Picture: a Forge World giant spawn. This model is out of sight. It's bigger than a tank. This is part of a huge, huge 40K Daemon army. This thing has a ton of old school models.
This is also our 2400th project. Two thousand, four hundred.
Sooooo, what's up all?
My day started at 1:00am, knocking out a few emails before hitting the sack. I had two huge naps on Sunday so I wasn't really tired.
My day started at 7:30am with a phone call from one of our top all time clients (he is currently commissioning that Phantom Titan). That's a great way to start the day. And I was on a cloud knowing the bills were going to get paid.
I spent part of the morning searching for the arms on my young son's Iron Man toy. Once found I superglued them on.
Over the weekend I painted up six random heroes for my D&D game. Just random stuff I grabbed off the bitz wall. I also painted up a small tribe of Goblins. These are probably like a high L2, certainly no more. Did I mention that already.
It was a usual day at the studio: spirits high with lots of joking around. However, there was one very dark spot: I sold my glorious Tau Verdaan army. All 3000 pts.
Let's have a moment of silence for the army.
...
So sad, but as Sarah and I were discussing; holding on to your art can stifle creativity. It's true. The exit of the Tau paves the way for the Wyches of Thoth army. Oh yes, you know you want it. Plus those figures will cross-over into my D&D game.
When I got home we headed out with the family to pick up some fireworks and we lit of some simple stuff in the driveway. A little bit of magic. That was FHE.
Anyone interested in how to start your own miniatures painting business?
Here's a start. First, you need your painting kit. Pick a solid palette of about 30-50 materials. That way you can duplicate work later. Duplication is a big part of what you do. Keeping notes on how you did each project helps, too.
Now, you have to build exposure. This is the tough part. It means you have to paint a LOT even if you have no commissions. Put your work up wherever you can.
Since I started BTP four years ago about six hundred operations have sprung up around the country. This is an endurance run, not a sprint. The battlefield is littered with the corpses of people who though it would be "fun" to paint miniatures for a living. Listen up, Bambi, it IS NOT fun. It's a business so cover your gonads and clench your teeth and get ready for the pain.
Advertising on forums is good. It's usually about $30 a month. Many of them will allow you to trade service for it. Then start posting on the forums and really become part of the community.
Build up a local clientele. This will keep you steady. People will almost always stay with a local. Treat these people like gold. I still have clients from the SF Bay four years later.
What about keeping your day job? I highly advise against it. A great part of your success will be if you are consistent and available. Make the leap. Don't be a wuss. Burn the ships, just like Cortez!
But in case you need to know for sure, here's what you do. It's a thirty day trial. You have to give up TV, computer games, and other activities. You're going to work your normal hours plus four hours in the evening of painting. Again, no matter if you have commissions or not. Keep painting like a madman and get it all documented and posted on your various forums. If you can keep it up for a month then you might have a shot.
To make your painting studio successful you will have to give up computer/console games. Just sell off your Playstation. Get rid of it. If you won't then you're not ready to make the cuts you need to make it. TV is OK as long as you are working while it is on. But it does reduce your speed by about 20% just to be lisening to it. Be prepared to make sacrifices. There's no way around it.
Extrapolate your prices from your financial needs and painting speed. Don't undercut on the prices. Remember, you'll spend about 30% of your time on administrative stuff (packing, emails, and sales). Account for that. Bring your service up to what you charge. People will pay for quality and followup. And reliability.
Lastly, document your processes when you're painting. You can usually double your speed AND still maintain quality if you really concentrate and approach the process intelligently. Write down step by step how to paint each figure and time each step to the second.
Later, if you add other people remember that you have just changed the entire deal. There is really, really something to be said for going solo. If you're not thinking about going at least ten years I highly, highly advise against employing others.
That's a start.
Monday June 30 2008 Burning Sensation
Opposition in All Things
Hey all!
All right people. Tell me a political type book that I should read that provides a completely different viewpoint from what I normally propose here.
I'll buy the book, read it thoroughly and look for the positive in a forthcoming review.
So what's it going to be?
PS- I would prefer something written recently and less than 300 pages!
Saturday June 28 2008 Fire Extinguisher
Picture: something one of our artists came across. We didn't paint this.
My day started at 4am. I was up before the dawn eating a bowl of granola and raisins (I'm cutting down on the sugar-- probably already reducing total intake in half). I watched a few episodes of the Simpsons while whittling down the Inbox.
