ZEEBIE AND SCAMP

This is my friend, Zeebie.

We like to tell each other secrets.

And Zeebie likes to rumble and tumble.

Are you tuckered out, Zeebie?

I'll hum you a lullaby so you can nap.

Here is SCAMP, my newest baby Sasha, and her pet zebra who she calls ZEEBIE. I fell in love with this impish little tomboy the minute she popped out of her traveling box. I'm sure she and ZEEBIE will have many more adventures together in the days ahead.

THE TREEHOUSE

Soon after I first discovered Sasha dolls in the early 1970s, I bought a SINGER sewing machine that came with free sewing lessons. The machine cost $65.00 and I still use it to sew everything from Sasha outfits to Teddy Bears. I went to my first sewing lesson and shortly after the class began the teacher threw me out because I could not thread my needle. A great friend of mine agreed to teach me and I've been threading my needle ever since.

These red hankie fabric outfits are the first ones I ever made for Sasha, Gregor, and baby.

I built the tree and the tree house in my studio and installed it later in the "dollsandreams" window. The lettuce in the salad bowls is just dyed paper toweling torn up to look like the real thing. I loved building the tree house and the kids loved looking at it in the window. It was the first of several windows I created for the shop.

TED'S TOYS - MARY MARS

Here is another doll that I designed for PEDIGREE in England. The original concept was for an older teen doll but Pedigree wanted her to be younger.

The year was 1979 and science fiction was enjoying some popularity. So this little girl from Mars was as friendly as Klaatu from THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. And she was trendy in her mini skirt once she left her space suit and clear bubble helmet in the ship's locker.

SWINGING WITH SASHA

The subject of swings for Sasha came up recently in one of the Sasha groups. Here are a couple of images of the very first window display I created for "dollsandreams" -- the toy shop in New York City where I discovered Sasha dolls.

I built the tree and the tree house and created all the outfits the dolls are wearing. The shop had two tall narrow windows on either side of the front door. The facade was painted a bright green and had a sign over the door with the shop name.

You can see Gregor climbing up the rope ladder to reach the tree house. And you can see a Sasha baby enjoying a ride on the swing.

TED'S TOYS - LITTLE SHOP

In 1979 I was enjoying a great working relationship with the PEDIGREE doll and toy company in England. The GOOD EGGS continued to be successful and so did MISS PEDIGREE. Another concept that found a home at Pedigree was called A LITTLE SHOP OF MY OWN which featured cute little 8-inch dolls packaged in a "shop" of their own complete with miniature props. There were three shops including a FLORIST, a GROCERY, and a SWEETS SHOP. The little dolls had charming "granny" style dresses that were the current fashion trend.

The best part of working with the same company year after year was that we began to understand each other and what worked for the company and what didn't. And every concept didn't have to be a blockbuster.

TED'S TOYS - DADDY'S GIRLS

1978 was the first year I went to Toy Fair as a free lance "toy inventor" as the industry called us. I had a portfolio of 32 concepts and appointments with 27 toy companies crammed into seven days. I had previously designed two major lines for Hasbro so they were my first stop. Nothing I had to offer interested them so I was free to show my concepts to anyone else.

DADDY'S GIRLS was inspired by all the 1940s LADIES HOME JOURNAL covers created by the artist Al Parker. They always showed a mother and daughter in matching outfits and were almost as popular as Norman Rockwell's SATURDAY EVENING POST covers.

Seventeen companies turned down Daddy's Girls -- all for the same reason. No one would buy two dolls in a package. It had never been done. At least not successfully.

I didn't think it was a major concept and I was already celebrating my successful relationship with Pedigree, so a bit of negative response didn't put me off my game.

My very last appointment was with a charming man from a factory in Japan that manufactured toy concepts for WOOLWORTH'S. These had to be inexpensively priced and have instant shelf appeal. He bought DADDY'S GIRLS right away. WOOLWORTH'S sold over six million units.

And the next year seven of the companies who had rejected the two-doll concept introduced "knock-offs" of the DADDY'S GIRLS line.

TED'S TOYS - SWEET INNOCENCE

In 1978, MEGO was one of the largest toy companies in America after Mattel and Hasbro. The owner was a sharp businessman who had his eye on the brass ring.

The toy business can be a mysterious place when it comes to success and failure. Some of the best concepts hang in the balance in the weeks following Toy Fair every year.

MEGO spent hundreds of thousands of dollars bringing SWEET INNOCENCE to market. I did all the sculpts and art work for the packaging. Molds were made and hundreds of production samples were created for Toy Fair.

More thousands were spent in market research and testing before production began. The concept scored high marks with little girls who responded to the toys as well as the story. But, in the weeks following Toy Fair it became clear that store owners were not interested in the product and it was dropped from the line.

In the business this is called taking "the first best loss" and so SWEET INNOCENCE became a sweet loss and tax write-off.

