updates and happy 2015

Wow long time no post! The last time I posted was may 2014 which seems like forever ago. Life got away from me I guess. I'm going to try and keep my blog more updated this next year. Hopefully one post a week but I can't make any promises. Since May I have attended breyerfest and 4 live shows. There isn't much point in updating those now though. I have gotton a nice camera since may so hopefully I can have nicer quality images to use on here. If you have any suggestions on what to blog about please let me know! I'll be happy to take any suggestions :)

Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday/new year!

New arrivals!

Good things really do come in small packages! :) I was so excited after almost a week of waiting to get a package from stone on my door step. 

Inside where 2 chip design a horses I ordered roughly 3 months ago. 

First is a Grulla mule

She came with lots of black speaks along her back :(

Then a cutting QH in "limited edition" choclate palomino 

I love her way more then I thought I would!

These two ended up quite cute! They make great editions to my chip herd. Not sure if I'd ever do the DAC/H program again though. 

Stone horses factory warehouse sale (May 2014)

Why didn't I go to this last year! I had such a great time visiting the stone factory again. Everyone there is so nice, the models are amazing and of course it's fun getting to see how all the stone models are made. This is my only time of year getting to buy stones so I may have splurged a bit. 

After waiting an hour and a half in the car I could go inside to get a sneak peek of who I wanted. I spotted two DAH ponies and was instantly in love. 

Part of the sale 

You can really see the new Spanish mold (in resin) well at this angle. I love him so far! 

Here's all that I got!

I was able to get both ponies! Yay! Here's Devils food, he's a 2014 DAH. He was sent back so he was only $60. 

Then little john a 2013 DAH who was $68. Same as if I would've designed him my self but I really don't mind, he's too cute. 

This ISH SR from equine affair 2013? I for get his name. Something to do with a waterfall I think? He was $36. 

To finish off the traditional size, this is Royal, the 2013 paint your own test run model. I forget how many he is limited to. I got him for $65, he was usually $90 but you'll find out how I got that deal in the next post ;)

Now to my favorite, chips! 

I've been wanting this set for the longest time.Bermuda and Bahama where the first plastic editions on the mold. I got the set for $25, they originally sold for $100!

 Last but not least is smoldering embers. Don't know much about him really but he was $25 as well. 

Prop-Alosa

I've been bad. Real bad. I got several horses at the stone factory warehouse sale, got home and bought more things. I got a beautiful tack room off of someone at my barn. She said her dad made it for her back in the day when she was a kid.           

I got it (plus some horses) for $25. Which for what it is, isn't a bad deal. I've had so much fun adding in my own personal touches to the tack room 

I added a saddle rack, posters, a barn dog, and of course tack.

Then a package arrived this Friday. A huge prop lot I got off of eBay for $40 ppd. The majority of the stuff isn't show able but I'm going to remaking a lot of it as some summer projects. My favorites from the lot where..

This mail box,

(In scale! Yay!) cones,

These lovely flower pots,

This really cool old breyer doll,

And these tires. 

But there's more. I payed this off a LONG time ago so it isn't THAT bad. I ordered a saddle commision from Lisa Merrill around 2 months ago. It just arrived last Monday. 

I can't beleive she was able to do this with a broken arm! I'm thourghly impressed. Thanks so much Lisa! (Don't worry I have a girth for it). No more horses until breyerfest! 

Hopefully...

Tri state live mini show 2014

Tri state live was only a few days ago and it was by far the best my minis have ever done. I got 2 overall champions, 3 reserve division champions, and 1 grand division champion. 

Jesse got overall reserve champion of breyer stablemate and reserve champion of the warmblood division. 

One of my collectas arrow got overall grand champion of little bits/paddock pals.

One of my best showers starlet didn't disappoint with a reserve champion in the  stone chips other (draft/pony/longears) division. 

Much to my surprise candy cat got a reserve champ of the stock division! 

My little donkey and llama that where a gift from one of my hobby friends Emma did quite well as well.

Stone paddock pals reserve champion call backs.

Stable mate warmblood class.

Now for some performance :)

I need to start mini performance one of these days! 

There was even cake! :) 

Thanks so much for hosting Dee! 

Plastic ponies on parade 2014

Plastic ponies on parade was 2 weekends ago. Thanks Shelley for another great year! It wasn't my best show but I am still happy with how I did. 

I got 2 champions 

My Aurelius in stock and snowman in Spanish. 

I was completely shocked by snowman!

One of my newest horses OT Sara moniet RSI did quite well for her first time out!

And Vinyl Nan'd for the first time!

I won this beautiful custom breyer newsworthy in the raffle by Kris Apelgren.

I also got some SR stablemates and the BF 2011 SR hansel from a vender at the show.

All my new minis have Tristate live this Saturday and I'm hoping for the best with them!

I got a total of 22 nan cards which I am quite pleased with. Hopefully I can attend this show next year.

 

 

Adventures with Kinetic Sand

Last week at plastic ponies on parade I saw a entrant in performance (so sorry I forget your name) had a sand arena in one of her entries. She said she used "kinetic sand, even though it's expensive it's well worth it"

I looked up the sand and was wowed both by the product and price (about $15-$20 for 1 pound) the sand is easy to make hoof prints in and doesn't stick to your model. Look it up on YouTube if you've never heard of it, it's really amazing. I figured there had to be a way for me to make some sand myself for less then buying it at the store or online. I found a simple recipe and tried it, not exactly like the real thing and wouldn't be good for sensory stimulus in a classroom but is perfect model horse wise.

Ingredients:

1 cup play/all purpose sand

1 cup flour

4 tablespoons baby oil (add more if needed)

First mix the flour and sand together, make sure they don't clump together. Stir until they are evenly blended (I used my hands to stir and did this outside in case the sand/flour mixture spilled it would be quite a messy clean up). 

After they are blended add 1 tablespoon baby oil at a time stirring in between each one to avoid clumping. It should start acting a bit like the real kinetic sand. If the sand isn't acting how you like add more baby oil as needed (I probably used around 5 tablespoons). Store in a plastic bag if you are not using it right away and it shouldn't dry out. Make sure to keep this out of the way of pets, my cat was very intent on trying to lick it and maybe she thought it was a litter box? Better safe then sorry keep the sand away from them.

This recipe doesn't have the flow or "living sand" feel of the real stuff. Some of the sand granules can stick to your models hooves/your hands but it is pretty easy just to wipe off and it doesn't damage the models. 

And it doesn't damage props either

Now since I have all this sand I need an arena! I purchased this acrylic frame at Michel's for $5 with a coupon in the framing section. And with a scrap price of wood I made an arena wall. Good thing since my last arena wasn't very nice.