So much progress...

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

It has been a busy month that started with the arrival of Storm, into our home:

Click the Pic!

Storm has settled in well and has been accepted by the other cats. He is a very sociable, cuddly little cat that is full of energy and we are very glad that we made the choice to adopt him. He's a perfect fit for our little family... here's Alfie, looking out for him:

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I have started to work on the garden... I've removed about two thirds of the turf but unfortunately, the kitten's arrival and the blistering heat has meant that I haven't been able to finish it yet... but it will happen and I will build a pebble beach in the garden!

Life is happy and I am happy... so that is cool.

Onto hobby stuff and I have kicked it out of the park with the sculpting. First I finished the five close combat Dwarfs:

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... and then I finished off the DJ:

Click the Pic!

That means that all of the current Space Dwarf sculpting is complete and that tomorrow, I will be posting the whole bunch, to Macrocosm Miniatures for casting... that's another nine sculpts for the army:

Click the Pic!

Hopefully, I'll get some nice casts back, very soon. The trouble is that I now have no Space Dwarfs left to sculpt so I am going to return to the Politico sculpt that has been sat for ages, in a bid to finish that off as well. It should be a fun distraction.

I would say "that's it for now" but I think I have done better than that, this month so I'm not going to say it.

Cheers!

See you from the sunny side of the street!

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:

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

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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:

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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!

May... the dawn of a brighter future.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

It's May and this month is always special because it has Helston's Flora Day to look forward to... and this year it was back after a three year absence... but Flora Day always has an Eve...

The evening before Flora Day, I had my hair shaved off for charity and raised nearly £900 for the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust. The landlady of my local pub (the Rodney Inn) did the honours and we raised a nice lot of cash, on the evening, to add to the pot. From a "hairy bear" to this in one short haircut:

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I'd like to thank everyone for their support and their kind donations. 

Flora Day was BRILLIANT! I spent the entire day in the Rodney Inn; enjoying the hospitality and watching the dances as they went past. I had lots of visitors during the day and the event itself was amazing... beautiful weather, packed streets and lots of local businesses doing a roaring trade. Proper job!

The following day... the wheels fell off. 

I was contacted by the local vet and informed that my cat had been brought in and was deceased. Yep... my handsome, awesome, complicated cat, Sam, has passed away:

Click the Pic!

It seems that he was knocked down by a car and killed instantly... which, I guess is a blessing because I wouldn't have wanted him to suffer. He was such an interesting cat... and he had his issues... but ever since he had an accident with his tail, a few years ago, he suffered from nightmares and always chose to come and sleep near me so that I could comfort him, when he had them. It's almost like his job was done and he was taken away... because I am now Long-Covid free and feeling much better, mental-health wise.... and now he is nightmare free.

Anyway... I'll miss him but have such fond memories of him. He was my boy...

So... I'm better now and I have got myself a job; volunteering at the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust. It's three mornings a week and I'm loving it. It was a complete coincidence but one of my friends got the manager's job and I was pointed in their direction. Happy times.

It seems like everything is working itself out.

Hobby-wise, I haven't managed to get much done... apart from a small amount of painting. I managed to complete the army command squad for my Squat army:

Click the Pic!

... and have almost finished the first platoon's command squad as well... but I don't have a pic of that... It's almost like life is better than sitting hunched over a table, painting or sculpting, at the moment... strange.

Hopefully, the improvements will continue and I'll have more stuff to talk about next time.

See you from the road-side!

April already.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again. 

I know it's been a while but things have been ticking along so I haven't really thought much about the blog... it is, what it is. That said, so much has happened that I thought I'd put up a post to reflect on things.

Health...

It appears that my Covid woes are finally over. I am back to breathing normally again, am having hardly any brain fog and have reached a point where my lack of fitness (due to being pretty sedentary for the last year) is what is slowing me down. As a result, my mental health seems to have improved greatly and all I need to really grip, is my fitness. I have even got to a point where I am looking to start volunteering in my local charity shop... that way, I can "get back out there" and not feel like I'm not earning my wages. The shop is the local Air Ambulance shop... which leads me nicely onto my charity endeavours:

Steve's Hair-Topia Challenge (link).

As you will see from the link, I am fund-raising for the same charity and I have now reached the eleven month point! Just one moth to go before I will be shaving my hair and beard off. Currently, I look like this:

DON'T CLICK THE PIC!!! It's Scary!

... and STILL with a month of growing left to go! If you can, please donate.

