What to look for in a good beginner's sewing machine?

Most entry-level sewing machines should do fine for sewing apparel, and can even  handle a few thicknesses of denim (reviews are good for this sort of info). I would recommend going for a well-known brand rather than e.g. a vintage secondhand machine. That way if you have any issues, it will be easier to get support at a local sewing shop, from the manufacturer, when buying parts, etc.

Basic features and stitches:

Running stitch
Zig zag
Adjustable tension and stitch length
Backstitch function
Zipper foot
Maintenance kit (brushes, tweezers, screwdriver, etc.)

These should be standard for any modern machine. You probably will want a buttonhole function and a rolled hem presser foot (huge time-savers IMO). Other specialty presser feet (clear, teflon, etc.) can typically be bought aftermarket - another benefit of buying a well-known-brand, but these should get you through most of your projects.

Once you've brought it home, don't forget to read the manual and give it a cleaning regularly! It's also a good idea to keep it covered when not in use, to prevent dust buildup - some machines come with a cover or case, but you could always make your own.

  With the machine what else would be needed (other than fabric)?

You'll also need:

Thread (in spools, or cones if you have a cone holder - cones are often cheaper per yard)
Empty bobbins
Needles (ballpoint for knit, universal for most everything else; the machine will likely come with a few, but you'll need to replace them as they get dull)

And some general sewing tools, which you probably already have some of if you've been hand-sewing:

Fabric scissors
Seam ripper
Pins
Chalk or disappearing marker for transferring pattern markings
Hand-sewing needles for finishing touches
Iron (ok, it's not strictly necessary, but it will make your results look much more professional if you press everything)

There are many other sewing accessories out there to play with, but those are the important ones.

One last note - steer clear of "hand-held" or "travel" sewing machines. These are small and cheap, typically intended for quick repairs. You don't have to spend a fortune (the model I have is currently $140 on Amazon), but going too cheap and ending up with a finicky, flimsy machine might turn you off from sewing altogether!


Can you use acrylic gesso for oil paint?

The short answer is yes, you can.

Longer answer is that there is a some uncertainty around using an acrylic gesso for oil, but it's clear that doing it right makes a real difference here. If you take the appropriate steps and properly prepare for oils, it should be fine.

The Artist's Network has a really good article on the topic and the essentials really boil down getting the right level of tooth in the final result so as to maximize the ability of the oil to adhere to the surface.


Is there a cheaper alternative to aluminum wire for armatures?

A couple of alternatives.

Firstly, cheap and cheerful, use metal clothes hangers (normally given free from the dry cleaners). However, this would only offer you a limited range of gauges.

Secondly, pop down to your local DIY/Garden Centre. They will have a large selection of fencing & plant growth materials. You will find all sorts of wire used for fixing trellises, plant growth leads, etc.

Final alternative is to strip out the copper conductor from old electrical cable.

  Make sure that the cable is disconnected from any electrical source

This will provide you with a selection of gauges depending on the conductor size. However, once you get above 4mm you find that the conductors aren't solid but in strands.

Of the above, the local DIY/Garden Centre will yield the best results.


What is way to make the painting where it seems as if colors in it have been splashed on it?

The process is called working wet into wet.
Wet into wet means the paint medium (be it water colour, acrylic paint, oil paint, ink) is applied to a surface still "wet" with solvent/medium.

The solvent used to apply the previous layer of paint is still present on the surface where the new layer is being applied. The solvent has not yet evaporated (or the oil oxidized). With the solvent still present on the surface any additional paint added to the surface will dissolve as it makes contact with the solvent.

Depending on the surface the paint is applied to different effects are achieved. Paper, wood panel and canvas are very different surfaces on which paint can be applied. If the solvent is infused into the painting surface (such as the fibre weave of a canvas or paper) then the paint will, through capillary action, be drawn into the surface.

Solvent that only sits on the surface (such as when applied to a hard panel board or onto dried paint surface) will only draw the applied paint to where the solvent is present. The wetter the surface (more solvent present) the paint will dissolve further into the surface. But since it's solvent the paint will be further diluted and thinned.

Controlling the wetness of the surface controls how far the applied paint is allowed to diffuse and expand from the point of application.


It's not likely, but first let's talk about "plastic".

There's two main kinds used on toys are PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). PVC is a bit flexible, and ABS is the rigid stuff (used to make harder shells, smaller children's toys, and stuff like LEGO blocks). You can generally tell something is PVC if it has a little bit of a give, or you can dig your fingernail into it slightly.

Either way, most people I know consider super glue a safe fix for action figures and other toys. Aside from repairing them, some will apply a small amount to ball/socket joints to stiffen them up, or on top of custom paint jobs to act as a sealant.

Permabond, an adhesive company, even suggests that cyanoacrylates are ideal for PVC and also for ABS. However, ABS tends to me smoother and breaks more cleanly, so it may not be effectively bonded by super glue.

One thing to note about cyanoacrylates is that they have pretty low shear strength, which means if you're applying them to a part that's got movement, especially one that can be twisted, then the repaired piece is likely to just twist off.

An alternative is to use two-part epoxies, such as Devcon. They'll bond PVC and ABS both. However, they take a bit longer to dry and cure and they also have terrible fumes while they're being mixed, so you need proper ventilation. This bonds become much more durable to all types of pressure and use. They have not yet, in my experience, damaged a plastic.

Another alternative for ABS plastic is to use a plastic weld solvent, such as bondene or plastruct brand. These solvents actually bond the separate parts together using a chemical reaction that fuses a thin layer of each part together. So, it's making the two broken pieces one fused piece, instead of two pieces with an adhesive between them. This is the same type of substance that toy manufacturers use when they are sealing toy parts together (such as the front and back of a figure's chest, or either half of a toy gun). This bond is fairly strong, and generally needs high pressure and some heat to break.


You should not handle toner powder at all without a high quality filter mask and potentially safety glasses. Loose toner is a health risk for the respiratory system due to it's particle size. It's not toxic, but some studies compare it's effects to the fine dust of diesel exhaust or even asbestos. You should at least expect an irritation or even inflammation of the upper respiratory system. (Source1, source2)

In any case, have a look at the material safety data sheet of the toner cartridge you want to open before exposing yourself and others to the powder.

Apart from the health issues, the melting tempetature of toner is 120°C / 250°F (which is lower than that of embossing powder) and at that temperature it should have a viscosity of oil (Source, PDF). But I doubt that you could cast anything in toner, especially left-over toner from an empty cartridge, because the volume of melted toner is much less than the powder would suggest.

I have no experience with embossing, but as far as I know it works pretty much like laser printing. You make a powder stick to certain areas on paper, then melt the powder to fuse it with the paper. You should be able to achieve the same effect with toner. I just propose using a heat source that doesn't blow the toner all over the place like a heat gun would do. Due to the small particle size I wouldn't expect it to feel any different from a laser printed paper.

A more practical approach could be binding the toner in a liquid and using it like an ink. You should be able to stack up a thicker layer of toner that way and achieve the desired 3 dimentional effect. In this video she mixes loose toner powder with isopropyl alcohol and a bit of school glue to get a fairly liquid ink / paint. And in this one she uses a different recipe for toner paint, and at around 13:20 minutes you see how shiny the toner got from being melted.


What is the name of this drawing style of images?

Wouldn't say this is really a specific art type but "Naïve figurative marker drawing" or "cartoon style marker art" come to mind.


What type of color should I use to color my shoes?

Shoe dye exists, in versions for leather and suede.  They should work reasonably well on natural fibres but the effect on synthetic fibres is less reliable (try applying, leaving to dry, then rinsing well).  Any plastic (e.g. vinyl) bits won't take dye.

Overall it's crucial to know what your shoes are made of before you start.


Should I consider watercolor wash outlines mistakes?

You get these outlines when the pigment collects on the edges of the water you have laid down. This happens when you use a lot of water, causing the pigment to float around in the "puddle" and gravitate towards the edges as it dries (if you're interested in the physics, there's even a name for it: the coffee ring effect!).

To avoid these outlines, you need to use less water when you lay down the color. You should have enough water to wet the entire area, but not so much that it puddles on the paper. You may find that you need to dilute your pigment more - before the wash - to achieve the same color. (Note that diluting pigment is not the same as using lots of water to apply it!)

This will involve some amount of experimenting to get a "feel" for how much water is necessary. Also, consider using a smaller brush since you mention yours sometimes holds too much water. I would recommend trying different ratios on a scrap piece of paper to see what works best with your pigments.


Aerosol block out/filler for screen printing?

I don't know of any spray on screen filler but you may want to look into trying some light sensitive photo emulsion.  Its kind of like taking a photograph, basically you cover the screen with the emulsion, let it dry, place the leaves on top of the emulsion, and expose it to light.  The light will harden the emulsion all over the screen except where the leaves have blocked out the light.  You wash/scrub the remaining emulsion out of unexposed spots.  Since the emulsion is light sensitive, you'll need to keep it in the dark until your ready to expose it, any room with out windows, or with the light completely blocked out will work.  You'll also need to use a red light while working with the emulsion in the dark.  I've used Diazo photo emulsion but there are plenty of brands out there.  You can find it online or at one of the chain arts and crafts stores.  Its not too tough to do, this is how I make my screens.

Here's a link to more detailed instructions from the manufacturer.

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/DOWNLOADS/INSTRUCTIONS/DIAZO%20Instructions.pdf


There are lots of alternatives to Borax online for making "slime," but I don't think the rubbery texture will work for you. The closest non-Borax idea I found that might meet your needs is to use either colored Jello or plain powdered gelatin (it's often in the vitamin supplement section of a drug store or pharmacy, or in a grocery store in the baking products aisle), add the amount of boiling water that after mixing well will flow enough for painting, but will dry down enough not to be sticky.

