This is a little Paddock Pal scale rattle snake. Alright so it's a little out of scale but it is still rather cool :)
Please ignore the rider and pegasus :p
Here he is with the paddock pal horse he is to go with! Scary snake makes him scared...
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Snakey...
Sometimes you just have to do something a little different....this little snake is part of a performance set up made for a Performance Club member.
This is a little Paddock Pal scale rattle snake. Alright so it's a little out of scale but it is still rather cool :)
Please ignore the rider and pegasus :p
Here he is with the paddock pal horse he is to go with! Scary snake makes him scared...
This is a little Paddock Pal scale rattle snake. Alright so it's a little out of scale but it is still rather cool :)
Please ignore the rider and pegasus :p
Here he is with the paddock pal horse he is to go with! Scary snake makes him scared...
Grackle Bridles
Today I have entered into much research regarding grackle bridles. This all started when a customer who had ordered a grackle decided to ask for it to have a pelham bit. In my eyes a Pelham wouldn't be used with a grackle so I decided to do some snooping...
What I have discovered is thus...it is recommended that you only ever use a pelham with a cavesson noseband and not a grackle or flash although these are seen.
But that is not the interesting discovery. The interesting discovery regards the design of a grackle noseband and what creates a true grackle movement. According to the experts in such things the more usual type of grackle noseband with rings like this one:
Does not create a proper movement. This is because the top band is fixed to rings instead of being able to move freely. Actually originally grackles looked like this:
With the top band running through two loops. This allows it freedom, gives you more control and creates a proper movement.
So yes random post about grackles, I've actually changed the design of my grackle bridle in light of this new information. I am a big one for actually looking into why we use things and why we design them in certain ways. Post of the two different bridles next to each other will be up when I finish the new one! (with or without pelham bit depending upon what the customer wants)
What I have discovered is thus...it is recommended that you only ever use a pelham with a cavesson noseband and not a grackle or flash although these are seen.
But that is not the interesting discovery. The interesting discovery regards the design of a grackle noseband and what creates a true grackle movement. According to the experts in such things the more usual type of grackle noseband with rings like this one:
Does not create a proper movement. This is because the top band is fixed to rings instead of being able to move freely. Actually originally grackles looked like this:
With the top band running through two loops. This allows it freedom, gives you more control and creates a proper movement.
So yes random post about grackles, I've actually changed the design of my grackle bridle in light of this new information. I am a big one for actually looking into why we use things and why we design them in certain ways. Post of the two different bridles next to each other will be up when I finish the new one! (with or without pelham bit depending upon what the customer wants)
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Chestnut Arab Gorgeousness
Hello everyone! Long time no post I know but hey married life you know!
So this is a little post about a little Arab...well actually he's a sorta medium sized Classic Arab but me and him are completely in love. Unfortunately he is going to a new home but I'm enjoying having him on my desk while it lasts.
Yep I told you he was gorgeous...just look at that lovely chestnuty goodness :D
And the other side of his gorgeous body
And his beautiful face which I love very much
He is going to one of our performance club members as a lovely Western hacking set up. I have a few more days of enjoying him before he has to go to enjoy him at least.
So this is a little post about a little Arab...well actually he's a sorta medium sized Classic Arab but me and him are completely in love. Unfortunately he is going to a new home but I'm enjoying having him on my desk while it lasts.
Yep I told you he was gorgeous...just look at that lovely chestnuty goodness :D
And the other side of his gorgeous body
And his beautiful face which I love very much
He is going to one of our performance club members as a lovely Western hacking set up. I have a few more days of enjoying him before he has to go to enjoy him at least.
Sunday, 2 September 2012
New Commission Pieces
I decided I would quickly share with you two new commission pieces done for Lacey Marshall. Lacey is one of my best customers and is a US collector with a passion for Paddock Pal scale models such as Schleich, CollectA, Papo and Bullyland. In fact she only collects this scale! She decided to commission me to paint two CollectA Friesians as well as purchasing another CollectA Friesian whom I had for sale.
The first piece is a rather unusual bay. She sent me a reference picture of a lovely red bay with a skunk tail. Unfortunately as this was a while back I can't find the reference picture for either of these pieces but you get to see the custom at least!
So here is commission number one:
A front shot showing the white blaze and wall eye which she requested:
The second custom has been named Voltare. For this the reference was of a very dramatic grey Andalusian. Although the reference picture itself wasn't great she was very happy with the end result.
