Category Archives: Uncategorized

An “A” Number One Addition

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Some of you may remember this painting of my Mom that was painted from a black and white photograph during WWII.  My great uncle had it painted while he was stationed in England.  He had brown eyes so I think the artist thought my Mom did too. However, my Mom and my Grandmother both had blue eyes.  Other than the eye color, the painting is very accurate and resembles Mom, Mary Adeline.  My Grandmother’s name was Adeline Pearl.  Please let me introduce a new Sasha studio doll who is named Addy after my Mom and Grandmother.

 

Addy is an AI studio doll and I love her beautiful face and painting.  She reminds me of my Mom as a young girl.

Addy came wearing this sweet outfit.

Addy is a tall girl of 20 inches.

Addy’s wig is wool yarn and styled into nice full plaits.

A few close up photos of Addy.

I have loved cloth dolls all of my life and finding this beautiful girl feels like finding a treasure!

Addy is standing next to her sister Abby, an AI studio doll that has lived here at Sasha Shangri-La for several years now.  They are both about the same height.  It is so nice to see them together.

I dressed Addy in a pair of blue corduroy overalls made by Thu Cuc Faes but kept her shirt and duffle coat.

Recently, Ruth of Ruth’s dolls listed several beautiful studio doll outfits for sale. I bought this pretty plaid dress with red leather belt for Addy.  She is looking festive with her ornament in hand.

Hello pretty Addy.  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season.

Ruth included this beautiful pinafore too.  What a beautiful outfit!

With Sasha’s birthday just a few days ago on November 30th, I want to thank her once again for bringing such beauty into our lives.

Brigitte came over to say hello to Addy and she brought her Santa ornament with her. They both want to thank you for visiting us today and for helping Addy to feel welcomed.

We are sending you hugs and happy wishes for the week to come. xxx

A couple of Waterlogue images for you to see.

New Dresses Grace a Fall Day

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Finally, a beautiful, sunny day!  Our first girl is Morgen, a 1960’s Gotz factory ponytail girl that was repainted by Sasha Morgenthaler herself. Morgen is wearing a new beautiful dress made for her by Fanny Boiten.  I love the fabrics that Fanny used and the generous fullness of the dress.

Morgen feels very pretty in her dress and velvet ribbon.

Morgen against a Sasha Shangri-La blue, autumnal sky.

We took these photos in front of a different and very old barn on the farm. It is about to fall down and I will miss its formidable presence on our landscape.

My Morgen.  I never tire of looking at her.

Next we have Penny also wearing a new outfit made by Fanny.  Her lovely leather boots were made by Betty Jean Densford.

The sun was very bright and it was the first sunny day we have had in a while.  Please excuse the shiny spots on the girl’s faces.  Penny is a very early 1965 Gotz girl with a no mold line torso.  She always looks fantastic in Fanny’s dresses.

Pretty Penny in a her new dress.

Penny up close. I love her eyes and her brows.

Next is Mae also wearing a beautiful new dress made by Fanny.  Her shoes were made by Jean Jensen.

Mae is an earlier Gotz girl with ochre eyes. She was made in 1966.  I found her on Shelly’s site where she stayed for a very long time since she is a waif.  I love her and don’t think of her as a waif at all now.

The beautiful Mae.

Mae up close. You can see a scratch in her right eye and I think it adds to her expression.

 

A couple more photos of Mae and I think I was and am a bit carried away by her.

 

Thank you Mae for being so patient with your Mom.

Last for today is Briana wearing a  very pretty dress made by Vicky Chapman and leather shoes by Sashapotamus.

Briana is a 1966 Gotz girl with ochre eyes and beautiful brunette hair.

Briana up close.  I love her eye painting and her brows especially her high arching right brow.

I really like the fabric in this dress and the sweet little buttons.

Briana against the deep blue sky.

I took a photo of the girls Mae and Briana together.

 

Pretty maidens all in a row.

I am so glad that I took these photos yesterday while the sun was out and shining. We had our first snow flakes the day before that and it was 20 degrees earlier in the morning I took the photos. The next day, today, it rained again.

A pretty pair of Gotz girls.

Morgen, Briana, and little dolly are waving goodbye and they thank you for visiting with us.

Penny and Mae also thank you for visiting and we hope you enjoyed this post.  We all are sending you big Sasha hugs.  Have a great week to come!

Our “Izzy”…Izzn’t She Lovely?

