Project Update: Hooper's Fresh Oysters by FOS Scale Models

Last night I finished structure part of the kit. The base and the pilings will go on after I figure out dimensions of the diorama. I also touched up the skiff and did some initial weathering. More yet to be done but perhaps after I put a captain in the cabin because only then I can glue the roof on. The captain is still yet to be recruited from a number of unpainted Preiser figures. By the way, unpainted Preiser figures have become hard to find. I got couple of boxes off eBay last month. One of them came from Portugal. Few days ago I found one box at local train store. It is one that I already have but I am still tempted. I like unpainted figures more because it is so easy to adapt to the requirements. I can twist arms, legs, heads and then paint. Technically, it is possible to do same thing with painted figures and repaint them after modification but I would be paying premium for paint job I would paint over later. Just doesn't make sense.
Talking about figures wasn't my original intention. Actually, I wanted to mention Rembrandt brand soft pastel chalks. In particular Burnt Umber one. I bought this color and few others for detail casting weathering after reading a thread on railroad line forums. Then I thought I would try using chalks to dirty up some windows. It worked. Now I use them signs as well. Yesterday just before going to bed I decided to stop by and take one more look at Hooper's. It occurred to me that lamp shade was too bright so I grabbed a paintbrush and brushed some chalk on it. That toned it down and made it look dusty.
In previous post I said I didn't have good idea how I wanted my diorama look like. Now the picture is much clearer. I even went shopping for some details at Michael's but didn't find what I was looking for. Hobby Lobby had what I needed. However, I found it in different section I was passing by after deciding that HL didn't have it as well. By the way, it should have been very peculiar picture seeing a guy digging through the beads... In addition to some beads I may find use for few resistors I have two full bags off. I  grabbed them from a dumpster when our department was moving to a different office. They are precision 100k through hole resistors which I really have no use for. The best place for them is a dumpster but hoarder in me just wouldn't let them go. Previously I thought really hard about what they could represent but with no success. Only when I didn't find what I was looking for at Michael's I started thinking about alternatives. Then it just poped up. Hey, I can use the resistors I have!
Here are some pictures to end this post. Yes, I took them before dusting up that lamp shade.