Equorum set for sale

This is a bit of sneaky post before I get to the live show reports. Equorum models in the UK have just listed a lovely set for sale, including a customised Arab model complete with black leather side-saddle and double bridle made by yours truly. They are about 1:10 scale approximately and all the leather is hand cut. The tack is part of my Equorum range of tack which can also be ordered separately through the Equorum website.

Go to Equorum's website for more information

Coming up for air!

I have been really busy over the last few weeks. Last weekend I attended my first Live Show in Australia, the Ultimate Gold live show hosted by Stacey Crowley. So I will be writing a couple of posts dedicated to that. But before the show I managed to finish a couple of orders, including two sets of boots for Stacy Quick and Stacey's Morgan bridle.

Stacy's first set was exactly the same as some I had made previously for her. They were for her CM Newsworthy model to match her show jumping set. The second set were a set of four protective boots for a steeplechasing set up she is working on. To save her having to fiddle around with buckles or studs I experimented with magnets for these. The results can be seen below on my Atom resin. They feature stitched on striking pads as I've never had much belief in glue when it comes to striking pads. At least by hand stitching I know they're NOT going to come off! Overall I was pretty happy with the design of these boots and they'll suit cross-country too. I made a set in black leather as my donation to the Ultimate Gold live show and peeps there seemed pretty interested in the magnetic closures. They take seconds to take on and off and the straps have much less chance of breaking or tearing.

Next up was Stacey's bridle for her Darcy resins. I had sworn I had ordered the bit for the bridle months ago but couldn't find it anywhere, so quickly ordered a new one. Luckily it arrived the day before I left for the show so I was able to finish it off. It features a fancy blue browband and noseband with rolled black leather edging.

Finally I am starting to feel like I'm getting on top of my orders. I still have some that are long overdue like the Australian set, as well as concurrent Equorum tack orders, but the light is just peeking through at the end of the tunnel. My books will be closed until these orders are finished and will probably stay closed for a few more months as my stress load at working will be increasing!

In the next few posts I'll have some fun live show pics and results, everyone needs a break from tack once in a while!

It's that box again!

Finally we managed to find time to work on the tack box that I featured in a blog post a while back. That was well over a year ago, and for my birthday this year I persuaded him to help me with it. I don't think his heart was in it - if I had left it totally up to him he would have ruined the box three times over! Lesson learnt!

It still needs some work. I may switch the handle round to the top, and try and add something in for bridles. For the latter I'm not sure whether to put the hooks on the sides of the main box, or on the inside of the door. To make the saddle racks we just used a strip of wood, cut into 4 lengths, drilled holes in that and then glued them into the box. Then the dowel sections were glued into place. We didn't have quite the right drill bit so some of the holes are a bit wonky, but they seem nice and sturdy. I think some elastic bands may be the way to go to keep the saddles in place.

Eeep! Didn't realise I had so much tack of my own!

Holiday Report

This is totally un-related to tack making, but it does explain the month of little posting during May. My boyfriend/fiancé person and myself trotted off to the USA for a much needed holiday. We took 3 weeks off and arrived in Las Vegas in time for my brother James' wedding to Jessica. Then we drove over 3000 miles on our way around about 9 National Parks: Grand Canyon, Mojave, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. That gives you a rough idea of our route! Suffice to say we had a wonderful time, camped out most nights in our $29 Walmart tent, and have seen a couple of our must sees!

 See if you can guess where the pictures are from! The first one is rather easy....

Roundabout Show Set

Before I left for my holiday in mid-May I managed to finish Karen's show set for her Roundabout resin. This is a terrible photo of it. I have taken some more but they're on the other computer, they'll go on the website once I've edited them. This set has also featured on Jennifer Buxton's Braymere Custom Saddlery blog in the performance reports from the Springamathing Live Show a few weeks ago. It won first in English Pleasure and Other English, and came second in English Trail, and topped off the day by coming Reserve English Performance Champion. The set was worn by a handsome palomino Roundabout resin painted by Karen herself. Well done Karen!

I have lots of things to write about so you can expect a few more blogs from me very soon. Next one will feature some holiday snaps!

