Nords in the Fjord Road Trip

Norway is a big and magnificent country. Long and hilly is more like it really. Though that does not take away from the natural beauty of the land itself. Despite the miserable west-coast weather. Which for the most part is composed of rain, hail and slush. For the lack of a better word. The reason I have not been updating this blog was due to me going on a fabulous road trip into eastern Norway. A decidedly much more flat and fertile farmland, with the biggest lake in the land. If one make good speed the trip is only about six hours long, but that is a very hard thing for a tourist to pull off and hardly recommended. The scenic route is totally worth it, especially the road that goes through the Hardanger fjord. A place surrounded by steep mountains and dramatic peaks, with a breath taking view that goes on for miles. At some point I plan to paint a picture of the scenery, like many famous artist in times past. There is a reason why it is a very sought after place for cruise ships to stop by. Which they do by the way. Some argue that this is a bad thing, then again people are very good at complaining. A tourist trap is a tourist trap for a good reason. The road itself crawls along the mountain side, next to the mountain. After crossing an expensive toll bridge built to alleviate the ferry traffic. Later we drove across several fertile farms. Which is the reason Hardanger is also well known for apples, plums and other fresh produce.  

One of the most fantastic stops on the way was a farmers market, selling foodstuff straight from the field, some tasty candy and other products that makes for a perfect gift. Especially the cherries sold there was very delicious. Eventually the road starts to curl up the hillside like a snake. Where a massive waterfall resides. Once you reach the mountain crossing, sparse vegetation and patches of snow dominate the landscape. Which is soon followed by many cottages and a quite nice bathing place. A bit on the cold side but, when the sun is burning hot and the journey drags on it’s a welcome relief. That is only first half of the journey.

Zaceron

#NordsInTheFjord #RoadTrip

My Fate Is Twisted with Worbla

My Fate is Twisted!

Worbla is a very interesting thermoplastic material, which has become very popular and with good reason. However it does come at a price point not everyone can afford. Also as far as internal structure goes, it’s very hard to make it stand on its own, not to mention molding it. Yet it works wonder with a foundation underneath. Most people usually stick with craft foam, since Kamui cosplay made a brilliant tutorial about it and gained a lot of fame at the same time. I will use it in several planned projects and then some more. For now you’ll just have to make do with my first attempt at using the material some years ago. Worbla is very fascinating as it will easily stick to itself, melts with heat and becomes solid but flexible when cool. I did consider some point at tracking down the factory and buy a container load of the stuff.

Introducing the hat of the one and only Twisted Fate from League of Legends, a card hustler, magician and over all fancy pants. Due to the nature of 3d models and video game design, it is a hat that is virtually impossible to make with felt or leather. It’s black on top and red underneath. With an almost Robin Hood like style to it. He is a handsome rogue after all.

I did manage to make the hat work with worbla without any support under. This came at a cost, when it comes to the not so neat and clean top part, where the hat is wobbly. Inside the dome, I glued red felt, for conformist and due to sweat. Worbla is plastic and the texture repels water and is quite unpleasant on the skin. At a later point I added a chin strap, since the darn thing blew off my head during bad weather. The hat is pretty much a sheet of plastic easily carried by any gust.

https://www.twitch.tv/zaceron

Zaceron