In other news, I have been sculpting a bit and have managed to get a little further with the five close combat Dwarfs:

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I just have the pistols, basing tabs and a little bit of a tidy-up before they are finished. I haven't got as far as I would have liked with them... mostly due to these two:

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On a whim, I just decided that I needed to sculpt a pair of proxy "Primaris Psykers" so I sculpted a "Beer Seer" and a "Wine Witch" to fill the role. They use the power of strong alcohol to summon the spirits of the ancestors. I also decided that I needed to work on a mech and I couldn't do that, without sorting a pilot out... so this happened as well:

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He's a bit rough... but he's all ready for his mech... and it is in the process of being assembled. Big things are on the horizon! Speaking of which, Games Workshop have ONLY gone and decided to release a new range of SQUATS!!! They will be known as the League of Votann and here is a bit of information:

League of Votann (link).

On that bombshell, I reckon it's time to leave. I am sure that, when I have seen more of the range, I will post my thoughts.

See you from the crazy place!

So...it's 2022 then.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World at the start(ish) of 2022.

Things have already been challenging... the death of my step-dad (RIP Graham), the potential closure of the care home where I worked (Trengrouse) and a small flood in the kitchen (plumbing woes...)... but I am still trying to focus on things picking up a bit.

My wife is happy at home and work, my children are happy, the cats are happy and I am fairly happy... so there's that.

The hobby has been a mixed bag, lately. The cold air has not been kind to me so I am a bit lethargic and struggle for motivation... but there has been some progress.

First up, I received a small parcel from an adorable little kickstarter that I pledged in. Three little war-dogs arrived and have been added to my growing little Khorne warband:

Click the Pic!

Next, I started an armature for the next "Dear Tony Blair" miniature but haven't got very far with it... however, I finished the tail and horns conversion kit so it is still on the radar. I also started a bunch of Space Dwarfs:

Click the Pic!

These will end up as a DJ (with decks and sound equipment) and five close combat troopers (with bolt-pistols and melee weapons). There's still a little way to go on them but I am getting there.

Finally, I have a set idea of what my Exo troopers will look like. The idea-train has kept me awake for a few weeks but I now have the idea set... I just need to realise it now... so watch this space.

Right... back to life stuff...

My step-dad stepped into the breach when I was about to reach my teens and my sister already had. He had to deal with two angsty teenagers who had a bunch of stuff going on, after dad left. He was patient, kind, forgiving and respectful... and he took us on, as his own children. It takes a strong character to be able to do that and Graham had it in spades. I'll admit that we haven't had the closest of relationships, since I left for the military but we have always kept in contact and we have always been in each other's thoughts. I was so glad to hear that he had found true love with Maggs, if anyone ever earned happiness, it was him.

Safe travels to him and the most sincere of condolences to our family and his friends. He will be sorely missed and remembered very fondly.

...

...

...

Finally... the care home. I loved working in Trengrouse care home, up until I got COVID and could no longer work. I have been away from there for just over a year and was always hoping to return to work there. However, as a result of "restructuring"... "economising"... "corporate bullshit", Cornwall Care (the charity that runs the place) has decided to "mothball" the home. In doing so, they will be forcing a number of staff to find other work, accept voluntary redundancy or work out of town (not everyone has transport) and will cause catastrophic disruption to the vulnerable residents; most having specialist care needs. 

We are all VERY angry about this and are not taking this sitting down so various things have been started, to try and save the home. One such thing is a petition. If you feel that you would like to support us, please click the following link and sign the petition:

LINK to PETITION

The second finally... I have a charity page for my "year of no hair-cutting/shaving", in aid of the Cornwall Air Ambulance. Again, please click the following link and support me if you can:

LINK to Air Ambulance Page

That's it! See you from the picket lines!

Reflection.

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again. I was going to do a review of 2021 and wax lyrical on the pros and cons of the year... but I have decided that it would be really miserable so I am not going to. However, there were a few things that happened that are worth talking about so I'll get those out of the way before launching into my plans for 2022. That said... lets get on with 2021...

Hobby Stuff.

This year has seen the completion of the Space Dwarf Project with Macrocosm Miniatures. This project had a number of set goals and I deliberately placed a limit on what I wanted to achieve. Since the completion, I have agreed to a few other bits and bobs but they are outside of the project (even though they will form part of the range). It took me over 18 months to complete but I am really proud of the fact that, for a change, I managed to remain focused enough to get so many miniatures created. 

Click the Pix!

There were also four special weapons and four heavy weapons that are not pictured. For me, this is one of the things that I wanted to achieve as a 'bucket list' item... I have done what I have always said I wanted to and created a range of Space Dwarfs that were varied enough to create an army with... and they are available for others to enjoy as well.

In the last few months, things have tailed off a bit so I had the space to knock up an "emergency" miniature for the Frothers Unite UK table at Salute and this led to starting up contact with "Dear Tony Blair" miniatures; with the initial stages being a miniature sculpt and a small conversion kit... with a second miniature as a WIP. I am hoping that I am able to create the caricatures well enough for them to be included in the range but we'll just have to see how things go.

During this year, I have also tried (and failed) to come up with some suitable vehicle designs for my army. The good thing is that, with each failure, I am getting closer to what I want... so it is positive (in a way).

