Chaos on Fabric

Chaos Star Dice Bag by Greyed Out

The dice bag is lined in black fabric.

 

I’ve been working on ideas for new dice bags, and ended up with something that I think a lot of Warhammer 40,000 players will really like, especially with the recent release of the 6th edition Chaos Codex and the newer miniatures for Chaos Space Marines.

The dice bag is sewn from black cotton canvas, with a yellow chaos star screen printed on it.  It’s also lined in black fabric, so the only colors on the bag are the star and the dark brown drawstring.  You can find the dice bag listed at Greyed Out.

I’ve also been working on a Warpwolf Stalker for my Circle Orboros; I think he’ll be getting a mohawk modeled on him, and I’ll try to post some pictures of that. I’ve updated my Miniature Painting Commissions page a bit as well. My rate is $8/hour, which includes assembly, pinning, etc. I will probably cap certain projects after a certain time period, meaning that while I quote $8/hour, I would only charge for 7 hours of work for say, an infantry squad. The cap option comes into play when painting entire armies, where a discount for volume might be really appropriate.

 

Proppa Red Orc Dice Bag

 

 

 

Happenings at Greyed Out

The past few weeks I’ve been working on new dice bag designs, and I’ll also be working on a few wargame themed commissions.  One of the Privateer Press Pressgangers at my local gaming store asked me to make a few dice bags as prizes for a Halloween tournament, so they’ll be Warmachine faction icon dice bags with a Halloween influence.

I also made a wolf’s head icon, which I’m rather proud of.  It works well for House Stark, Space Wolves, Twilight fans, Battletech’s Wolf’s Dragoons or Clan Wolf, and much more.  And if you just like wolves, and want a dice bag to represent that, that’s cool too.

 

 

I’m planning to grab some grey fabric when I get the chance, so that I have a bit of variety.  I can also print the icon on black, green, or red fabric, in either black or white ink.

That’s right, I got some red canvas – I’m going to print one of the orc skulls on it, for proppa orc bags.  Pics will be going up once that’s done.

The Greyed Out Fall Sale is still going strong!  Remember, until October 31 you can free shipping with coupon code FREESHIP or 25% off your order using the coupon code FALLBASH – please spread the word!  It’s never too early to pick up Christmas gifts, and these dice bags(if I may say so) are too cool to pass up.

 

Greyed Out is the Etsy store where I sell my handmade dice bags. I’ve been a gamer for 15 years, starting with AD&D 2nd edition, and eventually moving to roleplaying games like Shadowrun, Vampire: the Masquerade, as well as tabletop miniature wargames like Warhammer 40,000 and Warmachine. A few years ago I decided to try my hand at making my own dice bag, and the designs evolved from there. Greyed Out currently has 35 different dice bags listed, which offers enough variety for anyone. I also do custom orders, and am always happy to discuss design ideas.

Fall Sale at Greyed Out

Hey everyone,

 

It’s finally starting to feel like fall outside.  The air is starting to smell crisp, trees are beginning to change colors, and the nights are cool now.  In order to celebrate that, I wanted to have a fall sale at Greyed Out.

From now until the end of October, you can get free shipping using the coupon code FREESHIP or 25% off your order using the code FALLBASH.

 

I believe I mentioned it in my previous post, but I do think that everyone who has a dice collection should have an awesome dice bag to carry them in.  It’s simple and easy to get a mass-produced dice bag when you’re first starting out in your Dungeons and Dragons adventures, but why settle for that?  Greyed Out has a great selection of dice bags available, and while I do sell the same design multiple times, the chances of running into another person with the exact same dice bag are slim.  Get something cool and unique and give your dice a happy home.

You can find Greyed Out on Etsy at: greyedout.etsy.com

 

A few examples of my dice bags:

 

 

 

 

 

Dice Bag Extravaganza

I’m a nerd, and I freely admit it.  I get excited about dice, and roleplaying games, and moving little pewter miniatures around on a tabletop battlefield, pretending to be a great general.  (I have very little in the way of tactical skills.)  I think that’s part of the reason I really like sewing dice bags.  Everyone who games in some form or fashion needs a good dice bag, or at least that’s how I feel – and not just because I sell dice bags.  All those funny-shaped polyhedrons are an integral part of gamer culture, so why not have a snazzy way to carry yours and keep them safe?  I know that Knights of the Dinner Table can often be a roleplaying stereotype taken to an extreme, but just look at Brian van Hoose, who almost always has his dice bag hanging from his belt.

I’ve seen gamers keep their dice in little plastic compartmented containers, I’ve seen dice in ziploc bags, I’ve seen dice in Crown Royal bags.  Some people have “dice buckets” where the dice live, ready to be pulled out on game night.  Me, I’ve always had a dice bag, at least as long as I can remember.  My mom got me my first one, and that little black dice bag with the faux-leather rim stayed with me for almost twelve years, until I started making my own.  I’ve come a long way since that first dice bag, and there’s probably still room for improvement.

