My New Beau

Pony brags time.

As much as I appreciate and need money, trades like this make me never want to accept non-plastic horse payment ever again.

I am the fabulously lucky new owner of this little guy- Jaime Baker's buckskin repaint that stars on her Dilutes how-to CD.

This horse. This horse is beyond gorgeous. As usual, my camera can't focus on all the absolutely incredible details on this guy...

It's no wonder he came home from Lexington this year with a Top Ten rosette!

Thank you again, Danielle, for this amazing trade and I will attempt to make your tack as beautiful as this boy!

Studio Update: July 21

DONE.

Well, it still needs a girth and stirrup leather keeper but mostly DONE.

I love how this saddle came out. I have no shame in saying that lately, I haven't been wanting to part with the saddles coming off my desk. The pony set almost didn't make it to MH$P, but money needs won out.

(The stirrups are purposefully two different lengths to show the owner options.)

Still looking pretty wet and grainy in these shots, as the finish is still drying, but that'll fade and the grain will hopefully become much more subtle.

Great pommel shape on this guy. I only wish my camera would pick up its true color- this isn't the same "hunter orange" I've used in the past, but a more true tan, sandy color. I'm a hardcore dark leather fangirl, but this shade has really grown on me!

I love how the HAUK stirrup irons look after a good polishing and with the added treads. So sharp.

And just for fun...

A sneak peak of the new man in my life!

I can't wait for the correct tack fitting body (as attractive as my attempted half STB polo pony is) to get here so I can finish this set up and get some beauty shots! And, of course, get it off to its very patient owner. :)

Sales Update: As a thank you to my blog readers, I'm offering the Secretariat set here for $40, which includes First Class postage right to your door. Blog discounts or early opportunities are something I think I'll continue with future sales pieces... which I would love to have more of, but this show is coming up fast and I still have no finished sets of my own!

R.I.P.

Looks like the dinky old laptop has finally decided to die.

Please enjoy this picture of a glossy bay Alborozo while I try and salvage any of the pictures and files and other precious material from the wreckage.

*tears hair out*

July 21 update: It livessss! We'll see for how long, but so far, so good. Phew.

So... Close...

In my mind, saddles take no time at all to throw together.

And in reality that's sometimes true, but most of the time it's a process. I like to know that I'm content with each piece of the saddle, instead of just the whole. (If that makes sense). I know it doesn't look like much change since the last pics, but believe me it's there. The cantle has been shortened and reshaped, the skirts have been filed down and messed with, the stitchmarking was completely retouched in some areas, the underside has been lined and piped, and the piping along the front was cleaned up.

Now all it needs is nailheads, panels and stirrups! Nailheads, no sweat. Stirrups, easy peasy. But panels... now that's a task. One I very much look forward to tackling later.

Meanwhile, I've been wreaking some havoc on the "customizing" side of the table... if only there were fully articulated, realistic, high-quality and in-scale Stablemate dolls! Alas, I'm stuck with this mess of a DIY. We'll see how it turns out!

Breathing is Good

Today I...

...Spent the day with my dad. It was amazing. I adore being in the studio, but sometimes breathing the sea air and getting some perspective on it all is refreshing.

Now back to it!

Studio Update: July 16

Today I...

...was impressed with my Breyerfest loot, considering I didn't attend Breyerfest...

...admired some big stocky butts...

...and some little stocky butts (and tried to decide which coloring I like better)...

...added this lovely lady to my "accidental at first but now it's a mission" conga...

...but wondered why her tail is different (and whether this is an intentional thing or not)...

...started a hunter jump...

...and nearly finished a hunter jump...

...complete with teensy, TINY flowers that are apparently real but omagawd too small for even me to deal with...

...plugged away at the saddles, and decided after this picture was taken that the cantle is too long on this one and should get away from that mare's hips...

...and did a lot of procrastinating on finishing the roping set!

Alien Tack

Well, it might as well be alien.

*Twilight Zone music*

Western.

My whole life, I've trained and ridden hunter/jumper. I know an English saddle inside, outside and upside down.

And I have made western tack before- both in mini and big scales. All evidence of the mini attempts were promptly destroyed, and the big set was sold off to someone who might know how to use it.

Cringe.

But I have a show coming up.

At every other performance show I've been to, I've sat out the western division, figuring I was way out of my element and my league.

But recently my best friend and fellow mini tackmaker, Anna Yager of Ebb & Flow Studios, has been in town and we've been bumping elbows in the studio. I've been overseeing the creation of these...

And last week, they may have inspired me to take the leap into that scary western division...

Still needs nailheads, billets and girths (cinches? I don't know!)

It's far from perfect, and I can see a lot of things I'll change for next time, but honestly it isn't as bad as I thought it would be!

You know you're a performance shower when your brain easily goes, Hey, you've got a running calf, that's almost a complete roping set up already!

Now all I need is a breastcollar, tie down, bridle, and rope (which will be interesting considering I won't be using a doll). 

I have no idea what I'm doing, but whatever this alien tack is, it's fun.

In other news, the hunter saddles now have skirts and my camera battery is now dead. Not as productive a day as yesterday, but progress nonetheless.