Let's face it, those of you who know me, know that I like to craft. I like to dabble in everything from sewing, jewellery making, knitting to wedding decor.
I'm about to endeavour on my biggest "craft" yet, and friends suggested I blog about it, to show people my progress along the way.
"Why stop there?" I asked myself. I doubt this will be the last craft I ever do, so I thought I'd create a whole blog about various craft projects that I'm working on.
So back to the beginning...I'm going to make a 3D version of Settlers of Catan. This may seem out of left field for some, so let’s backtrack a little. Sometime a year or two ago I was introduced to Settlers of Catan (http://www.catan.com/) by Carlos & Laurie, who in turn were introduced to it by Matt & Amanda. Suffice it to say it’s a fun game, and we periodically have Settler nights, where we lose all track of time and play into the wee hours of the morning. Sometime later I was in a games store and saw a very elaborate 3D version of the game, retailing around $300. Clearly too much to drop for a board game, I eyed it enviously, but left empty handed. The seed was planted. I must own a 3D version of this game.
Careful research on the internet showed I wasn’t alone. Many people have constructed their own games ranging from custom plaster molds, to plywood, to resin tiles. The biggest problem people had? Creating a consistent hexagon for the pieces to line up properly. Alas, this is what kept me from starting my project a year ago. That, and the thought of using a mold or resin were very intimidating. While I'm crafty, I try to stick with what I know.
Then while on one of my regular trips to Michaels (my crafting home away from home) I came across a hexagonal shaped wooden box. Eureka! Finally a template for me to base my hexagons on!
Foam sheets and wooden hexagon |
Sculpey for the hexagons |
So, we’re now onto the next version of my tiles. Foam 2.0. Well more accurately; Sculpey base, cut out with the candle mold - cookie cutter style, then traced onto the foam. Sculpoam? Foampey?
So far the Sculpey base needs a little sanding to even out the edges, but the pieces are fitting together much better. I plan on using each individual disc to trace onto it's own foam friend to ensure that everything lines up properly. On top of that will be a 2 layer thick foam hexagon, slightly smaller than the Sculpey base, with a hole in the middle to take the # disc. Then I will have a Sculpey Foamwich.
And that’s where I leave my first entry. Sculpey hexagon + foam hexagons = base for 3D piece.
Next up – decorating (that doesn’t sound right – stylising?) my discs.
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