From Blah to Bling

When I got my new Wow saddle back in March, I realized that I could finally buy pretty saddle pads again. I was sick of the black saddle pads that I had been using for the last few years, as they were all specialty pads and I couldn't afford more than necessary.

So what did I do? I went and bought the Lemieux pad that I've been coveting for a few years. In purple - well, blackcurrant, to be specific.

Sadly, the shape of the pad is not a good match for my saddle.

What did I buy next?

A black pad.

When you have a saddle with ridiculously small flaps, standard sized saddle pads don't fit very well. I decided to look into pony saddle pads. I could use the regular length along the spine as my seat is a 17", but need the flap to be short and not very forward.

Not your standard looking jump saddle.

I found a local place that was closing out and had these simple pony pads on clearance for about $12 each, so I ordered one in black and one in white. The only other colour that was available was yellow - no, thank you.

However, I didn't want to use a plain, black saddle pad. If I don't have colour, I want some bling.

Still can't decide if these are amazing or hideous.

On Friday I got my craft on. And here is the result.

It doesn't really photograph well, but the circles are done in a mint green glitter. It's a heat transfer vinyl, and I'm hoping that it adhered properly - saddle pads are tricky with the quilting. Time will tell!

I still have to do the white one, but I have plans for it. I love this Equestrian Stockholm saddle pad, but I really don't love the price.

So I'm thinking of something with a similar design. The question is what trim to use. I've found a few different faux leather PU trims, but I'm not sure about how washable they will be. I also found some vintage lace that might look really pretty. We'll see what I decide!

Got My Craft On (Again)

You are probably tired of reading this, but again, it's too damn cold to ride. I didn't leave the house on Sunday, and only went out to the barn on Monday night because I had to see if Cisco would fit into a 72" Horseware blanket I found on a great sale (he didn't).

My fingers were frozen while bringing both horses in and I had forgotten to grab my neck warmer so I couldn't feel my face, and the overhead door to bring horses in and out of the barn wasn't working. It wasn't supposed to be that cold out, only -20, but man, it felt way colder. When I left the barn, within a mile my car registered -31, which was a full 10 degrees colder than it registered when I got home in the city.

But since I was out, the horses got a chance to move around in the arena. Phantom must be coming into heat because she peed in the barn aisle, which she almost never does, and had absolutely no patience for Cisco. Full on PMS rage towards him. Mind you, I'm pretty sure he deserved most of it.

While I was home all day Sunday I started a couple of crafty things. I didn't work on Tuesday until later in the day so I finished it all off in the morning while trying to dodge fresh piles of cat puke since my kitty apparently ate something that didn't agree with him.

I've taken a table at the spring tack sale in a couple of weeks. I'm mostly going to be taking tack but I'm going to share a craft table with a friend. So I did up a couple more of these make-up bags.

This one is going into my drawer at work. Not that I expect it to stop anyone. (Which isn't an issue really, I just need to tidy my drawer.)

This was inspired by something I saw on someone else's blog recently. I'm broke, so I used shirts I already own. If you look closely you can probably see the stain right underneath the logo.

I think I really like this. The horse is in a pearlized vinyl that changes colours in different lights. The lettering was supposed to be slightly to the left to start under the front foot - oops. Those who ride with me can expect to see this logo all over my riding clothes going forward. Mostly in glitter.

If this cold continues I might end up with a whole new wardrobe!

Cold Day Crafts

Not much happening around here this weekend. Or for most of the upcoming week.

It started to snow on Thursday night and ended Saturday morning. Roads were terrible - the drive home from work took me 50 minutes instead of the normal 30, and that was before the worst of rush hour hit.

And it's cold.

There is light at the end of the cold, dark tunnel. The weather is supposed to take an upwards turn next weekend and be hovering around the freezing mark for the following week. Mind you, it was supposed to start warming up mid-week this week. But the cold seems to be staying longer and longer.

