Vail

Every year Breyer release a new decorator model as a Christmas special run for Club Members. This model is a web special and only available to Collector's Club members.

He will be priced at $185 and is limited to 1,000 pieces.

To get him you will need to login to your Collector's Club account at www.breyerhorses.com 

Once you are logged in then you need to go to the 'Club Home' and click on the image of Vail. You can then use the signup form to enter for him.

Those who are lucky enough to get him will receive an email to notify them after the deadline of the 9th of November 2023.

Vail is a dark blue filigree on the Totilas mould

I am not a fan of the Totilas mould at all but I adore this colour. I still haven't got a model in this colourway but I do think there are nicer options that this one. Also I am trying very hard to avoid any more plastic disk models because I'm down to like one disk and they can't all share!

2024 Collector's Club

The 2024 Collector's Club is now open! I am absolutely in love with the Collector's Club special and Deluxe Stablemate combination. It is so cool that there is a little mini Othello now and even cooler that they are like a little me and mini me but also subtly different.

The 2024 Collector's Club exclusive is Heath, a lovely roan on the Othello mould

 If you want to sign up for the Deluxe Club you get a little baby version in the form of this adorable little STABLEMATE Othello named Horatio! Look how ickle and cute he is

O you also get a little pin badge as well. 

Prices:

International Deluxe: $70

USA Deluxe: $65

Standard: $30

You can sign up now on the Breyer website www.breyerhorses.com 

The Benefits of Tommy Art Mineral Paint

I am absolutely in love with the mineral paints from Tommy Art. I started to use these gorgeous paints a couple of years ago as a more cost effective alternative to the Citadel colours. I now use a mixture of both as standard for all my customs.

The paints come in 140ml containers for just £7.43 each which makes them really cost effective. They also have a proper lid that you can unscrew and remove without it flicking onto you, not closing properly etc. This means they are clean and easy to use and won't dry out quickly. They also have a brilliant range of rich mineral colours that allow for you to create all kinds of gorgeous horse colours.

The other thing I love about them is that they can be used for both hand painting and airbrushing. A few years ago I did a video review where you can clearly see them being used for a variety of techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL4HXzqJI1Y

If the video looks a bit weird click the link to watch!

One of my favourite colours is definitely the pink I've used in this video. It is so bright and vibrant and looks gorgeous on completed pieces. This cute necklace features in the video and looked adorable when finished:

You can see that it gives you a really nice matte finish, something I love to see in my customs rather than an over the top shiny finish (that's for OFs only in my illogical brain).

If you are interested in trying the paints out you can view the full range here: https://www.chestnutridge.co.uk/store/p890/Tommy_Art_-_Colour.html#/

Funday Answers

Did you have fun doing our scavenger hunt? If you didn't do it through the online link you are probably desperate to know whether you got them all correct!

Here are all the answers:

💛 Bay

💛 Tennessee Walking Horse

💛 G2 Andalusian

💛 Snaffle

💛 Esprit

💛 Julie

Did you get them all correct? Well done if you did! Get yourself a piece of cake and have a lovely evening :)

Clue #6

 It's time for clue number six!

Remember you can complete the whole puzzle now at: https://puzzel.org/en/scavenger-hunt/play?p=-NgEfmNRs8DexRnfAyS-

Clue Six

What is the name of the donkey that lives on Crackers' yard?

Clue #5

 It's time for clue number five!

Remember you can complete the whole puzzle now at: https://puzzel.org/en/scavenger-hunt/play?p=-NgEfmNRs8DexRnfAyS-

Clue Five

What mould is the Breyer Christmas horse Bayberry and Roses on?

Clue #4

 It's time for clue number four!

Remember you can complete the whole puzzle now at: https://puzzel.org/en/scavenger-hunt/play?p=-NgEfmNRs8DexRnfAyS-

Clue Four

What type of bit is on this bridle?

Clue #3

 It's time for clue number three!

Remember you can complete the whole puzzle now at: https://puzzel.org/en/scavenger-hunt/play?p=-NgEfmNRs8DexRnfAyS-

Clue Three

What mould is this model on?

Clue #2

It's time for clue number two!

Remember you can complete the whole puzzle now at: https://puzzel.org/en/scavenger-hunt/play?p=-NgEfmNRs8DexRnfAyS-

Clue Two

What breed is the Breyer Bluegrass Bandit model?

Sunday Funday

If you have finished taking advantage of today's beautiful weather to take photographs of your models then I've got a little bit of fun for you.

