Thursday for a change...

Before the post is started, I'd like to welcome Ray Hepburn to Inso's World. As is usual, I hope that you share comments and take away some inspiration from my blog.

So why update on a Thursday?

Why not?

So I was sat at the PC the other day and saw a kit that would finish my collection of Megaro Zamac kits. I got all excited and threw a bid on it at a value I would expect to win at. I smiled for a moment and then thought... "hang on a minute" before checking my cupboard. I looked inside to see the complete set... I had already bought the kit! So... almost £20.00 later, this arrived:

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As it happens, it is in better nick than the one I already had so it isn't all bad... not to mention that I like the kit... so hey... maybe I'll build it rather than save it for my retirement. 

Does anyone like Halo? I've got one of these:

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It was a random purchase and now that I have it... I don't really want it so it will no doubt get offered up on the forums somewhere.

On an actual hobby related topic, I have base coated and washed my Tunnel Fighter ambulance:

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It still needs highlighting and detailing but it is getting there now. On a side note, I won't be putting on the number plate digits/letters because I have got some decals that I will be using to replace all of the badly hand-painted ones I have done on the rest of the vehicles... so when I get them all together to sort the mess out, this vehicle will get number plates as well.

This week, I have been doing a 'manual handling - train the trainer' course and I have to complete a presentation for tomorrow... so I have some homework to do tonight... nice. As a result, I have been running around the house pretending to be a Velociraptor, which my daughter found hysterically funny. Charmmy, however, was less impressed:

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Well, that is about that.

See you from the study room!

Bank Holiday Weekend... of progress.

First of all, welcome Craig! I hope you enjoy your travels through Inso's World. Feel free to share ideas and comments but be sure not to wander from the path... you never know what may be coming next!

It is a bank holiday weekend so I have Monday off as well as the usual two days. That means that I have been busy tinkering and have, along with progress made this week, managed to finish a few things.

First up, I managed to finish the last Clanker unit for my Tunnel Fighter army:

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I don't know why I suddenly decided to finish these but it is a good thing and has led me to think about the last two vehicles. This also led me to dig out the Marauder I had planned to use as an ambulance and convert it... so here is the converted ambulance/field operation vehicle for my Tunnel Fighter army:

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It isn't a massive conversion but it serves the purpose and is likely to improve a little in the painting process.

While I have been tinkering, I have also kept my Reptiliad project in mind and have painted up a Mhurni soldier. He will be the dis-mounted leader who will accompany the trader and another couple of mounted knights. Here he is:

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He is quite plain but looks utilitarian enough to be a soldier. I think that a Dwarf will be next on the Reptiliad list but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

In other news... 

My daughter went to collect her GCSE results this week and was very pleased with them. Not only did she pass every one but she did better than she had hoped so we were all very proud. 

On a different 'daughter related' topic... I dyed her hair again. It was in a bid to bleach out the blue/purple that was already in there and now she has a sort of 'minty' look to her... It won't be like that for long as she plans to go blue again very soon.

Well... this week I will be busy with work. I have a course to attend that will require evening work and a presentation so I expect my hobby time to take a hit. That just makes it even more important for me to get some painting done tomorrow!

So to sing us out...

See you from the booth!

A different way of looking at things.

Over the last few months, I have been a little bit fed up with the hobby but have kept trying to find different ways of looking at things to try and maintain some sort of interest going.

Now... I have been on holiday and have relaxed and returned to Dragon parcels and all manner of other distractions but when all is said and done... maybe I just needed a different way of looking at things:

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... so maybe me doing headstands on holiday showed me the right way to approach things. 

A bit waffly, I know but I am getting to the point.

I am sure you are aware of my Grymn Tunnel Fighter project... it has, after all, occupied a couple of years of my time. Well, I have dug some of the Clankers out of the cupboard and have been working on them this weekend. I was hoping to have them fully painted but I still have a small amount to go... here they are so far:

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I know it is a bit of a change but sometimes things just choose their own path and I think this is one of those times.

I am not promising anything... but it seems that my sci-fi muse is calling again. It also seems that the apple never falls far from the tree!

In other news, I have been running again and have added a few exercises into the mix in a bid to get rid of my cider and cream-tea podge and also to improve my fitness again. As a result, I am feeling a little jaded but much better about things. It is funny how a bit of exercise can be painful but invigorating... maybe that is the reason the Clankers came out of the cupboard! Who knows?

