How to remove oven baked acrylic paint from glass used for drinking? I have a clear glass mug that I painted several years ago with Martha Stewart multi-surface craft paint.
I would like to remove the paint as I am no longer in love with the design I made and might even consider re-painting it.
What is the best way to remove this type of paint from glass?
I used the following instructions to set the paint on the mug:

Bake-to-Cure Method

Allow painted item to dry for 24 hours to be sure all layers of paint have dried.
Place project in a cool oven, as the glass must heat gradually with the oven to avoid breakage; do not place glass in a hot oven.
Set oven temperature to 350ºF.
Once temperature has reached 350ºF, allow the project to bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, turn the oven off and let glass cool down completely before removing from the oven.
Do not use for 72 hours.

Care Instructions
Project can be Hand washed, or cleaned in the top
rack of a standard, non-commercial dishwasher. Do not use in
dishwasher if it has pot scrubbing features or top jets.
Paint is permanent after air drying for 21 days or can be baked to expedite permanence.

Taken from PLAID FAQ "What are the curing instructions for Martha Stewart glass and craft paint?"

I would start with a razor blade and see if you can scrape it off.
If it doesn't readily scrape off, go to chemicals (below are suggestions that work with dried acrylic paint; try one at a time, do not mix them).  The procedure for all of these:

Cover the painted area with several layers of paper towel saturated in the chemical.
Wrap that with plastic wrap and rubber bands to seal it against the glass and minimize evaporation (don't leave any of the paper towel exposed).
Set it on a surface that won't be affected by the chemical you're using (avoid wooden or painted or finished surfaces; plastic or glass is a safer bet).
Use common sense and follow directions for personal safety (good ventilation, wear gloves and eye protection).
Let it soak under the paper towel for 30 minutes to an hour.  Then see if the paint has softened enough to wipe or scrape it off.
If it doesn't seem to be affected, try again with another chemical.  If it helped but there is still residual paint, repeat the process (try a different chemical if the result is unimpressive).

First chemicals to try (the least nasty; pick one):

Household ammonia (full strength)
Isopropyl alcohol, 91% - 99% (may need to shop around for a drug store that carries it at this strength)
Denatured alcohol (available in the paint section of your hardware store)
Goof Off (Pro Strength Remover or Paint Splatter Remover if varieties are available)

Second (nastier) group (outside is better; away from open flames or sources of sparks); most of these are available in the paint section of your hardware store:

Acetone
Lacquer thinner
Paint stripper (one containing methylene chloride and/or methyl ethyl ketone [MEK] is likely to work well)
Mineral spirits / paint thinner is something you may have on hand.  I don't know how well it will work, but if you don't have any of the other chemicals, give it a try.

Note that there are "green" versions of some of these products; many of them water-based.  I don't know which of those will work on dried acrylic or how well.
Some of these chemicals will evaporate pretty fast.  Even with plastic wrap, the paper towel may start to dry out in less than 30-60 minutes, so check it.
If you use any of these chemicals, clean the glass surface with alcohol and let it dry.  Then wash it with soapy water (running it through the dishwasher after the alcohol has dried is fine).


Hand painting with spray paint? Is it possible to take spray paint, spray it in a cup, and use it to hand paint with? I have a bottle of it, but no other paint and I want this hue. Just wondering if I can use this temporarily.

Spray paint, by design is in a pressurized container, to belabor the obvious. When used, the material is converted to an aerosol by the pressure, which then travels some distance at a good speed.

If you are attempting to spray it in a cup, a good portion of that force will result in back-spray, pushing the paint out of the cup. This is undesirable.

A couple methods can be used to mitigate this problem. One is to use a large container, not a cup, something bucket sized and hold the nozzle near the edge of the bucket. Spray in a direction to cause rotation of the pressure as well as angled slightly downward, to keep the spray in the bucket. A portion of the spray will be wasted by coating the side of the bucket, making this a less than optimum method.

Another option is to find a nozzle from a product using "spray straws" that direct the substance. Common sources are compressed air cans, also known as computer dusters, lubricants such as WD-40 and others. If the nozzle and straw come from such products, be sure to clean the material thoroughly to avoid paint contamination.

