RIP Jimmy

Today we said farewell to Jimmy, my longtime painting buddy. I’m really going to miss him...he was such a special little cat. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you're probably already familiar with how much Jimmy meant to me. 

For years, he would come into my hobby space and either a) demand to be picked up and held or b) jump up into my lap himself. Once he lost the use of his back legs 2 years ago, he'd still come downstairs to squawk at me (he didn't meow like most cats) and tell me it was time to finish up. He definitely had a large personality!

Saying goodbye to Jimmy was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. It, however, was time and he let us know that he was ready. At least and Bogey are reunited at the Rainbow Bridge now. 🌈

Meanwhile, it seems that Gizmo has now assumed Jimmy's hobby-related duties. 😸

Happy New Year!

May you all be happy, healthy, and safe in the coming year!

2022 Hobby Goals

Making the rounds on Instagram is something called an “ovelist.” Apparently it’s a sort of way to chart your hobby goals that got its start last year. Again, I’m all about jumping onto bandwagons and made one for 2022.

Some people are listing nine or more, but I’m keeping it simple at 6 (I know myself a bit too well). I pretty much have all the figures I need for these…got to whittle down the Pile of Shame! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Art vs Artist 2021

I've been seeing the hashtags #artvsartist and #artvsartist2021 making the rounds on Instagram lately, and I'm always willing to jump on a good bandwagon! These are just a few of the figures I've done over the last year between my time in Virginia, Washington, and New Mexico.

Given all the chaos of this year, I confess to finding it hard sometimes to sit down and work on stuff. Sometimes months went by without me picking up a paintbrush. I'm striving to be better at this in the New Year, as I really do enjoy the sense of accomplishment in finishing a figure (let alone an entire project). Let's see where the hobby takes me in 2022!

O (Miniature) Christmas Tree, O (Miniature) Christmas Tree!

As we get closer to the holidays, I finally did something I've been wanting to do for a long time: set up a miniature Christmas tree for my hobby space. I actually ordered it last year, but it was backordered and didn't arrive until mid-January 2021. 

But this year, after finding some miniature glass ornaments and tinsel from Target (the lights are built into the tree), I finally got a chance to set it up! Shortly afterwards, I found a set of four Dept56 pewter toy soldier ornaments from their Tiny Trimmings line. I immediately snatched them up. As you can see in the photo below, they're not very tall....maybe 1.5" at most. 

I also found some artificial poinsettias at Michaels for 40% off...

The set consists of four toy soldiers, of which three are distinctly British: a Grenadier Guard, a Life Guard, and a Yeoman Warder (popularly known as a Beefeater). The last figure appears to be George Washington holding a musket. It's an interesting choice, but I'm not complaining.  

They came in plastic boxes that say "Made in Taiwan." I don't know exactly how old they are, but I estimate them to have been made in the 1970s-1980s based on that fact alone.

The paint jobs are a little sloppy in places, but I still appreciate the fact that these are nonetheless hand-painted. They're unique because of that. I'm still in search of appropriately-themed miniature ornaments for the War Room but I feel that this is the start of a nice little collection.

Greetings from Santa Fe!

Image courtesy of Flickr.

Long time no see, folks! 

Apologies that my posts stopped somewhat abruptly back in September: Moving Day came a lot quicker than expected and it's been a flurry of activity since then. I started my new job in late-September, and we moved in to our new house shortly thereafter. We still can't quite believe that we're homeowners. 😲

As with our last places, I have my own hobby space. The War Room is still being unpacked (yes, even after 3 months) but I'm determined to keep it in order this time. 

Thankfully it's not quite this bad anymore...

But as you can see from photos taken before the moving truck came, it's actually a fairly spacious room. And it's already been approved by Jimmy and Gizmo too (the latter of whom loves to curl up in the window). 

Unfortunately my desk didn't quite survive the move, so I've had to get a new one. I actually think I like this one a bit better due to all the storage allotted by the cubby holes. Many thanks to Teresa for doing the bulk of the des assembly....I absolutely hate putting furniture together.

I've also bought a few new desk accessories as well: a large cutting mat that covers most of the desktop, LED lights with magnifying glasses built in (seen above), and a 10" portable DVD player that I've already tested with Kelly's Heroes. Now I'm looking into shelving for the closets for even more storage space. 

It's a work-in-progress, but I'm really happy with how the War Room is shaping up. This isn't even mentioning the home improvement projects Teresa has planned (of which there are several). Her most recent project was replacing a recessed light in our entryway with something that better fits the Southwest. 

In terms of projects, I'm currently working on stuff for The Silver Bayonet, a game of gothic horror set during the Napoleonic Wars. I'm hooked...and the figures from North Star Military Figures are absolutely fantastic! But more on them in a later post.