2018 Is Upon Us

New Year, new attempt to not abandon my blog! The cats are all doing good, I have acquired more models since General, and I'm still trying to contact a restoration artist for him. I also have Icicle who needs a few chips in his paint and gloss that I want repaired and too afraid to try myself...

Some of my customs are ever closer to being completed, like Speaker Pony is almost complete and Bengals Find Me Tasty is waiting on her hair. I have a few other active customs in working on in tandem with the other two, which I found helps me keep the motivation to complete them. What also helps is the fact that we moved this fall, and there is an arctic entryway that I can spray primer and sealant in.

The sisters are still growing, and DeEtta has been fixed. We were going to spay Gizmo also, but then income got tight shortly after DeEtta's procedure. We are hoping in the next couple months money will be more cooperative. To my relief DeEtta is herself, but more cuddly and cooperative. The downside is that it didn't get rid of her foot fetish...

Here's to a new year of misadventures!

(And hopefully getting around to blogging it!)

Sad sad thing

So...remember my Albino Five Gaiter I was talking about last time? Well....he had a bad tumble when the squirrels were harassing DeEtta one night a few days after my last blog post.

 

General is a casualty of the "Squirrel Wars" that have been going on this spring. On the plus side the sunning is doing well for him! I was disappointed that it happened at all, but I didn't expect DeEtta to have a meltdown over it. She cried all night because he was absent from his spot, so I put Buddy up there. It somewhat cheered her up. A couple weeks later the Quake Hold that I ordered in March finally arrived, so I put him back at his post. My plan is to finish sunning him and  then send him to a restoration artist to fix his leg and some scuffed up shading.

 

(I had to be creative with standing him back up)

Too Long, Too Long

Welp, that was a very long hiatus! I am alive still, I promise. Despite the silence things have been productive...ish. DeEtta Hope is 3ft long from nose to tail, and still thinks she can fit in my palm, which makes bedtime a little awkward for this Bengal momma.

 

My face was sweating, and she was very very very smug about it.

 

She also tried to gift herself to me for Christmas. I still have no idea where she found that bag.

She has become quite the cat, one moment acting like a rebellious teenager and before I can react she's being a clingy kitten the next. I am honestly surprised she isn't in my lap trying to help me type this very second, it has become her favorite hobby. Gizmo is not as flip-flop with her behavior, she spends her days acting like the happy puppy cat she is unless her younger sister is antagonizing her. They both really enjoy being around what I do which really helps me with getting bored. 

 

I finally put a shelf up in my room last month, and they love the perch quality of it. 

In the world of Starshore Studios, things have been slow but steady. I acquired some neat vintages over my absence from here, along with more micros from Maggie Bennett's monthly subscription. Best. Drunk purchase. Ever.

(I do not endorse drinking and browsing the Internet, or drinking and prepping models. I was miraculously lucky in both cases and also learned a lesson) 

I also remembered to sign up for the Breyer Collector and Stablemate Clubs this year, and pretty happy with what it has given me (once I dish out the cash of course). I got the green Christmas Sherman Morgan with only one minor flaw in his gloss, and got my Coco the other day with one gloop of lint on her off side. In my opinion they're both really nice since I live where there's no live shows. 

Despite no live shows I have been participating more within the hobby. How, you may ask? Well for those who are on Facebook and follow Jennifer of Braymere Custom Saddlery, you would have either been caught up in, or observing, the National Model Painting Month event she kicked off in February. I missed the sign up deadline, but she still encouraged folks to take part in the spirit of the hobby getting together and helping each other. I normally don't paint in the winter since I can't use the matte sealant outdoors but I decided that it shouldn't be too hard to guard the model's paint job until break up season; and I was getting rather bored of going to work, coming home, sitting on the computer gaming, go to sleep, repeat routine. Around this time I got an unpainted Peter Stone Morgan (the 1997 one, or "old mold" as I've heard some people call him) and as soon as I laid eyes on him he wanted to imitate the Vintage Appaloosa Performance Horse (Breyer #99) coloring. Of course I couldn't say no, so out came the paints and frisket!

As you can guess, there were mishaps. First it was the frisket/sneeze incident. I had the jar in my hand and didn't put it down when I felt the sneeze coming. On the plus side, some of it splattered on the horse nicely; as for my nose and desk...well I lost alot of fine nose hairs getting that out of my nasal cavity and I'm still finding specks of the latex doom on my computer monitor this very second. Second mishap was color choice. The frisket dries orange, and my base coat I chose was an orange based burnt sienna. I was hating myself for that, along with the third mishap which was painting in too thick of layers. This meant that not only was the frisket hard to find, it also was taking off too much of the paint surrounding it or just stretching it out like a limp noodle. There was also the heated discussion with DeEtta who was thinking it was okay to sit above the desk and droll on me and the horse's freshly laid down paint...

