As I’ll be off to visit family after finishing work today all that really remains for me to do before indulging fully in the festive period is to wish our readership and my fellow bloggers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

There’s lots to look forward to over the coming 12 months and the blog will certainly evolve, there is already something in the works in this regard. I hope Santa Claus brings you everything cast in metal, plastic or resin,  as preferred. We should have our first field test of Firestorm Armada during the Christmas break.

See you all in 2010!

from jen, CB2 planner.

Mix in a bowl:
1 lb white mushrooms thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped parsley

Top with shaved parmesan and dressing:
lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper to taste

Unique, healthy, savory.

hint: have toothpicks handy for that pesky parsley!

I went and picked up a package from the Post Office late last week. This particular package was highly anticipated as it contained a card deck and my Dindrenzi starter fleet for Firestorm Armada. I was eager to crack things open and dive in to see what things were like, after all, I’d read the book and seen things online, but nothing compares to actually holding things in your own hands. There are lots of posts over on the Spartan forums at the moment regarding issues that people have had with these fleets in general (Dindrenzi apparently being among the worst). The Uncharted Seas stuff was excellent and I had no issues there, the new items seem to be a different resin as the off-white of the Uncharted Seas models has been replaced with a grey resin for the Firestorm stuff.

For the Dindrenzi the battleship comes in 9 parts, there is the command deck, two sides for the main hull, two engine bays a dorsal gun-rack and a mid-ship gun-rack with a fore and aft plate. The major construction obstacle for these guys seems to be that the battleship is designed to have a gap running between the two sections of hull. This didn’t prove too tricky as the command deck and gun-racks allow you to position things correctly, however there are large sections towards the aft of the ship that could do with some kind of spacing as it would be very easy to vary the depth of the gap as you build the ship. The model itself is huge when fully built, there was quite a lot of flash left on the pieces as they had been cast, most of this as easily removable with a hobby knife. One of the engine pods seemed a little too big for the cut-out on the side of the hull but a modicum of filing saw this problem removed. There was also a small amount of overfill on some of the parts, a bit of filing dealt with the worst of it but I do have some parts where you’re looking at getting rid of a couple mm of overfill which I don’t really find acceptable, but that’s me. There is no hole to mount the flying base so I’m going to have to do some minor construction work to balance it properly but I’m pretty happy with the time it took to build it. Once it gets a lick of paint I’m sure it will look fine.

The Cruisers were pretty much the same, they have a dorsal gun-deck, two hull halves (no gap this time though) and two engine pods. I personally would have preferred the hulls to be cast as a single piece but that’s really just nit-picking. I got two left pods for one of the cruisers so I’ll need to get a replacement but everything went together easy enough, there was more flash and bigger overfill on these than the battleship, there is a lot of filing and sanding down to do if you are a perfectionist with your construction (I’m not with my model building, more-so with painting though). The frigates are white metal hulls (one piece) and two engine pods, I have only assembled one so far but they go together very easily, just remember to score the metal before attaching the pod for some extra bonding.

I only have the 5 Frigates left and one errant engine pod on a cruiser to assemble. There are a lot of resin shavings all over the place though. The models are very detailed and look great, however, it does seem like the quality has slipped from what I experienced with Uncharted Seas stuff. I don’t know if they’ve changed the casting process or what? However, saying that there isn’t too much work involved in tidying things up, maybe I’ve just been spoilt in recent years with models getting to the point where there is often little need to clean up items before painting, I don’t know.

Would I recommend these to a friend? For sure, the detail is superb and the ships really are great models, hopefully with future castings Spartan can work out the issues they have at the moment and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from grabbing them, just know you might be in for a little work. It’s probably not the best set of models to jump into if you are new to the hobby either. Resin isn’t something you tend to come across very often in the mainstream games systems and therefore experience of working with the stuff isn’t something you’ll pick up quickly (resin dust is toxic). There is a decent amount of work involved with prepping stuff before you’ll want to chuck it together too, as mentioned. I know that nBreaker has his Sorylians now and I look forward to getting some games in over the Christmas break to try out the system.

