Simplicity Sidings

[michael]

Steve they look great!! but really they ought to be dandelions!

[Mike Lee]

Steve,

Superb work Steve, sure adds interest. Can you tell me what make the flower punch is and do you know where can I get one. I have been looking for one for a while but the only ones I have seen are the metal punches which are quite expensive?

Regards Mike Lee

[Steve Bennett]

You are in luck Mike, I surprised myself here, as I still have the card it came attached to. Just aswell, there is nothing on the punch itself. You will find the makers here, though the site has not been updated for over a year, hope thats not a bad sign.
http://www.bexfield-ltd.co.uk

The particular punch I used is # D76K. If I remember correctly, it cost about £4.
Looking through the gallery of the different designs, it looks like there might be some more that would suit, D76R looks to be very similar to the flower one, but with 5 point stars instead would save a lot of cutting out . The snowflake could have some potential too, difficult to gauge the size though.

Here's one source that Google brought up
http://www.bgpayne.com/punches/bexcourner.php

Hope that helps.

[Steve Bennett]

Cutting your own is very satisfying, but when you get stupid ideas like the one shown below, the punches really come into their own



Can you tell there was nothing worth watching on TV last night

[Bilco]

I see on the Antics web site that Busch also do ferns - http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/1909_1_105218196.html

Another useful bit of foliage?

[Steve Bennett]

Yes, I got the flowers from Antics, have always had good prompt service from them whenever I have ordered. Ensure they have them listed as in stock though, backorders can take a long time to arrive, no hesitation in recommending them apart from that.

[Mike Lee]

Steve

Thanks for the info will certainly be ordering some of them X-cut Border Punch XCU-970 Stars looks prety good as well

Regards Mike Lee

[Dallas_M]

Cutting your own is very satisfying, but when you get stupid ideas like the one shown below, the punches really come into their own



Can you tell there was nothing worth watching on TV last night

Was off-line for a few days here .... THANKS for posting the SBS photos and more!

Looks like I'll be able to model the world-takeover by Zontar the Munificent! (SCTV sketch based on old B&W sci-fi movie .... all the folks who were taken over by Zontar had a cabbage leaf stuck to the back of their head!)

Oh yeah, might be real handy for modeling weeds and wildflowers and all that stuff too!

[DCRfan]

Bennett,

You've done it again Just went to the shops and where did I find myself - in the stationary isle looking for paper punches Luckly they didn't have any so you haven't succeeded in side tracking me (yet)

[Steve Bennett]

You are lucky, nothing further to add today, too busy last night catching up with pouring RTV now the heat/humidity has dropped here.

[Steve Bennett]

Anyone following this episode about plants, might find an earlier thread by Gerry of interest.

http://forum.gn15.info/viewtopic.php?t=2545

You might recognise the flowers the kits for the geraniums use the same punch as I have shown. On looking back at this again, I'm wondering if they used one of the butterfly punches for the leaves, looks possible

[gfadvance]

Thought it was time I contributed again to this thread;-

this is one of the stamps I use , along with samples........... these are punched from green card , which I normally then color with watercolors as I actually want the card to curl and warp. I also mix in a little PVA with the watercolor so that it hardens up card and sets the curl.

[Steve Bennett]

About time you turned up Gordon
Not seen that type of punch for Holly before, certainly looks more useful than the one I have which does individual leaves. Do you have any pics of some built up and in situ on a layout/diorama, I'm curious as to how the would look

Just had an online shopping spree and bought a bunch of new punches, damned things are addictive but should be interesting trying them out . Will try not to bore everyone with my experiments

[Rob R]

Will try not to bore everyone with my experiments

Steve

If any of your posts ever get boring it's time for us all to give up.

More please

Rob

[gfadvance]

Do you have any pics of some built up and in situ on a layout/diorama, I'm curious as to how the would look

Not yet Steve, there will be an addition to Simplicity Sidings in a couple of weeks "Simplicity Accessories"

I said I would get back to my version and whilst probably not finishing it ........... think we are all agreed to you never actually finish a layout, however small............ have been working on my next additions.

In the spirit of your original idea for this thread will post SBS on the various items I have or will be making ... hopefully may be of use to someone out there. Will be a couple of weeks though as work and then a few days away from the workbench will slow me down over the next 10 days.

Couple of little tasters ........





Found original photo on net, maker Samson based in Ireland . Bought the kit at the show in Telford......... have to be honest when I first looked at I almost immediately threw it in the bin. However dug it out as I decided the frame was worth saving and if my "guru" will give me a few more tips we should have some nice replacement wheels to go with it.

The saddle will now be being replaced as having found the origonal can't resist those nice little springs , etc

Updates and details will follow.

[Steve Bennett]

Looks promising will look forward to it Gordon, already admiring the brazier and liking the bricks under it, if that was me, there would be 4 bricks neatly set out at the 4 points of the compass really must try to be less formal

[rue_d_etropal]

So Steve, when can we expect leaves to be added to your product range

I have noticed that military modellers already can buy packs of leaves for 1/35th scale

[Steve Bennett]

[More please

Mad fool

As it happens, I was giving the little paved diorama that I have been using here, a bit of a makeover last night and removing the plants and putting them on something else, did raise an interesting point. That was in respect of colour pallette.

