From LeeH: A Heavy Metal Christmas (12 Points)

This is my 12th Painting Challenge, and by now I’ve developed a small tradition: I always kick things off with a Christmas-themed figure. Until just a few days before the challenge began, I had no idea what that figure was going to be. Then the lead mountain offered up this little fellow, quickly followed by the Chain Golem, and suddenly a plan appeared.

The axe-wielding dwarf is a Wargames Foundry miniature I picked up several years ago. I’m fairly certain this is the last Christmas figure I own from that set, which means I’ll have to start hunting for something new for next year. The golem, on the other hand, began life as a pre-painted plastic figure from Wizards of the Coast. It was obviously part of a game, but since I bought it as part of a bring-and-buy job lot many years ago, I’ve no idea which one. What I do know is that it took almost as long to hack the golem off its original base as it did to paint it. Free of the base, the Golum is 50mm tall and needed to be stripped back and completely repainted before adding to this larger base to back up the Dwarf.

The Chain Golem isn’t there as muscle or menace; it’s there on probation. According to the dwarf, last Christmas, the golem was left unsupervised near the decorations. Within minutes, it had “helpfully reinforced” the tree, the fireplace, and three chairs using thirty feet of industrial chain and a padlock. Santa needed two reindeer, a hacksaw, and a strongly worded rune to get out of the grotto. This year, the golem has been ordered to accompany the guitar-playing dwarf Santa as part of a festive rehabilitation programme. The dwarf plays heavy metal carols while the golem clinks gently in time and deters autograph hunters.

Looking ahead, I’ve got a couple of new projects lined up. Whether they both get finished will depend entirely on external forces conspiring against me. Work, other commitments, and a few collaborative projects linked to my YouTube channel will all be competing for my time in the early months of the year. Add in a couple of wargames shows, and, ideally, some actual gaming, and the calendar fills up fast. It’s a wonderful hobby. I could give up work tomorrow and still wonder where the time went.

1x28mm Foot = 5 Points

1x40mm Foot = 7 Points

Total = 12 pts

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Lee! I always enjoy your first, Christmas-themed post to kick of the season. I quite like the chain golem and your Pete Townshend Santa is terrific as well. Now you have a quest for a new supply of Christmas themed figures - I look forward to seeing what you come up with. :) Merry Christmas, Lee!

- Curt

From Kent - 28mm Brannog, Dwarf from Zombicide (5pts)

Well here we are again another challenge and I’m very excited to

See what everyone brings to the table, this year I’ve decide to slow

Down a bit and enjoy the painting so first up I present Brannog 

Holding his trusty Dwarven hammer. I managed to pick up

A full Kickstarter set of black plague which means I have a tone 

Of figures to choose from.

Being a Dwarf this chap is shorter than most the figure in the game

But he’s still a very healthy 28+ so I’m claiming him for a 5 point start.

_______________________________

First, welcome back to the Challenge, Kent. Wonderful work with this very characterful Dwarf (but then again, aren't they all characterful?). I really like the red accents on the haft of his hammer and on this armour. Lovely stuff. We've played Black Plague a few times and really enjoyed it. I'm sure Brannog will give you good service against the zombie scourge in your games (or make a very formidable zombie himself if things 'go differently'). :)

- Curt

 

From QuinnM- Anthropomorphic Sharks with guns/Planet Shark (10 Points )

Hello,

I would like to start off this painting challenge with a big thank you to Curt and all the helpers for making this happen. This will be my second year participating. It was a blast last year and I am looking forward to it this year. 

Now for my first post I have a few sharks from an indy game called Planet Shark. It is a game i have yet to play but i fell in love with the minis as anthroporphic sharks with guns (i know, the ones i panted here don't have guns) is hilarious to me so i left just a few for me to paint this challenge to spread the word of this game. 

2x28mm footman @ 5 points = 10 points. 

Note: I had to get a post out before my dad and show up the old guy!

_____________________________

Welcome back to the Challenge Quinn! Anthropomorphic Sharks - who knew! I especially like the water bases. And this is made even better in that you pipped a quick lead on your dad. :) Well done.

