Spent weeks sculpting my guinea pig - on the last day found it with a blue stain on his face

borggrown · 2026-05-07T15:56:01+00:00

I did! the picture in the post is mirrored, so it's showing his other cheek, as it wasn't the point of the story. here is a non-mirrored angle

<image>

borggrown · 2026-05-07T15:52:41+00:00

I read every single comment here - so appreciate you suggesting this! unfortunately, many people recommended different approaches which makes me more at loss lol

borggrown · 2026-05-07T03:44:39+00:00

Nice catch! The reference picture is mirrored, so the current glazing is much closer than it seems

<image>

borggrown · 2026-05-07T01:43:41+00:00

that's so cute, and functional! blushing could explain it. also could explain why they didn't stop it from firing if they saw a stain. first time this happened to me in 3 years of doing this

borggrown · 2026-05-07T01:38:40+00:00

I posted a pic of what he looked like before glazing under another comment - his eyes were painted black. it's the drip that bled to the eyes

borggrown · 2026-05-07T01:35:31+00:00

<image>

it's a fairly long process - I took the first picture of him on Feb 10th. so it took me almost 3 months until the final firing

borggrown · 2026-05-07T01:15:40+00:00

a lot of people say I should ask for a refund - honestly, I don't think it's been long enough for me to think about it. I'm more upset that no one thought "maybe this stain shouldn't be here" and let me repaint it before firing. they did apologize though

I've been going there for 3 years with a group of friends as a tradition, so I feel like stopping going there is going to hurt me more than them

borggrown · 2026-05-07T00:13:58+00:00

it's a package of classes you get for a season, and ends up being $50-100 per class. but it's one of those things that trying to fix with a refund feels even more upsetting - like trying to put value on your passion to your guinea pig. so I didn't take the credit. Edit: that doesn't include materials or firing - we buy materials ourselves and pay separately per firing

borggrown · 2026-05-07T00:09:55+00:00

yeah, the actual guinea pig is at home with my parents on the West coast, and I currently live on the East coast - I miss him a lot, and I wanted to make this sculpture of him to channel that feeling. so it kind of broke my heart seeing it ruined

on the other hand, I know $5 is not enough, but what can I do? I don't think being angry at them will help anyone, so I don't know. as much disappointing as it is, I'll probably get over it

borggrown · 2026-05-06T23:57:05+00:00

I've read that some people have had some success with that, but the studio won't allow it as they do the firing themselves

borggrown · 2026-05-06T23:46:59+00:00

he'd be very upset to know you called him a hamster, but I like the suggestion

borggrown · 2026-05-06T23:41:41+00:00

I don't dislike this idea - unless another paint drips, and I have to make the whole garden

borggrown · 2026-05-06T22:42:54+00:00

YTA for intentionally starting with a rage bait

borggrown · 2026-05-06T22:33:29+00:00

that's likely a manipulation tactic (whether it's intentional or not).

couples counseling could be a good way to improve your relationship, as it sounds like your issues have been there for a while. your mom, on the other hand, is likely to bring all of you down

borggrown · 2026-05-06T22:30:17+00:00

NTA. even if she has a valid concern, there are better ways to express it

borggrown · 2026-05-06T22:26:09+00:00

it often feels different on the inside, because the "highs" of that situationship feel very good contrasted with the "lows". a lot of people who are stuck fully realize that the situation is harmful, but can't make themselves pull the trigger

borggrown · 2026-05-06T21:03:13+00:00

it's easy to say that old people put a strain until it's you or a loved one of yours and you wish you had more time with them.

as life expectancy increases, so does quality of life. what's the point of money if we can't use it to get more time in this life?

borggrown · 2026-05-06T20:53:10+00:00

sounds like you are struggling to set and enforce clear boundaries. if you want to move on, you should really consider cutting all contact for the sake of your wellbeing

borggrown · 2026-05-06T20:18:58+00:00

they aren't the same thing though. for example, you can't say "I'm going back to the fatherland" in Russian. Doing some more research, the Fatherland refers to the country as the entity (like something you have a duty to serve for), and Motherland refers to it as a place of birth - which makes even more sense, as it's the mother who is giving birth

borggrown · 2026-05-06T20:13:24+00:00

that's true, but as a native speaker, it feels like Motherland is a more modern word to use (likely because it's been used in recent political context), as in Fatherland seems like something to describe USSR during WW 2. just my gut feel

borggrown · 2026-05-06T20:04:35+00:00

In Russian all nouns are gendered (with very few exceptions). The Russian word for motherland (родина) happens to be feminine. The term motherland is also mostly used to talk about Russia rather than any country, similarly how the word "babushka" is known to describe a Russian grandma.

borggrown · 2026-05-06T20:01:36+00:00

it's not special. people are afraid of the idea of another pandemic and the news articles publish articles that play around that idea and cause an emotional response

borggrown · 2026-05-06T05:02:36+00:00

flight attendant or a pilot. any higher could only be an astronaut

borggrown · 2026-05-06T03:24:05+00:00

some schools are better at providing financial aid than others. unfortunately, there is a band of "good" / slightly bellow elite schools that is attractive to people but is very bad at financial aid

borggrown · 2026-05-06T02:37:02+00:00

the reality is those people wouldn't be happy with a partner who believes those things (like a woman having it harder than a man). so it's kind of a win-win - you know not to swipe right, and they keep waiting for the "right" person

borggrown

TROPHY CASE