ZombiePirate Rating: 7/10 for the Dindrenzi Fleet – excellent models let down a little by ever so slightly dodgy casting. s

As you gear up for Holiday dinners, we have some beautiful examples of winter centerpieces that will impress your guests almost as much as your exquisitely prepared meal.  Look around your home and find greenery, fruit, flowers, ornaments, ribbon, lights.  Fill hurricane lamps and other glass vases with ornaments or foliage for a sophisticated, elegant look.  Anything that you find around your house during the holidays can be incorporated onto your table to create a unique and festive arrangement.  Create unity by sticking to a color scheme that coordinates with the rest of your decor, be  it crisp reds and whites, traditional reds and greens, silvers and golds, or icy, wintery blues and whites.  Add glitter and sparkle for a magical holiday tabletop.

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Martha Stewart Living

Photo: Martha Stewart Living

Photo: Southern Living

Photo: Martha Stewart Living

Photo: Southern Living

There are a lot of things I hate about D&D in its current incarnation, but there are also a lot of things I love about D&D. One of the things I love about 4e is the Character Builder.

For all the other disapointments we’ve had to endure with D&D Insider so far, Character Builder has proven to be a really slick and solid program that, in my opinion, is worth the monthly subscription fee by itself.

With Character Builder, I’ve basically found no need to buy additional splatbooks.  I loved building characters in D&D 3.5, and I owned every 3.5 book published by WoTC. Character Builder gives me the same access, but all tabulated and organized in one place and without me having to buy all the books. I don’t know if this is good for WoTC financially or not, because there surely must be lots of people like me who bought lots of 3.5 books who have bought only the core 4e books and then just subscribe to character builder. For learning the basics of a new class, its not quite as good as having a Player’s Handbook, but its close.

The character sheets that Character Builder prints out are complete, and very customizable. After a few printouts I’ve figured out how to get each of my character’s sheets edited down to be very usable and organized.  The ability to move around stat boxes and print in landscape rather than portrait has allowed me to make sheets that are more usable and organized than anything I was ever able to do with paper and pencil, and in a fraction of the time.

The bonus calculations are remarkably accurate, too. Rarely have I found things that I think don’t calculate correctly, even where I’ve expected to.

Though its been disapointing that we haven’t gotten the Virtual Tabletop that was so hyped in the run up to the 4th edition release, the Character Builder has definitely enhanced my tabletop D&D games and provided me a lot of enjoyment playing with different character builds.

Whether “your place for cocktails” is the warm up act for guests heading to another event or staying for dinner, following are 10 essentials to get you through the party before the party.

1. Set a swanky mood with lounge music and soft candlelight.

2. Once you’ve greeted guests, invite them to the acacia mini bar for something to drink.

3. Chill a stainless cocktail shaker with ice from a stainless ice bucket.

4. Measure libations and bitters with a double jigger for proper mixology.

5. Serve tall tom collins or serious scotches in tambien barware.

6. And serve flirty cocktails in chilled libertinis.

7. Garnish cocktails with twists, olives or onions from a nagoya 3-part server.

8. Graciously present every drink on a restaurant cocktail napkin.

No cocktail party is complete without light appetizers.
9. Simple cheeses and crackers can be artfully arranged on plato with basic cheese cutters.

10. Lastly, stacks of white porcelain appetizer plates and mini flatware ready for use gives you more time to make sure everyone’s drink is properly refreshed.

Hint: be sure to cover all your bases by having plenty of non-alcoholic recipes and mixers.

from curtis, art director, CB2 catalog.

pour into a fluted glass:
½ jigger of St. Germain liquer
top with Champagne

Festive, sparkling, giddy.

The beginning of this month heralded the release of Spartan Games newest tabletop minis game. This new offering titled “Firestorm Armada” build off the foundation for naval style games laid down with the excellent Uncharted Seas that we’ve mentioned quite often on the blog. It’s certainly a favourite around these parts with our group having representatives for all the fleets currently available. The quick game play and simple rules ensure that it has been enthusiastically received. One could be forgiven therefore for thinking that Firestorm is just Uncharted Seas in space.