My Megaro Zamac collection is now complete! I have all of the old '80s kits from the range and they have been safely stored away for when I need them. They were always a 'retirement' project so it's just a case of deciding when to retire.

More mecha madness arrived with a bunch of Votoms, Dougram and Macross kits joining the household. These will eventually become a group of Space Dwarf mechs but I have been too caught up in sculpting to get a proper start on them.

Chaos reared its ugly head this year, with the arrival of a small bunch of Chaos conversions for the blood God; Khorne. Not something I'd usually do but I felt an itch and I scratched it.

Other hobby stuff came and went but never really got a foot hold... but the main thing that has been going on has been lots of sleepless nights, mulling over different design ideas for various little projects and that means that next year could be quite exciting.

Life.

Family and friends have been exceptionally important. Without them and their tolerance, I don't know how I would have got through the year...

Anyway... to cut a long story short... due to me being at home a lot more than I am used to, I have needed things to keep me on track. I got quite into "Twitch" and also "Stream Raiders" (a game linked to Twitch) and they were very handy time-soaks for when I couldn't do what I wanted to. Add to that, Poppy and I reckon that, outside hobby time and chores, my days have been pretty full.

Click the Pic!

Sadly, I haven't been able to get out very much, on my motorbike but when I have been able to, I have really enjoyed it. Luckily, it still runs and is recently serviced and MOTd so it is just a case of having the right mojo to ride. It still looks gorgeous as well.

2022... Hobby stuff.

Without going too into things, I hope to continue working with Macrocosm Miniatures with occasional sculpts to add to the Space Dwarf range. I also hope to 'get my foot in the door' with Dear Tony Blair and sculpt a few more caricatures for them. I quite enjoy a bit of caricature sculpting so I am hoping that I can reach the required standard (can the little people be recognised for who they are supposed to be?). On top of that, I am hoping (as I do every year) to design some modular vehicles that cater to Space Dwarf units but, as history will tell, this is just a hope, not a certainty... However the main focus in 2022 will be...

The year of the beast

... so keep an eye out for updates.

2022... Life.

I hope that things improve around the world in 2022. I also plan to get to grips with my Long COVID and bother the doctors to find out A) what is damaged and B) what can be done to improve my symptoms. This will be done early in the new year and will be essential to me getting back to work. It'll be frustrating but it has to be done. 

That's about it. I hope I haven't been too miserable because this has taken three goes to write (even I was getting miserable with the last two goes). 

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy new year and hope that next year will be a shit-ton better than 2021 has been.

Take care.

See you from the gate... but DON'T approach, I've thrown a grenade in there... we don't want a repeat of all that nonsense...

The continuing saga...

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

It's been a while but time, like a river, flows... and to be honest, my river has been full-on, white water.

As mentioned in my last post, I finished the big Space Dwarf project and ended up with an army of troops. This army has been fettled and based and is in the progress of being painted but I have been distracted a little with other things. As a result, this is the current state of my army:

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It can be considered "paint in progress" but I have been tinkering with other things so it will be an "as and when" thing.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was putting together a little squad of Khorne-based troops... and that's what happened. I now have eight finished troops with a final one on hold until I can decide how to take it forward. When it is finished, I will post a pic of the whole group but here's an idea of what some of them look like, all painted up:

Click the Pic!

As well as a bit of Chaos, I was asked to put together a sniper to finish off the special weapon selections for the Space Dwarf army so I converted one:

Click the Pic!

I have also been asked to sculpt some close combat specialists that will be separate from the big project, although they could be used as Sgts... and I am sculpting a DJ (musician) that will also be separate BUT they are in a very early stage so there are no images to show off yet.

In other news, I was recently asked to quickly sculpt a character miniature for the Frothers Unite UK game at Salute... so I did as I was asked and came up with this:

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It was a quick sculpt to represent Dominic Cummins as a Gollum type character. It was duly sent off and used in the game but in the meantime, interest was expressed and deals were done... and I ended up sculpting another one to fit in with the Politicos range of miniatures... this being the outcome:

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With this sculpt being more of a caricature, I was able to try and replicate the face better... not perfect but a brave attempt. I was able to get the size correct because I was kindly sent some specimens to use for reference... and one of the miniatures that I was sent called out for a bit of conversion:

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I call it the "Lying Warmonger"... and as a result there is a conversion kit in progress (two horns and a tail) and I have been asked to sculpt another caricature as well... so it looks like I am working with another miniatures company... which is nice.

That's about it... mostly because it's coming up to Christmas and I like to put a post up for the New Year.

Health wise, I'm ticking along... the cold/wet weather has kept me in the house a bit more than I'd like (bad lungs) but I have obviously been kept busy with sculpting so it hasn't been all bad.

The only thing left for me to say is Merry Christmas to you all.

See you from the dock of the bay!

Sam and Poppy today:

Click the Pic!