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I am happy to introduce Isabelle or Izzy to you today.  Izzy is a BIII Sasha Studio Doll painted by Sasha Morgenthaler in the late 50’s to 60’s.

The B stands for her cloth body type. The III is her face mold number.

Izzy’s eyes are a very deep blue and her brows are bold.

She has pretty pink lips.

She came wearing this beautiful outfit by Ruthsdolls.  She also brought with her a pink gingham dress and pants set plus she wore a different wig. It was shedding  and very thin. Here is a photo of her other wig.

She also had a few new extensions added by a previous owner but her wig was still very thin and would not allow styling.  Even gentle handling caused hair shedding. So I found the courage to give her a full, stable, and beautiful human hair wig. I have safely stored away her other wig.  I will show her in the pretty gingham dress set later.  Pink is a great color for her.

Here is a rear view of her hair.  I pulled it back and tied it with a pink silk ribbon.

Izzy up close.  I love her sweet expression.

Welcome dear Izzy to Sasha Shangri-La. 

I hope you are happy here little one.  You have brothers and sisters to play with and keep you company.

Lovely smocking.

Izzy and I thank you for visiting with us today.  We hoped you enjoyed this post and we are sending you hugs and happy wishes for the week to come.

“Bye bye everyone!  Thanks again for dropping by.”

A parting gift of a waterlogue image.

❤️ Betty Jean Densford ❤️

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Betty Jean Densford was a warm, kind person and her smile would light up the room.  Her Sasha shoes were wonderfully made.  Her very special, custom box tells us they were “Handmade with Love”.

Since Betty passed away unexpectedly earlier this month, I have felt her loss deeply.  I see the heart that she impressed on the bottom of her shoes and I feel the love she impressed on my heart.  I am thankful to have known her and to have spent time together.  Rest In Peace dear Betty. ❤️ xxx

 

1966…1967…1968… Farm Pants Girls Unite on the Farm this Fall

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This lovely 1966 English production non-philtrum (NP) blonde girl came to live here this past June.  Her name is Meredith and she came in her original box, outfit and tag.  She belonged to Noreen and now is a most welcome resident of Sasha Shangri-La.

 

Meredith is very minty and so I am extra careful when I handle her.  She looks sweet among the pumpkins, corn, and gourds,

Meredith has large blue eyes and no eyelashes.  Her hair is very silky.  She wears a mint brown farm pants (also called jeans) outfit with white leather sandals.  Her plain back gold tag is on her right wrist.

Look!  Sara has come to join Meredith.  You may remember Sara in a recent gingham post with her gingham sisters.  Since then we found a brown farm pants outfit for her.

Sarah is very petite and the smallest of the vinyl Sasha children here.  She is a 1967 English production NP girl.

Both girls have their bears to play with and to keep them company.  Meredith is a sweet older sister.

The lovely Meredith up close.

The lovely Sara up close.

Welcome Miss Meredith. We are so happy you are here.

I think Sara looks perfect in her brown farm pants.  She is having a great time outdoors on this pretty day.

Look!  Our little Lou has joined the fun.  She had a hard time leaving her sister Chloe inside but managed to join us anyway.

Lou is so happy to be outdoors and to enjoy the sunshine.  Lou is a 1968 English production fringe girl.  She, too, has a brown farm pants outfit.

Lou brought her bear.  It is nice to see these girls together from three different years.

They each have their own, very individual look mainly due to their wonderful  hand painting.

Farm pants girls are enjoying a Fall day on the farm.

Well, look here!  Another sweet farm pants girl is joining us.  It is Diana, a 1966 ochre eyed German Gotz girl.  We notice her farm pants are shorter in length. Cute!

Diana said she did not want to miss out on being in this post. She has not been on the blog in quite a while and she thinks she fits in perfectly with her brown farm pants, her blonde hair and her birthdate.

Diana brought her puppy and she said her farm pants are faded because she has worked hard here on the farm and the sun has taken its toll.  I think she is very pretty and should be next to her sister Meredith since they were both born in 1966 though in different countries.

My pretty brown farm pants girls all want to thank you for visiting with us today.  They hope you enjoyed your stay.

We are all sending you hugs and happy wishes for the week to come.  Have a Happy Fall!

A few Waterlogue images to enjoy.

Lovely Lou’s Reunion

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Some of you may remember back in November of 2015, I introduced Lou on the blog. She was a well loved 1968 fringe girl that had certainly been a close companion to a child or children over the years.  The first 5 photos show Lou’s photos from 2015 once again.

