July heat.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

Time is ticking by and things are moving along rather nicely.

The nice weather has meant that I have been getting on with "outside" chores... like painting the house and sorting the garden so I have been kept busy when I am not working. I am in very good spirits and can honestly say that I haven't felt this "at peace" for a very, VERY long time. Thank heavens for psychotherapists, eh?

I've been out for a couple of rides on my bike but not particularly far... however, it has made a change from not riding at all.

In a strange twist of fate, we will have a new kitten joining our family next week. His name is Storm:

Click the Pic!

He's going to be about eight weeks old when he arrives with us and we can't wait. 

We weren't planning on getting another kitten so soon after the loss of our Sam... but we took the plunge and when we went to look at the litter, Storm made a bee-line for my wife, climbed on her and cuddled in... so we were chosen and couldn't really say no. I am really glad to be welcoming a new little family member.

In hobby news, I have finished painting the first platoon's Command Squad:

Click the Pic!

... and have nearly finished the first infantry squad as well:

Click the Pic!

I have just started to add the final highlights and once that is done and the base-edges are painted, they will be finished. I have promised to finish sculpting the five close combat Squats after that... but in this heat, painting and sculpting is quite difficult; especially with the way paint/putty properties change when they get warmed up so it is a slow process.

I haven't really been sculpting at all, lately. I seem to be enjoying the hobby for me, at the moment so I must admit to being a bit selfish and getting some paint on my army instead. It's what you need, sometimes...

In other news, I have been enjoying the slow information release for Squats/Leagues of Votann from Games Workshop. I am looking forward to seeing where things go... but I very much doubt that I will be able to keep them "stock" if I get any... I am thinking of turning some into Demiurg, to go with my other troops... an example:

Click the Pic!

Once more of the ranges are revealed, I will decide upon which units to convert and which ones I won't bother with... I am looking forward to the vehicles... hopefully, some drilling machines.

Well... that's about it. With summer comes the tourists so I doubt I'll be going too far in the near future. Maybe I'll get some more stuff finished... who knows?

See you from the top of the morning!

Is this the real thing? Or is this just fantasy?

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

Forgive me, friends, for it has been two weeks, since my last update.

Last week would have been a fairly boring update. It would have just been about training courses, tiredness and work... with no hobby stuff at all.

This week is fairly similar but maybe, a little bit more varied...

Over the last two weeks I have been getting training and work experience and have been plodding along very nicely at work. I have been involved with most of the day to day duties that a Health Care Assistant, level 1 (HCA1) may face but I have had to be line of sight and monitored closely while I am in the learning phase. I have assisted with personal care, eating, hoisting, restraint and also have had time to enjoy the company of clients in a friendly environment. Sadly, one of our clients passed away this week so I have also felt the sadness of what Dementia eventually causes... so the last two weeks have been pretty full-on.

This coming week, I have more training and then I will be free of induction and can start really focusing on the job at hand and building up my 'work stamina' again... yes, I have struggled getting back into work after nearly two years off and have felt pretty tired out, as a result.

The main thing is that I am loving my new career choice and have found something that is extremely rewarding to do... even if the wages are ridiculously low for the work and responsibility that is expected from you... but that is just the care profession for you. On my travels, yesterday, I noticed that I would get 5p more an hour, working in Mac Donald's... so make of that, what you will.

On a different note, I have had a weekend off this weekend so yesterday, I drove up to Aylesbury and back to visit family. We had a lovely visit and put the world to rights before a drive home in what can only be called, terrible weather. Needless to say... for the first time in as long as I can remember, I slept for over 10 hours last night! I must be both tired and happy, to do that.

Okay, okay... let's talk about hobby stuff.

I'll start with what I have been tinkering with; namely Dash Hound:

Click the Pic!

Dash Hound is a super-speedster (mostly created because I have been watching a lot of DC's "the Flash", recently) and he has been converted from THIS Hasslefree Miniature. Hopefully, you will get a better idea of the miniature, with primer on it:

Click the Pic!

Dash Hound will be joining my existing super team:

Click the Pic!

In addition to Dash hound, I have also purchased another Hasslefree Miniature from HERE and he will be getting some similar conversion treatment... but I haven't decided which direction to take him yet... so it will definitely be a 'watch this space' thing on that one. In the meantime, Dash Hound has been base-coated and will be getting finished this week.

Obviously, from the previous information, you can tell that my order from Hasslefree Miniatures arrived this week... so I now have STEVE (who will be joining a different group of heroes... yes, I have many groups) as well as the conversion dolly and two pots of green paint (for my Demiurg Earth Guild drones). As it happens, I also received a very nice little extra miniature... which will be getting lots of noise and fanfare when it is revealed... but I am not mentioning any more about it yet... apart from, it's worth waiting for.