I pretty much hung out at home this morning, finally sauntering into the studio by myself at noon. A client came by-- he's building a Legion of the Damned army. We have very, very few clients inside Utah, so it's nice to get some face time.
I picked up around the studio, making good inroads into the assembly room. The bitz are a constant battle. Think about how much is left over from painting an army every day! This is a HUGE benefit to BTP customers. We don't sell the bitz, we just keep them around just in case you need something. Often we'll take care of a lot of problems that you never even know about. Clients don't pay for the bitz when used in their projects. On the other hand we also keep all the leftover bitz.
I'm using Lizardmen Skinks as kobolds in my D&D game. I'll probably sub in various items from the Lizardmen range. Tonight I brought home a bunch of other various figures to paint up for the D&D game. I'm super-stoked about that.
Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition is the best miniatures battles game I've ever played.
Yes, I just said that. It can be played on an open board just as easy, replacing squares with inches, and using the round 3/4/5" template from Hordes for the various area effect powers.
Around 7pm my wife calls and says "isn't the Ward BBQ tonight?" After slapping my forehead I headed out to that with a watermelon and a huge knife (which I keep around the studio in case of emergencies). That was a slice of paradise-- lots of food and good friends and family.
I really enjoy my family. It's great to see the kids discover everything for themselves the first time.
Case in point, the two older kids found the fire extinguisher in the car and sprayed the whole garage with a coat of fine powder.
Got a few good comments on a blog post from a few days ago:
http://bluetablepainting.blogspot.com/2008/06/trampled.html
In other news, I am selling off all my 40K armies. Don't be sad. I'll build them up again. Always something new. More details are coming, but here's what I got so far:Questing Knights: $950 for 2200 ptsDragons of Moloch: $950 for 2300 ptsTau Verdaan Sept part A: $800 for 1500 ptsTau Verdaan Sept part B: $800 for 1500 ptsEmail me if you wish to inquire seriously. You can have all three for $3500.
Trampled
I just put up a new post-- four posts down from here. It's something I've been working on for a few days.
Friday June 27 2008 Hard at "Work"
Picture: a herd of Shredders from a Legion of Everblight army. That's for the game of Hordes, which I highly recommend.
This morning I got up at a respectable 8am to find my lovely wife already up. She made me some french toast and cantaloupe slices. The guinea pig and rabbit are fully running around in the back yard.
I got to "work" at 10am where I met with my fellow-conspirators for a game of Fourth Edition D&D. I'm running my own spin on Keep on the Shadowfell (this title harkening back to Keep on the Borderlands). I painted up some Lizardmen Skinks to represent kobolds. Those turned out very well with yellow-bone colored skin and green-blue scales. I'll take some pics soon. I will probably flesh it out to a whole Lizardmen army.
I have nothing but a glowing report for Fourth Edition. It's four times as good as previous editions! Now that I think about it, I'm generally happy with new editions of any game. First level characters have a load of options to spice up a combat and it works ever so smoothly with miniatures on a table.
We ordered two pizzas for the game: one hawaiian, and another half combo half pepperoni.
In other news, I am selling off all my 40K armies. Don't be sad. I'll build them up again. Always something new. More details are coming, but here's what I got so far:
Questing Knights: $950 for 2200 pts
Dragons of Moloch: $950 for 2300 pts
Tau Verdaan Sept part A: $800 for 1500 pts
Tau Verdaan Sept part B: $800 for 1500 pts
Email me if you wish to inquire seriously. You can have all three for $3500.
I got a haircut yesterday morning at an old-timey barbershop downtown. I love that, it feels really good to have that mop off.
Tomorrow, I will be paying the price for the D&D game. I'll be down at the studio for a full spread.
Pass
Hey all. I have a splitting headache, which is unusual. You will need to give me a pass tonight. I do have up some new Youtube material, though. Anyone want me to post my rant on Inflation (that I wrote earlier but have not posted because it's really too much).
--Shawn
Trampled
"But Shawn, this has nothing to do with Blue Table Painting or with Wargaming!"
I beg to differ. This has everything to do with both of those things. I openly invite thoughtful and polite discussion of this topic.
