WHEW It's been a Minute!!

 

Wow!  Two years since I blogged!  Things have been crazy in my life.. but life is never settled is it?  That old adage of "Life is what happens when you're making other plans" has definitely been true for me.

Many may know that My mother battled Multiple Sclerosis for 30+ years and eventually had to be put into skilled nursing care. Taking care of her through the 2020 pandemic and into 2021 remotely from my house and being unable to visit her was difficult.  Thankfully I could send her stuff that she needed from amazon but I could not be in the room with her, making sure the supplies got opened and used.  All skilled nursing places were short staffed during that time and it was difficult for me to armchair her care.  We got through that though and in June of 2022, just a few days short of my Dad's death anniversary, my mother passed away in her sleep.  It was quite an adjustment to live without her.

In October 2021 my company, Appriss, Inc was acquired by Equifax, inc for 2 billion dollars.  Suffice to say it's been culture shock to go from a company like appriss that was always customers/victims first to a fortune 500 company with a totally different goal.  I'm still working on adjusting to that.  It's been difficult and very emotionally draining.

Also I know a few posts back I complained about the symptoms of Menopause.  Thats been the hardest of all.  I think that all women know that when your body lets you down, it is destabilizing.  Unlike the monthly hardships of when I was younger (when things got better after a week) Menopause is permanent.  My body is entirely different than it was before and my hormones have kind of changed me as a person as I adjust to this new body that is unreliable.  The ADHD that I was diagnosed with as a kid, then went into denial about for 30 years is back with a vengeance.  I had so many little coping mechanisms to help combat the "quirks" of my brain so that I could function and work "like a normal person".  I can't even remember to do those now.. lol  I have a new therapist though who has referred me to the practice she is with to get evaluated for my ADHD again and to get on some meds so that I can function better.  I look forward to being more focused and maybe able to accomplish some things that my executive disfunction has been preventing me from doing. (like lose this menopausal weight!)

On the Miniature Making front, I've taken some leaps forward with my braiding and understanding of real world horse tack.  I guess in the past I had some insecurities about learning new things because it scared me a bit.. but not now. Now i'm voraciously  watching videos about how real western saddles are rigged and made and I've acquired more real tack to take apart so that my miniatures can be better.

I have also taken a metalsmithing class from Designs By Dawn . It was a wonderful class and Dawn is a fantastic Teacher!  Also she's super talented and has been making jewelry all her life. She also has two metalsmithing parents so her knowledge of  techniques is extensive. If you live in KY and want to learn more in general about metalsmithing you should take her class! 100% worth it! 

Because of the changes mentioned above, my body, my work, my skills I am working towards trying to make miniatures full time. There is a whole lot to consider with a change in occupation like that.  I make a very good living right now in tech but my skills are outdated and I'm finding that I dont' have the patience to put up with a male dominated field anymore.  I'm finding I have a lot less energy than I used to and I would like to put that energy towards arts and making instead of hoping I have enough energy left over after work to make.  I feel like I could take custom orders, and maybe do some more museum projects as well as break into the western collectibles market to help make ends meet.  I know that there are also Art/Craft grants I could apply for.  It's all very scary but I have a goal of liquidating a lot of my collection and extra tack making items (Do I really need 3 of each bit?) within the next year and scraping and saving everything I can.  We'll see..

My kiddo is now DRIVING!!!  He's such a wonderful child.. Poor thing takes after me but he is handling it well.  Anthony is doing well too.  We are back together and raising Kiddo together and have a good partnership.

ON The horizon tack wise:  The above bosals will be for sale as soon as I can make "Good" mecates for them.  I will sell them, and the rest of my collection on "Model Horse Place". It is free to sign up there and is run by a hobbiest.

I publish the most information about my work on my facebook page;  https://www.facebook.com/desertnightcreations  Please join there if you would like to stay up to date on my work!

Little things

Above is my very first Bronc Nose Halter.  IT was inspired by an amazing piece that I received from Evelyn Mundy for helping her with braidwork.  I'd love it if eventually there was like a tackmaker halter exchange but I don't have the cycles to organzie it.   Seems like I never have the cycles to do much of anything anymore.. lol!  I've always been this way but now I admit it :)

I also will have pieces in a Juried Exhibit at the Morlan Gallery at Transyvania University in Lexington, Ky.  I'm so excited about this! :)  I'll be exhibiting "Anna's Green" bridle and My Opus set and Parade Set.  The parade set and the Opus Set will be for sale.  Anna's bridle will not be unless Anna wants to sell it!

I hope that you guys are having a great weekend!

Inspiration again lives!

Haute Aire Resin shown by Robin Hudson with a DNC bridle

Sushi Resin shown by me in Western Pleasure. Tack by me.

I'm all fresh back from NAN (North American Model Horse Nationals) and Breyerfest and inspired!!  I had a really great time reconnecting with old friends and making a few new ones and for the first time, bringing RJ with me.  In the past he's been at Breyerfest but he didn't really comprehend what was going on.  This year that changed and he's interested in collecting the "Super Rare" horses.. which, So am I but dang if I haven't found that long lost relative to leave a trust fund lying around for me.. lol

I am happy to report two DNC Tack Top tens and one Champion of Saddlseat.  The First Top ten was shown by Robin Hudson on a Haute Aire Resin with a DNC double bridle.  The second was a western set made by DNC and shown by me on a Sushi Resin in western Pleasure.