You should probably experiment with different amounts of water and /or gelatin, as well as different cooling times, before applying, but this is a really simple, inexpensive, legal "recipe" and has the added benefit of being edible.


How can I recreate/restore small text and graphics on a painted surface?

There is blank decal media which you can print on with an ink jet printer.  It is sold online and at hobby shops which cater to plastic model builders.  Apply them to your clean plastic surface using a wet-on-wet technique.  Then clear coat the entire surface to blend in the decal edges.

Here are some more tips on using decals.

Also, practice repeatedly on a similar piece of plastic before trying this on your restoration.


What home printer is capable of printing on board book pages

After about a week of scouring the web I found a forum that mentions using an HP Photosmart Pro B9180. This is a semi-pro printer. It has an option for a straight paper path and can print on items up to 1.5mm thick which is enough for my 42pt paperboard media stock.

It is no longer made so you have to go to the used market. Refurbished units seem to be about $400. Not cheap but certainly better than the $1000-20,000 pro versions.

Con: this printer is not for amateurs and guzzles expensive ink.


Which glue should I use for fabric-shaping?

You have quite a few options:

PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue (a.k.a. 'school glue', 'wood glue', or 'carpenter’s glue'; a type of white glue that dries transparent. Furthermore, it's non-toxic, easy to apply, affordable, has water resistant variants (that deter mould and the like), fast-drying, and has a high holding strength. source

  Dilute the glue using equal parts of glue and water and mix
  continuously to obtain a paste with an even consistency. Apply the
  glue with a paintbrush. Craft the fabric into the desired shape and
  leave to dry. Apply more coats, depending on how stiff you want your
  material to be.
  Another way to stiffen the fabric is to immerse it into a bucket filled with diluted glue. The solution can be more or less concentrated, depending on the effects you want to obtain. Squeeze the fabric to remove the excess solution, shape it and allow to dry. source

GAC 400 (from Golden Artist Colors; an acrylic polymer). A commercial product specifically aimed at giving permanent shape to paper and fabrics:

  Stiffens natural fibers and fabrics and is useful for stiffening
  unprimed canvas or sculpting and shaping fabric. Fibers saturated with
  GAC 400 will dry to a hard, stiff film. source

It can be heat-set, to increase its permanency and stiffness.
Fabric stiffeners for crafting purposes (like Mod-Podge 'Stiffy' (great marketing there)). Apply with a brush onto the shaped fabric, or immerse the fabric and directly apply it to the mould.
See here and here for examples.
Wallpaper paste (methylcellulose). Again: apply with a brush onto the shaped fabric, or immerse the fabric and directly apply it to the mould.
Liquid Starch (corn or potato starch, or commercial products such as Sta-Flo). Mix with water, and, again, apply with a brush onto the shaped fabric, or immerse the fabric and directly apply it to the mould. Apparently this is also used to give denim jeans heavier wear (fading/creasing). This post on that process shows a pair of jeans standing up by themselves, so I guess this a good option. Here are some recipes for making the glue.
Skin glue: another traditional, organic, gelatine-like glue, made from skin and bones of rabbits, hares, and other animals. It usually comes in small grains or powder, which can be found in artist shops. Mixing it with water and heating it up yields a very strong, slightly yellow drying glue. I use it regularly in my artistic work to stiffen fabric, and it's wonderful stuff (as long as it doesn't go bad). See this link for more information on the preparation (and/or ask here if you have any more questions). Once more: you can soak the cloth in the glue solution, or apply it with a brush. It is, however, relatively sensitive to moist.
Epoxy resin: more information following.


What thicknesses of leather are suitable for book binding?

Traditionally leather should be about 1.00 mm thick for bookbinding. I have used leathers that are much thicker as well as leathers that are thinner. The thinner leather poses its' own problems. It can tear quite easily.

Years ago I did some bookbinding with some rather thick leather. Probably something comparable to what you have at the moment.

You should be able to use the leather at hand, but there are a few things one needs to be aware of first.

You need to learn how to tapper the edges of the leather with a sharp paring knife to finish the  turn-ins and corners. It takes some practice and patience. The paring knife must be sharp at all times.

The paring knife (third from the left) is similar to the one I used to use for tapering the leather.

More Paring Knives!

Basic Paring Stages for Leather

Do the leather tapering (paring) in five stages and practice on some old pieces until you feel comfortable working with the knife.

PS. Be very careful.


How to prevent "tufts" in paper when cutting fine details?

A big factor to this would be to make sure your cuts are straight and not at an angle. If your cuts meet on top but are not completely vertical then a tuft would appear on the bottom of the paper, for example. This can be hard to work with since the blade of a craft knife is already at an angle. This leads into one possible solution.

Depending on what you are willing to get away with as far as quality or experience, one surefire way to try and address this is to over-cut your lines just a bit. When trying to meet at an edge or a corner it sounds like you are coming a bit short. That is what is creating the tufts. If you over-cut the line just a bit that should account for that and make the corner or edge clean. Problem with this approach is if done wrong you can cut too far in which can ruin the piece.

You don't even have to do it too much. Just enough to account for my first paragraph.

I am sure you are already doing this but for the sake of completeness your cutting surface plays a role here. Something simple like a self healing cutting mat will help prevent your paper from moving too much. Sometimes changes in hand pressure can move the paper enough that it starts to pull away from the cut line. A proper mat should help immobilize the work more.

  Usually I use printer paper or origami paper.

Not sure if this is the best advice, as it could be tedious to consider, but common computer/printer paper has a grain direction. If you look at a common 8 1/2 x 11 you should see that the fibers are lined up from top to bottom. You can also "feel" this when you bow the paper in opposite directions. Folding it from top to bottom has a little more resistance that it does from the left and right sides.

Point being if you are making cuts it is that second cut that will be an issue. If you can make it so the second cut is the one that cross the grain of the paper it is less likely to tear off. Holding the paper behind the cut can also help mitigate this.

I cut out a lot of names printed from fancy fonts and this happens to me as well.


What type of glue to stick paper on paper without curling?

Glue stick doesn’t curl paper. You have to be careful what brand you chose, though (some just don’t stick well). Of the ones I know UHU stic would be a good choice – it’s quite strong.


What should I look for when I look for sewing machine needles?

Home sewing machines use the same style of needle. Any store that sells sewing supplies for home crafters (as opposed to manufacturers) should have that type of sewing machine needles, and only that type. If they have multiple brands of sewing machine needle, any brand should work, and the choice is merely one of brand preference. The part that fits into the machine is round with one flat side.
Needles are chosen based on what type of fabric you plant to sew, not based on the machine brand. If you plan to sew normal garment fabrics, get universal needles. You'll need specialized needles for certain types of fabric: stretchy knit fabrics, thick and tough fabrics like denim or upholstery fabric, leather, or for quilting. Here's a basic "choose the right type of needle" guide for more details.
That said, it's a good idea to consult your machine's user manual to make sure your machine doesn't have unique requirements. If you don't have the user manual, you should make your next project finding a replacement copy. Most sewing machine manuals are available somewhere on the internet for download, although be sure your virus protection software is up to date before downloading anything. Or you may be able to find a physical copy for sale. Once you have a manual, treat it like an essential part of the machine, and always keep it with your sewing machine so it doesn't get lost.
This site seems to be the official site for the Lidl Silvercrest brand sewing machine, and it has manuals you can download, as well as some maintenance and troubleshooting information you can view without downloading anything. Based on a few of the diagrams I could see, it does appear that this brand uses the normal home sewing machine needle.


Sewing machine problem: machine won't tighten the loops under the material

The bobbin case rocking back and forth is normal! In order to form a stitch, the top thread has to cross under the bobbin thread and back up. It does that by looping all the way around the bobbin case - you're seeing the wiggle room to allow that, called the escapement.

It is hard to say what the problem might be from your question, but has the machine been oiled recently? Cleaning, oiling, and new needle cure a lot of machines.


How can I decorate on a mug or plate with paper?

You can use mod podge (decoupage glue) to decoupage your paper designs onto the mugs and plates - there are many tutorials for decoupage all over the he internet.
Once your decoupaged mugs / plates are completely dry and cured (leave it for a few days to be sure) you can apply several thin coats of a water based polyurethane varnish (leaving plenty of time for each layer to dry) to seal it and make it food and dishwasher safe.


How can I do my Poké Ball decreases so they appear tighter?

I think you'll enjoy trying what's called the "invisible decrease".

By running through two stitches but not actually making the base of both of them, it tightens up the space and only shows a single stitch. It can actually be challenging to see where the decrease is after it's completed.

From the linked article (there are images included for both right and left-handed users to help if you visit the blog):

  Insert the hook into the front loop of the first stitch (2 loops on hook). DO NOT YARN OVER:
  Insert the hook into the front loop of the next stitch. To do this, you’ll need to swing the hook down first so you can insert the hook under the front loop. (3 loops on hook)
  Yarn over and draw through the first two loops on the hook. (2 loops on hook)
  Yarn over and draw through both loops on the hook. Invisible decrease completed

As a note, because this is specifically geared towards amigurumi figures, it expects that you're using single crochets. I'm not sure if there's an adjustment that allows this to work with other size stitches.

To compare, here are images that show the three options for decreases.

These first two images are skipping a stitch and the standard single crochet two together (sc2tog). In both cases, the decrease is pretty obvious.

And here's what the invisible decrease looks like, which is nearly indistinguishable compared to the other two:


How to Create a Perforated Piezoelectric Disc (aka atomizer)?

This has all the markings of an Engineering SE question.
According to a number of websites, American Piezo included, the commercially produced product is composed of various materials, but include a ceramic/crystalline component.

A traditional piezoelectric ceramic is a mass of perovskite ceramic
crystals, each consisting of a small, tetravalent metal ion, usually
titanium or zirconium, in a lattice of larger, divalent metal ions,
usually lead or barium, and O2- ions.

