At journey's end... before we start the next one.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

A lot has happened recently and I thought I'd pop a post up to share all the good news.

First of all, after nearly six months, I have finally started to feel like my old self again. I am able to breathe much better, don't have a cough and can walk around without feeling faint. This has made me much happier and now I can even start planning things. The Long Covid was tough... but thankfully, I have had lots of support from friends, family and my psychotherapist and now I can properly see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still need to get my strength back (sitting for five + months has made me unfit) but I am back!

Part of the journey has been me quitting my job at the care home. Covid hit the home hard and I couldn't face returning to all the empty chairs. As a result, I am jobless but will use the time wisely to catch up with all the things I've put off for the last six months. The stress that has been removed from me has had a massive, healing effect... now I just need to decide what job I will try next.

In other news, we are getting a new family member soon... a little kitten called Poppy. She isn't big enough to join us yet but we have met her and we are really looking forward to her joining us in about three weeks. Here's a tiny Poppy (with a very tired me):

Click the Pic!

Down to the big news, now... I have finished the Space Dwarf project! After 16 months and a lot of sculpting, I have finally finished off the list. That is 41 miniatures and 8 separate special/heavy weapons. I am very happy to have it finished and am planning to take a bit of a break before I launch into the next big thing. Here is a collage of all the miniatures (without the separate weapons):

Click the Pic!

With these all sculpted, I just have a few to get back from casting and then I'll send off the last batch... and I'll be able to focus on getting some painting done.

So what's next (apart from painting this army)? Well... there are a few character figures that need to be added (Engineseer, Servitors, Artillery Officer, Naval Officer and [possibly] a psyker) and a squad of Close Combat Troopers... but I am in no rush for those at the moment... and I also want to create some Beastmen at some point so I may have finished one project but I haven't given up!

So things are pretty positive at the moment and the future is looking much brighter.

See you from the front of the queue!

I can see the finish line!

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

Nothing has changed, outside of the hobby so I'm going to get straight to the point... I have nearly finished my Space Dwarf Project.

From the beginning, the plan was to create a range of miniatures that I could build an infantry company with... and have a small amount of support for it. That would mean that I needed about a hundred miniatures. 

I have never felt that all of the miniatures needed to be unique... in fact, I was hoping to get multiple casts of each miniatures to mix and match throughout the company.

So the plan for the company was to have a command squad, three infantry platoons and three heavy weapon squads to support the platoons. This in turn, led to the following list of required miniatures:

So far, I have sculpted 35 out of a planned 42 miniatures and with a few head-swaps that Chris has done for the heavy weapon trooper, I have nearly got all of the required miniatures finished... and the ones that need finishing are just conversions of casts.

Since I last posted on here, I have finished a Colonel:

Click the Pic!

He is armed with a plasma pistol and a master crafted power glove. If you look closely at the power glove you may notice that it may resemble something from a completely different franchise.

I have also finished a Captain with a dog for company:

Click the Pic!

This is my favourite sculpt of the project and I can't wait to get it painted up... I may even convert one a little so that I can join my army myself !

Finally, I emptied my work-bench by head-swapping a few Lasgunners: 

Click the Pic!

... and after a bit of base tabbing and tidying, these have now been packed up, ready to be sent to Macrocosm Miniatures for casting:

Click the Pic!

Once I get the previous batch of casts, I can convert the last seven miniatures for the project (3 Comms-Troopers and 4 Lasgunners)... and it will be finished! 42 miniatures will have been created and turned into a range. Over a year's work! Finished...

... well... is it, though?

See you from the party table!

Space Dwarfs... Faaahhssands of em.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World.

Today's post is just one to put together a list of Space Dwarf miniatures that are currently available. It will not be a complete list but it will most certainly be a starter for ten. It doesn't cover 3d files... just miniatures.

