Sick day and ramblings

Just my luck lately. Get crushed in a door over the summer, have my left lung forget how to function, catch a respiratory infection in January, and get a nasty cold once I'm healed up from the infection. The most annoying part is when it keeps me from going to work....how am I supposed to add to my collection if I'm not making money?! At least the cats are happy that there's a human to pick on all day, three of the five commandeered my bed when I got up to get a drink. The other two were playing, but it got suddenly quiet. Knowing Gizmo and DeEtta that can mean anything from nap time to plotting on how to climb the walls in a different fashion.
In other news, I got a girlfriend for Tamarisk (I'm keeping it a secret from him) and I'm perfecting my braids for Arabian tack. I found a four strand method that works nicely as long as I have a way to hold it down, and it has a smooth symmetrical result to it. I think a bit more practice and I can create some lovely pieces for my growing Arabian collection (I wonder what color will go well with the wood grains). The joys of a berserk nervous system makes me contemplate working on my stablemate sized customs, but there's one I would love to finish and another that I believe I have found a good color for. There was a time a couple years ago when the only blockade from finishing a model in one sitting is my tendency of having to put it down before I get annoyed, now that happens faster depending on what kind of day it is with my twitches and shakes. I also found another flaw of mine is being impatient and not wanting to clean the brush or water down the paint to make more smooth brushstroke-less layers.
One fine example of this is my custom Epona, who I completed in a record two hours (not recommended). She did turn out as I wanted but also atrociously. If you look closer you can see little balls of dried acrylic paint that stuck to my brush that I decided to not have the time to clean.

 

Bad Ali, no pretty ponies or potato salad for such impatience! 

Here is my work in progress whose color turned into a whoops. Stonewall Lee was supposed to be a dapple grey, but I went wrong somewhere in the beginning and didn't notice until I was too far along to want to retry. He is almost done, just waiting on a good day to not twitch everywhere while detailing his mane. My major mess up was not thinning the paint, so there are a few brush strokes on him, especially his black stockings, and I'm theorizing that is another reason his grey came out far darker than expected.

 

Points to whoever can think of a name for his coloring!

Working on him will be for another time when I won't potentially cough up gunk on him. These two definitely aren't my first customs, but the others are packed away. I am thinking of sewing together some pony pouches to better pack everyone in, and I'll take pictures as I find them. And to end today's random entry, I shall display a photo of what all the cats are possibly doing! Starring DeEtta, who is keeping an eye/ear on me.

 

Zzzzzzzzzz...

My recently new addiction

My dad has a tendency of picking on me: I talk to my cats and dachshund like they're people, I'm not exactly tall (that would come from the genetics from his side of the family), and my model horse hobby. He's always shaking his head when he sees packages in the mail with my name on them, and asks me "Really Ell? Another damn plastic horse?!"

 

"Would you prefer that I'm into drugs or a raging alcoholic?"

(-Me almost every time he gives me a hard time.)

Anywho, that's not the subject of this post. Last time I said that I would introduce a part of my collection. They aren't winning models, or anything of high value,  but I still treasure them like they are.They are my lovely little oddballs. There are some that I know none about, while there are others where I have a pinch of a clue. Here is the eye candy starring each member and a little backstory of what I do know about each

Lady Facade

 

First glance one might say "Oh that's a Breyer Western Horse" or "Hey is that a Hartland Victor mold?"

Both are wrong, it's a Ohio Plastics horse. She briefly fooled me, then sent me on a four hour internet research spree. So far she has earned her stay by teaching me something new.

Unnamed grey stallion and foal

 

I know very little about these two. I do know that they are in atrocious condition, if I clean them the paint and glue holding the halves together might dissolve, and that it is supposed to be a three horse set (the second foal is missing) from WS Toys in Hong Kong. When I search for this specific model set I get moot, but have found some other sets that put these two to shame in terms of integrity through the decades.

 

This adorable family is for sale on Etsy, I've been on the fence about getting them.

Tamarisk

 

Here's a familiar face to this blog. I know, he's a woodgrain Family Arabian Stallion wearing vintage Breyer tack, borrrrriiiinnnnggggg, but there's more to him than that.

 

He is a souvenir from Lexington, Kentucky. I had no idea this was possible, and haven't had much luck in the research realm. Again, the bit of info I do know is from a model for sale.

 

This lovely lady (who I couldn't afford) is a souvenir from Owensboro, Kentucky with the same style sticker as Tamarisk on the same side. I am pretty sure that the stickers are an aftermarket addition, but I can be wrong. The mystery shall go on for now.

 The Mysterious Moo

My last featured herd member is not of the equine type, but is still unique and worth mentioning. A coworker who knows about my hobby had this in her trailer home collecting dust and gave it to me. She wasn't sure of the material but I quickly found with a tap on my head that it's made of rubber. I will be honest-I have no idea at all as to what company made this, all I know is that there's a "Made in USA" stamp on the bottom and a sticker that says "Circa 1930's-42 Auburn Indiana." The date does explain why its made of rubber; toys pre WW2 were typically made of rubber, until the war required the manufacture of rubber soles for combat boots and other needs which largely stopped toy production for many companies. After the war plastic injection molding became king of the toy figurine industry. Definitely a unique piece and my oldest possession without a doubt.

It is currently a small portion of my collection (introducing all my Stablemates would be the death of me) but the one that I talk everyone's ears off about. I might be the type of  person who talks nonstop when excited or intoxicated, but then how else will I express all my thoughts?

Oh, and happy leap day!

Crazy attempt

Decided to wind down from the day by turning the braid DeEtta tried to eat into a halter. The progress I have done looks good on Tamarisk. Here are progress pics for what audience I do have to grin (or cringe) at.

Definitely wasn't centered!

 

Shiny chain hooray :)

 

Browband was far enough for the night.

Next step, failing at tassels!!