Some very belated new arrivals!

 First post of a new year, hooray!

I hope 2016 will be an improvement on 2015 - the last few weeks of last year weren't so good for my family. My grandpa, whose health had been steadily declining for years, died a week after his 90th birthday and less than a week before Christmas, and we couldn't get the funeral arranged til Hogmanay, so the festive period felt well, less than festive. It was long expected though, and he went peacefully so I'm not as sad as you might expect - I'm just happy he's in no more pain really.

Anyway, that was morbid, back to the ponies!

As usual, I ordered myself a Julip for Christmas and got her in plenty of time, but through one thing or another, I didn't get round to photographing her until this week!

I'd absolutely fallen in love with some friends' gorgeously gorgeous piebald cob mares and asked Laura if she could make me something similar - I think she was pleased to get a relatively simple order from me for a change!

Despite loving cobs, I have very few in common cobby colours, and so far all but one of my Cob Mares are shown as Highlands, so I thought it was about time I got myself a piebald. I also fancied adding some feathering for that proper traditional cob look and well, to say I'm pleased is something of an understatement. XD

 

I feel kinda bad though as Laura added in hoof stripes...which now you can't see at all. XD

I washed her mane and tail in my usual way, but this time with some hair mousse afterwards and I have to say, I think I'm a convert! (it smells lovely too, so yay, bonus!)

I deliberated over her name for absolutely ages, and she was originally going to be Domino, until Rosa popped into my head whilst watching TV and now I can't imagine her as anything else!

Because she was a Christmas coblet, all her tack is suitably festive.  She got a sparkly headcollar with white fluffy padding on the nose and poll...

I think I glued on the poll padding a bit squint, lol

...an equally glitzy rug made from some festive fabric I got in a post-christmas sale at the local fabric shop...

...and a bridle with inset red leathery bits, loosely based on -this one- I found online.

I got some leather lace from a friend for christmas, so I used that for the bridle, only it required skiving and I kept slicing it too thin and breaking it, so some parts had to be glued together from too short straps to make them longer!

She doesn't have her own saddle yet, but here she is in someone else's for photos.

 

Rosa didn't arrive alone however...

When I bought the two collies from the Oxford live, and showed my mum, her first thought was that they looked a bit like foxes, and that thought stuck with me until I knew I just had to order one up!

Lewis and Morse.

It's amazing the difference a fluffy tail makes!
He has such a cunning and crafty expression, like he's planning some mischief, I just had to call him Reynard!

Definitely plotting.

I'd also managed to nab a couple from the last spares night before Christmas, although it was something of a miracle I managed to get anything - everything went within seconds!

The first was another bunny - I just couldn't resist! I called him Cinnamon (or Cinnamon Bun(ny) to give him his full title. XD)

I also got two at the Oxford Live, which I don't think I introduced - Freckle on the left and Conker on the right.

Finally, a moggy!

I can't say I'm much of a fan of the Julip sitting cats or indeed, sitting animals of any description because they can't do anything in scenes other than sit! At least standing ones can be made to look like they're jumping or rolling around with a bit of imagination, but sitting ones are pretty limited!

That said, I couldn't resist this one because of his face, he's just too cute!

I called him Marmaduke, and to me he looks like the sort of big chunky mog who'd be a welcome lap-warmer during the winter months.

I've bought something else in the meantime, but until I pick a name for her she'll remain unintroduced!