In addition to the Hasslefree order, I bought a Primaris captain from EBay and also a Primaris psyker from WH Smiths (Warhammer Conquest magazine) so my little Primaris project is gaining momentum. I'd show some images but... they're just marines...

From a charity perspective, this week I traveled with my committee chairperson, up to Bodmin for a bit of a get together with other Marie Curie members on Thursday evening and had a very informative time. There were speakers from various places amongst the charity and I got a good insight into what the charity was about and where it hoped to be in the coming years. Well worth the trip and there were even posh biscuits... so it was win-win!

That's it for this week... or two?

See you from the head of the line!

The start of an interesting journey...

Hello.

Welcome.

Let's get the show on the road...

This week has been a week of all sorts of things...

First of all, my son (and his girlfriend) was visiting and I got to see him a bit while he was in town. It is always good to see him when he visits because he's his own man now and we have a good understanding now. He is still enjoying life in the RAF and I am still immensely proud of him. It was particularly nice to have a family dinner with My son, his girlfriend, our daughter and us... I am now looking forward to the next visit.

As I mentioned last week, I started a few shadow shifts, at the care home, this week but I ended up phoning them because I was waiting for the call... but it didn't come. I think that there were crossed wires and we were both expecting to be called. Anyway... I have now shadowed an early shift and a late shift and already know that I have made the right choice in my career direction... the care system needs all the help it can get.

I have shadowed some lovely people and have been able to do certain tasks... but no personal care yet; that will come after I have had my induction training this coming week.

I have already seen a wide spectrum of dementia symptoms and have really had to think about how I should react... but when I have had the opportunity to step in and help, it has been truly rewarding. I can safely say that spending time in the company of some of the residents has been a joy and I am really looking forward to being able to help them through their care needs. There are also challenging aspects of dementia care but I will have a lot of help and guidance at my disposal so I should be able to cope. I could say that I should have done it years ago but I think that these opportunities come along when you most need them and I think that I am old enough to cope now... I think that I am in a better place, now that I have more life experience. Obviously, other people will have different ideas but for me, I think that I would have struggled if I had decided to do this earlier in my life.

So that means that I will get induction training this coming week and will be starting work, proper, the week after. Obviously, I won't be left to it... I will always have someone with me but I will be able to help with everything and get used to how to do things properly.

Am I tired? YOU BET!

After almost two years of being a domestic technician (staying at home... pottering about... doing a few chores and a bit of DIY...), spending 7 hours on my feet was a bit of a culture shock... and it didn't help that I was looking forward to it so I haven't had the best sleep. When I got home at 22:00hrs last night, I was shattered... but in a good way. Luckily, I only have three days on the training and after that, four days off before a string of early shifts. Then it will just be a case of getting back into the swing of things again.

It is also good that the Care Home that I have chosen to join is run by a charitable, not for profit, organisation so it fits into my 'post military' agenda quite nicely.

Speaking of charities, I have also been doing a little bit of charity stuff with Marie Curie and have raised £110.00 through a little raffle that I ran and once the cheque was written, I went and counted a bunch of charity boxes with the committee chairperson; as part of my treasurer's role. It's now paid into the bank as well. Here's a link to Marie Curie, just in case you wish to learn more about the great work they do:

Marie Curie Link

Hobby wise, things have been very slow. When you are waiting for 'real life' things to happen, the motivation to spend time on a hobby wanes a bit... but that said, I have managed to get a little bit more paint on my Demiurg Earth Guild Drones. These are just the unfinished ones from the unit of ten, that I showed last week. As you can see, they are starting to all look similar:

Click the Pic!

I still have knees, eyes, 'back tubes' and 'head tubes' to paint but I am doing little bits at a time so that I don't get bogged down. 

I have ordered some paint from Hasslefree Miniatures and am awaiting its arrival. Without it, I will have no green for my Earth Guild Drones... hopefully, it will turn up soon but I am not in any immediate rush and realise that Hasslefree Miniatures were hit by floods and have had quite a bit of clearing up to do.

I have a strong feeling that I won't get much hobby time this coming week but I guess only time will tell.

Well... that's it for this week.

See you from the letter-box!

The wind has changed direction.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been fairly interesting so I'll get straight to it...

My wife braved the shave... (the week before last... but I failed to mention it in my last blog post) and has so far raised nearly £400 for MacMillan Cancer Support, which is very cool. Her charity page is still up and now shows a 'before and after' so pop along and please donate if you can:

Brave the Shave LINK

On the job front, I have now passed all the checks and should be starting work this coming week. I will be shadowing a Health Care Assistant for the week before going for my induction training the following week so things are really getting interesting now. I know that the first few months will be tough because it's all new to me, it's a particularly demanding job and I have been away from a job for nearly two years. I have a feeling that Inso is going to be a very tired chap! I am really looking forward to it and can't wait to get started.

