BETWEEN

 Well it's that sort of strange period between Christmas and New Year , where one is over and the other yet to appear !

We are sort of in no man's land, waiting for New Year to arrive and then on the 2nd normal life starts up again.

I don't know about you all, but I cannot quite settle to anything during this time. I have to stop myself taking all the decorations down and recycling the Christmas cards and putting the place back to normal.

So instead I have been going through my Sasha clothing and put a bunch on my sales page in an early quest to make more space and reduce the amount of boxes I have. I have a long way to go on that quest!

However a few items have already gone and I also sold on a couple of dolls over Christmas, with a third on hold for the new year.

Erik and Robin are wearing some knitted jackets I bought off Michelle at the Chat n Snap back in October. I loved the yarn she'd used but when I asked about getting a couple more for some of the other boys, she told me the yarn was no longer available.

However I searched Ebay and managed to find someone selling five different coloured balls of the yarn. So I bought them and sent them off to Michelle to make me some more jackets. One a brown ball I told her she could keep.

The new jackets arrived before Christmas, so it's just a case of seeing which of the dolls need them to help keep warm during the winter months. So that will be something for the New Year.

Granny's tale will continue in the new year once normal life returns .

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

THE FIRST NOEL

 It's been a another very busy day at Fortuna's Village store and it's nearly closing time. The sky's darkened and the temperature is dropping , Bruno is minding the shop while Granny goes to chase up some more stock and Sophia is checking on Mini in the shed.

Bruno was just searching down behind the counter to see if they need more paper bags or wrapping paper. When he straighten's back up someone's in the shop, but he didn't hear the door !

He doesn't recognise the customer, well not from the back ! She seems to glow ! He wonders if he's getting a cold as it's also feeling quite warm all of a sudden.

He's unable to look away and notices that she appears to be wearing pink wings ! How odd !.

When she turns and approaches the counter Bruno sighs as he sees her face and starts to blush.

She asks for a decoration with a bell on it? Bruno points to the card stand , where some pretty decorations with a large bell on the end are displayed. She selects one, smiles which makes Bruno totally lose the ability to speak.

He's sure her mouth doesn't move but he hears the sweetest voice say " Every time a bell rings an angel gets their wings " before she places money on the counter and turns away.

Bruno shakes his head , he's sure he can now hear  singing ! Maybe she's singing as shes leaving ?

Bruno watches as she leaves the shop ,which suddenly feels cold, just like after the sun's gone in!

Outside although it's late afternoon, it's as bright as mid morning !

A thought pings into Bruno's head .. She's an Angel !

He leaps over the counter and rushes to the door , looking the way he's sure she went.....     the street is empty ! She couldn't have disappeared that quick 

He looks the other way ...      no one in sight ! And it's hard to see in the fading light , the cold air swirling !

Stunned Bruno stands still ,convinced he's just seen a Christmas Angel !

OPEN DAY AT LAST !

 The village is buzzing ! It's almost Christmas and finally Granny Fortuna's shop is opening , just in time for those last minute gift purchases.

They have been queuing outside since 8.30 am excitedly waiting for the door to open!

Robin is at the front, he's determined to get an item he's seen in the window , which would be the perfect present for one of his brothers .

At nine the door opens and the queue moves forward into the shop.

Toby who is at the back calls out for them to get a move on , as the ones at the front, stop just inside the door to look around.

The shop is soon full and the noise is high as the children excited oo and arr at the items for sale,

Saffy is getting more Christmas cards for the local friends that she can go and deliver herself. To by looks to be buying a frizzbe and a skipping rope . I wonder who they are for ?

Saffy is trying to remember just how many she needs !

Granny is at the counter taking orders and money.

Busy busy. Sophy is helping Claudia , who is asking about putting a deposit on the cot in the window and returning to complete her purchase on Friday, once she's got the last of her pocket money!

Sophy is assuring her , that Granny would be more than happy to help her .

Erik is so excited to see the Captain Scarlet figures, problem is he would love them for himself ! 

Maybe he could buy Lt Green for Ragnor and ask Mum if he could have Captain Scarlet for Christmas ? Problem is he cannot remember if he's already told Mum want he wanted or was it Santa? Could he get Captain Scarlet for himself ! 

Just then Martha appears beside him and asks him what he's muttering about. He tells her of his dilemma .

Martha pats his shoulder and tells him not to worry, she is sure he will get his wish for Captain Scarlet , so just to sort out buying his gifts for others.

Erik's not quite sure if he can believe what Martha says but sighing decides he'll have to leave it to fate since he cannot afford to buy it for himself and get gifts for others. He just hope Martha's right.

Martha goes to the counter while Erik is still deciding whether to get Ragnor, Lt Green or Colonel White, which works well while she quietly buys Captain Scarlet for Erik's Present , asking Granny to keep it for her after she pays, saying she'll call back for it tomorrow.

By closing time, lots of cards etc have been sold and many items set aside for collection later in the week.

Granny is feeling very happy with all the sales they have made and actually thanks Bruno and Sophy for all their hard work !

Mind you she follows up , telling Bruno he needs to deliver two of the large Christmas trees and a food hamper that evening and that Sophy will need to check and put away the items that are sold for collection later in the week , then start restocking the shelves.

" I'll go start dinner, you can stay for it too Sophy " she informs her as she moves off humming !

