Critical Mass

I'm clearing out and shutting down.  Most everything model related is being sold including a bunch of grails I worked a long time to get.  Vertical Limit, Ahzam, Romance, etc.  You can chick this link to my list on MHSP which I'll be updating as I get more photos of stuff.

http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/searchlist.asp?AccID=8451


And since no post is complete without a picture.

Clink!

Auuuughhhhh.

Never say things are going swimmingly.  Fate will prove you wrong.

Really Johann.  If you wanted new ears too you just had to say something!

Progress

Slow, but I think I see it!

I've been prepping my two Kilbourn resins in between working on my Vtoo custom and thankfully they are all just kind of breezing along.  I wish I had more time in a day to work on them!

Vtoo is getting a few minor tweaks along with her (soon to be his) new headset.  I originally planned on making him into a show jumping stallion with the braided mane, loose forelock and loose tail.  Of course after watching the eventing during the Olympics now I see him locked onto a cross country fence!  So that would mean a loose mane and a pulled tail.  I can't decide which one I should do!  Decisions decisions.  I still have a lot of work to do on the neck to match Sarah's sculpting style, so I guess I should really just start there.

Putting the pieces back togther

Life has both settled down and picked up since my last post.  I think I'm ready to pick up the models again and start working.  Debated selling them all for a little while, but now I'm glad I didn't.  As a mini celebration of sorts, I decided to be a little destructive.

Yup.  I'm sure she is very glad she didn't get sold.  Lol

Nothing gold can stay

Or maybe that's nothing black, tan, and merle can stay.

Before I even got a chance to post about the new addition to our family, he feel severely ill and was taken to the vet.  We only had him for 2 weeks before he was taken away from us.  My famiy and I are heartbroken over the loss of our little guy.

Rest in Peace Lennon.  I'm so sorry that you had to leave us too soon.  April 16, 2012- July 15, 2012.

Intermission

This extended (though hardly anything compared to my previous) break is being brought to you by

Ongoing Computer Issues

When it just won't work, tear it to pieces and try again!

In other news I do actually have some neat stuff to post and will hopefully be able to update again soon!

Onto Smaller Ideas

Since Terrang is finally finished (even though he is staying with me for the time being), I've decided to work on some pieces that I will hopefully finish in a much more timely manner.  Time for some stablemates!

Of course, me being me, I can't make anything easy.  Instead I have 6 standalone SMs planned and a major scene involving another 7 SMs that will all be getting drastic custom work done to them.  The 6 individual ones won't be done until after Breyerfest, which is probably a good thing, and the other 7 are a looooong term project I'll be working on in between.  Hopefully.

This guy I started a long time ago but recently pick him up again since I enjoy working with the Magic Sculp(t) so much.  Well now he's finally got a tail and a base for a mane!  I still have some small fiddly bits left after I finish the mane, but I definitely think he is going to be done first.  I haven't decided if I'm going to paint him up like my reference photo of sell him unpainted yet.  I'm also pretty certain that he's going to have a base to keep him upright, but I have also been considering a peg for the back foot.  Hmmmm.



I still need to smooth the tips of the tail so they aren't so chunky. 



Then I've got 2 Morgans planned.  A G2 Saddlebred to a parked Morgan ala Stand And Deliver.





The other is a G2 Morgan to a park horse.  I need to do more research on what is considered 'correct' for a park Morgan trot.  I think I need to find a horse in a more square trot.



Also Stand And Deliver! 

 As if those weren't enough, I also have a G2 rearing arabian who is getting a new M/T and some minor body tweaks, and a G2 Mule and a G3 Friesian that I'm not really sure what to do with yet!  I'm aiming for nothing too terribly drastic with these as I wouldl like to finish them!  Ha!

The other 7 I have planned out already, all the way down to colors!  But I'm not going to say anything else about those until I've started work on them.  ;)


Also, my camera is in the mail!  Squee!!!  XD

Best Laid Plans

Yes I'm back to being inconsistent about the capital letters in my title posts.  Shh.



Despite my good intentions, nothing went according to plan since my last post.


Migraine that kept me mostly in bed for over a week and did not respond to medication? Check.

Computer deciding to have multiple conniptions and multiple blue screens of death? Check.

Horse deciding I've had it too good for the past 10 years and come up lame? Check.

Terrang not receiving a single offer? Check.


Good gravy, somebody throw me a bone here!


At least I have a new toy coming my way to make up for my week or so of suck.

All things must come to an end

And good gravvy if this guy just did not want it to be over!  Sheesh!  Yes, I've finally, really finished my Terrang custom.  There is still more that I would like to do to him, but sometimes you just have to say enough is enough and move on to new things.

So!  My little bugger is going up for offers on MHSP until Saturday June 16th, midnight EST.  I can't tell you how excited I am for him to leave!  Now for the fun part, pictures!

Please take me home and away from the crazy lady!

I can totally see him showing as a riding pony of some sort.  And all I can picture on him is a luscious bay with some chrome but I think he's carry any color well.