"First, consider the effects of inflation by which we mean the Fed’s increase in the supply of money, on the value of the dollar. By increasing the supply of money, the Federal Reserve lowers the value of every dollar that already exists. If the supply of Mickey Mantle baseball cards were suddenly to increase a million fold, each individual card would become almost valueless. The same principle applies to money: the more the Fed creates the less value each individual monetary unit possesses. When the money supply is increased, prices rise—with each new dollar now worth less than before…
“All right, some may say, prices may indeed rise, but so do wages and salaries, and therefore inflation causes no real problems on net. This misconception overlooks one of the most insidious and immoral effects of inflation: its redistribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the politically well connected. The price increases that take place as a result of inflation do not occur all at once and to the same degree. Those who receive the new money first receive it before the prices have yet risen. They enjoy a windfall. Meanwhile, as they spend the new money, and the next wave of recipients spend it, and so on, prices begin to rise throughout the economy—well before the new money has trickled down to most people. The average person is now paying higher prices while still earning his old income, which has not yet been adjusted to account for the higher money supply. By the time the new money has made its way throughout the economy, average people have all this time been paying higher prices, and only now can begin to break even. The enrichment of the politically well connected—In other words those who get the newly created money first: government contractors, big banks and the like—comes at the direct expense of everyone else. These are known as the distribution effects, or Cantillon effects, of inflation, after economist Richard Cantillon. The average person is silently robbed through this invisible means and usually doesn’t’ understand what exactly is happening to him. And almost no one in the political establishment has an incentive to tell him.
“When the value of Americans’ savings is deliberately eroded through inflation, which is a tax, albeit a hidden one. I call it the inflation tax, a tax that is all the more insidious for being so underhanded: most Americans have no idea what causes it or why their standard of living is going down. Meanwhile, government and its favored constituencies receive their ill-gotten loot. The racket is safe as long as no one figures out what is going on.
-- Ron Paul, “The Revolution” pages 143-144
Here is an article that suggests something different.
It's my opinion that my party (the Republicans) have betrayed me. They didn't stay in budget. They weren't honest. They told me the taxes would be low, but they didn't reign in spending. They just printed money to make up the difference. Well, at least my congressman (Chris Cannon) went along with this. And I say good riddance to him! (Chris Cannon was ousted in the recent Republican primary in Utah).
Did your congressman and senator go along with this? Did they betray your trust?
Did they sign off on the printing of $4,000,000,000,000 of new money over the last four years? As follows:
So, do you really care about this?
New Release Vampire Counts- on the block
3x boxes Crypt Ghouls
1x box Dire Wolves
1x Winged Vampire Lord
1x Vampire Noble/Aristocrat female
1x Wight Standard Bearer
1x Vlad
1x Varghulf
You've Got that Orky Feeling
Saturday June 21 2008 Saint George
Thursday June 19 2008 Rabbit Stew
Picture: a blast from the past-- my Tomb Kings army from 2001. This is a huge 10" tall mammoth that I counted as a unit of Chariots. I think Tomb Kings are one of the best armies for beginners. I had a great time playing them. They're tricksy.
See the other pics.
Today I was hard at "work" making characters with four staffers for our D&D game. Yeah, go ahead and roll your eyes, I know the Dark Heresy thing only made it six sessions. We'll see if this gets any farther. But I'm excited beyond belief.
I love everything about Fourth Edition D&D. And best of all, they made it into a miniatures battles game, effectively. Sweet.
I have yet to figure out what use the new DMG is, though. The good and useful parts are gutted. Experienced DMs don't really need it.
The following projects are up for attention this week, and should be completed in 5-10 days:
Bretonnians 01 BA
Witch Hunters 05 DM
High Elves 04 CA +plating
Winter Eldar 01 PP er
Emperor's Children 08 EB
World Eaters 07 DM
Chaos Daemons 01 TT
Sa Cea Tau 01 PP
Vampire Counts 01 MS locked
Female Commissar JS
Karandras 01 SN +assembly
Vampire Boyar JB
Dark Angels 02 MC sol. Lok +assembly
Dark Angels 02 JM er
Black Templars 01 DG
Dwarfs 01 KF
Menoth 01 DM
The following projects are up for Assembly attention this week, and should be completed (and ready to paint) in 5-10 days:
Biel Tan 01 CH
Ghost Warriors 05 AS
Chaos Daemons 01 PR
Greenskin Spirits 01 JF +conv
Black Templars 01 DG er
Aliens and Ducks AK
Hell Talon 01 NG
Amazons 01 BC
Vampire Boyar 01 JB
Ultramarines 01 JW
Emperors Gauntlets 01 SM
Marauder 01 GF Repairs
Ulthwe Skyhost 01 JB
Emperors Children 08 EB
I have one golden slot open for mid July. Let's get going soon and fill that one!
