Stablemates New and Old

I've had two separate Stablemate parcel days recently, the first were some of the 70th Anniversary blind bags which tagged along with my WIA Sharif & Lancelot order. I hadn't fancied paying the high resale price for the UK listings which'd come up since these were released, and as they still haven't made it to this country's stockists, I decided I may as well add two or three little stowaways!

So which did I get?

First out of the packet, Smart Chic Olena! Sadly he's lost his nice swishing long mane in conversion to the mini mould, and his head does look out of proportion small, but it's still nice to have a new addition to the range of SM moulds, and his colour's just the right side of argh that's so shiny metallic, it's a more natural looking sheen.

Looking rather on the 'good doer' side, but then, a lot of real QHs are sadly this shape for the show ring, so it's not unrealistic!

Next, the Connemara - I'm really glad I got this one, black is a tricky colour to photograph but she's so nice in hand, a really detailed mould which doesn't seem to have suffered in the shrinking. A lot of people seem to pose these resting up on their tail tip, but with one hind fetlock flexed to rest the foot flat on the ground, I'm sure this is the right way to stand them.

She's the only one of the trio to get a name so far : Grace O'Malley, after the Connemara pirate!

And finally, one of the models I was hoping I wouldn't get, being glossy and a vintage colour style, but actually I like him way more than I thought I would! The mini version of the mould is much more smooth and sleek than the old-style sculpting of the original Trad scale one, and the gloss isn't too icky in small doses, I can happily keep this little chap for the shelf.

The second parcel was a mixed lot of G2 TBs - some body condition, duplicates or blanks, one nice custom, and three I didn't have already which got saved from body box potential into my OF herd.

From the Jockey and race tack set, with white 'bandages' as part of his paintjob. I think this is the only time they've used this technique, and while the masking isn't particularly straight at the pasterns, it's not so bad from a distance! I've named this one Black Pearl.

This appaloosa was released as a mare and foal set, I've had her foal for a while from a second hand lot, but never had the matching mother til now! I've given her the name Asterella, and she'll be an appaloosa sportshorse in my herd.

And last of the lot, a chestnut pinto. Actually, a fourth chestnut pinto, as they've also released two tobianos and a frame overo on this same mould. She's got the name April Snow, because it did snow the day she arrived with me here!