MLP Fair Prep, Part One

Recently the location for the 2011 MLP Fair was announced and it's going to be at Hasbro Headquarters in Rhode Island.  What's not to like?

This is a nice quick one day drive for Roomy and I, so we'll be doing another road trip this year.  Actually, we really enjoyed visiting RI the last time the Fair was there, and we're looking forward to visiting some more sites this year.

Of course, going to the Fair involves some preparation, especially if you're going to have a booth and be selling stuff.  (Yes, I know it's only January, but I'm trying the radical "get stuff done early rather than finish stuff at the last minute" technique this year.)  I do happen to have several finished customs that I'll be bringing to sell, but I've also got quite a lot of ponies that I've picked up in the last several months at second hand shops who need a little TLC so they can look their best in the sales box.  I got started on cleaning these this weekend.  I only got about 25 cleaned, however.  There must be nearly 100 altogether so I've still got some work ahead of me.

There are also contest entries to be considered.  There's the custom contest to consider.  In the last few years there have been two categories: Hasbro-based and General.  I've got an idea for the General category that I think will get some laughs if it doesn't get anything else, so I'm excited to get started on that.  Then there's the Artwork contest.  I haven't entered anything in that for a few years, and I'd like to put something in this year.  What, I'm not sure yet.  I'm also hoping that the Parade of Booths contest will be on again this year, because Roomy and I have got some pretty elaborate plans for that.

The Fair trip is usually my main Summer vacation of the year, as well as our Roomy getaway, so I always look forward to it. I haven't missed a Fair since 2006 in San Fransisco.  And with Hasbro hosting this year AT the headquarters, I'm looking forward to a great time this year.

Elf

The great Pony Room Reorg - volume 4

Well the holidays are over, the holiday display has been torn down, and the Pony Room has returned to a state of chaos.

There often comes a point after a move when you've unpacked more boxes than you have room to put things.  This is more or less where I am now in the reorg.  The wall shelves are still not up, the large bookshelf that will house the customs is not bought, and the shelves I have are already full.  Time for more shelves!

Picked up two new shelves this weekend, which Roomy was nice enough to build for me.  On the left you see my MLP Fair/SDCC exclusives along with a few other specialty ponies.  These will be staying more or less where they are.  On the right, however, is the temporary home of my customs created by other talented artists (and a few of my own.)  These are going to be living here for a few months until I can afford to pick up the large shelving unit with glass doors that will protect the customs from dust and wear.  At least they are finally unboxed and I can get to work cataloguing them along with the rest of the collection.

In the meantime, with the appearance of G4 Ponies in Canadian stores I felt it was time to open up my stockpile of G3s.  When I was a student I used to wait until Ponies went on sale and buy several at once.  I'd then open about one a week so that I felt like I always had some new Ponies.  Well, what with two house moves in a year and then packing up the Pony room, I had gotten somewhat behindhand in my opening.  Some of these I've had since the Memphis Pony Fair in 2007!  But I wanted to free the G3s before the G4s started to filter in.

This is me remembering how much I hate trying to get into G3 packaging.

This is when one of the kittens decided he wanted to help.

Here's the whole gang finally freed from their plastic prisons.  Have I mentioned I'm not a MOC collector?

Elf

Rosie Gears, the Steampunk Pony

Rosie was made for the 2010 MLP Fair and was the most extensive sculpting project I've taken on to date.

The majority of her clothing (skirts, corset, blouse, hat, watches) and her hair were all done in Apoxie Clay.  It took roughly seven sittings to finish all the sculpting.  In addition, she has a ribbon and pendant choker, a metal key and chain, lace gloves, and a feather and ribbon on her hat.

All the painting was done with Reapers Master Series model acrylics.  Her corset has metalic gears painted on it.  Her skirts are pinned up with roses.  Her hair is up in a bun with a few locks loose hanging down.  She wears a watch on a chain and another on her hatbrim.

I'm really quite pleased with how she turned out.  As usual, she didn't turn out exactly as planned, but she's actually probably the closest I've come to turning a sketch into accurately into the three-dimensional custom.  She's also my first attempt at mixing media on the Pony.  It's still not my preference, but I feel it can work on certain ponies.  I love the rich colours I used on her (I'm not sure I'd use them again with the pink body colour,) it's a bit of a departure from the usual black-goth darkness that my ponies often have.

I haven't done any major sculpting since Rosie.  What's the next project going to be?

Elf

A few favourites - Part 1

It's a new year, the holidays are over, and it's time to get back to talking about customs.  Thought I'd start 2011 off with a look back at some of my favourite customs from 2010.

I want to start off with 4 ponies commissioned by a close collector friend.  These were all designed by her, and her designs were fantastic, great fun to work with.  The first is a pegasus whose symbol is based on the cycles of the moon, Lunar Light.  Made from a Starsong bait, she has her main symbol and the star over her eye only on her display side, but the tiny stars cover both sides of her body.  Her hair is Dollyhair Black Magick, Pussycat, and Mermaid.

Next is Neon Night, an 80's inspired Unicorn.  Her symbol is a blue cassette tape with neon musical notes around it.  The neon carries through in stripes of Electric Banana, Sour Apple Martini, and Bubblegum in her Black Magick Dollyhair.  She also has several piercings.

Third is Poison Pen, a corsetted poet pony with a Goth twist.  She was a Fluttershy and getting her original hair out was a huge pain in the @$$.  I've never seen so much glue in a pony's head before.  Now she has a blend of Dollyhair Black Magick, Arctic Frost, and Daiquari Ice.  Her corset is removable.  She also has a lot of piercings.

Finally, there's the wicca pony.  She was made from a Moondancer rehaired with Black Magick and Amethyst.  I'm extremely proud of how her symbol, done in purple and silver, turned out, and I'd love to do a similar Pony again.

Elf