Yule Spoils!

 I actually got something gaming-related for Yule his year!!!

I love it! It fits right into my Christmas Wars/Pop Culture Wars thingy! Sally 4th: https://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/product/second-star-to-the-right-collection/
Go get it!

Christmas Wars: Summoning Complete ... Or Is It?

I get VERY little hobby time in currently (sick kid the last couple of days, altered appointments that pose logistic challenges, etc., and more CHistmas shopping coming up on the weekend), but my display still does get an upgrade now and then,

The pics are a tiny bit shaken as I find it difficult to hold the camera completely steady by hand, but you'll get the situation.

Miss Puddingsixpence has succeeded in summoning a Spirit. but is it the right one, and will it 

The Evil Snowmen are approaching from the forest. What heros will N be able to rally against them?

Christmas and Other Wars: A Restless Spirit

This is primarily for the Bodyguard of my WoE Undead Warlord (The Defiler), but it fits nicely in my Christmas Display Story, so it will feature there very soon.

I t took me longer to paint than it looks, as at first the Gryph-Charger Grey Contrast Paint did not create as much cntrast as I wished for, so I figured out that the ancient Citadel paint 'Elf Grey' would be a nice fit for some highlighs. It was but not quite as light as I hoped, so I mixed up some Elf Grey and White for an even lighter drybrush. It turns out that Elf Grey - and the lighter mix - looks lighter when wet, and the mix did not turn out as light as I thought. I still used it though, and I'm not going to do more about it this time around (except, maybe have a look at the weird 'highlight' near the point of the scythe), but I think I'll mix some of the lighter tone up with some more white to create a more striking highlight hue.

During the process I noticed several 'bubble damage', casting artifacts, and dust specks in the surface, and I had to mend those, which meant using blade and needle files, and consequently some repainting.

The next one I shall examine more thoroughly prior tp painting, as it is very annoying to have to do the same work several times, but, well, lesson learned, I guess ...

I am going to try out other Contrast hues for the next Oldhammer Ethereals (a lot of new colurs have been issued since I purchased the original release, and I hope to find one that matches the colour of the Army of the Dead from LotR: Return of the King, but for now I shall have to try out some of the colours I already own.

Christmas Wars: Copplestone Snow Goon #3 - and Yet Another Deco Tree

I have had this finished a couple of days, but the weekend did not leave much time for hobby stuff (buying presents and spending some quality time with the family was prioritised). We also got Whambushed by an Elf on disco rollers when visiting the mall 'Rosengårdcentret' in Odense, which was a bummer (I usually survive Whamageddon. but not this time).

I think some of the 'snow', for instance on the side of the carrot, is actually casting artifacts that should have been filed away; I remember pondering about it when prepping this particular mini.

Christmas Wars: Bad Moon Risin'

Today has been Crazy! This morning, after the first night with some notable frost degrees, we found that we had no warm water, and the radiators were cold in all of the ground floor (the top floor, oddly enough, still had some heating).

Anna almost suffered a nervous breakdown, as instead to taking a shower and washing her hair last evening, she had postponed it untill today, so we had to boil water and mix it with cold tap water in the bathroom sink, and the wifey helped her.

I had to drop off the Land Speeder at the garage for changing tires (and the rear windshield wiper), but as soon as I returned home, I called the plumber (as the pipe from the community heating plant leading into the basemant was hot, the problem had to lay somewhere inside our home).

Thankfully, the plumber could come right away (their smithy/workshop is just down the street), and an hour later or so, the radiators slowly began to warm up again. It seems that some kind of dirt filter was clogged, and now we should be marked safe from cold mornings for a while.

Then, after picking up the Land Speeder, I went to Ringe to work out at the Fitness Center/gym and pick up the girls from grammar school afterwards (15:15). Lea had to be at work at 15:30, and Anna took her time to appear, so I had to leave her behind at first to get Lea to work on time. I could not get Lea to call Anna right away to reassure her I'd be back for her (she was changing shirt for work), so Anna kind of panicked and thought I'd abandoned her. Which didn't make my day any better.

All in all, today was pretty shitty, and I did not have the mojo to do much hobby stuff in between.

But, I got the Christmas Display updated, and the story can unfold ...

Miss Puddingsixpence seems to have some problems harnessing the Power of Light here  under the Full Moon. Meanwhile, another Snow Goon has emerged from the Darkness on the Edge of Town.

Whose bidding are the foul constructs doing? And what is their purpose?

Christmas Wars: Copplestone Snow Goon #2 - and Another Deco Tree

I managed to finish the second Copplestone Snow Goon today, and also got the base on another cheap decoration tree done.

Shortly from now, this angry fella' will be joining his brother in the display on the sideboard.

I hope to finish the third and last of the Copplestone Snowmen tomorrow, but I also have to get winter tires for the Land Speeder and pick up Lea (and Anna) from Grammar School and drop her off at Lidl in Ringe for her after-school job there (she works seven hours a week on avarage), so I do not know if I shall be able to get enough painting time in.