I have finally got my medals sorted out. I sent them off this week to get them cleaned, have the clasp fitted and get them court mounted and treated with stay-bright. They are due to return to me on Monday and I am looking forward to seeing what they look like. I plan to attend the remembrance festival again this year so I want them to look as good as they possibly can. Hopefully, I'll be able to show them off next week.

On the hobby front, a fair bit has happened...

First, I got a refund from EBay for a parcel that wasn't sent... so I used the refund to buy the same thing from a more reliable seller and as a result, I have a new box of Kharadron Arkanauts to convert. I plan on using four for Demiurg and the rest will become the start of a kill team.

Next, I finished the Drone Controller for my Demiurg Air Guild so I now have two complete command units for that guild:

Click the Pic!

With that finished I sat and stared at the Air Guild Drones and thought... "nah!" so I decided it was time to sort out the big dilemma... "how exactly, did I paint my Earth Guild Drones?"... well... that was the plan but I failed because of the effect that shades and under-coats have on colours so I decided to bite the bullet and just pick new colours, that looked similar and start from scratch. Luckily, I only have three painted Earth Guild Demiurg and three of their drones so I can ignore the colour differences for now and if it bothers me too much in the future, I can either repaint them or replace them. Now that I have made the paint-scheme decision, I have noted the colours on my army list so I won't forget them and have begun the task of putting together the first full unit of Earth Guild Drones... and here is where it's at:

Click the Pic!

Looking at the image (left to right), top left  are the three finished Drones (assault). The last one on the back row and the next two on the row in front are re-coloured, incorrectly base-coated drones (I had already base-coated them but the colour wasn't right and I didn't know what colour it was so I took the decision to re-coat them with a green that I knew the identity of)... they are a bomber and two gun drones. Next is a 'first coat of green' bomber, then the two in the next row are shield drones and finally, the one at the front is the last assault drone. Since the picture was taken, the grey ones have received their first coat of green. 

From that little ramble, the unit will consist of:

3x Demiurg Command Staff.

4x Assault Drone.

2x Bomber Drone.

2x Gun Drone.

2x Shield Drone.

Luckily, the Demiurg Command Staff are painted differently and I can estimate the colours better so when it comes to painting the next Earth Guilders, I shouldn't have the same colour problems.

Speaking of colour problems... I don't have very much of the green paint I have chosen (Coat d'Arms - 111 Dark Elf Green) so I have put in an order to Hasslefree Miniatures to get another couple of pots. Obviously, I couldn't just order two pots of paint so I have ordered a STEVE and a SCULPTING DOLLY to make a decent little order. I have no fixed plans for them as yet (apart from the dolly becoming a superhero of some sort)... but I never sit still for long.

Finally, I have so far painted three Primaris Space Marines and have a fourth on the handle... so that little project is ticking along nicely as well.

That's it for this week.

See you from the new age!

Space Knights?

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been a bit of a "hurry up and wait" week. I have been fidgety because I am waiting for my job application to run its course and I haven't really heard much; apart from a couple of my references getting in touch to say that they had been contacted... so things are progressing but at their own pace.

I have pottered around a lot this week but haven't really achieved very much. Yes, I have done my chores and got what needed to be done, done... but really, I have felt a bit in limbo. It has been a bit of a "coulda, woulda, shoulda" week.

Hobby wise, I haven't really got much done either. I bought another couple of Warhammer Conquest (issue 1) copies because they were on 'last day of sale' and have been chopping one one of the Primaris Marines up, to see if I can turn it into a Demiurg Subterranean Guilder... but haven't got very far. I have even started assembling a  couple and painting them as they are... which hasn't got very far either. In fact... the only things I have managed to complete this week are a Demiurg Air Guild Leader:

Click the Pic!

... and an Air Guild Mechanic:

Click the Pic!

I have started to convert the Drone Controller but have got as far as a bump-guard on top of his helmet... so his mask still needs a lot of work.

As you can see, it has been a pretty unproductive week. 

In other news, tomorrow will be the first anniversary of my Dad's death so the next post may have something about that... I will most certainly have a small toast to him tomorrow. 

See you from the Rookery!

Autumnal... it's a word, you know...

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been relatively quiet.

More form-filling finished, DBS certificates dropped off and more waiting for news about my new job. On the plus side, I have received a formal offer for my job and that means that I am back in the game of life again. It also meant that I needed to buy some shoes, trousers and a polo-shirt so that I could have separate work-clothes... which I have now done. Once I have decided whether or not I can cope with the type of work I will be doing, I will spring for some additional 'sets' of work wear because I will most certainly need them.

On the charity front, I have been counting and banking collections and have started the investigation into how to thin down a few of the more onerous forms... that'll take a while but I reckon that I should be able to get some reduced effort for our collectors.

I have also been running a small auction for Marie Curie on one of my Facebook groups and have carried out the draw this morning... parcels will be sent off to the North of England and Australia tomorrow.