I am glad to report that it is far from this, the truth is that the core rules are the same as those used in Uncharted Seas, however, rather than just dump one game in a different setting they have expanded the game for the more futuristic version. The rulebook is bigger than the Uncharted Seas book and packed with more information. Although the ships follow the same kind of themes in terms of Frigates, Cruisers etc… there is also the possibility of having fighter wings and escorts, ships can have shields and have secondary systems to fight off those fighters/bombers/assault boats as well as the ubiquitous long-range Torpedoes that can be the death of you from across the table.

This game isn’t a case of run across the table as fast as you can and unleash all hell, the gun ranges (although using range bands the same as US) mean that things are more effective when you are 8-16″ away and ramming is almost never going to be an option. The terrain can also move across the table as the game goes on and there is a greater tendency for things to go bang on the critical hit table. I’ve ordered a starter fleet and a set of game cards (the cards are again optional as they were in US but there is a generic deck for the game now rather than fleet specific) after having had the rulebook for a few weeks. I must say that once again I am impressed by what has been put out and have seen some online stores sell out of their stock already. I am aware that nBreaker has a fleet waiting for him and therefore once I have my hands on my own stuff we’ll set to chucking some dice at each other and we can put up a more detailed review then, but overall, first impressions are that this is a winner.

There is no question that the holidays are here!  If you haven’t started on your holiday decorating, however, there’s no need to worry!  There are plenty of quick and easy touches that you can incorporate into your home to give it that festive holiday touch.

In addition to a live tree, I’m a big fan of fresh greenery throughout the home.  I love the idea of wonderful scents during this time of year that remind us that we’re in the holiday season.  Fresh wreaths and garlands can be incorporated into both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Your local nusery should carry a similar product but if not, I love the Estate Boxwood Collection from The Magnolia Company.  The American boxwood is so classic and timeless, and is sure to add that sophisticated touch to your space.  A simple ribbon can be used to hang the wreath, and this is where you have the opportunity to get creative with complementary colors and styles to your space!  I hung a boxwood wreath on my front door, and used Ballard Design’s Burlap Ribbon, which not only looks beautiful with the wreath but shows the seamless transition into the interior of my home.

I’m also drawn to complementary materials and objects that are natural and organic.  Whether you’re decorating a side table, pedestal table, or even a dining table, consider Ballard Design’s Burlap with Jute Fringe tablecloth.  It’s a wonderful canvas to a festive holiday statement.  If the tablecloth may be too small in that it doesn’t go all the way to the ground, consider something like an oyster linen tablecloth that does, and then drape the smaller burlap tablecloth over top.

In my opinion, your options are endless as to what you can do with your tabletop.  No matter what you choose, though, two additions that should definitely be included are candlelight and something that provides a wonderful scent!  This will surely get your family and friends into this celebratory time of year!  Loosely place cinnamon sticks, star anises, chestnuts, and pinecones around your display…work in additional greenery, such as magnolia leaves or pine branches to give greenery and life to your vignette.  Want to add a punch of color?  Add bowls or platters of items that are edible…This not only allows for punches of color, but is a wonderful way to provide and offer treats to those that you’re entertaining!  Cranberries, craisins, apples, pears, and nuts are all terrific examples of colorful additions to a tablescape that can serve many purposes. 

Finally, overwhelm your space with candlelight…I like Pottery Barn’s Etched Mercury Glass Hurricanes.  They are a wonderful combination of old and new with their modern shape yet traditonal antique silver wash. 

The glow and warmth of candlelight, in addition to all of the other elements, will surely make your family and friends reflect on how this is the most wonderful time of year…

Just added to my inspiration files: a sneak-peak at the sophisticated, organic tabletop from Sunday Suppers’ winter dinner, shot by the talented Karen Mordechai. Love the combination of deep navy and cheerful orange…romantic, classic, and so cozy for a winter’s night. A seasonal menu was served:

• shaved fennel and orange salad with warm prosciutto vinaigrette
• spice rubbed lamb chops with grape-almond port sauce and harvest vegetables
• vanilla pudding with candied kumquats

Can’t wait to see more details from this delicious evening!