- Curt

From DaveD - Back of Beyond - Bolshoviks (10 pts)

Here I go for my 15th AHPC Challenge . There will be visitations this season from various historic projects along with this years new one.  Having linked up with the League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers last year (you can see games here  )as part of their on going campaigns using Setting The East Ablaze in the period 1917 - 192? I am off in that direction. 

I have the beginnings of a new force for my own use to add some further opposition to my Baluchistan Frontier Force Brits I did in the autumn. It’s a period I have learnt a lot about and also gives gamers lots of options across a swathe of geography . Of course the main antagonists are the forces of the Kominturn. 

Here we have the start of the Bolos force east of the Urals in the Transcaspia region with Kombat Major  Dochertovich (with mighty fine cigar!) and waving the red flag Soldier Olga Millsovitch. Of course being 1919 all ranks of the Red Arny have been abolished  but we know who is really in charge with these two. Of course females are making just as much effort in helping the revolution succeed and it’s good to see a range of these available . 

The figures are from Copplestones Back of Beyond range. So their next task is to get on raising new forces to deal with the Emir Of Afghan (our own Martin C ) who is busy sunning himself at Bokhara as part of my local games groups BoB campaign. I am sure there will be volunteers “encouraged” along in due course. 

I like to get a few points on the scoreboard before the Christmas break so this is useful start . I will also be doing the Sunday painted stuff minion duties - and rounding up RayR . 

Points :-

2 x 28mm = 10 pts .  , only another 990 to go .

But as always and particularly for our new cohort , remember this is a marathon not a sprint . 

____________________________________

Fabulous work, Dave, and welcome back to the Challenge.

I have these very same figures in my collection and remember enjoying putting my brush to them (Copplestone has a wonderful way of placing in *just* enough detail without getting too busy). Your two ladies look terrific, and I especially like the flag bearer with her red 'kerchief and patriotic banner (tasseled no less). 

With that, I'll give you another couple bonus for the flag, which will pop you to 12 points. A worthy opening volley, I think!

- Curt

From Barks: Snow Golems (14 points)

A very quick and easy paintjob to get me started. I like to do something seasonal for my first Challenge post, and with the mercury well over 30℃ these snow golems were perfect. They're from Nolzur's D&D minis, and required minimal prep. My painting technique of white undercoat, Speedpaint 2.0 Battleship Grey, drybrush white really brings out the mouldlines like I intended... I used some sparkly snow effect on the bases held in place with satin varnish, hopefully it holds.

They're tall, on 30mm bases, but I'll be more than happy with 10 quick points.

__________________________________

First, welcome back to the Challenge, Barks! We're on the other end of the temperature spectrum from yourself, with us here in Canada experiencing windchills at -30 currently.  These's fellas would be quite at home here! I really like your ice/snow recipe, which provides a great backdrop to their 'happy' maws. Well done!

These two golems look to be at least 40mm high, so I'm going to score them at 7 each. 14 points to start your climb up the ladder, Barks!

- Curt

First Post of AHPC XVI - 'Simon, Sophie and Anonymous': Three Unfortunate Trolls

 

Hello everyone! 

Happy Holidays and Welcome to the Challenge!

As per tradition, I open the Challenge with our first entry of the season. This year I present to you Simon, Sophie and Anonymous, three hapless, grumpy and now calcified trolls who now provide shade for travellers, corners and crevasses for moss, and a nice place for the birds to nest and tend to their ablutions. 

These models are 3d prints from Myminifactory. They turned out a little ropey here and there, but being trolls-turned-to-stone I figure they can be a little rough around the edges. 

As their current state is, um, well, stone they were a pretty quick paintjob. A few passes with the airbrush, some drybrushing, washes, LOTS of tufts and BOOM, done.

The first-post hobby flurry was made even better as it was spent with the Antipodean crew who had set up a Paint & Chat to ring-in the Challenge. Thanks guys for keeping me awake as I cracked on with this lot!

____________________________________

Each of these trolls are roughly 54mm in scale, so we'll go with 10 points each, giving me 30 points to break the duck (and a Squirrel Point no less!).

Again, welcome to AHPC XVI. Let the fun begin!

