I have always loved illustrations of all kinds especially in children's books.
This image is by Mabel Lucie Attwell.
If I could have three rooms in a house just for things I love , they would be a Sasha room (of course), a library and a room full of art and treasures.
Mabel Lucie Attwell
I am very much a person who needs the visual, I am always attracted by the colour, shape or beauty of an object.
The Flower fairies by Cicely Mary Barker I have always found beautiful and so full of detail.
I love that you can see the styles of that time in the clothing of this picture by Cicely Mary Barker.
Unfortunately this as a run of rings under the surface to stop you printing it but you can still see the gorgeousness of the time and detail. I love these old illustrations.
C M Burd
Trina Schart Hyman
x
My children grew up on books illustrated by Shirley Hughes
Shirley Hughes
Helen Oxenbury's illustrations are another favourite.
Helen Oxenbury.
Helen Oxenbury.
Of course there are many many more, Beatrix Potter, The Ahlbergs ,Mick Inkpen ,Quentin Blake to name but a few...... so these are just a tiny drop in the ocean of wonderful talent old and new that fills our world with warmth.
Which brings me to the reason that set me off on this post...
I was looking at some old illustrations the other week and then happened onto Shelly's site which had been updated.
I was not looking to buy anything, I was just looking as you do, to see what's selling, what's sold and what's new.
But I came across this girl, who so reminded me of the children in those illustrations, that before I knew it I had sent off an email and Mabel Lucie was mine!
She arrived today and is settling in.
She is looking at the garden along with her friend.
This is Mabel Lucie which is a bit long so will just be called Mabel.
She's a 1970 waif but so sweet I just had to give in and invite her home.
She tells me she loves to draw ! so should fit in very well in this household.
I even like her in that short skirt! I think because of the old style illustrations where their dresses can be on the short side!
So Mabel Lucie, who tell's me she's not a GOTZ whatever that is, she's a girl with a bunny whose just acquired a new Mummy!
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ReplyDeleteTake two...
DeleteI love your new girl which used to be my OLD girl Kenzie! She recently moved over to America and returned to the UK via Shelly :) Small world eh?
Have to agree with you about Shirley Hughes (loved Alfie and Annie Rose) Helen Oxenbury also a fav of my children as well as the Alhbergs...fantastic story tellers/illustrators.
A small world indeed! But I did quite like the name Tuesday and was thinking Mabel Lucie Tuesday had a ring to it :) Nice to know who she's lived with, that's probably why she's not heard of GOTZ!! ;)
DeleteAlfie and Annie Rose wonderful books as are so many others :)xx
Phew! I am relieved you didn't fancy a Gotz ...there is hope for you yet!!
ReplyDeleteWell I won't say that quite yet...... ;)
DeleteI TOO looked at and immediately loved this girl BUT unfortunately remembered (being a 'goodie that I am!) MY New Year's resolution just in time to prevent my typing an email to Sashadolluk....whereas YOU were WELL naughty as always and must now be 'sailing very close to the wind' (substitute 'only 10 new dolls this year for wind') for YOUR resolution! If my reckoning is correct you only have three to go and we've not even reached half a year!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that SS has a wonderful eye for choosing Sasha Dolls and had I have known that she was originally hers I might not have been able to resist her at all as I'm 'literally over the moon' with her ex Miss Nobody!
'My family and I' too are very familiar with most of the above wonderfullly illustrated children's books and would like to add Alison Uttley's 'Little Grey Rabbit' series to the list.
Really like her new name! (I always think that my Shelly customised 'Belle' looks just like a replica of Mabel Lucy Attwell's characters and would have called her that had she already not already been named by Shelly.)
I am rapidly sliding down that slope to having reached my years target and you are correct in that it's not even the end of June!! I am sure I'll save a couple of purchases for later in the year! who knows what may appear at the chat n Snap? There were a few lovely dolls there last year, Sarah Black re root to name but one!!
DeleteYou may certainly add to the books and Illustrator list of all time favourites :)
Yes Belle does look like a child from that time and in fact I am sure I found her image in amongst the others when I looked!
Glad you like her name :)
Oooh, I knew she was lovely, but an artist too?! The Village is home to artists, artisans and poets. Oh yes, and philosopher bears.
