Oka is a happy boy

I don't know why Oka wanted me to write this blog post instead of him. He says that he likes the way I write, I think he is just lazy. 

What I want to share today is the fulfillment of Oka's wildest dreams. Since he read the first things about a certain "Warhammer" game, and started researching it every night instead of doing his homework, this image has been forming in his brain. I KNOW IT, I was there the whole time during his daily "I want this model, and this model, and this model, and this model...".

Used a blanket as background. We are a professional photographer, precious!!

He finally has about everything he needs, or at least for now. Christmas and his birthday were a HUGE help! Let's review each thing:

The LOTR has the best terrains!

Ruins of Osgiliath terrain. The moment I saw this, I fell in love! It's my favorite terrain ever, it will be a great addition to our game. I've been showing it off to everyone I can, Oka made a great pick.

Tilted the second box so it looks more interesting, precious!!

Two Blood Angels Sanguinary Guard boxes. Actually, he got the first one around October, and the second one for his birthday in February. When he got the first box, we spent the whole night just admiring the models, all the detail, all the symbols, all their beauty... then we started to make silly jokes about them, I can't even remember most of them now, and they're too long to explain. Maybe I'll share them some other time, but we had a lot of fun.

I like the front image so much, I think I'll have to frame it!

A Blood Angels Battleforce!!! Oka talked about this battleforce so much, I think even I had dreams about it. Well it was worth it, it's beautiful, it has way more pieces than I expected! Oh I'm sure we'll have so much fun with this fat baby, I can't believe it even includes spare purity seals... amazing!

 I got nothing funny to write here :(

February 2011 White Dwarf. I feel like I should be jealous of this magazine, because lately Oka spends more time looking at it than looking at me*! Then again, I can't blame him, it has some really pretty photos and great articles... oh, and it's about the Blood Angels. I hope that by now, you all noticed that Oka is absolutely obsessed with them.

Why must all fun things be so expensive? Metal models are the best example for this rule.

Lemartes and Dante.  I have to admit, I was really excited about getting these models, even if they weren't for me... Lemartes history is just amazing, and both models are extremely detailed and just perfect. Hmmm... it will be fun to smash them with my orcs.

After all the previous photos, this looks a bit lame.

And finally, gold paint for his Sanguinary Guard and a Mega-Dice. One of the first things I learned about Oka, back in his days of playing RPG, was that he's a dice geek. Notice how he stores the dices, and you'll understand.

Well that's it for now. Oka is now very lovingly painting each model, I'll poke him until he submits some photos of the two he's finished so far, they're by far the most beautiful things he's ever done!

Love,

Talty

*I'm actually joking, but I wanted to tease Oka a bit. He makes the cutest faces when I tease him.

Oka loves hamburgers

When Oka discovered that they were selling the McRib in Mexico, he just HAD to go eat one. He loves hamburgers and he loves ribs, and he had read a lot about the history of the McRib... he also loves things that are special events, or limited, so it was perfect for him.

So, after much begging on his side (he's on a diet) and anticipation (he had to wait a week for our "date"), we went:

He liked it a lot! See that tiny bag of fries? That's what I ate, the rest is his. I recently learned that there's a possibility that the fries are not vegetarian, so I'm not eating them again. It's a shame because I liked them, but it's not really a difficult or painful decision to make.

I think the McRib was a nasty, greasy, ugly thing, but Oka liked it a lot. He had a great time, so I am happy for him :) He even told me the history of the McRib, apparently there's a whole cult behind it... who knew?

I think he'll ask me to take him again next week, before they take it out the menu. I'll have to figure out what to eat.

Squad VI Blood Knights

It was time for an update! Some time ago I posted about some combat Squad I was working on, well it worked out pretty well! It seem Im improving my painting skills, i ventured even deeper on freehand detailing and after understanding a lil better how to apply layers of details it seem to have proven right.

I followed my BK scheme, with some additions on the shoulder pads. stating the Squad and the Company. Some individual and team Heraldic Featuring the Sgt's (Black pad)

So lets give it a look:

Some Fluff behind them;

Chapter: Blood Knights

Company: 2nd

Squad: VI

Every mission has an objective, sometimes as basic as survive and most of the times the burden the battle brothers must endure includes gathering valuable intell or protecting sacred ground, retrieving ancient and rare technology or even in some other times the deed includes keeping alive the light of humanity and hope.

Every brother knows this, even on an elite and rentless attack force as the Blood Knights when most sheer blood and ripe thought the enemy to emerge victorious, Its up to the VI Squad, to stay back and ensure someone is there to claim the objectives, to take the resources or to protect the human hearts.

As this, on the tabletop, this VI Squad stays back and when the time comes grab the objectives letting the full force of the army rain fire and blood on the enemy

Update on Lili

Lili has now been in Oka's department, with Zuko, for a week. I'm excited to announce that they're doing great! They started playing from the first minute they met, and they're now happily together. Zuko loves to groomer her and Lili loves the attention, so they make a perfect match. With all the playing they do, we're hoping Zuko will loose some weight (the vet scolded us last time about how fat Zuko is).

The other day we found them like this:

Yes, it's shedding season! Things can't stay clean for 5 minutes...