As usual, if you don't see your project, just drop me a line and I can tell you what's up.
I have a Vampire Counts army at the studio with no takers. I would do a deal for 50% off cost of materials for that one if you'd like to commission it. What's in it? I think something like this:
Varghulf 1
Konrad Von Carstein 1
Vlad Von Carstein 1
Winged Vampire Lord 1
Wight King on Foot BSB 1
Vampire Lord- foot 1
Corpse Cart 2
Crypt Ghouls (box of 10 models) 2
Grave Guard (box of 10 models) 2
Dire Wolves (box of 10 models) 2
Black Knights 10
Blood Knights (box of 5 models) 2
Fell Bats (blister of 2 models) 2
Angela was in today. We were talking and I was eating this bowl of fruit chunks. Super-healthy stuff. When I was done, I slowly got out a huge-normous king-size Snickers and started chawing huge bites off. She fairly well cracked up.
Personal Stuff
When I got home today I found that one of the rabbits had got out and was savaged beyond description by a neighborhood dog (spine ripped out, face half eaten off). The kids found it first and I think the sight of it really messed with their little minds. "Daddy, we need to find Brownie's head and put it back on her." Soooo, I headed down to clean that up.
Back at 2pm on Thursday
What a Joke
“Please be patient, our representatives are assisting other customers.”
Really? Because I thought customers were what you earned by competing on the open market. Not by using threats and force on your own citizens.
I almost swallowed my own tongue in disgust and amazement.
Case in point: about a month back I got a notice from The State saying, effectively, “You owe us $15,450 and if you don’t pay it in nine days we’re going to seize your possessions, bank accounts and maybe throw you in jail if we please.” Turns out it was more like $36. And probably even then a mistake on the part of the humongous bureaucracy that a notice was sent at all. When asked, the response was that they had simply assumed I was a giant toy manufacturer.
I wasn’t even worth a phone call, or even sixty seconds of consideration.
This is the contempt the tick has for the dog.
To all those that are within the sound of my voice I say this to you: You are being taken care of by your government. The same way cattle are cared for by the farmer. Make no mistake, you have been numbered and tagged and the stockades are in place.
I have been treated worse as a small businessman than (I imagine) a petty criminal. Case in point: the maximum fine for a Class A Felony is $15,000.
So, when I see them smile broadly or call me “friend” my heart swells with contempt. These are my fellow men who are complicit in a system that loots the common man.
When I watch “the news” I only see dancing jesters and men with white-tipped batons.
And what is almost worse is to think that for many, many years I was at home playing video games instead of getting informed. I’m still working on it. I don’t pretend to know everything, but the more pieces I get into place the more revolted I am at the picture.
We’ve got to do something, anything. Rebellion can’t manifest as non-involvement. Vote Independent. Vote Libertarian. Get a book, any book.
I recommend this book. Ron Paul's "Revolution: a Manifesto". And by the by this is in reference to the American Revolution. I have read it straight through twice and the good parts three or more times.
Sneek Peeks for June
Dark Elf Cold Ones that *don't* suck. What I presume is a Dark Elf Hydra, which I imagine is on a chariot base. That jump pack Ork special character. And some other stuff I can't remember now. Brought to you by secret agent Raptor Talon.
Monday June 16 2008 Hunters of Blood
Picture: a giant Flesh Hound of Khorne. That's a chariot base that thing is on. This was done with a marvelous substance called Apoxie Sculpt. You can get it on eBay pretty cheap.
See a video commentary on the Hounds of Khorne project.
It is now 4:30am. I had such a hard work day on Monday that I pretty much collapsed when I got home at 8pm last night. Here's how it went.
I was ready and raring to go on Monday morning. I spent a few hours in the morning picking away at my Inbox. I took it from 87 emails on Friday, which I killed off by Friday evening, leaving only 4, hammered some on Saturday, but by Monday it was back up to 54. That's what I call "substantive email count". That means it doesn't count emails that don't require a reply. I only wrestled it down to 43 by Monday afternoon.
Isn't that great? I'm living the dream man.
No, but seriously. I got to play a game with Renn around noon. I had a slice of pizza for lunch. As usual I lost hideously. I'm like the Washington Senators that way. Well, someday.
