International Customizing Equine Event (ICEE) 2022

 

I decided to try to complete the model I started LAST year. I see a theme here don't you! hahaha. See link HERE.

Project model must be 50% or more horse "body". Completed model is to be equine, other Equids (mule, donkey, zebra, etc.) or equine-like (unicorn, pegasus, hippocampus, seahorse, centaur and other mythical or fantasy horse-like creature).

Only 3-D models will be included in the project model category.

However, ICEE encourages participants to also complete any number of 2-D and non-equine projects for the "I Also Made This!" category they wish within the 2 month period of the Event.

For 2021 (and now 2022), I decided to do one of my favorite Stablemate molds as a horse from the Star Wars the Rise of Skywalker movies - an Orbak!! 

As you can see I did not get very far last year! Well here is to finishing it this year! And the whole month of October I never worked on it 😦

I never got the chance to work on him in October and in November, I managed to get some work done on him on Monday the 28th and complete him on Wednesday the 30th just in time for the deadline completion of the ICEE Event!! WOOO HOOO!!!

YMCA Christmas Craft Class

 This was held Tuesday the 29th and was an Ornament making event. We could do flat ornaments or wood cut ornaments - I chose to do both.

My first flat one was awful and I don't have a picture of it because the markers all bled through and messed it up. But I am pleased with the other two. 

The Snowman was done in markers then torched to darken the color with a wood torch and his heart is a wood burn. 

The flat ornament was just Merry Christmas in red markers but I like how it turned out. 

Model Horse and Action Figure Monthly Art Challenge - November 2022

 

It's always hard to put what you are grateful and thankful for into something people will understand when it comes to art, especially model horses or action figures. I started thinking in October what it could be and came up with TIME. 

I started with this model - the Breyer Classic American Saddlebred (1:12 scale). 

Then added some FUN stuff to make him Steampunk like with clocks and parts.

Then I put the magic sculpt on the areas that I wanted. 

And then it was time for Primer - I used primer specific to the color shifting paint that I was going to be using. 

I did him in Pink color shifting paint with gold/bronze acrylic paint and black glitter paint. 

 

YMCA Sip and Paint Class

 This was a fun event Saturday night the 26th that was advertised as sip Mock Tails (mock cotails) and paint. Due to some changes it ended up being Hot Chocolate night and painting, but that was A-Okay. 

We were painting with water colors. Water colors are NOT my favorite medium, they never have been. But there were two young women that were very good at them that were helping the rest of us. 

I think with practice and the hints I was given, I will get better at water colors. 

It was a fun night and something I don't do all the time, and would do it again.

YMCA Candle Making Class

This was a simple class held Monday, November 21, on melting parafin, adding color and scent and then pouring the candle. 

It was a learning experience because candle wicks can sink into the hot wax, or break or get off kilter and when it burns, only burns half the candle. 

My candle had a crooked wick and didn't come out the color I was trying for but it was fun and a nice get together with co-workers. 

YMCA Soap Making Class

 The YMCA of the Rockies, where I work, do staff related activities. I signed up for a Soap Making Class on Monday, 11/14/2022. It was nice. 

It was very basic, but very fun.

It started with a melting pot and melting bars of glycerin

Then we put the melted glycerin in these blue rubber pots and added coloring, scents, and fills (lavender leaves or rose leaves). 

Then poured them into molds. 

The molds sat for 24 hours and I picked up my completed soap bars on Tuesday during lunch. It was fun and I am excited to try this on my own sometime. 

Making Laser Engraved Wax Seals

 

Today was a day of stepping out of my comfort zone. It started on November 7 with going to a Get Published class with Deborah Bouziden. 

Besides the Universal Class that the library has, and I have done several classes already, the Estes Valley Library has a Maker Space - this has computers, 3-D printers and so much more. I have signed up for a ton of classes. 

Today was making a Laser Engraved Wax Seal. 

First of all a design was needed. I used my Elk Star Ranch logo. 

I then had to take the pink color out and rotate the image to face backwards. It was then loaded and fixed into Adobe Illustrator. Once that was done, it was sent to the laser printer at the Library. 

It was very cool to see it and to see the outcome. 

Then I superglued it onto the handle. 

I did a test print and it looks alright. 

This was a cool experience and I am excited to use my Wax Seal. I am also very excited to try this again with some other things to use for stamps. I have somet other classes coming up in December and I am very excited for those. I plan on doing some blogs on those. 

Check out your local libraries to see if they have fun classes like these! It just takes a library card.