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After assembling the Graveyard Golem I decided I wanted to adjust the warp of the gates on the golem's back. So using two copper staples, I shaped them to an arch and gouged a notch on each wing. Then cut the staple to leave a sharp point. After that, I insert the staple using pliers and force. Next I will secure the wire to the gate posts with superglue and then shape the wire and wing to the desired warp. Once setup I will glue the wire to the remaining gate bars. With the main new bars secured, I will intertwine some floral wire to dress up the bars and gate wings. Stay tuned and Enjoy. Please stay safe.

Here are 4 twisted wire trees I made. Three of them use moss from a craft store package, one used Woodland Scenics foliage. They all use Vallejo Earth Texture, Woodland Scenics scrubery, and Army Painter Lowland Shrubs. Here is is an average wizard under a tree for size reference:

I have some minis I want to pin (or attempt to, have never done it before). I have wire, tons of paper clips, and am going to acquire some brass rod soon. But my question is about the clippers. I know I shouldn't use my sprue cutters for most things beyond plastics, resin, and other things like those. So my question is what kind of clippers (cutters?) Do I need to cut the metal bits down to size? I don't want to ruin my good clippers by cutting something too hard. I saw some in the jewelry section at Michael's but wasn't sure they'd hold up in the long run since it said it cuts soft wire and thread.

Apologies if this isn't the best place, but Talespinner's monday miniature thread got me thinking about how art is constantly evolving and how sculptors have continued to push the bounds of what is possible with our media. Here's a link to the artist's website: Ellen Jewett (no commerce links, you have to get on a mailing list for sculptures... I checked But she does sell prints of her work. ) This sculptor isn't a miniaturist, but her work is something I'd love to try out on our scale and probably what I'm going to work on for my next project, only with human forms rather than animal ones. For background, she's a Canadian working in porcelain, wire and self hardening clay, and the delicacy she's able to achieve with that is astounding. I love the way she incorporates both animal and plant forms together. just sharing! Carry on!

Time for a critter that seems a staple of the Call of Cthulhu game. Amusingly, most of the depictions, including the Grenadier and RAFM sculpts of the creature ignore the "grotesquely great clawed appendages" line. I'll keep with this tradition since I think not having limbs keeps the creature more "otherworldy". Took a coated copper wire and started wrapping newspaper around it. The wire will let me shape the critter as I want later. Used masking tape to make a skin to bind the newspaper. Measured more wire to make the wing base Drilled through the body and ran the wire through

I've been real lazy of recent, so a minion of Tsathoggua seems quite appropriate. Top row's colour was thrown off a little. Bottom row is pretty spot on.

On my WIP thread I am using a piece of plied wire to represent a chain on a character who weilds one. I offered to post a tutorial on the technique, so here we are. Plied wire is a technique used by the Vikings to create jewlery - typically they took four wires of silver or gold and created a bracelet or ring. However, the end result is very chain-like, so I thought it could be useful in miniatures for making a chain. Here are a few examples of the wire: It isn't exactly a chain, but it does read like one. In order to properly do this tutorial, however, I need to start be explaining the difference between an "S" and a "Z" spin. Whenever you twist two strands together, when you look at it vertically the spin will go in one direction or the other - Upper left to bottom right, or bottom left to upper right. Even if you flip the cord, the spin will be in the same direction. I've illustrated the spins here: I've drawn over the wire in red, the first is an "S" spin, the second a "Z" spin. This is important as basic process is to twist two sets of two wires together in the same spin, then twist those two sets with each other in the opposite spin. Here is a step by step explanation: First you will need wire. This example is 22 gauge steel wire, which was actually slightly large for what I needed it for. 24 or 26 gauge wire is good for wire for the mini to hold, but I have used this technique with as large as 14 gauge wire. You can obtain many sorts of wire from the hardware store - check the "Picture hanging" and "Wiring" section. Steel wire will create a fairly rigid result which is still pliable enough to shape, but copper will be easier to work with in general. Start with two strands - each of these strands should be over twice your desired final length (we will cut the result in half, and twisting will reduce the length.) Remember, you can always cut down the final result, but you can't add to it. I used two pairs of locking pliers, but you can also use one pair and a clamp. I also used leather to hold the wire, but this isn't necessary if the wire is strong enough - it will mark the ends but you won't use the ends anwyay: In my experience you will need the leather for 24 gauge copper as it can shear from the pliers, otherwise you will probably find it more of a hindrance as the wires will pull out. Twist the wire in one direction, keep backward pressure on the plier(s) so that the wire does not bunch up while you twist it. When it is fairly tight, unclasp it and cut the wire in half. A normal pair of wire cutters might do it at this piont, I used a pair of 10" end snips, there are of course other options. Now, note the spin: I have a Z spin here. Clamp down both ends between your pliers and twist in the opposite direction - so in this case I want to see the wire going over the other top left to bottom right Again, keep backward pressure on your plier to prevent it from bunching. You'll note here I stopped using the leather, as it kept pulling out. Keep twisting until you have reached your desired look. Then unclamp it and cut off the ends - you may need a better cutting tool for this, as at this point you're cutting through four wires. The end result is still flexible, but holds its shape very well. You can use pliers to make tight bends