A suitable receptacle for this method might be a tall soft drink can or even a wide mouth tallish jar. Position the spray straw in a manner similar to the bucket method, pointing slightly downward and in a rotational manner. You will get some back spray, as the pressure has to go somewhere. You can reduce that problem by spraying under a rag or similar open-weave cloth or through a hole in the fabric.

Spray paint is also more volatile, and you will likely have shorter working time with the paint that collects before it dries or becomes too thick to use.


Prevent black colored pencil from blending into adjacent colors I'm new to drawing with colored pencils. I've drawn a bear that has a nose and mouth in black, but I can't quite figure out how or when to draw these black parts without accidentally grabbing some of the black color when filling in adjacent colors. I've tried doing the black at the end after the rest of the colors, but it doesn't seem to be as crisp compared to when I put the black down first.

It might be hard to tell in the attached drawing, but the black from the nose and the line down to the mouth, as well as the dots on the chest, sort of got blended into the light tan/brown color, even though I tried to be super careful to avoid the black. My pencils are very sharp so I don't think that's the issue. I'm wondering if this is something that just comes with practice? Or can someone recommend a method or technique to applying crisp black lines to colored pencil drawings that prevents them from accidentally blending into the colors next to it. Btw, in case it makes a difference, I'm just using cheap Crayola pencils.

Lots of good advice here, but you may also want to consider using a fixative to preserve the drawing as you work it. Fixative, found in convenient to use spray cans although you can get it in liquid form, chemically bonds and protects the pigments applied to the paper. It is nearly a requirement when working in pastels and I regularly use it to protect my graphite pencil drawings. Look for workable spray fix in this case.

So you would draw the dark details, spray fix them, then work the light areas and there will be no smudges. The reverse is possible as well but sometimes the fix will darken light colors.

Fix is toxic so spray outside or have good ventilation.


What is the "fine art term" for office printer as medium? I'm submitting artwork that uses prints from an office printer, and I want to describe that in the list of mediums used

Pencil is referred to as "graphite" so, is there a term for using an office printer for fine art?

Chris H's comment is the answer in a nutshell: the description should include the medium, and depends on the type of printing. If it's an inkjet print, you can state that; if it's a laser print, the artwork's description could say so. You can also just say 'digital print', combining all digital printing possibilities.

Often the type of paper - if exceptional or otherwise deemed important for the artwork - is also included in the description (e.g. 'giclée print on 210 gr Hahnemuhle Albrecht Durer paper').

Ultimately, though, you describe the print in as much detail as you think is right towards your audience or clients. In some instances you could even be emphatically vague about it if you think it accentuates (the concept of) a particular artwork.
The 'office' in 'office printer' doesn't matter for the technology used, as far as it concerns the quality of the prints, but if you think that fact is important for understanding your piece, it's completely fine to include that.

You can also have a look here and here to see what terminology is used (which also includes vague terms like 'pigment' and 'photo print').


How do I join polyester tubular yarn skeins together? I'm working on a moss stitch knit baby blanket with Hobbycraft's In The Zone tubular yarn, which is 100% polyester. I've come to the end of my first skein and I'm struggling to figure the best way to join the strands together to continue my work so it doesn't create a bump from a knot.

I usually use the Invisible knot technique with regular fibre yarn, but because this yarn isn't "yarn" in the traditional sense, tying it together in this way still creates a knot which would be noticeable in a knitted blanket (I find them easier to hide in crocheting).

I've scoured YouTube and tried a method for tubular/tape yarn, but because this stuff has kind of a poly filling in it, this method didn't work either.

The photo has a diagonal cross-section of the end of a strand so you can get an idea of its composition. I would be grateful for any advice on this! =)

So, in the meantime, I'm trying something a bit different... It's not the neatest sewing job, but I've managed to sew the strands together, doing a basic up and down through the middle (with the strands overlapping each other) and then looping over and under each side to hold it together on the sides as well. At least this way, there's no big knot and it feels pretty sturdy. ♀

Here's one side of what it looks like worked in with a few rows done extra...