This summer I started trying to screen print designs on my dice bags, starting with a few orc skulls.  One customer put up a great review on his own blog, and you can read the entry here:

http://duelsanddice.blogspot.com/2012/08/artisian-dice-bags.html

I love hearing about customer experience with my stuff, and it’s great to get good feedback.  One thing that I do sometimes worry about is my price point – my bags are listed in my Etsy shop, Greyed Out, for between $16 and $18, with $3.50 in shipping.  I think that feels a bit high to some people, but I also think it’s reasonable for what I offer, and here’s why.

I make all of these dice bags myself.  It takes about an hour, sometimes a little more, to sew each dice bag.  That includes cutting the fabric, putting everything together, stringing the drawstring, and so on.  Each bag has about $2 of fabric in it.  I purchase all my own fabric, and I don’t drive, so each trip to Hobby Lobby with public transport takes a while.  That also has to be factored in.  Add in the time to wash the fabric, then screen print it, let the ink dry, set the ink, and so on, and it all adds up.  I’d like to make at least some profit on each sale, and I feel that my time is worth more than minimun wage.  Sure, you can get a dice bag manufactured in China for $3.99.  But why do that when the alternative is something sewn right here in the United States by someone who loves what he does?  To me, handmade means quality, and I do my best to make each of my dice bags perfect.  I don’t send out anything that I’m not happy with.

That said, I do have some new designs to show off.  Check them out, as always, at greyedout.etsy.com and feel free to email me with any questions.  I do have wholesale deals available if you’re interested in carrying my dice bags in your game store, bookshop, etc.

 

White orc skull on dark green cotton canvas.

 

A second orc skull dice bag.

 

Red suede bag with a hidden Inquisition symbol inside.

 

Black cotton canvas Inquisition bag.

 

Open dice bag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Per-suede Me.

I recently picked up some suede, and have been making it into dice bags. Let me just say that this fabric is incredible, and I love working with it. I have two colors, a smoky gray and a rich sienna. I think the pictures have come out really well – I took them both on the map I’ve been working on, with dice scattered around.

The smoky gray suede bag is perfect for moodier gaming days. The color is reminiscent of a stormy day, the sky flashing thunder and lightning as the dice roll.

The rich sienna suede dice bag is more of a traditional fantasy bag. It’s easy to imagine this bag hanging from the belt of a warrior or a wizard, holding spell components or a handful of coins for that night’s ale at the tavern.

I’ve also been continuing with my 365 Sketch Project. So far I’ve been getting at least one sketch a day done, which you can see at my Tumblr. It’s a mix of Mouse Guard fan art, pin up girls, and random other sketches. I’m really enjoying it so far, and I can’t wait to have 365 full days of sketching done.

It’s What We Fight For (RPG Related)

For those interested in RPG’s, DriveThruRPG is having a New Year’s sale right now on a number of awesome games, including Mouse Guard! It’s normally $19, but for the next few days you can get it for $12. Totally worth it, because it’s a great game and the book is gorgeous.

Here is the link, for the curious:  http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/rpg_newyear.php?affiliate_id=22713&src=DTCTwitter

 

Speaking of Mouse Guard, I may be writing some Missions in the coming weeks, and then put them up as a resource for potential Mouse Guard GM’s.  I really like this game, and I’d like to think that that’s contagious, so I’m doing what I can to spread the word.  (Did I mention that the pdf is on sale right now at DriveThruRPG for $12.00??)

I’m working on an interior map of Copperwood right now too, as well as another fantasy map for my Etsy.  Convenient, because James Gurney posted today that he has a 7-page feature on mapmaking in the latest issue of ImagineFX magazine.  I’ve been interested in fantasy cartography for a long time, since fantasy novels generally come with a map of the relevant world at the front of the book.  I’ll have to see if I can find a copy of the magazine somewhere.  The Barnes and Nobles near me don’t seem to be all that awesome at carrying culture-related magazines…

I also joined a Meetup group that focuses on roleplaying and gaming of all sorts, and I may be making my way to one of the meetings at some point.  I’m excited.  :)

Road to Recovery

Hi Guys!Welcome to the blog!

 

Welcome to the blog!

A big welcome to any readers that may have arrived here via the Handmade blog!  I did a few sketches to say hi…

I’m feeling better than I was at the beginning of the week, though my nose is still stuffed up.  Thankfully the runny, watery eyes have stopped; that’s always the worst part of my being sick.  I ended up taking a day where I basically slept all day, and that probably helped quite a bit.

Etsy-wise, I’m trying to gear up for the holidays, but it’s difficult to come up with great holiday items when you’re on a shoestring budget of almost $0.  I’m going to be sewing some gift bags out of a great green fabric that I have, and probably will also try for some Christmas themed illustrations.

