01/11/2026

Happy Sunday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!

This week brought some solid progress on the crafting front. I spent time experimenting with new techniques, refining old ones, and ticking off a few long-standing projects from my list. It’s always satisfying to see little pieces come together, whether it’s painting, assembling, or trying out new color schemes. Each small step feels like a victory in itself, and it’s exciting to see how all these efforts add up over time.

I finished painting two sets of the campsite pieces for an Etsy order—22 miniatures in total! I already had one painted piece on the shelf, so that brings the total up nicely. I experimented with a new color scheme for the stumps and logs. Instead of my usual solid brown, I painted the inner parts a lighter tan/cream and applied a wash over it. I think it gives them a more natural, realistic look. That’s 22 freshly painted miniatures checked off for my 2026 goals!

I also made some good progress on the dungeon tiles. The pieces are all textured and glued together, so the next step will be a coating of black paint mixed with Mod Podge to seal them before painting. I’ve been thinking about how to keep the tiles from sliding during gameplay, and magnets seem like the perfect solution. Since the tiles are smaller, one magnet per side should be plenty. Naturally, being an engineer (self-proclaimed, of course), I started scheming up a little jig to help with precise magnet placement. I should be able to design it and 3D print it, which will save time and make the assembly process way smoother—engineer magic at work!

I also made some progress on formatting my Shadowdark supplement that I hope to release later this year. I’m focusing it on the magical research we developed in the post here on Tabletop Thoughts, giving it a few tweaks and consolidating everything into a single, polished supplement. I’ve been chipping away at it little by little during my lunch breaks at work, so progress is slow but steady. It’s satisfying to see the layout coming together, and even small steps feel like forward momentum toward finally getting it into players’ hands.

2026 Goals Progress

• Minis Painted: 59 / 150
• Large Models / Terrain: 2 / 6
• YouTube Videos: 1 / 24
• Game Reviews: 0 / 4
• Games Played (TTRPG + Board Games): 0 / 4
•  Thursday Drop-Ins Created: 0 / 12
• New TTRPG Systems Tried: 0 / 3
•  Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Sessions: 0 / 3
•  Shadowdark Release on DriveThruRPG: 0 / 1

Keep on gaming!