Wild Love Plush

Check out this year's Breyer Valentines Day plushie!

I preferred last years but still he is super cute. Should I spend $125 on a Breyer order just to get him? Probably not. Will I? Well that is going to depend on whether I get VIP tickets tomorrow or not!

He's $14.99 if you buy him individually or he is free with orders over $75.00.

https://www.breyerhorses.com/products/wild-love-valentines-day-plush

BreyerFest 2021 Ticket Sales Update

 If like me you missed out on the chance to get a VIP ticket you are probably eagerly (and nervously) awaiting Monday so that you can *try* and get your paws on one (if I don't manage to get one I'll genuinely cry).

One of my biggest concerns was that I'll be at work all day Monday and I can hardly refresh the Breyer website every two seconds and teach a load of students about duty of care under negligence law! So I was going to have to get Brendon to sit and do it for me, and as we know, he is less than reliable when it comes to these things.

Yesterday Breyer answered some FAQs on their website and it comes with good news!

Firstly the tickets will go on sale at around 1pm Eastern Standard Time. If, like me you are in GMT that is about 6pm, so long after I finish work. That means I can finish for the day, get my marking done and then get my laptop reading for NINJA REFRESH.

All these updates can be found here:

https://www.breyerhorses.com/blogs/breyerfest-blog/answers-to-faqs-about-the-ticket-on-sale 

A lot of people were also concerned about people who already had VIP tickets buying more. Thankfully Breyer have clarified that you cannot do that and it is one per household, so that is also a relief for those of us worried that we may miss out!

My final concern is PayPal double authentication. This is a fun new thing they've implemented whereby EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to access my PayPal account they send me a code that takes about 10 minutes to arrive by text message. Such fun. So to deal with this I've just saved my card on Google Chrome and then will just need to type the CVC number! That should hopefully speed things up.

I am going to be super anxious on Monday, I'm desperate for a VIP ticket and really hope I don't miss out due to dodgy internet!

Good luck to the rest of you who are trying to get tickets on Monday. May the model horse gods forever be in your favour.

All I care about in life is getting Pollock! I NEED THIS HORSE. I WILL SELL MY KIDNEYS FOR THIS HORSE.

Breyer 2021 Range Updates and FAQs

 I've had lots of emails and messages asking me when we are getting in the Breyer 2021 range. As always we are at the mercy of the distributor and, of course, numerous other forces (Covid, Brexit, Sea Monsters) that stand in the way of shipments getting into the country.

I contacted the UK distributor last week to ask for an update and was given one this week.

The next Breyer shipment is due mid-March.

Breyer are bringing back the Paddock Pal sized ponies with the synthetic manes and tails this year. This one is 'Blaze'.

What will this contain?

The short answer is I don't know.

I do know that it *should* contain the 70th Anniversary Stablemates and Peptoboonsmal from the 2020 range.

It *should* also contain some 2021 products but we don't know what these will be yet.

When will items actually arrive?

If we assume that the container actually docks in Felixstowe on time it then needs to proceed through customs. There are currently delays of a few weeks through customs and at the docks (at one point they stopped working entirely).

Then it needs to be shipped to the distributor.

Then it needs to be shipped to us.

Then we need to ship it to you.

Add all that up and I think that if you have something on pre-order (e.g. Peptoboonsmal) then you will be looking at around mid-April delivery.

Important Note: Delivery will the same for ALL UK Breyer stockists. That means you won't get your item any quicker if you order from us over any other dealer, or any other dealer over us. Everyone will get their items at the same time :) 

Can I pre-order 2021 models?

No. I don't want to take pre-orders this year as things are not stable enough for me to guarantee stock. I would rather you shopped elsewhere or patiently waited than I have to disappoint you or make you wait for things you've paid for.

Once we have the 2021 models in hand we will open up for orders.

We will of course sell out of box models as well as in box ones as always.

I've placed a pre-order and want to cancel, what do I do?

If you have the 70th anniversary Stablemates or Peptoboonsmal on pre-order and wish to cancel this all you need to do is email me at catriona@chestnutridge.co.uk 

I normally refund any requests within 24 hours. Please note that although learning is online I do work full time as a teacher! Brendon is around to also help with requests and general queries. To make the process quicker tell me the email with which you paid on PayPal - that way Brendon can find your transaction and refund without me having to intervene!

