A New Halter for a New Year

Over the weekend I figured out that if I really want to get back into take making, I really need to start with a few things I enjoy. For me, that was this fun halter!

It isn't quite finished yet, but it just needs a buckle. Isn't it cute? I thought the colors would be perfect for new years! I originally made it for Salinero, but I don't know why because halters never look good on him. It looks pretty good on Depeche though!

Winter quarter starts tomorrow. It is my first quarter as an animal science major. Now that I am motivated to do well because it is something I enjoy, I might be overly busy because I want to get all A's this quarter (contrary to being busy as a science major because I was slaving away and trying to pass the class). I am not sure what the future holds, but I am sure it is going to be a great year!

Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Years!

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?

Another Foal Halter

Thanks to an excellent customer, I have another foal halter under my belt!

This time it is a regular halter, unlike the foal slip halter I made previously.

First of all, this halter is NOT made for Amber, which is why it doesn't fit her properly. The halter was made for the foal resin, Elizabeth.

I used 3/32" lace and classic scale hardware. I am really pleased with how it turned out; I think the scale works perfectly.

We had a really hard time fitting the halter correctly, so I am really anxious to see how it looks on Elizabeth!

Finally: Something Tack Related

With summer being so busy, I haven't had half the time I wanted to work on tack. Things are slowing down around here so I hope that will change.

For now, here is what's on the workbench!

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:

Finished!

Here is a custom order I finished over the weekend:

I am really happy with it! I love the idea of the leather halter with a white cotton lead rope. The customer wanted brandy colored leather and to have it fit for Strapless. I think it looks stunning on her!

More pictures later!

Back At It

I have finally finished a halter for a very patient customer! Remember that foal slip halter I made a while back? Well, this is the matching one for his momma!

This is definitely the best halter I have made to date. The stitching and the rolled throatlatch turned out just how I wanted them to. Overall, I am very pleased! I hope the new owner likes it as much as I do!

I just have to find out if she wants a working buckle for the leadrope or a realistic looking one. For some reason, they don't make small gold working buckles? I can find silver lots of places, but haven't come across gold yet!

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.

What Do You Think?

Between studying and preparing for a show, I need a couple breaks. In those couple breaks, I managed to throw these together:

The leather halter was going to be a stock show halter for my Sheza Lil' Bolder. Obviously, it ended up a LOT bigger than planned. Why? I have no idea. But, I am really proud of it so far; the stitching is good along with the thickness of the leather. Therefore, I do not want to just throw it away. So...what do you think? Who would this fit? If anyone wants to purchase it for cheap when I am done, just let me know :).

Next up is the purple halter that looks rather dashing against Salinero's dark bay color. This was my first time experimenting with layers of color. I am not sure if I like it or not? So...what do you think? Continue with the pink on the cheek pieces or tear it off and leave it plain purple?

Thanks in advance for your input ;).

black&green.

Here is my version of "Almost Wordless Wednesday":

Halter for sale!

Check it out.