I've put together a fun scavenger hunt for you to work through. I will post each clue as a Blog post throughout the rest of today but you can do the whole thing now through this link: https://puzzel.org/en/scavenger-hunt/play?p=-NgEfmNRs8DexRnfAyS- 

Let me know if you complete it in the comments below! Good luck and have fun :D

Clue One

What horse colour has a brown body and black points?

Wisdom Wednesday

It is Wednesday so, in the interests of alliteration, I shall be offering some words of wisdom for you. What will these words of wisdom be? Will these words actually be wise? Am I even writing this on a Wednesday? These answers may be answered below, or equally they may not.

So here we go, this is today's wisdom:

Sometimes you need to make what sells and not what you love

OK so I have definitely told people before, in multiple Blog posts, social media posts and even on my own website that you should do what you love. I wholeheartedly stand behind this, you need to create things that you love and you need to find joy in your hobby, but sometimes you also need to be practical. We are not living in a magical fairy world where money grows on trees and if you need to make money from your hobby you are, occasionally, going to have to do things you don't want to. 

I have (this is going to be a shocker I know) rather eccentric tastes. What I like is most definitely rarely, if ever, what other people like. That is absolutely fine when I'm buying things for my own collection or creating pieces for myself, but it is not a practical approach to running a business or, for that matter, creating models that I intend to show. Occasionally I need to create things I do not like, because if I did not I wouldn't ever sell anything and none of my resins would ever place. Whilst it is brilliant and wonderful to express my creativity through incredible and 'unique' models, it is also important that I create some more 'normal' pieces.

Now that doesn't mean everything I paint that isn't a bizarre watermelon themed decorator (although in my defence that was actually a commission) I don't love, but it does mean that I do not really get inspired through painting them. I am currently working on four horses, one of these is for my show string and the other three will all be sale pieces. With that in mind the only one I really lie is the brindle Schleich, a lovely looking horse but one that I know will take some time to sell. Whilst I know the decorator that I don't really like will probably sell very quickly. I am also not in love with the little resin foal but what I do know is that it is an accurate representation of a bay Clydesdale foal and for showing purposes that is the most important thing!

So what should we take away from my Wednesday Wisdom. Well take away this, it is great to be able to create art you love, but there is nothing wrong with being practical and creating art for the commercial market, afterall, we do all need to eat.

All Our Current Valid Discount Codes

Want to get your Christmas shopping started? Been after a model for a while but can't quite afford it? Well here is your chance! Below is a very special list, all the current valid coupon codes for our website. It's like one of those coupon websites but it actually works.

Shipping Discounts

FREESHIP

Free UK shipping

welcome202203

Free UK shipping

LOGOMASTER

Free UK shipping

Discounts

Welcome202201

10% off your order

welcome202202

£5 off your order

welcome202205

25% off all orders

ShareYourBreyer01

25% off all orders

InstagramCR

5% off your order

AngryPancakes

10% off your order

BeBe

10% off your order

Photoshow Champion Roundup

 It has been quite some time since I have shared photoshow champions with you! So I thought I would round up the champions from the last six months.

All of these photos were champions in Popular Votes Photoshows. This is a Facebook group that is open to all where we run free small photoshows each month. Each show has a different theme and the winners are chosen by the group members. It is good fun and easy and quick to do. There is a rosette for each champion.

April 2023 - Other Performance

May 2023 - Northlight

June 2023 - American Quarter Horse

July 2023 - Palomino

August 2023 - Bucking

September 2023 - Warmblood & Sport Horse

If you are feeling inspired and want to take part in the shows visit the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1493893527541574

October's show is for micros :)

Thunderbird

Why is it that every year I am not in the Vintage Club the models they produce are just gorgeous? And of course they've gone and released a Silver!

This gorgeous Silver is this year's "new mould, old colour" offering. Incidentally if I had a pound for everytime someone said ThAt'S nOt A vInTaGe MoDeL on my posts about Vintage Club releases I would probably have enough money to join the Vintage Club each year.

He's a Gambler's Choice and comes in four vintage colours.

My personal favourite is definitely the light bay, I have always loved that colour (and of course he is glossy as well). The palomino is also beautiful.

O and not only that if you complete your final purchase you'll get this year's free Stablemate which is a super cute little Lipizzan!