- Curt

Big Stompy Robots of Death - The Side Duel

 

 

Side duels have been a part of AHPC for a long time now. Some have a trophy taken by the victor from the vanquished, some have been for bragging rights, and some like the handbag challenge are just monty python in frivolity. Even if just a wager from a friend in painting forces for an upcoming game, I encourage everyone to pick up the gauntlet of any challenge issued in the AHPC. I promise you will miss every shot you do not take, but in this you will have new painted minions for the games or shelf.

The Big Stompy Robots of Death was a gauntlet I threw out about three years ago. A good friend of mine is isolated and loves battletech. I now own a clan's worth of mechs to game against him when I visit. I still do not know enough about the factions and game as he does; however, the side duel let me amass a suitable force to make more immersive games with him.

Big Stompy Robots of Death is admittedly for Battletech, but any stompy robot or mech will do. The duel will pit the painter as a mad scientist assembling a horde of mechanical minions. Scale and size does not matter as quantity is a quality of it's own.

40k knight..... yup, one point for one Mech.

dreadnauts are stompy and welcome...being robotic minions for mad scientists, Admech 40k and 30k forces are allowed providing they are robotic, stompy, and minion quality for mad scientists...as are necrons, but would prefer the larger minions for the good stomping.

The key words to remember are Robotic and Stompy. Hover and treads just miss that stompy-ness so no tanks unless they have legs for stomping 

All flavors and styles are otherwise welcome

Even Gundams and manga inspired machines are welcome

What is needed is a few mad scientist types who are looking to grow their mechanical legions.

Just remember that each stompy robot counts as ONE no matter the scale, game, or size of the model. at the bottom of this post you will also see the post label you can tag your posts with if they contain a stompy robot or five.

Big Stompy Robots of Death will have a victor who has amassed the largest force of robotic minions. He or She will also be given the gigawatts of power from the lesser evil geniuses. It is highly recommended to practice your diabolical laughter as you paint your minions. Do Not Use your villain monologue as that only gives the hero time to escape. Sander is the reigning evil genius in this duel, and I believe he has topped the list every time. I would advise to take extra care as he has spies lurking everywhere and has probably spiked logistical chains and prepared several diabolical traps to ensnare the unsuspecting.

Skull Challenge

The Skull Challenge Duel thing rears its flensed head again. Can it even be killed?

Skully McSkullface is back!

The winner will be the Challenger who has painted the most skullz. These can be any skullz in any scale- Prussians, Brunswickers, Nazis, undead, pirate flags, base decoration, or maybe something from 40K*. Terrain skullz will count!

The winner gets to keep the skull of last year's champion! 

Hall of Skully Fame:

• XV DavidB 280
• XIV StuartL 426
• XIII StuartL 1575
• XII CurtC 475
• XI StuartL 1363
• X PaulO'G 543

To enter, tag your post with 'Skull Duel' and state in the post both how many skullz you have painted, and what your running total is. Feel free to enter the duel at any time in the Challenge.

There will be regular skullicious updates throughout the gruelling months ahead, including a spotlight on skulltastic miniatures that have caught the unblinking eye of Skully McSkullface. Will your miniature feature as the prestigious Skull of the Week?

Barks

* The 'combat gauges' from the 2024 Kill Team will not count. It's too much, man.

Squirrel Duel

 Hello fellow challengers and tree-dwelling rodent aficionados,

When I asked our most benevolent Snowlord about the status of the annual side duels, I was informed that nothing official was happening this year, but that if I wanted to run a Squirrel Duel, I could.

So, it falls to me, to once again put on the hat and bushy-tailed uniform of the Squirrelfinder General and invite you all to partake in the Squirrel Duel.

What is the Squirrel Duel? What are you blathering about?

For any newcomers, or amnesiacs joining us, the Squirrel Duel is a side challenge to the main AHPC event. During the course of the AHPC, challengers are encouraged to paint models from as many different scales, genres and periods as possible. It is a celebration of diversity and disorganisation over focus and discipline, an opportunity to get those odd models out of the to-do pile, and a way to have fun between batch painting your 1000s of identical figures.

So, if you have a hard time focusing on something for more than 30 seconds, have a pile of shame a mile high, and are just generally a little nuts, feel free to join. Entry is free, there are no minimum targets, but there are also no prizes beyond the envy of your peers and the adoration of the masses.