Not to be selfish... I'd like to share a link to my wife's 'Brave the Shave' charity event. I will be getting the clippers busy and giving her a grade 4 hair cut in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. If you feel like you would like to chip in, please feel free to. Here's her page:

Kathy's Brave the Shave Link

On the hobby front, I have really struggled for enthusiasm this week. 

All I have managed to achieve on the painting front is a bit of priming and a half-arsed attempt at base-coating the rest of the drones. 

On the sculpting front, I have managed to get some very minor work done on a Demiurg Air Guilder's face. All sculpting on the Ogryn has stalled because of the negative mojo I received. Hopefully the Air Guilder will be more successful. 

I have also been gathering bits and bobs for an Air Guilder transport drone. I have enough components for two and have started chopping a few things... but again, I haven't got very far due to a complete lack of enthusiasm.

You wouldn't necessarily know it but I tidied my work space to try and stimulate some activity:

Click the Pic!

I am yet to discover whether or not this little tidy up has worked... only time will tell, I guess.

To top off this week's post... the heating went on for the first time in ages... Autumn must be on the way properly now.

That's it for now.

See you from the hall of mirrors!

Hurry up and wait.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

It has been a varied week and as a result, hobby time has stalled somewhat. In fact, all I have achieved is to assemble a few more Aerial Drones for my Demiurg Air Guild, prime them and slap a very rough base-coat on them.

In other hobby news, I decided to see if I could sculpt something... and haven't got anywhere.

It doesn't help when you come up with a good back story and are enthusiastic about something... and then a few people get all 'button counter' on you and discourage the idea. Bearing in mind that I sculpt stuff for science-FICTION, it beggars belief.

To say that it has had a negative impact on something which I am really struggling to get back into, would be an understatement. As a result... I started sculpting, got completely discouraged, questioned why I bothered and stopped completely. My view is that people are always so keen to rip things apart but rarely put the same effort into encouragement and finding reasons why things should be done.

Anyway... moaning aside... Shoulder pain has been a bit of a thing this week and I needed to take some medication for it. That wiped out Tuesday. Also a bit of Thursday... but not too much.

Sleep has been a treasured commodity and I have struggled to get any motivation this week as a result. That said, on Monday, I popped into my new work-place to hand in documentations and the process for my DBS clearance started. Since then, I have had an email (yesterday) saying that the checks were complete and the certificate is on the way... so I should have the certificate very soon. Once I take it in to the Care Home, they will be looking to get me working; shadowing staff until I can get my courses done and then properly working from then on. As I have mentioned to my friends, it seems that fate is really keen to get me working.

On Monday, I also got some Marie Curie work done. I did some money counting and banking and had a nice chat with the committee chairwoman. There was also a meeting on Thursday so I got to meet a few more of the committee members... and they were all decent people so that was nice. I have a few extra chores to sort out now but I am getting there with the admin side of things now and am properly taking an active role in the charity.

Wednesday was a day with my missus and we pottered about and sorted a few things (as usual).

Then... along came Friday and I decided to go for a nice ride on my motorbike, over to Marazion and seeing as I haven't shown any decent pix of my bike since the screen was fitted, here's some now:

Click the Pix!

That's about it for this week. I know it's been a bit of a moan but lack of sleep, chronic pain and the 'negative waves' from strangers can do that sometimes.

See you from the grindstone!

The times, they are a changin'...

Hello again and welcome to Inso's World on a lovely sunny, if rather blustery, day.

This week has been... interesting.

I'll start off with hobby stuff... and this week has been solely geared towards my Demiurg project. As is usually the case, a chance happening has distracted me away from my Squat project and my attention has been fully turned towards Demiurg... on this occasion it was a mix of insanely cheap miniatures and the new Warhammer, part-work, magazine. With that aside... I have fully painted three Air Guilders for my Demiurg project:

Click the Pic!

As with the Earth Guilders, there is a Controller, Leader and Mechanic (from left to right) but they are a different colour to mark them as a separate guild. To go with these Demiurg, I have been assembling and painting some drones that I got from the Warlord Summer Sale (which I have mentioned over the last couple of weeks). These aren't finished but are most certainly getting there:

Click the Pic!

In the picture there are four large drones and eight smaller ones. There is a mix of large gun drone, small gun drone, small targeter drone and large shield drone. Most of the drones are as they came in the box but the small gun drones were converted by snipping off one of the targeter lenses and adding a spare weapon from the Concord troops on their sprue. Any spare weapon/shield pods from the large drones are being saved to use elsewhere... especially the shield pods because I plan to convert some Earth Guild walker drones to have those on so that they can protect their Demiurg associates.

In addition to the above work on the Demiurg project, I have also ordered some more Kharadron troops to join them. These should arrive sometime this week (although it's EBay and the seller is not being very helpful... so that may change). I have also been thinking about transport and how I will go about creating an Air Guild transport ship... but enough of that for now... let's talk about a little bit of real life...