ReplyDeleteDid I tell you, Dee, that I'm planning to make up wardrobes of clothing based on my favourite, childhood books? I love the illustrations as well as having fond memories of Ameliaranne, Josephine, Milly-Molly-Mandy and her friends (she always wore the same dress, so not much work there!) and Family From One End Street. Dolls not decided on yet, but ideas flaoting around. I need to DO more with my dolls.
Yes An Artist, lovely but they can be very single minded and temperamental ! We are very creative in this village ;)
DeleteYour wardrobe of clothes based on your favourite books sounds lovely, I look forward to seeing each outfit as you have time and funds to achieve them! Plus find the right sized items and clothes!
We all wish we could do more with our dolls but being adults others will insist we stop playing to do boring things, like housework or cook!
Hi there, Mabel! :) She's totally cute, Dee! I love her haircut.
ReplyDeleteIf you like old-fashioned illustrations, you may like Elsa Beskow. She was a Swedish author and illustrator, and generations of Scandinavians have grown up with her characters.
Valley of the Morning Mist is an old favourite of mine. :) It's never bee translated to English, but it's being adapted as an animated film these days.
Thanks TigerAnne, Mabel says Hello :)
DeleteI looked at the link , lovely another illustrator to add to our list, the link to the Valley of the mist picture was very interesting. I will need to search these out and study them all. :)
What a cute girl, I saw her too and thought she was very sweet looking. I'm glad she's gone to live with you all in The Village and look forward to her drawing and painting. As a child I used to really enjoy making up stories and doing the drawings to go with them, I have always loved drawing and creating things....apparently I had a 'talent' according to my art teacher back then! LOL....That was after she put me in the big art room dustbin (and put the lid down) for having chewing gum in school! LOL
ReplyDeleteI love all the illustrations you have above Dee, they're gorgeous and I particularly like the group of evacuees or at least wartime children. And of course a big welcome to little Miss Mabel, she's a darling!
Big hugs Sharon xx
I just cannot resist these waif's especially the cute ones! :) It's funny how when we are children we have all this potential and sometimes we never follow it through!
DeleteMind you , you now use those artistic skills in her wonderful colour combinations and your dress making!
I'm feeling the need to go out and buy more children's books now!! :)
hugs Dee xx
Oh Dee!!! I have so much to share here with you!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I am reading everything in the wrong chronological order so that is why I was in the dark about this dear girl's name and its inspiration!!!! I love knowing she was named after a great illustrator of childhood images that I grew up with too! How delightful!!!
Second I saw your dear Mabel Lucie on facebook first which is always a sign that I am behind on reading the blog posts...oh dear, I so want to keep up with the wonderful blog readings!!!
Third, I just today on Mother's Day sat down to read your blog posts and I read your "Door prize" post first with Kath's stunning dress set donation for the Chat n Snap and modeled by Mabel Lucie, still not knowing your name inspiration for her.
Fourth, I finally read this post and I now am clued-in to your sweet dear's name and it fits her perfectly as she has that softer and sweet expression that is captured in the illustrations of days gone by.
Fifth, and then when you think it cannot get any better, Ronnie writes that the dear Mabel Lucie was once her doll and that is so nice to know!! Ronnie has a keen eye for spotting special Sasha dolls!!!
Well, sorry to go on so but a very lovely, inspiring post and thank you! It is such fun to follow the journeys of our Sashas! I love your Mabel Lucie very much:) xxx
Thank you for sharing Ginger :) I was tempted to start off with Mabel Lucie at the being but wanted to show what had inspired her name, so that was probably slightly confusing for anyone who saw her out of context :)
DeleteIt was great finding out that she'd been to live for a while with Ronny, I love knowing something about a Sasha's history and yes Ronny does have an eye for finding lovely Sasha's but don't tell her I said so!!
I could happily spend my life reading books full of wonderful illustrations and it's wonderful that we can discover new ones through our friends.
I hope you are having a lovely Mother's day and are getting some sunshine as we are.:)xxx
Lovely girl and really enjoyed seeing some of my favourite childhood illustrators :) x
ReplyDeleteThanks Louise :) Glad you enjoyed the illustrations too! :)xx
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