So meet commission piece number two:
And the other side:
The beautiful veining on the Friesian model allowed me to get out the white pencil and highlight this to create a very realistic effect on the horses legs. Many grey's have this but it can often look a bit off on customs when the model itself does not have veining. I love a model that allows you to add these gorgeous realistic details!
The first piece is a rather unusual bay. She sent me a reference picture of a lovely red bay with a skunk tail. Unfortunately as this was a while back I can't find the reference picture for either of these pieces but you get to see the custom at least!
So here is commission number one:
A front shot showing the white blaze and wall eye which she requested:
The second custom has been named Voltare. For this the reference was of a very dramatic grey Andalusian. Although the reference picture itself wasn't great she was very happy with the end result.
So meet commission piece number two:
And the other side:
The beautiful veining on the Friesian model allowed me to get out the white pencil and highlight this to create a very realistic effect on the horses legs. Many grey's have this but it can often look a bit off on customs when the model itself does not have veining. I love a model that allows you to add these gorgeous realistic details!
Hello all! Just realised that you are probably all thinking that I have fallen off the face of the Earth! Well I haven't....although I have got married so maybe comparisons could be drawn...
So yes this is the reason for my recent lack of activity! On August 18th I got married and am now official Mrs. Catriona Harris....think of that what you will!
I followed the wedding with what was suppose to be two weeks honeymooning in Scotland. Unfortunately last Tuesday I got a call to say my Nana (who had suffered from demetia for years) was dying. As my parents were out of the country and we are her only relatives I made the decision to drive from the Isle of Islay in the Hebrides to Suffolk to see her and be with her. Unfortunately we did not make it in time, this did however mean my honeymoon was cut abruptly short!
But on a more cheerful note I decided that you may wish to see some wedding pictures so here are links to the albums and one of my favourites at the end! (look out for fellow model horse enthusiasts and some little china editions to the wedding cake):
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151164715640155.486578.689360154&type=3&l=6404f32fed
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151168724885155.487346.689360154&type=3&l=5ca78e2995
So yes this is the reason for my recent lack of activity! On August 18th I got married and am now official Mrs. Catriona Harris....think of that what you will!
I followed the wedding with what was suppose to be two weeks honeymooning in Scotland. Unfortunately last Tuesday I got a call to say my Nana (who had suffered from demetia for years) was dying. As my parents were out of the country and we are her only relatives I made the decision to drive from the Isle of Islay in the Hebrides to Suffolk to see her and be with her. Unfortunately we did not make it in time, this did however mean my honeymoon was cut abruptly short!
But on a more cheerful note I decided that you may wish to see some wedding pictures so here are links to the albums and one of my favourites at the end! (look out for fellow model horse enthusiasts and some little china editions to the wedding cake):
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151164715640155.486578.689360154&type=3&l=6404f32fed
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151168724885155.487346.689360154&type=3&l=5ca78e2995
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Browbands
Most of the tack I have been making recently is boring commission based stuff...just a lot of bridles and breastplates and boots. None of it particularly interesting...
However a while back I had a go at making some fancy browbands (I was bored). They actually weren't that hard to do and my final one turned out OK. They are very simple to make, you just get some black leather and fold a loop at either end and glue to make the base. Then you get two pieces of ribbon, knot them at one end so they stay together and then just wrap them around the browband and knot at the other end.
Here are some early attempts:
And this was probably my best attempt of the lot:
However a while back I had a go at making some fancy browbands (I was bored). They actually weren't that hard to do and my final one turned out OK. They are very simple to make, you just get some black leather and fold a loop at either end and glue to make the base. Then you get two pieces of ribbon, knot them at one end so they stay together and then just wrap them around the browband and knot at the other end.
Here are some early attempts:
And this was probably my best attempt of the lot:
Custom Work Update
As I haven't blogged in a long time I thought a quick update post was in order to let you guys know how everything is coming along and what I've been working on recently. So here are a select few of my recent customs for you to eye up :)
First up :)
This is a gorgeous decorator custom on the classic frolicking foal mold (think it is technically something like the AQH foal mold but hey ho). I very rarely do decorator customs to sell, normally any I do are for my own personal enjoyment so this is something very special. She is basically a hot pink base with dark purple shading and then detailing added. She has white dabbed on with a sponge on top of which I hand painted hearts that grow up into a tree of life. She has sorta tribal squiggles all over her body and her hooves and eyes have been painted with purple sparkly paint:
Second...
This is a recent commission piece. She sent me a picture off Google of a silver grulla highland pony and asked me to create it on a G3 Athletic Pony mold. I bought one in and completed this piece, she is very happy with it and after showing it at this Saturdays live it will be sent to live with her:
Third...