See you from the commander's chair!

RAAAAARGH!!!

I am a child in a sweet shop... or a rather happy bloke who has opened up his parcel from Miniature Heroes:

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I am currently basking in the warm glow of five Mirliton Dragons. It is a good thing.

See you from under the plant pot beside the angry cat!

The traveller returns.

Since last Saturday, I have been away on holiday and have been without internet and all of my hobby materials. I returned home yesterday and have had a restless night's sleep after a tiring drive so today is unlikely to produce anything more than a yawn...

...however...

Last Saturday we left Oxfordshire as a family of four and began our trip to sunny Somerset. We went from the A34 onto the motorway but quickly realised that there were going to be major hold-ups so we opted for the scenic route. I am glad we did because the rain was so torrential that I was driving at 20 MPH in places because I couldn't see the road! That made for an interesting drive but added two hours on to the trip length. That said, I am glad I wasn't stuck on the motorway in those conditions.

So... we arrived at our holiday destination, The Lynch Country House, near Porlock in Somerset and the rain finally abated. Once we had unpacked and sorted our lives out, a quick trip into Porlock got us to the Olde Chapel for dinner. It was a lovely place to eat and the landlord was a great bloke so we had a chilled evening in good company. We went back there a couple of other times and Ian got the Karaoke out... so that was fun. We also ate in the Lorna Doone hotel which was exceptionally nice... the lobster salad was perfect and the rest of the food was of the same quality. The service was silver and we were well looked after. The Royal Oak was another place we visited and that was nice too... good food, good cider and a dog friendly pub so there were all sorts in there (including a Bedlington Terrier).

During the week we also went to Minehead; where we made use of the arcades, the various food places and shops and also the West Somerset Railway (a steam railway that goes from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard). We also went to Taunton which was purely a shopping day and The Exmoor Owl and Hawk centre which was excellent. On our last day we stayed in the grounds of the Lynch for a picnic and I demonstrated my cartwheeling and headstand expertise to my rather embarrassed children... it was the icing on a chilled out holiday cake.

The drive back was uninspired and on the motorway but it knocked a couple of hours off the journey time so we were soon at home again. We picked the cats up from the cattery today and they are all being weird and squawking all the time but I am glad they are home and in one piece.

So... this week has been all about family, getting away from it all, Sudoku, enjoying the food and drink of Somerset and forgetting all about work and stuff.

I was hoping to get a lot of writing done but with all the walking, drinking and eating... and not much sleeping, I wasn't really in the right frame of mind so I only managed one piece... The Healer in the Wood.

So... now it is back to normality.

See you from the side of a hill!

Pre-Sunday update.

Before I start rambling on, I'd like to welcome Grigork to Inso's World. Welcome aboard and feel free to make comments and find inspiration for use in your own projects.

So, I will be without internet for a week or so and as a result, this is Sunday's blog update.

To start, I have been painting in amongst all the insane heat and have managed to actually finish a couple of things... which is nice. First up, we have a Mhurni alchemist on his Enuk riding beast (from Twilight Miniatures):

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I'll admit that it isn't the best photograph but when I get a few more Reptiliad miniatures painted up, there SHOULD be some interesting pix to show off so hopefully, there will be much better pix when that happens. 

Next up, we have a painted version of the Goblin Aid sculpt I did (available here). I have decided on a paint scheme that is a little more generic than a lot of the paint-schemes I am expecting to see but I still think he looks the business:

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In other news, I have a primed Mhurni soldier on the table along with all the other bits and bobs so I expect him to be painted soon (assuming I don't get any more miniature related distractions). Talking of miniature distractions, I have been quite taken lately, with a European company called Puppets War. There are two things that I particularly like... first is this:

I think that they would be excellent for adding to some Grymn Powered Armour to make up a hard hitting assault squad. Next is this:

Two variants of the same suit... both being very cool indeed. Unfortunately, the heavy armour is not yet available but when it does turn up, I'll be ordering a couple and some of the jump packs at the same time.

Well... I have a week or so where I won't have much to do so I am planning on a little bit of writing for the Reptiliad blog. Whether or not I manage it, only time will tell but hopefully, something will turn up.

That, as they say, is that.

See you from the edge of the dark, dark, forest!