Despite those blunders (and mild hypothermia from an ice fishing day) I got him finished! I will admit the Traditional scale is intimidating to paint but it was a fun challenge. There are some things I need to improve on, like fading the color into the bare plastic and not using a stiff bristled paint brush. I also need too improve on color matching but that will get better with time. Next post will feature some of my new additions, but until then enjoy these progress photos of Sharp Dressed Man!

I have returned!

Very very long absence due to the brain in my laptop crapping out on me and saving up for a new computer. I decided to go with a desktop this time, and I'm slightly intimidated by the large monitor. I have been doing some hobby stuff, mostly experimental painting, and of course spending my waking hours at home with DeEtta and the others. I'm not too sure what else to put for the night so I shall entertain you with a few pictures from my few months of silence.

 

After a trip to Anchorage for medical testing I made a shelf for Stablemates

 

DeEtta was heartbroken that Bengal Buddy couldn't fit in the box with her

 

One of my grails achieved thanks to Chelsea's Model Horses!

 

Somebody loves paper bags...

 

...really really loves paper bags

 

The sisters are the same size, and DeEtta keeps growing and growing

 

One of my many fails, but it has helped me get a better idea on what I'm doing

Daring to decorator

Small while again, but alive! Have been gradually working on some of the many projects at once, and really wanting to try non realistic, but popular vintage decorator colors. I figured I have the best victim, a G1 thoroughbred mare who I decided to try and prep after a few beers. Bad idea. I have her mostly fixed but decided that her fate is to live on my desk as a lesson pony about adult choices. I also tried to primer her while intoxicated (ugh!) and had to sand off half of it trying to fix her.

I have been driving myself mad with realistic colors not turning out as expected so I decided to find a new definition of insanity. Decorators. I have noticed that non-realistic colors really help me relax from the stress of making things look realistic. I even went as far as buying my first custom! She is a G2 running thoroughbred that I decided to name Tiger's Eye; and her color really resembles the Bengal girls. But when I tried getting a comparison photo of her to DeEtta's fur, the girls decided to be...."helpful."

 

"What'cha doin' momma?"

 -DeEtta

 

"It smells funny..."

-Gizmo

 

"It also tastes funny!"

-DeEtta 

I love the marbling on her, and I can't figure out how the artist does it. I got her from the eBay seller abcrv; and they have some rather gorgeous customs every week on auction. I want to get a couple more of their lovelies, but I'm also trying to save up to potentially go to next year's Breyerfest. I was considering doing a bunch of decorators on the models in the body box and selling as shelf sitters, but at the same time I'm still learning how to make my personal models look nice.

Too early for a New Year's Resolution, so how about I make it my Breyerfest Resolution?

 

And while talking decorator, I want to share a sneak peek of a WIP before calling this blog entry good.

 

 

Feline shenanigans and a scary little machine

Last few days have been a hit and miss with my health, and the antibiotic was wreaking more havoc than the sickness, but I am still alive! And let's just say there were a couple kitties that kept sticking close to me, so I caught them in their "natural habitat." Please forgive the horrendous photo placement.

   




Gizmo was "helping" me braid...

    

I was also front row to a Bengal battle! DeEtta was having a good time lounging back, even while slapping Gizmo's paw.

I love this shot, it shows how close in size they are. Gizmo still has more muscle tone than DeEtta.

I also started working on my pony pouches again, and with a new method. It is definitely one that I'm still trying to figure out, and it has bite. So far it has pricked my innocent thumb and nearly mangled a piece of material. Who knew a handheld sewing machine could be so scary....it took me an hour to make one pouch for one stablemate. One. Hour. I would be better off hand sewing them unless I can get better at not getting attacked by the machine and making giant snarled messes somehow. It would be nice to get the pouches made for at least the stablemates so that they can quit chafing against each other in their storage tote. One step at a time, or else I will trip and fall.

 

So cute, but also intimidating...

And don't forget, tomorrow is pi(e) day!!

Research struggles

With the near completion of one project (Stonewall Lee), I am preparing to do the research portion for another project. For being a mess up on base coloring, he is turning out gorgeous, almost like a steel gray snowflake appaloosa. Speaking of appaloosas, I have decided that will be my next project. I finally succumbed and bought a stablemate sized artist resin mare that is rolling blissfully on her back. I fell in love with her at first sight and decided that I was going to get her.

 

I might be a fool for horses that aren't the kind you would put in a winner's arena setting.

As soon as I saw her, I immediately pictured her as a leopard appaloosa. Simple enough on the basic end, white horse with spots like a dalmatian. That would be the case if I was making a doodle of a leopard appaloosa, but I want to do it right, mottled skin and all. It wasn't hard to gather reference pictures for the eyes, hooves, genitalia, and muzzle, but there one big gaping detail I'm struggling with that is out in the open on this beauty. Her belly. I know the hair is thin on parts of the belly, so pinking and mottling will show through, but I can't remember exactly where, and Google is acting like a stubborn critter about my search terms. At least it hasn't given me anything traumatizing like when I've looked for other things in the image search, I actually got lucky and found an adorable find!