At the beginning of the week, I was pottering about as usual, doing my chores, a bit of hobby stuff and this and that... on Wednesday, me and my missus had a big chat about life, the universe and everything as well as going out for a coffee and posting a parcel... on Thursday, I was looking at a website and found myself on the job application page... it wasn't a big form... just the real basics... so I filled it in and clicked send.

Then I pottered around... did some chores... a bit of hobby stuff and thought "I'd better sort a CV out". Luckily, I already had a CV written but it needed lots of changes so I started to work on it... then the phone rang... "are you available for an interview, tomorrow at lunch time?". "Yes... thank you."

So... to cut a long story short... I didn't plan on going for a job but I put in an application, got an interview the next day, had to throw together a CV and find my suit (which was too big for me due to my weight loss - THANK YOU strong belt!), attended the interview... and was offered the job. All in the space of a day!

Now that the dust has settled, I need to fill in a full application form (which I am doing today), put together some details (for a security and DBS check) and drop them off tomorrow.

The big thing is that I am not going to be an Aircraft Technician. I am going to be a Health Care Assistant, at a local care home that specialises in dementia care. The home is run by a not for profit, charity organisation and that fits in nicely with one of the reasons I moved away from the RAF. It will be a complete departure from what I am used to but I think that once I get my head around everything, it'll suit me well and hopefully be the start of a long and extremely rewarding career in the care sector.

I have some induction courses to go on but will be able to shadow staff in the meantime so that I can get a feel for what goes on in the home... 

I must admit to being a little bit stunned by the immediacy of it all... and how rapidly everything happened but I guess, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Obviously, I have a lot to take in and deal with, over the coming weeks and months, and a massive learning curve because I have no experience in the role but I am up for the challenge... I am certainly under no misconception about the emotional roller-coaster I am jumping on to.

The times are very much a changin'.

See you from the clouds!

A quiet week.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been pretty quiet. A few days of family time, a couple of days of "post insomnia wash-out" a little bit of house painting, a small amount of illness and a little bit of hobby time.

This week's hobby time consisted of getting the second squad of infantry base-coated prior to a tidy up:

Click the Pic!

There has been a small amount of other painting but no pix as yet... so today's hobby images will be a bit sparse.

In other hobby news, I managed to get hold of a couple of copies of the new Warhammer Conquest magazine. As a result, I added a further squad of Primaris marines to my collection, some paints and brushes. 

The second order from Warlord Games arrived and now I have a big bunch of Concord troops and drones to play with. The drones will be joining my Demiurg (just like the Ghar walkers) but I am yet to decide on the fate of the troops... they may make good robot troops for something... but I am not worrying about them for now.

As for the Demiurg... there may well be a bit of movement on that front, very soon...

See you from the cupola!

The platoon is growing.

Hello again and welcome to Inso's World on a lovely, foggy day.

This is currently the view from my window:

Click the Pic!

It's definitely different to last weekend... Hopefully, it will disappear and we'll get some sun again.

Back on track... this week has been one of travels and a bit of hobby so we'll start with travels.

My missus has had a bit of a holiday and we have been pottering around and doing everything she wanted to. We have been to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Pendennis Castle, Trebah Garden and have also traveled up to see my Step Mum in Seaton. While we were there we went for a lovely ride on the Seaton Tram system and had lunch on Colyton station. In lesser travels, we have also been to see Ant Man and the Wasp at the cinema. I was also (thankfully) left at home when my missus went to see the second Mama Mia film with my niece so that was a bullet dodged. We have also pottered about in town and spent some quality time together so this has been a good week.

On Monday, I had a bit of official duty to perform. I went over to Mullion in order to take part in a little photo opportunity for Marie Curie. There was a 'big cheque' handover that needed some yellow-shirts to be present and that went really well. I can't share the whole photo but here I am in all of my Marie Curie finery:

Click the Pic!

As you can tell from the sun in my eyes, Monday was a little less foggy than today!

That's enough life for today so let's talk hobby now. Last week, I showed off two finished elements of the first infantry platoon for my Squat army. This week, I get to show the first complete, Squat elements. This is the Platoon Command Squad for the First Infantry Platoon (complete with Primaris Psyker, as shown off last week):

Click the Pic!

As you can see... there are ACTUAL Squats painted! Okay, it isn't the best pic but when the platoon is all finished, it will get a decent photo-shoot. 

Now that the troop units are well under way, here's a WIP of the First Infantry Squad:

Click the Pic!

The image shows the first, basic, base-coat, ready for tidying up prior to a wash. The gun-tractor has been progressed since the picture and is already washed, ready for highlights... mostly because it has to be painted in a different way to the troops due to the need for it to be separate from its base. It's also nice to have a 'little project' when painting blocks of troops, just to take the edge off a bit.

