New Milestone for DiscoTack!

It's time for DiscoTack's most exciting news to date!  Erie, PA (my hometown) will soon have a brand new western store and will feature tack and jewelry by yours truly!  I am also thrilled to announce that I will be the manager of the store, owned by my very good friends Billy Long and Jenny Faye Grace.
Head West Outfitters on Facebook
Head West Outfitters

More info will be coming very very soon--we hope to open November 1!  

Contest

I just entered to win a necklace by Chewlry on a blog called Fire and Ice.   And you should too. 

Check out my new Food Blog!

Spicy Cowgirl
A place to share recipes, trade tips, talk about restaurants and how we all decide what to make for dinner every night. 

Milestone

Yesterday was a huge day for DiscoTack! I now have jewelry in an actual gallery, and had my first gallery sale! Catwater Who Signature Gallery had an art show to open the Edinboro Art and Music Festival and it was very exciting to see my own pieces on display. I owe a huge thanks to my friend Heidi for showing an interest in my jewelry and am anxious to show my line to more local shops and expand my business.

I got an award, yay!

Thanks so much to Melissa of Thousand Word Balance for this cool and unusual award. I'm so glad you like my jewelry, and it's an honor to be put in the same company as Back at the Ranch!

This is an award to give to blogs that are are making a difference in the blogosphere. Roger, its creator said, "We are all artists in are own way, be it art, photography, writing, philosophy, comedy, or blogging, and we all go a little crazy sometimes. But if you ever feel so crazy to cut off your ear and give it to a prostitute, 'Seek Help'! Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else."

Product Development

One of the items that I am most proud of are my braided barrel racing reins. I am quite picky about the "feel" of my reins and they are one of the few tack items that I hate to have to buy--I am still upset by the loss of my beloved leather split reins over the summer and will never be quite as happy with their replacement.

Last Christmas I picked up a pair of braided reins at a barrel race in Mississippi. They caught my attention because of the extensive color selection and the touch of sparkle they contained (although never enough sparkle for me, of course!) I liked the feel of them, soft but solid, with knots just big enough to keep them from slipping but not big enough to be distracting. I had purchased a similar pair years ago at a show in Columbus, OH but they were a little too stiff, and the buckles corroded making the length not adjustable. In studying the two pairs, I decided that I would try to make them, with a few improvements, and a new addition to my product line was born.

I studied rope, and chose a type that was soft and resistant to snags but that could be permanently dyed any color I chose. I studied dye, until I found one that could be mixed to any shade but would not run, even when exposed to horse sweat. I also learned many types of braids and knots, choosing a combination that felt best to me and would not stretch over time. I found heavy duty nickel-plated hardware that would last without corroding but was not too heavy, causing the snaps to bang against the bit. I also found a blingy metallic thread and the best glitter and glue out there for maximum sparkle. My first complete pair were orange, red and yellow for Foo (and Larry) for durability testing. They held up (they are still her favorites to this day, over a year later), and with a few further improvements (better rope, better dye) were soon selling like hotcakes.

I am often surprised at the colors customers choose, but am always pleased with the results and am proud to say I have sold reins to barrel racers all over Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well as Georgia, South Dakota and Louisiana.

Getting Started

Ever since I can remember, I have dreamed of making and selling some kind of horse-related or western-style jewelry. Throughout the years I experimented with barbed wire, leather, even the string from feed bags but nothing turned out quite the way I imagined until a few years ago when "bling" became popular among barrel racers. A friend introduced me to Swarovski rhinestones and a new obsession was born. I decorated every inch of my tack and began to make spur rowel necklaces to match all my show outfits. The first rodeo where I wore all my new gear brought my first customers (some of whom are still regulars--I love you guys!) and I have been expanding since then.

Streak and I at a rodeo in 2007.

Over the past few years I have experimented with every type of material imaginable, until I found the right glue, wire, clasps, leather, etc. to make the most durable, flashy, wearable tack and jewelry that I possibly can. Every new item is tested by myself and my loyal helper Foo (whose horse, Larry, is the ultimate tack tester--he is so strong that if something is going to break, it will do it while he is wearing it!)

Foo and Larry; Streak and I waiting to run last summer.

And so DiscoTack was born and hopefully will continue to expand for a long time. Along with western style jewelry, I have recently completed several pieces inspired by Harley Davidson, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and am working on a line inspired by wildlife and the woods.