And here's the other side of the work. Maybe in future, I will sew together a smaller section and snip the excess, as even though the bit I sewed was only about 1cm, it's still a bit noticeable... Though probably still less so than if it was knotted. I'll try to do maybe half a cm next time (tricky!) and if I succeed, I will post back again! In the meantime, if anyone else has any other suggestions, I will gladly receive them! =)


Are there any good alternatives to Linoleum and Wood for relief printing? The title says it all really - are there any good alternatives to Linoleum and Wood for relief printing? Note that I'm already aware of specially made lino alternatives such as softcut etc; I'm more interested in materials not made/developed for the purpose that can be used.

Anything you can cut into can be used to make a matrix for a relief print. Different materials have their peculiarities in terms of work process and result (compare linocutting to woodcutting), so it depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Here are some materials I've tried in the order I'd recommend them:

PLYWOOD
Pretty much like solid wood, comes in large sizes, cheaper than solid wood.
Note: There are different types of plywood, and they behave differently when cut. Choosing some soft wood to begin with may be a good idea.
HARDBOARD
Advantages: easy to cut, cheap, comes in large sizes
Disadvantages: produces a dusty mess, needs sealing, it is somewhat difficult to get fine detail
MDF
Same as hardboard, but a bit heavier
OSB
Advantages: cheap, comes in large sizes
Disadvantages: difficult to cut, easy to slip blade and cut yourself, dulls blades, does not work well with fine detail or on a small scale, heavy, easy to get splinters
Note: Unless you have nothing else to cut, it is really not worth it.


What are possible sources of wood pieces from for making musical instruments? I've always wanted to make electric guitars myself. However, it seems a bit hard to find the right supply of wood to do so, as musical instruments usually require naturally dried wood pieces for acoustic stability.

The properties of the wood, especially its density will have a significant effect on the  tone of the instrument but there is quite a wide variety used as well as various laminates.

Of critical importance is the stability of the wood as even small amounts of warping can seriously affect play-ability, this is especially the case with the neck which needs to be able to resist the tension of the strings without bowing or twisting. Indeed the necks of most steel strung guitars are fitted with internal 'truss rods' which can be adjusted to balance the tension of the strings.

Similarly wood used for musical instruments needs to be very well seasoned this takes time and carefully controlled conditions.

One good option for a first project is that there are several companies selling guitar kits in various degrees of completion with a wide variety of body and necks styles and hardware available. If you want to design your own body shape you could either modify an existing style (the kits are usually clones of popular models/brands) of get one with a through neck so you at lest have the crucial mechanical parts done and the material for the rest of the body becomes less critical. Indeed there have been a few 'fantasy' guitars built around a through neck using foam and fibreglass to sculpt the body.

Another option is to look for salvaged wood. Brian May famously built his own guitar, with his dad, using wood from a fireplace mantle shelf and other sources. Hardwood tables and bar tops may also be good sources. These also have the advantage that you know that the wood is well seasoned. Chunky shelves and table tops are often made from mahogany which well suited to making a guitar.


How can I affix keyboard keys to a suit jacket? I have been collecting used keyboards for a while. Mostly to get the plastic circuit map underneath for making wallets and what not. Recently I ran into this picture of a suit made of keyboard keys:

Image from TomsGuide.com

My problem is I can't figure out how the keys are attached to the suit. Most keyboard keys don't lend themselves well to be attached to anything other than the keyboard itself (obviously). If you look at the bottom of most keys there is not much surface area to work with.

Image from techgage.com

So it's not like I can sew this.

What can I do to attach keyboard keys to clothing. In particular a suit jacket like the one pictured above.

The simplest approach is a hot needle.

Hold a rather thick needle with pincers (pretty much any kind) and heat it up - stove fire will take seconds to make it glowing hot, but a candle flame should suffice. Melt the hole through both sides of the stubs. The needle should be considerably thicker than the one you'll use for sewing because the holes close up a bit when you remove the needle.


What is the name of this drawing style? I wonder what's the name of the style of drawing of the pictures shown below.
I know it's some kind of digital painting, but if I want to draw characters like this with a pencil, can I find references using the keyword 'cartoon', or 'realistic'?

Artwork appears to be by Ross Tran

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.