We played a homebrew scenario called "Let's Just Play". One player sets up beforehand and also gets the first turn. Then you play until one person cries Uncle. This can be all the way until one side is killed to a man. I managed to fight for three lousy rounds.
Oh, and it was my Tau vs. Renn's Dark Angels. His army is shaped up. I think he has 2000 pts all painted up now. Very impressive.
We got in like eight packages this morning. Getting those set up was the bulk of my day. If one of those were yours, you should have got confirmation of receipt.
A bitz order went out today. This is usually what delays a project-- acquisition of materials. Everything is underway now.
Everyone that came in saw the Boneyard Terrain set thought it was the best one yet. It is very evocative:
I plan on doing more terrain in the near future: expanding the mushroom forest (I had a great idea for stalks!), making another set of Moab (which sold already), expand the Swamp set to a full table, make a set of Necromancer doors (for the D&D terrain). And a client has requested some Tau terrain.
Which reminds me, I'm going to run a D&D game. Fourth edition of course. I love what I'm seeing. Of course, they've turned it into a sort of miniatures battles game now which is of special interest to me.
In the evening the kids got out of their baths, and they were wrapped in towels when my wife came down with a giant plate of cottage cheese and pear slices. We all ate from the same plate while watching an episode of Ben 10. That's what it's all about.
Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to eat some cereal, pop a few pain pills and get back to sleep...
PS- I'm currently booking projects for July! Get it set up now for a smooth finish.
Father's Day
Picture: My hand with my young son's newborn hand clasping it.
Happy Father's Day! I love today because I get to do whatever I want and my wife waits on me hand and foot. No. Wait. I got that backwards. Pregnancy trumps Father's Day! But seriously, It's fun to do things for my pregnant little pork pie.
The rules of the blog are: mostly game-related stuff and studio business for six days a week, with some personal stuff for flavor.
On Sunday all bets are off. If you don't want politics and religion then keep back!
Ron Paul Fix
When I saw my daughter, my firstborn, for the first time, surrounded by doctors (her skin was purple) my heart grew three sizes. On the tape I say "she's so beautiful, she's so beautiful". This was from the man who four years earlier had characterized children as "the scourge of the earth".
Boy have my views changed. Now I'd be glad to have as many kids as I could afford!
Twilight
Tonight, right around dusk, I went for a walk where the dim light of Provo lights fades to deep Sapphire, then the emerging stars and a crescent moon, like a lunar profile looking down over the Westward Mountains at the sullen glow of an obscured sun.
I can’t concentrate very long. It’s the prayer of the adult onset ADHD-er. “Father, forgive me for I can’t stop thinking about TV shows.”
But I stretched out my mind deeply as I could, making my soul rigid like a tuning fork, that perhaps I might hear a signal from deep space, something, anything.
I have important things to do. To raise my family. I have completed, or will complete soon my major task in this life—to purify a generation. My father before me was subjected to every vice of the world, and me to almost none (I found out in my last conversations with him the things that he shielded me from), and my children are in Primary learning hymns and having nightly scripture study.
I feel a deep and abiding sense like something is brewing with the Constitution. It is a spark given to man, like Prometheus’s fire, to deliver them from tyranny. That their freedoms CANNOT be taken away—they are given by almighty God. So, to get people to roll over on their rights, the first step is to get rid the Creator.
A hundred years of neglect has perhaps left it dimmed, perhaps. I am too feeble now to see things clearly. But surely it can be fanned into a blazing fire.
I don’t speak much of it, but I know for myself the nature and existence of God the Father, Christ, and the Devil. In the case of the former I thought it would make me a better man, but it didn’t. I still slacken my jaw at Victoria’s Secret ads, curse and whine at trivialities, sleep on the couch with the remote rather than in a bed with my wife, bark at my darling children over things that are not as bad as the very act of barking at them, eat twinkies instead of vegetables, and show up late to church and then only pay half-attention. Maybe that’s the point—I’m not supposed to be a good man of myself, but to acknowledge the goodness and greatness of God… and to recognize the farce that pretends to be god. I suspect that many other people have had the same experience, but don’t talk about it. In fact, I probably shouldn’t talk about it. This would explain (what appears to be) the baffling pig-headedness of “believers”. Oink.
I don’t pretend to know everything. Things unfold to me year after year. So, I make no pretensions (yes, my usual disclaimer) at being a good or righteous person. I am only a fellow-traveler.