My favorite thing about watching a game of chess is being able to see how someone thinks.

“The ‘Cooka’ is a unique and portable tabletop electrical cooking device that allows its users to cook wherever there is a table. Designed by Maurizio Maiorana, the ‘Cooka’ is a fold-up stove top mat that is made generously with silver. This cooking mat uses thermal conductivity properties and metal to heat up the utensils on top.”

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My favorite thing about watching a game of chess is being able to see how people think.

Whether you’ve snail-mailed or e-mailed invites, your sit-down dinner starts at 8.

Following are essentials to set a casual mood that will relax guests so they can be themselves and linger over good food with pleasant company.

1. Set the mood with music and put it on long play so the rhythm of the party–and you–don’t get interrupted.

2. Let guests pick their seat and skip the place cards. They’ll most likely enjoy the conversation more if their neighbor was their choice.

3. Bring in some natural foliage as a centerpiece. A branch cut from the outdoors, or fresh lemons, are playful elements that make it casual.

4. A curve candleholder not only compliments the background jazz which keeps the party lively, it doesn’t get in the way of conversation.

5. Smart candles are reusable and create a glow as warm as a burning candle.

6. Ditch matching plates and create a softened, relaxed look by layering dinnerware colors and materials–such as green glass cayman with white porcelain plates.

7. Mix things up and layer table linens–such as rustle napkins with high gloss placemats.

8. Stainless pitchers of water keeps everyone hydrated–and keeps you at the table.

9. Think outside the box and mix up stemware. Think stemless wines as water glasses with shapely sophia stems for reds and whites. Together the organic shapes will compliment a relaxed mood.

10. Wine decanters allow wine to breath before pouring, add a sparkle to the table, and keep the tablescape neat and cohesive. Bonus is that you can serve less expensive, while no less delicious, wines without anyone being the wiser.

Hint: position your seat at the table closest to the kitchen for easy access since something’s always forgotten.

And for a neater, edited tabletop, plate entrees in the kitchen and present them to everyone at the same time. This saves the hassle of passing dishes and gives guests a chance to toast the chef!

from ali, senior planner CB2

baby spinach
pesto
defrosted frozen peas
pine nuts
grated parmesean cheese
salt and pepper

Base proportions of ingredients on taste and the number of guests.

Nutritious, greens, yummy.

hint: keep pine nuts in the spice cabinet to perk up simple recipes.

Aluminium Silver shiny Vases. For more details,please Fax : 0091-591-2497553

Looking for that final touch for your holiday table? How about these cute place card holders? Let your guests take them home as a favor to ring in the new year! (-Moe)

Marcel Wanders for Target Placecard Holder Set, $11.99, at Target.

Dropping through my virtual mailbox this morning was a preview of the new Tyranid stuff for 40k. Now, as much as we all love Gribblin this is his No 1 40k force. It is one of the most evil armies in 40k by my reckoning and no doubt the new Codex makes them even scarier, find details of the new releases below. I’m sure the fact that his current force can reroll only half its dice will now be rectified, he’ll be rerolling everything and ignoring all the core rules in the Big Grey Book!

Time to load up on more Boyz I think “Oi Mekboy, make me sum mo’ scraggin’ Klaws! Me ladz be needin’ sum extra hitty stuff.”

Codex: Tyranids The Tyranids are the ultimate predators. Engineered at a cellular level for combat, they seek to consume the galaxy. Read all about the history of the Tyranids and learn about their frightful bio-weaponry in the new Codex: Tyranids.

Ravener BroodRaveners are for the first time available as a multi-part plastic kit that includes a host of weapon and assembly options. Now’s the time to overwhelm your foe with a brood of these fast moving warrior beasts.

Trygon/MawlocThese all-new Tyranid monsters tower above the Hive Tyrant and Carnifex, and are some of the largest models we’ve ever produced. Add these lethal creatures and their potent special rules to your Tyranid force.

I had the day off today so I decided to do some more tabletop work.

I tried to light this shot like I would a regular portrait so it was a 4 light setup, the biggest challenge was lighting properly for the small scale with big lights.

