Tiny Crises

I have another western saddle.

I didn't have this saddle this morning...

But it came together. Somehow. A bridle, too!

(reins need trimming)

To be honest, I'm not entirely happy with how it came out, but it was fun and a good learning experience for me. And even though it can't compete with some of the stuff I'm sure the big guys will be wearing, when was the last time you saw a Fjord in Western Pleasure? It's the little things in life.

 Only a few minor disasters:

• The Fault in my Leather is that it does not take to tooling. At. All. Rio Rondo's skiver, once dyed, can be wet down and stamped, and it'll retain your stamping. Mine doesn't keep any evidence of stamping once it's dry- which is usually a good thing, when I'm making English tack and a rouge fingernail imprint happens- but that meant my pleasure-ish, trail-ish set would have no tooling. Silver it is!
• The silver on this set is tape that's meant for heating ducts? Or something? It's great; easy to cut, self-adhering, sturdier than tin foil, and shiny and pretty to boot. I thought it was completely flawless until I brushed my usual "well-oiled" leather finish over the whole thing when it was done, and little bits of the tape's adhesive got caught in the finish! Fuzzies all over half my saddle! Check out that first pic- yikes. I don't know how I'm going to deal with this crisis right now.

Sometimes props are a much-needed reprieve.