He comes with a super cute little box that mirrors the Vintage Lipizzan model

Ten Inspirational Quotes that Model Horse Hobbyists Should *maybe* Follow

 Do I spend too much on Inspirobot making stupid inspirational quotes? Definitely. Am I going to share these with you and pretend it makes any sense? Of course. Should I just use AI to write pointless blog posts instead of this none stop endless mad ravings that I subject you to? Probably.

1. Try to ask about prejudice

Go on. Do it. Go onto ModelHolics and ask about prejudice. I dare you.

2. Rule 8: Always let democracy get in the way of your thoughts

Like a model? Want to paint a horse a particular colour? DON'T DO IT! You should only go with what other people like and definitely should not have your own tastes and personality

3. Manipulate the working class

Got lots of prepping to do and can't be bothered? Need to pack for your next show? Make the working class do it!

4. Every time you fight success, you also fight souls

Just to be clear to be a successful artist in this hobby you actually need at least 12 souls. I don't make the rules, I just share them.

5. Make up new facts and kick ass and chew bubblegum

Got a model in a particular colour that doesn't suit the conformation of the breed the mould is sculpted after? Easy solve! Just lie on your breed reference, at the end of the day, none of this is real.

6. Kindness is to transcend the untranscendable

Did you know that it is actually impossible for this hobby not to have drama for a single day? Like literally IMPOSSIBLE. I think the world ends or something.

7. One way to define personal growth is goofing around to prove a point

Why does this actually make sense? If you want to improve you just need to mess around until you find something that works. Have fun. Make a point. Make something new. I dunno, just do something.

8. Scented candles are the parasites of sadness

It is actually a fact that if you are sad you can make yourself happy by covering a Breyer in essential oils and setting it on fire. You could also die, but like you can't be sad if you're dead right?

Disclaimer: Please don't actually do this and sue me, if you do you're an idiot and it's your own fault.

9. An apology is in many ways an opportunity reborn

Did you know if you scam people in this hobby you can just create a new Facebook account, pretend you're someone else and get away with doing it again?

10. Inspiration concerns all of us

We are all concerned about what you are doing. Why are you doing that? Why are you sticking a capybara on the back of an Arab? Like why? What are you doing? 

Pinho

 I finished this guy ages ago but apparently I didn't catalogue him or upload his pictures to the internet? I did with Susan but apparently Pinho was just rejected, poor little pony.

CRS Pinho Polido is a Mathilde resin by Leah Peretz and has been painted to a lovely buckskin pinto. I did her little base in a bronzy goldey colour which is nice and metallic.

BreyerFest 2023 - Haul

 I didn't do an unboxing video this year because I unpacked my models in the car on the way to Sussex for a family wedding (as you do). So instead you'll just have to put up with photographs of all the models and their equally bizarre names

Brendon is VERY upset that I have been incorrectly using colour names recently. He is particularly annoyed by a red rabbit called Plump Purple. As a result I am doing this deliberately to annoy him. So enjoy :)

CRS Neigh Neigh (Whip)

CRS B'dazzled Blue (Maggie)

CRS Lavender Blush (Handsome)

CRS Fiery Rose (Cyclone)

CRS Cyclonic Storm (Cyclonic)

These two were so different that I decided to keep both of them, you can clearly see the contrast in these photos, one is so light and one so dark!

CRS Old Silver (Valentina)

CRS Maastricht (Keane)

CRS Turkish Rose (Jag)

CRS Bluebonnet (Starstruck)

CRS Pink Sherbet (Meteor)

CRS Vivid Orchid (Nebula)

This is the chase piece for the unicorn set, I absolutely love the green it's such a lovely shade

CRS Maximum Purple (Sunspot)

CRS Waterspout (Stargazer)

CRS Misty Rose (Stellar)

CRS Keppel (Moonlit)

CRS Jonquil (Jonquil)

CRS Feldgrau (Feldgrau)

CRS Azure Mist (Azure)

CRS Rosso Corsa (Rosso)

CRS Cinnabar (Cinnabar)

CRS Bittersweet Llament (Bitter)

I am rather proud of this name if I may say so myself

CRS Giant's Orange (Wells)

CRS Coffee (Phantom)

CRS Cool Black (Misty)

CRS Pink Flamingo (Mojave)

CRS Dark Liver (Grand Design)

CRS Cerise (Bravour)

Not a huge haul this year and it is a little amusing that most of them aren't actually BreyerFest models! But still some really nice new models that I cannot wait to get out and show. The most disappointing aspect was the grab bag. I have put literally every model I got in it for sale, nothing there I wanted to keep or didn't already have. It was mainly Prost horses.