WE HAVE MOVED!

This blog will shut down....we've moved!

NEW MODEL HORSE BLOG - http://modelhorsefun.blogspot.com/

General model horse fun, collecting info, you name it.

Please 'follow' us over there.

Thanks!!!

New Directions for the Blog

Dear Followers,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following our little blog! I wanted to let you know that I'll be changing both the name & direction of the blog moving forward. I am refocusing it on MODEL HORSES - my own personal collection, collecting tips and trivia, just general neat stuff about all things model horses. So less about EquinArt, and more about all those wonderful models out there we love...Breyers, Hartlands, Stones, Lakeshores, customs, AR's, artists, you name it.

Let me know any feedback please. Happy collecting!

Love
Jeanne

NEW RESIN Locked and Loaded

Meet "Locked and Loaded", a kicking molly mule sculpture by Candace Liddy. She's Little Bits scale, 4" tall, and available raw cast, prepped/primed and painted by the artist.

Lots more pictures here - http://www.equinartcreations.com/LockedLoaded.html

A Phone Call Says It All

This week I got a phone call from a woman asking about the Luminoso resin by Maggie Bennett. After we talked for a while about the model's details, she told me that she was actually calling for her 11-year old daughter. "That horse is all she talks about," this sweet lady said to me. "We are saving our pennies for it. I just wanted to be sure you'd have it and could ship it to us in Canada."

The call really moved me. It's been a long time since I've thought about collecting model horses as my passion rather than my business. You see, I was also around 11 years old when the first issue of "Just About Horses" came out. I saw the advertisement for it in the new Breyer I bought with my Christmas money. I begged my dad for my allowance (a whopping $2 back then) and put it into an envelope with my subscription form.

That little magazine opened up a world to me. I learned about photo showing and customizing. I made tack and sold it. I wrote a little newsletter. I made pen pal friends (before the days of the internet!) And before long, my stable had grown.



I stopped collecting when I was in high school. It wasn't "cool" to be so much in love with horses or play with toy horses, but I started taking riding lessons at age 16. In college I joined the equestrian team and rode for Molloy; I leased a school horse who became my best friend. I show groomed for my friends and I was soon riding in horse shows myself. My models collected dust and I sold a lot of them. Then, after I married, I packed them all away. We didn't have room to display them in our tiny apartment, so for 10 years they sat in storage.

Well now they're out. We moved into a nice house and I have room to display what I like. As I talked to the lady on the phone, my eyes strayed to the cabinet where my beloved models stand. After I hung up from the call, I decided to take the plunge.

I bought two new models.

I'd forgotten the excitement and happiness...the anticipation...the sheer pleasure of treating myself to a new model. Names. Breeds. Pedigrees. Show or keep for myself?

Today's pictures are my two new acquistion: KG's Gypsy Solitutde, and KG's Celtic Thunder, both Maggie Bennett micros painted by Kollean Gouyton of Stone Wolf Creations and purchased by me for my own personal collection.

Thank you, nice Canadian lady, for bringing back the joy.

Look for more updates from my new personal "farm", which I have dubbed Appalachian Acres, and my own model collection!

- Jeanne

Customer Painted Micro Minis

I spent most of today unwrapped lots of tiny pewter micro minis. When the box arrives from the casting company, each one is wrapped in....toilet paper. Yup, I'm not kidding. Jeff our pewter casting guy wraps each in a square of toilet paper. The stock area here looks like a Charmin factory exploded when we're done. After they're counted, we make sure each little guy stands okay. The legs often bend when the big box is shipped. By the way, if you get your micro and he doesn't stand right, gently...ever so gently, bend the legs. They do bend a bit no matter how carefully they're packed. For micros with a flat base, if they don't stand up okay, just take a rasp or heavy sandpaper and give it a few passes. When they come out of the mold they often have little metal tags or flakes on them, and because they're so small, even the little bits can make them off balance.

(above: micros painted by Gretchen O'Neal)

I thought today's pictures should be micros...customer painted micros! So without further ado, enjoy the handiwork of our model horse friends. Micro minis can be found on our home page, with links to our book, Tiny Treasures.

(new Kladruber painted by Kollean Gouyton)(Paso Fino painted by Andrea Bernard)

Sneak Peek - New Arabian by Tabatha Pack

Tabatha Pack sent me some sneak peek photos of her in-progress, Traditional scale Arabian resin. I'm already in love, and believe me, I see a lot of resins! This model is in the early stages, so expect many alterations and refinement as she progresses....but I know how much our collectors love Tabatha's work, and Arabians in general. Enjoy!

Aart by Michelle Platt

In January, we celebrated the joys of foals. In honor of our month long celebration, Janice Williford sent us photos of her custom painted "Aart" resin by Michelle Platt. I love how Janice painted him! Thank you Janice for sharing photos of your precious little resin.

Aart is available unpainted from EquinArt Creations for $75 plus shipping. Click here.