Cuff strategy to maximize longevity of pants When the bottom hem of pants/slacks gets frayed there are various ways to re-sew the hems or cuffs so that the frayed material is no longer exposed.  Presumably there are ways to optimize/extend the longevity of a pair of pants by following a sequence of re-cuffing/re-hemming that maximize the number of opportunities for repair to do so before running out of fabric.  I recall seeing in a sewing book years ago a strategy that allowed three or four significant repairs to frayed hems that started with a traditional cuff and ultimately ended in a plain hem once all material was exhausted.  Sadly I don't remember the book (or the proposed sequence).

What are some optimal strategies/sequences?

I've never seen the book you mentioned, but it seems to me that maximizing the amount of material in the cuff would maximize how many times you could make repairs.

Assuming that the pants are bought with deliberately too long legs, roll the fabric into the leg space to create an extremely tall invisible cuff.  Pin that cuff in place at a more normal 1/2" to 3/4" height.  This should create the first (most interior) hem.

Now fold the excess fabric from just above the pins and pull it down so that it once again extends out the bottom of the leg opening.  Darn the top of the interior cuff in multiple places to keep your toes from catching it when putting on the pants in the future.  Recover your pins

Next, fold the downward pointing excess fabric (outward this time) to wrap up over the first hem and cover it with another layer of cloth.  This will form an exterior cuff which may still be taller than normal, but will be shorter than the previous interior cuff, because some to the fabric is now trapped inside the pant leg.

If you still have a enough excess height to reach the leg opening again, pin and darn the new cuff at the normal height, then fold the remaining excess fabric outward and roll it downward and then back into the leg opening.  This will form a second interior cuff which you will again need to pin and darn carefully to avoid snagging toes.

If you do not have enough excess height to create a second interior cuff, fold what excess height you have, inward so that it tucks into the newly created exterior cuff.  Pin and darn the top of the exterior cuff at a few points to hold it in place.

Here is a rough diagram of what I am talking about...


How do I cut a popsicle stick lengthwise? Need to do this for my art project. I tried using a normal wire cutter but the wood just doesnt break

Your question is limited by not having an indication of the resources available to you. One of the better tools would be a scroll saw, often called a jig saw. The tabletop versions are well suited to light duty cuts such as popsicle sticks.

Another suitable tool, somewhat unwieldy, is the rotary hobby tool, often called a dremel tool, from the brand name frequently associated with this type of item. There are various bits available for this device, but it would be challenging to handle safely for such small pieces.

Only recently, there appears on the 'net a number of videos showing people using either a rotary tool such as the dremel, or a hand drill and even a right-angle disc grinder. The latter is seriously overpowered for this application, but the key feature is that the cutting "bit" is a circle of paper.

Multiple circles of the same diameter are cut, glued together using ordinary adhesive and attached to the rotary device. The faster the speed one can manage, the better the results. Even wood as thick as 25 mm (1 inch) is shown being cut with a paper disc!

I used The YouTube, searched for "cutting with paper" and found a number of returns. One of them shows the rotary tool at the very start. I did not view the entire video, having seen others representative of this method.

Cutting with paper

EDIT: An additional method of attacking the sticks would be to use a box knife or similar sharp instrument. Place a solid straight edge on the stick and score repeatedly along the edge. Use as much force as necessary to cut into the surface, but not so much as to crack the stick along grain lines.

If you can ensure exact positioning, consider to score one side then the other before attempting to split the stick in two. It may be necessary to alternate sides when scoring in order to slice completely through the stick.


What do you call these snips/shears? The tool on the left is a Wezsnip. They call it an easy snip utility shear. Almost identical tools on the web are called...
Craft snip, Multi snip, Garden tools scissors.
Very similar ones are called...
Hardware snip, Shop snip.
I would like to use a non-trade name to describe them uniquely. Any ideas?
The tool on the right is a Tullen work cutter. A similar tool is called a multi use shear. What is the difference, if any, between shear and snip?

The following picture shows what my father refered to as tin snips. No good for craft work.

I know these as Tin Snips, or Tinner(')s Snips, and are identifiable as such because of the symmetry of the handles and blades, the wide aperture between the blades, and that the handles are longer than the blades.

The difference between snips & shears?

  Snips are shears that are used for cutting metal.

So a snip is a type of shear. And a shear?

