Twin peeks

A sneak peek for Erin...

and a sneak peak from Erin!

Oh, just look at those hummingbirds...  I am in love!

Let me say it again--I love trading!

Working from measurements

Today's project is a double bridle for Erin's beautiful customized Miss America resin.

Saddleseat style double bridles aren't for the faint of heart.  They are almost impossibly dainty, with lots of narrow straps and numerous teeny tiny buckles and keepers.  With so many pieces, the proper fit is absolutely essential.   There's a very fine line between refined elegance and bulky mess!

My task is further complicated by the fact that I do not own a Miss America resin.  I always prefer to make tack directly on the model.  There's no better way to insure a perfect fit.  Unfortunately, I can't afford to own them all, so I've developed a pretty good system for working from measurements.

First, I have the customer measure her model using this chart.  Once I have the numbers in hand, I begin the hunt for a body double.  In this case, my three candidates are a UVM Yesteryear resin, the Breyer Lonesome Glory and the Peter Stone ISH.

I chose the Yesteryear because, like Miss America, he was sculpted by Sarah Rose.  Most artists are surprisingly consistent in regards to the size and proportions of their sculptures' heads.  One extreme example of this is Kathleen Moody.  Without exception, her models are going to need an extra long browband.  On the other end of the scale, most of Karen Gerhardt's horses wear a surprisingly short brow--even that big old Cleveland Bay!  Using another model by the same sculptor helps the tackmaker better visualize these kind of proportional tendencies, so I am not terribly surprised to see how similar Miss America and Yesteryear's heads are.

If you don't have a model by the same sculptor, it's still possible to find a good body double.  Miss America's head is fairly long and very narrow so I scanned my shelves for a horse with similar attributes.  Lonesome Glory seemed to fit the bill, so he is the next one to be measured.  Once again, I've found a very acceptable stand-in! 

In fact, Yesteryear and Lonesome Glory are such good matches that there is no need to measure that ISH.  With the body doubles and measurement chart on my desk, I am now ready to start building the bridle.   Each strap will be measured against the model and then adjusted slightly per a check of the chart.  If the customer's measurements are good and I do my job well, the bridle should fit exactly right.  Here's hoping, anyway!

Almost wordless Wednesday

A bridle for Shannon...

And some reference pictures to go with it!  As long time readers know, I love trading and artist to artist trades are my very favorite.  In exchange for an upper level dressage set, Shannon is making me a most wonderful Western Pleasure set with full Sheridan tooling.  I have hugely enjoyed watching this come together on her blog, but I have yet to decide what sort of bridle I'd like to go with it.  Naturally, I searched my own files looking for inspiration.  These pictures were taken during the Western Pleasure classes at the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association Youth and Amateur Show which was held last June at the Colorado Horse Park in Parker, Colorado.  Which bridle do you like best?

This old horse

I said goodbye to an old friend today.

This wasn't planned.  I am very nearly a black hole collector.  Oh, I prune the OF herd occasionally, but the good resins and customs are here to stay.

And as far as I'm concerned, this is a good custom.

Jemez Kohl is an old Lynn Fraley piece.  I'm relatively sure he used to be a Breyer Justin Morgan, but there's very little original surface area left.

Kohl came to me as part of a long ago tack trade.  I was absolutely giddy about the prospect of owning a Fraley and agreed to make a ridiculous amount of tack to pay for him.   When he arrived, I proudly posted his pictures on Model Horse Blab.  Not long after that, I was contacted privately by another hobbyist.  She told me that she had restored Kohl several years before.  In addition to fixing two broken legs, she'd removed the original (haired) mane and tail, sculpted replacements and redone all the paintwork.

I have to admit, it was kind of disappointing to learn that my Fraley wasn't all Fraley.  Still, I never regretted making that trade.  After all, he's a really neat piece of hobby history.

Unfortunately, most of the judges here in Colorado don't agree.  This picture was taken at the Wild Wild West Live Show in 2007.  I think that is the first and last NAN card Kohl has ever won for me.  

While I was in Illinois for the Show for the Cure a couple weeks back, I couldn't help but notice there were several old Fraley customs in the showring.  Most of them did really, really well.  So well, in fact, that I joked to Tiffany that I ought to give her my old Fraley because he couldn't buy a NAN card in Colorado.

I was kidding.

It turns out that the joke's on me.  I'm still not exactly sure how this happened, but today I mailed Jemez Kohl to Illinois.  Technically I didn't give him to Tiff--it's more like a free lease.  She's been given carte blanche to change all the non original parts (mane, tail, paintwork) and show him for as long as she'd like.  Eventually I expect he'll come back home, and I bet he'll bring a stack of NAN cards with him!

Purdy's pinkies

This week in the studio I am focusing on old orders and small orders.  Today I put the finishing touches on Tiffany's pink extravaganza.  In addition to the two nylon halters, there's also an Arabian show halter, a Western show halter, a nylon lunging caveson with lunge line...

and splint boots!

These will go out first thing tomorrow morning and then it's on to Shannon's double bridle!

The party's over

Somehow it seems appropriate that it's snowing. 

After all, it's the last day of Spring Break.  Tomorrow the kids go back to school and for the first time in a long time, I will get back to making tack.

I hadn't intended to take such a long break, but sometimes life gets in the way.  With two live shows, the Horse Expo, a birthday, a birthday party, a mystery illness and Spring Break...  Well, the entire month of March just got away from me!

Not surprisingly, my studio has followed suit.  This is how it looked this morning.  Ugh.

I want to hit the ground running tomorrow, so a good cleaning was in order.  In a way the snow has been a blessing.  I've been quite happy to spend the day working in my snug little studio.  

Now everything is clean and organized and I can't wait to get back to work!

April foolery

Remember Basil?

She is still trying to decide which performance event she likes best.   Today she gave barrel racing a try.

Woo hoo--look at that speed!

Unfortunately, Basil is no longer a young rat.  After a few spins around the barrels, she was ready for a much quieter event--like Western Pleasure.

Right from the start, it was obvious that Basil has finally found her niche.

Just look at her go...

She's a natural born peanut roller!

Happy April Fool's Day!