HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

All Hallow's Eve
A place not to stray
Once darkest has fallen
The ghouls come to play!



HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO THOSE WHO DARE......

THE LAST SUNDAY IN OCTOBER

Well October's flown past ! It always does as the Chat n Snap sits there waiting to happen which then means the date approaches fast with things to sort out and get ready, then the recovery after.

So this weeks been a case of putting away items used for the CnS and also tucking away the mugs and paper plates/napkins ready for next years event. But It's also nice it's over and went well and people enjoyed themselves.

It may seem strange but I now feel my times my own, whereas from September onward's the CnS is always sitting around in my thoughts and now I feel It's back in it's box until next year when Tickets go back on sale. I did actually announce next years theme at the end of this years event because I will once next spring/summer comes need to actually start working on the display so it's not a last minute rush like normal.

Next year's theme is a railway station in 1939/40 , that time when children from London were sent away by train into the countryside to protect them. The idea came from my aunt's wedding in august when the reception was held at the Bluebell Railway line in Sussex.
My sister Michelle and I looked at each other and said what a great display it would make for the Chat n Snap !

 so I took loads of photos.

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 I'm really looking forward to trying to achieve this look next year , so will have to start early to have any hope of it making the grade! The bluebell railway's main station and museums etc are in East Grinstead where my youngest lives, so I can go back and look around next year to get some more detailing. It's an amazing place and well worth a visit.

Due to my tooth, the weather and the chat n snap, the house came to a halt for several weeks, however I did manage , much to my delight, to sell five pieces of furniture that were no longer needed but filling up space either indoors or in the shed.  Which means we can now stand a chance of getting our cars undercover in the carport this winter!
We are going to move our new arts and crafts tallboy into the old Sasha studio for the winter because we need to decorate and re-carpet our bedroom before we add any more furniture that would then have to be moved again so we can do the work.

Of course there is still loads to do before we even look at working on the bedroom ! The kitchen/breakfast/dinning room needs to be completely finished before we go upstairs, she says... although there are some things that now due to the approaching winter that need doing outside, a last push on getting the end shed emptied and passed over to our neighbour, a poly tunnel put up in it's place to house those plants that need that extra bit of winter protection and some plants need splitting and also re-potting or putting in to help them over the winter months ready for placing in the new redesigned flower garden.
We have over a 100 tulip bulbs that need planting in pots ready to make a colourful display next spring.

I have finally purchased some fabric to make the base cushion seat on the new to me Ercol chair and plan to get a start on that in the week when I'm not working as the weekends , when not working , I need to get outside and help Paul with clearing carport and shed's etc.

 A lovely blue/stone William Morris linen fabric seen above with the sun that's streaming in today through the windows, after yesterdays grey , wet and gloomy day. I've given no thought to if it will go with any of the rooms! But hopefully as it's fairly neutral it will blend in ! 

We've also bought a 'new' sofa and need to decide what sofa goes, I think , much as it pains me, that my old habitat sofa ,that I recovered years back and now needs doing again, and is now over 40 years old must go and that we keep one of the newer sofa's a mere stripling of only ten years ! My mind says the habitat sofa must go , but my hearts says WHAT!  But the decision must be made today as the other sofa will arrive tomorrow ! and I am determined not to fall into the age old trap of putting out into the workshop just in case !!What to do ... what to do!!!! 

Saffron was chosen to wear the new dress by Ginny that we bought at the Chat n Snap and she added the coat we won in the raffle, along with some boots and tights we already owned.

 She then had a wander off down the garden enjoying the nice sunny weather.

We needed to move a yellow Magnolia from the front garden, that was getting hidden by some tall roses, Paul's planted it just to the right behind the pot where we hope it will do better and we can enjoy the flowers more.

Well I hope you all have a healthy fun filled week ahead

Dee

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE ?

Most Sasha People will have heard of Jonathan Hayes, the founder and designer of the Nini doll.  We get to see his Nini doll creations from those first few sketches of inspiration ,through the selection of vintage fabrics, the creation of the doll's face and wig and the making of the clothes ,right up to the finished product.

