IT IS THE SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS

 AND all through the house, everything is stirring , we certainly don't need a mouse !!!

"God rest ye merry gentlemen, 

let nothing you dismay

remember Sasha's too

can arrive on Christmas da...y "

Well I'm sure those are the correct words , just been changed over time . . . .. .

So we have finally decorated the tree and the house, yes I know it's later than some, but I did actually once put the decorations on the Christmas tree on Christmas day ! Well Paul had been decorating the living room up until Christmas eve, so we did have an excuse ! 

I have only just finished my present shopping ! which is actually very late for me, so next year I must start much earlier !  In fact I have decided to gather bits and pieces together all year, but I must NOT put them in a safe place , never to be seen again !! Also I must remember I have bought things. I remember one Christmas morning when my youngest daughter asked me why I had not given her a pocket dragon ( all the rage at that time ) Me confused , until she went to my wardrobe and retrieved it from its hiding place ! Happy to show she'd been searching before the day in order to get one of her presents!

Today's headliner is Kira, who had slipped through the net re getting redressed, which was handy because I received this lovely red sheep jumper to go along with the second of the  two kilts I made.

Still need to go and find her some shoes or boots.

Finally the tree is decorated and the lights are up. So looking much more Christmassy than just the other day. Today is food delivery and wrapping presents , then seeing what still needs getting. Last items to get in the post on Monday, too late to arrive before Christmas , but maybe between then and new year with a bit of luck and a fair wind !

On the slippery slope, there is still a tale or two to tell !!!! 

But calm is once more in charge ( to be honest it usually is ), pottering about for Christmas is the order of the day. We have started the count down and Christmas films are being watched, you know the usual, Die hard one and two, the Mummy all three ( Hey I love the Mummy films and there is snow in number three ) and I don't care what old Brucie baby says Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

So I will wish you all a very happy fun filled week ahead and remember those relatives will soon be off back home and quiet will once again reign. . . well until new year.

Dee

A MOTOR CAR FOR THE DOLLS

 

So sometimes I just cannot resist a good prop! Especially if it looks like a toy from the fifties. So it was with this little car made for the Roche dolls. But unfortunately most of the cars made for these dolls were sold to the American market. 

Which means import cost along with postage. But I did have a bit of a plan when I bought this one.

There are a few different style cars that have been made for the Roche dolls, I knew this one was slightly bigger than the one I'd bought.

The cars very rarely appear on the secondhand market, so I asked Paul to make me one similar to this one. Luckily I knew someone who would have one and they kindly told me the sizes which I passed along to my prop man , Paul.

Once I'd stopped Paul from using his usual mdf, saying I wanted a fully wooden car, he sourced the right wood, he set to work.

We managed to find some wheel's that would work .

Naturally I was on hand to tweak it , if he started to go slightly off track and show him the photo of the one it was to be based on.

slowly it started coming together.

A couple of little Roche dolls trying it out for size. The lights are dolls house Ceiling lights which can be turned on ! 

Still needing painting and a steering wheel 

So painted with Farrow and Ball paint left over from painting the old kitchen units.

Paul suggested painting the seat red to link with the wheels .

Some mesh for the grill, a number plate and instead of the bolt used as a radiator cap, I wanted my little metal elephant, as a mascot.

Finished 

x

x

Going Christmas shopping ! 

x

z

All ready for a Christmas shoot.

With the seat removed Ava can fit in nicely, although , she made need a car of her own. . . . . . . .

"driving home for Christmas. . . . I can't wait to see those faces . . . . . "

SO A SECOND SET OF TWINS?

 

Well when the idea takes root , it can be hard to resist, so off I went looking for a 'twin' to join my 68 girl. Almost as if it was meant to be, this kilt girl appeared on ebay !  I did not just leap in but when off looking a both here and the US ebay site, where another kilt girl was residing but she was too perfect !

There will be those who say too perfect surely that's a doll you would want ! But no if a doll is too clean and perfect, they tend not to be used and land up getting sold on. I like them nice and I also like a waif.

 and so this sweet kilt girl arrived , she's got the 68 stringing so an early girl. But she's also got a mind of her own and said her name was Clemmie ! as in Clementine but her family call her Clemmie ! 