Breyer 'Chocolatey' is a new 2021 release!

I hope that helps provide some clarity on the situation and answer some questions. In the meantime we still have some beautiful 2020 items left over and I am also in the process of adding a new job lot to the website so do check out www.chestnutridge.co.uk if you need a pony fix!

Rainbow Unicorns and Elves

 Due to the whole all my models are in boxes and I can't find the wire for the LED light tent situation (and where is the actual light tent, who knows?) I haven't really had the chance to share a lot of my new horses with you.

This is definitely made worse by the fact that half of them were shipped to my mum's house! She just received another shipment containing my BreyerFest glossies, I can't wait to get to hers and unbox all of these models!

But that is a long way off so let's have a look at my two new RubberNedz. The unicorn is actually still boxed somewhere but I photographed him before packing him, as for elf I got him like two days before I moved so I just took a picture on a shelf I'm afraid! Glamour shots will come at some point I'm sure :)

First up is my AMAZING rainbow unicorn Shetland. Donna really outdid herself with this one. I requested purple hooves and horn and got just what I wanted :D

So say hello to CRS Cithaerias Merolina aka Merolina

And next we have my Christmas present from Brendon. Donna promised that he would be naff and she wasn't wrong! He is so awful but so amazing at the same time.

CRS Peregrine Qazam (Buddy)

I actually really like his base coat colour, I think I'll have to get her to do me a cute little palomino foal but without the elfyness

Hopefully some more new pony updates coming soon! Just as soon as I can find the wire for that stupid light box....

Ponies in the Snow

 This is the first time in so long that I've been able to actually enjoy the snow! No having to go to work, no having to go and do horses, no shovelling to get out, just SNOW!!!

And what is more fun on a snow day than heading out and getting some snow pics of your models? NOTHING. So I unpacked two boxes of random models and headed out to get some snow pics.

I'm really lucky that my garden is on a hill. Because of this there are lots of steps and levels. This means that I can pop a model horse on a step and then kneel on a plastic bag to get a decent shot, I don't have to lie in the snow (that is not fun).

The key for decent snow pics is to get the snow reasonably flat without having foot prints (or boot tread) making it look unrealistic. My technique to solve that was to use the base from Poltergeist to squash the snow down. It worked quite well!

Here are some of my favourites. I did have a few hiccups, like the sun coming out and being super bright, my camera lens steaming up and having to go inside for cleaning and one model doing a front flip and chipping the paint off her ear *cries*

CRS Stromboli (Dead Heat)

BreyerFest Special Run - Dead Heat

CRS Fountain of Youth (Fontana)

BreyerWest Special Run (now with chipped ear)!

CRS Spider Paint (Isadora Cruce)

Breyer Isadora Cruce

CRS Monopoly Tycoon (Bet Yer Blue Boons)

Breyer Bet Yer Blue Boons

CRS Donald Trump (Griffin)

Breyer Web Special 'Griffin'

CRS In Search of Castaways (Triton)

Breyer Web Special 'Triton'

CRS Etna (Born to Run)

BreyerFest Special Run Born to Run

CRS Stirges (Van Gogh)

Breyer Van Gogh

CRS Jimbo Jones (Jimbo)

Breyer Four Piece Gift Pack G2 Andalusian

CRS Snowy Joey (Joey)

Breyer Circus Play Set G2 Andalusian

CRS Romans 10:13 (Greyson)

Breyer Greyson

CRS One of the Dinosaurs is Missing (Dinosaur)

Breyer Mini True North

CRS The Black Prince (Edward)

Breyer Stablemates 4-Piece Gift Collection G3 Rearing Andalusian

When I was done I thought it would be great fun to create a walking on water shot by putting someone on the frozen pond. Poor Claude!

I pushed him further out so I could get down and get a decent ground level shot...

...but the ice wasn't as deep as I thought it was and he nearly sunk in!!!

I then forgot I had put him in my pocket and carried him around for ages, the poor thing!

