Update

I need to apologise for the long gap between posts. I didn't mean to take such a break, but my grandmother passed away suddenly on the 16th of this month.

With that in mind, I'm afraid I've lost all heart for the Copperfox 10 Day Challenge, so I'm officially ending it here. I'm not going to stop blogging, but it might be a little longer before I feel able to start posting again. I just wanted to update my readers and let you know I haven't abandoned you.

I'd really prefer it if people didn't leave condolence/sympathy messages, so I'm turning off comments for this post. I'm sorry; I know you all mean well, but I don't think I can deal with them just right now. Please respect my wishes, and thank you. Hopefully I'll be back before too long.

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge - Day '4': Naming

Day '4':  Name your model or barn 

 
Have a go at naming the most recent addition to your herd by giving them a show name, stable name and pet name. As further ideas, why not do the same for your barn or stable yard and then make a barn tour video?

I know it's a couple of days late, but I'm not going to try to cram 3 days into one post. So, here's Day 4 of the Copperfox 10 Day Challenge (which is actually Day 2's challenge, since I swapped them round).

Whilst I don't have a stable yard (because I don't have room to set one up or store it), I do have a name for my 'stable' of horses. I use the prefix 'Silverdale Acres' (SA) in front of all my Breyers' show names, and 'Blue Moon Stables' (BMS) for all my Schleich horses (it just feels weird to have them all in the same 'stable').

Most of my models don't have official 'pet' names, mostly because I prefer those kinds of names to happen spontaneously. If I wrote stories for my horses they probably would end up with their own pet names, but since I don't it's not something I worry about. Plus, it's hard enough just coming up with Show and Stable names for them all! Here are just a few of my latest additions (the others still won't tell my what they want to be called...)

 

 I am genuinely smitten with this Stablemate filly! Since I've made my black Paso Fino mare, Nightingale, her mother I figured it would be good to stick with the bird theme, so this filly's name is now Dotterel, or Dot for short (yeah, yeah, I know it's cliche, but it suits her.)

 

 I'm over the moon to finally have this beauty! I'd always admired the pictures of Marigold, the very first release on the Classic Morgan Mare mould, in Breyer's catalogue, but because she was a special Fun Day release I never thought I'd be able to own one. So when this girl was listed on Chestnut Ridge for sale secondhand, I jumped at the chance to get her. And I'm so pleased I did. I adore her, and I've called her Feminine Fox, or Vixen, for her chestnut coat and the way her tail reminds me of a fox's brush.

And lastly, for now, I've bought myself the Schleich male Dalmatian. He's about Classic scale, so he'll be keeping my Schleich male German Shepherd, Kep, company. I wish his spots were better: they look more like patches in some places, like on his shoulder and just above his hock, but I like him nonetheless. Whilst looking for name ideas for my Schleich zebra I came across a web link for an article about a newborn zebra foal at a zoo. The zoo had named the foal 'Ruckus', and I just thought that was such a great name that I borrowed it for my new dog. So, please meet Ruckus.

That's all for now. On to day 5!

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge - Day 3: Model Horse

Day 3:  Be a Model Horse 

Imagine yourself as a model horse. What colour would you be? What mould would you be created on? What scale?

Day 3 of the Copperfox 10 Day Challenge, and I'm back on track. 

This challenge really interested me. A while back, when I was filling out an application form for a job in a big branded pet shop, one of the questions on the form asked:

"If you were any kind of animal, what would you be and why?"

It was clear that they wanted applicants to show their understanding of animals, but it got me thinking. It was such a unique question, and I put a lot of thought into my answer. Today's challenge feels like the same sort of idea.

First, a little about me. I'm short, with long brown hair and hazel eyes. When it comes to personality, I'm quiet, almost painfully shy and a total perfectionist. On the Myers-Briggs Test, I'm a INFJ (Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging) person (and if you've never taken a Myers-Briggs personality test, I highly encourage you to. The results are fascinating, and so insightful! There are a ton of free tests out there, so find one you like.).

So, how does any of that translate into equine form? Well, since I have pale skin, brown hair and hazel eyes, I should probably be an amber champagne colour, but to be honest I don't think I'm unique or flashy enough to be a champagne horse. My shy nature means I'd much rather blend into the background and go unnoticed, and since I'm naturally brunette one colour comes to mind: liver chestnut.

Right, so what mould and what scale? Since I'm a small person I think a small horse or light pony breed with a long mane/tail would be best. I'm quiet and reserved, so nothing in a fancy canter or jumping pose. And maybe something in a Stablemate/Paddock Pal scale?

 Yeah, ok, she's a bigger scale than I suggested, but in pretty much every other category Sara Moniet ticks each box. She's small for a Traditional, has long brown hair, and is sculpted in a quiet walking pose.

 With her head down and her eyes on the ground she looks shy, like she's desperately trying to avoid making eye contact so no one comes over and talks to her. Conformationally, she's a bit awkward (like me :) ), with a weird shoulder and legs that are too thick, but she's still attractive in her own way. And she's lifting her hind leg very carefully, as though she's being ultra precise over exactly where she places every hoof.

 Her liver chestnut coat is very simple and plain, without a single white hair to draw attention to her. You'd probably notice her more for her extra long mane and tail than anything else. And her eyes have a kind but nervous look to them, as though she's not really sure if what she's doing is correct.

