Update, and Crafting Doll Boots

First things first, I must apologise, again, that it has been so long since I last posted. 

The simple truth of the matter is that my depression makes it very difficult to do most things that I normally enjoy doing, including blogging.

I've had chronic depression for the last 12+ years, and its severity can vary wildly from barely noticeable to unable to leave the house. I've tried to post about it here so many times I've lost count now, but every time I deleted the post because I reasoned that people don't come here to read about my mental health. However, I'm mentioning it here now because I want to be honest with you guys about why I don't post so often these days. Other bloggers who occasionally write about their struggles with depression, like Horse Tender Studio, have helped me to see that it's ok to write about it, so I'd like to ask you to please be patient with me: I haven't forgotten about or abandoned my blog, I'm just struggling to post as often as before. With that said, I've set myself the goal to post at least once a month, so we'll see how that goes.

But enough about that, moving on.

Plenty has happened, model wise, since I last posted. New faces have joined my herds, I've rediscovered my love of Grand Champions Model Horses (I hope to write a more in-depth post on them at some time in the future), and I'm slowly making my way through the 101 craft projects I'd like to attempt. And, on that news, I'd like to introduce you to some non-equine faces.

 Another blog that I enjoy reading is Tiny Horse Talk, and for some time now she has been posting about making clothes and props for her Breyer doll, Sarah. The more I read the more I felt inspired to get a poseable doll and make some of my own accessories for it. 

 In the end, I got three. The two blond dolls are both Grand Champions riders that I was able to buy very cheaply second hand. The brunette is a Breyer Classics doll, and also came to me second hand with a foal that I've been after for a while now.

 They're both from the Pet Groomer set. I wasn't too bothered about getting the other animals and items from the set, so when these two were offered for a very good price, I went for them.

 The foal goes perfectly with the Classic Haflinger mare. He's meant to be a palomino, but since their colours are so close, foals often have lighter baby coats anyway, and pangare on flaxen chestnut lightens the coat to the point that many people confuse it for palomino, I have no trouble calling him a Haflinger. 

 Since Mum's name is Dancing Gypsy, baby told me he wanted to be called Traveller's Tango, or Tango for short.

Anyway, back to our dolls. I decided very early on that I preferred the brunette's clothes on one of the blondes, so shirts and shoes got swapped around. Unfortunately, being second hand, one doll came without shoes, so once swapped over that left the Breyer doll with literal cold feet.

 As an interesting side note, the Grand Champions dolls (left) have longer feet than the Breyer Classic doll's (right). Thankfully the Breyer shoes still fit the GC doll.

After doing a bit of searching on ebay for spare shoes, I failed to find anything suitable, so I opted instead to try making my own boots for the doll. Most of the tutorials I found seemed too complicated or required materials I haven't got, but then I stumbled across this step-by-step guide by My Froggy Stuff for making doll UGG boots. I had felt, I had needles and thread, so I decided to give it a go!

Of course, as a first attempt they're a bit crude. I opted for purple felt to match the doll's waistcoat, and I used some old thin white fleecy material for the trim. It didn't work out as well as I was hoping, but it does pull the whole thing together, so I'm not sorry. 

I had a bit of trouble at first following the tutorial, but thankfully I could pause and rewind the video as often as necessary until it finally clicked into place for me. I really find video tutorials helpful in this regard, because watching someone actually going through the steps is more useful than looking at a signal frame in a photo guide. 

 The soles were actually cut from a piece of black foam that previously came as packaging for some sort of electrical equipment (I can't remember exactly what, it's been so long...). The foam was perfect for the job, and I just love it when you get a chance to use one of those hundreds of 'come-in-handies' we all have lying around :) I tweaked the tutorial slightly by scoring the underside of the soles with some scissors to add ridges for extra grip.

 Of course, 1:12 (Classic) scale is much smaller than the 1:6 scale of most Barbie-type dolls, which the tutorial was made for, so sewing and gluing everything was very fiddly. And I had no buttons small enough to use as final details, so instead I dug through my craft box until I came across 4 purple beads. Using a needle and thread, I sewed bows onto the front of the boots, added the beads onto the loose ends and secured them with a knot on the inside. It would probably have been easier to use wool or embroidery floss for the laces, but cotton thread was all I had :)

  Once the glue had completely dried I pulled the boots onto the Breyer doll's feet, and I'm very happy with the end result. Thankfully, UGG-type boots are designed to be large and easy to pull on. The felt isn't the exact same colour as her vest, but that doesn't bother me. 

