SOoo much to blog about!

Entrants in the Hat Parade

The Test run "Roxy" mold

The Test run Smarty Jones Mold in Dappled Buckskin

A test run dappled grey Breyer "warmblood" mold

A test run "Salinero" mold that was dappled bay







The Billie Campbell Custom APpaloosa on the "Roxy" mold at the Silent Auction

A breyerfest "Sprinkles" Special run on the "Swish tail" Lady Phase Mold

My current project, a black braided bridle with woven knots and a real silver bit

The last few weeks have been SOOOO busy..!! Between the Trip to Upstate NY and the Trip to Breyerfest, my brain has been somewhat overwhelmed! I'm still tired from it all and it's mindboggling for me to try to put it into words!

Breyerfest for me this year was WONDERFUL except for the Friday Night Holiday Inn Swap meet. As I'm sure that most people have heard, NOTHING was selling this year. This probably shouldn't come as surprise to anyone because few folks have any kind of descretionary income but still, most of the time, the swap meet is lucrative. Not so this year... Although it was quite wonderful to sit and chat with my friends and with folks I hadn't seen in a while, the selling was dismal which means that *I* couldn't buy much either. (I'm still on an epic search for a job!)

As mentioned in my last post, I was able to spend some much needed time with Susan Bensema young on the Thursday of Breyerfest. It was wonderful to sit and talk to her about making tack and about engraving silver using actual hand held engraving tools instead of my Dremel engraver. I think I understand silver engraving better now. I am definitely going to get some of the tools and try to start engraving using them instead. That is going to be next year though because I'm really broke right now! LOL!

Friday was spent in the Breyerfest Special Run "Tent" Line and enjoying the park. I was not one of the lucky folks that obtained a "Gala" but I was able to get a Lady Phase mold "Sprinkles" the Clyde Mare mold Porcelain (love the bfest porcelains!) and the Pink Poodle for hubby. (He collects the breyer animals). I also was able to get a better look at the new "Roxy" mold that was the dinner model. I LOVE Her. I hate the paint job because it's SO Flat! What in the world was breyer thinking on that one? At least give us a sun faded black or even a dappled black! But I definitely see her in some great custom colors and so far I'm DYING to make some tack for her.. (Her head is fuller than the lady phase head so my new halter doesn't fit her - but the braided bridle I'm working on will!)

I did not even ATTEMPT The line for the "ninja pit of death" aka the Friday Morning breyer store rush. I did read however where there were some "Velvet Rope Event" horses and some other test runs left over that were for sale in the store. It ALMOST makes me want to brave the store next year.. almost...

I then wandered over to the Breyerfest Show (with my friends Norma and Karen)to talk to some friends and see what was on the table. MUCH To my delight Robin Smith was showing the Mother Hubbard II set and it went Third in a class of at least thirty other entrants!! Of course I would've rather it had come in first or second but I'll take my "blessings" where I can get them! LOL!!

We thebn ended up back at the Holiday Inn to set up for the swap meet and I did a little shopping.

On thursday Susan had introduced me to Lydia Ernst who couldn't be a NICER person! I wandered back to her room while my friends were setting up for the swap meet. I was able to thumb through her scrapbooks of her tack and I was struck by the fact that her tack is very unique and colorful! Eventually I'm going to have to get a set made by her.

In Lydia's room, she also had some "Real sized" tack that a braider had put some knots on! This totally inspired me to try my hand at some life size tack in the near future!! (Thats another blog post altogether!)

She was also nice enough to look at some bit shanks that I had made and compliment me on my work. I'm definitely a sucker for a compliment. So much of my miniature making is done alone, in a bit of a vaccum so it's nice to hear others' input sometimes.

Friday night, very late (11:45pm!) I drove the hour home from the Holiday Inn and promptly fell into bed...

Saturday I made it to the horsepark by 10:45am and I was ready to get in line and see the sights again! THis year I was able to get all of the special run horses that I really wanted plus one to sell to help recoup the costs of the things that I bought.

We also looked at, and took pictures of the Breyerfest one of a kind test run Auction models. As usual there were some horses that I totally coveted and wanted! If Only I had any extra money at all this year, I'd definitely want to bid. Then there was also the Silent auction with the Billy Campell custom appaloosa on the Roxy mold. I woulda wanted that one for sure!

I was able to get a few photos of the "Real" horses around the park,(http://abounaderphoto.blogspot.com) but I wasn't as motivated this year as I was last year to really "snap my head off" taking pictures of horses. I think I was just tired!

This year, for the first time since 1999, I stuck around for the Auction and the dinner that Breyer Had before the Auction. We didn't have a hotel room at the Holiday Inn North so there was no watching of the room or selling to be done, so we had the time.

The food was great. Seriously, not just because I was hungry either.. and the new KHP Arena is beautiful!!

I LOVED seeing the cake toppers that everyone created. You would have to SEE this stuff to believe it because they were incredibly creative. They just boggled my mind. I do have pictures of them but I haven't had time to tweak them just yet. I put up some of the photos that I have up on my modelhorseshowphotos.com website. (I've been busy working on a new braided bridle, inspired of course, by Susan)

I was somehow unaware of the "hat Parade" contest that Breyer had before the Auction, and let me tell you, that was seriously amusing too! One hat even had a bubble machine and one hat had a horse "jumping" out of the top of it... Our Friend Norma mentioned that next year, if there is a hat contest, she wants to set up a fog machine in her hat! LOL

One of the "Locals", Heather Jackson Lain (from TN)won with her hat so that was really fun to see too! (There was another younger girl from Louisville that won as well but I don't recall her name)

All in all, the auction prices were down which was a nice kick in the teeth since the horses that I wanted the most went for a "reasonable" amount of money (For test runs anyway)... The Salinero and the Smarty Jones molds didn't go as high as I would have thought they would but the new Roxy mold and the Sucescion and Le Fire molds went a lot higher that I imagined..

I wish I could've gone back on Sunday but since I have a little guy, and his dad had watched him for three days straight, it was time for me to stay home for a change. I can't wait until next year.. and anyone want to paint a Roxy for me?

I am currently working on a blue, black and white braided bridle that is to serve as a 'portfolio" piece for my collection. I'm really gung ho and excited about it!! I haven't wanted to do anything else for the last three days except work on it.. I'm going to have to do some laundry though..hehehehe