(c) Capital Tees

Today I am allowing myself to mourn the lost of MY doctor.  Even though I had friends telling me for years to check out Doctor Who it wasn’t until Matt Smith that I actually checked out an episode and was hooked within the hour.  He will always be MY doctor, and I am sad to see him go.  I love his personality, his screw driver, his mannerisms, and his adventures. I most certainly adore his wife. I thought Matt Smith was brilliant in the roll, and I am glad the market for bow ties and Fez’s has picked up due to the show.   The 11th Doctor is what made me get sucked into the show and go backwards to watch the 10th and 9th. Although this isn’t the first regeneration I have seen, it’s the first where the next Doctor is an unknown for me.  Before, when I watched a regeneration there was always the “known” that Matt Smith was the end result. Now there is a blank slate which is filled with hope and anxiety.  So, until December, I will say my goodbyes to my 11th Doctor.

(c) Unknown :(

(c) Doctor Who

(c) Doctor Who

PS: I hate Clara.

Dever Comic Con was my second “con” event – the first being RomCon a few weeks earlier.  They were both very different, and both awesome in their own way.

My whole family went to Denver Comic Con on Saturday and Sunday, so I had my husband and 2 year old in tow. Although we all had a GREAT time, it was exhausting as well. My husband says next year he only wants to go one day, but I want to go for all three if I can. They had a gaming room we didn’t find until the end and it would have been neat to play Settlers of Catan with others.  Artists Alley was AWESOME and I wish I would have spent my cash there (and had more wall space in my home to display it!).   The face painting for the kiddos was a nice addition for our family, and I really liked seeing all the costumes. Some were SO amazing!  And it was neat to see the attention my daughter got for being dressed as baby chell.

Event Ratings:

Fun scale (out of five): five

Family-friendly scale (out of five) : four

Would I go again: Hell yes!  I already have cosplay ideas…

Things to remember next time: 

• There will be LOTS of people
• Meeting celebrities costs money, boo!

This is the second part of my “I Got My Mod Podge On” set.  The previous set featured information on how to make the CLUTCH.

I have no idea how I was sparked by inspiration to begin decoupaging stuff, but somehow I was. Over the course of a few months I had created three clutches and two pairs of shoes. So, how did I make the shoes? Let’s find out…

1) Research. RESEARCH. Really. I did research. What else could/should I have done when trying something I never had before? So, I researched. How does one decoupage? What are the materials? Is there some techniques I should know? Let me share my results with you:

• How to decoupage, in general.
• Find the materials - general. The paper you want to use, mod podge, clear furniture lacquer, fine grain sand paper, and paint brushes.
• Find the materials – shoes. A pair of shoes made from leather, faux leather, patent leather, etc.  Pretty much anything smooth, and nothing made from fabric or suede. You want a smooth surface. I noticed that every example pair of shoes I found on the internet were covered completely, and then showed wear and tear like crazy due to shoes flexing and bending during walking. I didn’t want wear and tear to show. I didn’t want my shoes to look worn within a few times of wearing them. To combat that, I went with a wedge because the wedge part of a high heel doesn’t bend, fold, or crinkle. It stays sturdy and I would never have to worry about rips or tears due to creases forming as I walked.
• Research techniques. Here are some web pages that I used specifically for these projects: Creative You! – Craft a Pair of Decoupage Shoes and Anomaly Blog – Geek Crafting: Comic Book Shoes
• Ask questions. If I had a question, I asked it in the blog tutorials I had found. Sometimes I received answers and sometimes I didn’t. But when I did, the advice was invaluable!
• Find examples of what I wanted the end result to me. Examples like: Star Trek Shoes, Poison Ivy Shoes, and Music Shoes.
• Strive for better. See this set here: Batman Clutch and Shoes Set. Notice the paint strokes showing in the glare? And the crinkles in the clutch?  I decided I could do better. And I did. Knowing how shoes work (the bend and fold as you walk) and taking where the bends occur into account, doing a good finish, and taking the time to complete the number of coats needed for a great finish, fixes this problem and made my project look like a million bucks (in my opinion)!
• Be Prepared for a Learning Curve. If this is the very first time you are doing decoupage, prepare for the possibility that it wont turn out exactly as you want it to.  Trial and error is a life skill and definitely applies here.
• Take Your Time.

View the Prezi below to follow along and make your own shoes!

These comic shoes were made for walkin’!

This is the first part of my “I Got My Mod Podge On” set. The next set will feature information on how to make the SHOES.