What do I need to do?

The Squirrel Duel is simple. All you need to do is paint 25 unique points of models (See the Snowlord's post on points scoring), to score 1 Squirrel Point, and make sure you tag your post with 'Squirrel' in addition to any other tags you add. Now, having done this before, I worry that I may not have been clear enough. When I say, tag your post with 'Squirrel', I mean you absolutely must tag your post with 'Squirrel'. If you do not do so, I cannot find your post and you will not accrue points for the duel. Is that clear? Good. (Narrator's voice "But, it was in fact, not clear and many challengers failed to tag their post with 'Squirrel').

At the end of the challenge, the challenger with the most Squirrel Points wins. 

What do you mean 'unique'?

The Squirrel Duel isn't just about painting as many models as possible, it is also about painting different models. So, each Squirrel Point requires you to paint something different.

The guidelines are as follows.

Painting models in different scales. (E.g. 28mm Romans and 6mm Romans) - That's a Squirrel Point.

Painting models in different genres. (E.g. Vikings and Elves) - That's a Squirrel Point.

Painting models in different periods. (E.g. Victorian British and WW2 British) - That's a Squirrel Point.

If two units would normally be considered part of the same army, then they do NOT count as a Squirrel Point, even if they are wearing different uniforms. If you would expect to see them on the same side of the table during a game, they are NOT a Squirrel Point. If you need to be an expert in uniforms from a particular date to understand the difference in the lace on the cuffs marks the unit as being part of a different army, they are NOT a Squirrel Point. 

Terrain will not be counted towards Squirrel Points.

Finally, some models can be difficult to clearly differentiate. You may paint two Pirate crews, one in red and one in yellow, for your own games and hobby, but both would be counted as 'pirates' and therefore are NOT a Squirrel Point.

Sorry for being so strict, but every year there is some confusion as to what is or isn't counted.

Additionally, bonus points awarded by minions are not counted towards the 25 point threshold.

If you split a Squirrel entry over several posts, make sure to include a group shot in the post claiming the point.

So, what do I need to do to enter?

Simply respond to this post below. Let me know your blogger handle (and your posting name if they are different). Then, simply tag any posts you think are applicable for entry with the tag 'Squirrel' and I will have a look at them during the course of the challenge. Anyone can enter at any point in the challenge, and I will be posting periodic updates to keep everyone informed.

It isn't required, but it is helpful if you include a list of your Squirrels at the bottom of each post, so I can see what you think you have scored and can hunt down any rogue rodents that I may have missed. 

Anything else I should know?

Sandbagging (Holding back the majority of your work until the very last post) is heavily frowned upon. While a surge at the end is expected, I'd like to see a steady pace of Squirrels from all entrants please.

I will be joining the duel myself so any claims of cheating or underhanded tactics are probably merited. :)

And don't forget to tag your post with 'Squirrel'.

(Narrator's voice "But in the end, half of the posts were not tagged with 'Squirrel' and the Squirrelfinder General had to spend hours of his free time reading through page after page looking for the missing entries.")

Antipodean Antics - The War Library Prize

Attention Australian and New Zealand Challengers!

Every year we look forward to The Challenge, choosing, prepping and undercoating our miniatures and eagerly awaiting the starters gun. 

Woohoo! AHPC time!

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way we lose a bit of focus, get distracted and struggle to find motivation in the summer heat. This year 'The War Library' have decided to help you along a little.

Every Australian and New Zealander who completes at least 75% of their stated target points will have their name put into the draw for a $100 Gift Voucher.

We're making a list and checking it twice!

 

At the conclusion of the Challenge one of our sharply dressed barrel persons will draw a name and we will present the winner with the $100 Gift Voucher to use on The War Library website.

Enjoy the Challenge, brushes up! 

- The War Library (JohnS)

Tamsin's Terribly Terrific Tutorial for Challenge Posting (AHPC XVI Edition)

  

I decided to keep last year's image. So, sue me!

