Finished Bosal and Halter

Lots going on today so this has to be short. The Halter is a two color interweave halter for Jamie Stine. The colors are purple and dk green and didn't show up really well in the pictures, but in person you an tell.

The Bosal for Heather Jackson Lain's Model Horse Anonymous Live model Horse show is finished. I thought it would look spiffola on my Lonestar with my Terry Newberry saddle. I know that the leather is different colors but Terry's work always deserves a spotlight.

I hope your Monday is better!

Jumbled, backed up ideas

Above is a photo of some etching that I did on Sunday, while my husband played with/distracted my Son. I've been really trying to make my etching/engraving look a lot more refined. It's difficult with my dremel engraver because it has LOT Of vibration that just KILLS my hand.(Ie is really painful) Just when I get the flow of doing some engraving going well, my hand starts to ache really badly. I'm going to have to look into getting something with less vibration but with the same, if not more, control. I've come a long way though since those days with just a regular dremel!

I took the two above photos of my workstation while I was working on a woven halter. (you can see that too. It's now most of the way finished). The bright colors of the thread are really inspiring to me. I have SOOO many ideas in my head for braided tack that I can hardly contain myself and focus on the tasks in front of me. That is a really, really nice
feeling.

I'm still working on the mecate for the red bosal mentally. There HAS To be a way to do it and keep the right amount of tension on it. It's SOOO hard to do by hand though. I've looked at videos of how machines make them and I just WISH I had some kind of motorized or hand cranked contraption to help me. Maybe an engineering class of some sort is in my future? We'll have to see..

working on the mecate

Above are my first attempts at the Mecate. I say "first attempts" because I was wholely unhappy with how that first attempt turned out. It just would not stay twisted together to my satisfaction. I Should've left it alone but I was so mentally SET on getting it done that I rushed it a bit. It was also near the end of munchkin's nap one day so that added extra pressure. I can tell you that it's very hard to get waaaayyy into something (like I do)and then have to drop it. (Not that he's not worth it :-) )

So I tore it up and I'm trying it again a different way. Some of you may remember that I bought a drop spinner to try to learn to spin my own yarn.. well I never figgered it out because the directions were totally unhelpful to me. There are videos on youtube though that show one how to do it so I'm definitely going to go there when I have more time.

Munchkin didn't sleep well last night, which means that I didn't sleep well last night. Then he didn't want to take his normal morning nap. (of course) This means that I didn't sleep well and I haven't had a chance to catch up on sleep at all today.. Maybe this afternoon...

Finshed Bosal Hanger... onto the mecate!

Bosal almost done...

Above is another in progress photo and then a photo of the bosal hanger almost completed on a stand and on a "Phoenix Phace" resin head sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis. It doesn't really fit Phoenix but I wanted to show it on a western pleasure style horse. I still need to put an earpiece on it and make the mecate.

I've had a lot of time in the studio lately and it's been wonderful! I almost don't know what to do with all of the time up there. I have SOOO many ideas that it's hard to keep focus! hehehe

I may go ahead and make a bridle using a rio rondo bit and wait on a bridle with a hand made bit until later this year when munchkin isn't so sensitive to the dremel. I've been reading and hearing from other people that all munchkins are afraid of loud noises.. it's a defense mechanism of some sort. Poor bub.. I didn't know I was scaring him with all of my noisy tools!

IN progress pictures

I've actually, happily, been busy this week in the studio. Since all of the TV Shows that my husband and I watch together are on hiatus(thats our "together" time.. hubby LOVES tv..), I've been spending the evenings in the studio.

The Donation for Heather Jackson Lain's show is coming right along although it did give me a bit of trouble. I am using the "slit braid" method of attaching the hanger to the bosal and I finished one side late one night and then started the other side. My dumb brain couldn't remember how I did the first side so quite a bit of time was lost figuring it out so that I could duplicate it on the second side. duhhh.. hahahaha

I was going to use two colored rings but again, after I got part of it together, I didn't like the way it looked so I made solid colored rings instead.

The halter is for Jamie Stine. Jaimie has been nice enough over the years to always comment about my posts to my yahoo group or about the halters that I have put up for sale so I wanted to reward her by making her a custom halter for her Honey Bay Lady phase. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago I am considering doing a lottery every couple of months for custom halters so I just consider Jaimie's halter my first. The knots on her halter are blue, purple and white which is a very striking combination.

After I finish up these two projects I'm going to go back and try to learn the 4 bight long knot. I see it everywhere on tack and I feel like I really need to figure it out before I make any more braided bridles.

The little bit shank will have to be redone. Unfortunately I wasn't watching where I was dremeling close enough and I kinda screwed it up.

More Bosals

Above are pictures of the Bosals that I've been working on lately. The first picture, on the far right, is the bosal for Heather Jackson Lain's Model Horses Anonymous Show. There will be a headstall with some braidwork on it and a mecate. The photo underneath shows a "First draft" if you will, of that same bosal. I decided that the red and white nose button looked silly and unrealistic so I did it over with solid red. I think it looks much better that way!

More Blatherin..

