Project: Epsom Derby Tent Stables (and social media break)

[Wollepluis]

This summer I had planned to attend the Julip Lake District Live show in Storth. Although the show has been post-phoned, I decided to continue working on my entry for the scene class is ‘A Day At the Races’. A very exciting one to me, as I immediately saw the chance to make a Peaky Blinders-inspired 1920’s racing entry. I opted to go for a scene from the second season finale, involving around the Epsom Derby. And although I wont'e be able to show it this year, I'm excited to bring it with me in 2021! 😋

Because I love sharing the progress I made a couple of blog posts on my website, which you'll be able to find below if you'd like to read up! It also includes two tutorials about making racing tack, which I've shared on the forum before.

wollepluis.bromandcompany.nl/the-1920s-racing-tent-stables/
wollepluis.bromandcompany.nl/more-on-the-20s-stables/
wollepluis.bromandcompany.nl/how-to-make-a-julip-racing-saddle/
wollepluis.bromandcompany.nl/making-a-racing-girth-and-overgirth/
wollepluis.bromandcompany.nl/making-riders/

I've shared the progress on Facebook en Instagram multiple times already, but last week - after spending less and less time on social media already - I decided to take a complete break from it. Although I really love keeping up with everything and everyone in the Just Julips-group, I've really noticed how social media has gotten in the way of me being able to deeply concentrate and focus on both my work and my hobbies. I don't post frequently and I've always had notifications turned off, but the habit of randomly grabbing my phone every hour (or less) 'just to check if something has happened' has really turned into a very, very unhealthy habit. 🙁 I've decided to still occasionally (probably once a week or so) log in for work-related purposes and maybe have a look at the Just Julips-group (the two most important reasons for me to not delete social media completely), but because for the last couple of days I've really enjoyed life without and got me thinking to just keep things this way for indefinite duration. 😊

Given the fact that I won't be sharing much through Facebook and Instagram, I though it'd be nice to make better use of my blog and post something every once in a while on this forum too. That's why I opened this thread, so I can share some quick updates on the main project I'm working on and have a reason to check in with all you lovely people too! I'll show you what I made and bought in the last couple of weeks in the next reply!

(Oh and talking about lovely people: I've actually received two emails last week after fellow collectors had noticed I hadn't commented in the Just Julip group and wanted to check if everything was alright. I mean, I knew how caring and kind Julip-people are already, but this confirmed it to me once more. You're all the best! ❤️)

[samantha]

Very glad to know that you are ok. You are missed on the JJ group but completely understand (and suffer from the same compulsion). I will look forward to enjoying your updates on your blog 🤗

[Wollepluis]

So I've got this list of things I plan on making to complete this entry and I just randomly pick things from it to make. Here's a couple of items I recently completed. 😊

First there's the feed bags, made out of linnen and filled with a bit of muesli to give it some weight and shape.



I also made some numbered saddle pads out of cotton. I added the numbers by using iron on transfer paper, which I think turned out great! 

 



I'm crafty, but some things I just rather purchase, because I'm sure I wouldn't be able to pull it of the way I like it. That's why for example I decided to buy this dollhouse led-lamp and adjust it a bit to my liking, in this case by painting the lamp in a worn copper colour. It looks like it hangs a little awkwardly (and certainly not fire safe 😂), but I use the Peaky Blinders scene as a reference, and that's how it apparently was done back in the 1920's. 😋



I also bought these little glasses and the bottle. The table is premade too, but I painted and aged it a bit. The chair is from an assembly kit.

The wooden wheelbarrow I made today. It's a bit tiny I think (or maybe it's just about fine for that period, as I know wheelbarrows gotten lighter and therefore bigger and bigger with time). It was made from scratch, although I did use a premade little cart wheel. 

   




And here's a photo of all the riders I made thus far. I showed Tommy and May on my blog, but I also made 'Jimmy'. He's not a character in this particular scene (although there's a similarly dressed man in another scene, writing out betting slips), I thought it'd be nice to make him and place him somewhere in the background, maybe sitting at the table writing slips. I did come up with a bit of a character for him myself, as I imagine him being a horse trainer and former jockey, which is then again based upon the real James 'Jimmy' Winkfield. He lived around this period of time, so it kind of works out, hihi! 😋😇 A bit of artistic freedom there, hehe!