Sophy is happy to stay for dinner, it will save her making something once she finally gets back to her digs and also save her some money. Once Granny's gone up, she'll go make sure Mini is fine and as enough food and water, then get her jobs done.

AN ANGEL ARRIVES...

 Or is she ?

Well Angelica has arrived, my totally unexpected purchase although the idea of her was rattling round in my head.

I had bought this sheep's wool wig for a non Sasha doll , but it just didn't suit that style of doll, so I decided that maybe a waif Sasha would look okay in it!

So then with her now arriving just before Christmas, the name Angel stuck in my mind and then on her arrival Angelica. 

I have trimmed her original hair which was very frizzy and at present the wig is over whats left. Now I have to decide does the wig work ? and if so do I remove the rest of her hair or leave and manage as is?

Answers/opinions in the comments please :) 

Does the wig need trimming so it rests just on her shoulders? 

So here she is ! Angelica ( whose name I always associate with the Rug Rats cartoon the girls watched as kids who was no Angel !) will she make it to New Year with the wig ? Who knows ! I never do !

Without the wig and her fringe was like this when she arrived 

A SUNDAY IN DECEMBER !

 Well I'm not exactly sure where that week went ! But go it did ! I was intending to go into the studio yesterday to carry on with Granny's Christmas tale but the day was so grey and dull , the lighting would have been terrible, so it didn't happen.

However we did spend this week getting the Christmas tree up, after a discussion on size !

We put up the tree and even standing on a box it was just too small ! Paul was like it's fine ! I'm like it's

lost it's so tiny ! and it is five foot ! without the box !

So we ordered a nice seven foot tree ! It comes and then finally on Friday Paul puts it together.

It's lovely and big ! However it's stopping most of the light coming through the front window! Which in winter is not a good thing since the light can be quite low! So it needs a new home for the twelve days of Christmas !

So after a big rearrangement of the furniture in the day room, it's now standing proud and looking good,

and can be seen through the doors from the living room  and 

from the dinning/kitchen table.

One day I'm going to buy a star or angel for the top of the tree but so far I have never managed to get round to it !.

Today , Sunday, it's been very cold and although the light was better, but still not brilliant, I didn't have time to get out into the Studio, what with one thing and another, but tomorrow I have to get the story moving, so good light or bad, I'll be out there.

On the doll front, I sold a small doll prop and bought a Sasha ! Yes I gave in to temptation and bid and won a Sasha , all because I have a wig and an idea ! Yes that is now it works with me sometimes ! I have no idea if the wig will even fit the Sasha or if she'll look how I want her to but only her arrival sometime this week and wig placement will tell !

So on that note I will wish you all a Happy Healthy fun filled week ahead

Dee x

TAKING OVER CHRISTMAS !

 

Toby decided he was going to be father Christmas this year even though the outfit was meant for a bigger doll ! But he was determined the sleigh driving was his job !

Saffy and Coco are acting as elves.

When told he needed a beard to play Santa, he just grabbed a big chunk of toy stuffing and stuck it to his face !!

Then they found he'd not bothered to find other boots when Santa's turned out to be too big !

Percy is in charge of reindeer welfare thank goodness and finally Toby got some boots on !

Saffron and Coco are wondering just how they got roped into doing this with Toby !

Well at least they are almost ready to set off and raise some funds for local charities.

I'm plesaed you are all ready but just one thing .... where's the sleigh ? ......

Granny's Christmas tale continues tomorrow ... 

FINISHING UP

 

It's mid morning on Sunday and Sophia is in the shop inspecting the floor she's just finished hoovering.

She decides to give a last clean of the Christmas trees , to stop any needles dropping before open day.

Bruno appears behind the counter " Granny say you can stay for dinner " 

Sophia is tempted to turn the offer down but then decides it will save her having to cook plus pay for a meal. " Thank you " she smiles at her cousin.

Bruno looks around " I'm so glad you are here to help , I'd still be trying to clear that floor if It was just me working on it ! "

Bruno suddenly realises that Mini is rooting about in the display unit drawer !

"Mini ! No you must not dig about in there you could break something !"

Mini looks up at Bruno and grunts , as if to say It's fine don't worry I'll be careful !

Bruno looks back amazed because he was sure he just heard Mini talk in his head !

Mini wanders over to where Sophia is giving a last minute hoover to a unit. He starts rooting in those drawers, checking out the goodies.

"There are quite a few spaces left to fill " Sophia says to Bruno " and we'd best put thise cakes and pies undercover until tomorrow "

Bruno comes out from behind the counter " Come on put that hoover away, while I get the cakes etc sorted " he smiles " Then if Mini goes back into the shed we can go and have a sit down while Granny finishes getting dinner ready "

" Good Idea " agrees a tired Sophia " and lets not mention the empty shelves , we can finish then before we open tomorrow "

" Agreed " smiles Bruno , feeling really happy to have Sophia around.

They do the last few jobs , pop Mini in his shed  along with a bucket of water and some fresh hay and then head upstairs catching the smell of  dinner as they go .

Everything is set for the grand opening tomorrow. only eleven shopping days to Christmas , let's hope the customers come and give the shop a good start.

Luckily for Granny the schools have closed early this year, so there should be plenty of people around looking for their last minute purchases.