Above are my latest attempts at bosals. The one on the left actually has a triple color interweave of white, brown and dk green. Unfortunately, in the picture or in person, you can't see the green now that it has been coated. Point driven home from Sue about how the colors have to be highly contrasting in order to see them THe second one, is rough because it's the one that I've been practicing on. Youc an also see at the bottom left of the heel knot where I should've gone under instead of over with the black thread.

The red one is similar to the donation that I'll be sending Heather Jackson Lain for her
Model Horse Anonymous model horse show. Heather is a vet tech in TN and we've spent hours at model horse shows talking about critters - mostly kitties. So it's my pleasure to donate to her show because the proceeds go to the Throroughbred Charities.. With any luck, I'll find a job this year and I'll be able to travel to the show myself.

Hubby and I have decided that the basement studio is a no go right now because of it's unfinished state. So no kiln for clay or PMC Clay right now. Maybe in the next house.. I'll still need to eek out my bits using dremel and silver. Hubby has promised that I can have some "Noisy" time on the weekends while munchkin is awake.

I posted the below to my yahoo group this morning. I haven't gotten any response to it which is disappointing so if you are reading this, and would like to comment on it, please do. I really would like to know if there is still interest custom work from me.

Posted earlier today on my
Yahoo Group:

Since I'm sure that you guys are probably being bombarded on your Yahoo Group lists with well wishes for the new year from several Folks, I'll keep this rather brief!

Firstly, thank you to everyone that entered the lottery for the last western show halter and for still being on this list and supporting me. It really does mean a lot to me!

Secondly, I'm considering doing a once a month lottery, or once every two months for made to order Halters (any kind of halter, not just western ones). This year I HAVE To find some kind of job so I am not totally sure how my time is going to work out which is why, if I do the custom halter lotteries, that I am going to limit it to something small like this.

The other alternative is to do what Susan B-Y does, which is hold a lottery every couple of years for custom tack orders with a turn around time of a year from when the order is started. I would like some feedback about this as it is a decision that I don't take lightly.

Third, and this is big news for me, I've learned to interweave a second color into my knots. This opens up an amazing amount of possibilities for braided and western tack and I'm really excited about it!

I will be sending Heather Jackson-Lain a donation of a Bosal Bridle for her Model Horse Anonymous show. (held in TN)

I will be doing something for the NAN 2009 auction.So stay tuned and I hope everyone has a wonderful new year!!

Heather Abounader

Museum Quality Miniatures

http://www.desertnightcreations.com/

http://desertnightcreations.blogspot.com/

Pictures of the Knots!

Above is a picture of three knots that are double interwoven. Please forgive the colors on them, the camera distorted them. The colors in person are much more attractive.

It turns out that my first attempts to do a double interweave were wrong. I figured it out the next day after I looked closely at some real double interwoven knots. The interweave should "float" (or what I call float) one on top of the other. My first attempts at it were sorta "winged" and therefore wrong. I went back to one of my Gail Hought Books and I was able to quickly understand why my attempts were wrong and learn the right way. This is thanks to already knowing the basic knot really well and the interweaving really well from her books. It's also in part to Susan Bensema Young and I talking on the phone so many times about knots and weaving.

As you can imagine, my brain is ON FIRE again at what I can accomplish and it's also given me a boost to learn that four bight long knot. I now understand that the more bights on a knot, the wider the knot will be. Wider is not better for Miniature scales and I better understand the "knot conversation" that Susan I had earlier in December. (I allude to these conversations because I know that Sue Reads my blogs )

I'm finding that knot work is a good "Filler" for the desires I have to do silver working but I am unable to until I set up a metal working/dremel station in the basement. (Due to my son not at all liking the sound of the engraver, pounding of metal and dremel).

If you haven't noticed, I treat my "creative" side as though it were an entity unto itself instead of being part of my own brain. I don't know if all artists feel this way but my "muse" definitely has her own mind and desires and more often than not commandeers me into doing what she wants to do instead of what I have planned out. She was on vacation for most of the time I was pregnant and I'm glad she's back. I should probably name her because I name everything... I'll get back to you on that.

MY husband and I mapped out a plan for a room down there but we're finding that the electrical supply is limited so moving my whole studio down there isn't feasible right now. This whole house is such an "issue" and a "conundrum" since the housing market tanked... oy.. I won't get started..

Anyway, look for more braided miniature tack in 2009. I understand now why it consumes Sue like it does! hehehe

BAM!!

BREAKTHROUGH!!!

While I still haven't learned a long knot, I have learned how to raise my seven part six bight turks head in order to intewreave it with three herringbone rings instead of just one. I also taught myself to put in a second color of interweave tonight and I learned that I should have done it with string instead of string and rawhide!

No pictures yet because I'm exhausted but I'll have some up soon!!

And a big thank you to my husband who allowed me to get two and a half hours solid in the studio tonight!!!!

Real Quick!

Firstly, Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope that your days have been lovely and filled with happiness!

Secondly, I haven't got a good update for this week. I have spent the last four days in the grips of migraine/shoulder problem and I've spent most of it in bed. This is extremely frustrating for me because Hubby is home and I could've spent a good amount of time in the studio.