Since the roads were crap and it was so damn cold I didn't head out to the barn this weekend. So I did crafty things at home instead. 

I decorated the two polar fleece neck warmers that I had bought at the dollar store.

Rose gold glitter.

Blog wear. Not sure if the discolour will wash out or not - this quite often happens with black, but usually goes away after washing.

The wall behind my couch in the living room is a horse photo wall. It's still a work in progress. I've wanted to put the names of the horses that I've owned on the wall and finally decided on how to do it. Not sure if it will stay this way or not, but it was an inexpensive project. I picked up a few of the frames at Ikea on a one day sale for $0.97 and just used some decorative paper for the background. The names are on the backside of the glass, so if I want to change the background it would be super simple.

And then I decorated a couple of shirts for myself. I shamelessly stole the idea from somewhere on the internet, but had to make my own version of it.

Would also work for a chicken farmer.

Makes me snicker.

I also did an older shirt as a trial with my blog name down the length of the sleeve. Not sure how much I like it. Maybe it's the colour (blue glitter), or maybe it's the font. I'll see if I learn to like it. 

I will head out to the barn on either Monday or Tuesday, mainly to swap Cisco's suit of armor for the new one that arrived. I really hope that the forecast for next week doesn't change - unless it's to get warmer!

Pastry Chef in the Making

I actually baked this week. Not for me of course, or any other humans. The only thing that would give me the incentive to bake is my kids.

This recipe popped up on my Facebook feed a couple of weeks ago. It looked simple to make so I saved it. Throughout the week I actually planned ahead and bought the ingredients and decided to whip up a batch this weekend.

It was super simple to make. Mix up four ingredients, a half a cup each of applesauce, flour, steel cut oats and grated carrot. Next time I will add the flour last to make it a bit easier to mix up.

Not cheese biscuits.

The batch made just enough cookies to fit on one cookie sheet. So, like, two days worth for my two treat moochers.

But the big question to be answered - were they deemed edible?

I found a use for the plastic mason jar I picked up at Michael's on clearance at Christmas. One batch fit perfectly in there.

Oh yes.

Cisco is still getting used to being spoiled treats. So he tends to be a bit dramatic with new food and there is lots of head nodding as he chews (and these are a bit chewy). But he finished and immediately looked for another one.

I think Phantom literally inhaled her first one. I didn't actually see her chew it.

A couple other horses at the barn got to try one and they thoroughly approved.

16 hooves up.

It looks like I'll be baking regularly now.

Find the recipe at Baking Mischief. She has a couple of other ones for horses to try out too.

Warm Ears

I had hoped to pick up my parcel from Apple Saddlery yesterday that contained the Hands On Grooming Gloves. It's sitting at the post office, but when I arrived she had a huge pile of parcels to process, and mine was in that pile. I tried to look for it, but couldn't see it. I'm hoping I get a notification before I head out to the barn to clip later today.

So instead I will show you my latest craft project - helmet ear warmers!

It's been years since I've ridden in an unheated arena over the winter. Technically the arena is heated - but the heaters aren't working, and they aren't the priority at the moment (the joys of buying a property as-is that has been vacant for a few years!). My ears and my jawline get frozen really easily. I usually do the hunter-hair wings of hair over my ears in winter, but this year I think I might need more.

I whipped these up in probably 15 minutes. Unfortunately, it came together so fast that I forgot to take pictures for a tutorial. But they were super simple to make, so if you have any sewing skills you can probably figure it out.

Pony Grandma has mad sewing skills, so I raided her stash and the total cost to me was free. Thus I can continue my resolution of not spending any money.

I used a double layer of polar fleece. I made a paper pattern of the shape of my harness over the ear area, and cut out 4 pieces of polar fleece. For my Troxel helmet the shape is pretty symmetrical so I didn't have to worry about a front and back, other helmets might be different. Make sure you add enough for a seam allowance.

I stitched a square of the soft side of Velcro onto one piece for each ear. This will go on the outside.