So I don't know what happened to Jennifer and Jane but Nancy and Clemmie have arrived in their place it appears. 

So Clemmie is wearing another Ruth Hartley dress along with Rosie Bloom shoes. The jury is still out on if Nancy and Clemmie will be twins. Only a little time will tell.

MONDAY FOR SUNDAY

 

Well I missed Sunday because I decided to tag along with my two older daughters, who were off to visit their younger sister along with their niece and nephew. So I had wonderful visit with them all enjoying some reading and chatting and being beaten at Connect four and also Snakes and Ladders by the seven year old Princess !  I'll be needing to up my game for the rematch ! 

Back home , Paul put up the new Christmas tree, if you can call it that, being only four foot narrow and sitting on the sideboard ! But it's at least a start to the decorating after the dresser change over.

I'm still working on my large sofa blanket, mixing up the colours in blocks of five. Then once I've made seven or eight I add the edging of dark/deep green or blue.

I probably should work out how many I need for the blanket but at present I'm just making because I can always use any extra for something else.

On the doll front one did arrive which I was sooo happy about then wasn't ! So it had to go back but more about that in another post.

I added a couple of little Christmas China props for the dolls.

But now it's all about Christmas, so will be hoping to add a few Christmassy photos leading up to the 25th.

Have a happy healthy fun and doll filled week 

Dee

,

AND CONTINUING THE SLIDE

 

So this dungaree's girl I saw at the Chat n Snap but as I have said before you tend to go round in a sort of daze, seeing but not registering things. I thought I'd ask the seller, if she was still available.

Obviously she was! So I asked if I could buy her but just needed a week or so to gather in the cash from some sales. Luckily she said yes !.

She was meant to be with me as I got her adoption fee together quite quickly and soon she was knocking on the door demanding entry ! She's a 69 girl. When I saw her photo, the name Hettie immediately popped into my head. So Henrietta it is but Hettie for short.

So lovely Hettie just needed a quick wipe over and a change of clothes. 

Hettie is wearing a sweater knitted and given to me by Gill, we were discussing Princess Diana's one from back in the 80's, and a pair of red cords by Ginny with Rosie Bloom boots.

Maybe it's Hettie that needs a twin . . . . . .. . . . 

So I had thought my slipping had stopped, however there was one more but Paul's giving me her for Christmas. 

How's that saying They think it's all over . . . . . . .

AND STILL IT CONTINUED . . . .

 

Although this sweet No Navel is not part of the slippery slope , since she was just waiting on layaway for me to get my act together which I finally did and she arrived in the midst of that slippery slope group.

another waif with a cut fringe, although hers does sit better but again she may have to go and see the hairdresser to repair /re root her fringe. She also has one arm that like to stick forward.

I decided to call her Madeleine , Lainie for short , I had a nice sweater set that I'd bought second hand off ebay and along with a pair of Ginny trousers 

and Rosie Bloom boots, she is more than ready for any cold weather coming our way. 

So another blonde NN for the clan, I may need to find a lovely brunette at some stage to join them.

THE FIRST SUNDAY IN DECEMBER

 

" Good King Wenceslas last looked out on the feast of Stephen , when the snow lay round about

deep and crisp and even " 

I do love a good carol and also a good choir singing them, is even batter than my warbling away on sometimes the same verse again and again with some added humming of the tune !

The days heading towards Christmas are of course passing rapidly , while I carry on as if there is all the time in the world ! I did actually make a start on buying some presents but I have not even looked at writing out or sending any cards yet ! 

What I have spent some time on is making a few kilts for my dolls and for presents. 

The hardest part is getting the pleats to be uniform ! But for that they would have been all done in no time, instead of taking ages. 

 

Eventually they were finished, I had thought using this checked fabric would help with the pleats but it didn't in the end. So before I started the kilts a couple of weeks back, I came across a small bag of multi coloured safety pins that I had bought years and I do mean years ago to use for the dolls.

I made the mistake of . . . . .  yes that's right ! putting them in a safe place , so after searching for them, I gave up and ordered some from Amazon yesterday ,  well they arrived today . . . .. . . .