I dont want to go too deep here, but as most who might be tempted to experiment along similar lines, will probably use coloured card as I have demonstrated. The problem is, not all greens will go together, or at least look natural, so it is worth getting a selection of different shades, to try and find one that compliments the location. I hope this shows what I mean.



OK, it is a bit overdone, but I hope it is obvious that some just dont work. For a few accent plants, I feel it works best if the same shade is used, start mixing too many different shades together and it doesnt look natural.
In this pic, the pale green spikey plants to the rear and left of the tree stump, probably look the most out of place, whereas the one with the flower at front left, is the same plant in a different shade and fits in a lot better. Just something to keep in mind, especially if they are going in a predominently green environment. Strangely, the eye accepts more variation when they are put in a non-green setting, like concrete, ballast or even rocky locations.

Guess I had better show the makeover . I got fed up with seeing the white of the foamcore showing through the gaps in the paving. I could have used a mortar filling, but thought moss was a better option, as it is easier to push the stems of the plastic flowers into. It also got a nice black edging aswell, I'm a lot happier with it now

[Steve Bennett]

So Steve, when can we expect leaves to be added to your product range

It did cross my mind a couple of years ago, when I first got the paper punch, but the though quickly passed by

[Steph'H]

I cannot stop being amazed by this forum and the stuff that comes out of the fertile minds on here.... I will have to start building soon in Gn15, its just I've been pigeonholed to produce a minimum space layout in 7/8ths now

One observation on the colour of the plants, speaking as an artist I find that most greens in nature have a lot of yellow in the base mix, more than you would think.... this is why perhaps those plants look a bit odd, even blue green in nature has that yellow element.... The base flock on Steve's model is also on the yellower side, so thats why they don't tone as well on there. Strong pure blue green is actually quite rare in wild plants in the UK it seems, Coastal plants perhaps show it more from my memory.
Of course you can go too far the other way too, adding too much yellow tone, ruined many a good painting through getting the balance wrong

As Steve says its better to use the same base tones throughout, then it doesn't jar......

Of course the season varies the green too, fresher crisper greens in spring.... older, duller "tired" greens in late summer.

Cheers

Steph'H

[Steve Bennett]

Thanks a lot for the input Steph, you are spot on with the yellow element. I guess though it does depend on the environment we are modelling and you are quite correct, coastal plants do have more blue in them. Without getting too technical, plants which originate from shady and moist environments do tend more to yellow. At the other extreme, those which are exposed to direct sunlight and drier conditions have more blue in them, think Cactii, Alpine or mountain plants and costal as you mentioned, it's all to do with the chlorophyll There are exceptions which buck the trend though

Enough of the BS, when can we expect to see this 7/8ths micro Lincoln perhaps No pressure of course

[Steph'H]

Thanks a lot for the input Steph, you are spot on with the yellow element. I guess though it does depend on the environment we are modelling and you are quite correct, coastal plants do have more blue in them. Without getting too technical, plants which originate from shady and moist environments do tend more to yellow. At the other extreme, those which are exposed to direct sunlight and drier conditions have more blue in them, think Cactii, Alpine or mountain plants and costal as you mentioned, it's all to do with the chlorophyll There are exceptions which buck the trend though

Oh that explanation is straying dangerously into science. One of the first things you learn in Ecology (works for the rest of life too) is that there always are exceptions to the rule!!!

Enough of the BS, when can we expect to see this 7/8ths micro Lincoln perhaps No pressure of course

BS Moi ????:D Date is provisional 2011(!) at Telford barring disasters (finances mostly!)....... Steve Warrington talked me into it for his show to coincide with his 1/12th one.

However I now have got as far as a 50cm by 50cm "pizza base" crying for Gn15 or G9 as a trial for scenics etc.... Well thats the excuse Its just I cannot get used to scenic material that doesn't need watering and pruning

ATB

Steph'

[Steve Bennett]

Its just I cannot get used to scenic material that doesn't need watering and pruning

Well we do water once, but the it usually has glue in it, that cuts back on the pruning later

Will look forward to 2011 then, but knowing me, I will have forgotten, so it will be a nice surprise on the day

[Steve Bennett]

Just for Steph, with some 1:12 scale feet and the plants dont need watering or pruning



thought it was about time I took the figure out of the bag

[Bilco]

Just got my pack of Busch "Ferns and Mushrooms" from Antics -





There are 7 sets of fern mouldings, and the ferns range from 8mm to 15mm long. More for making those little ferns that grow out of cracks in damp walls than covering a hillside in our scale! They will benefit from being painted a more fern-like colour, which will also cut the shine of the plastic.

The mushrooms are fun - not sure I would eat a mushroom that was red and covered in white spots though