Sunday, July 26, 2009

How to Make a Serenity Pendent

I am not happy with how this came out, so it took me awhile to post it. I made a pendent from the Serenity's logo from the (oh so awesome) Firefly series.It was going to be a gift for the person who first introduced me the series, however I'm not happy with its quality. So I'll probably just use it as a paper weight.

It you don't know Firefly, it's a western in space! It's sooo cool!
If you would like to make one (that's hopefully prettier than mine),
here are the materials you will need:
Wax paper
polymer clay
shot glass or circle cookie cutter
paper clip
rolling pin
quarter
acrylic paints
red permanent marker
sand paper
gloss
necklace cord
First, you want to knead you clay into the colors that you want.

Then roll them flat and even with a rolling pin.

Now cut out the larger circle with the shot glass.
Mold the second piece around a quarter.
Take another quarter and make an impression into the larger piece
where you would like the other to be. Create a hole for the cord with a paperclip.
Bake it in the oven, according to package directions.

When I removed it from the oven I notice my outside circle was wonky,
so I sanded it down to create a better circle.
Paint the pendent.

Draw on the serenity symbol with your marker.
Add the gloss varnish. Finally, slip it on to the cord.
Your Done!

Have a great night. Talk to you soon.
Sponzar

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Graboid Pen & Pencil Holder

This craft/art idea was made because I'll be going back to school in less than a month, so I wanted to create something that would give my dorm room some dorky personality. I enjoy the Tremors movies so I made a Graboid Pencil Holder for my desk (my mom thinks I'm werid). I think a lot of my projects in the near future will be for decorating my new school space.

If you don't know what the heck a Graboid is, please watch the first 3 Tremors films. They are full of fun, cheesy, sci fi movie goodness.

Here's what you will need to make one of your own:
  • gloves
  • soup can
  • aluminum can
  • scissors
  • aluminum foil
  • super sculpey
  • exactoknife
  • acrylic paints and painting supplies
  • reference pictures are always useful
  • rubbing alcohol (optional)
  • varnish (optional)
Please before you begin, use a pair of gloves when you are
handling your can, I didn't and this is what happened
I got a booboo!
Someone in my house didn't use the usual can
opener that leaves a smooth edge.
Anyway on to

Step one:
Remove your label from your soup can.

Use your aluminum foil to build up the desire shape. The more foil you
use for this process the less sculpey you will use. The foil is lighter and
less expensive so I tried to build the bulk of my sculpture out of it.
Cut out the four pieces of the head using the aluminum can.
Attach them using sculpey. Start bulding out the form using the foil first and then add clay.
Here's the holder without any detail.
I find rubbing alcohol works well for helping to smooth out the
form when using super sculpey.
Now use the exacto knife or sculpting tools add the details and textures.
Just remember that textures should look like they have a reason for
being on the body of the creature. Now bake it according to the box directions.
Once it is baked, give it a fitting paint job and some varnish.
Here is an image of the finished piece without the writing
instruments stuffed down its gullet.

Also here's some Tremors fan art that I made awhile ago.
They are spoilers if you haven't seen the films yet!

Alright have a great day! Talk to you all soon.
Sponzar

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Edible Golden Stitches

I can not believe it! Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was released July 15th for our viewing pleasure! Being such a momentously dorky occasion a bake good had to made in its honor. Disappointingly, I did not get to attend the midnight showing. My sister was sick and I could not bear to see it without her.(She's the one who introduced me to the books.) So we went on Wednesday afternoon.
Anyway, filled with fan girl glee we made this:


The Golden Snitch, it's melting in my hand!
So inspired by this we put some of them on sticks
I'm sure that this recipe could be made a lot pretty by someone who has more baking experience. We got our inspiration from something my sister makes often, cake balls. They are delicious and I thought, what can I make that into that is Harry Potter related. Snitches, they would be perfect! The recipe for cake balls is pretty simple, we originally got it from here. It's one of our favorites blogs, her stuff is absolutely incredible. Anyway, lets get down to potion's class, muggle style.

