Frosting Technique

To dull some shine, and leave a frosted coating.  Try coating your object in some white glue.

Copper Patina Paint Technique

Copper looks really gorgeous when it ages, it turns a gorgeous aqua/turquoise color, which is a beautiful contrast against the orange of the metal. Why not duplicate that pattern with paint?

Step 1: Brush on a layer of copper-colored paint. Let it dry.
Step 2: Using a wide flat-headed brush, dip the tip of the bristles in turquoise or aqua-colored paint. Apply over the copper in patches by touching just the tips of the bristles to the surface, dotting instead of brushing. This gives a more natural weathered look. Do this all over, wherever you want the patina look to appear.

I love painting trinket boxes. They are an excellent canvas for trying out new paint techniques. Plus they are great for storing thumbtacks and paperclips. Or really tiny treasures that you want to bury in your back yard.

Congratulations Hand Made Card

My sweetie got a new job so I wanted to make a card for his first day.

I started off with a nice piece of thicker scrap paper from an 8x8 pad.  The print is only on one side, so the inside of the card is blank for printing.  Instead of the more common side fold card I wanted to fold it tent style.

I wanted to write a big "congraduation" on the front side, but the design of the scrap paper is too busy.  So I took a piece of 8 x 10 cardstock that I wanted to put across the middle of the front. I picked a matching coloUr, yet still blank so the words would be the focus. 

Here you see that I've folded the underside of the paper that will be glued to the card front.  This is for two reasons

1) this will give the paper dimention to the paper instead of just a flat piece.

2) folding will likely create straighter lines than if i just cut on a drawn line.

Tip:  measure out your letters before you start drawing or glueing (cardboard letters) it to the card.  In this case even if I kept the letters uneven I still couldn't get the entire word on the paper, so I had to scrap this idea.

Do you see how there is a slight curve to the paper where it's not glued flat to the paper.  The size of the blank paper and the base are not proportioned giving it uniquness from the regular store bought cards you see.

Because I used card stock the back of my card is also pretty unlike the back of store bought cards which are usually just white.

I used sticker letters, here's some tips

1) spell out the word for you to follow; when  you are too focused on prettiness it's easy to make a spelling mistake, ~cough~ it's happened to me before

2) start by doing the middle characters first and moving outards, this will help center your word

3) play around, don't need to make your word be straight and exact.  Doing a purposeful uneven placement of your letters will cover any potential mistakes you may make if you tried to make it even.

Ava's Avatars

There's this web comic (you might have heard of it?) called Order of the Stick. "OOTS" has a large following, complete with online forums where fans love to make their own avatars in OOTS style, which is easily identifiable by large round heads, stick-figure limbs, and different-sized black dots for eyes.

Of course I had to try my hand at making some custom avatars... primarily using MS Paint, a readily-available "Accessories" program on any Windows PC.

Some of these are based on well-known characters, some are original made-up characters and things or characters I created on request for forum avatars...


Video Game Characters:



Ayame of Tenchu

Dark Elf Phantom Ranger

Selye, Blood Elf Mage

Irk, Orc Hunter

Scottimus, Undead Mage

Arbogast, Orc Warlock

Aiva, Undead Shadowpriest

Aiva, Undead Shadowpriest (v2)

Silverjade, Blood Elf Paladin

Blood Elf Rogue

Troll Shadowpriest v.1

Troll Shadowpriest v.2

Fire Elemental

Tree Druid

Blood Elf Mage

Kahne, Orc Rogue

Tauren Hunter v.1

Tauren Hunter v.2

Pandaren Brewmaster

Pixie

Cora Caster

Dark Elf Blade Dancer

Swordsinger

Musketeer

OOTS characters:

MitD Goes to China

MitD in Spring



Others...

Cobra Commander

"Drow-Dragon"

"Drow Werewolf"

Dancing Violinist

Easter Bunny

Warrior Bunny

Wampa Tribble

Padme Amidala

Kailee

Angry Halfling

Elf Monk

Girl With Pen

Battleaxe

Wampa with a Gun

Zombie Ninja

How Roland Met Wampa