Time for something new! Introducing The Crystal Temple from Steven Universe!
The diorama is made out of packing foam (main bulk of the hill), XPS foam (ground and rocks), CosClay (Obsidian) and recycled cardstock (house, lighthouse, and laundry).
I always try to challenge myself with something new each diorama build, and for this one the scale of the build was a definite challenge. I have never made some thing so miniscule before, and it was super gratifying completing each one. I've included a US quarter as scale as reference-- for those not in the US, this coin's diameter is approximately 24mm / 0.95 inches.
I also used Sculpting medium for the first time, using it to cover up the plastic packing foam. It served really well in smoothing down the rugged edges as well as being a great intermediary between the foam and the acrylic paint / glue. (Acrylic paint on packing foam tends to flake quite a bit, something I learned quickly with my very first build, the Stardrop Saloon).
I also have never extensively used sand as a landscaping texture before, so that was interesting. I'm not anywhere near a place with free sand outdoors, so I unfortunately had to get some shipped to me.
Did you know that crafting sand is stupid expensive? I ended up getting 6lbs of hermit crab sand for the same price of 8oz of sand. I think I barely used about half a cup worth of sand, so I think I might have some sandy landscapes in my future.
Anyways! This was a nice change in theme from my typical Stardew builds--I'll get back to them eventually, but my next project is a real-life location!
Stay tuned and Stay crafty!
Kate