I would love to know what you think!
-p

A friend introduced me to the images of Poras Chaudhary. This is one of my favorites – Holi, The Festival Of Colors

I entertained myself at the company, holiday party by taking pictures.

I could probably do with pictures in this thread to illustrate the points I want to make, however, as I am currently going through a major painting project to be unleashed upon my gaming fraternity I don’t want to spoil the surprise for them. After all, seeing my with a fully painted army is likely to cause many of them to slip into a coma, or at least have some kind of seizure.

Today though, I’d like to follow-on from the army construction post with one about how you go about actually painting things. One of the problems I encounter is that I get easily distracted, normally I have a load of stuff on my painting area and therefore have no coherent plan for everything and skip back and forth between bits and pieces. Sometimes it has even gotten to the point where I have the whole army on the table and therefore never finish a unit but see the whole force in a state of non-completion. Therefore I have decided to clear my table of everything but that which I am currently painting, this is to focus my attention so that I can really force myself into finishing something.

Previously I have also built the entire army at the start so that I can then play with it too, this is probably not the best approach either, if I were to not assemble everything I may well be more into getting each unit/model painted before building and doing the next one. This is something I am keeping in mind for the future to facilitate me towards getting armies that are 100% painted.

However, none of that is what I actually wanted to get into debating today. What I really wanted to write about was the actual process whereby a model gets its colours. You may think that you just pick a part and apply some paint, you may have a favourite way of doing things but I’ll provide some options that I am aware that may help if you’re perpetually unsure about where to start once you’ve cleaned, assembled and undercoated your models (if you’re not undercoating your models before painting then may I strongly suggest you start, an undercoat provides a medium for the paint to adhere too, if you don’t perform this critical step you will find the paint will come off very easily once dry).

Inside Out

The first method I want to go through is the way that I am currently painting my models. The premise here is exactly the way it sounds, you start at the lowest level on detail on the model (usually the skin) and then work your way up. The major problem that can be encountered here is that one slip can ruin work already performed but provides a great way of building up decent shading through the separation of the layers of the model. If you are a fairly neat and competent painter you shouldn’t have any real issues using this method. It also allows you to touch up areas where you have gone astray as you will normally be working on the layer where natural run off will go as you paint.

Outside In

This is the opposite to Inside Out, you start off with the outermost layer and work down, I’ve never tried this method so cannot comment on it however again there is potential for you to muck up a completed layer as you strive for details, especially on things like faces.

Painting Metals First

This is actually combined with one of the previous methods (or one of your own) but involves getting all the metals done on a model, these are then varnished before starting on the rest of the model. If you have models with a large amount of metalwork (Knights or warjacks for instance) you might consider doing this method. Any overrun can be easily wiped off without destroying the metalwork already completed.

Ad-hoc Method

This is the method I’ve used to great failure in the past. Grab a model, paint some bits, move on etc… This has never really worked for me I have to admit, hence trying to move to a more structured method that may see some results. I wouldn’t really recommend anyone to use this method at all, without a proper plan there is little motivating you to get things finished.

That’s just a quick brief about the different ways in which you can go about getting paint on a model. Actually getting an army painted though is another matter. You’re going to need to plan out how you’re going to get each piece painted as well as things like colour schemes, basing schemes and the order in which you want to do things. As a part of this current project I am trying to do unit > character > unit > character in order to break up having to paint large batches of similar figures. Effectively rewarding myself with a single model after painting a unit of models. I am also trying to do a conga line whereby I do a coat of a certain part of one model before moving on and doing the same piece for another model of the same unit. I realise this isn’t going to work for single models but I am hoping that it’ll mean I can complete the units quicker than I otherwise could.

Having a plan like this is really crucial if you plan on finishing what you start. I really need a painted army at this point, nothing I have is really finished and for all the years I’ve been doing this I should have something to show for it. Hence my current push to try and get this done. Structuring the project is helping me to stay on track, although with Christmas rapidly approaching I can already see things slowing down a little while the inevitable family visits and shopping trips come along.

There you have it, a brief intro into how to go about painting things, I’d be interested in hearing comments about how anyone else goes about these things.

Do you keep the same holiday decor every year, or do you switch it up a bit?

