Work Desk and a Few Reminders

It's been an interesting weekend and a bit. It's mostly gone something like this........

Prep some figures, stab myself with a bayonet,

Prep some more and now stab myself with my scalpel,

Say sod it for tonight and then pick up where I left off in the morning, yes stab myself again with the scalpel,

Take a break to go blackberry picking and get stabbed repeatably with thorns mostly from blackberry bushes mixed in with other spiky plants and stings from nettles to mix it up.

After that it's back home to stab myself with my needle file and as it never gets old my scalpel.

End result though is..............

This is this months target in 6mm figures, other figures will be added in through the month as I feel like it. Given that Lee and I have started building Quatre Bras this may be a tad optimistic but if you don't try...

Lee also provided the OOB he want's to break his Saxon's in on. I need to provide 42 Prussian Infantry Battalions so we either give it a go early next year or I go for double production for October and November and we can try for the Christmas break. It's possible so lets see.

At least I have something finished, well if you don't include basing and post varnish touch ups then it's finished. I should get the base either tomorrow or more likely Wednesday so I aim to have it finished for Friday if possible. I won't rush it but I am looking forward to passing it on.

Once finished fully and with the owners permission I will post better picks. Then I will throw some spare painting hours in the direction of the Balaclava diorama I have for myself. This one was a walk in the park compared with the complexity of that one so I look forward to the challenge and hope it's as much fun to do as this one.

OK reminders. 

If your in the Santa Clause and you have yet to send your details please see the last call post and get in touch.

Secret Santa, you have three weeks to sign up, then I will be closing the list and asking for email addresses though you can beat me to the punch if you want and get your details to me. Tomorrow I start to chase the Clause guys and girls.

Last up is the giveaway. Again tomorrow will see a couple of extra items added that I forgot to include, but if you have yet to throw your hat in the ring for a prize feel free to check out yesterdays post and say which items you are interested in. You can go for as many prizes as you like, if you win one you still get put in for the others.

500 POSTS and 2nd Blogaversary GIVEAWAY

Well it's finally here, the blogs first post ever was exactly two years ago today and this my friends is the 500th post in those two years. I'd like to think they landed at the same time by careful planning but accident had more  influence than design. But such milestones can not go without some form of celebration so lets get started with..............

Who can resist a movie based on Greek Myth, given it's from the same producers as 300 it's bound to be eye candy but from looking at the images on the net I think it may make 300 look like a historical documentary but if you can ignore the costumes it's supposed to be a fun watch.

The Thin Red Line has been out a lot longer and has it's fans and detractors and is a bit weird but I did enjoy it so I have grabbed a fresh copy yesterday in the hope it will be interesting to someone.

Both DVD's are rated 15 and are Region 2 so some of you will need a multi region player or PC to play them.

I am loving my flocking powder so thought it a good idea to get another three packs so someone else can have some fun with them. 

The four detail brushes (Series 98) shown above made by Rosemary & Co. Most useful to 15mm and down painters but also good for the small bits in the larger scales.

A couple of Leven Miniatures buildings, well actually £9 worth of them. The winner gets to pick which ones they want and I will order them and paint them up.  

So on to the rules. 

1. Simply comment on this post and any other follow on posts stating which prizes you want to win and you will be put in the draw for those prizes. If you don't state which you want you will be put in for all of them.

2. If you have a blog, link a post back here for a second chance (you need to let me know to be sure you get credited with the second chance).

3. Not a registered follower? Not a problem, leave a comment and a name and you get entered in the giveaway, just remember to check back as I may not be able to get into contact with you if you win.

4. Please only go for items you would want or get use out of them.

5. I will pick the winners on the 22nd, of September, two weeks from this post. All entries till this date will be counted but no entries on the 22nd can be included.

6. It's possible I will add further prizes as I look through my stash or see something I think is a good prize.

Let the games begin 

Building of the week - La Haye Sainte Leven Miniatures

Now you may guess why I have been having to base up older buildings to keep up a weekly building. In reality that's just a half truth as painting time it's not had three weeks of time devoted to it. I had started it a couple of weeks ago but it suffered the sit and wait period as I knew once I picked it up again I would work solid till it was finished but I was wanting to do something that bit different so allowed it to sit till I was really in the mood for it and I have to say it was a good call.

I have based it on a 120mm square tile though it actually hangs over by nearly 2mm on the one side. When I paint it up again it's going on a much larger tile as I want to include the gardens. This one has not had the full treatment as it's for Mike at Leven Miniatures and he did not want more than a basic base job. 

La Haye Sainte is one of those iconic historic moments that really capture peoples attention and it's great that Mike has given it the Leven Treatment and even better that he has released it not as a whole but in such a way as you can buy several of the buildings without having to buy the whole thing more than once if you want a couple of the buildings for other farm complexes as the style was used a lot in the area and elsewhere.

Each section costs £2.50 with each building being one section and the walls, gate and small piggery and you can take a closer look here. So for £10 you can get your hands on a rather splendid looking piece of wargaming gold. I just hope Mike will go the whole nine yards and do Hougoumont to his range.