 

Sasha dolls are really so very beautiful. Thou Lou’s face is shiny, her eye painting and profile are lovely.  Her pretty yellow dress, shoes and socks were made by Ruthsdolls.

Her lip painting has paled and worn away.  Her hair is dry.

Lou’s hair is nice and full with some remaining curl.

Last year, Lou was adopted by a very good friend who had the foresight to send Lou to be restored by the very, very talented Brenda Walton.  After Lou returned to the States, my friend shared Lou’s new photos and she was so very kind to allow me to re-adopt Lou!  I am over the moon to have Lou back here today at Sasha Shangri-La.

Drum roll please …………

The unveiling of Lou….

 

Please meet again the lovely, little Lou.

Lou looks so beautiful and as you might expect her to look on the shelf of a toy store or a doll shop in 1968. She is wearing a minty farmpants outfit.  She also brought with her a minty red duffle coat which we will share later in this post.

A side view of Lou. Her hair is set in a perfect ponytail.   Swoon…..

Lou outdoors enjoying a recent sunny day.

“I am a bit camera shy but I remember well my sisters and brothers.  I love being home Mommy. I especially missed Chloe”.

We are thrilled you are here dear Lou.  You have been in the very best of hands and have been so well cared for.  We are thankful for such good friends. Chloe can hardly wait to see you!

Close up photos of sweet Lou.

Next, we will go indoors so Lou can see her Sasha family and especially see Chloe.

Lou and Chloe are reunited!  Lou is wearing her beautiful minty duffle coat plus she has her favorite bear named Hope. She brought this dear bear with her as a present from her previous Mommy and to keep her company.  Lou also managed to find a favorite duck toy made at the Sasha Celebration Weekend last year.  Lou is very happy!

 

Lou and Chloe up close. Chloe is a 1966 NP girl with deep blue eyes.

I think these two girls will be inseparable.

Lou and Chloe together once again.

Other friends are saying hello too. From L-R is Rusty, a Lenci Series 1500 boy, Celine a C-III Sasha studio girl , and Markus, a C-III Sasha studio boy.

Lou and I want to thank you for visiting with us today.  We hope you enjoyed Lou’s reunion post.  We here at Sasha Shangri-La are sending you hugs and happy wishes for a wonderful week to come. xxx

Waterlogue images to see.

Please meet Verity at Home with a Happy Harvest

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A beautiful studio doll sold recently and her beautiful face and outfit have inspired Janet Myhill-Dabbs to create this lovely rendition.  I have named her Verity.

We went outdoors on the front porch for our photos today.

Verity is very shy and a dear little puppy made friends with her right away.

Janet made this beautiful green gingham dress for Verity, a previous Pintucks girl, with the lovely smocking and white collar.  She knitted her very fine socks and made her nice green leather shoes. Her plaits are tied with velvet ribbons that are the palest of pinks.  Verity admired my medal of Mary so I let her wear it with a silver chain.

What is that lumpy, warty looking thing next to Verity’s puppy? Hmmm…more to come.

My beautiful Verity.

Verity, turn and look at all of those warty looking things!

“Mommy, I don’t need to turn and look because look beside me!  They are here too on this side of the porch railing.   They aren’t moving so I think we will be okay”.

I agree Verity, you are not only wise but beautiful.

More close up photos of Verity.

  

A slight smile maybe?

Verity, I must tell you that this is a goose neck gourd and we have been blessed with an unexpected harvest of these lovely, interesting gourds this year.

“How very nice Mommy. I see more on the other side of the porch and I think they are lovely “.

More close up photos of Verity because I love this beautiful girl and so does the camera.

“Oh Mommy, look what I found!”.

“A big bowl of these warty beauties, don’t you just love the colors too?  Oh look, a pumpkin too!  How exciting is this!”

A quick look at the area out back which is next to a large brush pile.  If you look closely, you can see another tiny gourd still on the vine.

On top of the brush pile, the gourd vine has spread and is growing profusely. See the gourd hanging from the vine?  Amazing because last year, Janet and I drove to see Dorisanne in New York and we stopped and bought local gourds near Dorisanne’s house.  After they had died, Rick threw them in the brush pile and now nearly a year later, we have lovely new gourds!  What a wonderful way to remember such a special trip.

Not exactly a pretty sight but just to show you the ugly brush pile that produced our beautiful, lumpy, warty gooseneck gourds.

