I know a ton of you have been waiting for this one. Teaching you to make your own plastic keychains!
To start off, I think the biggest question everyone has is what I use to make them. I work with shrink film. You might be familiar with Shinky Dink brand shrink film as a kid. I use Grafix brand white inkjet shrink film. The inkjet kind is relatively pricey compared to the regular kind. If you’re using regular, I don’t recommend you stick it in your printer. Sharpie markers would be good for that.
Alright, now open up the file with the images that you’re working with. Make sure your images are a lot bigger than you want your finished product to be since they shrink significantly.
You’ll also want to lighten the opacity to about half. I go somewhere between 50-60%.
Now print your image out! I’ve found that it works best for me when I have it at the plain paper setting, and standard print quality.
Holepunch with a 1/4” holepuncher BEFORE you shrink them. It’s so much more work to have to punch holes when your plastic is thick!
Cut out your design, leaving the amount of border you want.
Set them on a tray for convenience. An aluminum foil sheet works too, but I recommend cookie trays because they are easier and quicker to get out of the oven.
Preset heat. Your shrink film package will tell you what temperature to set it at, but I find that it isn’t always accurate for me. I generally set temperature to 350 degrees or so.
Put them in the oven. Remember to keep track of time! I leave them in for about a minute and a half.
After time is up they should be super small! Magic!
If your charms are not flat, put something heavy on it right out of the oven when they are still hot and malleable.
If you’d like to, you can seal them now. In my last two batches, I used clear topcoat nail polish. The problem with that is that I need between 3-5 coats of it, and it takes a while to dry. I’ve been experimenting with modpodge.
For lariats, you can use jump rings or lobster clasps.
Here is one that I made that wasn’t sealed. The finished texture after shrinking is a little bit rough. There’s nothing wrong with leaving them unsealed, but because they are inkjet printed, the colors wash right of without protection.
This is one that was sealed with modpodge. The colors become a little more vibrant and smooth and water resistant. Things often get stuck on when applying or drying so be careful.
These ones down here were sealed with clear nail polish. They come out shiny if you put enough coats, but the grainy texture will still be there.
Well, there ya go! Have fun making your own keychains!
Homemade Banana Nut Muffins
I had some REALLY ripe bananas lying around and wanted to do something with ‘em. I found this recipe on Food Network and oh my god, they came out SO good! They were really easy to do, too!!
Total amount of time from start to finish: ~45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups smashed bananas (about 4 to 6 bananas)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cups chopped walnuts (almonds, or any nut you prefer)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly brush a 12-muffin tin with butter and set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk the banana, oil, milk, eggs, salt, and vanilla in a large measuring cup with a spout or another bowl.
Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the center; then stir with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened but still lumpy. Do not overmix the batter or your muffins will come out dense. Gently stir in the nuts. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin.
Put the muffins in the oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking. (Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin to check if it is done. Toothpick should come out clean). Cool muffins in the pan on a rack for a couple minutes. Turn the muffins out of the pan and cool on the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
More recipes here
LOOK AT THIS GODDAMN DRINK, SO BEAUTIFUL.
IT’S CALLED ‘ITALIAN SODA’
BECAUSE ITALIANS KNOW HOW TO DO FUCKING EVERYTHING PERFECTLY. JESUS FUCK, LOOK AT THAT SHIT. PASTA AND PAINTINGS AND NOW THEY’VE MADE SODA INTO A FACE-SMASHING ART!
HOW THE HELL DO YOU MAKE SOMETHING THIS FLAWLESS?
WELL SAUNTER INTO THE KITCHEN, MY LOVELY LITTLE SHITS, BECAUSE IT’S TIME TO GET COOKING!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED INCLUDE SOME WATER, SUGAR, HALF-AND-HALF CREAM AND CLUB SODA,THEN BLUEBERRIES OR STRAWBERRIES.
FIRST, YOU’LL MAKE SOME FUCKING FRUIT SYRUP. IF YOU FEEL LIKE CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST IN YOUR UNDERWEAR, BLUEBERRIES IS PROBABLY BEST FOR YOU, AND YOU’LL NEED 3 CUPS OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL DARLINGS.
IF YOU WANT TO WRESTLE SOME GREAT WHITE SHARKS WITH A DEER HAUNCH STRAPPED TO YOUR ASS, THEN STRAWBERRIES SOUNDS LIKE THE BETTER FLAVOR FOR YOUR FLAWLESS MOUTH. YOU’LL NEED 4 CUPS OF CHOPPED STRAWBERRIES.
PICK YOUR FRUIT AND STICK WITH IT!
SHOVE 2 CUPS OF WATER INTO A POT, WITH 2 CUPS OF SUGAR! KEEP THAT SHIT ON ‘HIGH’ TEMPERATURE AND STIR UNTIL IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THICK WATER.
PREPARE YOUR BODY, BECAUSE THIS SHIT IS MAGNIFICENT.
JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE AND TOSS THE 4 CUPS OF STRAWBERRIES OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND INTO YOUR POT.
ALTERNATELY, IF YOU’RE FEELING LIKE A LAZY SHIT, YOU CAN SCOOP THE FRUIT UP WITH YOUR HANDS AND DUMP THEM INTO THE POT LIKE A FUCKING WUSS.
