GETTING THE RIGHT LOOK!

I have been ,as you know, getting a few props here and there lately. When I bought the old style washing machine with mangle it gave me an idea to pull together an old style kitchen for the Schoenhut dolls.

So to that end I went looking for a stove or range. When I was a girl, I lived in south London in my grandmother's house which was an old terrace house that had three floors, my parents rented rooms from my grandmother but in my grans kitchen on the ground floor  was an old black range. I cannot remember if it was a working one but it was a lovely looking thing.

And so that's what I set out to find for the Schoenhut dolls. I have a picture in my mind of an old fashioned kitchen, with a range style cooker , butler sink, mismatched furniture.

Then finding one that would be the right size for my larger dolls, not easy as most that I found were too small or if bigger.. way to big and then expensive.

But then I found one and made an offer, which I'm pleased to say was accepted.

It arrived today and here is Evelyn trying it out for size.

Maude also happened round when the range was being admired.

The seller said that the pots were a little large for the range but no too bad.

I had recently bought some copper pots and pans for the larger dolls, which I'll try on this another time.

One of the things that made me go for this one, apart from the size, was the design on the front and the rail round the top. I can just see a tea towel hanging over that rail !

All the doors open.

The pots that came with it.

Amazingly, even though this is a child's toy from the 1920's , this is the paraffin holder which would have a wick in and lit to help 'cook' the food! I can just see some toy manufacturer trying to get that past health and safely !

So now to find something that can be the butler sink.... easy..... !


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SPLENDID SUNDAY SUNSHINE

Most unusually for an English bank holiday weekend the weather is superb ! :)  Now I know this next sentence will be controversial but.. it's too hot! there I said it  :) It's okay for you people who just walk out into the sun and turn mahogany without so much as a by your leave but us true English roses only have to see the sun to break out in a heat rash and have to retire to  the shadiest spot we can find!

But from that deep dark shade looking out into the world, we do enjoy the fact that it is lovely and warm, not hot we don't DO hot!, and that everyone is enjoying the weather.

However it is too hot to work in building folly walls, as i keep telling Paul. But if it shades over , like yesterday he's out there adding a few more brick when the sun returns to bake him! This is really a job for early mornings or early evenings , when the sun's still out but not trying to turn you into a melted heap!

Yesterday Paul managed to get a few rows down but we were having friends over to dinner so had to stop to get ready.

Today he's been back out and as got more stones and bricks down but it's too hot to continue as it's in a very sunny spot in the garden so dries the cement out quite quickly.

Now if you are wondering why there is a piece of decking up the side of the corners it's Paul very clever way of keeping the rows level. because you have stone blocks in the corners you cannot put your line between each row of bricks to work against. So Paul notched some cuts into the edge of the decking at 3 inch spacing's enabling him to keep the rows of bricks straight!

Meanwhile on the doll front my beautiful no navel girl arrived and names have been offered .

and I quite liked Sienna and also Saffron but in the end I settled for Saffron because she can be called Saffy .One of our cats is Saffron, Saffy for short but since I won't be calling this Saffron's name down the garden we should be okay!

I'm saving the name Sienna for my blonde yellowed eyed girl who will be arriving soon.

Also I have started to work on poor Edward.

The Schoenhut waif  who was offered up for spare parts but I decided to save. I spend an hour using fine glasspaper to get the old paint off his face.

Still some more paint to remove but I am being careful to not remove his eye paint. I think unless the eye paint is damaged it should always be left. I should have wiped the paint dust off before the photo but nevermind , I'll take another few once all the paints been removed.
I'd best sort him out a wig as hopefully he'll soon be as good as new and ready to become a full happy member of the Sasha village family.

I have also almost caught up with the doll and bear alphabet challenge and this was my entry for T.

T is for Tea Time

I want Coffee

You'll have tea!

That's not Fair!

It is to me

Pass two scones

One will do!

Not it won't cos I want two!

Don't be greedy

I am not!

Yes you are you'd scoff the lot

Chocolate cake?

No

Chelsea bun?

No

Tea with you is not much fun

Eat your scone and stop that face

No I won't... my belly aches

That's because you did not pause

Did so mummy!

Before you scoffed that iced bunny

I feel sick

I'm not surprised at wolfing down you'd win the prize

Oh It hurts I don't feel good

I'll kiss it better then It should

Thank you Mummy I'm feeling fine!

I'm very pleased

Is that scone mine?

Dee 

The second of the photos with this entry.

The garden is growing well 

The banana's I think are planning a takeover! They are getting so big!

A busy week ahead as usual after a bank holiday plus the children will all be going back to school soon.

I have lots of things going on over the next few weeks so will be posting when I can. So due to this I have decided to move the Doll shelf day forward to this Friday the 1 st September which will be I won't forget to do it! She says.. 

So if you'd like to take part please send you photos in and I'll get them all ready to share on the first.

Hoping you all have a great week ahead.

Dee x

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So reminder Doll shelf photos by the 1st of September please.

SEVEN SASHA SISTERS

STANDING IN THE SHADE!

I'm taking part in a doll and bear alphabet challenge and am up to the letter S.

Si I grabbed Seven of the Sasha's and put them on the covered bench but they were only part of my photo.

I landed up with six no navel girls and one Trendon !

This was one of the photos I used and it's SEVEN SCHOENHUTS SITTING in the SUN with SEVEN SASHA SISTERS STANDING in the SHADE!