Verity is enjoying her new home here at Sasha Shangri-La.  Her puppy is a sweet little friend for her to hug and hold until she meets her brothers and sisters.

I am so happy you are here dear Verity.

We want to thank you for visiting with us today. We hope you enjoyed this post of Verity and our happy harvest.

Verity and I are sending you hugs and happy wishes for the weekend and week to come.

A Waterlogue image to enjoy.

Zurcher Spielzeugmuseum – The Real Sasha Shangri-La

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At the end of the holiday in Italy last year, Tricia and I were able to go to Switzerland and have a wonderful visit with Brigitte.   Brigitte was a kind and generous hostess and on our last day we traveled to Zürich.  After stashing our luggage in lockers at the station, Brigitte led us to the wonderful museum featuring Sasha Morgenthaler creations. (Link below)

We had another very interesting visit in Zurich, after the museum, but that will be shared in a separate post since this museum post is very lengthy. I hope you will prepare a cup of tea and enjoy these photos.  If you have seen them before, perhaps these images will revive your interest, show you a different angle or a different lighting, and provide you additional and renewed insights to the delightful talents of Sasha Morgenthaler.

http://www.zuercher-spielzeugmuseum.ch/index_en.html

The fantastic displays in the museum are encased in glass and so there will be reflections plus you will see the back of some dolls that are facing outwards on the opposite side. These photos are not in a logical order and you might see a head shot later in the photo lineup from the full length photos. Also, please be tolerant of the photos that are a product of my camera phone and my very shaky hands in nervous excitement of actually being there in Zurich, in person, and with so many studio dolls!   I hope you will be able to enjoy your visit as you see the inspirational Sasha studio dolls in abundance and Serie dolls as well. The real Sasha Shangri-La.

The Prince.

A four legged beauty.

Boys galore and don’t you love seeing them all together?  Each one is very unique and so charming.  One thoughtful girl in bright pink towers in the background and a friendly zebra nudges the barefoot boy.

A poorly captured Pierrot to the right of the photo and a divine bebe propped up on an upper pedestal.

A beautiful bebe.

The fabulous existentialist girl and boy.

An oh so sweet child in dungarees and striped shirt.

A remarkable blonde boy and girl. Her coat is a work of art by itself.

A closer photo of the girl in bright pink. I can’t help but notice the lovely waist tie of the blonde girl from the back.

Tools of Sasha’s trade.

A most handsome boy in brown corduroy trousers and black jacket. Even the small Steiff bear with his mouth open looks to be amazed to see such a fine boy.

I love this beautiful blonde girl with her plaits and holding on to bebe dear. So very touching.

A beautiful head painted by Sasha and would be an A-I studio doll if joined to the proper body.  Such beautiful painting on this tricot covered mold and lovely red hemp wig.

A photo of a working table which I think would’ve been in Sasha’s studio.

A head mold.

Another photo of this precious pair or should I say trio?

An amazing Japanese girl dated 1952.  A most beautiful child looking so serene.

The existentalist pair in these two photos. I struggled with the glare and I hope you can especially see the wonderful boy and his purple corduroy slacks, purple and white striped top with scarf, plus a smart shiny black jacket with matching hat.  The girl is equally beautifully dressed with her fur coat, colorful scarf, slim white slacks and sleek black boots.

Close up of the handsome boy wearing the brown corduroy trousers.

A sweet girl in her apron and sandals. You can see the rick rack trim on her undergarment that is typically seen on Sasha’s undergarments.

Yes, another angle of this happy girl and bebe.

A card game created by Sasha Morgenthaler.

An unexpected Kathe Kruse wide hipped girl stands behind a delightful doll house and to our left of these two lovely studio dolls.  The girl with the plaits is a favorite of mine.

I could have spent hours absorbing this display alone.  As you can see, all children love a doll house.

I was delighted to see these two lovely Munich Art dolls.  I think this was my first time to see a Munich Art Doll in person though I have seen them in books and in several Theriault’s auction catalogs.

How lovely to see these girls shopping and looking so beautiful in their corduroy dresses.

Amazing displays.

This pretty girl, in her checked gingham dress, looks at home with other dollies of days gone by.

A tilt of her head and her high arched brow both speak to me as to say that she is inquisitive and observant.

A little angel all in white is tucked sweetly into this corner.

A biography and timeline for Sasha Morgenthaler.

An existentialist look to this pale girl in black sweater and slacks with a discreet scarf wound at the neckline.