In other hobby news, Warlord game have had a summer sale and the prices were so ridiculous, I felt obliged to spend some money with them. As a result, I have ordered twelve Ghar Battle-suits and ten sprues of Concord troops/drones. The reason for this was that the sprues were reduced from £10.00, £8.00 and £12.00 to £1.00 each! Instead of having to spend £20.00 on three battle-suits, I got twelve for £12.00! It would have cost me £120.00 to get ten of the Concord sprues... instead it cost £10.00! It would have been insane NOT to buy any... especially seeing as they will all be added to my Demiurg army and were already earmarked as future purchases.

Click the Pix!

... Speaking of which, when all the sprues turn up, I will have the following:

• 6x Ground Guilders.
• 3x Air Guilders.
• 1x Ground Guilder Command Crawler.
• 30x Ground Drones.
• 10x Large Air Drones.
• 20x Small Air Drones.

I will also have fifty Concord troops to add to the bits box and this may be an opportunity for a little conversion for something else that has been rattling around in my head lately... Kill Team.

... but that is for another day!

See you from the abandoned city!

Interesting things...

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

It has been an interesting week. In fact, it has been one of happenings and things getting done.

To start with, I have talked to some local, reputable and recommended, double glazing people and this coming week I start the process of getting new windows installed in the house (the survey/measuring starts on Friday). That means that in a few weeks, we should have functioning windows that have vents and can open and shut without having to be sealed shut to stop the gales blowing through. It will be lovely!

I managed to get out on the motor bike this week too. I had a lovely couple of hours pottering about. I went over to Marazion and sat with a coffee while watching horses gallop along the beach and kite-surfers playing on the waves. I also popped over to the dealer where I got my bike from and they have my windscreen in so I have arranged to get that fitted when it comes to first service time.

In my hobby world, I have been getting quite a lot of sculpting and converting done this week. First up, I ordered some alien creatures from Fenris Games and when they arrived, they were smaller than expected... so I decided to have a play and see what I could do and managed to come up with this:

Click the Pic!

It's likely to be a one-off but I guess even Halfling snipers need to get places and not be tired.

Next up, I have managed to convert and prime three Demiurg:

Click the Pic!

These guys all have helmets and keep to the same idea as the other ones; mechanic, drone-controller and leader. These are going to form part of a new idea for my Demiurg army; they will be Air Guilders...

I have decided to have separate war-guilds for my Demiurg: 

Earth Guild: The leading guild that operates on the surface of a planet and has ground troops and drones. It has overall control of the three war guilds. These Demiurg tend not to wear helmets. Their colour is green.

Air Guild: This guild operates drones and machines that fight in the air and space. These Demiurg tend to wear helmets. Their colour is blue.

Subterranean Guild: This guild operates troops, drones and machines that fight below the surface of a planet and in the seas. These Demiurg tend to wear heavy armour and reinforced helmets. Their colour is brown/orange... like iron oxide/rust.

That's it for now but it's a start. In order to get some Subterranean guilders converted, I have ordered one of THESE to act as a starting point for a heavy armour conversion. I have ideas about what direction I want to take it in but I won't say anything just yet because I am fickle and those ideas may change.

With sculpting in mind, I have also been ticking along with my commissions and also Dutch from my Predator unit so sculpting wise, it has been a really good week.

In other news... I decided to sell my Halfling Sniper greens:

Click the Pix!

I have kept aside all of the casts I need for my army and will likely dispose of the rest. I got Rob over at Hysterical Games to send the greens back and once they were in my possession again, I offered them up and they have been bought (and received) by CP Models. They will be produced in metal and will be available when they have enough new miniatures to fill a spin-cast mould... so keep an eye on them for any news.

So... this coming week, I am off to the doctors to talk about pain control and see if they can prescribe something to take the edge off my shoulder pain... then maybe I can get back on track and get some focus again. I have the window people coming on Friday and I have plenty of sculpting to be getting on with so it should be a good week... it'll be even better if I can get a few miles in on the bike as well.

See you from the duck pond! 

The gates have been opened.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week he been pretty good; mostly because we have had the boiler repaired and I am now able to get warm without the need for twenty layers of clothing. It also means that I am able to use green stuff again rather than mixing it up and it not wanting to work properly (it doesn't like my cold hands).

As you may have guessed, I have been sculpting a lot this week. I have been working on Dutch, five commission sculpts and a competition sculpt. Unfortunately, there isn't much to show off yet so there are no pix... however, after a bit of chat on Facebook (the WH40k Squats group), I had the bright idea of assembling a Demiurg with a helmet instead of a sculpted head. I used a plastic head from HERE, Backpack and axe from HERE and Ion pistol (also from Anvil Industry but I can't find the link). This is what he looks like:

Click the Pic!

I think that the larger head suits the look of my Demiurg so I will make a few more of these. Hopefully, it will stimulate my Demiurg 'head sculpting' muse.