One can expect the ceramic/crystalline component is what contributes to the brittle characteristic of the material. Traditional cutting tools are likely to create as much damage as the attempt to puncture created.
A carefully controlled water jet may be able to create a hole, but the size is not likely to be as small as you desire. According to Accurate Water Jet, you can get holes in 3 mm material as small as 500 microns but the diameter is not going to be consistent. The process involves forcing high pressure water with abrasive directly at the surface, which results in spray back along with a sideways vector, abrading the upper portion of the hole. The size is outside of your requirements, which makes this an exercise in futility.
Abrasion applied by a rotating object may be a solution. I've read of glass being cut by copper tubing. The tubing is placed in a drill press, a dam of modeling clay constructed around the desired area and water with abrasive poured into the dam. Light pressure and repeated lifting allows fresh abrasive along with cooling. It's not fast, but broken glass is akin to broken ceramic piezo disks.
About the best DIY method you can try would be similar. Buy the tiny bits, but grind the tip flat. Build a dam, load it with jewelers rouge in water suspension and dab away. If you are using an ordinary drill press, consider that the run-out for such a machine may exceed the diameter of the bit. This will result in a larger hole and/or destruction of the bit.
How to determine amount of pressure? Use my favorite method for tightening a screw: apply torque until it snaps, then back off a quarter of a turn. Seriously, too little force will get you farther than too much, for obvious reasons. You aren't trying to force the bit through the ceramic. You're trying to apply the rouge to the disk while it spins.
High speed means higher heat, so a moderate rpm is indicated, along with the light pressure.
In response to OP comment:
I own a CO2 laser and for some reason neglected to consider that as an option. I can create a hole in plywood approximately 0.110 mm, which is still larger than your requirement. I can create similar holes in glass which has properties similar to ceramic and vice versa. Returning from a test moments ago, I've discovered the laser will create coning in a manner similar to that expected of a water jet. The laser creates microscopic fracturing caused by the heat of the laser being absorbed by the glass. In a pane of ordinary window glass, the upper surface was approximately 1.50 mm in diameter when the laser reached the lower surface. The hole in the lower surface was 0.50 mm in diameter.
Diode lasers, which have a lower cost than CO2 lasers will not impact glass due to the different frequency of the beam. The focused beam of a diode laser is rarely a circle or square shape and would not provide a suitable hole either way.


What glass-like material to use for a weapon prop?

It looks like it's meant to be translucent, even illuminated inside. So I'd be tempted to look into casting silicone for the blade, with a hollow core of the right colour, illuminated. Hollow saves weight as well as giving you somewhere to put the LEDs. To do that you'd make a positive master out of softwood and then a mould from that.  Making that blade shape from a single piece of softwood is the work of an hour or two with jigsaw, plane and sander. I'm half way through making a toy sword from softwood:

Another option to try would be working plastic (acrylic or polycarbonate) directly but it's hard to shape with a plane and you won't achieve the 3d shape of the blade with just a saw.

I'm not saying it couldn't be done with thermoplastic, but not by melting - you can't achieve the temperature control to avoid burning unless you've got very fancy kit. And it's the wrong shape to vacuum form. What you probably could do is make a a blade from several sheets solvent bonded together to give a stepped cross-section then sand out the steps. Lots of plastic dust means you'd need good dust extraction.  I've just been sanding some plastic sheet (probably acrylic) to clean up cut edges and make a frosted surface, and it doesn't sand very quickly.

The simple and cheap option is just make it out of softwood and rely on an impressive paint job to get all the colour effects.


What color scheme does the Spongebob character use?

There's a Photoshop trick to find an average color scheme.

Starting with an image, I chose one with the main BobSponge's characters.

From Photoshop apply a Pixelate filter, or choose an Online Pixelate Filter Maker like pinetools.com/pixelate-effect-image. With this you get a small color map from which to extract the most important or essential colors of an image.


How to give a mitt knit in the round a pointy finish?

The pointed shape you seek could be achieved in many ways, as with all things knitted.  Three possible strategies that come to mind are short rows; knitting back and forth with symmetrical edge decreases; and a scalloped edging pattern with symmetrical increases and decreases to form the pointed shape. I am going to suggest the latter, in which the shaping of the point is achieved whilst continuing to knit in the round. This will allow for a continuous bind off, all the way around, which offers a prettier finish than would be possible if you bind off the palm side separately.

I mocked up this example pattern to confirm it would work; it is a modification of a scalloped edging stitch pattern. You will need to mock this up in your specific yarn, needles and gauge, to experiment with how many stitches and rows will provide the depth and width of pointiness you want. This can be modified by the frequency with which the increase/decrease sequence is performed: if performed on every other row, the steepness of the point’s angle will be shallower than if performed on every row.  Also keep in mind that the drama of the point on the back of the mitt can be increased with thorough blocking.

The concepts of shaping knitted pieces can sometimes seem mysterious, but in this case can be explained as follows: to change what would have been a set of straight stockinette rows into a “mountain” or “uplifted” point shape (a scallop), the direction that the stitches lie must be changed from a vertical aspect, to stitches which symmetrically angle outward from a central imaginary line. To achieve this, mirrored increases must be placed on each side of the line.  In order to keep the stitch count the same (which creates a tube of consistent diameter, which does not flare out toward the bind-off edge) there must be one decrease for every increase.  There can be no decreases next to the middle line, or a valley would be formed instead of a mountain.

Mirrored increases and decreases are used, which here in my sample are unfortunately not well-represented, as I inadvertently transposed k2tog and ssk on the first few rows; my apologies...

What this mock-up does show nicely though is how uniform the bind-off is all the way around.  You will want to begin the bind-off on the palm side so that that little transition where the bind-off is completed is not highly visible on the back of the hand...

This little cuff is only about 12 rows, with the increase/decrease sequence performed on 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th rows.

In case you are interested, here are links to some very good tutorials on how to perform the mirrored increases and decreases in the pattern: Tutorials on increases.  Tutorials on  decreases.

Here is the example pattern, to get you started.  This can certainly be provided in written form, if reading charts is not your preferred format.  I hope this helps!


How to properly glue wood to a silicone mold to later fill with another material?

Silicone works well as a mold material because virtually nothing adheres to silicone other than silicone.
CA glue may not be a good choice, as it certainly will not adhere, but also may damage the surface of the mold.
Your best option is to attach the wood to an outside jig or bracket of some sort, which has reference points to the mold that are not adhesive dependent. For example, if you can encase the mold in a box of plywood and drill holes in the plywood for attachment, the insert with an extension arm would drop into the mold in the correct position once the holes on the outside align with the arm.
Without drawings of the mold and insert, I can't generate a mock-up drawing. Words will have to suffice.


Latex will survive at first, but you will need to consider the hardness and any other chemicals that might be in the water. Depending on the water’s properties and the grade of your latex, it might be falling apart sooner rather than later.

I would recommend for your application that you consider using casting silicon, which is a two part component that you will mix and pour into forms. Alternatively you can “brush” it onto fiberglas mesh - or even on top of styrodor foam that you have shaped.

There are also silicon paints that are very robust.

EDIT
Latex is an organic material, and organic materials decompose. Depending upon the aggressiveness of the environment this can happen slowly or quickly. Microorganisms can assist this, as can acidic water or water that has chemical additives, such as chlorine.

Regarding toxicity of silicon, some grades, when hardened, can even be used for food preparation and can withstand great temperature changes.


The Whisper of Glocken by John Worsley: which painting technique is it?

The simple answer is Worsley is using all of the techniques, in combination, for all of the parts!

To be able to analyze a work like this you need to know how each of the mediums are used, ie. the various ways they are applied, how they behave when applied and how they interact with each other.

Some examples:

Crayon makes a variety of marks; broader than a pen-stroke; sensitive
to pressure; shows texture of paper.
Pen uses ink and makes a hard edged stroke of different weights; ink is liquid so it will diffuse in wet areas, be sharp in others, can be brushed for washes, etc...
Gouache is opaque watercolor and is applied by brush; used to make areas of solid and blended colors as well and sharp details; will also diffuse in wet areas.

Experiment with the different mediums cited, both on their own and in combination, to understand what is going on in the artworks and then you can reproduce that style. All of the techniques here have extensive documentation in print and online to get you started.


Possible? Probably

If you have an a soldering iron and some fine wire, you can make a semi permanent bracelet - I say semi permanent rather than permanent because the kind of soldering you do on electronics isn't really designed for mechanical strength, and unless you buy some form of welder (the article you linked mentions arc welders) I'd expect the soldered joint to break before too long.

Advisable? No

You know what else is semi permanent? Scarring. Be very careful before putting a soldering iron anywhere near someone else's wrist, because if you're not then they will probably end up with a different kind of permanent marking than intended.

Alternatives

Instead of welding the bracelet closed, if you're using something with links then you can just close the loop on a normal link instead of a catch using a pair of pliers. This would be just about as strong as welding it (because the other links in the chain won't be welded either), but avoid the need for extreme heat or expensive tools.

If you're still concerned about the strength of the link, you can apply a little bit of glue to it to make sure it says closed.


Different materials that can be used for origami

Tinfoil / aluminium foil
Usually has a 'dirty' look, as all folds will be visible, but is very characteristic and quite easy to work with.

source
Baking paper
Has a beautiful translucent look and warm, light brown colour, which makes your projects look more organic. Good for creating 'origamized' lamps. Or baking stuff inside your origami:

source
Clear or coloured PVC sheets
This is quite a large group of plastics, but I'm referring to any type that is foldable.
Usually, you will be able to crease the folds into place, making it a good option for very clean origami objects. And it's transparent, so it will emphasize the nature of the object even more. And you can use heat to change the material, or get more rigid folds, etc.

source
Polypropylene
More a sub-type of the last category, this is a sturdier type of plastic:

source

For the heavy-duty origamist:

Sheet metal
Not so easy to work with - you need proper tools - but you can make durable, large scale, practical, and sturdy objects out of it. They're easy to spray paint, as well.

source


What is the advantage of having an angled drawing desk?