A most beautiful girl wearing a remarkable dress with the fabric flowing on a diagonal in the center while the white lines of the fabric draw our attention to her neckline, cuffs and hemline. A most wonderful creation!

A pale girl wearing a fabulous creation of a maxi coat in leather with matching slacks, belt and boots and a white knitted top. She has a wistful and far away expression.

A sweet child in white with a remarkable hat.

A very pale and serious girl wearing a stunning white dress.

Photographs of Sasha and her family and at work.

A print of a painting by Ernst Morgenthaler illustrating his wife, Sasha, her sons, and the housekeeper in the background.

A perfectly pouty brunette in a pale pink dress that reminds me of the Serie brunette girl’s dress called “Party Pink”.

A serious and thoughtful child.  Several more close up photos.

A lovely display of Sasha vinyl dolls.  The round platforms rotate in circles to help you see all the dolls.

A gorgeous girl.

I am showing this most beautiful Sasha Studio girl with her very full plaits once again.  Her green eyes are perfect with her green printed dress. I love her ribbons too.  I love everything about her.

A handsome red headed boy.

Her lovely white dress with lace trimming on the bodice, cuffs, and hemline accentuates the diagonal patterned fabric. Her brown hair, eyes, necklace, sash, and shoes all make for a perfect picture of this beautiful girl.

Two beautiful girls in lovely white gowns.

A dreamy expression with this beautiful girl and she has a wax-like appearance to her face.

Additional photos of the vinyl dolls and outfits.

There were many fantastic antique dolls on display.

A lovely Sasha Doll tucked beside a most interesting train display.

Look here! A Gregor waving to get our attention.

Additional lovely Kathe Kruse dolls.

Baby Sasha waiting for his stroll.

As you can see it is an extraordinary museum and I would love to spend much more time there to really see and think about the amazing displays of dolls and toys.

A couple of Lenci dolls among doll friends.

A towering and full doll house is a wonderful backdrop for our beloved Sasha dolls.

I took a few photos of Zürich from the museum window.

Upstairs the displays continue of space toys and familiar toys to include Star Wars.

A wonderful poster on display.

A happy surprise to see these two Sasha babies sitting in a cradle tucked away on a side shelf.

I hope you have enjoyed this post of remarkable Sasha dolls along with the other lovely dolls and toys found in our human history.  I am so grateful to Brigitte for her warm hospitality extended to Tricia and me during our stay and for bringing us to the toy museum in Zurich.  This visit will forever stay with me in my heart.

Summertime and the Living is Easy

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Hello from Cathy who is so happy to show you her new summery dress made by Marianne of Nomacustom on Etsy.  We love the pretty floral print and the rick rack trim.

Cathy is a very early Gotz girl with her ochre eyes and her no mold line torso.  She is a petite girl with nice silky hair.

Cathy up close.

I love the contour of her pretty face. It gives her a most innocent expression.

Cathy sends you a big hug.

Well, look here…we have Gertie, one of the favorite girls here at Sasha Shangri-La.

Gertie is dressed in a pretty floral dress with a frilly white blouse. The maker is unknown and the outfit was found on Shelly’s most enjoyable site.  Her beautiful locket is a gift from her twin sister Edith who lives with Janet.

Most of you know that Gertie is a repaint by the very talented Janet Myhill-Dabbs.  She was previously a much loved Pintucks girl.

Gertie is a very sweet sister to all of her siblings here on Cow Creek.

Gertie sends her love to you.

Now we see Faith, a beautiful 1968 Fringe girl.  She is dressed in a pretty floral frock with an eyelet blouse.  The maker is unknown and it was found on Shelly’s wonderful site.

Faith was a very lucky eBay find years ago and she was my first fringe girl.  I love her very much.

Faith up close.

I really like the blue side panel of this dress. It is unexpected and beautiful to see.

Faith sends her love to you.

The three girls in their floral frocks enjoying a perfect summer’s day.

Gertie

Cathy

Faith.

A full length photo of Faith. Her white leather sandals were made by Jean Jensen.

A full length photo of Gertie.  Her denim sandals are from Sashapotamus.

A full length photo of Cathy.  Her pink leather shoes are from Sashapotamus.

These pretty girls want to thank you for visiting visiting with us today. We hope you enjoyed  this summery post.  We hope you have a wonderful day and a wonderful week to come.

Goodbye to you our friends from all of us at Cow Creek.

 

A waterlogue image to see.