Then I got an idea of where the stiff side of the Velcro straps would need to be placed by fitting it against the harness. I left them attached to the big square and cut them long enough so that they could be stitched in when I stitched the two layers together.

Next was to stitch the two layers together.  I took one of the pieces with the Velcro attached, and a plain piece, and pinned them right sides together. I stitched them completely along the two sides, and across the top I just stitched in a bit from the corners, which left an opening along most of the top to be able to flip it through once stitched.

I tested it before closing the hole and discovered that it kind of slid down along the harness when installed. This helmet has a liner that the stiff side of Velcro sticks to, so I cut a short piece and stitched it into the top seam when I stitched it closed.

And voila! Cozy ear warmers!

I plan to make a set for my One K helmet which I'm pretty sure has a different harness shape so I will try to remember to take pics along the way!

Craft Day

They put a wind warning weather advisory up for Wednesday on Tuesday afternoon. Wind gusts at 90 kph were forecasted for the late afternoon. I had warned the two students that I teach lessons to on Wednesday that I might cancel if the advisory continued through the day, and made the decision early afternoon to not teach. I didn't want to deal with spooky horses, and honestly, the drive on the highway.

And I definitely had no plans to ride Cisco in this wind. He's been getting better about the arena not being too spooky, and a super windy day would likely set that back. Plus my back was rather sore from yesterday's ride (which I will write about tomorrow) so I decided that today was a full day off and I would craft something for myself.

So I made me a shirt.

Well, I decorated a shirt that I bought from Costco.

Every year Costco carries a base layer top and bottom from a company called Paradox. They are only$20 Canadian. The style and colours change a bit every year, and a few years ago they changed from 100% polyester to a merino wool/polyester blend. I think every year except one they have been a quarter zip style (that other year they were had an asymmetric zipped opening on one shoulder). I pretty well exclusively ride in these shirts in the winter so I buy a new one every winter.

I had an idea for a shirt that I wanted to do, and decided this shirt would work nicely for it. The only bad thing about the shirts are the lack of colours - this year the selection include a black mix, a tomato-ey red, and a black/grey camouflagey print. Originally I grabbed the red, but red won't go with my brick red or brown breeches. So I stuck with the black mix (another black shirt wouldn't be my first option).

Here's how it turned out!

And I added a reminder to myself on the left sleeve.

In theory I shouldn't be looking down to read this when I ride. In reality however.....

I'm very happy with how it turned out. And it's really hard to take a good picture of a shirt in a small house!

And in the end, they dropped the wind advisory about an hour after I cancelled lessons. It didn't get anywhere near as bad as they forecasted. Typical!

Better with Glitter

About a year ago I was perusing something online - don't remember what. I think I was looking for options on making monogram decals for some of my stuff. I came across a machine called the Silhouette Cameo. I stayed up late researching it, and the next morning zipped over to Michael's and picked one up.

I loffs it.

One of the first things I made was a monogram decal for my car.

You can't tell in the picture, but my initials are in pink glitter.

I know monograms are a big thing in the southern states, but not up here in Canada. But I've always had a thing for them - to me it screams "classic equestrian".

Since then, I have been working through all of my horse stuff and labelling whatever I can. 

My helmet

Blanket storage box at the barn

Pony treat container (contents result in rotundness)

Buckets 

Brushes will get their own blog post one day. All of my wood handled brushes were painted and decorated.

Then there are the things I can decorate with HTV - heat transfer vinyl. Unfortunately, the material that most horse blankets are made of won't work for this - the vinyl won't adhere as the material is too slippery. But if it's a cotton or polyester blend, it should be good. So not much at the barn, but lots for my house.

Pillow cases

Lots of pillow cases

Sweat shirts

Dish towels (in a way, horse related since I'm probably at the barn avoiding housework!)

T-shirts

Tote bags

And more T-shirts (with lots of glitter)

I love my Silhouette Cameo. So many things to decorate. Preferably with glitter.