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Design ideas and questions to consider, other than “make sure it’s sturdy as heck and whole system’s secured to the studs”:
– Mirror back panels
– Built in lighting -> wiring paths + lighting locations (probably LED for minimum heat)
– Glass (or plexiglass) front panels; I think you can get also UV-filtering versions of either to lessen sun damage
– Lock-able access (if security is a concern – even if it’s just vs. toddlers / kids)
– Do you want the shelves to be visible pretty wood, or do you want to cover them with a soft material (ex. foam + fabric)?
– Do you want the shelves to be adjustable, or locked forever into position?
– Do you want to size specific shelves for specific pieces, or leave them “generic” for maximum flexibility? Do you design for the collection you have, or do you design for the pieces you may get in the future?
– Is it all for display or do you want to include some hidden storage, or other functionality? (ex. pull-out worktable)Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
Step (1) = Secure your display cases to the wall ON A STUD – drywall will just rip out, even if you use a heavy-duty anchor. Drywall anchors are mostly good for vertical loads, not horizontal.
Depending on what type of cases (mostly metal & glass, or full wood frame) & how well they fit next to the wall (can you snug the back of the case against the wall, or do mouldings etc. mean there’s a gap) & specific advice that experienced locals may have, you may want a tight fit (ex. bolt through the back of wood bookcase directly into the studs) or a “loose” fit (straps that give the a few inches of “swaying” room before the pull taut).
Step (2) = Secure your Windstones inside your display case.
I haven’t used museum putty because I don’t want to muck up the felt pad on the bottom of my Windstones, but you could probably “mound” it at the edges to get a good secure hold. Make sure you read the directions on it – there’s a sort of “trick” of twisting it down to secure, at least the type I used to secure some vases.My favorite method is taking a thin (~1/4″) sheet of stiff foam and cutting a panel the size of the shelf of your display case, then cutting close-fit holes for the individual sculpture to sit in. It will prevent the sculpt from rattling horizontally in the case, and if things are shaking so much the sculpts jump out of the foam, well, there’s probably going to be bigger worries. You can hide the foam with fabric, or other pretty covers materials of your choice.
I’m sure other people have their own tactics, too!
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
All three schemes are lovely, but that last one *sigh*. If only I had infinite space, funds, and money… Not sure my creativity’s running high tonight, but these were what immediately came to mind for color scheme names.
(1) Starlit Pearl
(2) Gilded Rose
(3) Atlantis, or Pacifica, or OceanicaContinuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
I’m glad I had some useful suggestions. If you think having a lariat or eyeglass holder or whatever they’re called would help, but you can’t find any you like – I make jewelry as a hobby, and could probably make something in your colors. I’ve seen “helper” necklaces that use a keychain ring as a “pendant”, that the glasses are then tucked through, or what I think of as the “classic librarian” style that use the little loops to attach to the frame… um, what word? side thingymajig. I also can do keychains. A magnet keychain might be useful – clip one side to your belt or purse, other side to your keys, then instead of dropping your keys into your purse you just let the key-half snap to the clip-half, and the big magnets are pretty darn sturdy.
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
Ahahaha, I love your patriotic dragon display, Bodine!
I slept in late, had brunch at my favorite bagel shop, hit the coffee shop for a tea latte, now I’m trying to decide what video game to play while avoiding Adulting for the rest of the day.
I hope everyone has a lovely day!
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
Are there adjustments in your routines you can make to make things easier for yourself? It sounds like you have more than enough battles to fight, if you can find places to save effort, you can focus more on the big battles.
Raise the litter boxes up so you don’t have to bend over (set them on a big bin?), or switch to a style that is easier to clean, or see if there’s a super-long armed scoop (or make one: duct tape + a pole + your usual scoop). One of my cats eats wheat / cat grass and that seems to prevent her from getting hairballs, the other always hacks up on small area rugs – so I always keep grass and a few washable small rugs scattered around.
For the car – I know they make swivel seats and suction-cup grab bars to help you get in and out. “Whatever Works” is a fun catalog to browse through for a lot of reasons, but I know I’ve seen mobility aids in it. I don’t know how good they are, but couldn’t hurt to consider.
For dropping stuff – roller bag! You might be able to find a cheap one somewhere. Or a roller cart. It can’t fall far if it’s already on the ground, and it might be easier on your back to pull or push along, than carry that weight. At the very least, a zip-top bag that you can close. Can you find a fun lanyard to put the sunglasses on? One of those grip-things for your cell phone? At the risk of sounding preachy (and I note you’re only a few years older than me, so I’m just trying to think how I’d try to deal) – take a moment to breathe and center yourself between tasks. Deal with getting out of the car. Then grab the cane. Then deal with grabbing the rest of your gear.
Final thought on the dropsies – get a distance-picker-upper-thing like people use for picking up litter, or grabbing things out of tall cabinets. And you’re an artist – I bet you can turn it into your Fetch Familiar with a little paint, eyes, and fuzzy fur. If life’s throwing you hard balls, you might at least have a little fun throwing curve balls back.
Good luck with all the battles, and I hope the pets are showing you extra love!
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
I feel like I always get around to commenting at odd times in the chatter – I browse the forums for breaks at work, but never remember to log in once I’m home!