1. Macrocosm Miniatures have a number of different styles of Space Dwarf in their sci-fi ranges.

2. Grekwood Miniatures have a single space Dwarf.

3. Gydran Miniatures have a wide range of Space Dwarfs, including power armour and robots to go with them.

4. Hasslefree Miniatures have the Grymn which also have powered armour to bolster the standard troopers.

5. CP Miniatures have Runts, which are a range of Space Dwarfs.

6. Battle Valour Games have a few squads of Space Dwarfs in their sci-fi range (you'll need to scroll for them and they are spread over a couple of pages).

7. Wereweevil Miniatures have a nice range of Space Dwarfs with classic style Exo-Armour (Egg Bots).

8. Forge World have a couple of Squats in their Necromunda range.

9. Bridge Miniatures have Dvargs in their Mutants and Madmen range.

10. Mantic Games have Forge Fathers for various games.

11. Hardcore Miniatures have some new Dwarfs on the way.

12. Wargames Atlantic have Einherjar kits.

13. Uscarl Miniatures have a squad of Space Dwarfs.

14. Ramshackle Games have some Dwarfs... including bikers.

15. Scibor Miniatures have a range of larger sized Dwarfs.

16. Grim Forge has a couple of Space Dwarf items.

17. Old School Miniatures has a Space Dwarf and a bunch of Chaos Space Dwarfs as well.

18. Kromlech have Dvergr Dwarf Commandos (you'll need to scroll to find them).

19. Victoria Miniatures have a Dwarf character.

20. Black Cat Bases have a range called the B'dass, by Moonfleet Miniatures... scroll down on the link.

21. TBC

This list will be updated as I find more miniatures on my travels through the interweb.

See you from the scout party!

News from the front.

 Hello again. Welcome to Inso's World.

Keeping the boring stuff short... I still have long Covid... it is still causing me issues and preventing me from returning to work... I am fed up of it and want it to end but it is just a matter of patience.

As I've mentioned before, I am still able to get things done so I have been spending most of my time geeking-out on the internet, sculpting and doing a few chores. I am trying to get out for walks on a regular basis but they are a mixed bag and can be quite a struggle.

There is one thing that I have found, that has been really important to me and that is Twitch. Twitch (if you didn't know) is an on-line, game-streaming site that has a chat function so you can communicate with the live streamer. Being stuck at home on my own a lot is a lonely business but Twitch has enabled me to make friends with people all over the world and has also filled the void of not having people around all the time... so if you are feeling lonely or just fancy watching some video games, I'd recommend it.

Link to Twitch: TWITCH

Now let's get on to the sculpting side of things. 

The last Kick-Starter for my sculpts (plus a couple of others) was run over the last few weeks and has now finished. It ended up doing pretty well and can be viewed here:

Link to Kick-Starter: Kick-Starter

Seeing as sitting on my arse is something I can do, I have managed to get a lot of sculpting done, over the last couple of months. It started with the Standard Bearer that I showed off in my last blog post and moved on from there... 

The first couple of sculpts to be finished were a Trooper with Heavy Flamer and a Lasgunner:

Click the Pix!

I wanted the Trooper with Heavy Flamer to look cheerful and the Lasgunner to look bored or reflective and I think they worked out okay. The next couple of sculpts were a pair of Medics:

Click the Pix!

The idea behind the two Medics was that they carried pistols to defend themselves and those under their care and also enable them to carry more kit. One of them has taken this to an excessive level and the other is more able to dash about and is signalling to a wounded Trooper to "stay where you are and take cover" so that he has extra time to get to him. 

Following on from these two, I sculpted a Trooper, throwing a grenade:

Click the Pic!

This sculpt was a direct response to forum feedback. Someone suggested that I should make a Trooper throwing a Grenade and a few people agreed... so I sculpted one. You will also notice a Heavy Weapon Trooper in the above image. He is one of the original ones that I sculpted a while ago but he is carrying a newly built weapon; an Auto-Cannon. I needed to finish the Auto-Cannon so that all of the Codex Heavy Weapon options were covered (along with the Heavy Flamer Trooper). After this, I noticed that I only needed one more Lasgunner pose to complete the Lasgunner poses on my list so I converted one at "high-port-arms":

Click the Pic!