And so that's where I'm at now. The progress is slow, but as I have the time now I really only craft things when I'm feeling like doing so. I think up next I'll be making a farrier and maybe the character 'Cully', but as making riders takes quite some time I'll have to find the right moment to do so! 🙈 As I'll need to make quite a few props to go with the farrier I really want to finish him first before I proceed. There's also some little adjustments I need to make to the stable itself, so they might get done next too! 😊

[george]

Oh this is fantastic, I love it! Big fan of Peaky Blinders, especially the early series where they were more about horse racing scams and gang rivalries and less about the politics. So it's really nice to see another scene from one of the great horsey storylines, and what a nice excuse to need a few more TBs, too, 'but my racing stables needs populating and I can't use the cobs or ponies...'

I'm in full agreement on the idea of individual blogs and quiet forums being better for the state of mind than typical social media, that's another why I won't join Facebook despite everything having moved there - I'm with you in the blogging revolution where we each just sit on our own and write about stuff at length in our own quiet creative place, rather than socialise in stressful or addictive groups

[juliporiginals]

I love all the little bits that you have made and your saddle cloths inspired me to buy some transfer paper, although as yet I haven't had a go at using it

[sarahb7538]

These are fabulous. I'm a bit late to the party with Peeky Blinders and I haven't watched it, despite it being on my watch list.

I am with you on the social media. A break from it does you good sometimes.

I miss the forums a lot, It would be great if they were more active, it's been nice recently having more posts here. You wouldn't feel like you were missing out then.

Facebook is can be very addictive and not good for the stress levels. Especially with everything going on at the moment. The only reason I really keep it is for the Julip group but you just end up getting sucked back in to the rest of it.

[Wollepluis]

May 17, 2020 16:13:25 GMT george said:

Oh this is fantastic, I love it! Big fan of Peaky Blinders, especially the early series where they were more about horse racing scams and gang rivalries and less about the politics. So it's really nice to see another scene from one of the great horsey storylines, and what a nice excuse to need a few more TBs, too, 'but my racing stables needs populating and I can't use the cobs or ponies...'

I'm in full agreement on the idea of individual blogs and quiet forums being better for the state of mind than typical social media, that's another why I won't join Facebook despite everything having moved there - I'm with you in the blogging revolution where we each just sit on our own and write about stuff at length in our own quiet creative place, rather than socialise in stressful or addictive groups

Hehe, ohh absolutely! I've to admit that I've been hoarding TB's and Hunters just for that purpose! 😂

And I very much agree with you, I feel exactly the same as what you wrote down! 😋

[Wollepluis]

May 18, 2020 7:56:21 GMT juliporiginals said:

I love all the little bits that you have made and your saddle cloths inspired me to buy some transfer paper, although as yet I haven't had a go at using it

Ohh it really is awesome stuff! I also know there's transfer paper that can be used on darker coloured fabrics, which I've yet got to try, just as I still have to figure out if there's a possibility to transfer white text to fabric, as of course printers don't use white ink. 😋

[Wollepluis]

May 18, 2020 8:05:03 GMT sarahb7538 said:

These are fabulous. I'm a bit late to the party with Peeky Blinders and I haven't watched it, despite it being on my watch list.

I am with you on the social media. A break from it does you good sometimes.

I miss the forums a lot, It would be great if they were more active, it's been nice recently having more posts here. You wouldn't feel like you were missing out then.

Facebook is can be very addictive and not good for the stress levels. Especially with everything going on at the moment. The only reason I really keep it is for the Julip group but you just end up getting sucked back in to the rest of it.

Ohh you really should watch it! It's not only a great storyline (especially in the first few seasons like George said: the last couple have gone a bit more political, although I do like that too), but the acting is brilliant (whomever did the casting should get an award) and the visuals are stunning. The camera shots, the lighting, the use of music: it's genius! 😋

And I agree! It'd be nice to get the forum a little more active, it's a great place to share the very same things but at your own pace. And I have to admit, I've been drawn away from the forum to Facebook (and Instagram) too as it's all just so convenient and so (addictively) fast paced. But I have now realised it's just not a healthy place to be. It doesn't matter how hard you try, if you turn of notifications, or tell yourself to only look at the Julip-group for example: like you said, you get dragged into the rest of it too! 🙁

But you know, it's quite interesting to realise how many moments in a day I kind of compulsively want to grab my phone to see if there's 'maybe something to look at'. Actually, it's not even interesting: it's frightening, because it makes one realise how much time is wasted. If I now have a bit of time to pass I now just grab an interesting magazine, toss the dog a ball or - I don't know - sort out a drawer. 😉 I'd normally probably have wasted that time looking on my phone, accomplishing... well nothing. 😋 And that comes from someone who's always perceived herself to be a person who really doesn't look at her phone a lot and rarely posts to her socials, but boy I'm frankly really just as addicted as an obsessive 12 year old Tiktokker. 🙈

Anyway, for now I feel life is definitely better without! 😋