There are more things to say but I'm exhausted (still!) so that will have to wait for another blog post!

I know, it's been forever.. again.. and.. Again...

I'm so so sorry I've been absent.  I was in an apartment for six months that didn't have any direct sun- which apparently I need so I haven't been feeling up to blogging.

BUT I'm in a house now... a quaint, character filled, needing of a bit TLC little house and I couldn't be happier.  My back yard is filled with bad grass and wildlife and I have a gigantic picture window that I can shoot photos through.

I get light morning through evening and it makes me incredibly happy...

Which translates to more mental and emotional freedom to work on miniatures and photography.

A few weeks ago Heather Downing came to visit and it was totally inspiring and wonderful!  Admittedly I am a dyed in the wool introvert so it was hard having someone in my space, but she put up with me perfectly.. loL!  Even though my stomach freaked the eff out at one point after eating at Cracker Barrel. (Sound Familiar Morgen K? - Apparently if I have someone in my space my stomach freaks out)

Above is the Bridle that I've been working on, for forever.  I think I've finally come up with a clever way of adding a "twist" to the above bridle and making it cool.  I keep putting knots on and then cutting them back off, but that is happening more frequently instead of once every six weeks.. lol

I am also still slowly, slowly slowly working on my Opus western pleasure saddle.  I'm afraid that the Leather has darkened with age and it looks mUCH more like a light oil saddle now instead of bright natural leather but I think that the Tooling is holding up.  now that I have my own space I can work silver again.

I also made it back to Our Mims and shot a few more photos.

RJ and Kaylee Meeting for the first time

Jeanne's wonderful Sunflowers

Ms Royal Flagship Enjoying the Kentucky Sun.

Bragging Rights Napping

Beautiful JoJo

I hope that you are having a beautiful spring!  Thank you for not givng up on me :)

Drivel and change

Ann B's reins and knots that didn't make the cut

Ann B's Reins in progress and a project bridle for me.

Chelsea N's reining saddle set, in the box almost ready to go.

Ann B's reins in progress

Sahara Kitty in the studio.  She's my tack thief!

I've been ruminating a lot about my life.  At my age apparently people change their lives.  I understand why now.  So much has happened to me mentally and emotionally.  Lots of leaps and bound forward.  I finally like the direction I'm moving in, although I'm at the beginning of the path...

Anyway, lots happening in the studio but I'm staying absolutely focused on the two orders that I need to complete before I start to indulge my creativity some more... but these will probably be my best rein set and double bridles yet!  Stay tuned!

Lemme Just bombard you with photos while I'm at it...

The First halter up there is on my Peter Stone Design a Horse arabian.  I bought him specifically for photographing arabian show halters.  His attitude really sets him off I think.

The next photo down is of a breastcollar that I made to match a bridle that I ended up not using at all at NAN.  I'm going to keep it for now though.

The rest of the photos are of various pieces of tack while they're still at my house.  Soon they will be sent to their new owners.

Chelsea N Saddle Set! Finished!

 

Above are photos of Chelsea N's Finished saddle set!  I'm very pleased with the results and I hope she likes it too :-)

Real fast.....

Bridle for the Utterly Horses Hullabaloo

Bridle for the Utterly Horses Hullabaloo

Halter for Mary B.

Halter for Mary B.

Halter for Mary b

I swear I've been busy.  Got the Donation for the Utterly Horses Hullabaloo (in ENGLAND!) done and shipped.  And Just last night I finished up the First of my order backlog - a Western Show Halter for a Victrix on my Valor. (the halter is very adjustable).

I am like thisclose to finishing up the breastcollar for the Chelsea Nichols Saddle.  I had to readjust it a bit after I found that it was just too short..

Next Up is a slew of Arabian Show Halters.

Also, I'm working on a blog article about showing your Model horse Saddlebred in Saddle Seat (it is two words).  Hopefully this will clear up any misconceptions or maybe add to them.. I dunno. that post will take me a while to complete though.

My NAN Photos from 2012 have all been uploaded to my photo website:  http://www.abounaderphoto.com and I'm working towards uploading my 2010 NAN photos as well.

This year at breyerfest I spent a lot of time with different people so I didn't get to get out and photograph a whole lot of things. (and it was desperately hot).

I also went to the 2012 Shelbyville Horse Show Last weekend and shot a few photos there.

More soon when I get a chance to breathe!

an "Ive been sick" post. and some TB photos that I've taken in honor of BC Saturday

Alysheba at the Kentucky Horse park

einstein

Curlin

Above is Aleysheba in 2008 when he first returned to the horsepark. RIP old guy..