LET IT BOIL FOR 10 MINUTES, WHILE YOU’RE WAITING, YOU CAN GO SWALLOW A FUCKING TIME VORTEX TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE, BUT GET BACK IN TIME TO TAKE THAT SHIT OFF THE HEAT.
PUT A BOWL UNDER YOUR STRAINER BEFORE YOU SHOVE YOUR MIXTURE INTO IT, BECAUSE YOU’RE SAVING THE SYRUP, AND THE FRUIT ALREADY DID ITS JOB.
SHOVE THIS DELICIOUS SYRUP SHIT INTO A CUP SO IT’LL BE EASIER TO HANDLE. I MAKE DOUBLE BATCHES AND KEEP THE EXTRA STUFF IN A BOTTLE MADE FROM CRYSTALLIZED TIME LORD TEARS AND CHILDREN’S LAUGHTER.
SHOVE YOUR SYRUP IN THE FREEZER FOR AN HOUR, BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO COOL THE FUCK DOWN!
NOW GET OUT YOUR JESUS FUCK THIS IS SO FANCY TYPE OF GLASSES, HELL, MAYBE YOU FEEL LIKE USING YOUR ANCIENT CRYSTAL CHAMPAGNE FLUTES, WHAT THE FUCK EVER. I DON’T GIVE A FUCK
FILL THOSE BEAUTIFUL BASTARDS WITH ICE.
FILL ¼ OF THE CUP WITH YOUR SYRUP.
THEN GET IT UP TO THE ¾ POINT WITH CLUB SODA.
AND TOP IT OFF WITH SOME HALF-AND-HALF.
BEAUTIFUL BOUNCING TITTIES THAT LOOKS WONDERFUL.
STIR THAT SHIT UP AND ENJOY YOUR FUCKING ITALIAN SODA!Tumblr just make a whole cook book already.
Character Animation: Design, Acting, and Expressions
Since these 3 asks were really popular and I’ve had some requests to make them rebloggable, I thought I’d compile them. :)
Q: Do you have any tips/resources for how to get the “acting” in animation?
Getting personality in the character is probably one of the toughest things to accomplish in animation. And since every character is different, there’s no set formula either, so this is definitely a good subject to bring up.
A lot of it boils down to what they talk about in that article:
- Believability - i.e. emotions, thought process, reactions, and consistency in attitude.
- Personality - we usually have characters that fit into the archetype (hero, villian, love interest, etc) but we also have to think about how they bend archetypes. What makes them different/interesting?
A really good way to learn about this kind of acting is to study it.
A lot of the acting comes from characters’ interactions with each other and seeing their different responses to the same situation.
Also the character silhouette and pose is really important.
Take a look at the photoset from Cats Don’t Dance. You can see the extreme acting differences between Danny and Sawyer in the scene outside of the casting office.
You may also want to look at these:
Q: I’ve been trying out different styles as well as expressions for character’s lately and I’ve been having a hard time. Figuring how to make the expressions and actions look more natural on the character, I was wondering if you had any good advice or knew of any books.
One of the best things you could read on this subject is Tracy J. Butler’s Lackadaisy: Notes on Expressions
You may also want to pick up Tom Bancroft’s Creating Characters With Personality
But first and foremost, think about the character’s personality—that shapes the expressions the most. Each character has their own set of expressions.
And one last thing—I wish I could have found the video from the Beauty & the Beast DVD where Glen Keane talks about his process of creating the Beast and his expressions, but I couldn’t find it online. So if you have it on DVD, I highly suggest you watch the behind the scenes stuff. In the meantime you can read this and this on it. :)
Q: Do you have any advice on how to start designing/creating an appealing character?
Appeal can be very much “in the eye of the beholder,” but that’s not say there aren’t some principles we can all agree on. Things to focus on are line quality, straights v.s. curves (line style/variety), proportion, and shape.
Freddie Moore, who supervised the dwarves in Snow White, is known for his appealing drawings. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston even said he was huge influence on the overall Disney style. The Freddie Moore Girl
Freddie didn’t really have a formula; it’s just how he drew. So, creating appeal can be hard to figure out, especially if it doesn’t come as naturally to us as it might to someone like Fred Moore.
But we can look at what we think are appealing characters and try to pull something from them.
Nico Marlet has some really appealing designs:
As well as Chris Sanders:
- Character Design Notes - one of the biggest, most helpful blogs on designing characters. Lots of different styles and artist interviews. Bookmark it!
I could put more, but really, what’s appealing in my eyes may not be as appealing to you or others here, so the best way is to go out and look for what appeals to you and to read up on the artists who drew them. Hopefully this helped! :)
God Tier Jade- Shoes Tutorial
Hey there! So, I’ve been working on a God/Dog Tier Jade cosplay, but was having TERRIBLE luck in the hunt for the perfect shoe! (Apparently size 9.5 red flats are a real rarity. Who knew?)
Luckily, I found mirrordivis’s tutorial on how she made a pair of Jade’s ruby slippers, so I decided to give it a shot myself, with a few changes. SO! Here’s how it went! :D
Here’s everything I used:
*One pair of white flats from Payless (“Lower East Side” brand in “White Chelsea”)
*Tulip brand Fabric Spray Paint in “Christmas Red”
*Mod Podge, in Gloss
*Joann’s Craft Essentials Glitter in Red
(Read more under the cut!)
