Monday, April 30, 2012

It occured to me tonight...

......that the makers of "life sized" saddles don't have a specific pattern when covering the saddle swells (shoulders).  They have a general pattern that they cut out of leather and then they fold and mold the piece to the saddle...  I was being too literal (one of my personality quirks) by having/wanting a nice and neat little pattern.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Parade Tack

I am admittedly very excited because I am working on a parade set.  It is being worked on inbetween waiting for tooling and dying to be dry on the reining set.  Tomorrow I should be ready to go with putting pieces back together again...

Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird- taken outside of my laundry room window
Anyway, My grand plan for a parade set most of my tackmaking career has been to make everything out of real silver and take years and years to finish it.  Considering how slow I am anyway, that didn't seem out of the realm of possibility to do.  My "revised" plan is to do one more quickly.. say in a few months..  My theme is one that is near and dear to my heart.. the hummingbird.  I've already found and ordered some charms for drops on the serape... and I've started on a saddle plan and started changing my saddle pattern.  I'm also going to use silver tape.. something that I haven't used in years but I would imagine that would lend itself towards covering the shoulders of a saddletree easier than real silver.

I'm imagining some kind of sheridian style tooling with a hummingbird motif as well as some hummingbirds on the serapes with some lovely colors.. (Inspired of course by Susan Young).

For years I've been collecting and making stuff for this "future" parade set.  I've painted a pistol bit with white on the handles to simulate pearl handles.   I've got every kind of parade reference one could possibly have including photos that I have personally taken of a possible Ted Flowers rig that was for sale at my local tack shop.  I have the photos that I took one year at breyerfest when Michelle McFarlane brought her stunning horses and tack to the Horsepark.   I have more High Noon Catalogs with parade tack in it than anyone that I personally know.. and I have the "Bohlin Book" and the book with Collectible saddles and and and and.. well really it was getting overwhelming so I had to take a step back and really think about what I wanted to do..  But now I have a clearer image in my head, including colors, and I'm very excited to get started.  

After the reining saddle is done of course..

I'm also proud to say that I've completely cleaned my studio.  Purged some stuff I was holding onto for sentimental reasons and found a bunch of stuff that I completely forgot that I owned..  I still have no idea where everything is but it looks good in there

Today, I feel better than I have in some time.  Wednesday was a "dark day" due to the meds left over in my system from Tuesday's migraine but the days got progressively better and today was a very good one.  I'm trying so hard to stay positive...  I hope that your Saturday was just as good :0)

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Grateful

Bridle Won at Auction by Robin Smith.  Robin has been a supporter of mine almost since I started tack and I'm immensely grateful for her support.  Thank you Robin.

I have Caught the Performance bug. (My beautiful Matriarch painted by Carol Herself, with my beloved terry newberry saddle and my sheri wertz doll. Bridle by me)

My Bjalla Painted By Jennifer Danza, my Khan Painted by Steph Michaud, my Deseoso painted by Tracey Eilers and my Haute Aire painted by Chelsea Nichols.  All part of my beautiful Resin collection.

Haute Aire Painted by Chelsea Nichols  

OJ The Thoroughbred

Shamus the TB

OJ and Jared Lain

Heather Jackson Lain's Longtime Friend, Lady.


Yesterday I went to Model Horses Anonymous 4 in Athens, TN held by Heather Jackson Lain.  It was a really wonderful day and I was lucky enough to do well in Western Trail and in the Resin Halter Division.  I also got a NAN card in Parade so this means I have to either make a bridle for my susan b-y set to fit my Matriarch or go all out and make a parade set...

I went to the show by myself but when I arrived, I found that I was surrounded by very kind, very supportive Friends.  I'm so grateful for everyone that has helped me with my tack along the way and I want to thank Jennifer Bui for the very nice things she said about the things I make.  Thank you to Liz Cassel for helping me run horses to the ring as well..  Thank you to Heather and Jared for holding this show and letting me take pictures of your beautiful Horses.

  This weekend made me happy and Grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life and for all of the great folks that I have met through this hobby :-)

I Now can't WAIT for NAN!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Radio Silence - Sorry!!

Been super busy and not able to get into the studio.. so no real update there other than having to redo the cinch on the saddle because the decoration on it wasn't centered.


I have two unpainted  and reasonably priced arabian resins for sale on the MH$P -  LErmond Ostentatious resin and a Gizelle by Stacey Tumlinson.  I really am in the need of cash. SO much so that I maybe willing to part with the black, blue and white braided bridle..


This coming weekend I will be in Athens TN at Model Horses Anonymous!