Christmas Wars: The Snow Goon Incursion of '22

 Clearly a violation of the Santa Clause, stating that no evil spirits can enter the Mortal Realms between Samhain and Epiphany, this situation may call for the activation of N's Sleeper Helpers. Miss Puddingsixpence seems about to invoke the Spirit of Christmas Present to summon some reinforcements - but will they arrive in time, and will they be enough to stem the tides of Darkness, or will Christmas be jeopardized ...?

Christmas Wars: Copplestone Snow Goon #1

As promised, I am painting winter/x-massy stuff to go on display on the sideboard with our  small 'light houses'.

I have never painted snowmen before, so I am learning on the go, and the next ones will be painted with slightly different palettes and techniques - I even may go back and change this pain(t)job.

I should be able to snap some pics of the updated display a little later today, unless we are not binging Cloak & Dagger when Anna and Marianne returns from Faaborg Church where Anna is participating in the Faaborg-Midtfyn Music School Christmas Concert (she has taken up playing the Clarsach this autumn). Sadly Lea and I could not attend, as Lea was at a crochet class in Ringe, and I had to stay home to tend to the Molly and Bella (and walk Molly).

In addition, there's only room for two persons in the car when the Clarsach gets transported. I shall have to settle for her practice sessions until next time.

For now, here is the first Deranged Mutant Killer Snow Goon from other angles:

So It Begins

December is dedicated to painting minis which will show up in the Christmas Display on the sideboard. The first 'mini' finished this year is the largest of the trees, which I have given a washer base built up with some wall filler and painted with Humbrol Matt White Enamel and Citadel Apothecary White Contrast.

I am basing more of those cheap decoration trees (and I shall also give the small tree a bigger base), and I have quite a line-up of pop culture icons in the pain(t) queue,

Christmas Wars: The Mystery Machine

I did not get around to painting a mini for the Chrismas Wars project in January (although my skeletons and Vikings can probably be used for it), but I accidentally got myself a Mystery Machine for the Scooby gang!

I got it in exchange for making a donation to a charity of my own choice, and I made one to Danmarksindsamlingen Saturday evening, this year aimed at helping starving/malnutritioned children in third world countries.

As you can see, it will require some filler, and I shall have to cut a piece of clear acrylic for the windshield.

I may opt to use this for the post-apocalyptic version, adding some wire mesh to the windows, and perhaps some additional defensive bits and bobs,

Christmas Wars: Basing The Scooby Gang

With my God of Battles two-units-in-one-go sub-project almost finished, it is time to get the monthly mini for my Christmas Wars project ready for the pain(t) station.

I think I am going to paint Fred up, first, and I thought I might just as well get some filler on the bases of the rest of the gang right away.

As soon as these are off the prepping station, I shall start getting the last Perry French finished for the first Dol Amroth Men-at-Arms proxy unit, so that I can get the bases filled, and get those 16 models of the prepping station, too (it is rather crowded at the moment).

And, of course, there is the jungle terrain I want to build - I have to find all my plastic palm trees and other jungle-worthy plastic vegetation... Well, I think I shall do that one or two bases at a time, not bury myself in half-finished terrain bases.

Chrismas Wars: Scooby and the Gang WIP

I have been cleaning up and basing Scooby and the meddling teenagers, as I think they are just the kind of material that will go well with my Christmas Wars project (as well as for other, just as cheerful settings 😉 )

I am not gong to paint any of these, until I have finished the two Skeleton Horde units I am now building for God of Battles, but it never hurts to have some nice minis ready for the paint station!

Christmas Wars: Santa's Assistant - With Snow, but Without Lipstick!

Time ran out for me on this, so I did not quite get it to the point I wanted to.

Julia was late this morning (if you know my language, you will get her name), so she forgot to put her lipstick on, and I think she grabbed the wrong pair of silk stockings, as thes eare light grey instead of white or red (or even green).

I like the way her hair turned out, it was:

1. Citadel Desert Yellow
2. Coat d'Arms Buff
3. Army Painter Skeleton Bone

I thin I could have gotten away with another highlight - shall experiment on my next blond mini!

All in all. I like how she turned out, and she is now joining Santa in our winter/Christmas scene on the sideboard, of which I promise to post a photo either later today or tomorrow. No snow landscape though - I think I shall make a mat out of painter felt, then upgrade it with some Woodland Scenics snow later this winter!

MERRY CHISTMAS, HAPPY CHANNUKAH,

and whatever festival YOUR culture/religion is celebrating right now (sorry, I am too ignorant to know them all - I celebrate 'Christmas'  more in line with the original Norse Jól, anyway, without any particular religious meaning).

Christmas Wars: Santa - Now With Snow!

I have now poked the Snow-Tex around on Santa's base, and I think the finish is OK,

It is not quite the effect I was looking for (I wanted sparkling 'postcard' snow), but I may be able to achieve an enhanced result by drybrushing some clear varnish over the Snow-Tex.

I do have a feeling, that I could create a similar compound myself - the Snow-Tex feels and looks very much like 'gloop', which is a mix of paint, sand, and PVA glue (the Snow-Tex even could be only white paint and sand), and if I keep using this stuff for winter bases, I think I should experiment with beach sand and white emulsion paint.

I have all but finished Santa's assistant, and I hope to be able to post pics of her tomorrow morning (before I start bringing in The Tree), and of the small Christmas Village Scene we have on our sideboard.