"Good morning Ladies, Gentlemen... and Ray. My name is TamsinP, and Curt has asked me to reprise the tutorial post I first wrote in 2021, updated in 2022, updated again in 2023, updated yet again in 2024 and have now updated again for this year's Challenge. This is intended to help out new Challengers and some returnees who may need a refresher, I do hope that you will find it instructive..."

Tamsin's Terribly Terrific Tutorial To Challenge Posting

Before You Post

Just a little checklist for you to consider:

1. Have I taken photos of everything I am including in the post?
2. Are there at least 3 photos of everything, taken from different angles?
3. Have all the photos been resized to a maximum of 1000 pixels in either direction?
4. Have I worked out how many points I am claiming?

If your answers to all four questions is a resounding "Yes!", then you may proceed.

A Request On Behalf Of The Minions

"Given how many budding lost souls we have this year, please (please, pretty please) try not to overwhelm your poor, suffering, wretched minions with hundreds of posts every week. If you can combine multiple entries into a single post, that would be very helpful. That being said, posts for the bonus theme rounds *should* be kept separate, as should terrain submissions."

"Please remember, the minions are all volunteers and doing the minioning stuff does take them away from their own painting."

*Important Note 1: This post was originally written for AHPC XII and examples shown may reflect that.*

(aka - it took me the best part of a day in 2021, a few more hours to update in 2022, a couple more in 2023, plus another couple more in 2024, so I'm only amending relevant text parts and some links)

*Important Note 2: This cannot be repeated enough, and it makes sense to begin with it.*

Whatever you do...

DO NOT CLICK PUBLISH!!!!

I repeat...

DO NOT CLICK PUBLISH!!!!

For the avoidance of any doubt....

DO NOT CLICK PUBLISH!!!!

OK, it's not the end of the world if you do click "Publish" but it requires a bit of work to correct it. This is particularly important if you are writing the post ahead of your assigned posting day.

The above message will be repeated at the relevant point in the post. 

How to Create a New Post

1. Open the Challenge Blog (linky-link)

2. Click on "New Post" (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo above). This will take you to this screen:

3. Click on "New Post" (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo above). This will take you to the post editing screen:

Congratulations! You may now begin writing your post!

A quick word about post formats. There is a certain preferred "style", simply because it looks good on all screens. However, if you choose to format differently (within reason) you won't be penalised. Just take this guide as, well, a guide on how your post should look.

As a reasonable example of preferred post formatting, here's a post of mine from AHPC X (linky-link). 

Post Title

This is very important and there is certain information that must be included. Here is an example of how the Title should look:

A brief explanation of the different parts:

[draft] - This indicates that you haven't finished writing the post. When you are finished writing and happy for it to be published, change [draft] to [ready]. On your posting day, your minion will delete the [ready] from the title once they have finished scoring your submission.

[today] - As everyone has an assigned day for posting submissions (linky-link), please do remember to include this is your post title. For example, my posting day is Friday this year, so my post titles would start [draft][Friday] (nb - photo examples below are from AHPC XII).

"NB - The first and last few days of the Challenge are, traditionally,  "free-fire" and you can post submissions on any day of the week. Curt will advise you as to when the "free-fire" rule applies, you do not need to include [day] in your post titles during free-fire periods."

"From TamsinP:" - Please start your post title with your assigned "handle" (linky-link). After all, we want to know who has painted those wonderful miniature masterpieces - no need to be shy! It's also a great help to the minion who will be scoring your post. You can either use a colon (":") or a spaced hyphen (" - ") as a separator.

"How To Write And (Not) Publish Your Posts" - Something that describes what you are posting. For example, if your submission is a warband of 28mm Orcs, you might make this part of the title "28mm Orc Warband".

(Nul points) - Please do include an estimate of how many points you think the submission is worth. The scoring per figures can be found in the announcement post (linky-link)

Just as a quick addendum, if your submission includes entries for Bonus Theme Rounds, please include the theme name between the description and points claim, eg:

"Phew, that's the Title done with. Onto the main bit. Which should be quite quick and painless***."

Body Of Post

This is the part where you write your actual submission and add all your photos. Some people choose to start by adding a group shot of all the figures in their submission, some start with an introductory text. The choice is yours.

