This blog has been moved to www.beljoeor.com/blog. Posts will be cross-posted until December 1, when this blog location will become defunct. Make sure to update your bookmarks!
I've added a bunch of new bags in time for Black Friday!
Remember, through November 30, enter code OPENING2017 at checkout for 10% off your order.
These aren't all of the things I added. Click on the pictures to go through to the items they represent.
With huge thanks to everyone who has helped out and offered advice, ideas, feedback, and more along the way, I'm really excited to announce that I've opened an Etsy shop!
The first thing you should know about it is something I'm really happy about, which is that 10% of all profits will be going to Tristan's rescue: Ever After Mustang Rescue in Biddeford, Maine. I give to them when I can, but money has been tight this year, so I'm really excited to create a way by which I can give them more. They do a great job with a really difficult job.
The handy bags are small bags, about the size of a cosmetic bag, with tough twill fabric on the outside and flannel on the inside. They're embroidered in fun colors with equestrian designs. A few bloggers helped me with the prototype and did reviews; Carly at Poor Woman Showing and Jen at Cob Jockey both reviewed the ones they received as part of my testing group.
They're $15 each and I hope you'll consider them when you need a new bag or a fun horsey gift! If there's a color or design you're hoping to see or would like to custom-order, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Clicking on the images below brings you to their listings - and there are loads more on the website.
They're lined with a paracord elastic that's really tough and will keep the cover itself snug. I adjusted both the cut of the saddle cover and the length of the elastic based on feedback from my testers, so these have been workshopped to perfection!
They should fit any size English saddle, but if you have anything especially big send me a message and I can make you a custom one that's a bit bigger. (By that I mean 18.5"+).
These are selling for $20, and here are some examples - click on the links to go to their listings, and there's loads more!
If you've read through all of that, you get a reward!
Enter the code OPENING2017 at checkout, and get 10% off through November!
I'll post here periodically, but if you want to get email announcements of new products, you can sign up for the Bel Joeor Metier newsletter below. Probably the first email will go out when I add new things to the shop, and my plan is to do that about mid-November.
I'm actively trying to sew various things with an eye to at least nailing the patterns down as a personal exercise. If all goes well, I'd like to sell some of them.
I'm seeking testers, at all stages.
Sometimes, I'll ask you to receive a raw thing for free and let me know privately how it worked for you, with an eye to critical feedback. (My intent is not to hide, but rather to get substantive advice and work to improve.)
Sometimes, I'll have things that have gone through a few rounds of testing and I might be ready to give away or sell at a steep discount/at cost if you're interested in reviewing them.
I'll try to be upfront and clarify what the circumstances are around each item. Sometimes there will be an opportunity to customize; sometimes I'll have pictures and you can choose what you get. There will almost never be enough for everyone, so you'll have to get back to me quickly.
It's all a big experiment, and I'm hoping to have fun while I'm doing it, so if you sign up for this it's important to understand that! If it's not fun and interesting, there's no point in doing it.
So, if that all sounds interesting to you: please sign up with the form below! You'll be added to a mailing list and will receive emails when there are things available.