I’ve been feeling nostalgic the past week or so, thinking back on the days when I used to collect Knights of the Dinner Table magazine.  For those who have never heard of it, it’s a comic strip that was created by Jolly Blackburn way back in about 1990 or so, as filler for his small magazine Shadis.  The strip is about a group of role-players called the Knights of the Dinner Table; B.A, their gamemaster, along with Bob and Dave, Sarah, and Brian.  If you’ve ever played Dungeons and Dragons, then this comic is for you.  The group gets into all sorts of trouble, and usually drives B.A. crazy with their in-party bickering, rules lawyering, and min-maxing of rules.  I think they are currently on issue #180.  I have most of the comic’s run from roughly #27-#107.  I stopped collecting several years ago because I couldn’t find a reliable comic shop to get it at, and because at the time I was moving too much to get a subscription(back and forth between south Texas and Canyon, and so on).

That means I’m only about 70 issues behind… no big deal, right?  Thankfully, the company that makes the magazine, Kenzerco, has a Special Collection offer where you can get issues 101-124 for $40, including shipping.  Incredible deal, and as poor as I am, it will definitely go on my Christmas wish list.  If any kind soul out there wants to be an angel, the link to the collection is here, and you can email me or comment for my address:  http://www.kenzerco.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_23_55&products_id=704     (It never hurts to ask nicely, right?)

To get a taste of the Knights, you can also check out the webstrips here:  http://www.kenzerco.com/Operiodicals/kodt/kodt%20webstrips/phpslideshow.php?directory=.&currentPic=4    ….That’s an awfully long link.  If it doesn’t work, http://www.kenzerco.com is the main website, and the webstrips are findable through it as well.

Thinking back fondly on Knights of the Dinner Table has me thinking about drawing some roleplayer-related comics.  I’ve been gaming since high school, so I have plenty of inspiration to draw from, and I think it might be fun to experiment a bit and see what comes out of my head.

Kenzerco as a company also does a lot of RPG’s, including a western-themed on called Aces and Eights.  I own the main rulebook, and lately I’ve been wanting to read through it again and explore the wild west in an alternate history setting.  In A&E(ights), the United States is broken into several different countries, with a large part of the Northwest still being US Territories.  The RPG, while it does have a section on combat, also goes into incredible detail on day-to-day activities like cattle ranching, surveying and prospecting for gold, and things like cattle drives.  It’s one of the things I like best about the game – it doesn’t force you to stick to standard adventures, and actually encourages you to do things like buy land, start a business, and so on.  It’s really pretty brilliant.

Tonight is scheduled to be cold, so our windows will stay closed tonight and our blankets piled high.  The low last night was 30*, which I very much consider to be winter weather.  Thankfully during the day it still gets reasonable, and we don’t yet have daytime temps in the 30′s or 40′s.  Soon we’ll need to turn the heating on, which I’m hoping to avoid as long as possible to keep the electric bill down.  We’ve been lucky this fall, in that for the past few months we’ve had both heating and air conditioning off completely.

Speaking of winter nights, it’s almost bed time for me, so I’ll wrap this up here.  Again, welcome to all the new readers!  Hopefully you’ll find something you like.  Please do feel free to leave a comment and say hello.

Dragon*Con Musings: Pre-convention Thoughts

I’m not sure I’ll be able to attend Dragon*Con this year – I’ve been wanting to go for a really long time, but have never been able to make it to Atlanta to attend.  This year, when I’m actually living in Atlanta, I can’t afford to go.  Oh, life.

I’m glad that the convention happens here, because from everything I hear it is one of the biggest, best, most incredible conventions for gaming, fantasy, sci-fi, etc that you could imagine.  Thousands of people flock to Atlanta every year just for a chance to attend Dragon*con, and who can blame them?  I have heard from some friends of my wife’s that they attend every year and just walk around in costume to see everything and everyone.  I’m not sure they even buy tickets or passes.  If that’s the case, I may try something similar, and attend without attending anything.

I feel that a lot of the products I make for my Etsy store would work really well for convention attendees – particularly the dice bags.  I make each one with a belt loop, so that you can carry them around without having to hold them or store them in other bags/pouches.  The double drawstring lends itself to a tight closure, which I feel is important – it not only keeps your dice safe, but also your other small change and loose items.  I have a variety of colors, but would be very open to custom choices – just talk to me!  If anyone is interested, email me at greylikestorms(at)gmail.com or convo me on Etsy to discuss other fabrics.  It’s not too late to get your stuff in time for Dragon*con, and I’m always happy to use a faster service than USPS.

I’ve also got a costume shirt listed that I feel is timeless enough to work for a variety of costumes, ranging from the late Renaissance to the early 20th century.  Steampunk, anyone?

For the curious, my Etsy store can be found at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/greyedout