 Her jeans didn't really want to tuck inside the boots, but with some gentle persuasion they can be encouraged to go in. The large soles of the boots help the doll to stand up, and her feet fit snugly inside.

All that was left was to give her a name. With her brown hair and blues eyes, she reminds me of my late aunt, so I decided to name the doll 'Janet' after her. I think it suits her, but I don't have any blonde women in my family, so I'm still trying to figure out what to name the GC dolls. I'd like to make more items of clothing for all three of them eventually. But I might need a while to recover from the tininess of those boots :)

Fun with Blankets and Collars

I quite enjoy sewing, even if I'm not especially good at it. So, when I found some of my old slippers that had worn through the soles and weren't wearable anymore, instead of throwing them away I saw an opportunity to turn the fabric into blankets for some of my model horses.

 When I say 'blankets', I really mean simple slips of fabric that can be slid over the model's head and rest unsecured on their backs. I'm not going for realism here: the main objective was really just to make something that would help to protect the models from rubbing against each other on my shelves. I don't have the skill or materials to make anything like a real horse blanket.

 The fleecy material was surprisingly forgiving, so the end results don't look too bad, in my opinion. I added the black bow on the adult rug for decoration. 

 With leftover material I then fashioned into a couple of foal rugs for Tobi and Tawny. Again, they just slip on over their heads to protect the babies from knocks and bumps.

 I'll have to get some more fabric if I want to make any more blankets in future, but these simple, easy rugs were fun to craft.

 Not to be left out, Kep and Dylan then asked for some accessories too.

 Kep got a bandanna, or half a bandanna at least. I started off trying to make a proper bandanna with a square of cloth, and then folding it diagonally to make the triangle and two tying ends.

But it was way too much material, so I cut it in half and sewed up the loose hem. Even then it needed reducing down so that the two ends would tie properly around his neck.

 

It's not the best, and if I ever try again I'll see if I can make the stitches less visible. But for now I like it, and it seems to suit him. At least Kep is happy with it.

 Dylan wanted a collar, so I fished out an old hairband, measured it around his neck and then cut it to size with some extra for fastening. I was quite pleased with the appearance of the hairband fabric for a dog collar. I then tried to add a little metal buckle, but since I still haven't got any fabric glue I had to try and attach it with a needle and thread.

After much fruitless effort, and a lot of frustration, I eventually gave up. The hairband fabric just wouldn't pass cleanly through the miniature buckle. So instead, Dylan got his collar sewn together and the excess trimmed off. It's too small to be removed now, but if I ever wanted it off  I'd just need a pair of scissors. It looks passable, at least, but again, I may try once more in the future.

Back in the Saddle

I'm sorry it's been so long since I last posted. I hadn't intended to be away for so long, so I really appreciate everyone's patience. Hopefully, I can get back to regular posts now.

To jump back into the saddle (so to speak) I'd like to introduce you to some of my latest boys and girls.

 This is Kendal Valley Dawn, or Kendal for short. She's one of the new individual Stablemates for 2015, and aside from the fact that she's a glorious chestnut mare, I was attracted to her because she reminds me of a Hackney Horse. A very old and rare British breed, Hackneys are prized for their stamina and naturally high-stepping trot. I'm holding out hope that Copperfox Model Horses will eventually produce a Hackney model (without a docked tail, please!!!), but for now I'll just have to make do with this lovely girl. (Ok, Ok, I know the ribbons, high set tail and short-ish body don't quite fit the Hackney breed standards, but this is all I've got right now)

 Interestingly, it was only when I'd bought her that I realised Kendal is virtually identical to a Stablemate foal I have from the Stablemates 5 Piece Fun Foals Gift Collection, so it was only natural to pair them up as mother and daughter :)

 Speaking of foals, I just couldn't resist getting these 2 Classic lovelies. Sold together as the Colorful Foals giftset, the flaxen chestnut Warmblood Foal is a filly, and the stunning bay tobiano Haflinger Foal is a gelded colt. If their colours had been the other way round the colt would have been an ideal baby for Gypsy, my Classic Haflinger mare, but then I don't think I would have been as drawn to him as I am.