  Is a cutting instrument in which two blades move past each other, like scissors but typically larger


Which glue should I use to strongly attach a label to glass? I am making decorative glass bottles for home use and in that connection I need to attach labels to the glass bottles. The bottles are empty and will not come in contact with liquids at any point. However, I need the labels to stay on the bottle for the long-term. I have tried superglue, but I am worried that it will not last for a long time. Can anybody recommend a glue that binds labels to glass bottles strongly? And can keep up for years?

My method doesn’t involve glue at all. I use packing tape:

Print or hand-write your label and place it face down onto the sticky side of a pristinely clean strip of packing tape. To make accurate positioning of the label much easier, secure the packing tape sticky-side-up onto a hard surface such as a kitchen counter, by making the strip about an inch longer than needed, and turning about 1/2 inch at each end under and pressing it against the counter. Once the label is positioned, trim the tape to size, and position the label on the very well cleaned glass. Use a spoon or your thumbnail to work out any air bubbles.

Voila, much easier than glue with no cleanup, and for your needs which don’t involve contact with water, the labels will stay put for a long time, and withstand surface cleaning, even with a damp cloth.


Why would using an eraser holder be better than using a normal rectangle eraser? I saw this today:

It's a Staedtler Mars Plastic Eraser Refillable Holder.
Well, if you tell me that it can be used to clean corners, yes initially it would but soon its edges would become round like other erasers. How will that be helpful?
If you say that it can be cut to get a new sharp edge, well then it can be done to other rectangle erasers too.
When and why should this one be preferred over the rectangle erasers?

I can think of four benefits of using an eraser holder:

It keeps the eraser clean so it doesn't pick up body oils from handling or other contaminants.  The eraser can be extended and retracted as needed, and you handle the holder rather than the eraser.  It minimizes transferring dirt to the paper and potentially smearing the graphite.
The holder provides some rigidity for the relatively soft, rubbery eraser.
The holder has the feel and control of a pencil.
It is a convenient form factor to carry around.  It's the size of a mechanical pencil or pen and has a pocket clip.


Crafting a block note with draft papers I have a staple of draft papers. Typically, these are paper sheets that were printing errors in the sense that the print covers less than 10% of the paper.

I would like to reuse them, but I really like to use block notes as drafts for various practical reasons (for example transportability and having my thoughts chronologically attached together). I also like the fact than one can easily take out a sheet from the block if needed.

I don't like the rings (as in the following picture):

Because 1) the blocks don't pile evenly and 2) approaching the end of the block, I very often encounter troubles to turn the pages (the sheets tend to pop out of some rings, etc.)

Is there a way to craft a paper block like this one out of paper drafts:

 Click on the pictures to get redirected to their source on the web

You can take a stack of paper and press them together between 2 wooden boards, making sure that one of the short sides sticks out a few mm.
You then cover the side of the paper that sticks out with bookbinders glue (PVA glue) and let it dry before you unclamp the stack of paper.

You'll end up with a nice noteblock with allows you to pull of sheets of paper out of it but is on the hand strong enough to keep the paper sheets in while flipping through the pages.

I used this when I was a student and used the backside of printed paper from my fathers office.


What criteria should I be considering when looking at a second hand sewing machine? I understand the basic concept of how a sewing machine works. I also know there are many varieties of sewing machines e.g. they are capable of doing their own sets of stitches and what not, supporting different materials.

If I was going to pick up a modern unit second hand what should I be paying attention for i.e. Any particular things I need to be looking for or testing?

Narrowing down my criteria I would say, I am looking for a machine which would help me do basic stitches and hems on clothing and other thin materials.

Basic requirements

For a basic sewing machine that does hems and maybe some simple garment sewing... I'd look for:

Basic stitches - running stitch, zig zag, blind hem stitch
Adjustable tension - to accommodate lighter fabrics
Adjustable stitch length
Reverse (almost all modern machines have it, it's just handy)

Choices

If you want to sew buttons you also may want to know how the button holing works.  Technically you can make a button hole with what I just described, but many machines have slick ways to make the process easier or to make the button holes come out nicer.  If you think button holes will be a frequent task, make sure you like and understand how this feature works on this model.

