Royal Purple

Just in time to miss the Queen's 90th birthday, it's Carltonlima Emma!

I spotted some tiny purple flowers and thought they'd make a nice background for Emma. I love how you can see the purple colour reflected on her black coat. Very regal.

New Toys

Recently at camera club, someone brought in a trio of lens extension tubes. To cut a long story short, I thought they would be very useful for tiny horse photography and as they cost only £13, it would be foolish of me not to buy a set.

I started off with a handful of tiny models on the kitchen table. This is my favourite Stablemate Highland Pony, because of her more realistic eyes and rich dun colour.

A Papo Border Collie:

Thinking I was starting to get the hang of this, I fetched an old Breyer box and used it as a background. Little Stormy, who I haven't yet photographed properly, was up first.

Another Highland - I told you I liked them! This one is from the same Stablemate gift set as Prince.

I love how the ponies of this mould always seem to be smiling. So sweet.

Getting everyone together...

Upping the stakes, we go even smaller, to my favourite Mini Whinnie...

Closer...

The macro rings are great fun. Before I felt a bit limited because I couldn't take good headshots, but nothing in ze world can stop me now!

And to finish, a rare behind the scenes shot...

Back on Form

Not to worry, I haven't forgotten about this blog! Life's been pretty hectic lately with lambing and bad Northern Irish weather getting in the way of my model horse photography. So allow me to make a few introductions...

This is Carltonlima Emma (or Emma, for short):

I got her as a present for my 21st birthday. She is very adorable - but then I am a sucker for fluffy native ponies. It was fun to just take photos of the little details in her mould.

She even has a wonderful little beard.

I also love how her mane covers one of her eyes. It all adds up to a very adorable little pony.

The only other model purchase of this year has been this chap, a Schleich Frisian stallion. I was watching a BBC Musketeers marathon when he arrived, so he's called Athos.

Horses that are just standing, I find, are easier to photograph because they look good from every angle.

Here he is with his friend Aramis:

I had the horses and ponies standing on a book (Equus by Tim Flach) on my bed while I lit them with a torch. This was for my camera club's challenge of taking a macro photograph. I've been waiting forever to have an excuse to take photos of my herd for camera club, and at last I have one.

Prince the Stablemate Shire was very macro indeed.

I couldn't resist, however, taking Phoenix's photograph. He's my favourite model of all.

My goal with these shots was to show form, and I think I've achieved that. Hopefully the gap between this and my next post won't be so large.

Cash by Candlelight

Traditional Gifts

I wonder how many people have unwrapped Misty and Stormy on Christmas morning over the years. This year it was my turn. I'd ordered them from America at the end of November, and it was tense wait to see if they'd arrive on time. Thankfully they made it - and they're gorgeous

Misty was the one I was most excited to see in person, but in fact Stormy is very adorable all by himself.

Photos in front of wrapping paper because Christmas.

And just for fun, some size comparisons...

Misty and Laire:

Bonnie and Stormy:

I've now go the two essential mare and foal sets in my collection.

I can't get over just how adorable Stormy is.

I hope you all had a merry Christmas!

Liebster Award

I've gotten an award! I was totally taken by surprise, since I only created this blog this month, but hey ho! I was given this award not once, but twice, by Cedar Wood Stables and Horse Girl. I thank you both very much! As does Cash. I took so long getting round to sorting out this award because I wanted to take some photos to celebrate. Alas, my 1:9 scale paper hats didn't look very good when perched on Cash's head, and now it's raining outside, so you'll have to be happy with this photo from earlier this year.

And so, on to business. 

Here are the rules:

– Put the Liebster Award logo on your blog.

– Thank and tag the blog who nominated you.

– Answer their questions and come up with 10 new ones for your nominees

– Nominate 8 blogs (with less than 200 followers*), let them know you’ve nominated them, and link them in your post

– No tag-backs

Cedar Wood Stables' Questions

(You may want a cup of tea at this stage.)

1. Do you ride horses? If so, how often and what disciplines?

The short answer is no. The long answer is that I've always wanted to never allowed to for financial reasons. These days, though, my self-confidence that I can even get on a horse is in the toilet. I'm probably too plump as well. If there is a discipline I would love to be a part of, however, it would be driving.

2. How many pets do you have?

I refer you to my other blog, The Dogs of Greenhill Farm. I have five dogs, a pony, and a pet sheep, along with a few more hundred sheep who aren't quite as friendly. This is my favourite photo of Blue Belle to date:

Isn't she a cutie?