There are several advantages!
Ergonomics
We'll start with the one you mentioned. If you regularly draw on a horizontal surface, you'll spend a lot of time with your head down. This is terrible for your neck! It can lead to sore, tight muscles. Or, if you have neck problems (like I do), it can be downright painful to even try to draw like that for any length of time.
Perspective
Having the desk at an incline allows you to have a better vantage point of your work. You can more or less have your eyes even with the center of the work piece. This means you're less likely to distort your drawing with perspective problems. When you're head down on a flat surface, your visual focal point is generally aligned to a single spot.
To understand what I mean, take a look at this sidewalk chalk art.
This is how it actually looks:

This is how it looks from a specific vantage point:

In the case of drawing on a flat plane, you may end up drawing a distorted, stretched out image, but your mind perceives it as perfectly proportional.
You can avoid that by using measurements and taking breaks to look at the piece from different angles, but it's a little more work.
Drawing grip
To me, this can be the biggest advantage.
Having an inclined plane allows you to use an underhand or paint brush grip with ease. These grips allow you to control your pencil by using your shoulder and elbow, instead of your wrist. Long, even, consistent lines are possible when using your whole arm. These grips, and your lines, will have a more natural and relaxed feel.
However, these grips aren't necessarily a benefit for all types of drawing. Generally, I'll use them for life drawings and similar work, but not for small character sketches. I still use an inclined drafting desk or tabletop easel whenever I can, though.


Does knitting needle material make a difference in knitting?

This question cannot really be answered.  And the answer to why is both easy and complex.
TL;DR: Start with one kind of needles, it doesn't really matter which kind, preferably one you can borrow, or some cheap ones, and decide after that if it feels right or not.
Like someone already said, knitting needles are made of many different materials, the most common are wood/bamboo, metal and plastic.  But you will find other kinds if you look, like carbon, ivory, bone...
Anyway…

Wood/bamboo needles are usually less smooth and slick, it means that the yarn is less likely to fall of them by accident (their smoothness are relative to how fine their varnish is and has been polished);
Metal needles are very smooth and slick, which means the yarn slides more easily on them, and can be more sharp at the end (because metal can be shaped more easily and is much harder);
Plastic are about between wood and metal in smoothness;
Carbon needles are quite smooth, they usually have metal tips.

You can find whole sets of wooden knitting needles for less than $5. They are fine for beginners, mostly because they are cheap, and will give you an idea of what you like and dislike in needles.
For example, I love knitting with metal needles, because they can be more sharp, which helps a lot for fine lace work, and the yarn slides more smoothly on them and you can knit faster. A good friend of mine hates metal needles because they are cold and it hurts her fingers.
But all of this does not really matter. A beginner needs to begin, so, a beginner will get a ball of yarn, and read the label to know what size of needles they need for this. They will then get a pair of needles of that size and learn how to do a slip knot, a knit stitch, a purl stitch, and they will be on their way.
Now, as per why this does not really matter, well, everyone knits differently. I see it in every class I teach. I always have all my students do the same thing: cast on 15 stitches, do a few rows of knit stitch (which is called garter stitch), and then alternate knit rows and purl rows (giving you stockinette), and while they are all doing the same number of stitches, and rows, their little knitted pieces are all of different sizes. This is because we all hold our needles and yarn differently, we all have a different tension on the yarn, and in the end, our stitches are not all of the same size.
A loose knitter will not be able to knit using metal needles because the stitches will keep falling off, since their knitting is very loose. They will often prefer wooden needles, because they are less smooth, and the stitches are less likely to fall off.
A tight knitter, on the other hand, will have a hard time using wooden needles because the stitches will not want to move easily on the needles, and they will be forced to slide their stitches so that they can continue knitting. They will most likely prefer metal or carbon needles.


Overlock machines (aka sergers) can be very fickle depending on the fabric that you are using. It is a must to have your manual near by and scraps of fabric to sample before starting your project. Especially since a serger will cut the fabric edges when the knife is in place.

Your manual will give you alternate settings and tips for the tension knobs that you show in your picture as well as the feed dog tension. You can also play with the tension to make the serged edges ruffle, especially with knits.

ALSO, be careful with knits! They can really mess up a machine - don't pull or push the fabric in, always let the feed dogs take the knit material.


What is the artstyle called where they have the protagonist large and all the other characters within the perimeter of the protagonist?

It's a form of hierarchical proportion:

Hierarchical proportion is a technique used in art, mostly in sculpture and painting, in which the artist uses unnatural proportion or scale to depict the relative importance of the figures in the artwork.
source

Larger figures in these images play a larger role within the context, have a higher value or authority, are wealthier, more powerful, &c.
It has been used throughout the history of the visual arts:
Well-known examples include religious depictions (e.g. Madonna with Child, the Last Judgment), societal depictions (where those with higher ranks or power are relatively larger, such as family group sculptures from ancient Egypt, or the donors of an artwork), depictions of royalty (think about Egyptian reliefs, or the Stele of Naram-Sin), and narratives (like posters of Star Wars).


Just do it, develop your own style.
You can check out other peoples work and develop your own style from that.
But you will have to develop your own style and not stick in copying others.
When looking at published cartoons you will see a very wide range of styles but also a lot of cartoons that are not well drawn, just enough of a drawing style combined with 'story lines' or 'insight' that makes you come back to the comic every time.

If you are over 13 and not making comic strips all the time, I doubt you will ever be a professional.  When you are 16 or over, send samples of your work to all places that publish comic strips and see if you can get them to answer you.

On the other hand, if you just want to do it for your own fun, you can use all kinds of books or online drawing teaching.

I was going to google a site for you but the search did show up so many results that you will need to do the search yourself so you can select those that attract you or those that you feel are styles you can master.

Start a search with 'drawing comic' and follow one of the sugestions the search sites offers. I followed 'drawing comic book style'
You will get a series of options in videos, in sites that teach you 'all you need to know' as well as sites that combine further options.


You don't need an outer frame.
Here is a way to go about it:


You should consult a professional conservator.

If you're not even sure what kind of paint was used for this painting, chances are high anything you do'll cause more damage.

A conservator can see what kind of paint was used, what may have caused the damage (moisture, too much tension, deterioration of the paint?) and how to effectively stop the damage from spreading. Usually they would have a look at the painting and give you an estimate of the current value as well as an cost estimate for the preservation or repair before you have to decide whether or not you want to engage them.


A couple options appear for your objective. Substitute sewing with fabric glue and apply sparsely. Most bandages of the sort you have pictured are elastic and would not take well to sewing, as you've noted. By the same token, they would also not take well to heavy adhesive application.

One would apply dots of adhesive spaced along the edges where overlapped, allowing the stretchy part to stretch, while keeping the glued portions small and spaced closely enough to avoid gaps but not so close as to eat up the stretch required for a good fit.

One would desire to keep the stretch forces to a minimum while applying the bandages on a suitable model arm and secure the bandages as needed with tape or similar products while the glue cures.

Testing would be desirable to determine how much stretch the glue can handle before failing, then adjust spacing accordingly.

Another option would be to use a carrier sleeve and glove, perhaps slightly oversized if such a factor is not a problem. The sleeve would reduce or prevent the stretching while either stitching or adhesive would secure the bandages in the desired locations. A suitable model would accelerate the process, as noted above. I don't believe it would be a simple matter to machine stitch on a sleeve and hand-stitching would require patience and determination.


My sewing machine is accelerating for an unknown reason

This could be caused by a faulty capacitor in the machine.

See glossary item on this website:

  Electrical sewing machines have a component inside the motor of the machine called a capacitor.  This helps eliminate electrical noise from the motor and prevents the electrical noise from going back into your homes electrical grid.  When capacitors age they can split open and leak electrolytical fluid, which renders them faulty.  Once this happens, the motor of the machine will at times start running by itself.  The best course of action for when this happens is to take it in to get it looked at by a qualified sewing machine technician.

from: https://sewingmachinecentre.nz/pages/glossary#Running-On


Pareidolia

  Pareidolia is the tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as seeing shapes in clouds, seeing faces in inanimate objects or abstract patterns, or hearing hidden messages in music.
  source: Wikipedia

There are many examples on the internet beyond Arcimboldo, just look for Pareidolia in art.

Women Forming A Skull By Salvador Dali


How to regain a row of slipped stitches?

When you have a row of slipped stitches that are too tight to fit back onto the original needle, you can pick them up on a different needle, such as:

Use a much smaller knitting needle. Eg, if you knitted originally on US size 8 needles (5.0 mm), use a US size 4 (3.5 mm) or smaller needle to pick the stitches up. The smaller needle should fit easily through the tight stitches.

If you don't have other sizes of needles, look around your home and see if you have something that could substitute. It just needs to be stiff and skinny. Like a bamboo skewer for cooking.

Use a 16" circular knitting needle. If the stitches are not too tight you can use the same needle size as the original; otherwise use a smaller needle size. Circular knitting needles have a short portion that's the regular thickness of a knitting needle, then a portion of narrow cable. Once the stitches slide over the regular needle onto the cable, you get a little bit of slack because the cable is so much narrower than the needle. (The reason to use a 16" circular needle is that 16" circulars have a shorter portion of regular needle thickness than longer circulars.)
If you don't own a smaller size of needle, use an embroidery needle and scrap yarn. Tie something on the end of the scrap yarn to stop stitches from sliding off. (Lots of things can work for this: a large bead, a pencil, a wristwatch...)
Pass the embroidery needle through each stitch just as if it was a knitting needle. Once all the stitches are safely on the scrap yarn, you can safely transfer them to the original knitting needle. Or if they are extremely tight, transfer them to a knitting needle a size smaller than the original.