So to start your Snitches you will need:
* 13X9 baked cake from a box cake mix or from scratch any flavor you wish (I would suggest a yellow cake just in case you can't get it to cover completely)
* can cream cheese frosting (or about 2 cups from scratch)
* a package yellow chocolate melting wafers (you can also use white waffers and just add some food coloring.)
* royal icing
* wax paper
*big marshmallows

Now bake a cake:
Crumble it up into a bowl, add the frosting. I ended up only making half the cake (we still have tribble cupcakes in the freezer).
Now we mash it all up using your hands. Wash your hands after (it's going to be squishy).
Take some of the mixture and roll it up into a ball.
Here are mine:
Put them in the fridge for a several hours or 30 minutes in the freezer.
Meanwhile, melt you chocolate in the microwave or double boiler according to the directions on the package.
Remove the balls from the freezer and give them a bath in the chocolate. Put your cake balls on a stick or use a tooth pick. If you can't get it to cover all around use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate.

Good Luck with Dipping!

Now on to the wings.
I cut the wings out of the marshmallows and used the left over pieces to create individual feathers or I drew them on using a black edible marker. Then I attached them to the side of you flightless stitches with some royal icing. Put in fridge to cool again. Lastly remove them one more time and serve!

We wish you all good luck with this project. If you have a vial of Liquid Luck it could come in handy. They taste really good, so they are worth the effort in the end.

Yummy!
Talk to you soon.
Sponzar

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Doctor Who: Easy Adipose Paper Craft

Well I enjoy watching Doctor Who from time to time. One of my favorite little critters from the series are the
Adipose.
Click here to learn more about them.
I did not create the original shape template for this project. I was inspired by this 3D paper craft. So I decided to turn it into something for me and a craft to post on this blog. Hopefully I do not get in trouble for making it.
So if you would like to make it here is what you will need
  • Template sized at 8.5"x11(I printed mine on glossy paper)
  • Scissors
  • glue/scotch tape
Here's the template (click to full size) and make sure you resize it for printing:

That's it. Just cut out the pieces and then put the tabs were they should be, it's quite simple. I really hope someone with loads of printer ink creates an army of these guys. Also,If you are up for some really challenging dorky paper craft projects check out this awesome blog.

Talk to you on tomorrow.
Sponzar

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Drinks We All Wish Were Real!

Today's post is inspired by Sunday's True Blood bottle cap creation. Of course everyone loves a delicious beverage. Even our fictional friends have some reliable brand names. These are some mouthwatering beverages that I and I think every nerd would love to chug. You should also know that most of these beverages have a real life counterpart that you can buy in energy or alcoholic drink form. Disappointingly, they lack the fun or unsavory side effects.

I am currently the proud owner of six fictional bottle caps (Always looking to add more to my collection if you have any suggestions!). I have ordered my collection in order of personal preference (or the I wish it was real factor)

A the end of my list is...
Slurm Cola
This highly addictive soft drink is from the cult classic animated series Futurama. Which I hear is returning in 2010! This soda pop is created by the Slurm Worms, a race of slug-like aliens. All the galaxy's Slurm is made in a factory on their home world, Wormulon. However, this factory is a just a cover, the true secret of Slurm being a fluid made by the Slurm Queens. Through what I would say is quite a graphic process. It is because of this that Slurm is at the end of my list. However, a drink that tasty is still a little bit tempting. Hey don't judge, I love honey and that's bee spew.

Duff Beer
This next refreshment is a staple in the Simpson household, being Homer's drink of choice. Although it is revealed that regular Duff, Duff Light, and Duff Dry are the all same. Still, no one ever said Homer had a distinguished palette. This is a man who will eat a rotten 10-foot hoagie, 64 slices of American cheese and free sidewalk goo. This beer is only #5 on my list because of its lack of sophistication. However, I can honestly say we could all do with some Duffman commercials.

Romulan Ale
Romulan ale is a intoxicating alcoholic beverage of the Romulans from Star Trek. It has a blue color (it ranges in shades depending on the drinks age). This tantalizing liquid is three on my list for it's ability to be used for medical reasons. It's rarity is also a factor in my choice because of its current illegal status with the Federation. Even the Starfleet replicators have to be programed with the ale's genetic structure first to create it. Even with it being outlawed , almost every Starfleet officer has been shown indulging in it. So if you like some of this blue booze, the only way to find it is on the black market or to make allies with a Romulan fleet of Warbirds. Good Luck with that.