Now on to the big news for the week. Games Workshop/Forge World have decided to make a Squat bounty hunter for Necromunda. the news was released in a video:

... and pictures have been released all over Facebook so I have mercilessly borrowed some:

Click the Pix!

At the moment it is just the one... but seeing the response that this news has had, I am optimistic that there may be a few more in the future. 

My view on it is positive. It is a nicely designed miniature that will look great as part of a gang/unit. I don't think he is the same size as the original Squats; more like the size of a Kharadron Overlord... but I think it was inevitable that this would be the case. I expect that it will be about £15 to £20 in price... so if I get one, it will be just the one.

Still... very exciting news for a Squat collector... GW have admitted they exist now!

See you from the Home Worlds!

Christmas Eve... already?

Hello again and welcome to Inso's World on Christmas eve 2017.

I thought I'd take a few moments to reflect on, what can be considered, a pivotal year of my life.

The start of the big adventure was getting a mortgage and moving into our own home, just before Christmas last year. At first we were sitting on deck-chairs and sleeping on an air bed... but thanks to some wonderful people who worked super hard, all our furniture was built and arrived before Christmas.

The reason for the move was because I had put my notice in and my 28 years of military service, in the Royal Air Force, came to an end in January so we needed to have somewhere to live.

Click the Pic... and spot a very young Inso on his basic training in 1988!

(Rear rank, far left).

I had a great career and was very proud when my son joined up to carry on in the service I was leaving behind.

Click the Pic!

Having lived in Cornwall before, it was a very simple choice for us to move here permanently and it was exactly the right choice. Unfortunately, the house was a bit of a fixer-upper and it still needs lots of work but it was definitely a case of location over serviceability. Fortunately, my RAF pension has meant that I could have time away from work to sort a few things out and as a result, I have been jobless since we moved... which has been a bit of a blessing because my father became very poorly and needed regular visits. Sadly, this escalated to finding out that he had terminal cancer and he passed away on 1st October. As an executor to his will, I was also needed to deal with his funeral, flat clearance and estate so it was good that I didn't have to deal with an employer while going through this time.

Rest in Peace, Dad.

As the year ticked over, we have had builders in to fix the roof on the porch and garage, replace the house guttering and replace our bathroom. I have built shelving, repaired banisters, fitted new fixtures and dealt with all those little things that keep failing or falling off. My next job is to build a walk in wardrobe for my wife so that will be started pretty soon... then it will be windows and kitchen replacement... so a long way to go yet.

During that time, we also had our daughter staying with us for a couple of months and she has now found a place locally where she is close to work and is living with some good friends.

From a personal health point of view, it hasn't been a bad year. I have put on a little weight (which I am enjoying) and have had a complete lack of any ailments apart from a frozen shoulder... which has affected my good arm and restricts its movement so I have to think about how I do things a bit more. It's sore but it's with me for a year or so... so I will have to just work round it. Apart from that... all is good.

In other news, I bought a motorcycle so I am back in the saddle after a lay off of nearly 10 years. It was exactly the right thing to do and when the weather and circumstances allow it, I will ride that bike until I reach the wheel rims:

Click the Pic for a big grin!

From a hobby perspective, I could have been busier but I guess we can't have everything. I have continued work on my Squat army and have even started painting a few. I have started a new little army of Demiurg and have even finished a commission or two. Add to that my little foray into getting some miniatures cast up for sale and it hasn't been too bad. As it stands, I have sold 24 sets of Halfling snipers and all of the Exo Armour legs... so not bad, I guess. If anyone wants any of the Halfling Snipers, you can find them HERE.

Click the Pic!

With all this new found freedom, I have also found myself a pub that I consider my local. It has a wonderful community feel and I have made some great friends. As a result, I kicked off my charitable endeavors with a head and beard shave, at the pub, for Marie Curie and was fortunate enough to raise a good sum of money for them. This was one of my first transformations over the year... and while I had the freedom to do so, I have been a little more adventurous than I would ever have been allowed to be in the RAF... 

Click the Pic!

All of what I have spoken about, has been shared with my lovely wife. She has been my rock over the year... when I have needed direction, she has pointed me in the right direction. When I have needed help and support, she has been there to lend a shoulder or an ear. When I have been 'interesting', she has sat back and left me to it. She has worked very hard in her job and has been the reason that I have been able to go the year without work. Next year, this will change because I think that if I remain jobless for too much longer, I may become feral!

So... it's Christmas again. Here's Edgar's annual photo-bomb:

Click the Pic!

Last night my wife and I were at the pub, celebrating at the Christmas draw with friends and family. It was secret Santa as well so I may have come home with a special friend... who enjoys the same things I do! He's called Dino Martin and he likes to sing like Sinatra:

Click the Pic!

With all my rambling, I only have one thing to do and that is to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I particularly extend my best wishes towards all those servicemen and women who won't be at home over the festive period. Stay safe, find happiness where you can and get home soon.

Merry Christmas.