Once the last of the Lasgunners were finished, I packed up the little group and sent them off for casting/production to Macrocosm Miniatures...

Click the Pic!

After sending off the miniatures, it was time to take stock and see what was left... and it turned out that I have 14 sculpts/conversions to finish for the basic list I have prepared. These are:

1x Colonel

1x Captain

3x Comms conversions 

9x Lasgunner conversions

Once I receive casts of my latest batch of sculpts, I will have all of the bodies needed for the remaining conversions (including a few that are on my workbench) and then I can take a pause before embarking on the next wave of miniatures (a Close Combat Squad, Engineseer, Servitors and Advisors) but I haven't drawn up a list yet so that I remain focussed on the current project. 

As it stands, I am working on a Captain for now and will be putting new heads on a bunch of Lasgunners while working on the Colonel. During this process I will be deciding which additional Lasgunners will get a Comms Set... so there is still a bit of work to be done.

PHEW! 

In other news, I have bought another box of Kastelan Robots to play about with and will be converting them into smaller, engineering suits... Not to mention there has been some work going on with some mecha... but that will be for another time.

In the meantime...

Click the Pic!

Stay safe, follow the Covid restrictions and look after the ones you love.

See you from the front line!

Father Nurgle's Gift

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

What can I tell you? Well, first up, I finished sculpting my Space Dwarf, Standard Bearer:

Click the Pix!

As you can see, he's just a little bit larger than his brothers (by design) and wears slightly different armour that helps him to stand out as a champion who is worthy of holding the company standard. The banner topper is about 10mm tall and is supposed to depict a Dwarf version of Thor, sculpted in a 'rustic' style.

The Standard Bearer will be sent off for casting when I have finished a few other sculpts... speaking of sculpts...

I currently have five miniatures on the corks; a Medic, Heavy Flamer, Lasgunner, Captain and Colonel. My focus is on the first three because they have the same boots, armour and webbing pattern. I'll get their bodies finished and then move on to do the same with the officers. Once that is done, I'll go back to the first three and finish them before I finish the officers. Once they are all finished, they'll get sent off to Macrocosm Miniatures, with the Standard Bearer, for casting up.

Speaking of Macrocosm Miniatures, the recent Kickstarter has successfully completed. I am very happy that Chris has done so well on the Kickstarter and also that so many people are happy to buy my work. It certainly helps with motivation for sculpting.

So far, I have provided 21 miniatures (including the Standard Bearer) for the range (this includes full sculpts and head-swaps), with another 15 or so, on the list so I still need to maintain my focus and keep churning them out!

So... life.

I can say with certainty that COVID-19 sucks. I have had it for three weeks and I have had breathing issues, troubles with dizziness/feeling faint and a general lack of energy. LUCKILY, I haven't been bad enough for a hospital trip so it could have been much worse but it has really affected me being able to move about. Sitting down is fine... it's the moving that is the bother.

This week I went to the funeral of my mother-in-law. It was a lovely little service and she was laid to rest with dignity and care. It was strange that only a few people were allowed to the service and that we couldn't gather together, afterwards but at least everything went without a hitch. I drove to the town (about 6 hours driving, each way) and was fine... up until I had to walk anywhere... that was a struggle and I nearly passed out on one occasion. It took an age to recover from even the shortest of walks... but at least I managed to get my wife and daughter to the funeral so that we could all pay our respects. That was the only time I've left my house since Jan 16th... and I'm off to the doctors tomorrow so that'll be a nice trip out...

Anyway...

I'm still here, I'm still sculpting and I'm still happy so it isn't all doom and gloom.

See you from the manufactorium!

A new year...

 So here we are again... welcome to Inso's World.