The walls throughout have distressed rendering or in Ian speak bricks showing through ;-) The detail is excellent, you can see the individual bricks recessed where the render is missing and whilst it has a fair few patches they are not overdone and each patch is different so you don't get a repeat pattern feel going on. The house even has some patches hidden by the stables that would only come into play if you painted it up as a separate building which is a nice extra touch.

Mike has paid a lot of attention to detail with him working in the gap between the barn and the stables. Personally I would not want to try getting in via that route against a determined foe. Texture and detail was great as regular followers will not be surprised to hear.

I could not find many images that seemed to agree on the roof tiles, some had all red, others all slate. In the end I went with a mix of the greater consensus and what I thought looked best. On the whole it was another easy paint but with a few tricky bits to keep it interesting. For me it had the right level of detail and work and I could quite happily paint up a second one on the back of the first but can't at the moment as Lee had the other three I bought. Actually I am looking forward to seeing how Lee gets on as his style is so very different to mine.

You have to love the stables and I can see that doing well as a separate standalone building though of course Leven already have a similar stable block but the shape is reversed again allowing you to have both on the same table without the buildings looking too similar. 

I know the set will be a big hit, especially with the anniversary of the battle being a couple of years away but they will shine as stand alone buildings as well. I already have the set on order but I will at a later date also add more of the buildings and use them in singles or on other farm tiles, expect to see the results in coming months. I have 16 other buildings and such on order from Leven as it is and only a few of them are repeats of what I already have!

I would have liked detail of windows on the dormer windows as I find it difficult to do matching squares and whilst it's a minor point left me head scratching a little. In fairness if that's all you have to worry about it's got to be considered a success.

Square doors on the inside of the gatehouse and round on the exterior just as in the real thing. Makes you wonder why so many of the Belgium farms were built in this way, was they intended to be defensive positions in times of war or was it to protect themselves from the lawless?

All the parts went together well, I had to sand one wall section down a little at it's base to make it the same height as it's adjoining section and it's best to get it all positioned so you are able to be sure it all fits together and you are sure how to make it up but it's just basic stuff. I was in a  bit of a rush mindset so did not do the best job of sealing off gaps. Lee has made some of his up pre-painting and not a gap to be seen so it's not the models just my rush rush rush.

I have to admit this is the most impressive building set yet from Leven that I have seen. It's easy to just see this as a Napoleonic building set and pass on but given the number of farms on the French Belgium boarder region it would be good for WWI and WWII and the periods either side of the Napoleonic era. Split the buildings up and all of a sudden you have even more uses and locations.  I would like to see made available more wall sections to marry up to these allowing other possible variations though anyone with a reasonable modelling skill won't have any trouble adding the required sections.

Chatter Behind The Bike Sheds, The Friends We Make

Nothing new in this but always worth mentioning. Figure and Board Gaming has brought a number of friends into my life as it has I am sure yours. However it's been the internet via boards and to a greater extent for figure gamers the various blogs I follow and of course my own. Sometimes you just take it for granted but other times like just half an hour ago you get a nice reminder. In my case it was a couple of e-mails from my mate Andy Mc who I first got to know through playing ASL against him in Blackpool at the Heroes tourny. Both of us were there just for friendly games. I have made a shed load of ASL pals either FTF play or over the internet either via live or PBeM games. 

Figure gamers are just as friendly and I feel I could fetch up all over the world and make contact with a friendly face. I have received more than my fair share of kindness from the good folks here in Blog-World and have tried to spread a little love myself, it's a good feeling too  ;-)

It's something that makes Blog-Con so special and why I wanted to jump up and help. Until it actually is under our belts I don't think anyone really knows how special it will be till afterwards though the possibility that some guys are travelling from other countries and even continents should give us a clue.

What we don't have a clue about is the numbers, both in terms of how many will be coming to the con and how many it would take to be called a success. On the one hand four guys and girls having a roaring time would be good enough but how many do we need to be there for our hosts to think they need to support it next year? Or the companies sending round items for our use or even staff as one has mentioned! Blog-Con is just 63 days away now, that's just nine weeks time, told you it would be here before you know it. 

Even our hosts are in on the act with a facebook page covering our event, they are behind our little game and I am sure by the end of the weekend they will be counting down the days to Blog-Con II, I know I will.

Looking past Friends in blog world, even some of the traders become friends. I count Peter from Baccus and Mike from Leven as friend's, I trade e-mails with them and when possible chat at shows often beyond such as their products. I'm happy for them when things go right and feel for them if something does not. Not that I would let it influence a review LOL.

So when did this hobby last do something to make you smile?

And Now For Something Completely Different.......

This again was not what I intended to paint up the other day, that's just undecorated waiting turn at bat. So instead I did this Ral Partha beastman or such like. I actually bought it and nine others for a specific campaign which never quite got to the stage I needed the figures. I am now hoping I have the chance again and as such want to get them all painted up, but this one was just for the fun of painting something that bit off centre. Can anyone guess the book series I have based the campaign on and what the name of the creature?

Cath again has taken the pictures and I really think she did me proud. The horrible creature that is half human and half beast is sporting a longbow and looks like he does not like you very much.