What we expect to see in the text of your submission is:

A description of the miniatures - how many, the scale (eg 28mm), what they are and the manufacturer (if known)

A summary of the points you are claiming for the figures and (where applicable) Bonus theme round name, eg:

24 x 15mm foot @ 2 points = 48 points

12 x 15mm mounted @ 4 points = 48 points

9 x 28mm foot @ 5 points = 45 points

(third theme)* = 20 points*

Total = 161 points

"NB - the points summary is possibly the most important part of the post from the minions' point of view as without it scoring your submission may be difficult (we don't want to spend an hour working out from your photos how many figures you are claiming). "

* Curt hasn't posted details of the Bonus Theme Rounds yet, so I have no idea what they are or how many bonus points are available. 

If your post contains multiple different submissions you can, of course, include a summary after each section and then a "grand summary" at the end.

Beyond that, feel free to write whatever you want. You can, if you want, write a tall tale interspersed with photos (RIP NoelW - you are definitely missed by us all). You can include a guide to how you painted the figures. Or you can just write "Hey guys and gals - here are some Orcs I've painted".

Adding Photos To Your Post

Yes, we do want to see photos of your painted minis. We do know that not everyone is a great photographer, that not everyone has the best lighting for taking photos, and we don't expect that.

What we do want to see?

• Photos that show how many figures are being claimed - if you are claiming 5 x 28mm orcs, we want to see a photo of the five orcs together.
• Photos taken from different angles.
  
• For odd-sized models, you might want to include size comparison photos to assist the minions
• Close-up photos if you dare!

How to add photos:

1. Assuming you have written a couple of paragraphs of text and wish to insert a photo between them, eg:

2. The first thing to do is click "Enter" to create an additional blank line between the paragraphs:

3. To add your photos Click "insert Image" (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo below):

This will bring up a menu:

4. Click on "Upload from computer" (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo below):

That will open this pop-up window:

5. Click on "Choose files" (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo above). That will open your Folders, like so:

6. Find the folder with the photos you want to add, select them and click "Open" (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo below):

7. Your selected photos should appear in the "Add Images" pop-up window:

8. Make sure that all the photos you want to add are highlighted, then click "Select" (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo above). The photos should now upload to your blog post.

The last photo uploaded should be highlighted and there should be a menu box:

9. Please adjust the image size to "Large" for all your photos - click on the button indicated by the red arrow above:

I repeat, "Please adjust the image size to "Large" for all your photos" - there is nothing a minion hates more than having to spend several minutes resizing all 40 photos that someone has included in their post. No, I'm not looking at anyone in particular...or am I? (You know who you are!)

10. You can add captions underneath your photos. Click on the photo to bring up the menu bar and then click on the "A" button indicated by the red arrow in the photo below:

Underneath the photo you should now see "Add Caption":

Add whatever caption you like to the photo:

"There you go, wasn't that simple and clear*. Now you know how to add photos to your blog post, so that we can all see your lovingly painted miniatures!"

* amended from "clear and simple" to avoid confusion with a brand of soap

Just one more thing (TM Lieutenant Columbo) - please check that there is a blank line between text and photos and also between photos. It just looks nicer (and also makes it easier to correct any formatting issues).

And another thing (also TM Lieutenant Columbo) - please, upload photos rather than linking to photos on another site. Doing so avoids the possibility of broken photo links in future.

"Okay, so we have the post titles, scoring summaries, post text and photos covered. That just leaves one very important thing to cover before we go on to saving and (not) publishing your post."

***I might have been slightly "economical with the truth" when I suggested "quick and painless" at the start of this section.

On The Importance Of Labels And How To Do Them

Labels are pretty important as they allow people to search for specific posts. For example:

• all posts written by TamsinP
• all posts for a particular Bonus Theme Round
• all posts that qualify for entry to the "Sarah's Choice" prize
• all posts with Orcs
• etc, etc, etc

So, how do you add labels to your post and what should you include? I'll cover these in reverse order...

What Labels To Include

• Your "handle" (linky-link) (eg TamsinP), as per the Post Title
• Scale of figures (eg 28mm)
• Period (eg WW2)
• Army/nationality/faction (eg Space Marines)
• Manufacturer (eg Warlord Games)
• Bonus Theme Round if applicable (eg Third theme)
• "Sarah's Choice" if applicable (ie a female figure* is part of the entry)
• Anything else that you think might be helpful for people searching the blog

* for avoidance of any doubt, the female figure should be humanoid. Painting a bear and claiming it as a female miniature isn't the done thing, is it Ray? 