Right now my shoulders are very "touch and go" and I hope that it is finished with me for this month.. Those of you that remember me from breyerfest a few years ago when I had the same problem know how much pain I've been in. This is one of the major reasons I don't take orders. This "condition" strikes randomly and doesn't go away with medication or sleep. I think I may have to get physical therapy again to get control of it.


ANyway, I will be donating to Heather Jackson Lain's show. I intend to do a bosal of some sort. I started it once already but I didn't like the way it was coming along so I tore it up..


I am also planning on donating to the NAN auction this year if they'll have me :-)

Slowly moving along......

The above halter is still available and probably will be until after Christmas. Stupid me, I didn't realize how close Christmas was because I've been holed up in the house. I envisioned the halter for darker color horses like the one above where regular colored tack doesn't show up very well. Red and Black are the University of Louisville Colors and are a lot of other schools' colors so I figured that someone that based their performance set up on their school colors could probably use it. But I'm sure it'll sell eventually.. I just have to find the right buyer.

 

 

 

Christmas time is very busy for a lot of folks, and we're no exception. Munchkin is also a year old now and has decided that he doesn't need any naps so my time in the studio is at a minimum now. He also doesn't like the sound of the dremel or the engraver when awake or asleep so we are considering moving my studio to the basement. Actually, it's almost become imperative to move my studio to the basement because I'm at an annoying and frustrating stand still.

 

 

 

I have a part of one shank of the bridle plan below finished but getting the rest of it done may be impossible until after the holidays. I'm trying to acclimate munchkin to the dremel by using it in front of him but so far he really doesn't like it. He makes a grimace and then starts to tear up. : /

 

 

 

Progress on learning a "Long knot" of some sort has been at a standstill this week as well. Just no time to myself during an "awake" period. I can't do any braiding or knot tying when I'm tired because I forget how things go and I mess it up every time.

 

 

 

It's supposed to be 60 degrees here tomorrow due to a freak warm front so hopefully there will be some sun and maybe I can take munchkin to the park.

Happy Holidays!

Second Western Show halter

This halter is available as of today! It is $170.00 ppd. It features real silver plates, real woven knots, real swarovski crystals and a matching lead. if interested, please email me at: tackmaker@desertnightcreations.com I accept pay pal or money orders.

Sometimes.... I want to run away to an artist colony

I know, thats kinda weird but there are days, like today, that I wished I had more artists literally within my space. I work in a vacuum sometimes, all alone, allowing in only inspiration and my own way of doing things. Actually I work that way a lot and here lately, far too often.

I want to feel that creative rush that one gets when they're around other inspiring artists. The internet is pretty good at this, but sometimes there is nothing like watching someone else's process
in person.

I'd bring my son with me too. Somehow I'd have a safe environment for him to play in while I worked. I'd also like him to be exposed to other creative people and maybe their kids. My cousin (Melissa Moreton) lives in Idaho on an artist colony so maybe we should go visit her sometime....

I'm just daydreaming outloud, forgive me...

The First photo above is a miniature western show halter with braided buttons - turks head knots with a single interweave and a herringbone interweave.

The silver noseplate has been engraved and attached. I need to work on the cheek pieces now. It's hard to engrave because munchkin is afraid of the loud noise, so I have to do the silver engraving in the evenings when my husband can watch him or on the weekends.

When I engrave, I normally need to engrave all of my plates at once because everytime I engrave, I do it differently. I always try to do it the same but it depends on where my head is at the time.

The second picture was a blast of inspiration I had last night after viewing Gail houghts website and Susan Young's website. I really want to make a black braided bridle. Sue normally maps out her tack by drawing it out . I have never done this before but for some reason I really wanted to do this. The drawing is crude but it's a good general idea of what I'd like to make here in the near future.

I have the silver bit already scratched out onto the silver but there is a ton of silverwork left to be finished. I have no idea how long it's going to take to make that bridle since I intend to learn a long pineapple knot. I only started looking at it today though which means I have a long way to go.

I'll also be looking for a job and a daycare for munchkin after the beginning of the year so my time will be more limited. But.. there is always time to create even if I have to forgo sleep and work at midnight.. :-)

I

Detour!

Ok, real fast, cause my husband's family is staying with us - I am trying to learn the gaucho interweave on a 6bight turks head knot. I figured that since I know the six bight turks head so well by now (after interweaving it with the herringbone so often) that I might as well go for the gaucho interweave as well. After a couple of days of working on it, I have not mastered it yet but my brain more easily understands it than I initially understood the herringbone.

And while I find not picking it up as quickly as I'd like a bit frustrating, I have to admit that I'm having a great time trying to learn it.

I also want to learn to work silver a bit better so I've been working on that as well on paper. It is hard for me to find time to work on etching silver while the baby is awake (because my engraver is very very loud and I can't work on it while he's sleeping) so my silverwork will have to wait a bit before I put it into practice.

This weekend will be swamped with Munchkin's birthday party but I hope that maybe sunday I'll get a bit of time to myself to work on silver..

Pictures when I get close to having something to photograph!