Sojourner revisited

Some time ago in 2010 I guess, I made a 1/33 diorama of Sojourner and Pathfinder. The models were designed by John Jogerst and it all looked quite nice but the base plate I used for the diorama was not pleasing enough to my eyes. It lacked a nice frame, for example. And I didn't have a frame that fitted the initial diorama base.
So yesterday, I took a new plate. It's a disused dropped ceiling panel, with a white grainy top layer.
I had a nice square picture frame and cut the panel to size. I carefully took the models off of the original base plate and put them aside. The deflated balloons around the Pathfinder station were ripped apart in the action but I planned making new ones anyway.
Most of the original stones came off well, too.
Then I started to paint the new base plate. All kinds of mixed colours of red, burnt sienna, ochre and brown, added with a thin sprinkle of dark grey sand over the still wet paint, so it got stuck in it.
With some help of pictures I kind of recreated the location of several important stones, but the rest is just for giving an impression of the surroundings of the situation.
New deflated landing balloons were made from a paper napkin which I painted. This time a bit more yellow than the original which I found just too dull. Next I glued Sojourner to its place, this time not at the stone they called Yogi but just rolled off the ramp.
The stones were added and painted to get a more homogeneous appearance. Well, that's it really. 

Now it's back to making a nice shuttle and doing research for my next project.
I already know what that will be, but you just have to wait for a little longer. It'll be worth it. I think.
There are more pictures of what was later renamed Sagan Memorial Station after the jump.

Some more photos:

Thanks for watching!