I hope you also enjoyed heading out and getting some pics of your models in the snow, it is just perfect for model horse photography :D

Namopaimo 2021

 I can't believe it is nearly February already and with just over a week to go I have finally started work prepping my 2021 Namopaimo model.

Don't know what Namopaimo is? Check out the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/234123470349077 

I was feeling really indecisive this year so instead of choosing my own model and colour I let the wise people of Facebook choose. And actually I think they made a pretty good choice!

I presented them with a choice of ten different models. The most popular one was this beautiful Edgar Allen resin:

This model was actually my Namopaimo 'prize' from two years ago. Edgar Allen was the first resin I ever painted and I'm really excited to be painting one again.

He didn't need too much prep work thankfully. As you can see he has a few exposed wires and he also had a hole in his back that I've filled. Once the epoxy putty has dried he will be ready for a prime (which has to be done in a shed at the bottom of the garden *yay*). I'm hoping to take him and a few others out there tomorrow.

I can't find my dremel though so the others (which include some CollectA and Schleich) are taking some time to prep!

Now for the colour. Again I gave a choice of ten different colours. The winning choice was 'rose grey'. That makes me really happy as it is one of my favourite colours to do!

But I also like to give myself a bit of a challenge during Namopaimo so I have deliberately chosen a reference picture with loads of dapples, because I really suck at dapples, so I'm hoping that will be a nice challenge and chance to improve.

I think the colour will really suit him :D

I also think it is fitting as my current Edgar Allen, Patience, is also grey:

I'm hoping there will be a nice contrast between the two which will show improvement (I'd like to think I've improved over 10 years...but who knows)!

Working from home also means I don't have the horrific two hour drive home at the moment, so that gives me more chance to paint in the evenings. I have started to do a bit of work on some customs and trying to get back into it.

The plan is to do mainly pastels, but I'm wondering whether to use thinned down acrylics for the dapples, I feel like that will either work well or be a complete disaster, I guess we'll find out!

Now roll on February :D

BreyerFest 'Single Day' Stablemates

 I just realised that I've never updated you guys with the 'single day' Stablemates. This year there are no single day tickets this year however, the little Stablemates are still available. You get the full set as part of your VIP ticket and there are also various options to purchase them as well (although they are very limited).

Did you get picked for a VIP ticket? Let me know below!

I absolutely LOVE decorators as you guys know so you can imagine my excitement at receiving news that ALL the single day Stablemates this year are decorators! My favourite has to be the purple Fjord, Avant Garde, I desperately need him in my life.

So here they are in all their glory:

Dada:

Nouveau:

Rococo:

Avant Garde:

Which is your favourite? Make sure to let me know below!

More information about BreyerFest and the different ticket options can be found here: https://www.breyerhorses.com/pages/what-is-breyerfest-2021-new

Breyer Bootcamp Part #2

 Yesterday I wrote a Blog post about Breyer Bootcamp and how much I was looking forward to it.

I also said that I had asked regarding the shows and whether, like BreyerFest, they were only open to USA residents.

I got an email back from Breyer today: 

"Unfortunately, the Breyer Boot Camp model horse show is restricted to participants from the US and Canada (excluding Quebec) only at this time."

This is fully what I expected but it is sad to see that we still cannot enter the shows.

That said it maybe will give me time to enter some other photoshows! It might also give me time to plan my own photoshow for the year, because I definitely need to run a really awesome show :D

I am also planning a virtual live show at some point this year, just like the one that was run on BMHC last week :D That will be super good fun :D

Breyer Bootcamp

 This is something that I'm really excited about, as I know lots of others are too. I think we all feel really isolated from our hobby right now so anything that gets us interacting with other hobbyists and gives us something to look forward to has got to be good :D

Breyer Bootcamp is basically the virtual version of BreyerWest.

It is held on the 26th-28th February and it is via the Breyer website and several Zoom meetings. Tickets for the event are available directly from Breyer here: https://www.breyerhorses.com/pages/what-is-breyer-boot-camp 

What does it involve?

There are several different events throughout the weekend, some of these are included in your ticket and some can be purchased additionally.

As well as some meet the artists via Zoom the thing I'm really excited about are the three workshops! I have paid for the full version of these (although I am conscious that it means I'll be up until midnight on the Saturday doing model horse stuff, so may be a bit of a grumpy grump).