3. Do you customise model horses? What do you use?

Not really, I throw acrylic paint at them sometimes and hope for the best.

4. Favourite book/series?

Horse-wise, War Horse is an amazing book. I'm a fan of many TV programmes, including Doctor Who, Sherlock, Person of Interest, Supernatural, House MD, the odd British police drama, QI, not to mention the comedies and other dramas that I've forgotten to mention. Oh - Blackadder. I write fanfiction.

5. Best model horse memory?

In the living room one day I created a little field for my Schleich horses using VHS tapes. It was the same day I got the then-new Dressage Hanoverian mare. You know, the bay one with the moulded on leg bandages. I just remember playing with them all afternoon. There are other memories, but that's one of my fondest.

6. Model horse/horsey inspiration?

Pretty horses in Breyer and Schleich catalogues.

7. Worst model horse buy?

Every time I run low on money, I think every horse I've ever bought is a bad buy. I do have a pair of Traditional Breyers (Sara Moniet and Pinto Sport Horse) that would fall into this category. I'm trying to sell them.

8. Favourite horse/dog/cat colour?

I'll flip this a bit, and name breeds instead. Horse: Shire, Suffolk Punch, Shetland Pony, Percheron, Friesian and Haflinger / Dog: Border Collie! / Cat: I like the furry ones. Persians, are they? And the ones with three colours. Tortoise shell, I think.

9. What’s your dream horse?

One day I will have a Suffolk Punch. No one can stop me.

10. Any other skills/hobbies?

I like photography a bit...

And I like to draw cartoon horses sometimes. A Shire in harness...

And my Blue Belle in cartoon form...

Horse Girl's Questions

1. What is your favorite place to be?

Gosh, that's a tricky one. I love being at home and spending time with my animals, and at the same I love going to somewhere new (preferably with a dog and a camera).

2. How long have you been blogging?

I've been blogging about my dogs for over five years, and my models for about five minutes.

3. What would your dream home be like?

Clean and tidy. Big but not too big. The colours would match. Each room would have a different colour scheme. There would be lots of shelves for models things. I'd have an office. I'd have a broadband connection (did you know I can only use the internet in my granny's house because there is no phone line to my own house?). There would be a big sofa.

4. How many blog posts have you made?

One my other blog, 604 - on this one, 11. If I remember my high school maths correctly, that is 615 blog posts. Now there's a scary thought.

5. What’s your favorite colour?

I always say I don't have a favourite colour, and yet I seem drawn to blue things...

6. Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?

Er... I've never read/watched Harry Potter. This annoys my friends greatly.

7. Have you got any pets and what are their names?

I refer to a question above. As for names: Jess, Teddy, Pip, Ben and Sheila are the dogs, Blue Belle is the pony, Suckie is the pet ewe, and there are a handful of other sheep with names as well. Dave, Gloria, Norman, Nova, Brian, Malcolm... I like giving sheep human names. It makes me laugh.

8. Have you ever fallen of a chair? (don’t ask)

(I shan't.) I'm pretty sure I have, but I've blocked out the memory due to shame/embarrassment.

9. What  brand of model horses do you have the most of if any?

I'd say Schleich outnumbers Breyer by a fair margin. It occurs to me that I've never counted. Shame on me.

10. What is your favorite horse colour?

I like palomino, and I used to call that my favourite colour, but any colour goes, really.

Now, my 10 questions:

1. Do you have trouble coming up with names for things?

2. Is there a model which is your total, absolute favourite?

3. Have you any rules when it comes to buying a new model?

4. Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them.

5. Tea or coffee?

6. What is your favourite horsey film?

7. Have you every bought a horsey magazine?

8. How open are you to people about your model horse collection?

9. What song is stuck in your head right now?

10. Can you tell us a joke?

And the nominees are...

Last Alliance Studios

Chestnut Heartbeats

Desktop Stables

Josine Vingerling

Many Mini Hooves

All of you feel free to ignore me.

Phew, that took a while. Thanks once again to those who nominated me!

The Collector

Brogue is quite the model horse collector!

I thought it would be fun to unearth my Mini Whinnies collection and give Brogue a new hobby. He really likes this little Quarter Horse mare.

It's like looking in a mirror...

This is one of my favourite Mini Whinnies. I cannot tell you why because I don't know myself. There's just something about him...

Brogue has good taste in models.