Now that the stitches are all on a knitting needle, them with the original size of needle.

PS: On your next project, work on not knitting so tightly. It takes some practice but it will pay off in the end.


What material should I use for the frame of my lighter-than-air craft?

Balsa wood is likely to provide the best strength versus weight ratio of any building material you'll find. Peter Sripol recently posted a YouTube video of his construction, a rigid airship. Pipe cleaners contain a metal spine adding too much weight, in my opinion.
You may want to consider to use thin lines for suspending the gondola. Spectra fishing line is made of the same material as the plastic bags and is notoriously strong. Extending from that line of thought, you could use either balsa struts (hobby shop sourced) or suspend the gondola with strips of plastic from the bags.
Peter attempted to use helium but found it lacked the necessary lifting power. It appears that he used aircraft modeling tissue to keep the weight down, but I suspect your idea of using super thin plastic is a good one.
I have ordinary small trash bags purchased from a big box store. Only yesterday, I measured the thickness of the plastic at 0.0007 inches, 0.0178 mm which may be the thinnest stuff one could find. The bags are relatively large when slit down one side and the bottom, easier to use than a grocery bag, which I now measured at 0.0008 inches thick. At US$4.48 for a box of 80, it's low cost and readily available. If you require a larger contiguous surface area, the same manufacturer offers an 8 gallon size, but I cannot attest to the thickness of that product. There are no specifications for thickness in the product listing. My figures come from direct measurement with a micrometer capable of reading to one ten-thousandth of an inch.

Home Depot lists 0.7 mil (0.0007 inches) drop cloth but I know that the material is not as durable as the trash bags from WM.
Peter Sripol eventually used hydrogen to get the necessary buoyancy for his vessel and typical of Peter, he ignited the craft during its (obviously) last flight. Hydrogen does not explode, but it will burn as it gains access to oxygen. An explosion would require a suitable mix of oxygen and hydrogen, but your dirigible would/should be inflated with only the one component.
EDIT: I did a quick search for black plastic drop cloth and found I was wrong about the thickness. There's some four mill stuff out there. I suggest black if you don't have an objection, as you'll get solar heating benefit as well. There are also those solar balloons that work on the same principle. Inflate, expose to sunlight, watch them float away!


Can I use other brands of window cling in a cricut?

Certainly you can.

Cling material is vinyl and there is nothing special about the product on which Cricut puts its name.

If you go too far afield in acquiring non-brand name supplies you might want to pay attention to the thickness and adjust the material setting for your machine accordingly.


What is the purpose of the ink delivery disks found in most rollerball pens?

Your reasoning actually comes quite close.
I found a quote through Quora, credited to John Lienhard from the University of Houston after having contacted Pilot:

"The trick is to keep just the right amount of ink in contact with the wick that feeds the delicate roller ball tip. The discs are baffles that balance the forces of surface tension against air flow resistance. Regardless of the angle, just the right amount of ink stays in contact with the wick.

The pen's "containers need complex baffles that let surface tension position the liquids", which makes sure that "the pen writes beautifully in any orientation."
In Pilot's words, as used to promote their pens on various commercial websites:

"The V System ink regulator is a direct result of Pilot's fountain pen technology. If excess ink flows from the ink reservoir while writing, it is temporarily stored in the special pen core by capillary action. In that way, amount of ink flowing to the pen point always stays constant. This mechanism ensures that the ink supply remains stable to the last drop."

This disc-system is similar to those found on fountain pens, here called a "finned ink buffering structure":


Since a kneaded eraser works by absorbing the pigment you are erasing along with a little friction to lift the stuff, to keep it healthy keep it away from things it can absorb. Like sand or dust. You also want to keep it dry.
Keeping it off the carpet may not be not so much about keeping it healthy as keeping it from getting stuck in the fibers.
Temperature wise you really do not have to worry. Normal room temperature is fine, it will get soft if you get it really hot, but keep it away from flame or hot surfaces seems obvious. If it gets cold a few minutes in your hands will bring it up to working temperature. I do not think they freeze.
Again, they work by absorbing pigment, though the rubber can get stiff with time (many months as you have noticed). When they get stiff often just stretching them for a while, like stretching taffy, will refresh the eraser. At a certain point they will have absorbed too much and will become useless. It is more a usage thing than a time thing. So expect an unused eraser to last over a year, longer in its wrapper. Keep in mind though, they are designed to be expendable, not archival.


How much fabric is needed in this instructional?

The instructions you've posted call for "two 43" x 65" pieces of fabric." While there are a wide variation of fabric widths available, the standard US widths are (approximately) 45" and 60". As this piece easily fits into a length of 45" fabric (which is often actually closer to 43"), it stands to reason that the pattern is calling for the more common 45" width.

Therefore, you need the called-for 7 1/4 yards of 45" fabric, in an appropriate material (heavy for outdoor use, any for an indoor play tent).

Note that you could also purchase 60" fabric for this project, but you'll have more left over than if you used 45" fabric; patterns that can use either size typically won't call out the width specifically, or will give different yardages for both. Patterns calling for 60" fabric specifically will be explicit about the width, as these patterns generally include pieces that won't fit easily or at all on a 45" wide piece of fabric.


How do I achieve a clean cut of small circles?

You have an easy one, I think. The best tool for cutting the holes you describe, in template plastic is a hole punch, also known as a circle punch. A quick search shows that Amazon has all three sizes you describe.
3/4" - EK Tools circle cutter
1/4" - "Conventional" hole punch - 0.25"
1" - Cady crafts Punch
All of the above are amazon links and you can certainly find other resources, but this should give you a path to take.


What can I do to reduce pain while crocheting?

So I'm a big knitter and crocheter and a musician with tendinitis for the past 20 years. Aside from the standard advice (NSAIDs, massage, etc) there are a few things that you can do to mitigate the situation.

First, make sure that the amount of pressure you're using is the bare minimum amount possible. It may actually take some time to retrain your hands, but it's worth taking the time to do it. You may want to slow down a little bit, focus on using as little effort as possible, and then speed up gradually using the same amount of pressure.

Second, with knitting and crochet you can also mitigate repetitive strain by making your movements as small as possible. This of course has an added bonus of making your stitches a bit faster.

Third, you may want to experiment with different styles and materials of hooks/needles. I can barely use a standard boye aluminum hook, but I find that when the hook has a nice handle, it actually helps a lot. The lightness of the hook and the resistance of the material will also make a difference.

The last point of advice that I have for you is that if you start to feel any pain at all, stop, stretch, and give yourself a few minutes before you go back to it. It might be kind of tedious at first, but if you avoid damage while retraining your muscles to move lighter, smaller, and with less pressure, you should be able to retrain yourself so that long term you can crochet without any pain at all. It took for me about 3 months to really fully go through the retraining, but it's made a HUGE difference in my ability to do all of the things that I actually want to do.


Which adhesives work well when gluing vinyl to plastic?

I recommend using plumbing silicon (not acrylic) from a tube, the kind that is used to seal the gap between a sink and porcelain tiles. It will remain flexible and if you spread it evenly it will stick pretty much forever. It is also quite cheap and waterproof - one tube should be enough for you.

Lay your vinyl sheet on the bin, mark it and cut it to shape before you glue. Press out long lines on your bin, smear them flat with a tool and place the middle of your sheet on the bin - working outwards. Let cure for 24 hours.


While a caliper would be a great tool for calculating something like this most people do not have access to one. Coupled with the fact that the level of precision it provides is lost in most crafting endevours. There are some simpler techniques that you can use to get similar results.
For Fabric
Ever tried to measure the thickness of paper? Perhaps in school. Its near impossible as most rulers don't match that level of precision. What if you stacked multiple pages together? Putting 10 (or 20 or whatever) sheets together and you can easily measure the total and divide by quantity used.
For fabric reems this can get harder but you should still be able to fold it over itself several times without cutting it or anything. You could even roll it up and measure the outer layers. Either technique you use get you a decent figure to work with.
For Thread
When it comes to thread thickness I would like to borrow from another answer in this stack. Wrapping the thread around a ruler enough times to get a nice round number like a mm,cm or inch makes the math easier. Can you fit 10 rounds of thread in a mm? Then your thread is 1/10ths of a mm. Keep wrapping until the math is simpler.


It's difficult to know for sure, but it looks to me like plaster of Paris, also known sometimes as craft plaster when sold in craft stores, which is basically just gypsum plaster. Since it is real plaster, it would be fairly brittle and prone to breaking, especially when applied in a thin layer, as it seems to be on your Santa. It also generally dries white, which would explain the lack of brush stroke on the beard - no paint seems to have been applied.

I've never tried adding plaster on top of already dried plaster, so I don't know if it would stick well. Plaster of Paris also generally comes in packages of at least one pound of powder, so if patching the beard is all you would do with it, it might not be worth it. Drywall compound would likely work fine for patching and might not end up all that different, since it is also made primarily of gypsum powder.


Finding the right way to hold your pen might simply not work since your preferred way of holding a pen is incompatible with said pen. I hold pens using the (dynamic) quadropod grip, and, although I think it's relatively easy to switch these grips, I doubt that changing grips will prevent your fingers from getting irritated.
I think the problem might simply be a relatively large difference between the size of the pen and one's fingers or hand. Up to a certain diameter, one's fingers will always touch.
Instead, I suggest to get a 'pen grip':

source
You can find them for pens of any size, and in any kind of size or shape.
You can also fashion them yourself out of foam, wood, hair curlers, by rolling rubber bands around the shaft, and a plethora of other options.
I've once used old kneadable eraser to get a surprisingly comfortable (albeit slightly sweat-inducing) 'pen grip':

Reconstruction. But basically the exact same thing.