I have no idea how I was sparked by inspiration to begin decoupaging stuff, but somehow I was. Over the course of a few months I had created three clutches and two pairs of shoes. So, how did I do I make the clutches? Let’s see…

1) Research. RESEARCH. Really. I did research. What else could/should I have done when trying something I never had before? So, I researched. How does one decoupage? What are the materials? Is there some techniques I should know? Let me share my results with you:

• How to decoupage, in general.
• Find the materials - general. The paper you want to use, mod podge, clear furniture lacquer, fine grain sand paper, and paint brushes.
• Find the materials – clutch. For the clutch, I had to figure out what the specific purse creating supplies were called, which was harder than I thought. Searches for ‘clutch’ ‘clutch supplies’ etc. did not yield what I was looking for. Finally, I stumbled upon the correct term of ‘dressing case’ which finally yielded results online. Here are search results in Etsy for clutch dressing cases (hard sided clutch base sides with frame). One thing to note is that these are meant to be decorated/crafted. They come as a set: two black plastic sides and one metal frame. You decorate the sides and then glue them onto the base. The other main thing you will need is some hearty all-purpose glue. Do NOT use super/gorilla glue. You need the even-more uber stuff. It should come in a tube and be more like gel than a liquid. It should be rated for metal, plastic, and cloth. Lastly, you will need a hot glue gun and fabric for the lining of the clutch, I recommend velvet.
• Research techniques. Here are some web pages that I used specifically for these projects: Southern Blackberry Designs – How to Decoupage a Purse
• Ask questions. If I had a question, I asked it in the blog tutorials I had found. Sometimes I received answers and sometimes I didn’t. But when I did, the advice was invaluable!
• Find examples of what I wanted the end result to me. Examples like:  Aquaman Clutch and this Bird Purse.
• Strive for better. See this set here: Batman Clutch and Shoes Set. Notice the paint strokes showing in the glare? And the crinkles in the clutch? I decided I could do better. And I did. Knowing how to do a good finish, and taking the time to complete the number of coats needed for a great finish, fixes this problem and made my projects look like a million bucks!
• Ignore some Instructions. Coordinate the project you want with directions that make sense. This can sometimes backfire, but if you use your head you can go through the directions and figure out what applies to your specific project. For example, the clutch, which had no 100% directions for me, so I used about 4 different instructions and came up with a set that worked for me. Some directions were not needed, like a painted color background, so I ignored that step.
• Expand on some Instructions. For the most part, I noticed that the instructions I found didn’t put enough emphasis on the finish/lacquer step of these projects. I had found one set of instructions that said to use a spray gloss finish, but I was very unhappy with the results. With my dad’s help, though, I was able to get the right type of finish and expand on the “apply a few coats of gloss” that was listed in instructions to “apply a shit load of coats” with amazing results! So, some steps in the directions need expanding on.
• Add some Instructions. The clutch, for example, will need a template made for lining it (or if you are doing one solid image on the outside). I made my templates using newspaper and spent extra time making sure they were done right, which involved multiple attempts, wielding scissors like a boss, and scotch tape.
• Be Prepared for a Learning Curve. If this is the very first time you are doing decoupage, prepare for the possibility that it wont turn out exactly as you want it to. Trial and error is a life skill and definitely applies here.
• Take Your Time.

(c) Rhianna 2013

2) I failed on my first attempt. Well, not “failed” per say, more like “didn’t live up to my own expectations.” I’m calling it my practice clutch. Want to see it? Okay. All of the red marked areas are my “needs improvement next time” sections.

Most are due to the attempt I did of using a spray on lacquer. It did NOT give me the results I was looking for, and I ended up sanding off some of the paper, which is what made the biggest shit results on the clutch project.

(c) Rhianna 2013

The other issue was caused by me attempting to use one large piece of paper instead of a bunch of small ones. I still like the result of this (one large image on each side) but it definitely made it a LOT harder.

Another issue was my first attempt of using cheap thin fabric for the lining, and then fleece on top of it. Fleece is way to thick to use, especially when on top of another fabric.

(c) Rhianna 2013

Lastly, wait. Wait longer than you think/want for the lacquer to completely dry before using it. I ended up wrapping the clutch in a bag to bring with me on a trip, but it wasn’t 100% set and ended up getting the indentations of the bag on it. I had to re-sand and put another top coat of lacquer on it to fix it.

So, what did I learn? A) Go straight to the good stuff for your top coats: hardware-store-high-gloss-furniture-lacquer. And do a CRAP load of coats. 10 or more coats. B) Use small bits of overlapping paper, OR work more slowly when using one large piece. C) Use flannel or velvet for lining. D) Wait for it to dry completely before using it. That means waiting 2-3 days after your last coat of lacquer.

3) Take two. Try again.

Check out the Prezi below with the successful directions.

Are you ready to start gluing??

Erica is a geek-girl and mini-blogger for the Geektastics community. She lives with her fiancee and their kitten, and plans their geeky wedding when there’s time. She grew up watching Startrek with her dad, and blames him for starting her on the path to geekiness.

1. What will you be doing on May 4th to celebrate Star Wars?

Unfortunately, I’m double-booked!  In the morning/afternoon I’ll be participating in an event called Silicon Valley Open Studios, where hundreds of artists open their studios to the public. On May 4th and 5th I’ll be showing original artwork at a gallery in Palo Alto.

But at 6pm I’ll be rushing back to San Jose for the opening of a Star Wars-themed art exhibit at Current Tattooing. They did a fantastic May The Fourth art show last year and I’m happy to be able to contribute work this year!

2. I recently started playing Star Wars the Old Republic. Do you play?

I do, but I haven’t been able to sign on in a few months due to time constraints!  If I get any free time to myself that’s the first thing I’ll be doing.

