The Mummy Returns

Another week, another pair of pilars.  These two are definately an improvement over the originals, nowhere near as lumpy and uneven . . . . . It's just too bad some idiot painted them in a colour scheme that works best within circus tents.  And the bullseye pattern on the bases is just too much.  But guess what?  I don't know what other colours would look better, so for the time being at least they are staying as they are.  The area over the door is decorated with a fridge magnet depecting an Egyptian style head.  On the whole, the inside space of the Dig Site just hasn't cooperated or gone to plan at all.  I should have been less ambitious and just done an outside scene and skipped the inside bit.

On the plus side though, Kikerikotep (just call him Kiki, it's easier) has turned out wonderfully.  Since last week he's had his wrappings "dirtied" up a little more through the application of a couple of layers of brown paint that had been watered down a little.  Somehow he looks more cheerful than menacing so maybe he has those red eyes not because he possesses some sort of evil power but simply because he's been awake for the past two thousand years.

Right outside the door, Wil now holds a lantern in one hand and a pistol in the other, ready to peer through the hole he's chipped in the door and discover what lies within.  The first thing he'll see is Kiki . . . good thing he's got his gun ready then?  His lantern is a piece of acetate sheet cut into a cross shape and then folded to create a box.  Faux leadlighting outliner covers the corner joints as well as the top and bottom to create the impression of a metal structure/frame.  A loop of black wire pushed into the faux lead while it was still wet creates a handle while a red glass seed bead acts as a flame within.

 The Site is now more or less finished.  The space between Wil, Agnes and Aldo seems a little empty, as does the space between the first two sections of pilar, but I can't think what to put there

 I seem to have managed to forget to take agood photo of it, but one of the finishing touches I've added are logs on the fire.  The logs are bits of real firewood scrounged from the bottom of the woodpile.  I held them over a candle to char them a little then added them to the fire.  In the past I've used black paint to give logs a charred, burned look, but the real thing looks so much more convincing.

 All the lose parts (tools, snakes, arefeacts, cups, etc) have been fixed in place with Tacky Wax.  You may notice Rashid now has hair.  I realised one of the reasons he didn't look right was that he didn't have ears!  (oops!)  That solved the to wig or not to wig debate as I had to cover up his lace of auditory organs once I'd discovered it.  His hair turned out messy and I'm still not entirely happy with him.

 A cheeky little bird has perched atop the bust of Nefertiti.  Let's hope he keeps his bowels under control for the duration of his stay on the priceless artefact.

The entire scene is covered by a clear perspex cover.  No sooner had I glued the pieces together to create said case than a cat decided it looked like a good place to stretch out for a while.  At least now I know the cover is Strong.

So, now do I start work on the Georgian at last?