Buy What You Love, Not What You Think Will Win

One of the many advantages (or as Brendon would probably say disadvantages) of being a moderator on a sales group is that I get to see sales ads before anyone else.

This means I can buy the thing before anyone else. Which is probably not a good thing. But my latest impulse buy hardly broke the bank so it's all good.

So here's the story. A few weeks back I was happily minding my own business wasting my life on Facebook when I decided to actually contribute something to society and moderate my own Facebook group, you know like a civilised human being. After repeated rule infringements I've had to set the posts on UK Model Horse Sales to approval, which has actually made moderating a LOT easier. But it also means that I see the sales ads before anyone else does as I'm the only person that currently does any moderating.

So I click on the list and I'm going through, approving posts when I see this gorgeous custom. She's just too cute! The post is full of "she's not very good, only really a body etc. etc." and I'm like "no poor baby she's adorable, I love her, I have to have her!". So I approve the post, search Facebook for the group, find the group, find the post and then message the seller because I HAVE to have this horse!

Several messages later and my very extravagant purchase (less than £20) is made and Badger is on her way to me. I'm so excited, she's just adorable and I love her so much!

You see the thing is, the seller is right, this isn't a show model. She could pass for PSQ but she is never going to be part of my live show string (although she will come to some shows), but that DOESN'T MATTER. Because you know what? Winning isn't everything. I know shocking news flash but for some people this is something they need to hear. It makes me sad when I see younger collectors in particular selling things because they don't show well that they've had for years, or only searching for the best of the best, because if all you are looking for in a model horse is show success then you are only ever going to be disappointed. Even if the horse does as well as it possibly can at some point it is going to lose and you are going to feel crappy. If you spend £500 on a top quality custom and it never places (trust me it happens) how will you feel about that model? If you spend £500 on a top quality custom because you love it more than anything you've ever seen and you couldn't care less if it places or not then yes you probably are going to feel a bit bummy when it doesn't place but at the end of the day you love her so it doesn't matter.

Buy a model you love and you have a piece to cherish for eternity.

Buy a model to show and you will have nothing but that aching feeling that maybe you could have just done a little bit better.

And with that I'll leave you with a final picture of CRS A Mushroom (aka Badger), a beautiful custom by Steph Lovely.

This Custom is #Lit

Honestly I need to stop making that pun but I won't because it is funny and I am SO in love with this pigment it is amazing.

So a couple of weeks ago I decided to order some of Stuart Semple's 'Lit' pigment, because who doesn't want a glow in the dark model horse?

I've been pondering what to do with it for a while but then suddenly on Monday I had inspiration and 'The Climb' was born.

First of all a look at the pigment, it glows like nothing I've ever seen:

I mean if it looks like that on my hand what will it look like on a model horse?

Stuart Semple also produces a base medium which is what I used to apply it, I'm not 100% happy with how this turned out as it was a little too think and clumpy for the kind of find detail you want on a model horse. But plenty of time to experiment in future.

I also experimented with adding the pigment dry, I didn't think it had actually done anything until I took a night shot of the model glowing and realised it was all over its face and neck!

OOPS!

So I gave it a bit of a dust off before finishing the model and sealing. I love this shot here because it shows just how much the pigment itself actually glows:

So what about the model? Well I decided to start with a silver base. First I added non-mixed colour shift paint (from Green Stuff World) to give it a pearly finish on top of the white primer. This is a technique I use a lot if I want a unicorn to look pearly, although I need to order more as I'm really the point where the pigment is mixing in and I'm getting a hint of the colour coming through each time I do it!

I then used Citadel silver airbrushed on for the silver coat, simply adding more or less to give a bit of shading.

Now came the fun part! I mixed the pigment with the base and added it to the tail, mane, face and the end of the horn for that bit of glow! I then checked what it looked like at night.

I finished the coat colour with lots of tiny white dots, almost like stars. No idea why I just wanted tiny white dots!

I then added the yellow detail, I did a tattoo tree up one leg (which is becoming a bit of a trade mark of mine) and then added some streaks in the mane and tail. This blocks the pigment so in the dark it looks a little more detailed.