Butterbeer
There is no doubt that most of you muggles have heard of this warming drink from the fictional world of Harry Potter. Which, from the film Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, I would say that it contains alcohol. I for one would be overjoyed to taste the drink that Rowling herself describes as "a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch", if such wonder existed in the world, then my days spent daydreaming of brooms sticks and quidditch would seem possible.
Tru Blood
Okay, so this beverage made to be a blood substitute, wouldn't be that appealing to us mortals. But it would mean that we could socialize with the undead, the sultry, seductive types known as vampires. They could finally come out of their closet or..er..coffin to be politically correct. With the existence of this drink not just vampires would be out in the open, but other species as well. Such as the werewolves and the shifters. However, with all these new introductions into our world, turmoil will likely takeover, leaving us to wonder if it was worth it in the end. Making it number #2 on the list for it's unbelievable (cool) and political consequences.

And the winner...
Wonka's Fizzy Lifting Drinks
My number one fantasy drink can be found in the classic Gene Wilder film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Not the horrifying remake (seriously it gave me nightmares). This fizzing elixir isn't just tasty, but causes you to float. Who doesn't want that? The ability to fly from a simple sip. It would change the society in which we live. We could travel using this soft drink and release much fewer carbon emissions into the atmosphere. We would be transporting, using only our natural gases. It would be a more flatulent world, but a greener one. Hear me scientists, invent Wonka's Fizzy Lifting Drinks and save the polar bears!

FYI, the caps above were created in the same way as Sunday's post, just in case I choose to wear them as jewelry or give them away as presents.

Here are the images. Just in case you want to make your own fantasy bottle cap collection. These labels were either found online and altered or created entirely in photoshop.





Talk to you soon,
Sponzar

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Make a True Blood Bottlecap Necklace

Well, True Blood is on the fantasy side of the blog. However, if it's at all dorky then it's up for grabs. This show is a guilty pleasure of mine. If you haven't seen it, here's a formula review.

Twilight + SEX and adult themes+Harry Potter-wizards =True Blood

The show is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris. It revolves around a synthetic blood drink (True Blood) that is created so vampires no longer have to feed on humans and can go public. It's airs on Sundays on HBO, which means tonight.

So if you wish to create this or any other bottle cap necklace follow this guide. Just so you all know this is the easiest and quickest project I have done so far. It took about 30 minutes and that included a 15 minute baking time and 5-10 minutes trying to find a decent pair of wire cutters.

Supply List:

  • A bottle cap
  • 2" lenght of wire (I used picture hanging wire)
  • adhesive that seals well
  • Jewelry cord, I got mine at a local flea market for $1.00
  • Polymer clay of any color of your choosing
  • The true blood image or any other image you want to place on your bottle cap. The image size I used was 1.05" width.
  • Paint and paint brush (optional)
  • Gloss for sealing (optional)

Here's the image I used:
But if you have a funky sized bottle cap you can use this image and size it as you wish.

Now you want to create the little loop for you cord to go through. To do this grab your wire and a paintbrush or any object that you can loop around. The wire length should be about 2 inches.

Then you...

twist.

Place the wire into the bottle cap.

Mold you polymer clay until it is soft and fill up the back of your bottle cap.
Now you want to bake your bottle cap face down on parchment paper in the oven according to the directions on the package.
While it baked I took the time to cut out the image and slowly eat some pecan pie (dumb show reference if you don't get it just move on, if you do good for you).
Now remove it from the oven and make sure you wait for it to cool before you touch it, it is metal and it was in the oven.

Since the color of bottle cap was not the one I desired, I painted the edges with red acrylic paint. However, you can be smart and buy a bottle of Coke. If you did just proceed to the next step. If not wait for it dry and then you can go on. Still, you have to admit the paint makes for a good shot for a post about a vampire show.

Glue away, I used puzzle glue, but go ahead and experiment, you might find something better.
Also, I would suggest using a gloss of some kind to make it blend better. I didn't have any so it doesn't look as finished as it could.

Now for the finished product...


modeled by a shifter.

That's it. I bet you guys can guess what I'm watching tonight.

Talk to you soon.
Sponzar