What is a good stretchy bind-off for 2:2 ribbing?

I recommend a variation of Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off (JSSBO) explained here over at Knitty.com. An additional resource for this technique is this drawing provided by Interweave:

The drawing demonstrates the JSSBO technique in a k2:p1 ribbing pattern.  To use JSSBO for binding-off a k2:p2 ribbing, such as the one shown below, simply apply the knit-type and purl-type techniques described in Step 1–>Step 2 in corresponding fashion upon the k2:p2 stitches of the ribbing.  (Therefore you could use this bind-off on any ratio of ribbing!)

As you can see it is a nice looking bind off:


Each artist is going to develop their own style. So, those images are examples of Ross Tran-style digital figure illustrations, notable for their vivid palettes and fantasy and sci-fi themes.

In general, you're not necessarily going to be able classify every type of figure or portrait drawing into a "style" that is anything beyond the "semi-realistic" term that you found, or perhaps "slightly stylized". And unfortunately, neither of those terms hold much value. For instance, semi-realistic is a term coined by artists that simply means "I'm not trying for realism", which describes a great majority of art. It's sort of akin to referring to the Romanticism, Abstract, Pop art and all these other eras combined as the Semi-realism periods.

As it seems you're trying to analyze how to convert these images from digital to traditional media, it may help you to think of them in gray scale. Or, if you have access to digital tools or a black and white printer, to actually convert them to gray scale. That way you'll be looking at the stroke for their values and not getting confused by their "hues". Ross Tran's vibrant hues may remind you of cartoons, but I believe you'll think differently once you see the images in black-and-white.

Another point to make is that knowing the name of the style, in this case, doesn't really help in learning to draw it. What's going to help is finding examples of what you'd like to draw, and drawing them. And also just drawing everything else. While I can't speak to this artist's journey, many start by learning how to draw as realistically as possible, practicing and studying artistic anatomy and live models. As their expertise grows, they're able to bend the "rules" of anatomy and develop their own style.


How to cut a pinewood derby car to look like a super car

Ryan, if you're not already done...one thing that hasn't been mentioned here is a "Dremel" tool (that's the most popular brand name, for a handheld rotary grinder.) They're pretty inexpensive and come with multiple bits/heads for different uses (like, wood versus metal.) It's a faster, easier way to do soft wood shaping (versus carving and hand-sanding.)
When we made my sons' Pinewood Derby cars, both won for "Best Design"... one looked a lot like the original Batmobile.


According to a site that specializes in Tungsten rings, they corroborate the jeweler's story and provide an explanation:

  The size you are given is the size you would wear in a traditional fit ring. A traditional fit ring is flat across the inside of the band. Both Tungsten and Ceramic bands have a comfort fit inner band. All Tungsten Affinity rings have the comfort fit feature. Comfort fit bands are domed on the inside with the tightest point being the center of the ring gradually expanding in size towards the edges. *IMPORTANT Comfort fit tungsten rings generally fit 1/2 size larger than traditional bands. We recommend you order a 1/2 size smaller than the size you were given at the jewelry store.

So, yes, you will probably want to go with a half size smaller than your measured size. Though, I think you need to look a bit more. That same site that I found the explanation on seems to sell rings as small as a size 4. I'm not endorsing them as a company - they merely had the information I needed and, while there, I decided to see what their sizing looked like. They seem to be emphasizing that these rings are appropriate for both genders, not only men (who have been the traditional owners of these rings), so it makes sense that they would offer "extended" sizes as women's fingers on average are smaller in diameter.

Please note, as Tungsten can not be resized, you should be sure to find a seller with a liberal return policy in case the size you purchase is not good for you. Particularly if you're considering a wider band, you may need to go back up a half size to accommodate that. You haven't noted your gender so I'm not sure what sort of sizing ring they used. From that same page:

  The second part to sizing is the band width. Band widths are measured in millimeters (MM) and for tungsten bands generally range from 4mm to 10mm. The width of the band will effect the how a particular size fits. The wider the band the tighter the ring will fit, whereas the more narrow the band the looser the fit. When sized at the jewelery store women are sized for more narrow bands, so our standard women's width is 6mm. Men are sized at a slightly wider 8mm band width.

Congratulations and I hope you are able to find a ring that works for you.


What kind of paper to use for airbrush practice?

The paper you are looking for is "Bond" which has a smooth plate surface.

You could also use Hard Press or Hot Press water color paper but that will be more absorbent.


How to narrate a complete story into a single painting?

There are multiple ways to narrate a story in one painting. Some were already pointed out in the comments to your question.

The comic book way: By this I mean the arrangement of the scenes in multiple frames that are all on one painting (a comic that consists of only one page if you will). There are multiple ways to arrange the frames but most commonly the reading order of the intended audience is used. In the western world you narrate from left to right and top to bottom, whereas for manga its right to left and top to bottom. Text may be used to develop the scene, but the distinguishing feature are the multiple frames. Example: Wendy

If by 'in one single element' you mean that you don't want to use multiple frames there are still some options:

Composition: In painting the composition is the most important factor when it comes to telling a story in one picture. Setting up your narration you have to think about where the story begins: this will correspond to a section in the picture the eye of the viewer is immediately drawn to. This can be achieved using size, light, color, or the place in the image (usually a viewer 'reads' the image from the top left to the bottom right). Using a decreasing amount of emphasis for the following scenes, the eyes of the viewer will gaze along the line of your story (look for books about composition and see also this article mentioned by John Vukelic in the comments).
Format: if you use an unusual format for your painting the composition to tell a story might be easier obtained. Taking a really wide format - like for a panorama - the viewer will not be able to capture the entire image with all details in a single glance and thus has to digest the image sequentially, which is ideal. Psychology suggests that most humans will start from the right (e.g. Werner Tübke's 'Peasants War Panorama').
Another example would be to have a picture whose height is large compared to the width. The movement of the eye will then probably start at eye-height of the viewer and then move up before it goes down again.
Put a lot into the image. Some pictures of the early (middle European) renaissance will simply contain a lot of scenes connected by landscape or other (most notably the images of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel. With this approach it will be harder to tell a strict-time-line-story without using further tricks, as there is simply too much going on.

Basically everything boils down to the composition of your painting when you want to narrate a chronological story. Planning carefully and sketching the composition is mandatory to get a satisfactory result.

See also this blog-post about narrative.


Concrete objects constructed to look blurred

The first thing that comes to my mind are the works by the contemporary German artist Gerhard Richter. He has a huge body of paintings that are famous for being blurred, like this one:

Or, to a lesser but more photographic extent:

Early 20th century, artists that were part of the futurism movement, wished to portray movement. This might no be exactly what you're looking for, but it does involve blurring, as this is one of the few methods that can be used to depict movement in a static, two-dimensional image (motion blur).
An example is this work by Giacomo Balla, 'Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash':

In sculpture, similar things were tried during the futurist movement. An iconic example is 'Unique Forms of Continuity in Space', by Umberto Boccioni. Again, it does not come across as blurry, because the movement - the blur - has here been solidified:

A similar, recent sculpture is made out of glass shards:

Because it's glass, the outlines are less defined, and the material even changes colour and brightness based on the environment. So not only does it depict blur, the sculpture itself is blurred against its background.

And another recent example of motion blur in sculpture is this work by Ryan Johnson, insinuating a more pixelated or artificial motion blur:

Abstraction is (mainly, arguably) a simplification of form, something that blur results in as well. The problem with sculpture is that it needs solidity, mass, and volume, whereas visual blur, as Elmy mentions, is a visual phenomenon: it's essentially non-physical, non-solid, a mental interpretation. That's why it might be hard to find what you're looking for in a three-dimensional object (although I had hoped to find some sculptures made out of fur, or a similar material, as that has a natural blurriness to it. Like this

but focused more on the visual quality of fur).


What is the best type of leather for handmade goods (mostly wallets)

For hand working there are a few broad categories of leather.

Vegetable tanned leather: this tends to be fairly thick and hard, usually cowhide. This is the best option for many traditional type leatherworking projects such as knife sheaths, belt pouches etc. It is normally supplied undyed and takes tooling/embossing well and can also be wet formed to hold fairly stiff 3-dimensional shapes.
Chrome tanned leather: this is what is most commonly found in garments and furniture. It tends to be fairly thin and supple and is usually pre-dyed and behaves similarly to a fairly heavy woven textile. This type doesn't take forming or embossing very well.
Bookbinding leathers: a middle ground between the above types, includes pig, goat and thin cow hides. Depending on the type it can take tooling


Air dry clay sculpture falling apart over time

Fine structures like the fingers of a hand are always problematic, no matter how cheap or good the clay is.

The general recommendation is to build an inner structure (like a skelleton) from a more stable material and coat it in clay. For your particular case of modeling a hand I propose making fingers from rolled up aluminium foil or thick aluminium wire.

Start making aluminum fingers that are longer and thinner than required and coat them in clay. Then make a ball of clay that is smaller than the palm and stick the aluminium fingers in it. Add more clay and model the hand.


What to do with tail of yarn to hide it?

I usually find that the simplest way of hiding yarn is as follows:

Cut your yarn about two inches (5 cm) away from your last stitch. Pull the yarn through an inconspicuous corner and tie an knot on itself. Weave in the end (Tie a knot or two more if it feels insecure).

If you are looking for a more secure finish:

Cut your yarn about an inch and a half to two inches away from your last stitch. Split the yarn into two strands, push them through a gap and around a stitch, one strand in front and one in the back, then tie a strong knot and weave in the ends.


What are the technical terms/techniques involved in sewing "paper bag" like bags?

So there is a lot to unpack here, hah. But seeing from other comments that you are new to sewing, I can understand how it can be a little daunting to try and make a direct replication of something you've found online.