3. Which of the Star Wars movies is your favorite and why?

It’s really very hard for me to choose.  Some days it’s the original film, other days it’s Empire. I feel like, even though they’re part of the same continuity, The Empire Strikes Back could almost be set in a different universe. Star Wars (A New Hope) has this great Flash Gordon, rollicking space adventure feeling, while Empire has this great, deeper, moody feel and a great sense of being set in a much larger world/galaxy/universe.

4. When did you start Otherlife Art? What has been the most rewarding aspect?

I started Otherlife Art as part of a project to rededicate myself to art. For a long time after graduating (Santa Clara University, B.A. in Studio Art, with a sculpture emphasis), I didn’t have access to a MIG welder or workspace to create art (or have anyplace to store it). I was very wrapped up in making a living.

Stepping back onto the art path means I’m significantly poorer, but much happier. Nobody goes into art for the money. There are very few people who can make that work. But there’s never been any question that it’s what I love doing. Connecting with people who enjoy my artwork is the most rewarding part, though it never hurts when someone’s willing to back that up by buying a piece! I don’t care about having lots of nice things. I just want to be able to afford materials and food and support myself.

5. What is your favorite art medium to work in?

Welded steel is incredibly fun; it’s like drawing with metal. But papercraft is my other great love; the low cost of materials, the simple tools, the ‘low-tech’ of it is great. But it’s also incredibly versatile and can be quite strong as well. I get a kick out of seeing people’s jaws drop when I tell them one of my detailed pieces is really made of paper.

6. How would you describe your artistic style?

It’s always evolving. The last few years I’ve focused on exploring semi-abstract, organic shapes that look like they could be straight out of nature, like a gnarled tree stump or an intricate coral reef formation. But I’m moving into a new phase of fitting those older works into a larger context of thinking about the possibilities of life elsewhere in the universe. I’m also starting to explore “biopunk” — the melding of biology and technology, and the concept of the “ecumenopolis,” or world-spanning city.

7. The zombie apocalypse is upon us and you have to choose one classic rock album to last you through the ensuing years of complete music blackout: Rumors by Fleetwood Mac, The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, or Moving Pictures by Rush?

Tough choice. Tempted to go with Floyd, but the zombpocalypse is kind of a downer already, and if I’ve only got one album to listen to, I’m going to go with the one I’ve heard the least of. Which means I’ll be hearing a lot of Rush as the zombies hurl themselves against the gates.

8. Do you make and sell any Star Wars laser cut wood pieces?

I do have one Star Wars-inspired piece; an original design for a gigantic spaceport. But most of my laser-cut wood prints are in my earlier style of natural-inspired forms. However, just yesterday I was just thinking about doing some more technological pieces. I’m working on some new cutaway views of spaceships and some of them would make awesome laser-cut pieces, so check back soon!

9. Do you prefer the 10th Doctor or the 11th Doctor?

Between those two, I’ll have to choose the 10th doctor, because I’m shamefully out of date on Who. I haven’t even gotten to Matt Smith yet!  But I’m about to. So ask me again in a few months.

10. Was Rory a good companion for the Doctor or just a good companion for Amy?

NOSPOILERSNOSPOILERSNOSPOILERSNOSPOILERS! Just kidding. I swear I’ll watch the Matt Smith episodes soon.

11. Firefly is one of the best Science Fiction shows ever. Are you a fan? If so, what is your favorite episode and why?

Absolutely. Out of gas is a masterpiece, but it’s nearly impossible to pick just one. Jaynestown is hilarious.

12. What is your favorite organization/cause to support and why?

I’m not a blind ranty eco-head (there’s a lot of senseless buzzwording and “Green” trendiness about these days) but I do think that we’ve expanded the human race to the point where we have to take care with how we’re managing it or we’ll wipe ourselves off the Earth (or at least decimate ourselves). Science isn’t infallible, but there’s still no better tool for helping us solve those problems.

In the same vein, I think failing to pursue a space program shows a dangerous lack of foresight. “Bigger problems on Earth,” my shiny metal —. It’s ludicrous. Cut a tiny sliver off the defense budget, and use it to quadruple NASA’s operating budget.

13. How long have you been ballroom dancing?

I’ve been dancing since 1998. I taught dancing full-time for about 3 or four years, and I still teach part-time, but I’ve cut down my hours to focus more on art.

14. What is the best part of dancing?

It’s great exercise if you do it enough. You’re more likely to exercise if you really enjoy what you’re doing. The gym’s great for people who think the gym is fun.

It’s also a great skill that you can take with you wherever you go in life. It’s improved my balance and coordination, and it’s social, which has helped to keep me from turning into a total introvert. Just mostly an introvert.

15. Do you take custom order requests through either your Otherlife Art website or your Etsy store?

I do take custom requests or commissions, and the best way to get a hold of me is probably via e-mail ([email protected]), but Facebook works too.  I’ll be revamping my Etsy store soon and perhaps trying to integrate it with my website to make everything a little more user-friendly.