Breyer Fest Open Show Results

This summer Lindsay, who I made a large tack order for, sent me some pictures of show results! They somehow got lost in the mess of my hectic life. She emailed me recently, reminding me of the photos, and gave me permission to share them! Here is her email:

Hi,

  I just wanted to let you know that I took the leather halter, mare ID collar, and foal slip you made for me a while back, to the BreyerFest Open Show this year.  I entered my horses in the Scene class wearing the tack you made for me and ended up winning fourth place!  There were lots of other really cool, complicated scenes, so I was incredibly surprised with how well my scene placed.  I just wanted to let you know and thank you for making the tack for me.  I've attached a few pictures for you to see.  Thanks.

Lindsay M

How awesome is that? I am just thrilled! I am so pleased to see that my tack, that I put all that hard work into, did well at Breyer Fest!

Thanks so much for sharing, Lindsay! Congratuations!

All Smiles

A while ago I got a message from a customer telling me about a recent purchase she made from me. Here is what she said:

Hello,

Thanks for the tips. I just got the box today and I don't think I can praise you enough. The nylon halter is looks wonderful and the leadrope is amazing. I don't know how you got it to twist like that, but the effect looks great. Elizabeth's halter fits perfectly (big relief) and it looks soooo good on her. The foal slip was a bit trickier to get on (I was extremely careful with it, and the glue held just fine), but once I got it adjusted, it looked fabulous. I will definately take your advice and leave the noseband buckled from now on. Should save me an extra minute or two. I was also really impressed by the ID collar. The nameplate looks exactly like the real ones and the buckle and keeper make it look so neat and tidy. And the leather halter is simply wonderful. I looks so accurate, I love the rolled throatlatch and the stitchmarks. I could probably go on, but I'm running out of adjectives. I've attached a few pictures, but I can only send 3 at a time, so expect another e-mail with a few more pics. Thank you so much for the great tack. You have been so wonderful throughout this whole process, especially with your help in measuring Elizabeth's halter. Thanks ever so much.

How awesome is that? When I read it, I got goosebumps!

I put a lot of effort into making my take the best quality that I can and to see that someone appreciates it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I couldn't be happier!

Here are a few pictures that she sent:

Believe it or not, that guy is a customized Gilen! How cool is he? The owner is doing all the custom work herself!

This is a customized Elizabeth resin. She is the first horse I have made a halter for without having in front of me. She was a challenge, but I am so pleased with the outcome!

What isn't there to smile about?

Photo Shoot - Take 2

After realizing my light was off in my first photo shoot, I went back the next day and tried a different approach.

For those of you who asked, here is how I set up my photo tent the first time:

My boyfriend and I built it out of PVC pipes; thanks to Jaime Baker, it was quick, easy, and cheap! If you are using lamps, play two at 45 degree angles at the front. I ended up switching my tall back lamp to the very front, which gave me better light.

The next day, I tried the sunroom. The sun room worked great because it was well lit without being direct light.

I think both ways have an advantage. The first way had much more light with a lot more crisp, clear photos.

The second way made the colors look great (with very minimal editing!), but sometimes the pictures were a bit pixelated because of not enough light.

So, I am just going to keep experimenting, and will be sure to let you know what works! Feel free to add in your own suggestions :).

Photo Shoot

I have been playing around with my home-made light box lately. I think I need one more light and a cool background. But, here is what I have been able to accomplish so far:

New Tack: ID Collar

This is for the same custom order as the foal halter. Like the foal halter, I have never made an ID collar before. Here is what it was based off of:

Mare ID Collar

Here is how it turned out:

In the future I am going to make the strap longer. It should be placed further back onto the neck (I think?), but it is for GG Valentine and her mane gets in the way.

I am pretty pleased with it! Especially for it being my first time making a 'name plate'. What do you think? Any improvement suggestions?

Tack Day

Today I was able to get some tack-making done...FINALLY!!!

First and foremost:

My first foal halter! I have never heard of a slip halter before, but I was asked to make one to fit Gilen for a custom order. I really like how it turned out, especially for my first one.

Next up I finished this halter:

It looks so much better with shortened cheek pieces and the additional pink! Now I just have to make a matching leadrope and clean up the glue.

Last but not least is my big project! Remember this?

Well, it has turned into a giant experiment for me. First of all, ROLLED THROATLATCH! Thanks to a very good friend with some great directions, I think I have figured it out! I know it is too short for this halter, but since the whole thing has been a fluke from the beginning, I probably won't go back and fix it. This halter also allowed me to practice with some silver. It isn't done yet, but I am happy with what I have accomplished with it so far!

That is it for now. Hopefully I will have a few more things done by the end of the day.

Go!!

After getting ready and getting set, it was finally go time! I used the Rio Rondo instructions for how to make it, so it wasn't very hard. I know I need to work on tab size, making my buckle strap smaller, making the noseband small so if fits better, and figuring out how to make my leather less stiff. Overall, I am pretty pleased :). But, I have a TON to do before my live show in March if I want to use one then. Ahhhh....

Feel free to critique or leave a suggestion!