Bobbin winding - every machine will have a way to wind the bobbin, but how easy/hard it is can be a real point of satisfaction for the user.  Make sure you like and understand how this process works.

Needle threading - most modern machines have a light near the needle to make this easier.  But also - how do you thread the machine - it's always more than sticking the thread in the eye of the needle.  If learning to thread the machine makes you want to cry, this is not the machine for you.

Bobbin winding and needle threading are steps you'll do almost every time you sew (sometimes more than that!) so if you hate the steps or find them really hard, it's worth it to keep looking.

Similarly - every machine will have a presser foot and a way of lifting/dropping the needle - there's no right or wrong, but it's a comfort issue... like going on a test drive of a car.

Quality checks when buying

Be sure you can sew with the machine.  Unless you really like a good mystery, get a test drive of the machine.  Not only does it clarify the choices, but it lets you make sure the machine works.
Know and check that you've got all the feet and any other parts - check online what the model was sold with.  Be sure the parts are there: presser feet, button holing add-ons, the foot pedal controller and all wires, darning plate and any add-ons, spool pins or other add-ons for holding various types of thread and bobbins.  Personally, I wouldn't sweat a missing instruction book, but I'd verify I could get a copy online if I were a more novice seamstress.
Look at the shape of the machine - it should have a regular and even hum and the needle should go up and down easily without breaking, or slipping gears.  The needle should be able to catch thread in the bobbin easily, and not slam into the darning plate.  Changing settings should produce an obvious change in the outcome when sewing.


What are good options in colored pencil blending, especially for a traveller? I generally use the Faber-Castell Colored Pencils, which are vegetable oil based, but I also use PrismaColor Premier from time to time. I normally use Odorless Mineral Spirits to blend, but it is a toxic substance and so not something I normally want to travel with. What are some other possibilities for blending that can be used, especially for those that want to work on their art when traveling?

PrismaColor has a colorless blender pencil.
Further, you could layer colours (start with the darkest) and use a (near) white pencil to burnish the colours. Make sure the tip of your pencil is sharp and apply the colour in small circular motions to get an even result.


Printing with Sodium bicarbonate I'm going to be 'printing' with a baking soda and water solution. I need to apply the solution to a surface that will hold it long enough to lay a piece of paper on it and saturate particular areas of the paper, the letter forms. What is the best surface to use. I've contemplated sponge, but am not sure if the sponge will gather enough solution intact to leave residue of the letter form or whole word on the paper when it dries. I'll find that out by experiment but would love any help that might improve my chances of success. This is for a college typography class.

Update:

Well, I've cut the letter forms out of sponge and adhered them to a sheet of Plexiglas. I originally wanted the sponge to sit in the bicarbonate solution and continuously wick it to the top of each sponge letter form. I've done some trials already however on this smaller version I've put the solution on the sponge letters, first with a brush, and recently with an eye dropper. I'm letting the paper dry at the moment.

I'm printing a form of 'Secret Ink'for a graphic design class. If I go with this project I'll have to make 28 posters, minimum 18" x 24" or larger this way.

Thank you all for taking the time to contemplate the problem and come up with solutions.I'll post pics of the results if I can.

Are you limited to a mixture of baking soda and water?  If you add a thickener (like agar gum) to the mixture to give it a bit more "stickiness," then you should be able to use rubber stamps (or foam cut-outs, etc...just google "DIY rubber stamps" for alternatives).  Use a foam brush to apply the liquid mixture to the stamp and apply to your paper.

You will have to experiment with different thickeners (agar gum was just the first one that came to my mind) and amounts to determine what will work best with the baking soda and water mixture.


What kind of paper should be preferred for fountain pens? Of course the paper shouldn't have ghosting and feathering problems, besides that what should I look for in the paper for fountain pens.
Some papers have teeth, some are very thin( school notebooks) yet they don't have ghosting and feathering problems, and some papers are very smooth.
Also, I have heard about something called "feedback" w.r.t papers. What does it mean when someone says - "This paper gives feedback when we write with a fountain pen."?