It'll soon be 2018... I am hoping that next year will be equally as varied but a little bit less stressful. We can all wish, can't we?

See you from the dinner table!

The run up to Christmas.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week, I have just been pottering about and not really getting very much done.

Hobby-wise, I have started to add some plasticard to the 'big-truck' and it is at a very early stage... but it is big... there is definitely going to be a presence if it ever reaches the tabletop.

I have also dug out my Ghar walkers and have re-based the three that were previously painted. Here they are with their Squad leaders:

Click the Pic!

I have started to paint the next three (they were roughly base-coated when they were packed away a year ago so I am now tidying them up, ready for the wash stage) and have also found the other six battle suits that I had clipped off their sprues and bagged up individually, ready for cleaning and assembly; if I am not in the mood for painting this week, I will clean them up and assemble them. 

The commander and the next three squad leaders are also sat on the hobby mat and have had their 'head domes' built up ready for the next phase of sculpting so I have got everything covered, depending on whether I have my painting, sculpting or 'no motivation' head on.

With Christmas getting closer, it is likely to mean preparations and shopping will take up a certain amount of my time so I can't say what this week will lead to although, I plan on getting some bike miles in at some point.

There is also the small matter of physiotherapy on my shoulder... this may end up being detrimental to my plans (depending on what happens) so I guess that it will be a wait and see week.

I guess 'short but sweet' was the theme of today's post.

See you from the set!

Painty paint...

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again. I know it has been another fortnight gap but I have been embroiled in house painting and, to be brutally honest, it isn't something I have enjoyed very much due to my shoulder being crook... so it is probably best that I haven't posted.

So... the bathroom is in working order, has a layer of paint on it and has been re-furnished. There are a few areas that need a bit of touching-up but for now, job's a good 'un.

My shoulder has had an X-ray and I am currently waiting for physiotherapy but unfortunately, normal painkillers aren't helping but stronger ones work. That means that I either put up with the pain or drug myself up and can't do anything. At the moment, I am drugged up and am not in any pain... so if this blog post goes wonky, you'll know why.

With regard to my hobby, I have not really got very much done... but I have managed to paint my third Demiurg (the leader):

Click the Pic!

I have also begun work on my army commander:

Click the Pic!

The image shows the body of one of THESE and the guy at the back will be the army commander, with the guy at the front being the driver. I need to build up a front and rear console, sculpt new heads, add some arms and then finish it off with the legs that came with the kit. It will fit in nicely with the Ghar battle-suits that I am using for drones.

In more Demiurg news, I have started to convert the truck that I bought the other day and have added the first basic shapes for the superstructure out of plasticard. There is a long way to go but I reckon it shouldn't be too long before I have something that I can show off... assuming that I get some time to work on it.

In other news... this is me, with my latest treasure:

Click the Pic!

I haven't had too much opportunity to get out and about on it but I have put 60 miles on it and it is an absolute joy to be back in the saddle again.

That's it.

See you from the highways and byways!

Of bathrooms, bikes, and radio controlled cars...

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been a bit all over the shop (again).

The bathroom replacement is finished and now it is up to me to get the painting done and so far, it is going steady... I am taking my time to make sure that it looks nice. The bare wood has been primed, the various bits of sealing I needed to do are done and next it will be a case of painting a watery coat of paint on the coving before I paint it properly... along with the ceiling. Then it will be watery paint on the walls... sand down... then paint. Hopefully, I will have a painted bathroom by next weekend... that's the plan, anyway.

Hobby time has been a bit hit and miss with a little bit of work on my Demiurg troops. The second one; the Mech, is now finished and I have started the leader now... here's the Mech:

Click the Pic!

I think the simple paint scheme works quite well on these. It is also a good thing that I have pointed myself at this little project because a change is as good as a rest. It is also quite fortuitous that the Black Friday nonsense has caught up with me and I saw the opportunity to get hold of some more drones for the Demiurg at a cheaper price... so I bought a box of THESE, a box of THESE and a box of THIS. The last one will be the basis for an army commander conversion. To add to this, I have a little story...

... recently, I have been getting a lot of pain from a poorly shoulder so I decided to take the plunge and have some PROPER painkillers. To cut a long story short, I got a little spaced out and went shopping on EBay... and I bought a radio controlled truck. I don't know why I decided on that truck, particularly... or for that matter, why I bought anything... but it has arrived and it is big. I was left wondering what the heck to do with it so I have decided to turn it into a Demiurg war machine. I think it would look good as an up-scaled Taurus type vehicle... the next picture shows the truck (left) and the shape of the Taurus (right) that I will be scaling up:

Click the Pic!

It should be fun... I have already stripped the truck down to its chassis and am trying to decide how to start building up the body.

Wednesday is coming... and that is the day I hope to pick up my motorcycle. It will be great to get back in the saddle again... I am rather excited.

That's it for today.

See you from the drag strip!