets from Jocelyn and Susan (thank you both) so was lucky enough to win some Suzanna Lewis knitting patterns, a pretty white and blue ditsy floral dress and some miniature colouring pencils.

Thank you Dee and helpers for another very enjoyable Chat 'n Snap.

Bouncing in

When Chloe and Max were visiting York in September 2020, they came across a little shop in The Shambles which had a delightful window display containing all sorts of interesting things. They spotted miniature dogs in the window, the Fox terrier in particular appealed to them. However at the time the coffee and antique shop was closed (it was early evening on a Sunday) so it wasn't possible to find out more. My daughter went back another day to see if the dogs were still there and they were. Sadly, since then with the second lockdown in November, the shop has closed permanently.

My photo of the 3 miniature dogs in the shop window.

My daughter's photo of the café & antique shop when it was open

My daughter's photo of the dogs in the window

On Christmas day, among many other lovely gifts under the tree (from a box of gifts my elder daughter posted to us), there was a small package for me to open and the little fox terrier bounced out of the wrappings. My friend Janet has a full sized live dog just like this miniature doggy, his name is Bouncer, so I decided to call the miniature dog Bouncer after Janet's pet.

Bouncer was interested in the ball

Bouncer jumped up towards Chloe

Chloe bent down to stroke Bouncer as Max tried to calm him down

Chloe and Max stroked the excited Bouncer 

Bouncer leapt into Chloe's arms

Chloe gave the wriggling Bouncer a cuddle before putting him down in Max's lap

Bouncer calmed down a little with Max sitting quietly on the floor

Chloe gave Bouncer his ball

Bouncer started chasing his ball

Bouncer and his ball

Later, Bouncer met baby Theo who loves dogs (his favourite Dollydoodles sleepsuit has Snoopy and Woodstock on it). Theo is the Sasha Baby Woolly which my younger daughter won in the 2017 Sasha Celebration Weekend raffle.

baby Theo and a bouncing Bouncer

A slightly calmer Bouncer with baby Theo

I have no idea who made the miniature Bouncer (there is no maker label) and sadly the shop in York has now closed permanently. Even his little ears are posable, he is a dog with real character.

Sasha Celebration Weekend 2017 - part 7

We brought several babies (with Miranda to supervise them) to the Sasha Celebration dinner on Saturday night.  Also joining us was the Makie doll Isabel, who still doesn't have a new outfit (something is on the knitting needs for her).  In addition to Edmund in his new outfit, my girl brought her new baby Theo in the turquoise Dollydoodles romper suit along with my Leo who changed into his new Dollydoodles outfit and baby Daisy her raffle win from last year, wearing a Marilyn H smocked dress and hat set. Miranda changed into the Petrana outfit which my girl had chosen on the raffle and we discovered Laura's doll was wearing the same dress!

Our dolls at dinner

Leo, Theo and Daisy with Edmund behind them

Laura's girl, Miranda and Edmund

Jocelyn's lovely red head in her favourite outfit, and baby Daisy

Laura had brought along her mini Kids 'n Kats boy doll Fredy and her Heather Maciak Emily.  She had bought new cardigans for them from Jane W's stall that afternoon which they wore to dinner.

Laura's dolls

Isabel gets comfortable in a teacup!

The shweshwe outfit I had made and donated to the raffle was won by Jane W, whose baby was wearing it to dinner.

Jane's baby in shweshwe

After dinner Janet gave out gifts to those who had hosted overseas Sasha visitors, those of us who had run workshops, helped her run the event and announced the prizes for the International costumes. First prize was the Persian/Iranian costume by Peggy, second prize was the Zulu warrier by Vicky and third prize was the Pearly King by Theresa.  Trisha gave Janet some plants as a thank you gift from all of us.

Janet gave out various prizes and gifts

My Heather Maciak girls had come to dinner too and were very pleased to meet Fredy and Emily.

Laura's Emily, Jenny, Laura's Fredy, Annie, Lexie and Annie

Raffle baby (the first prize), Leo, Daisy and Theo

Two lucky girls with their raffle babies - my girl was holding Theo and Daisy (from last year's raffle) and her new friend was holding one of the two babies she won on this year's raffle (photo Laura H)

After dinner some of us gathered in a sitting area looking at various BJDs brought along by Teddy and other Sasha collectors.  The girls were fascinated by them.

Teddy introduces his BJD to the girls and Paula

Admiring some other dolls

Evening doll conversations

Admiring Teddy's BJDs

It was hard to leave the chat, however we both needed our beds after a long, very enjoyable day.

The next morning I took my Ponfa pram to breakfast along with Nicholas James and Trendon Elliott who had not been out of the room all weekend. I knew some people there hadn't seen my pram before.  It seems to have been the only pram at the celebration weekend this year and several people asked about it.  

Then we all gathered outside for a photo under a big tree before some people reluctantly dashed off to catch trains, planes or taxis home.  There was a photo studio set up with a variety of backdrops so our dolls who had been on display had their photos taken by Alan.  It was also the last chance to photograph the wonderful Maypole.

Two happy young Sasha collectors with the Maypole

Three raffle babies with the Maypole

Peggy and Janet with the winning costume doll - Peggy had made the whole costume and Janet had painted the doll's eyes

Reuben, Nina and Melanie in their African costumes in the photo studio

Then it was time to pack up and sadly say goodbye to all our Sasha collector friends.  Thank you Janet and Trisha for a brilliant weekend - once again they put on a very memorable celebration of Sasha dolls and I am so pleased we were able to participate and contribute to the fun.

However there is one more post to come for the celebration weekend, as I shall explain all about the outfits I made for the competition.