There are also some shows, although it is not clear whether these are open to international entrants (I have asked)

How much does it cost?

The basic tickets are just $5 each.

The workshops and shows are an additional cost on top. I have paid for the $40 workshops because I want the Zoom experience (and I want to fan girl over my favourite artists, one of the workshops is being run by Maggie Bennett!!!!).

The shows are open and novice. The open show is $50 and the novice show is $25.

Will Crackers be there?

Definitely!!! As long as I can find him....

Now the question is, which of these little guys will get VICTIMISED DURING THE WORKSHOPS *evil cackle*

BreyerFest Special Runs - My Priority List

 It feels so weird to be writing Blog posts about special run choices so early in the year! But it hasn't exactly been a normal twelve months so I'm cool with that :D

I thought I would share my BF special run 'list' with you, basically a list of all the special run models in order of most wanted :D I'll do the same with the limited edition models once they are all released.

Absolutely no surprises as to who my favourite is! And probably no surprises that I want the surprise model as well.

But after them I'm not actually too fussed about the others. All I really care about is getting Pollock, he's the whole reason I'm entering for a VIP ticket. I MUST HAVE THAT HORSE!!!

1. Pollock

2. 7 Arts Surprise

3. Knossos

4. Gran Cavallo

5. Pech Merle

6. Ansel

7. Uffington

8. Seurat

9. Tassili

I'd love to know your preference list, share it below :)

Full list of all the BF models is on the Breyer website here: https://www.breyerhorses.com/pages/exclusive-models-breyerfest-2021 

As a Someone Who Cares About the Environment, I'm Finding it Harder and Harder to be a Model Horse Collector

Below is a scene that is common in many of our houses, hundreds, even thousands of beautiful models lined up neatly on shelves, they look aesthetically pleasing and they are the result of years of hard work collecting, customising, searching and generally hoarding.

But behind them is a dark and dirty secret and that secret is packaging. Zoom out a bit further and you see this:

The reality is as model horse collectors we generate a lot of waste, and I mean a LOT. Look at the packaging at the top there, that was one My Little Pony. As well as all the boxing there was also a plastic comb, that I'll never use, and a leaflet that was shiny paper (not good). Then look at your average Breyer, mixed media boxes (hard to recycle), plastic tags and the obligatory catalogue in every box. And that's before we even start to think about what they are made of.....

For me the issue is even more potent, I run a business selling these things, I have boxes filled with neatly boxed Breyers and....even worse.....the blind bags! Those blind bags cannot be recycled, they are a single use 'sachet' type product that basically just fills up landfill and our oceans, they are the worst of the worst, but they are our best selling products, and I love them.

And then we move beyond just the collecting. Once we've got over all the packaging and the plastic models we then move to the other stuff. Let's start with customising, pots of paint, we all have them and if you're anything like me you probably get through quite a few, but the majority of those plastic paint pots can't be recycled. Then there's synthetic brushes, aerosols, chopped off body parts, micro plastics urgh the list goes on and on. Tack making is a bit better, you use more natural products like leather and metal, but you still get the packaging waste it comes in. Some companies are better than others and do use minimal waste (we are moving to cardboard large letter boxes rather than the padded envelopes for example) but still...

As I move towards a sustainable zero waste home I can't help but feel that I'll never achieve that objective whilst I collect model horses. How can I claim to care about the environment and then go and happily spend several hundred dollars on plastic items that come in tonnes of plastic packaging? It feels inherently hypocritical. But it also in a way feels wrong to deprive myself of something I love so much and to put all that guilt on me, as a consumer, when there aren't alternatives out there. This is not me buying bottled water when I have a perfectly good water bottle to use (which really is not on, and actually I don't do), this is a situation where making a change just isn't an option. So what can I do, as a business owner and hobbyist, to start to be more responsible about my hobby and the planet I am leaving for those just a few years younger than me? Because the reality is that in 30 years time the world is going to be a very different, and not very nice place to live.

Changes to Make

I am by no means an expert on zero waste living, and the reality is that pretty much everything we do is going to have an environmental impact. But here are some suggestions that can, at least, help us lessen that.