I cashed my check and a year later the rights reverted back to me. I have often wondered why retailers shunned this concept and if they hadn't would little girls have enjoyed playing with her. We'll never know.

TED'S TOYS - MISS PEDIGREE

In 1978, I created this doll line for the British toy company, PEDIGREE, who were best known for their 11-inch doll -- SINDY.

Miss Pedigree is 14-inches tall, has glass eyes and rooted hair. The original collection featured six dressed dolls.

Originally, this concept was to be called MISS CHANEL and you can see the Chanel influence in the packaging. But we were unable to get the rights for the Chanel name.

This was a very sophisticated doll line for the period and Pedigree perfectly duplicated all of my sculpts and fashions.

TRICK OR TREAT

Here again is my FREE Halloween printable that will let you make as many "Trick or Treat" bags as you want. Just send me an e-mail with the word HALLOWEEN in the subject line and I'll send you the art to print out.

Send your request to SashaStreetUSA@aol.com

AUTUMN UGGS

The first chill of autumn blew through the Philadelphia countryside and Maria traded in her white sandals for these terrific looking handmade UGGS style boots from Daddy Ted's Shop on Sasha Street.

Yes, it is that season of the year again and time to order some autumn and winter wear for Sasha. Please drop by the shop and check out the colors. These boots are custom made to fit Sasha and Gregor perfectly.

http://shopsashastreet.blogspot.com/

TED'S TOYS - HUG

In 1984, shortly after my first teddy bear book, THE TEDDY BEAR LOVERS CATALOG, was published, my editor suggested doing a collection of the HUG comic strips. A few of the strips had appeared in the first book and were very popular. So THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUG was created.

Shortly after its publication, the North American Bear Company, bought the rights to produce a plush version. The first season there was just the large size Hug in his signature red scarf. Then came HUG JR. in his turquoise scarf and later on they introduced BABY HUG with his signature baby bib.

HUG became the national spokesbear for BEAR-AID, a division of SAVE THE CHILDREN. We toured America raising money for the charity and HUG made lots of celebrity friends along the way. He was even hugged by Madonna.

Inspired by the work of SAVE THE CHILDREN my family adopted a young boy in China. Later we brought him to America and adopted him legally. Now he is a student at Princeton.

HUG's bear BUDDY was introduced as a give-away in association with BEAR-AID and TEDDY BEAR REVIEW magazine was one of the primary sponsors.

During those years I was working as a counselor with terminal children and their families. We gave over three hundred HUG bears to the children and many (sadly) went to Heaven with their young companions.

Of all the toys I have designed, none is closer to my heart than HUG. He was a wise and loving bear who brought joy and comfort to many.

FAVORITE THINGS - FOUR

RAPUNZEL illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren

RAPUNZEL is one of my favorite fairy tales and Gustaf Tenggren is one of my favorite illustrators. After Maria arrived I noticed a picture of one of her sisters on Shelly's website and her hair had been taken down. I thought about the line in the fairy tale -- "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your long hair." and the other expression about "letting your hair down" which usually means to relax and be less formal. Maria seems much more relaxed now that her hair has been let down.

MAKING NEW FRIENDS

"Hi, I'm Maria. What's your name?"
"I'm called Toots -- like Tootsie. Papa Ted is teaching artists how to make my sisters."
"Well, I have a lot of sisters too my they don't make them anymore."

"Well kid, I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship."

Maria has just made friends with TOOTS - the teddy bear that I am teaching bear making students to create at EbearZ University online. If you would like to sign up for the classes you still have five days to register and join in the fun. Meanwhile, Toots and Maria are off on an adventure together. I suspect that Toots will be looking for honey cookies.

Here is the link for EbearZ University www.ebearz.com

TED'S TOYS - GOOD EGGS

The other night I gave a presentation to my local doll club about the behind the scenes business of toy design. I worked as a doll and toy designer for about twenty years. Perhaps my biggest success was a pre-school line called THE GOOD EGGS produced in England by PEDIGREE toys in 1978.

The little "life-size" egg characters had interchangeable hats, arms, and legs. Their gripping hands could hold a variety of props. They also had whimsical vehicals like an EGGBULANCE and a FIRE EGGINE. Playsets included fold out backgrounds.

The packaging had a charming light touch with beautiful drawings of the characters and vehicles.

I designed several doll lines for PEDIGREE over the following two years. Perhaps some of our UK collectors might even have one or two in their collections.

BOY STYLE - ONE

Sasha has lots of doll friends that she can borrow fashions from. However, Gregor doesn't have the same good fortune so I have to look for boy styles in lots of different places. Recently I found three boy outfits on eBay and I was lucky enough to win the auction.

Here is the first outfit -- a beautiful sweater with Tartan pants and matching beret. Everything is beautifully made and I especially appreciate the care taken to have the Tartan design match up on the seams.

Gregor is delighted and so am I.