I should really move on to finishing painting up my sales piece Smittyn.  Now where in my room are my paints again...

All you need is a little bit of magic..

Once again I blame the Blabbers.  I've fought with the other self hardening sculpts that most customizers use and generally had a dismal time trying to create anything.  Which is why I have not completed a piece in years.  Chopping is easy and fun, arguing with epoxy is not.  So, based on multiple good reviews for Magic Sculp(t) combined with actually seeing some of the results of first time users, I caved and bought some.



Shifu approves!


And the world rejoiced, for it was AWESOME.  What would have taken me days of sculpting, drying, removing, and repeating with my other sculpts took one sitting with Magic Sculp(t).  Once I stopped trying to work it like Apoxie Sculpt, I was off and flying.  I am completely floored by how easy it is to use and highly recommend it!



He's got a butt finally... ha!

In two sittings I managed to just about finish my jumpers tush, allowing time for one side to dry so I wouldn't squish it while working on the other.  I'm good like that.  No I don't have a pic of the other side sadly.  I just can not get my lighting and camera to cooperate.  I can actually see me finishing this guy within the year now.  Maybe.  It's only been five years or so since I started him.

And while waiting for him to dry I played around with more tail ideas in photoshop.  I think this was my favorite so far after my initial posting.  Who knows what I'm going to go with, I still have so much to do on the rest of him before really thinking on hair!  Of course, I also need to decide still if he will end up as an OOAK custom or if I still want to go ahead with a resin run.   Hrrmmm.



Flippy goodness

  

Walk the (Red)Line

I've done a few redlines or photoshop edits for poeple on Blab of their customs.  Today while tring to figure out what else needed to be fixed on my jumper, it finally dawned on me to do my own redlines!




Yes he is getting a brand new head.  I'm just having too much fun playing with the other one to sculpt over it.

 



Obviously this is the appy version.  LOL

 

Redlines can be a great tool to help you actually see exactly what needs to be changed if you do them yourself.  Having someone else redline your work can also help find problems that you didn't even notice! 

Tack Time!

Every time I get a new horse in the mail there is something I do everytime, after unwrapping and drooling over them for a while.  Tack 'em up!

Today I got my Maxixe De Barrios by Morgen Kilbourn in the mail.  I reaaaallly shouldn't have been purchasing any model horse related items but this guy is one of only a handful of releases this year that I'm allowing myself. Hopefully the other piece I really am looking foward to doesn't get released for a while yet!

Being me, Max's first tack up was in my beautiful english set by Jennifer Buxton.  I love this set so much it's ridiculous.

Om nom nom.  Another gorgeous face! (Ignore the fact that the bit is not in his mouth.  I was lazy)

 He really is very tack friendly. Thanks Morgen!




Next, western! 



Mmmmmmmmaxie!

After torturing tacking up Max, I might have gotten a little bored and tacked up some other guys.

Meet the over enthusiastic trail horse!




This would have been even funnier with a rider.  XD

And pig pleasure....?



Yes he's got a bosal. 

And I tried tacking up my spanish fighting bull but he's too fat hefty for my girths and to horny big headed for a bridle.  Darn!



Yes I need a life.




Always Changing

The day that I decide to prep a horse and not feel the need to make any changes on it will be a happy day indeed.  Besides my menagerie of Vtoo's and their various planned changes, Ahzam is going to be getting a chin reconstruction and possibly some bigger legs if I'm feeling super ambitious.

Yes I love showing off his face.  XD

I've also got two resins here that are going to be getting some work done (yes, like I needed more projects).  Firstly a Johann by the uber talented Morgen Kilbourn.  I was luck enough to win him in her treasure hunt she had last year and I've been waiting for him to speak to me ever since. 

Another ridiculously handsome face.  *drool*

I think he's finally whispered that he wants to be a Kentucky Mountain Horse.  Only one little problem, the KMHs have teeniest little feet.  Johann has got these giant gravel stompers!  Time for a foot reduction!

"Mommy says my daddy was a draft horse..." 

Lastly is a Kitty Cantrell Romance resin I got for a ridiculously awesome price a number of months back.  She apparently had won a number of NAN cards in her day but now her paint job is very dated and her prep job leaves a bit to be desired.  She's also got two previously repaired broken legs (one of which rebroke in shipping).  So she is going to get a bit chop shopped.  O:) 



"I'm going to get WHAT?"

New mane, tail, forelock, slightly lowered neck, closed mouth plus other facil modifications, all four legs moved to a bigger trot plus somehow getting her off the ground, probably a little but more tummy put on her to be less racing fit, and possibly a little bit of a reduction on her engine. Whew!  Of course this is all hopefully what will get done.  She needs to get stripped first and then I'll go from there.


Seriously someone needs to betate me everyday if I'm not actually working on something.  I have all of these models I have plans for and some drawing that I should do too but nothing gets done.  Blargh.

A Herd of Galloping Ponies!