1. Take responsibility. Accepting that there is responsibility there is a big step. We all have a duty to care for this planet and for younger hobbyists, we are in the dying days of our current age, if we want this hobby to be able to continue we need to save the planet. Nobody is going to have time for plastic ponies in an environmental disaster.

2. Avoid BNIB. This doesn't eliminate the problem all together, someone is still generating that waste, but if you are personally trying to go zero waste buying models that aren't boxed is a good place to start. It also has other benefits too, they are often cheaper and you can inspect them for flaws!

3. Change your collection. There are plenty of models out there that don't ship in loads of packaging. Vintage, premier, collector's club, BF SRs etc. all ship out of box with just bubble wrap (can be reused easily) and a cardboard box or plastic bag (urgh). You'll also be buying one model instead of three or four so it saves on the plastic production as well. This will probably mean changing your buying habits, saving up for several months and buying one horse, rather than buying several. Models such as customs, resins, chinas, CTFs all come with no boxes as well!

4. Plastic free models. For many of us the vast majority of our collection will be plastic based, whether that's resins, Schleichs or Breyers. But there are plastic free models out there. Chinas are an obvious choice if you are looking for plastic free, but for those who want something less breaky have a look at the CTF market. Latex (sustainable sourced), wool, felt, wood and even glass are used to make models.

It is worth noting that of course these alternatives need to be sustainably sourced. But they are generally better than plastic, particularly as they will all biodegrade (eventually).

5. Look for alternatives. If you are using lots of paint have a think about whether you could use pigments instead. There are stores where you can go in and fill your own pots with pigment (there is one in Bloomsbury in London), which makes a good alternative to plastic paint pots. This is not an option open to everyone, particularly in a global pandemic, but maybe one to think about in the future (or create an online business doing it, there's a market there, if you can do it with pasta you can do it with pigment)! Look at sourcing natural fibre brushes and look at packaging to see whether it can be recycled. There may be brands out there that are putting their paints in better packaging, go do some research! Finally reuse as much as you can.

6. Where are you shopping? There is absolutely no rule that says you cannot ask a business about their carbon footprint and the type of packaging they are using. Choose model horse dealers that pack items in recyclable or biodegradable packaging. If you can buy models 'in person' rather than online as this will also reduce the footprint.

7. Shipping. Packaging is necessary when shipping models, nobody is saying it isn't, but there are better alternatives out there. Here are some of the changes we have made or are making to try and reduce shipping waste:

• Biodegradable packing peanuts
• Biodegradable air fill or paper for padding
• Biodegradable or Oxodegradable bubble wrap (just keep the later out of the sunlight, it literally does degrade)!
• Cardboard boxes made from recycled cardboard
• Paper packing tape
• Reuse everything! Boxes, bubble wrap, fill - keep it all and reuse to ship more models!
• Eco Labels? This one is harder, the best I've found so far are A4 sheets where the backing paper is silicone based so could be composted
• Choose a courier that fully carbon offsets - this BBC article highlights some of the issues with courier/delivery companies: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47654950

8. Ask & Demand. There is absolutely no harm in being really clear to companies that you want them to reduce packaging and source better alternatives. Packaging in the toy industry is a huge topic! As dealers we need to be better at asking these questions and use our own buying power to make demands. But as consumers we have a responsibility too. If enough people ask and question then companies will change, they aren't stupid. Also pressure your law makers to insist upon stronger regulations and zero waste mandates. In 2020 the UK banned several single use plastics (straws, cotton buds etc.) all because of one sea turtle. That is the power we have, use it.

This article is not meant to attack anyone or any company, it is designed to help me get something that has been bothering me for some time off my chest. But it is also designed to start a conversation, because this is important, really important, particularly if you have children. We are all responsible for our planet, that doesn't mean we can't have nice things, but it does mean we have to think carefully about what those nice things are and how we go about acquiring them.

Disclaimer: The changes to Chestnut Ridge shipping and packaging mentioned above are ongoing. Any new supplies bought in are designed to, as far as is possible, be degradable and/or recyclable. However, we also reuse numerous supplies (especially bubble wrap, boxes and filling materials) and we have been given a TONNE of packing tape that we will, of course, use up. We strongly encourage you to reuse these items yourself.