There is no formal "technique" you will need to follow, but rather a knowledge and understanding of the materials you will need to sew a project. Here is a rough guide to the process I follow when trying to replicate something:

Determining if you want to try and hand sew by hand or a sewing machine. I would go with a machine since this bag looks like it has nothing more than straight stitches.
Material of the bag. There is a lot to consider here - the amount of weight you want the bag to be able to carry, do you want it waterproof, do you want it easily washable? Picking your use for the bag will help determine the type of fabric you will want to use for your project. I would go with a thicker cotton, cotton blend, maybe a thicker flannel if you want to replicate the fuzziness of this particular example. These fabrics are also kind to beginners. An additional item to consider is if you want your sides to be able to stand up like that, you might need what is called "interfacing" and it comes in iron-on or sew-in and it can help add rigidity to the sides and bottom support of your bag.
Construction layout of the bag. You will want to self-draft a pattern or try to find one on the internet that you can copy and test out measurements on before you start cutting and sewing together. This is as easy as getting some paper or cheap muslin cloth and drawing some shapes and pinning them together to see if you like how it is looking, and determine how you want to assemble the bag.
Taking your pattern/muslin draft and cutting out the real fabric and going through the final assembly.

Other assorted musings about the provided image:

The zig-zag cut at the top is called "pinking" and there are special scissors that do that called pinking shears. They are typically used to cut fabrics that have a tenancy to fray, and not necessarily used for decoration.
You'll want an iron to be able to flatten seams (where the fabrics are sewn together) and to create those creases on the sides of the bags. Irons will typically come with heat settings for the types of material you are using.

I hope this can give you a good starting point!


Can I use Lucas oil colors for painting plastic kits?

You can try, but first you will want to degrease the plastic with a little rubbing alcohol (and prime it). The paint will not dry quickly unless you add a siccative like China dryer to the oil to thin it out.

That said, I doubt that your airbrush is designed for oil paints. If you do want to risk ruining and clogging it constantly, make sure to really make sure that the thinned paint is free of clots by passing it through a fine meshed filter. You MUST have a moisture trap installed, because otherwise you will be mixing moisture from the air into your oil - which you definitely do not want. Clean everything with acetone and wear a mask.

But really, that is not the right kind of paint. There are liquid enamels that are better suited to permanent applications, which you can probably find in the store where you got the model. But as Walrus notes in the comments, water based paints are the better choice.


Using the number visible in the photo, I discovered that the item is sometimes called a "disc golf light" and found that there are single LED and triple LED versions. You can use the same search terms to find a resource of your choosing.

I found an inexpensive US-based resource here:

disc golf lights

Some of the search returns that reference Amazon result in a 404 error, others do not.


How can I shrink hand knitted wool blend hat to original size?

It doesn't matter whether the hat was made with knit or crochet.

Suppose it has wool fiber content, or unknown fiber content.  If unknown, we must assume it has some wool in it, to play it safe.

Premeasuring (in preparation for blocking).  Turn the hat inside out and lay it out flat on a table.  Measure the half-circumference of the hat by measuring the width of the cuff or bottom band.  Stand the tape measure on its edge to allow it to follow the natural curve of the hat, or allow your tape measure to come up from the horizontal plane if necessary to follow the curvature of the hat.  Also measure the height (from the edge, or folded cuff edge, to the top, or center of the crown). Write down the measurements.  Now turn the hat right-side out and put it on.  Pinch the cloth with your fingers and look in the mirror, to try to figure out how much too big the hat is for you, in each direction.  Keep the fact that you're working with a half circumference measurement in mind.  Subtract from what you measured and write down what you think the ideal measurements would be for this hat.

Washing.  Even if it's wool, you can wash the hat by hand in cold water.  Woolite would be a reasonable choice but laundry soap or detergent labeled for baby clothes would also work.  Don't scrub, just swish the garment around and let it soak for five minutes.  Rinse several times, using a tiny bit of fabric softener in the last rinse.  When you're done, do not wring (twist); instead, gently squeeze dry to the point where it's not dripping copiously.  Since your garment is small, if you like, you could put it in a colander and then push a similarly shaped bowl down on it to get a bit more water out.  (If you are a body builder, do not use much strength when pushing down on the colander.)  Now, lay out a clean, dry, old towel and put your garment on it.  Start to roll the towel by folding over the short end and continuing to roll it up, with the garment going along like a jelly roll.  When you've rolled up the whole towel, you may fold it in half.   Wait a few minutes and unroll. Lay the garment on another old towel to dry.  Or lay it flat on a "sweater dryer."

Blocking.  You will work with a steam iron with a misting button.  If the garment is fully dry when you start, you'll mist it with water (both front and back), but if it's still a little damp, you can skip the misting.  Lay it out on an ironing board or a folded towel on an old table.  Measure.  Let the damp fabric bunch up a bit if necessary to get the desired measurements that you wrote down before washing.  Preheat your iron to medium and switch on the steam feature.  Cover the garment with a "press cloth," a clean piece of cotton cloth or a clean, thin dish towel.  In a pinch you could use an old cotton T-shirt.  Use the iron like a hover board over the fabric sandwich.  The idea is to create steam which will encourage the garment to take the desired measurements.  Don't press down on the fabric sandwich, and don't let go of the iron.  You may allow the iron to come into the tiniest bit of contact with the top (cotton) layer.  From time to time, set the iron down and lift up the cover cloth, to check if the desired measurements have been achieved yet.

When you've reached the desired dimensions, uncover the garment but don't move it, and allow it to air dry in place.

If there's no wool fiber content, the garment will probably not benefit from blocking.  In that case, follow Method 2.
Suppose there is no wool in this hat.  Hand wash as described above (except you may squeeze a little harder).  After the towel roll-up step, put your garment in the dryer along with a clean, dry old towel.  Set the dryer on "gentle," "delicate" or "low."  Check, and give it a few more minutes if necessary.  The dryer will activate the elasticity in the fibers.  If the garment is cotton or mostly cotton, there may not be any elasticity to activate.  In this case, repost with a photograph of the hat and information about the dimensions.  It might be possible to give the hat a little bit of reconstruction.


What safety precautions should I take when working with 316L/A4 steel?

Main precaution ; Do not touch it while it is hot. No vapors will come off the steel . What does A4 mean ? Your heating would be about right for forging. But for bending , try room temperature. It will bend very well unless you paid a premium for strain hardened bar. If you bend it extensively at room temperature it will harden. If you need to bend it more ,then heat it. 316 has no particular temperature requirements. A low red heat of about 1200 F should soften it ,cool in water.Then bend it at room temperature. You may repeat as often as needed. Bending at room temperature will be substantially more convenient than hot bending. Heating will discolor it from straw, to blue, to black depending on temperature and time. Color may be removed by sanding-polishing , if necessary. You are correct on one thing , today 316 is the same as 316 L ,the only difference is that you have to pay more if you order L grade.


What kind of glue to make a magnet adhere to wood?

Magnets are notoriously glue-resistant.

There are sticky soft magnets used e.g. for refrigerator magnets, which would kinda work on the glue front, but they are pathetically weak.

You could try two-ingredient epoxy for other magnets; it tends to stick really well to pretty much everything and if it won't, you can practically encase anything with it.

But I believe the best solution would be to forgo the glues and obtain some tiny neodymium magnets with a hole:

These are very strong, so even a tiny one can support your heart, and they can be affixed to a surface with a nail or a screw, making a very strong connection.


Can epoxy fluidity be changed, before it is cured?

Some epoxies are more fluid at higher temperatures, at least at first.  The higher temperature also causes faster cooling.  I've used this to good effect with epoxy adhesives. A slow-setting (several hours to give a useful bond) product warmed up to about 40°C gives a very good bond as it wets the surfaces well; it then cures fairly quickly, though not as quickly as the equivalent fast product.   Conversely chilling should both thicken and slow down the reaction.  Using a fairly liquid version and chilling for the thicker step might be worth a try, however it will still slump unless restrained by a mould.

Additives are likely to be problematic for thinning: they'll be liquids that are likely to want to evaporate, so adding too much will lead to significant shrinkage; they'll also affect the cure.  Water is a bad idea - it will lead to a cloudy and weak result, but small amounts of acetone or denatured alcohol can apparently be used if you want a very thin layer.  Mixing isn't easy, which means it's likely to introduce bubbles (as it did when I tried using alcohol-soluble dies.  So this probably isn't an option for forming or casting, but may help your topcoat.

Because formulations are proprietary, you'll have to do some experimenting on a smaller scale, and hope that translates well to a large scale. Other people may have used specific
products that you can easily buy, and their results might help you get started.


Pack kusudama flowers bouquet for shipping

You can use wire to make the bouquet stay in the middle of the shipping box without touching the sides by attaching the firm part of the bouquet to the sides of the box with it, then adding newspaper, etc. (again to the base), to make sure it doesn't move, just in case.


If you would rather use it indoors, that's fine as long as you wear a mask. If you're doing a lot, consider one of the heavy-duty ones:

You can generally buy these anywhere you can buy spray paint or airbrush supplies.

Be aware that your lungs might not be the only place you don't want paint ending up when you're indoors - cover anything you want to remain paint-free with a cloth!


Is there any way to uncrush an empty toilet paper tube so that it's circular again?

Unfortunately you won't be able to completely "uncrush" the tube again.

Remember that we are dealing with cardboard here, which is essentially a mass of compacted fibers. When you create a crease (or two as in your photo), you are effectively destroying the fibers' structure and tearing some of them. Straightening the crease with mean you still have torn fibers at the former crease, no matter which method you choose.

If you want to reshape nevertheless, pressure on the two creased ends alone will create a parabolic shape and likely that new crease in the middle (or at a weak point somewhere) and the "square" result. At minimum, you need to "hold back" the center with your second hand, molding the original shape. Combined with a cylindrical balloon (blow up once first and deflate again for easier use) from Willeke's answer, you should be fine.