I think I covered it ;).

I was going to take some photos of all my no navels' together but my youngest sister, who turned 50 this week, called and so an hour later it was getting too hot, so maybe tomorrow!


Can I also remind people if they've got any photo's planned for the doll shelves on the 5th of September can they send them in next week as I'll be busy on the fifth , so want to get them ready before hand. Many thanks .


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DO YOU REMEMBER...

way back when I said .. " I am free of dolly debt!" and almost before the print was dry on the post an email had arrived with an offer of a No Navel in need of adoption?

Well today my new no navel girl arrived  to live in the village. Luckily the weather was dry so we were able to go and take a few photos.

So here she is..

She came with a little friend, a dog , to keep her company on her journey.

She's feeling a little shy at the moment.

I love this old gold/ mustard coloured cord dress she's arrived in, it's deeper than in these photos.

She's been re-rooted by Alison with a short bob style hair cut which I just love.

We've been discussing names and she's deciding if she likes any of them or if theres one she'd like of her own.

I suggested Henrietta , Hettie for short because she's a little like our Hattie but the Gotz version.
Or Maisie ? Or Lulu ?

She suggested Polly ?

z

So we are going to wait and see which she feels suits her.


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SUNDAY SO TIME TO CHAT!

Another weeks flown by ! Mind you it's surprising what you can do in a week .. when prop hunting!

The props just seem to be appear everywhere and just the right size for the dolls, some which I have thought would suit one size have actually suited both or could even be said to be more in keeping with the Sasha than a larger doll.
Just goes to show you can never truly know until you have the item and a doll together in the same place.

But first up I thought I'd share with you an intruder! Yes I have to say that the house had someone just let themselves in! yes just park themselves and settle down to sleep on the sofa! and I have to say that they have done it before but been discovered and made to go! But this time they were sound asleep and did not even stir !

I was able to take a couple of photos as evidence for any court case....such a cheek this girl's got !

Look! There she is as bold as you like! settled down on the sofa fast asleep! and it's not the first time either!

Talk about make yourself comfortable!

even turns round to get another comfy spot! What a cheeky Miss!

I do have to say that Mabel is very careful and does not damage anything although once a bear was sitting minding his own bears-ness and she came and sat on him! Poor bear could bear-ly breathe!

Now to the props.

I found this chair which suits all the dolls although the seat's been over padded, so the heavier dolls like Evelyn here sit better for the present than the lighter dolls.

Evelyn tries it out.

Now my next prop I bought with Evelyn and Ivy in mind. So reminded me of my childhood!

A Hoover washing machine with mangle! Evelyn's over the moon with this new updated version! will save all that scrubbing with the washboard!

Everything ready to start washing!

Plenty of room to wash all the clothes these doll children seem to get through!

Joined by Zak , who wants to help. Evelyn is around 20 inches and Zak 15 and I have to say I thought it would be more the size for Evelyn but it works just as well with the Sasha/Gregors, they being children who would be small against a washing machine.

Evelyn explains to Zak just how it works and how when the washing's ready it needs to be squeezed through the mangle to get all the excess water out before it can be hung out to dry!

Zak thinks it sounds like a lot of hard work! But he'd really like to turn the mangle and sqeeze the clothes!
Auntie Evelyn tells him, he can have that very job once she found a place for it in her kitchen and put a load on!
Two happy people!


Meanwhile work is starting on the folly!!!

Here is Paul working out the brick spacing's ready to start building!

The first part of the stone arched doorway is in place so the walls can start to go up!! I will share more of the build next weekend here and on the garden blog.

Maude took part in my doll and bear alphabet challenge with R is for Ruby Red.. the poem that went with it and other photos can be seen on my dolly dreaming blog accessed by the link on the side bar.

Poor girls still waiting for a change of clothes but this outfit suited the theme but she'll be changed by next week..... I hope...

So I need to go help take the bricks down to the folly site, while Paul starts his brick laying!
Have a great week ahead, will hope to post during this coming week, so see you then.


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SITTING PRETTY

Because there are so many dolls now living in the village and of many different sizes, I'm always looking at chairs! well not just chairs ;)

So when I saw these for sale, I knew that they'd be a little big for the Sasha's but a good size for the other dolls living here. They are from the forty's or fifties.

The Settle did have a little damage but nothing that cannot be fixed. So I bid on them and noone else did! So here they are. They arrived Friday.

The settle has a break on a joint on the back, which looks like it's been glued at some point then come apart again.

Zak tries the chair out for size , while Percy checks the damage.

"It's a clean enough break " says Percy " I'll easily be able to just clean out that old glue and re stick it! "

"A couple of cramps at the ends to pull it together and it will be fine " mutters Percy.

The boys wander off to find Dad and get permission to use the glue and the tools.

Looks like Elfine's found the new chairs and is trying them out!

A good size for her.

Now she's trying out the settle.

I do believe you could get two girls on there if Elfine moved her legs!

Indoors Elfine prefers the chair, so I get a chance to try two dolls on the settle.

These are going to be great for the bigger dolls, like these BJD's.

Once Percy's repaired the settle , I need to decide whether to rub it down and give it a couple of coats of paint. Maybe a nice old cream?  and I'm thinking  painted or not, I'll make a slim cushion for the seats and the backs.

All opinions welcome  : )


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