 

Behold the mythical "Cataloosa"

Of course before I would go slopping paint on an artist resin with a pattern I've never done, I need a test pony. Thank god that I have a body box of beaten up models I've acquired in multiple horse lots on eBay, so I have a few to pick from. My victim of choice is a little bit/paddock pal quarter horse that was painted a yellow brown. When I removed the paint from him and his little buddies soon after I acquired them with a method I used many times before, something......strange happened. Unlike other times, I used a cheap oven cleaner which seemed to cause a very acidic reaction against the plastic; and took off not only the paint, but it dissolved the top layer of plastic in some places into a gel like mess. I managed to rescue them and clean them before too much damage was done while cussing and muttering and wondering if the cheap crap had acetone or something in it. Here I am, pulling him (well, her, his manhood was a victim of the death slime) out of the body box, and I'm debating on bathing it, it still smells like the lemon scented oven cleaner from eight months ago. If you ever decide to do the oven cleaner in a baggie method to remove acrylic paint from a Breyer, I advise using a brand name oven cleaner instead of the bargain brand stuff at the corner store, it will save you a night of wanting to rampage through a basement apartment and go upstairs to ask your landlord for a cigarette although you are trying to break the habit. I have determined that once I lightly sand down the rough edges around the resulting slime craters and put a gesso layer on him (her!) then it will be safe to practice some mottling.

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 new pretty and ideas abound!

So much for posting my new addition the other night! (The bengals can be very demanding and giving me no choice but to step away from hobbies.) I've always had a soft spot for palominos, and finding this family arabian mare from the 70's-early 80's in rather decent condition didn't help. I think I'll name her Honeysuckle, not fully decided on it yet.

 

Not too scuffy, and a lovely color.

Also got around to picking up one of my ongoing projects last night, an alabaster unicorn on the running stallion mold. I'm on the fence about if my modifications will make him look better or worse...

(I would put a picture here, but the ways he looks right now is a bit creepy and also constitutes as nightmare material, no joke. I recommend not cutting off his mane and ears and placing him in a spot where he's constantly watching you.)

Some mornings start earlier than I would like, so I use the time to rake up ideas. Today's inspiration was a scene for a performance class, but not your typical "this horse is a badass winner in the arena." More like the riding academy horse who isn't in the mood to run the course, or the stud who breaks his form while being judged in halter because there's an irresistible smelling mare nearby that he wants to meet. That's right, the arena bloopers. For some reason my brain exploded with ideas that would be easy and amusing to replicate, and it is something I sure wouldn't expect in a show if I was a judge. Not only that, but it can be a drag being serious and trying to replicate something and achieve 500% success. Got to find humor and keep lighthearted in life to try and rise above the negativity.

 

Not gonna lie, that's another nightmare piece.

In the next installment of this mess of my thoughts, I will introduce a part of my collection that always interests me and keeps me learning new things!

  

Everything and nothing

Well it's been a couple busy days for sure, with work and responsibilities. In the model horse aspect I have gotten one of the many "Holy Grails" of my collection: Hidalgo on the Silver mold!

There is one flaw he has that I will have to keep a close eye on, a seam split at the base of his tail. Other than that he is in beautiful photo showing condition!

Very tiny, but still bad news...

Speaking of photo showing, I fail at using lighting but still somehow have models that have placed in an online show I participate in. When I entered in the first show, I figured it would be simple-pull out my boxes of models, snap some pretty pictures, enter them then put my horses up with no problem. How wrong I was! When I started setting up my appaloosa foal on the Ashley mold, DeEtta (who was fast asleep in the other room until now) hopped up, sniffed the model, then grabbed it by the head and ran off to chew on the ears. Lil' Ditty escaped with no scuffs or breaks thankfully, and the Bengal bundle of terror left the others alone for the rest of the session.
A couple nights ago I pulled the boxes out again to find models to enter in the upcoming show. Other than the battle with my photography nemesis -the shadows- and not so awesome background choices/materials, it was running smooth. DeEtta was behaving herself and was happy in the box I supplied for her. I set up my stablemate who I fondly named Hazlenut Latte to photo and the peace was gone.

 

No DeEtta she's not edible!

It was supposed to be a picture of a pretty stock horse mare. Nope. I captured the mighty Sasszilla going for plastic prey. After that I tried chasing her away so I could finish but had to hold her in one arm while photographing a couple more horses before giving up.
Today I had better luck after purchasing basic colored poster board and stealing the desk lamp to try again. Bear was a huge help by distracting DeEtta for me, so nobody was traumatized this time around.

 

 

Today I found out I am capable of making tiny tassels (yay!), the next step is mastering the rest of the components for an Arabian presentation set, which I am more than eager to acquire my newest herd member to use for general sizing. Will definitely be sharing her when I get her home.