Mess, but good mess

This picture just about sums up the extent of my productivity this weekend. I managed to cut out all the remaining calf pieces I will need to finish the Roundabout and Cerridwen sets. In the foreground are all the pieces for Cerridwen's bridle, stirrup leathers and straps for the girth. Roundie's straps are off the camera shot, drying. I used Eco-flo Dark Mahogany for both sets and really like this colour. There has been a delay with the saddles. I bought a dremel recently and one of its main uses will be to drill tiny holes in my saddles, to put the reinforcing pins through. It has to go through multiple sheets of leather and thick brass. I did them by hand before, with an awl, but the tree would always end up being bent a little and I had to work hard to get it back into shape. So, I ordered the drill bits and when they arrived I was itching to try them out. Then realised I needed a smaller collet for the dremel (that was one of those hand-slap-on-forehead moments, doh!). So, the bridles will now probably get finished before the saddles whilst waiting for the collet set to arrive!

What you can't see in the photo is my lack of productivity with the Australian set. I cut and carved the pieces and dyed them, which I shouldn't have. I should have tested Java brown a bit more thoroughly instead of using it on these pieces. I think Java brown is probably the ugliest brown dye I have ever used! Totally the wrong colour. So, this week I'll be cutting some more leather and trying out yet another new dye. I'm hoping the Eco-flow All-in-one Chocolate Cherry will do the trick. The pieces I dyed Java brown will not go to waste, I'll dye them dark brown or black and make another Aussie set to sell later in the year.

There are a couple of other interesting things to have a look at on my work table. My wooden draws from Ikea at the back have been mine since I was about 8 or 9 years old. I really wanted to paint them but never got round to it. I did paint another Ikea wooden box which I also still have, in all kinds of animal skin patterns which still looks pretty cool. It holds my polished mineral specimens! Next to those are a set of 16 plastic boxes which hold all of my hardware: bits, stirrups, buckles etc. And next to that is my pinboard which constantly reminds me how many orders I have to do, and keeps the current projects safe in the plastic cups, I think I stole that idea from Anna Kirby!

In front of that are two models which have little reason to be on the table. The newsworthy is there as I need his legs for some boots but they're still a few weeks away. And then there's my Gaspar Destiny resin in a classic tack set by Des Corbett. He really has no reason to be there!

Finally this picture reminds me I have to give Cerridwen a hot bath. During her trip to Australia she must have been in an awkward position and her near fore developed a bend. That's what a 3 month delay in shipping does for you! 

Busy Times

Sorry it's been rather quiet from me of late, things have been very busy around here! I have finally fully sorted out my 'studio' space, and have made some good progress on a couple of tack sets. Both the Cerridwen hunt set and the Roundabout show set are at the same stages, they just need pinning and then have the panels attached. I really want to get those two sets finished before my holiday in May. I took some photos of them this morning but they are appalling even by my standards so I'll try and get some fresh ones after work tonight! It's starting to get dark quite early here so soon I will have to wait until weekends to do any photography.

The third set I'm working on is patient Caitlin's Australian set. 7 months ago I made the saddle, got the colour wrong and only now have just cut and tooled the flaps. I dyed them this morning, and should be able to assemble it at the weekend. I think this set will be finished early June on my return from the USA.

I'd also like to get a donation bridle made for a show that actually took place last year. Stacey won it and has been very patient. In actual fact I will be going to Stacey's next show in July, which I can't wait for! It will be my first Australian live show and my first show in over a year. Hopefully I will pull my finger out and make the donation for THAT show before July!

The Australasian International Model Horse Club has welcomed me back with open arms. It's still being run in a really organised and efficient way and I love getting the quarterly magazine. It has caused me to dust off my points records from when I lived here 4 years ago (most of the models I still have too!). So I've been busy updating my records and registering my newer models. All quite time-consuming but once sorted it will be easy to keep up to date. I've made a new spreadsheet to make life easier:

Each model has their own sheet and the points from photo and live shows are added and it gives me sub-totals for various categories. Should make the end of year awards a breeze. And it will hopefully provide motivation to sort out my TOPSA and MEPSA entries as points from all shows count.

Tonight I'm going out for dinner with the girls. We're all from the UK and one of us is leaving town tomorrow. She and her partner have been here for 5 years, they arrived the same time as we did the first time. I commend them for managing to stay so long but I'll still be sad to see them go. And another one will be following her in a few months. But that's life in such a transient mining town and I know one day in a few years that will be me again too. But I'm enjoying my job and enjoying having the extra cash so can't complain really!