For this one I just have to share it with you simply because of the description the commissioner gave me. This is what I was told to create:
This is the model i would like he is €5.18+ postage :http://www.utterlyhorses.com/schleich-sergei-the-akhal-teke-stallion/
I would like his body to be thishttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/552775_444344078927524_146266528735282_1557676_1385001035_n.jpg
His face to be this color:http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/BrenHeadshot.jpg
and his white marking be one heart star and one big off center teardrop shaped snip:http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/katee_0211b.jpg
I would like his eyes to be amber like this:http://www.morgancolors.com/coachmanssimplistikeye.jpg
and lastly if you could draw on a mustache. i know it sounds silly and i appreciate your patience with this order
For the first horse i ordered (and no im not trying to make him look as ridiculous as possible) could you give him to back socks that are roaned. i have seen a horse like this in real life but i don't know what the markings are called.
So yes I bet you are wondering how this horse turned out now you have read all that...well it was interesting to say the least. I played around with it and actually the finished horse doesn't look too bad:
Fourth pony...
Actually not a pony tis a donkey. Meet CRS Sammy Boy, my fiancee bought me this little resin last December, now he has been added to my collection of large SM scale lying down foals. He is a lovely little brown:
The fifth horse is another commission piece. The description for this one was buckskin minimal tobiano. The new owner is very happy and so am I, he is a gorgeous looking horse. For those who don't know the mold is the CollectA Hanovarian:
Finally a little piece that may not look like anything much but to her new owner is something very special. My best friend recently turned 18 and this was my gift to her. It is a portrait of her Welsh pony Champagne who she has owned nearly all her life. I wanted to give her a little mini Champagne so that when she goes on work experience to France she can take her with her:
So there we go, some of my latest pieces. I really hope you like them and enjoyed seeing all of them. Please get in touch if you want to purchase a completed custom or place a custom order :)
First up :)
This is a gorgeous decorator custom on the classic frolicking foal mold (think it is technically something like the AQH foal mold but hey ho). I very rarely do decorator customs to sell, normally any I do are for my own personal enjoyment so this is something very special. She is basically a hot pink base with dark purple shading and then detailing added. She has white dabbed on with a sponge on top of which I hand painted hearts that grow up into a tree of life. She has sorta tribal squiggles all over her body and her hooves and eyes have been painted with purple sparkly paint:
Second...
This is a recent commission piece. She sent me a picture off Google of a silver grulla highland pony and asked me to create it on a G3 Athletic Pony mold. I bought one in and completed this piece, she is very happy with it and after showing it at this Saturdays live it will be sent to live with her:
Third...
For this one I just have to share it with you simply because of the description the commissioner gave me. This is what I was told to create:
This is the model i would like he is €5.18+ postage :http://www.utterlyhorses.com/schleich-sergei-the-akhal-teke-stallion/
I would like his body to be thishttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/552775_444344078927524_146266528735282_1557676_1385001035_n.jpg
His face to be this color:http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/BrenHeadshot.jpg
and his white marking be one heart star and one big off center teardrop shaped snip:http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/katee_0211b.jpg
I would like his eyes to be amber like this:http://www.morgancolors.com/coachmanssimplistikeye.jpg
and lastly if you could draw on a mustache. i know it sounds silly and i appreciate your patience with this order
For the first horse i ordered (and no im not trying to make him look as ridiculous as possible) could you give him to back socks that are roaned. i have seen a horse like this in real life but i don't know what the markings are called.
So yes I bet you are wondering how this horse turned out now you have read all that...well it was interesting to say the least. I played around with it and actually the finished horse doesn't look too bad:
Fourth pony...
Actually not a pony tis a donkey. Meet CRS Sammy Boy, my fiancee bought me this little resin last December, now he has been added to my collection of large SM scale lying down foals. He is a lovely little brown:
The fifth horse is another commission piece. The description for this one was buckskin minimal tobiano. The new owner is very happy and so am I, he is a gorgeous looking horse. For those who don't know the mold is the CollectA Hanovarian:
Finally a little piece that may not look like anything much but to her new owner is something very special. My best friend recently turned 18 and this was my gift to her. It is a portrait of her Welsh pony Champagne who she has owned nearly all her life. I wanted to give her a little mini Champagne so that when she goes on work experience to France she can take her with her:
So there we go, some of my latest pieces. I really hope you like them and enjoyed seeing all of them. Please get in touch if you want to purchase a completed custom or place a custom order :)
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