Shedding season, part two

I guess I should have waited another day before I said March was going out like a lamb. Today, we woke to a clogged drain and water all over the basement floor. It's minor, especially compared to the Great Flood of 2022, but still, I could have done without this.

So instead of going to the barn this morning, I'm waiting on the plumber. 

No one likes waiting, and water issues make me anxious. I decided I needed a small project to keep me busy. After looking at yesterday's barn photos, I landed on this: Karen's SleekEZ grooming tool.

The body of tool is made from a leftover scrap of basswood that I shaped with an X-acto knife and sandpaper.

The blade was sourced from a box of aluminum foil.

It's easy to pull it right off the box, although, of course, it's better to do this after the box is empty (sorry, future self).

As is, it's much too wide, but that's an easy fix with tin snips.

Using my pictures of the SleekEZ as a guide, I carefully cut a small slit along one end of the tool with the X-acto knife. Once it was started, I used the toothy side of the blade to make it a little deeper and wider.

I dry fit the blade, decided it needed to be narrower, trimmed it with the snips, dry fit it again and then glued it in place.

At this point, it could have been done, but I wanted a logo.

I found the logo online and used photo editing software to create several different color versions and sizes. After printing, I chose the best one, cut it out and glued it in place.

I used pastels to even out the color differences and weather the tool a bit. When I was satisfied, I sealed it with ModPodge. 

Ta da! One tiny grooming tool!

Then, since the plumber still isn't here, I made a pair of shedding blades. The one with the brown handles was first, and I don't like it at all. It's proportions aren't right, and the overall look is clunky. The red one is also not perfect, but it's solidly good enough.

March is shedding season, and now my dolls have the tools they need to get their horses ready for summer!

In this day and age, you can find perfect, 3D printed versions of all your tiny stable needs. I love that, but also, I think there's value in making some things from scratch. This was a good project for me this morning, and I am pleased with the results.

P.S. The plumber just called. They're on their way!

Shedding season, part one

March is mud season.

It's not my favorite, but Winslow is a fan.

Mudslow.

Heh.

The arena was pretty slick yesterday, so instead of riding, I decided to give both the boys a good nose to toes grooming.

And because March is also shedding season, I borrowed Karen's SleekEZ grooming.

It works great. 

I need one of these for my own grooming kit.

In case you're wondering, nothing sheds like an Icelandic. This is worse than all three of my dogs combined.

After I was done, I threw caution to the wind and put them out together in a muddy paddock. 

Amazingly, nobody rolled. What good boys!

March marches on

January was the longest, hardest month of my entire life.

February was better.

On the heels of NaMoPaiMo, March roared in like a lion.

That first week was a lot.

Then, things mostly settled down.

Of course, there have been some highs and lows, but they've felt like normal highs and lows.

No one died. Nothing burned down.

I went to work, and I went to the barn.

James had a birthday.

I stayed busy in my studio.

It's been a very normal month.

I'll take it.

I am, of course, still grieving Olive. The hunt for her replacement has been long and frustrating. In this regard, I am hoping for a more exciting April.

this one bucked me off right there at the mounting block

In all other regards, I would be happy for the normal trend to continue. March is going out like a lamb, and let me tell you: I like sheep.

Musical saddles

 Although they're both short, wide mustangs, Olive and Winslow have different backs. 

Despite that, I thought her saddle would fit him, and it did, mostly.

Recently, however, I noticed some hair wear in his loin area. It's behind the edge of the skirt, but still, I don't like that. I decided to dust off Olive's first saddle, a hoop treed Duett, to see if that was better.

I kind of hate this saddle, so of course, it fits him perfectly.

We did this for a while.

Then Winslow's mom - and her very nice Wade saddle - came for a visit.

She went home, but the saddle stayed with me.

I rode in it for the first time today. 

Happily, it's a perfect fit for both of us and a lot more comfortable than that Duett!

Joann by Braymere

Yesterday's post got me thinking about all the things I have made using items purchased at Joann Fabrics. 

Then - because I'm generous like that - I decided to share some of them here.

For the purposes of this post, I'm not going to count invisible and generic things like glue, thread, jump rings and craft paint. Instead, I'm focussing on products that make up a substantial part of the finished item. First up, are these wonderful, decorated tube beads.

I bought so many of these over the years. They are exactly the right size for sliding over 3/32" leather straps, and I used them to decorate countless headstalls,

reins...

and halters.

Ribbon - specifically grosgrain ribbon - was another common purchase.

Most of this was used for halters...

and surcingles,

but in the last year, I also I bought a lot for real horse decorating purposes.

Manes,

tails,

forelocks... No part of Olive was safe!

I loved seeing my girl bedecked in bows!

Side note: I will never ever get over those ears. 

They were magnificent.

Speaking of bows... Who could forget the eighty pink bows I bought for my Pink! class entry at Candyland Live 2019? 

Those came from Joann!

Although I'm not really a sewist, sometimes fabric found its way into my basket. This unicorn cloth was completely irristable.

Ditto, this nice Western patterned fabric.

I also made a lot of impulse purchases in the seasonal aisle, including these gourds,

the sparkly poms on this Christmas set...

and this deer. He's really a Christmas tree ornament, but he makes a perfect 1:9 scale giant stuffed animal.

I'm sure I'm forgetting as many things as I remembered, but at least, this gives a glimpse into the contributions Joann has made to my hobby life over the last decade or so. It was a good run, and I will definitely miss shopping there. Farewell, Joann, and thank you for the memories!