Allrighty... I just checked the roster and with about 1,5 month to go before the start of the campaign we are already at 28 enlisted people. Only 2 away from the 30!. Really good.

With the dissapointment of the T26 being too large for my idea and the size of the postcard might be solved with the aspected arrival of another Russian beastie it might just be that I still can go with my initial idea albeit it somehwat modified. More on the huuuuuge vehicle that is coming my way later

Ola guys

I was looking at the Postcard Challenge today in the Campaign section and there is still the matter of the ribbon to be filled in. As of yet the status is still "Award pending". Now I could do it myself but others already volunteered and I know there are some certified ribbon specialists around here. So if anybody would love to do a little side project and make a dashing award ribbon feel free to do so. I'm looking forward to it.

Robert,
I have an idea that uses two models. One is still in the shrinkwrap and, of course, completely unbuilt. The other is about 80% built, can I still include it in the diorama for this campaign? or does any model used have be unstarted at the beginning?

Bill

It would obviously be very awesome if the ribbon looked like a tiny postcard

On another note i'm about 99% sure of what I will be building for this campaign, but thankfully I still have a while to convince the other 1%.

I have already mentioned my idea of the ribbon but I'll just drop it in again, I think that having a old fashioned stamp on the ribbon like you would get on a postcard would be cool.

Bronzey

I've sort of settled on cutting up an old Alan 1/35 Valentine. Maybe work some sort of scene where it was knocked out and the crew is bailing out. I kind of want to do something from the Soviet perspective.

@ Bill K
Well as long as you have one vehicle that is still unstarted for this campaign I think nobody would have problems with the one that is 80 percent built. So yeah you can start without any problems.

@ Tristan
Well I'm really looking forward what your plan entails.

@ Tristan and Alex B
Tiny postcard, old fashioned stamp... That is info I can do something with. I will climb into my photoshop suit this week to create something.

@ Alex
That sounds very promising a russian valentine. Not something you see built every day. I still need to wait till my package arrives with what I hope is my kit but I can't tell for sure untill I can physically measure it up.

Ola Guys

The startdate is nearing. 28 people enlisted. And a nice bunch of people as well. I'm looking forward to the 1st of July.

Also I have found my vehicle. And it comes in the shape of the beautiful T20 tractor by Mirror Models


I'm still thinking if it will be a Russian tractor in Russian use or that it will be a Russian tractor in German hands. But the whole setting will nonetheless be Urban. And I'm looking forward to that as well as it is already a while back that I did a real stone building.

Nice choice Robert, I'm looking forward to the campaign too.

Pretty much set on building a Flakpanzer I in stalingrad, but since I haven't ordered it yet I might change it last minute on impulse if I think of something cooler.

Guys,

Loving all the ideas been thrown around, I also can't wait to start this one, really looking forward to it!

Bronzey

The plan....



The picture that inspired it...



Paul

Mayby I will enter this campaigns, I like the idea and I have the idea to build a 1/48 KV russian tank with figures on and of, but I don't understand this part of your rules:
- a human made structure of stone
- a Scratch built item

Can you explain what you are expecting more when I have build the tank, put the figures on and made some underground with something scratch build item like a tree or fence?

Johanna

@Tristan
The flakpanzer I has always been one of my favorite vehicles. Your idea sounds cool. But as you said an idea can always change at the last moment. It is part of the freative process. I actually have started dioramas where in the end I took a big boxcutter and cut out the only part I liked. Discarding the rest.

@ Paul that is a cool sketch and a great idea. You managed to get quite a lot of figures and items onto that small space. You got yourself an interesting project. In a few days I will reveal my idea as well. It is fully formed in my head now. Will sketch it out on paper and show it here.

@Johanna
Great to hear you are thinking of joining. I hope you do after my explanation. A human made item of stone or concrete means it can be anything from a stone foundation of a building. To a complete stone structure like a house or smaller items like a stone gardenwall. A water well. A sidewalk or even as small as a milemarker. Basically any stone structure that is not formed by nature. The humanmade stone object can be from a commercial producer in any medium from vacuform to pkaster. but it can also be scratchbuilt. Effectively combining the two rules of humanmade stone object and scratchbuilding. With scratchbuilt item it can litterally be anything of any difficulty or size. It could be some scratchbuilt detailing on the vehicle to a scratchbuilt barbwire fence. You decide. As long as your dio has something scratchbuilt in it. by the way your idea with the KV loaded with figures sounds very good. Should make for an interesting dio. If you have anymore questions by all means ask them and I provide you with answers.

Just ordered the Flakpanzer

I really want to do something with the no height limit, was thinking maybe the Flakpanzer on a bridge segment with russian troops hiding beneath but not sure yet.

Thanks Robert for the answer, I understand what you mean and that wouldn't be a problem

Ok with the date getting closer I been thinking bout this more and more, so idea is changing slightly again! My stone object was going to be a barrier randomly placed but the cut up van has been bugging me that it will look silly just stuck to the edge so thinking that if I build a shop/warehouse front with like a loading door that the van is sitting in, then it will give it a place and the building will be the stone object and hopefully, I can finally do a fork lift truck outside like I have wanted to do for months.

Bronzey

@ Johanna
Good to hear everything was clear. And Welcome to the Postcard Challenge. Looking forward to your idea.