I had to get the photo from the last post to not show up in all of the blogs that follow me.  Everytime I would visit one I would start crying from seeing his litte face.

So how about a conga* of unpainted VToo's instead?



The back three are 'seconds' that Sarah sold, front two are from the actual run.


Yes, this just might be my absolute all time favorite model of all time.  And yes I needed two "all time's" just to show how awesome she is.




Yes, the second one in is missing her tail. And braids.


The VToo seconds didn't come with bases so I get to play around with how to stand those up.  That should be fun.  XD  I would reeeeeeeaaaaaalllly like to cut and resculpt one to be traveling straight but that would take a ton of work.  I'll probably end up doing it anyway.

All my lovely ladies!

 So!  I have the one I've already prepared for a new mane and tail.  The other one from the run is going to stay as is, I just need to pick a color.  And possibly a painter so it gets done sometime this millenia.  considering placing a back foot on the ground for one of the other seconds plus a new tail, possibly new mane also.  And a new face.  And the drastic custom.  And then I still have one victim left.....

VToo tower of doom!

Me thinks I'll have plenty to keep me busy.  But first I need to finish my jumper!  AUGH!




*Is it considered a problem when you have a conga of a resin horse?  0:)

My Little Micah

Named after an angel and gone before your time.  I'm going to miss you so much my little man.

December 19, 2010-April 29, 2012

Roll up your sleeves

And break out the tools.  I'm done hee-ing and haw-ing, time to slap some epoxy on that body.  Got Pandora open, alllllll my refs close at hand, and *hopefully* a plan.



That is some nasty looking epoxy. 




Stop looking at me like that.



Please don't attach me to this end....



See y'all in a few hours.  XD

Best Idea EVER

I have a confession.  I am a terrible prepper.  It takes me months to do what good preppers do in a week.  I frequently prep, prinme, reprep, strip, prep again, etc.  Why?  Beacause I miss things like this.

Ok maybe not ones that bad, but I the dings, dents, holes, seams, I miss more than is reasonable. 

And then one magical day in the end of February, I stumbled upon Prep School.  Braymere I can't even begin to tell you how much EASIER this has made my life and my only regret is not thinking of it sooner!  So I pulled out one of my most difficult resins and gave him the marker treatment.

Note Shifu the cute creeper in the corner.  XD





This isn't even all of the spots on him that need to be fixed, just the holes and divots and whatnots.  After I fix these my circle attack will be on the bumps and burrs. 

Did I mention best idea ever?  Woot!!!

Another new face in the studio

If this guy from my last post is my muse, then this next figure must be my Studio Overlord.




It'll all be Nefertiti.. if you do it my way.


She's baaaaa-aaack. 

Also known as I have the best friends in the world who get my ridiculous facsination with this particular DamnYouAutoCorrect entry.  Ok maybe they don't get it, but they are willing to pick up a Nefertiti bust for my birthday to amuse me.  XD

So together they sit, my cute muse and my overloard, watching me as I sleep. 

Creepers.

Studio Muse!

Or maybe that should be Studio Cute? 

Say it with me, "D'AWWWWWW!!"

Is he not completely adorable?  I saw this guy a while ago on the Windstone website and I just had to find one for myself.  This is the Fennec Fox; there are three more pebbles foxes in the works and of course now I need one of each of those when they come out too.  Yesh.  Oh!  And he needs a name!  Ideas?  XD


Think of this post as your daily dose of random.  Also of me procrastinating putting epoxy on the jumper.


EDIT:  Cute bugger up there now has a name!  Shifu after the master karate red panda in Kung Fu Panda.  Love the name and the movies!  Thanks Susan B Young and Kismet Lodge!  Cookies for you!

Over thinking things

I do have ideas for posts and a few posts in the works, but I've been puzzling over the nameless jumper for the past few days.  He has all of his limbs attached again and I'm pleased with the basic form for the most part. 

Unlike all of the other photos I have of him, this is actually the correct angle to his body.



He is SUCH a booger to photograph!




My favorite angle, legs everywhere!


Now comes the part I've been waiting years to do, add some muscle and definition to him.  Make him look like a horse not just a body bin reject.  But I don't know where to start.  I've spent so much time essentially getting my armature correct(ish) that I don't want to ruin him.  It's not like I don't have enough reference photos, so I shouldn't be fretting this much.  I really need to just get over it, mix some epoxy and slap it on him. 

But not tonight.  It's bedtime.


edit: Ack!  I will get back to comments shortly too, I'm such a scatterbrain.

10,000 and beyond!

Here's a random!  I just noticed I hit 10,000 pageviews!  How exciting! 

WOOHOO!

As thrilling as that is, we also need to celebrate Braymere's Blog!  Earlier today she hit a whopping 500,000 pageviews!  Now that is truely impressive!  I've been following her blog for a few years now and it has inspired me in so many ways, including the start of my own blog!  I'm sure most of you know of her and her fabulous blog, but go over again and congratulate her!  What a wonderful accomplishment Braymere, here's to another half a million pageviews for you!