I can say this for sure: everything ends well. If that’s what you want. What you really want. This life is the Test of the Soul. Not like a written exam type test, but an acid test. The Refiner’s Fire. One author I read from described it as a "voyage of self-discovery".
Saturday June 14 2008
Here Comes the Sun
Thursday June 12 2008 Sugar Addict
Picture: Wood Elf battle standard bearer. See the tree kin.
It's been another long day.
Last night, I decided to not eat any sugar for 24 hours. For breakfast I ate celery sticks and carrots and water. Around 4pm today I think I started getting what must be like "the shakes". Is that normal? Do you get withdrawals from sugar?
Right around 7pm I would have ripped the head off a puppy for a king-sized Snickers.
But I held out until I finally had a cinammon bun at 10pm tonight.
Now, back to the regular day. The following projects are under the brush:
Witch Hunters 02 KO
Tzeentch 02 JS Harald done
Inquisition 01 RT
Khemru TP
Orks 02 RC "Matt"
Alpha Legion 01 TU
Tyranids 02 FL display board
Tyranids 01 FL
Vampire Counts 01 MS
Dark Angels 02 JM
Dwarfs 01 KF two weeks
Legion of the Damned 01 MN
There are a number of projects that are in Digital Photography. Those should be up by tomorrow.
The following projects are in Assembly:
Hounds of Khorne 01 CA
Dwarfs 01 KF
Black Templars 01 DG er
Marauder 01 GF Repairs
Chaos Daemons 01 TT
Bretonnians 01 BA
Ulthwe Skyhost 01 JB
Sa Cea Tau 01 PP
If you don't see your project on there, by all means get in touch with me. There are three projects delayed right now for bitz (I think they are all Eldar related!). I am working on those and plan on getting them to the top of the list.
I have no armies that I'm working on. All I can do is think about running a D&D adventure. But I'm really having to learn a whole new game. Fourth Edition is written a lot like a Magic TG rulebook. I think it's very, very positive in almost every way.
My wife is getting jealous. She caught me whispering sweet nothings to the PHB tonight.
If you don't follow Youtube, you really should. I have something new up there almost every day.
I just can't kill the beast! I've been working on my Inbox-- please bear with me and re-send if it's been a few days. Don't think your item isn't important, just be patient. And contacting me on Google chat is really really good.
Wednesday June 11 2008
Tuesday June 10 2008 Hell on Earth
Picture: Tyranids pour forth from the Deep Desert.
See a video of the Sandstone Terrain set. This can be duplicated and shipped for $350.
I am training a few people to make high quality terrain. So, we will likely make terrain one or two times a month. This is a major deal. We will be making some display boards this weekend.
As of June 17 I will have two Assemblers (Renn and the new guy-- who is INSANELY good at green stuff and conversion work) idle. So, I'm ready to make a deal. I have a whole bunch of materials at the studio that I would offer at 50% off if someone wanted to commission them sometime soon. Of the top of my head I'd say we have a Vampire Counts army, a Khorne Daemons Army (either system) and a 40K Ork army on hand. If you're interested and have a decent budget, please let me know, I will get something very attractive worked up for you... as long as you can get some unassembled models to the Assembly room in about a week!
PS to that-- we are VERY interested in doing more Tyranids and Vampire Counts and/or Daemons. Bring it on.
I also put up a lot of sets of terrain for sale. They are going fast. I expect to have at least half of them gone by the end of this week.
You'll have to check www.youtube.com/bluetablepainting for that stuff. I will be putting two more sets on the block tomorrow.
What's on my mind? Sustainability. When you use Blue Table Painting you get reasonable prices. They are fair to you, fair to the artist, and fair to the company. Those are the three people that all have to be happy for it to work long term. BTP is a real business. We are going on five years in business. I have clients doing part two of armies created in 2004.
Personal: the wife and kids have been away for a few days. I rented Hellboy, ordered combo/hawaiin pizza and slept on the couch. It was fun while it lasted, but I'm glad to have them back.
Tamie got back home late, all three snooches fast asleep in the car. There's something magical about bringing the kids in and putting them to bed.
Sunday June 8 2008
Picture: Art by Alexandra R.
I literally wrapped up Terrain Fest at midnight last night.