 The filly is lovely. I really like this mould, and her shading is superb. I've given her my buckskin roan mare, Mothwing, as a mother, more through availability than anything else, so I've named the foal Tawny Moth, or Tawny for short.

The colt is just stunning. I love the combination of dark bay coat with minimal tobiano white markings, and again he has brilliant shading. As of this post he doesn't have parents in my herd, but I'm beginning to think the new 2016 Horse of the Year Harper could make a nice mother for him... (with an unknown pony/cob father, considering his conformation). As for names, I like to link a foal's name to it's parents, so for now he's just known as Tobiano, or Tobi for short.

And last but not least, another foal joins my herd, this time in the Traditional Stable. She's from the 2008 Mare and Foal Color Crazy Treasure Hunt Event, and originally came with a dapple grey National Show Horse mother. Since I got this filly second hand she didn't come with her original dam unfortunately, so I've paired her up instead with one of my Morgan Marabella mares.

For now, the filly is going by the name 'Flame', but I'm not sure it really suits her. I'm also not satisfied with her mother's name, so eventually I'll have to get around to choosing something more fitting for both of them. At least baby has a mama again, though I'm not really sure which of my stallions to assign as her father.

That's all for now. I've got plenty of topics lined up for up-coming posts, so hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next one :)

Breyer Classic Haflinger Mare

This girl actually arrived before Frankel, but he was much too impatient to wait his turn :)

So, you may remember I recently talked about the Breyer Classic Haflinger mare and how I'd like to add her to my collection. Not long after that post I found one being sold second hand with good reference photos, and decided to go for it. The photos made her colouring look nicely subtle, but I didn't get too excited until I saw the model with my own eyes. After all, online photos of models can be vastly different to real life, for many reasons, such as lighting, background, editing etc. 

My new mare arrived promptly, and I was quietly happy with the outcome. She was a lot like her sales photo. Despite the fact that she's Classic scale I'd expected her to be bigger, for some unknown reason, so I was a little surprised at her size. But that's just me being weird :)

 I can definitely see why this mould has become such a runaway hit with so many collectors and customisers. She's just so lovely and well-balanced, with the sweetest face. She makes me think of a wise school pony, patiently teaching children and adults how to ride as she plods obediently round the sand school or down a bridle path on a hack. She'd be the absolute beginner's pony, probably the one the instructor puts the timid riders on so she can relax their nerves and show them there's nothing to worry about.

 At the same time, I can completely see this mould pulling a pony trap on a quiet drive out, bringing home a hunter's deer strapped to her back or walking behind another horse as a pack pony. And there's no doubt she'd make an excellent broodmare, probably one who's already had a couple of foals and is well  experienced in rearing youngsters by now. She just so wonderfully diverse.

 It's really nice to see a slightly older mare in Breyer's lineup. I'm no expert when it comes to ageing horses, but I'd probably say this girl is in her early to mid teens, based on how she's sculpted. I certainly wouldn't call her a young mare, but she's not yet an old lady either.

 I've seen photos of some models with quite poor over-spray on their forelocks, but my girl seems very well painted. Maybe it's just less noticeable on a subtler chestnut.

She's got a gorgeous long mane and tail, and I love the fact that her mane looks a little tousled and thick, just like a real native pony. The slight feathering on her fetlocks is also a nice touch.

 

 She's a really lovely girl, from any angle. I kinda wish the sculptor had added chestnuts, at least to her front legs, but that's a minor thing.

  I like the fact that each of her hooves are carved to resemble a real horse's hoof, not just left flat plastic.

  I like the fact that she's got shading and isn't just a flat chestnut. I like the darker colouring on her knees and hocks, and it's really nice that as well as the grey on her muzzle, she also has grey shading around her eyes, ear tips and even her 'mare parts'!