I like the “job” names like Squire and Seer for the new dragon, but he/she still seems a little small for a full job. Seer seems like it would be a contemporary of the Spectral dragons, and Squire is the protégé of a knight – a less battered Warrior, maybe. Since the new dragon is still small (even smaller than the Young) – what about Page or Apprentice? At least in the stories I’ve read, they started at ~10yrs old, which would “look” right for young but dedicated.
If kid-me saw those fantasy Big Cats, I would be BEGGING for them. I was definitely a Lisa Frank fan, I think I still have a colorful tin and a couple folders tucked away someplace. Adult me is hoping more for Cool batch young Orientals, though.
Re: OOAK painting versus production colors – I know I’m still new here, but I was under the impression that only Melody’s painting time is devoted to the grab bags? That would maximize the profit margin for the work she puts out, too, since OOAK hand-painted by the Windstone founding artist pulls the highest prices. I thought there was a whole team at Windstone that focuses on the production pieces (regular and limited), and only production pieces. And then Gina, who I think does some production and some exploration? From the behind-the-scenes pictures we’ve seen, it seems pretty obvious that they only release regular production batches once they’ve gotten a *lot* of them ready – probably because they have to have some for the online store and some for all the physical storefronts that carry Windstones. So even when they’re working on a batch, you won’t see it for ages because they need to get their numbers up. Expecting Melody to work on production pieces would probably not speed up regular production that much, while significantly decreasing the Windstone profit margin by reducing the number of “specials” they can offer.
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
I tend to use my treasures as “memory keepers”, to help me hang onto, well, memories. And gifts are especially strong for that. So if I could only keep one Windstone – as agonizing as it is – all the pieces that I’ve bought for myself would be the first to go. My Rainbow Young dragon, that was a present from a grandmother and saw me through college and a cross-country move, would be the final keeper. His small size also means I can always find a protected spot on my desk for him. That worn gold paint on his crest isn’t a flaw, it’s a reminder that he’s been beside me through a lot!
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
The Secret Keeper hides a gem, right? If this new dragon guards an orb like in the earlier picture – crystal balls are often used for scrying, exploring the past, present, or future. What about “Story Keeper”? “Young Story Keeper” if the size needs to be indicated.
…And on the topic of stories, now I want a “Library Dragon”. Maybe like a small Lap Dragon, but arranged like a shelf-sitter (tail or limbs hanging off the shelf) or leaning against a “wall” so it can be used as a bookend.
Whatever the name – that sculpt is adorable! I hope it’s put out in production colors as well as the bound-to-be-amazing Kickstarter specials. I’d love to get a similar-sized friend for my “regular family” Young dragon.
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
Looks like dragon reveals are slowing down now. The three-week status is 54 of 98 found in the forums or classifieds. No “new” GB Orientals have shown up on eBay as far as I know, only ones also listed in the classifieds.
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
The way that Melody makes colors sing continues to just amaze me.
Two week status: 48 of the 94 GB Orientals in the class pics have shown up in the forum or classifieds.
Cool and Koi batches:
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
My photography skills are not showing well this time. The colors have proven very, well, shifty! The fur and stomach & spine scales are a rich teal that’s always teal, but shifts blue-teal to green-teal depending on lighting.
That is an incredible intense teal! He’s kind of making the two young dragons look boring or humdrum.
Heh, he definitely does outshine them both, with that sparkle coating he has!
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
My photography skills are not showing well this time. The colors have proven very, well, shifty! The fur and stomach & spine scales are a rich teal that’s always teal, but shifts blue-teal to green-teal depending on lighting.
The teal on the body scales shifts across the full purple-blue-teal spectrum depending on angle and lighting.
The eyes and silver accents – claw tips, mostly – are also lighting dependent. Sometimes they look like a very pale pink blush-silver, sometimes pure silver. I couldn’t figure out a good angle to make them show up well in the pictures.
I think my only real “complaint” is the nose. It is a very cute nose, but it would look cuter and more boop-able if it were the pale pink of the tongue, not teal like the scales. …I should maybe confess the nose has been getting booped anyways.Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
drag0nfeathers: If I got your luck – twins! – I’d be over the moon. I like to make “families”, not quite matchy-matchy but “related”, and a pair that actually looks like nestmate-twins? Instant headcanon of mischevious kids deliberately posing to maximize the cute and soften the adults from frowning on their latest shenanigans.
Setsunawolf – your Orientals are really striking together! You have a Sun, a Moon, and a Sea.
It’s so much fun seeing what everyone is getting, and how the colors look under different lighting, and all the details that Melody puts into her work. I haven’t seen a single one I don’t like, they’re all amazing.
Nightcrow – I think I’ll wait another week or so before I decide if I’m willing to trade my dark teal. There are a few I like better in both the Cool and Wild batches, and some of them are even on the trade lists, but honestly? I was happy when I opened the box, and that means a lot right now. I can sympathize with anyone having open-the-box blues, because on the GB resting loaf pebble dragons, I calculated I had a 75% chance of getting one I’d adore and got super excited, and – nope. That was my first GB, and I learned that the “can I get a trade?” game only causes me stress. I only made a grab this time because there was only *one* Cool Ori that I didn’t like, and I spent the entire week staring at it and bracing myself to see it when I opened my box. XP
And BigCatKeeper – I’d say I hate you, except I didn’t even try for a Wild, so I wasn’t even in the game. =P I encourage all the eye candy – that mahogany Ori is amazing!
Continuing the family tradition of being obsessed with shiny things.