How to Add Labels To Your Post

In the right-hand sidebar, you should see "Labels" at the top:

To add your labels, start typing where it says "Separate labels with com...":

As you start typing, if anything looks like it might match the label you want to add, the "matches" will show below where you are typing:

In the photo above you will see that I have added "TamsinP" and started to type the next label - it has offered a match "Administration" to the "adm" that I have typed. As that is correct, I click on the offered match. One letter earlier in my typing, the list of "matches" was much longer:

If no correct "matches" are offered, finish typing your label, add a comma immediately after and click "Enter". That will create a new label:

"Is that all clear? Jolly good - we can move on now to saving and (not) publishing your post."

Saving And (Not) Publishing Your Post

Now that you have finished writing your post and are ready for it to go to the minions for scoring, etc, there is just one little task do first - go back to your Post Title and change [draft] to [ready]. All set? OK, let us proceed.

Whatever you do at this point...

DO NOT CLICK PUBLISH!!!!

I repeat...

DO NOT CLICK PUBLISH!!!!

For the avoidance of any doubt....

DO NOT CLICK PUBLISH!!!!

OK, it's not the end of the world if you do click "Publish" but it requires a bit of work to correct it. This is particularly important if you are writing the post ahead of your assigned posting day.

This is what we need you to do.

Just above the red arrow, you will see a button marked "Preview" - click the arrow next to it. That will bring up a small menu:

Click "Save". 

NB - you can click "Save" at any point while you are writing your post. It might in fact be a good idea to do so every so often if your post is quite long.

Your post is saved and you can now either close the tab or go to the "Posts" screen if you want to write another post:

To do so, click on the little arrow above the big red arrow. That will return you to the "Posts" screen and you should see your post in the queue:

If all has gone to plan, you should see in orange "Draft" underneath the title of your post.

Now, you may be asking "how do I add links and videos" to my posts. Adding videos (use the "Inset Videos" button next to the "Insert Photos" one) is much the same as adding photos, but we do ask you to link from another site. 

Adding links (as I have done several times in this tutorial)  is quite easy.

1. Highlight the text that you wish to use as a link

2. Copy the URL of the page you want to link to

3. Click on the "link" button (as indicated by the red arrow in the photo below):

This will open a pop-up window:

Paste the link where it says to, and then check the box for  "Open the link in a new window". Click "Apply" and you should have created the link.

Phew! I do hope that I'm getting paid overtime for doing this as it's taken me much longer than anticipated*, what with all the screen captures and photo editing. 

What's that Curt? I'm doing this for free?!?!?!?! Again?!?!?!?!?!?!Yikes!!!!!

Anyway, that's enough from me for today. I hope that you have found this post useful. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.

Toodle-pip!

Tamsin

 

* (2022) We'd originally agreed that Curt would include a link to my post from last year in one of his admin posts and I would add amended text to the joining document he will be sending out.
(2023) Curt suggested that he was going to tweak my 2022 post himself, which I assumed meant "Tamsin, I think you really ought to tweak it yourself so that I don't make a complete mess of it. By the way, do you think this new bicorne suits me?"
(2024) "Tamsin, my dear, would you mind awfully reprising your splendid tutorial on posting and update it to this year? Yes, yes, I am aware that I haven't posted the theme locations or the posting day assignations yet, but you don't need those do you? Oh, you do? Ahhh, errmmm, well, perhaps I should post those given that the Challenge starts in three days.Oh, by the way, the streamers on this new mirliton I've acquired don't look too flouncy do they?"
(2025) Curt wrote "In a few days I'll be posting Tamsin's VERY DETAILED guide on submitting entries to the blog." in the post announcing the participant roster. Naturally, based on previous years' experience, I took that to mean "Tamsin, my dear, would you be so awfully kind as to update your excellent posting guide?" and just cracked on with updating it for this year's Challenge without waiting to discover (with horror) what new headgear he has acquired.