@ Paul
Great to hear you are still tweaking your idea. Which is good as that will lead you to the best scene. Which brand of forklift are you using if you go the forklift route?

I see with half a month to go we are only 1 enlistee away from 30. Which is great. Hopefull;y we can reach that mark of 30 people but still with 29 people we can make a good campaign. Especially seeing the enthousiasm among the people who are already in.

I have made a little sketch of what I have in mind for this challenge and of what I hope to achieve as endresult. When I first thought up this idea it had a T26 tank in it which proved to be way too big. So I was pretty happy with the arrival of the Stunning Mirror Models T20 Artillery tractor which in turn was exactly the right size. The idea is that 2 recon soldiers/artillery observers are using the T20 wreck as a platform to scout the surrounding environment. The setting will be more or less soviet Industrial. By making a disabled "wreck" out of the T20 I can show off the beautiful engine and interior of that kit plus I give the viewer a lot more to look at. The big factorywall and wooden fence give a nice backdrop into the scene. Ok enough talk here is my sketch.


Looking forward to any feedback. And of course with the startdate nearing if anybody wants to share their ideas already to get some feedback from your peers then by all means fire away.

I'm pretty set in to doing something with the old Valentine tank. I have two so I have a mulligan to work with. I'm thinking a lend-lease Valentine in Soviet service. I figure I'll cut it up and probably have it knocked out or at least made immobile (track). I'm not sure if I'll go with a Soviet tanker takign cover, German infantry moving in, or a combination of the two with the tanker hiding out. I'll be playing alot of it by ear.

Robert, would grave markers count as man-made stone structures or is that pushing that requirement a bit too much? I was thinking about placing it in a cemetery. If not, I can just stick a section of wall in there.

And thanks for giving us a peek at what you're planning.

Tristan's idea about the height limitations sounds good. I could see a Berlin '45 scene with a cutaway showing German defenders using the sewers while a partitioned Soviet tank rumbles by on the street above. Or even a Navy diver working below a dock or boat. Or maybe some UDT subject.

Anyway, not much longer.

@ Alex
To start with answering your question. Grave markers are a good example of manmade structures of stone. So yeah that is absolutely within the campaigns rules.

Also that would make for a really interesting scene with a disabled Valentine. Sounds like you are planning quite a busy diorama.

@ Tristan your idea sounds pretty good too. Working multileveled can certainly give you more space to built an idea around. The Flakpanzer I on a bridge with Soviet troops in Ambush under it will certainly make for a tense scene.

Rob,

Loving your idea, I do like seeing how close people get their models to the drawing at the start. The fork lift is for a number of reasons, for a start its going to be a welcome break of colour, with the EOD officer in dark green, ground/wall in a sandy yellow, a van painted blue and the fork lift im going to drop red, so will be a wide range of colours. Secondly its going to give it a real world feel and thirdly as a fork lift driver myself for nearly 6 years, I've been itching to do a fork lift truck since I saw them oh eBay. The ones I have found are by Aoshima, they seem to have a large range online of vehicles in 1/32 scale, depending how this fork lift goes depends on if I'll try another kit from them.

Bronzey

Hi,

Really looking forward to the campaign and tossing around a few ideas in my head. I was wondering if a cobblestone road would constitute a stone structure?

Cheers

Jeff

@ Alex B
Thanks for the compliments on my idea I'm very curious as well how close people will get to their original idea. I checked out the stuff from Aoshima I only knew the company from name but never really checked their stuff. They have some neat vehicles in their range. Looking forward to your diorama it will be a very colorful one.

@ Jeff
Good to hear you are already busy with the diorama in your mind. And to answer your question: Yes a cobblestone road is a perfect example of the man made stone structure.

Rob,

Yes they do a good range of civilian vehicles, they are in 1/32 but nothing that can't be worked around. Placed my order yesterday on this:
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=390568750956&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=30183621565

Hope the link works done it via my phone so its going via mobile web.

The kit I got has two fork lifts, pallets, freight, two drivers and judging by the pictures a pump truck too so I feel its very good value for money at around £26 including shipping. But only time will tell the quality of the kit.....

Bronzey

Alright can't believe I'm saying this, but c'mon Monday!
Just over 10 days to go!

Robert - Cool tractor, nice idea, and like that sketch!

Paul - Nice layout, I'll be trying a plan view as well.

Alex - I have a Berlin 1945 Diorama in the works also, but for a different project.

Trying to get approval for a small (yea, right...) order from the Minister of Finance. There's a perfect MB Figure set that would work well with my idea.

Cheers
Dave

@ Alex B
Getting all those extra stuff is indeed good value for the money and as for the scale. There are so many forklifts being manufactured nowadays in so many different shapes and sizes that the scale difference between 1:35 to 1:32 is not really relevant. Looking forward to your diorama.

@ Dave
Yeah it is a bit of a wait still but the startdate is looming. Thanks for the compliments on my idea. I'm really looking forward to building that T20 it is one of the most incredible kits I have in my stash. I'm currently pondering how I am going to construct the factory wall. Either I'm going to cast it in plaster but that would mean I will make the whole diorama heavier then I want. The other option would be to scratchbuilt it with a variety of materials ranging from cardbord, Styrene to cork and wallfiller. Still some thinking to do.