Back to normal operations.

Before I start, I'd like to welcome my two newest followers 'The Dark Templar' and 'The Dozing Dragon'. Welcome to my blog and make sure you comment on things you like... or don't and take away anything that you need as inspiration because ideas come from the strangest of places... and Inso's World is certainly a strange place!

The sun has set on another Salute weekend and after the tidy up yesterday, I can get back to normal operation and get back to what I know best... sculpting, converting, collecting and painting.

Now I could marvel at all of the goodies I bought at Salute but I think it would be even better to show a little progress on my little jungle unit... so here is a pic:

Click the Pic!

This sniper has ended up in my jungle unit because he is the only Grymn that has a gillie suit on. I have sculpted gillie suits on Grymn before but they have been over the top of all the kit rather than underneath it (seeing as gillie suits usually go over the top of everything). and they take a while so I wasn't prepared to go to those lengths to include him in my urban Grymn army... so I thought he'd fit in well with the junglies. He is a special character who scouts ahead and reports back to the rest of the patrol.

Speaking of the rest of the patrol...I have started to paint the first of the pods:

Click the Pic!

I still have a way to go but I thing the colours look quite good on it (compared to the bold blue and white that they usually wear). I also glued it to one of the bases I bought at Salute and filled the edges, ready to glue the sand on when I am ready. Now I need to tidy it up, add a bit of highlight and base it...maybe add a decal or two...

I am still tired out so I will take a small amount of time to climb back on the old hobby horse but I'll be back to my old self soon.

See you from the underside of a tour bus!

Pre-Salute Nonsense!

I decided that I'd take a few days leave and make sure that I have the time and planning to properly enjoy Salute again this year.

Today, I have:

• Withdrawn some cash.
• Sorted through my storage to see what miniatures I had.
• Made a shopping list.
• Made an 'INSO' badge (because my T-shirt this year has 'Steve' on it).
• Printed off a London Underground map.
• Made a note of the train times to get me to London (and back).
• Found a small fold-away rucksack to take with me.
• And put all my lists, tickets, badges, sundries and a couple of pens together so I won't forget anything.

That means that I have plenty of time tonight for getting excited about tomorrow's event.

As usual, I can be found over at the Hasslefree Miniatures stand (TA02 on this MAP - note: it's a PDF file) and will have a nice HF T-shirt on. Please feel free to pop over and have a chat!

I should get a few minutes off to do a little shopping and I have plans to visit a number of stands including:

Heresy Miniatures (TA04)

Twilight Miniatures (TB02)

Critical Mass Games (TH04)

Antenociti's Workshop (TG07)

Warlord Games (TG12)

With additional searches for some tiny Union Jack decals and a general perusal for sci-fi things. A full list of traders/stand positions can be found HERE.

What is on my list? Well...

• Grymn (troops and walkers)
• Weapon sprues
• Dhogu
• 40 and 50mm plastic bases
• British Commandos
• Sci-fi troops
• Gang members
• Kaamados Dominion troops/vehicles
• Decals
• Miscellanea

I will, of course, show off my haul after the event so anyone who doesn't go won't feel left out. I'm not one for taking pix of the event so don't expect them from me (there are always plenty of Salute galleries on the WWW after the event so you can do what I do and search them out over the next couple of weeks because it is impossible to see absolutely EVERYTHING on the day... especially when you are helping out on a stand).

Now for something completely different... weight loss.

I am not a large person. In fact, I am quite slim. Last year, I put on a little weight and ended up having to buy some 32" waist jeans/trousers. Not a problem, you'd think...

...well, I went to put on my Salute trousers last night (they are cargo trousers with lots of secure-able pockets for all those things you want to keep safe at a convention) and discovered that they were far too large and I looked like a scarecrow. I checked the label and they were 32" waist so I went to find some smaller trousers with lots of pockets and discovered that I was not only back to my usual 30" waist...but had got a bit slimmer besides.

I haven't been on a diet or exercised too much...so all I can think of is that reducing processed sugar in my diet (for my glucose intolerance) and walking home from work on lunch-breaks has made me lose fat around my waist. 

So I now have lots of trousers that I can't wear until I put a little weight on again! I quite enjoyed having a bit of extra weight for a while too.

As a final note... and it has nothing to do with trousers... I was going through all of my storage boxes today so that I could decide what I needed from Salute when I was struck with a dilemma. What can I do with this:

Click the Pic!

He is a cracking miniature but he is also the only Grymn in a gillie-suit so he is a little bit of an oddity. It suddenly struck me that he would make a perfect addition to my little band of Jungle troops so I have based him up and am waiting for the green stuff to set before I paint him up and put him on point-duty.

Sorted!

So... that is it for me today. If I don't explode by Sunday, I'll post up some stuff. If any of you are attending, please pop by and say hello!

See you from the tube-train!

Midweek special

I have had a slow week again so far but on the plus side, the new case arrived from Kaiser Rushforth and I have now packed away the first platoon of urban troops. That means that I have a little space in my cupboard again...but only a little so I'd better get varnishing some stuff!

On a different note, I have finished painting the jungle troops for the little pod-squad and here they are:

Click the Pic!

I guess I had better get started on the pods now.

Only a couple of days to go before Salute...

See you from the happy tree!

Oooer!

Hello. I should be at work today but my stomach has had other plans so it is a home day today...and a clear path to the toilet facilities! I also feel a tiny bit shaky so hobby stuff is out...but it isn't all doom and gloom. Especially seeing as I can now welcome my latest follower steeldragon. Welcome aboard and enjoy your stay, steeldragon...you never know what you will find here.

Pods. I have all my pods ready for paint; now that the putty has dried but have yet to start them. The troops on the other hand are all roughly base-coated and are ready for tidying up before the washes start. Here is a montage of some of them showing their hats and water-bottles...plus a comms set:

Click the Pic!

The pods will get a similar scheme with the main body being the same as the armour on the troops and details being in the darker green of the rifles. The additional markings will be yellow.

It is all coming together nicely :).

See you from the infirmary.

Happy Easter...and more pods.

First of all, to all of you who celebrate it, Happy Easter!

Next, I'd like to welcome the latest follower of Inso's World; Jonathan Clements. Welcome Jonathan and I hope that you find something to inspire, encourage or entertain you during your stay. Feel free to comment on posts and share your experience.

Finally...I have been busy with pods and have finished converting all eight of them now. Here they are with some Grymn troops to look after:

Click the Pic!

The Grymn have been stolen from a desert raiding party I was working on a long time ago but I thought that they could be pressed into service...seeing as they have been stuck in a box for a good few years. Once I have base-coated everything you'll get a better idea of what the troops look like but until then...they have had some pouches, water-bottles and hats added.

See you from the top of the world!