So yeah, if I was a model horse, I'd probably look an awful lot like Sara Moniet here. I knew there had to be a reason I like her so much :)

Oh, and by the way, in case you were wondering,the animal I put down that I think I'm the most like is a chocolate labrador!

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge - Day '2': Photos

Day '2': Your Favourite Model Horse Picture 

 
What is your most favourite model horse picture? Maybe you already have one or maybe you can create a new one?

Yes, ok, I know that this isn't the "proper" challenge for Day 2 of the Copperfox 10 Day Challenge, but the actual challenge for Day 2 involves naming your latest model and I'm still working on that. So, instead of trying to rush the process and ending up with something rubbish, I'm going to jump ahead and do one of the other days early. Besides, the rules do say:

"Remember it is supposed to be fun, so please do not worry if you miss a day, want to skip a challenge or do one twice."

And I'm going to interpret that as permission to reorder the days too :)

Ok, so I'm actually very bad at taking nice photos of my models. I would love to have a nice outdoor area to photograph them in, but until I find somewhere I've had to make do with what I've got. That's why most of my decent photos feature my Schleich models: they're just much easier to take pictures of in a small space. Any time I try with my Traditionals or Classics something very out of scale, like a fence or a garden shed, sneaks into the frame. Anyway, here are some of the best that I've managed to take.

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge - Day 1: Inspiration Day

To everyone who's getting a bit tired of seeing "Copperfox 10 Day Challenge" posts popping up in your blog feed, I'm very sorry but you're about to get one more! :)

Yeah, I'm jumping on the bandwagon too. After seeing how others have interpreted the first few days of the challenge I've felt inspired to give it a go myself.

The Copperfox 10 Day Challenge is a fun little event that, in their own words, is "all about having fun with your models, learning something new and sharing our experiences."

Day 1: Inspiration Day

An easy start to our challenge! Find something that inspires you. It could be a picture of an unusual colour of horse that you would like to turn into a model, a how-to tutorial video or a piece in your favourite magazine about collecting things that you love. Or it could be a song, film, piece of poetry- whatever it is, find something that gets your creativity going!

Does being inspired to do the Copperfox 10 Day Challenge count? No? Ok then.

I've written about this before, but my first model horse inspiration was the wonderful Christine Sutcliffe of Last Alliance Studios. Her Schleich repaints inspired me to start repainting my own models, and her model horse photography is just breathtaking. Any time I see one of her customs I think to myself "Wow! I want to be able to paint like that!"

I'd also like to mention the Youtube personality HoneyheartsC, especially her DIY videos. Her step by step tutorials make repainting your models look surprisingly easy, and I'm inspired to have a go at a lot of the tips and tricks she suggests.

In addition, I'd like to give a shout out to all the blogs that I read. Your regular posts inspired me to start writing, and to keep writing, my own blog. So thanks go out to everyone on the list of blogs to the right.

And finally, because I don't want this to turn into just one big shout out, I'll leave you with a photo I took in Southern Ireland on my last holiday of a stunning cat that, one day, I'd like to use as a reference image for a repaint.

Horse Crazy Decorator Stablemates

I recently featured my Pink Ribbon Stablemate, Courage, in a post and mentioned that I was thinking of getting the new decorator Horse Crazy Stablemates. CWS Stables & Studio very kindly did a review of her models to help my make my decision, and it convinced me to go ahead. So now, Courage has a herd :)

These are the 6 individual Stablemates from the Horse Crazy lineup. To keep with the theme that Courage started, I've given them all emotive based names.

 This is Blissfully Happy, or Bliss; the frosted pink Cantering Warmblood mare. I expected the frosted models to have a grainy/textured feel to their coats, but they're completed smooth like a regular Stablemate.

 Next is Greatest Joy, or Euphoria; the pink Tennessee Walking Horse mare. She's a deeper, brighter pink than Bliss, and seems to be moulded in a completely different colour instead of just being un-frosted.

 One of my favourites, this is Returning the Favour, or Favour; the frosted green American Saddlebred mare. I love the subtle mint green they chose for her colour.

 The last mare is Gracious in Victory, or Grace; the frosted blue Belgian mare. It's much easier to see her frosted coat in real life.

 Both stallions are purple in colour, but their shades are very different. This is Proudest Moment, or Pride; the purple Mustang stallion. Like Euphoria his coat in un-frosted, and the deep colour of his body makes the glitter in his mane and tail really stand out. Of them all, I think he's probably the most impressive.

And finally, this is Trust In Yourself, or Trust; the frosted lilac Walking Arabian stallion. Seen on his own it's easy to mistake his colour for pink, but when you put him with Bliss his purple tones become apparent. 

Overall, I'm happy with these models. It would have been nice if they had a bit of detailing on their bodies, like Courage, or even just had their eyes painted so they stood out. I think the un-frosted models are more effective and attractive than the frosted ones, mostly because their glitter manes and tails are more obvious, but that's just my personal opinion. I've also noticed that the plastic these models are sculpted from has a tendency to leave ridges along seams, especially around the bottom of hooves or around the ears, but maybe that's more an issue with quality control at the factory. It's worth bearing in mind, though, as these edges can be a bit sharp.

And finally, because I couldn't resist, I'll leave you with some imagines of the herd standing on a windowsill, with the daylight shining through them. :)