But there's a big caveat:
If you need tubes with maximum stability for some "load bearing" in your project, the reshaped ones might look good, but will bend again at the creases almost immediately. You might want to discard them and resort to intact ones.


How detailed could we make a sculpture of the earth the size of a soccer ball?

You could only strive to make as smooth a ball as possible. Maybe just paint it.
The tallest mountain on that scale will be 0.11 [m radius of the soccer ball] / 6371000 [m mean radius of the Earth] * 8848 [m Everest height] ≈ 0.15 mm. A thickness of a sheet of good paper.


How do I approach cutting a new marquetry inlay to fit the space in a metal bracelet

I think that a great way to transfer the shape to the wood would be to use a rubbing to create an outline of the space which you can then cut out of the paper and transfer to the wood. This is sort of reminiscent of how Indiana Jones saved the instructions for finding the grail from the shield under the library:

You can use either a crayon or chalk or pastel or some similar flat-sided medium and a piece of thin paper like tracing paper or tissue paper.

Place the paper on the side of the bracelet where the opening is and hold it in place firmly.
Rub the crayon on its flat side along the paper.

The high points on the bracelet should be colored in and the relief area you're trying to fill with wood should stay either white or be much lighter in color.

If you've held it still enough, you should have the exact shape you need. At this point, you might want to make a copy or two of your rubbing so that you can cut it out of slightly thicker paper and preserve the rubbing so you don't have to redo it.

Cut out the white area and test it to see if it's a good fit inside the space (it should be).
Use the cut-out as a pattern to trace onto your wood.

Be certain to cut it out slightly larger than necessary so that you can allow for final shaping to be done as you're sanding after cutting out the shape.

If you take your time, you should get an excellent fit out of your wood inlay.


How can I convert a stick pin badge to a butterfly clasp?

For removing the stick pin backing, you need to remove the parts that stick out and file it down to be smooth. To remove, I'd use one of the following:

a Dremel tool with appropriate bit
if it looks like the badge was soldered, a soldering iron to un-solder it. (Make sure that the front of the badge won't be damaged by the heat, and follow safety precautions! If you guessed wrong and it was epoxied, heating it may release toxic fumes.)
a pair of wire cutters, depending on how substantial the pin back is. (This would work well on the butterfly clasp pin pictured, not so sure about the stick pin version.)

Then to smooth the back, you could use a metal file or a Dremel tool with a grinding bit.

To attach the new pin, I would just buy a new butterfly clasp base at a craft store (example). If you really wanted to re-use the clasp from the other badge, definitely use the Dremel tool, as you will need to cut a base for the pin and not just clip the straight pin off.

Then you just need to epoxy or solder it to the now-smooth badge back!


What is the name of the knit stitch on these given pictures?

That sweater is probably made on a knitting machine, but you can reproduce the look on knitting needles. It looks like either fisherman's rib or brioche stitch, with added tuck stitches every 3 or 4 rows. To make a tuck stitch, instead of knitting into the next live stitch, you knit into that stitch and the stitch below it.
Brioche and tuck stitches are a broad category including many stitch patterns. You can find knitting patterns with these stitches on Ravelry with the search filter Attributes: Fabric Characteristics - brioche / tuck stitch.


What crochet stitch is similar to a garter stitch in knitting?

Another option, that has the advantage of only using standard crochet hooks, would be to use Slip Stitch Crochet. From the description of the craft this sounds similar to what Ji Ugug's answer is referring to.

While the basic SS (slip stitch) is just inserting your hook through a loop, YO (yarn over), then pull through the loop you started with - Slip Stitch crochet works by changing the loops you insert your hook through and/or how you are inserting your hook into those loops (front to back or vice versa).

Slip stitch garter stitch

Slip stitch rib stitch

By working rows of slip stitches in front loops you can get the "garter" stitch. By working in the back loops you can get a rib stitch. The ladder of course more resembles its knitting equivalent.

You can read a little more on this from as well as some other slip stitch techniques at ayarnifiedlife


What type of printer should I use for cardstock?

Your question is somewhat broad-ranging and is usually discouraged on Stack Exchange forums. Your last question certainly fits that bill. Those answers can be found by searching for reviews of possible candidate printers within your budget.

More specifically, you would be seeking a printer with a relatively flat paper path, to prevent jams caused by thicker paper as is typical of greeting card stock. Both ink-jet and laser printers will be found in this form.

Ink-jet printers will be more expensive for ink (consumables) and have lower throughput ratings than a laser printer. Look for duty cycle information and compare across your budget selection.

Ink-jet printers are usually recognized as having cost-per-page in the range of $0.05 to $0.15 while laser printers can run below $0.05 per page. I would add a reference to this, but the search for that reference generated thousands of links, all of them rather voluminous.

If you do not need photograph reproduction of images, a color laser will give you higher production rates due to the page per minute rating of this type o printer. A toner cartridge (four in a color laser) will last much longer than an ink cartridge.

On the other hand, there are bottle-fed inkjet printers that have a flat paper path and low consumable costs. This is accomplished by designing the printer to use stationary high-capacity ink bottles mounted on the housing, feeding the print head with hoses/tubing.

There is no easy answer to your question.


A more stretchy printable paper alternative?

How about tricot? That should be stretchy enough.
You could, for instance, print on a T-shirt, if you're fortunate enough to have a printer that can do the job. Or else there are companies offering to print a given image on a T-shirt.Be aware that edges may fray and/or curl, but good glue should prevent/solve that issue.
Make sure the size of the print is not that much different for the size of the globe. The less you have to stretch the tricot, the less you will look through the holes in the fabric, and the less stretched out the details are.I hope this gives you some inspiration.


Should I consider lightfastness scale while choosing artist grade watercolor?

Watercolor is especially susceptible to fading under light. This can be explained by the binder for watercolor and the way watercolor is used. The binder is usually a mixture that contains mostly gum arabic. Due to the usage of watercolor in thin layers the binder will not be able to coat the pigment properly leaving it exposed to light. Lightfastness should therefore definitly be considered when using watercolors. However, it depends on your aim for your drawing.

If you only want to practice to get better at watercolor you might want to look at inexpensive watercolor pigments that might therefore lack in lightfastness. Those works can still be durable if kept in a dark environment such as a folder. Displaying paintings with colors of low lightfastness will result in quick fading (a hint at how quick the fading will appear is given in this table). If you still want to hang a drawing in a well lit place you can use Aquarell-fixatives to improve lightfastness. Those Aquarell-fixatives or finishes come as a spray and allow to apply a UV protective layer that also protects from dust, moisture and other bad influences. Going one step further you can also frame your image behind UV-protective glass to ensure longevity of colors.

On the other hand, if you plan to display or sell your drawing (from the beginning) you should opt for the (more expensive) lighfast pigments and take the above measure in addition.


Method for embedding rock mosaic in transparent material

Another option would be to do two pours.

This would be what I would have tried/suggested with epoxy resin. Make the first pour and let it harden. Do your best to try and remove bubbles during both pours obviously. You don't want to pour to fill half but slightly less then that so your object appear suspended in the middle of the finished piece. This will be harder to accomplish if your objects are of greatly different thicknesses. What works against you here is that most epoxies are self leveling.

Once the first pour has hardened you can start the next one. Depending on the contours of your rocks you will need to be wary of trapped air bubbles. You could either put the rocks in first and pour or place the rocks mid pour. The ladder should mitigate the epoxy moving your rocks around during the pour.

The two+ pours method is used frequently with painting to create the illusion of 3 dimensions. One example is this video showing the artist filling the bottom of the box with resin and a painted goldfish.

Emil Hauge - Painting 3D fish

While looking for something else I found another video showing how to make a rock embedded coaster with resin and a silicone mold. Seems to line up with the suggestions given above. Only difference being the rocks were set before the first pour cured completely. If you want your rocks to be suspended it might be better if you wait until it has hardened.

  Also, what would be a good way of keeping a rectangular shape on the sides?

Using some sort of mold would be your best option. You see them commonly used in resin jewelry. Large rectangular molds do exist. A cursory search found a 7 inch square mold that was 3/4 inches deep.

I saw someone use a mini red solo cup as a mold and it worked perfectly. You would need to test your resin first to see how it reacts. Not all resin products are created equally.

I am not sure of other materials or home brew options for molds. It would have to be something non permeable. This could easily be another question.


Best way to restore my old vintage wooden cricket bat

This is what I would do if I had to do this:

Use fine sandpaper to remove the stickers and the lacquer.* You may want to sand down the scratches as well, but I can’t tell by the photos if that would be a good idea, or that they are too deep (they seem to be so) and trying to fix them would deform the shape of the bat itself.
Fill the large crack with wood adhesive. Keep in mind that some adhesives (like PVA) shrink as they dry. If the crack is too wide it may be a better idea to mix some fine sawdust with the adhesive instead of using plane adhesive.
Measure and draw a pencil line indicating the desired shape of the bottom part. Use rough sandpaper to shape it and then polish it with fine sandpaper.
Put finish on it. (From the little search I did on what finish to use for the purpose, people advise against using hard finish, as it may end up cracking. Polyurethane spray was a suggestion I found reasonable.)

*You asked if sanding it down will cause the bat to lose its originality. I’m not sure what you mean by this - what you want to do:  remove the stickers, the cracks and deformities, will cause it to lose its originality in a way. If you are concerned about deforming it somehow – then no, the finest grade sandpaper is used for polishing and it won’t deform it, or leave scratches.


Any White Pens/Markers To Write Over Black Pens?

I'd try a correction pen, there are now quite a lot to choose from.

This web page shows over a dozen kinds, and how opaque they are over black ink.

The best white ink pens

Matching the paper colour and white pen might be tricky.