I don't know about others , but sometime I find a doll 'speaks ' to me. This has happened with two of Jonny's dolls. The first was his doll from the sketch A Gift for Snow, I loved this girl in her fur hat and warm coat ready to visit her friends bearing gifts through the snowy weather. She appeared at the time that I had just lost my 14 year old Westie Izzy and was heart broken. I'd been watching her but thought she'd be snapped up but I believe she was meant to come to me because she was still available a few days after her presentation and I managed to send a very garbled email to Jonny asking to adopt her as a reminder of my little Westie and so Izzy came home to live with me.

And so I had a Jonathan Hayes Original Nini girl in my doll collection and was happy and content. That was back in 2017 and Izzy is a joy to own and have around to admire.

However Jonny will persist in making yet more beautiful Nini dolls and I have admired all those who have followed on from Izzy.

But of course if  temptation keeps being placed in front of you sooner of later another could tug at those heart strings ! And so it came to pass this year ! I watched as Jonny sketched , then selected vintage fabrics and painted the face, selected the hair and all the while this new creation called to me but I just watched having no intention of adding another to my home.

Then the doll was ready ! Shown in all it's glory ...dressed standing smiling presented up for adoption !
I cannot remember if I took any time or just emailed almost straight away as soon as the details arrived in my inbox !  A short layaway was agreed and the die was cast!

This week my new Nini arrived to join Izzy

The Dutiful Dreamer , a Tibetan boy who I have called Tashi , which is Tibetan for Happiness, Prosperity , Auspicious.

He makes me smile when I see his happy face, I love his clothes and he tells me he needs a Yak and some goats!

For the moment he's back in his box while I sort out a place for him and any future yak's or goats but his box is where I can take a peek to make sure he's happy while he waits.

Thanks to Jonny for allowing me time to pay his adoption fee, he will be treasured for years to come and I have every intention of passing my Nini dolls on in the family , Tashi is already promised to one of my daughters and Izzy to my grand daughter.

Now I just need Paul to make me a couple of stands and a nice place for them to live ! A husband's work is never done :)


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CHATTING AND SNAPPING 2019

Well the weather was in our favour after the threat of possible rain over the weekend earlier in the week, the day dawned bright and sunny. Perfect travelling weather.

Some of the early birds getting onto the Island of the Carrot Bean.

The Kracken was already attacking a ship !

 but the island soon started to fill with pirates ready to Parlay !

 a motley lot to be sure !

 Bertie B and Ollie stayed in their boat avoiding the cutthroats

 Even the parrots were not  safe !

 I loved Jane's glamorous Pirate at the back !

It was a dangerous place to visit Saturday !

 On the sales tables the lovely Marilyn was ready to sell her wears.

 Judith of dolly doodles was up and ready.

next to Judith was Brenda

selling original Sasha factory clothing

 beside Marilyn was Janet M D 's table of goodies

above and below is Diane's table

 then over the way beside Janet was Gayle

 and then Theresa's table

 then Jane D's table

Jane always has some great furniture pieces, I snapped up the three wooden chairs for a friend who's asked me to look for some for her.

 more of Jane's.

It seems that some how I totally missed Pam 's table which was already surrounded by people and she did have a lineup of lovely Sasha's for sale on the window ledge and also Ginny of A passion for Sasha ! Who had a lovely full table with lots of lovely colour!

The raffle table was full to overflowing , we had to use another table once we had the space and it took £926 in raffle ticket sales , the highest amount ever for the Chat n Snap.

 The doll adoption table ( above and below ) did well and I know at least four of the dolls on this table were sold and it could have been more!

over on the other side were the visiting dolls.

A couple of well dressed school girls belonging I believe to Catherine French.

 more visitors

This row of gems belongs to Jane Mc

 Theresa's clan

Jane's girls again

Laura H's brother and sister studio dolls

the dolls in the bright clothes belonged to Teddy.

Julie W girl moving in at the side, looking quite shy .

Diane brought along some Sasha curio's so people could see them, from early production, books and fake Sasha's.

 and some fake Mexican Sasha's.

 I'll finish with the photo of Ollie and Bertie who look more like they are out for a day's fishing than taking part in a pirate parlay!

It total we raised around £1600 plus for the charity and had a lovely day while doing so, many thanks to everyone who took part on the day and from afar.

I've already agreed to next years event especially as I have a great theme planned which I know those who attend will make look fantastic as they do every year with their dolls.



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