I know that it can be pricy to change decorations from year to year, but I do like mixing it up … maybe because there are so many fun things to try.  Red with lime green – metallics – magenta and white – bright colors like the old-school Christmas bulbs – so many fun things.  But one style I have never quite gotten into was the snowflake – until now!

Maybe because in sunny CA the snowflake seemed downright silly, or maybe because they always looked a bit cheesy – you know the ones on the blue and white paper plates?  But I think I am officially a convert.

The snowflakes on the Saks building inspired me, and I just couldn’t stop.

I found all kinds of great things for a winter wonderland in silver, pewter, grey, white, and cream.

There are lots of lovely ornaments that can be found at great prices, but you don’t have to stop at the tree.  Gather bulbs in bowls, vases, apothecary jars, you name it!

For a bit of nostalgia, make the popsicle stick ornaments with silver glitter (or ask Mom for your old ones, I am sure she still has them).

What is great about these more muted colors, is they don’t have to be put away on the 26th.  These things will still look great in January, even February.  And the pillows, blankets, vases and jars can be out year ’round!

And these shapes and colors translate to a great table too…

Laser cut felt placemats really look like snowflakes, but you can make your own too!  Just buy heavy felt from the fabric store and cut out patterns.   Or even just cut bulk felt down to the ‘regular’ rectangle shape and these placemats will add a layer of warmth to the table during the cooler months.

For candles, smoky grey votives are a fun change, and these candlesticks would be the perfect addition.  You can also buy tapers in grey for a updated take on the basic white.

Another great DIY project is to dye old doilies (thanks Eddie for the idea!!) – such a great transformation.  They can be used all over – on tables, on mantles, on pedestals…

Some grey napkins, pewter goblets and a few other accents and it’s all set – literally.

More holiday ideas in store all month, but in the meantime, what are your favorite holiday colors?

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For resources:

1. Michael Aram, Twig Snowflake Christmas Ornament at Macy’s

2. Melrose International, Gunmetal Gray Snowflake Ornaments from HGTV Marketplace

3. Reed & Barton, Winter Sparkle Snowflake Ornament, at Bloomingdale’s

4. Crate & Barrel, Vintage Glitter Snowflake Ornament

5.  Target, Apothecary Glass Jar

6. CB2, Shaggy Pillow in Gray

7. Crate & Barrel, Antique Grooved Onion Ornament

8. Crate & Barrel, Metal Ball Snowflake Ornament

9. Brocade Home, Gem Bottles – Charcoal

10. Crate & Barrel, 3-D Snowflake Ornaments

11. Save on Crafts, Clear Glass Ball Ornaments

12. Target, Silver Snowflake Cutouts

13. Faberge, Glacon Vase at Grebitus & Sons

14. Crate & Barrel, Silver Swirl Balls

15. Ikea, Bästis Blanket

16. Crate & Barrel, Antiqued Glass Snowflake Candleholder

17. Joshua Stone, Grey Industrial Felt Holiday Ornaments at Supermarket

18. Target, Glass Silver Balls

19. Detaljoch Design, White Felt Placemat

20. Brocade Home, Glass Votives – Charcoal

21. Eddie Ross, Dyed Doilies (link to his website tutorial, not for sale)

22. Kim Seybert, Gray Organza Napkins at Neiman Marcus

23. Venucci, Felt Chrysanthemum Placemat

24. Eddie Ross, Milk Glasses at Etsy

25. Venucci, Felt Day Dream Table Runner

26. John Derian, Mercury Glass Candlesticks, THAT YOU CAN WIN!!

27. Pottery Barn, Jeweled Snowflake Ornament

28. Match 1995, Pewter Goblet

29. Kim Seybert, Placemat, Napkins & Napkin Rings

30. Orrefors, Sno Flutes at Grebitus & Sons

31. Creative Candles, Elegant Taper in Paris Gray

32. Nambe, Revel Candlesticks at Grebitus & Sons

33. CB2, Concept Napkin in Carbon

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Also up on The Inspired Room as part of the “Holiday Linky Friday” feature… check out other holiday ideas there!

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