I just thought that I'd share a bit of news. Not only have the 2 Sgts and 3 Junior Officers been sent off for casting:

Click the Pic!

... but Macrocosm Miniatures are currently running a new Kickstarter for a bunch of my sculpts:

Macrocosm Kickstarter Link

The mortars aren't my work and I think there's an odd head or two that aren't mine either... but it's a great way to add a few troopers to your Space Dwarf army.

Over the next few weeks/months, I will be working on a Standard Bearer, Heavy Flamer Trooper, Medic and 2 Senior Officers... and after that, a bunch of Lasgunners and additional Comms Troopers... but I am focusing on the first batch for now.

In other news, I am isolating because I have got COVID-19 at the moment, with a mild cough so I am hoping that I can get things done and not get particularly sick... fingers crossed, eh?

See you from behind the mask!

What a year 2020 was.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World. I'm sorry that we are in the confines of a bunker but after the year we've all had, I felt that a bunker would be the best place.

So... 2020.

I'll start with the inevitable COVID bleating. It's been tough for us all. Everyone has been touched by the repercussions, lock-downs and restrictions that have rocked the world. I'm not going to say too much more, other than reflect my hopes for a better year in 2021.

BREXIT. The UK is now alone again. I, along with everyone else here, am holding my breath to see how this will affect us. I predict quite a few stark realisations and some shortages of things (short term) that we are quite used to having. I was a remainer... but now we all just have to deal with the new order and get along with it, the best we can. We must all be positive and try to make the best of it.

Health. I went mad this year. I've been in therapy for a year and am finally getting back to being myself again. It was a journey but it was necessary. The only thing I will say is that, if you are feeling depressed or anxious and you are in the depths of something you can't control... talk to someone. It helps and may reset you. At the worst, it's a shared problem. At best, it could erase the problem and help you get back to a better place. 

Physically, my frozen shoulders have stopped hurting so much and I have recovered about 80% of the mobility in them so that is great news. 

Work has been wonderful but challenging. Dealing with the death of our residents has been hard but a privilge. Luckily, COVID wasn't a factor because we have worked really hard to keep it away from our setting... it was Dementia that did it... and with Dementia, there's no getting out alive. 2020 took a heavy toll on many residents who have been there for a long time.

In other areas of life, things have been up and down, with a few personal losses (family and friends) and some new friendships.

My hobby has been one of the things that has consistently helped me to both hide and achieve. The biggest news is that I am working with my friend Chris, at Macrocosm Miniatures, to create a range of Space Dwarfs... so far I have sculpted and converted about 20 miniatures and am continuing to sculpt more for the range. Chris has been creating Kickstarter projects for them and they are also available in his shop. From the beginning, this project has always been about me, creating an army for myself... with the added bonus that other people can buy the troops as well. As a result, in between the sculpting, I have been trying to paint a few as well... and I have plans for a company sized army but need to continue sculpting, in order to get the right miniatures to achieve it.

Here are a few images of what I have finished/started painting:

Click the Pix!

Here are a few of the latest sculpts:

Click the Pix!

In addition to the range of miniatures, I have also been trying to put a few things together for my other Squat army and have managed to convert and paint a few vehicles... some of which had been sat for ages, waiting for some love:

Click the Pix!

I've also managed to get hold of a few kits that I will probably share at some point... but needless to say, they are awesome!

My Bike is still awesome:

Click the Pic!

But my other one hasn't changed and is still waiting to be worked on... maybe 2021 may finally be the time to start on it.

What will 2021 hold for us all? Who knows... but I know that I'll be facing it with a saound mind and a little more positivity than last year. 

What do I have planned for my hobby? Well, I hope to continue building the range of Space Dwarfs and hopefully get some painting in, when my sculpting muse is away.

Finally, I wish everyone a better 2021 than 2020 and hope that you all get through, unscathed. Everything else is going to be a bonus.

See you from the beginning!