Grand Duchy of Stollen Visited 2000+ Times!

Well, it seems that The Grand Duchy has been visited more than 2000 times. In fact, there have been about 400 hits in the last two days alone! Not bad for an imaginary place. It's amazing what a few interesting photos will do to swell the number of visits to a blog!

I imagine that Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II is puffing an extra big cigar this morning. In honor of such a terrific milestone, here's one more photo of the 2nd (Von Laurenz) Musketeers. Oh, and it seems that Colonel Von Laurenz called off his duel with the commander of the Jaeger zu Fuss at the last minute the other day. Something about bad nerves. . .

On the painting front, Stollen's battery of artillery is about done. Just the brass sword pommels and scabbard tips remain on the crew and I'm almost finished paiting the wooden gun carraiges red, taking care to leave the black metal parts unpainted. Then it's brass barrels and a coat of Future floor finish. Should be able to wrap 'em up this weekend! Next, it's on to the staff of three, a regiment of 30 dragoons, and a few conversions, attaching Prussian heads to Napoleonic Saxon cuirassier bodies. Should keep me busy into January.

Best of all, we have a major winter storm approaching Central Illinois, just in time for December 1st, calling for 7-10" in our area of the state with around 15" in the Chicago area. Needless to say, our cross country skis stand at attention by the front door in anticipation. As Mike Myers's character "Dieter" from the ficticious German TV show Sprockets used to say, "I'm as happy as a little girl!"

Comments

Anonymous said…

Okay, Dieter!!! I love that you posted photos of your work. It really does help to conceptualize just how much work goes into each 'man'. Well done!

11:38 PM

Anonymous said…

"Let it snow let it snow let it snow" as Dean Martin would croon. I'd love to use the excuse - sorry boss snowed in can't come to work today.

1:57 AM

Bluebear Jeff said…

We're not just "snowed in", but we have burst pipes as well. No hot water and my bride is NOT HAPPY.

And, yes, the power was out again . . . but only for 14 hours this time.

-- Jeff

5:34 AM

The 18th century? What's the Fascination?

Hessian musketeers by All the King's Men Toy Soldiers of Snellville, Georgia, U.S.A. Just a quick post post today, but I thought the above question might be interesting food for thought. Obviously, there is an array of possible periods, theaters, and conflicts that might catch our eyes. But what is it about the era 1700-1799 -- either real, or imagined? Is it the commanders and politics? The fairly straightforward tactics? The myriad of uniforms and flags? The variety and scope of the conflicts? The patchwork of various and sundry petty states, (at least in Central Europe)? I'm very interested to learn your thoughts. Don't be a lurker! Please leave a comment -- or even two or three. Have a nice day everyone!

An Early July Hussar Update. . .

Marginally neater in appearance with green bases, girths, and ivory horse markings added, but I need to neaten up some hooves now before moving onto the rest of the tack. W here in the world did June go? While I still ponder the answer to that question, how about a quick painting update on the first batch of 14 Minden Austrian hussars and Nadasdy? Good. I'm glad we are of a like mind. Still on the sloppy side, but I've managed to move things along, painting the green bases, white (ivory) horse markings, and beginning the miles and miles of tack adorning the various horses. I always like to begin with the girths spanning the horses' ribs which helped hold the saddles in place. Even with the figures mounted individually on temporary painting bases, these can be kind of tricky to access, but there we are. I've also used various Army Painter washes (Mid-Brown and Strong Tone) as well as their Speed Paint (Grim Black) to make the manes and tails of the horses a bit m...

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions. Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed. Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red. They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery. I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point. Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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