Here is where things stand with the final batch of wagons and carts as of mid-afternoon today (Sunday).
I am still alive and kicking, as the song went, but as you might expect, things have been a tad busy here at Stollen Central since the autumn semester began in earnest at the end of August. However, this weekend has provided a nice lull before yet another batch of students papers floods over me Monday morning, and one more cycle of reading and assigning grades takes center stage for the next 7-10 days.
At any rate, I have been picking away, time permitting, at a few different wargaming-related things since the last post here at The Grand Duchy of Stollen blog in early September. We are getting there, slowly but surely, with the last batch of wagons and carts. The vehicles and horses are done, and now it's time for the usual dark brown on all of the collars, harnesses, traces, straps, reins, and the like. Then, it's time to do the humans, followed by the usual gloss treatment and then groundwork added to the bases.
In addition, I've gotten around to painting a scratch-built table along with an anvil and few tools that came along with the Berliner Zinnfiguren mobile field forge that the Grand Duchess picked up and brought home to me when she visited the city for three weeks last May. ONce a tiny bit of sand and Woodland Scenics grass material have been added to that, I'll finally have a rather large blacksmith vignette completed, which has been in-progress for only eighteen months or so.
Then, there are a couple of hobby-related articles I've been chipping away at as and when time has allowed, or the writing muse has found me. With any luck, one of these should be ready to submit by mid-October, and another by year's end. Naturally, there are lots of photographs that will go along for the editors' consideration. Keep your fingers crossed, and hopefully both articles might appear in the next several months.
On a totally unrelated note, I have also been working away steadily adding content to my other blog, The Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style. I don't think I have ever mentioned it here during the two years it has been in existence, but have a look if you would like, and see what you think. Classic menswear and polite behavior are not necessarily to everyone's taste, but both are things in which I have more than a passing interest.
Finally, there are some amazing new items forthcoming from the folks at Minden/Fife&Drum Miniatures here in the United States and Crann Tara in the (apparently still) United Kingdom. Everything will be of interest to all 28-30mm mid-18th century enthusiast whether your interests lie with the War of Austrian Succession, the Seven Years War, or fictitious combatants in the tradition of the late Brigadier Young, Colonel Lawford, and the Grant family. Click on the links above to have a look for yourself if you have not already read about these new and/or forthcoming releases elsewhere online.
Looks like it's time to update my birthday and Christmas wishlist for 2014. . . and maybe just go ahead and purchase a few things for myself without waiting for either occasion. You know. Just to tide me over.
-- Stokes
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Peter