The Path to the First Blade

It's a project that began in the simple observation that my husband's winter beard was attaining Cain-like proportions, coupled with the fact that I had talked him into attending another Creation SPN Con, this time in Seattle. While I was trying to convince him that a Cain cosplay would be amazing and fun, and he could absolutely pull it off, I started looking around for a First Blade replica. There are a lot of ideas for this out there, from versions that would come completely finished and with a Magnus-worthy stand to some pretty cool DIY ideas, but finally I found what I felt was the perfect combination, from an Etsy store called RoadSoFar, which sells a resin replica of the Blade that I could paint myself. One of my hobbies, before school and then SPN took over my life, was painting miniatures so I had the supplies, though my painting skills were quite rusty. (The little figure I talk about in that early link remains unfinished, btw.) A full scale project like this one was something I had never done. But I ordered the piece and started trying to remember how to do it. Luckily, the owner of the Etsy shop knows his stuff, and he also sent instructions!

( Here's a more detailed look )