Black Caviar

 My littlest sister got me a Black Caviar model for Christmas. Squeee! I've always wanted to live show a galloping horse, because I thought it'd be a hoot to enter her in as many classes as possible.

I was trying to think of the least likely class that Ruffian could be shown in. (I started with Western Pleasure, but I was honestly stumped there.) Then, I had a hilarious idea for a harness setup that would allow this galloping Thoroughbred to compete in a harness class!

Trust me, it'll be hilarious. ;) And so, the latest tack project: a harness for Black Caviar! (She really needs a show name...)

 This bridle was a bit tricksy, due to Caviar's decidedly tack-unfriendly hairdo, but I'm very happy with it. Sill needs a few keepers and some edge work, and then it's on to the breastcollar!

Camera Testing

New camera = waaaaay too many test pictures. :}  Naturally, that involves lots of photos of my rabbit George, and his many (grumpy) faces. Hehe!

 And Tootie, hiding away in her coconut!

I also took some tack photos. Even in (really) bad lighting, they turned out pretty good!

 Eeeeep! So excited to make things to take pictures of!

Bonus closeup of a mixed-media piece I'm working on. I think it needs more glitter. ;)

New and Improved Ordering Information!

I've spent the past few days working on updating my ordering information to make everything a little bit more accessible to potential customers. It is a lot of information, but hopefully it will make the pricing business a little smoother on both ends. Of course, I can't possibly think of everything there is to price, but I got the main things down (I think!).

If there are improvements that you think would make the ordering information better (or if you want to order something!) email me at zafiricastudios@gmail.com.

Also, bonus pictures of Par licking me because he is adorable. :)

Strapless's New Clothes

 My poor old Strapless needed some attention.

 As per usual, I couldn't just stop at a leg fix. The Strapless mold suffers from some distortion issues in photos, and is somewhat difficult to show with since she is turning.

 Tada! Now, she's going straight!

I fixed her broken leg, straightened out her neck, and moved her legs around a bit so that they aren't all dragging on the ground. That left fore is airborne, and her right hind is actually raised off the ground via a peg. (You can't see it in the photos due to the fluffy towel background, but trust me, it's there.)

 She looks quite a bit nicer in her second coat of primer!

 Of course, there is still lots (and lots and lots and lots) of sanding to do, especially around her neck, but I'm getting progressively happier with how she's looking!

 There are still lots of little things to fill (and those resulpted ears need some serious TLC).

 I just cannot decide on what color she'd look best in...

 ... although I'm tempted to try a dark bay with birdcatcher spots! I also cannot decide if I want to sculpt a new mane and tail or if I want to attempt to hair her with mohair. The sculpted hair is a safer bet, and easier to transport, but a really nice mohair job looks so nice...

Number Three

I've been pretty much only been posting old tack pieces the past week or so, and today will be no exception!

This is the third piece of tack I made. It's a thread-wrapped bosal, and it isn't great, but it isn't terrible!

 I would never show it or sell it, but it was probably the first time I ever thought, hey, maybe I could make this stuff!

 That's all of the old-project pictures I have with me, so you'll be spared any more of these for a while! Regular posting should resume next week, assuming that my planes and trains aren't delayed for days and days! 

More Nostalgia

The second piece of tack I ever made was this "Native American" costume. (I put "Native American" in quotations because it is a pretty poor representation of any actual Native garb.)

Most of the costume is missing today (understandable, since this set is probably 11 years old!) but you can get the gist of what it looked like in its day.

I haven't made another costume since. Perhaps I should try another one this year!

Looking Back... And Forward

It's been too long! Oi, the Crazy Christmas Travels have taken their toll on this blog. It will still be sparse posting until I get back home, but then I will have lots of things to write about!

This time of year, I always think back to the years that came before. This applies to model tack, as well.

These are my first three English saddles. The one in the back was the very first piece of model tack I made (well, the first piece that wasn't made out of rubber bands or string!). I was probably 11 or 12. The middle saddle I made about two years ago. While definitely an improvement on the first, it was not remotely a sales piece. The last one is the most recent saddle I made and sold.

My first saddle is hilarious to look at. The seat and flaps are a single piece of suede, and I clearly had zero idea of what skiving meant. Those little panels are made out of a fleece dog bed! I don't think I had ever seen the underside of a real English saddle before, so I made a guess as to what they looked like.

 

Silly as it may look nowadays, it is a great reminder that we all start somewhere, and we are always learning. It is easy to be critical of the tack made by amateurs, children, and the newbs, but remember that these people are the future of the hobby, and, someday, with encouragement and support, they will learn more skills, and make better tack.

Of course, I always want to be improving. Every time I make something new, it should be better than what came before it. I am very proud of my latest saddle, but I still have a ways to go before I will really feel like this tack is up to snuff with the big names in the hobby.

But I will keep learning, one saddle at a time. ;)

Happy 2015 everyone!