Yes invisible safety pins !! However I wanted ones that could be seen, tiny gold ones but it would seem 

despite much searching I could not actually manage to pick up one of the invisible pins , so messaged Amazon, whose AI asked if I wanted to return them? Well I'd love to waste their time sending back an empty box ! I chose to speak to someone and a refund was set in motion and I went back and ordered safety pins from a different business on Amazon. 

They should arrive tomorrow ! But I know these people are busy , unless it was a robot that selected my goods, but surely you'd just take a second to check if the box was meant to be empty ? 

So Martha , wearing one of the new kilts, is still waiting on her pin ! But I am very pleased with how they have turned out since I have never made one before, so I have sorted out some more fabric to hone my skills on. Expect to see a few kilts going on sale on the sales page if I can do a good enough job.

I did actually start on changing over the dresser China from the blue and white to the Emma B and some pieces of Spode. I have quite a few pieces now, built up over many years, that there is now too much to display it all. I did suggest to Paul that maybe I need another dresser to go with this one, his reply was NO , Less is more !! ( using my own mantra back at me ! ) 

However I did have another idea, which he asked when I returned from my doll studio carrying it, Your not going to put that on there ? Well of course I was or why would have have gone to the trouble of emptying it out and carrying it in ! foolish man ! 

My Sasha doll's kitchen dresser has come into the house to be part of the dresser Christmas display ! 

It is still a work in progress , so I will show both dressers off later in the week once they are both finished. Mind you having the little dresser here means I need to get some more of the Sasha's and Gregor's back in the display cupboard but due to recent purchases , I don't think they will all fit ! 

On the doll front a few bits and bobs have sold along with a baby. But unless someone is after a Christmas present for themselves, I expect it will all go quiet from now on.

So on that note I will be off to find somewhere for the Sasha's to stand, clear all the blue China off the table and out of the dishwasher and put it away until January and the change back. The rest of the dresser dressing can wait until tomorrow because I do need to get some more squares made for my blanket for the big sofa along with maybe cutting out some fabric ! 

I hope that life is treating you all well and that the coming week is full of warmth and happiness for you all.

Dee 

ONE THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS ! IT'S DOLL PHOTOS

 The fifth day of December , so time for those wonderful doll photos they you kindly send in.

Over the pond in Gregoropolis, the girls are in their apron's ready to assist in operation Christmas ! Cookie's to bake, trees to decorate, presents to wrap carols to sing ! and they call it a holiday ?

Meanwhile two of their brothers are too busy to help, because they have a 'game ' to watch and plans to make regarding just what films they want to watch over the holidays, Home alone a must followed by Elf just for starters !

 Elsewhere the Kens are ready to hit those slopes! Nothing like some skiing in the fresh mountain air to put some colour in your cheeks and some muscle on your bones! Then a nice sit by the fire in the ski lodge at the end of the day chatting with all the other skiers, bliss !

Down the way two of Gill's girls are arguing about Santa's ability to receive their Christmas letter via email! Holly a whizz on the laptop has search high and low and it just cannot be done ! Which is a worry for her sister since she's very late getting her wishes in ! Better find the stamps girls !

At least one of Gill's baby's is all ready and waiting to greet Santa when he arrives !  ( She'll probably be asleep but we'll not tell )  She's not exactly clear on what it's all about but all her brothers and sisters seem excited ! 

Over in RoRoPo a couple of the boys are playing around with the Christmas lights !  I hope they are careful we don't want any accidents before Santa's visit nor afterwards either ! 

From Ronny with three of her buttons showing a bit of attitude, I'm not sure if I'd ask them about helping put up the dec's, goodness knows what strange out there result would appear !

Here in the village Madga's been stopped in her tracks by the sight of maybe the smallest Christmas tree she's ever seen ! 

"What is that ? " she asks Arabella , Arabella who is also studying the tiny tree sighs " Well mum said since we bought the new big sofa for the day room, there is nowhere for a big Christmas tree to go ! So I found this small one !"

" There is small and then there is that !" scoffs Magda " If you put two presents near that if would vanish!  I think we'd best go shopping "

Thank you to everyone who have sent in their doll photo's over the year, we all love seeing them, the page gets loads of visit's from our Sasha loving friends checking them out.

So we wish everyone taking part or just visiting a happy holiday and remember there is always time to have your dolls photo added