He is wearing leather armour for his upper body and I decided to do his arm brace in bronze rather than a more useful leather, after all you can take a few liberties with Fantasy. The base actually needs a bit of tidying up where the basing gunk runs off a little but that's not much of a job.

As you would expect it was a pleasant diversion for an evening and it was great to finally get the paint onto this old miniature. The added bonus was making use of the flocking powder and tufts to make the flowers on the base. I really love how they came out and how they have not been ruined on varnishing the figure.

Good news for someone is that I will be giving away as part of my blog giveaway eight tubs of flocking powder to one lucky follower, the giveaway starts in just a few days, consider yourself pre-warned LOL.

LAST CALL FOR BOTH SECRET SANTA AND SANTA CLAUSE

If you want in you have until the end of September for the Secret Santa and the end of the week for The Santa Clause.

Secret Santa = Buy and receive a gift of about £15 value (or equivalent in other money) of wargames related item/s see below for full details.

Santa Clause = Give a figure/s of about £5 value and receive same, again full details below.

If your name is not on the lists below but you want in let me know in comments below.

Same goes if you want it removed, just let me know.

All who are joining in in either of these, can you please send me an e-mail giving me your name and address (along with blog) so I can pass on to Cath so she can draw targets for each of us. You can reach me at ian_willey at hot     mail        DOT       CoM just don't forget to remove the spaces and all lower case etc etc.

Can you do this in the next few days/week as time will run out soon enough.

Thanks for all who want to join in this time around

The Secret Santa is already bigger than last years and I expect as the months tick off we will get more interest so if your looking on from the side lines and want to join in, just leave a comment below. Directly below is the names of all who have said they want to join in with names of a few who have shown interest but was not sure. If your name should be on any of the lists and is not, just let me know. If you want removing just do the same. If it's not but you want to join in then shout out. Below these is the list of all the Santa Clause participants, again if you want adding let me know, or if you want moving from one list to the other. You can like me, join in both.

Secret Santa's Signed Up.

Andy McMaster

Conrad Kinch

Tim

Þorsteinn

James Brewerton

Phyllion

Mike

Dartfrog

DaveD

Vladd309

Michael Awdrey*

Thomas Nissvick

Fran

Ray

Jonathan

Ian Willey

So all but one of last years Secret Santa's have signed up already!

Possible SS participants

Pauls Bods

*Michael may move to Santa Clause or do both

Now a recap of the rules.

1. To enter you need to either have a blog or be a regular follower of this blog already. This is to give confidence to all involved that everyone will follow through to the end. If you have a blog and don't follow this one it's OK to join in.

2. The present should be around £15 plus postage (best to buy the present actually in the country the receiver lives in so cutting down postage costs)

3. It's OK to have a wish list but it's just as good to buy something you think the person would like. Blog details of your target are given so you can snoop.

4. Whilst it's not essential it really added to Cath's enjoyment when the SS checked in with her to let her know target had incoming.

5. You should pimp the Secret Santa on your blog to hopefully increase the numbers joining in.

6. You should sign up by last day of September so to allow time for picking gifts, that's THIS month.

7. Gifts should arrive by 20th December if possible. It's fine to get the supplier to send direct and I would be cheeky and ask them to gift wrap  ;-)

8. Item/s should be wargame related though it's OK to throw in something odd if you want to.

Santa Clause 

James Brewerton

Anne

Francis Lee (FRAN)

Michael Audrey * see above

Thomas Nissvick

Mike

Chris Stoesen

Ian Willey

The idea is that each person involved buys a figure or figures to the value of less than £5 and paints them up to fit in with what the target blogger wargames or collects. Best would be some kind of command for the bigger scales but maybe a unit or two of such as 6mm or a building or... you get the idea.

I am not offering this as a cheap alternative so much as a great opportunity to send and receive something that will be special BECAUSE it's a one off from a fellow blogger. Not that you have to limit yourself to something useful, feel free to paint up something that will just sit aside the painting desk or study etc and just give pleasure.

So that's the idea, two ways to connect with your blogging friends and get something really exciting at Christmas. I await your response ;-)

Artizan WWII Partizan

Remember how I talked about doing something a little different over the weekend? Well turns out I was unable to do so due to my Super Glue becoming Super Gone so instead of doing the planned painting I well back on something I originally prepped for the last Painting Challenge before the challenge started. So it was about time I had a go, obviously this one counts as a test miniature. 

Not so obvious from this shot, but it's another of my Sniper Reminders and I have purposely painted him up so as to possibly be Russian or French. Given the look he was throwing Cath when she took the shots I think he is French  ;-)

He is carrying a Maschinenpistole 40 or MP40 if you like. The figure is by Artizan and is part of the SWW700 Maquis I Pack at £5 a pack of three figures. I have been playing with the flocking powder I bought from The Works a couple of weeks ago. In this case the yellow powder.

You just got to love that moustache and if I was a German soldier I think I would instantly suspect him as being in the resistance. 

I really enjoyed going up a few scales for a change and you can expect more of the same as well as that other itch that requires scratching now I have two bottles of good old Loctite Precision.