Finally I did the eye in silver and yellow and finished the hooves off with dark silver.

And doesn't she look cool in the dark? This was taken in the airing cupboard with curtains and door closed to bedroom to try and give as much darkness as possible!

This was taken in light box with just the room light on, still a glow!

And this is in light box with no room light on (window is blocked by curtains)

Isn't she awesome! I can't wait to play around with this pigment more, I need to experiment with different bases to get the desire effect I want and the smoothness needed for model horses.

If you want to rehome her then she is for sale at £25.00: https://www.chestnutridge.co.uk/store/p275/The_Climb.html#/

Hamilton

Breyer's latest Premier Club release Hamilton is now available to order for Premier Club members. This stunning American Saddlebred Stallion was sculpted by Jennifer Scott and is priced at $141.66 if you are a member of the Premier Club.

As always I'm waiting to see what he looks like 'in the flesh' before I think of ordering one, but he is definitely pretty! I can't wait to see him as a regular run and get a custom, I'm already thinking of course. Poor Deb is going to get harassed with emails when this guy comes out!

If you are a Premier Club member you can login to your account and order him now at www.breyerhorses.com

Shetland Ponies and Broken Camera Lenses

Well this week has not exactly been my finest, I've had two vet bills and I've broken my favourite camera lens (again).

This time I haven't actually broken the lens itself (yay go me) but a small piece of plastic inside the lens. The result of which is that I can't actually move it in or out, which means I must be fully zoomed in at all times or I can't focus it. It also won't focus automatically but I suppose that isn't the end of the world, it just means I have to actually wear my glasses when photographing models!

Anyway the reason I'm moaning about this is more of a way of an advanced apology for the poor quality photography that you will now see in the following blog post! Which is a real pity because I love this little Shetland, she is just adorable!

So I started this model a few weeks back but haven't really been doing much painting since Herefordshire Live mainly because I've been busy but also because I've been really tired. So I was really happy to get her finished as I knew she was going to look so cute when I was done!

She is a Schleich Shetland Mare. She's a bit of a cartoony model and she can be a pain to work with as the hair direction is all wrong, but if you go for a decent solid colour you can pretty much hide that and that's what I've done.

I chose a really dark liver chestnut for her, the kind of colour that always looks lush on a Hackney. In fact I'm pretty sure my reference was a Hackney! But I think it works well for her as well.

I added really long white socks on two legs and a nice white stripe, perfect for this cute little pony and to try and show off her adorable little stubby legs. I did have a few issues with hair when painting the mapping around the socks! But it wasn't as bad as the time I tried to do a leopard spotted on this mould and ended up nearly throwing it out of the window because of the hair direction issue...

I think she turned out quite nicely. I've named her 'The Click' (because she just clicked) and put her up for sale on the website. She is priced at £27.00 + postage and I will happily ship her anywhere in the world.

For those who are not familiar with the size of this model here is my desperate attempt to get a penny shot, note that I couldn't zoom the lens out and my light tent isn't that high! I literally could barely get my head in to get the picture! Hence why it is at a weird angle! But you get the general idea.

Want to rehome her? Then follow the sales link here: https://www.chestnutridge.co.uk/store/p274/The_Click.html#/

Iris

The fourth release in the Breyer Stablemate's Club, and this year's Gamblers choice model, is now available to order for domestic members.

International members have to wait until December to order their final three.

Iris is a gorgeous little pony on the G3 Highland mould.

There are four colour ways available:

Grey Pinto

Silver Dapple

Cremello Blanket Spotted

Decorator

Which of the four variations are you hoping for?

Personally I would really like the silver dapple (that gloss is lush) or the cremello blanket spotted. None of them would make a good purebred Highland so who cares what colour! That decorator is also gorgeous.

Now there's just the really really really really really long wait until January when I get my one and find out who I've got! Last year I got lucky, the year before I didn't, so who knows. To be fair I would be happy with any of these four they are all really nice.

Got your model? Drop a comment below and let me know which colour variation you received!