 That's right! Whilst Breyer's stallions and geldings have been anatomically correct (for the most part) for years now, this is the first Breyer mare I've seen with a suggestion of udders between her legs. Now, they're not much, just a couple of bumps in the mould, but it's clear that they're intentional and certainly a step in the right direction.

 I appreciate that Breyers are often given to younger children to play with, and there are parents that are uncomfortable with their kids' plastic animals being anatomically correct. But I personally think that stallion parts are far more explicit than mare's udders. On the other hand, there may be a problem with the injecting moulding process that makes it difficult to produce mares with udders. If that's the case then maybe this is the first sign that Breyer are working out how to overcome that problem? I know I appreciate that little extra touch of realism, and hope it continues in future moulds.

 Normally I wait until I've got the model in my hands and can see it with my own eyes before I choose a name for them. But this time I had a name already picked out for this girl. I've called her Gypsy, after a palomino Welsh Cob mare I saw in a pony magazine when I was a child. It was the very first time I'd come across 'gypsy' being used as a name for an animal, and I thought it was really pretty. And whilst my mare isn't palomino or a Welsh Cob, she reminds me of the photo I saw all those years ago, and I think the name suits her.

Of course, now that I have the gorgeous mare I'm finding myself drawn to her cheeky little colt. The palomino from the Pet Groomer set would probably work best as her baby, colour wise (I'd just call him a very light flaxen chestnut). But the bay tobiano from the Colourful Foals set is just stunning! I'm having a real struggle trying to decide whether to get him (and his filly friend) or not, especially as I don't have a very good mother for him. I don't know whether I'd call him a Haflinger x (and say he got his colouring from his father), or have him be an orphan with Gypsy as his foster mum... Anyone got any ideas or suggestions?

Breyer 2010 Fun Days Limited Edition 'Onyx'

 I'm not normally a fan of 'glossy' models. In my opinion the high gloss finish makes the model look more like porcelain than plastic, and in doing so takes away a lot of it's realism. In addition, whilst I admire and even adore many of the special run or limited edition models that Breyer release every year, most of them are far too expensive and elusive to ever enter my collection, so I don't even fantasise about owning them.

There is, of course, an exception to most rules, and mine is Onyx.

 I fell in love with this Limited Edition Classic stallion when I first laid eyes on Breyer's official promo photos of him, but since he was limited edition and only available to buy at Breyer's 'Fun Day' event in 2010 I didn't hold out much hope of ever getting him.

 Then, one day, a few years later whilst browsing ebay, I came across a UK seller auctioning off an Onyx model. The price was only slightly higher than the recommended retail price of a regular run Classic, and the model himself was in excellent condition, with only some minor hoof and ear tip rubs. I hesitated briefly, but ultimately decided to go for it. And I am so happy I did!

 I haven't regretted buying Onyx for a second. He's one of my never sells. I can't say for sure just what it is about him that attracts me so much...I love his black coat that is only just starting to fade into grey (iron grey, I believe some people call it). I love his one white hoof and sock. I love the fading in his mane and tail and on his flanks.

 But I think what probably attracts me the most is the mould. Identify Your Breyer call it the 'Show Arabian' mould, probably because the first release on this mould was the bay Best in Show Arabian with mohair mane and tail. And he is a wonderfully characteristic Arabian, with a delicately dished face, high tail carriage and eager, prancing pose. Of all of Breyer's Arabian moulds to date, this one is my favourite.

 The name 'Onyx' suited him so well that I couldn't bear to rename him, making him one of my only model horses to keep his official name in my collection. His dark colour and high gloss finish make photographing him rather difficult, but by altering the light levels a bit in post production it's not too hard to get some lovely shots of this handsome boy.

 The only trouble with the high gloss finish and dark black colour is that the model shows every single speck of dust!

 I adore his face. The eye whites give his eyes an intelligent light and really distinguish them from his dark head.

 Probably the only part of his finish that I don't really like is the front of his face. To me, the dark shading that kinda resembles the characters used in Japanese writing (e.g. kanji) doesn't look very realistic at all. But it's a minor complaint, and one that I can very happily live with.

 I love my little glossy Arabian stallion, and I'm so very glad I bought him.