The reason I've been so absent from the studio and the blog is that I've been "sick". I don't know exactly what is wrong but I've been exhausted. To the point of just sitting in the studio, staring at my desk and unable to concentrate at night. My weekends have been busy but in my downtime all I do is sit or sleep. I'm going to the drs this Thursday to see if I can't get an explanation or at least a plan to have more energy. I've also had.. uhh.. ahem, female issues since February of this year that relate to hormones which is another reason why I've been tired. I've been told it's my age (Not revealing that.. LOL!) and how the body changes as it gets older. bleah.

Anyway, thats why I haven't posted or produced much. The past couple of months have felt like I'm running through thick mud up to my waist... I still try to exercise but thats been a casualty of my lack of energy as well and I'm putting on weight which is super irritating after I worked so hard to lose the baby weight and then some.

There are people that I really need to catch up with and that I've missed and that I'm worried about.

There are studio projects that are now a year over due and I'm so sorry but I swear that I'll do my best to make them worth the wait.

I actually had been feeling better this year than I have in a long time over all but I'm just getting my butt kicked right now.

Onto something a tad more interesting, the Breeders Cup is this weekend! Once again I didn't score tickets but I swear one year, Me and some friends are going to get together, pool our resources, get a box and go to churchill to watch the races in style! Then I'll rent one of those giganta lenses and get some great shots. I like the idea that I'll be in a dress and a hat but handling some serious camera equipment.. LOL!

And I just wanna say, that YES I am a Rachel Alexandra fan but TODAY I am a ZENYATTA FAN! GO QUEEN Z~!

Not a Lot of progress

I haven't made a lot of progress on the cinch. I finished up the weaving that I was working on and I've put it aside to concentrate solely on the cinch now. I had a period last week wehre I was feeling super creative and I started several different things, but this week I've been tired so I haven't progressed much. I have an idea on how to try to make the cinch a second time thanks to my Friend/Mentor Susan Bensema young but I haven't gotten very far with that Idea.

Last week I also bought a blue sheet of poster board and I've been playing with lighting techniques in order to get a some good, more professional pictures of my tack. As you can see, the photos above are a bit dark. The Funny thing is that my old point and shoot camera takes better pictures of the tiny stuff than my DSLR because it has a built in macro lens. Unfortunately, though, the old point and shoot camera is only 5 megapixels and the DSLR is 10.

I'm also realizing that if I want to sell to "upscale" clients I need a website overhaul. I don't think I have the "foo" to overhaul the website and make it look the way I want it to so I may have to eventually have someone else do it. So many ideas in my head and so little time!!

I also started thinking about eventually doing a 1/6th scale braided bridle. There is a group of hobbiests that collect the 1/6th scale Johnny West Riders and horses. They are very very nice folks and are not as competitive as the 1/8th scale folks are. It's a relief to talk to them sometimes. They're a very close knit group and are very creative. I think it would be fun to work on something a tad larger than what I'm used to working on. The larger the piece the more detail I can put on it. The problem is finding the right scale hardware. Rio rondo has some pieces that help out a lot (in fact I'll be using one of their bits for the braided 1/6th scale bridle) but they are still working on things like halter rings.

There is a man within their hobby, Luis, who sculpts and who is kind of an "agent" For a miniature tackmaker in Mexico. (Luis is in mexico too) This tackmaker is astounding! He makes the miniature mexican style saddles with all of the extras like embroidered saddles and silver pieces. I believe he's also responsible for the trees and other accessories that Luis sells. He's really inspiring to me! I'd also like to buy one of Luis' 1/6th scale resins some day so that I can make tack on it.

If you can't tell, I like to read about and make myself aware of as many different hobbies as possible. The more I learn, the better my miniature work becomes. At one time in my life, I was very fond of saying "I'll never do this or that". Putting limits on what I would learn such as working with silver. It wasn't until I was given the amazing opportunity to have my work sold from the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft that it dawned on me that I should work with as many "Real" materials as possible. They suggested that I learn to work in silver because to them, the silver tape just wasn't good enough. I'm glad they planted that seed in the ole noggin because I think my work has definitely benefitted from it.

I have been thinking lately that I should also work on sculpting my own saddle trees. I've been thinking about this because I want to make my work 100% original. There are may tackmakers out there with excellent saddle trees, so it's definitely not because those trees aren't good enough. I have a thought about a wire armature that I could make in order to sculpt a saddle tree over top of it. If I make one good enough, then I could eventually have them cast. Thats way off into the future though.

I tried to enter the "Art of Horse" magazine art competition with one of my bridles as a soft sculpture but they informed me that my bridle was ineligble. I entered some of my photographs instead. This of course inspired me to make another bridle strictly for entering art competitions with. I really think that people need to see the miniatures that the 1/8th scale hobby produces because they really are works of art. I feel like the bits and buckles and the little things that Rio Rondo has for us to use are really no different than "found object" sculptures. Wonder if the art world will agree with me?

Lastly, I'm working on my model horse tackmaking article. It's not a "how to" article, it's a general advice article. I believe in everyone finding their own path and to tell someone how to make something is circumventing that process to me. Also, I'm far from organized enough to do a "how to" article. You should see my studio, it's a total mess now. Not my normal "messy" which means organize chaos, but a real, downright, "Holy crap where is everything" mess... Anyone know someone that organizes for a living?