I slept ever so well, waking up with little hands on each cheek. I opened my eyes. Griffin was looking at me earnestly. "Dad, I want to pick a show." So, I put on some Ben 10: Alien Force and went to sleep again on the couch.
I am reading the High Elf arm book again. I am really hankering to play a game of Warhammer Fantasy.
(On Saturday afternoon I ran into my good friend James M. at the grocery store and maybe I'll get in a game with him).
I was called like five times this morning for various church stuff, including two requests to sub in primary classes. I ended up teaching Jonah's class which was pretty fun. I'm really good at working with puppets and that holds the little ankle-biters' attention.
The only thing that could make this day perfect would be to have a copy of the new Fourth Edition D&D books. I'd love to run an adventure.
My wife is going to spend the next few days with her sister (who is having major surgery), so I'm left home alone. As usual it will be fun at first then I will miss them terribly.
This afternoon I made an "Orange Cream Float" with double vanilla ice cream and orange soda. It was heavenly, you should really try it.
Saturday June 7 2008 Another Land
Hey all. Did you think I was dead?
Well, it was Terrain Fest and I've fallen very behind on my regular duties.
I had on the agenda about four display boards, but ran into a snag with materials so all of those have been delayed. I'm ordering materials on Monday. I may do a mini-Terrain Fest next weekend.
Shawn
Thursday June 5 2008 Terrain Fest Day One
Picture: one of Renn's Possessed for his "Yellow Devils" army.
I am beat.
My life is sweet.
I am working my way through the inbox on odd moments, so be patient. I encourage you, if you have a quick question, to give me a call at 801 372 8545 it will be a lot easier since I can talk to you while I am working on the giant Terrain project.
We are very much hoping to find buyers for all the terrain.
An average table takes about 12 pieces of terrain and would cost $200. Shipping is $15. Keep your eyes peeled a lot of good stuff is coming.
I made an army list for my beloved Hero Sky Raiders army. I thought I only had 1200 pts but I was deeeelighted to find that it was 2000 (without any magic items). So, I'm holding on to it and maybe even adding some pieces.
Did I mention that my gorgeous pregnant wife and I went to see Prince Caspian. I really liked it. It was sweet, sensible, and had some great action sequences but wasn't overdone. The characters and plot were convincing.
Aaaand, Tamie went in for her first ultrasound. It's too early to tell gender (yes, we both like to know) only the due date: December 28. Now, I absolutely refuse to let this child get shafted for their birthday getting eclipsed by Christmas. We all know how that works.
Wednesday June 4 2008 Undead Deal
Picture: a Pyre Troll from the game of Hordes.
See more pics here.
Hear the commentary of the Artist here.
Right now it's about 11pm and I'm sitting at my living room desk, typing, while my two beautiful snooches eat popcorn and watch the pilot episode of Star Trek Enterprise with me. They are a delight. I can't get enought of them.
Flash back 21 hours. At 2:30am this morning I woke up from a deep slumber, refreshed, and so I ate some pasta, fired up the laptop and took care of some emails. Then I went back to sleep until about 8am.
The family was all sleeping in. It had rained last night, but was green and wet and quiet this morning. I checked on the rabbits. One of them is still running around.
I got to the studio around 10am and started cracking. I didn't get around to unpacking so I still have three packages un-opened there. However, almost all of the projects that were in digital photography are all the way through.
As of June 10 (next Tuesday) I have an Assembler idle. I'd love to get a project going there. He's new, so you don't get to meet him. I will say this, though, he is quite the expert at green stuff. I was amazed to find him putting scale-work on some Alpha Legion tanks this morning. He's got a real talent. He's even completed and cast some scratch models-- they are a little rough for publication, but I think that you'll see some good things from him in the future. You won't get to meet him for about three more months, though.
I picked up a Vampire Counts army, but the deal fell through. So, I have a lot of figures on hand. If you want to commission them, the cost for the models would be 50% off. I am also still running the L2 core-tastic special. It's a really good deal.
Get price guides for Vampire Counts here.
Now, if you've read this far, I have one more plug. I'm making a LOAD of terrain the next three days. If you want some now's a good time to set that up.
Space Marine Upcoming Releases
Sergeant Chronus of the Ultramarines
Scout Sergeant Tellius of the Ultramarines (I think the U logo could easily be removed, making this into a unique piece.
Ultramarines Sergeant Sicarius
Techmarine and Thunderfire Cannon
Tank Commander upgrade.
Sternguard Veterans