I don't know how they managed to fit together, but they were pretty happy. I couldn't take a photo of them sleeping, because when I approached with the camera they woke up and started wondering what was I doing. Shame, maybe next time.

Now that Lili is healthier and more comfortable at Oka's, she revealed her mischievous personality. Granted, all cats are mischievous and will play with anything you leave at hand unless you teach them, but Lili is specially creative. Her current hobby is taking off the foam core of cushioned chairs.

I'm just helping you redecorate.

Please notice that her eyes are getting bluer. When she arrived her eyes were a light cold blue, almost white from some views. The vet said that it's a good sign, but he failed to tell me why. I assume that it means that she's healthier?

Zuko is Oka's little boy, much like Kira is my little girl. Zuko absolutely ADORES Oka, they're very cute together! But sometimes I have to scold them when they play rough (no Oka, you shouldn't let Zuko bite you!).

Zuko is loosing weight soon! He's now on a diet.

One of the things that we love about Zuko are his ears. He has some tiny hairs at the tips that make his ears look extra pointy and cute! Because of it, Oka named him "Gato Picoreja" (loosely, "Pointear Cat").

Yep those hairs!

Well that's it for now, I'm sorry if I talk about my cats too much... I'm a proud mommy.

Thank you Kuja, for sending us Lili.

Talty

Meet Lili

Remember the kitty we found? I wrote about her here. Well no one called us, so we figured that it was time to give up and made her an official part of our family! She's going to live with Oka, we think that Zuko (Oka's cat) is really going to love her, besides, Zuko has been alone since Kuja died a month ago.

The first thing we did was remove her collar. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, and our cats are 100% in-doors cats... so she doesn't need a collar.

She's now nekkid!

After that, we officially named her Lili. I liked the name so much that I cried when my boyfriend suggested it. It's perfect for her! We strongly believe that a cat's name is very important and shouldn't be taken lightly. We also believe that a cat reveals it's name in due time, so we should pay attention and we will "just know it".

Lili chose the cutest way to reveal her name. One day I went to play with her outside, I couldn't see her so I called. She answered me and walked out from my mom's pots where she had been sleeping, and she had a tiny flower perfectly placed in one side of her ear. She looked so cute and girly! After I told Oka, he said "I think we should call her Lili, she had a flower after all" he made a pause "you remember in Harry Potter how Lily's love defeated death? Kuja sent us Lili". I cried. Of course it was the perfect name!

Lili still sleeps and plays in those pots. She's slowly killing my mom's flowers.

We then took her to the vet, he said that she was in a slightly worst condition than we initially thought, but she's going to be perfectly fine! She was malnutritioned, full of worms, and had a soft flu.  He gave her some meds and a dewormer, and we have to go back for her first vaccines. The next day, she was feeling so much better and healthier that she spent the whole morning breaking plants.

I love her so much =3 I'm glad Kuja sent her, she's perfect for all of us and she can now grow healthy and happy. We're all very happy!

Oka's birthday!

Today is Oka's birthday! He's now 23 =3 congratulations my love!

We went out and had breakfast in one of our favorite restaurants. We played some videogames. My mom made his favorite food. We played Warhammer 40k and I made him some brownies (and I forgot to take photos! FUUUUU-).

I think that it was a really nice day, and I hope Oka enjoyed it. Now that I think about it, maybe I should have let him win in 40k...

Modular Terrain

Finally! After lots of sweat, effort and frustrations form the last month, and of curse with the help of my lovely assistant Talty, my first terrain is done!

Indeed my Blood Knights look comfortable on it, and the should! lets give it a review:

Well, lets see, I started this project with many ideas on mind; we've all seen gorgeous terrain pieces or full gaming tables, some full of detail and awesome features, we found em on solid tables, others are just some fabric-like base, and others come on modular pieces like GW's. And most of em as awesome they look, as pricey they seem to be!

So with that in mind I researched various techniques and ideas to make low cost- high end terrain, even then I must say, I lastly relied on my own experience and available materials.

As stated above, I like the modular table's idea from GW, I'm all pro modular stuff (coming soon my magnetized dread) it gives enough freedom and variety, with the very important feature of portability. So i went for that on my terrain and after analyzing GW's i came out with a basic plan: Simple square flat surfaces, with some Styrene terrain features, that matches on different positions.

I tried various materials, and after some disasters I got some hard cardboard for the flat surface and the expanded Polystyrene matched nice on my low cost idea.

I ended up reinforcing the structure and after some coats of PVA, Sand, Paint and Flock, the first of 6 Pieces was completed.

Long story short, it was a success, and shortly after the 1st one I worked on the 2nd module. The thing here is to consider the terrain feature, as Gw's its supposed to be a 4 pieces mountain, matching on the center.

So, after weeks of planning and working, and under $20 USD worth of materials I have two 60x60 cm (2x2 ft) modular panels, perfect for 500 or less points WH Skirmishes.

So the only thing it needs now its some hills, forests and ruins. So I rushed and build a few

So after just some hours of inspired working I ended with enough terrain to fit on my modular half table.

Sadly for now, I ran out of paint and flock to continue the rest of the panels, also I have to figure out the storing issue before I end up with more I (or my GF :D) can handle.

Anyway, tnx for reading, if asked I'll make a tutorial, but only if there's feedback!!! For now Enjoy some more Pics!

Waiting for your comments!