Fountain pen ink is more watery than the ink used in many other types of pens, and fountain pens put a lot of it on the paper.  The combination creates a challenge for the paper that makes it difficult to have the "perfect" paper in every respect.  You typically need to choose what you want to optimize, and use a paper that optimizes that.
The challenges created by fountain pens and their ink

There is a lot of very liquid ink applied to the paper.  The liquid dries through absorption and evaporation.  If it is heavily absorbed by the paper, it spreads sideways (the lines get wider), and it "feathers" (feathery bleeding so the line edges aren't sharp).  It also soaks into the paper, which can cause it to bleed through to the back (you see some of the ink on the back surface, even the front surface of the next sheet).
If the ink is kept controlled on the surface of the paper, a lot of it requires evaporation to dry, which is a much slower process.  As long as it's wet, it can smear and get picked up by your hand (and transferred to other surfaces).  But once it dries, you get the crispest lines.  In some cases, this can allow you to see a sheen, which some people find desirable.  Even though the ink stays mostly on the surface, there is a lot of it, with a lot of contrast.  If the paper is not fully opaque, you can see "ghosting" of the writing through the paper on the other side.

There are characteristics that make paper more fountain-pen-friendly.  Heavier-weight paper helps with bleed-through and ghosting.  Smoother paper reduces its absorbency (the fibers are more compressed).  Sizing (chemical treatment, not the paper dimensions), and coatings reduce its absorbency so the ink doesn't soak into the paper as much.
However, while super-smooth paper produces crisp lines, it also eliminates most of the friction of the pen nib on the paper, so you lose that feedback -- the feel of the pen moving on the paper.
So there are trade-offs in fountain-pen-friendly paper.  Some people want the best possible lines.  Others want more of the feel of the writing experience as long as they get good-enough lines.  The crispest lines also tend to be more slow-drying.  The best-optimized papers are somewhat niche products; they can be expensive.
You can expand the range of papers that will work well by using fast-drying ink and/or a finer nib.

Paper Selection
If you use ink with a very rich color, you might also want to use paper that is extremely white.
If you're starting from scratch and want to try some random papers that you have ready access to, the best results will generally be with very smooth, heavier-weight paper, so start with those.  But not all of them will be good, and there are lots of exceptions.  Much depends on how the paper was made.  It doesn't hurt to try almost any paper you can get your hands on just to see the results.
Fortunately, fountain pens have a dedicated following.  There are lots of web sites devoted to using them.  Among aficionados who have explored the available papers, a relatively small number of papers have risen to the top.  I'll include links to a number of sites and paper evaluations and preferences (some have more detailed descriptions of the papers and the specific version recommended; some cover different "formats", like notepads, stationery, journals, etc.).
A large number of lists have these papers at or near the top (in varying orders): Tomoe River, Rhodia, Clairefontaine (made by the same company as Rhodia), and Midori,  Also near the top of many lists was Oxford Optik.  One that made a number of "favorite"  lists because it generally works pretty well and is inexpensive was HP Premium Laserjet Paper (especially 32 lb).
Many stationery stores will provide, on request, a sample pack of a mix of different papers of interest (a few sheets of each one, typically either free or for the cost of postage).  It's a good way to compare high-end papers without spending a lot of money on full packages.

Further reading:

The Best Fountain Pen Paper | JetPens
Best Papers for Fountain Pens - Inks and Pens
What Is The Best Paper For Fountain Pens? - Fountain Pen Love
In search of the best paper for fountain pen use – Pennonia
The Best Paper For Fountain Pens | Unsharpen
The best paper... in the world – Nero's Notes
What’s The Best Paper For Fountain Pens? – Savoir-Relier
Tomoe River Paper is One of the Best Paper for Fountain Pens (...but)
In Your Opinion What Is The Best Paper Brand For Fountain Pens? - Paper and Pen Paraphernalia - The Fountain Pen Network (just an online survey, but consistent with reports on other sites.)


book arts: how to make cut outs What kind of tool should i use to make small cuttings in paper for an art book?  I have been using an exacto knife right now but the result is messy and ragged. The paper is cardstock, double layer thick for a book.  Does any one have any suggestions?

You are using a typical tool by having an Xacto knife in hand. If your results are poor, please consider that the blade may be dull. New blades are sharp enough to result in very clean cuts, while an even slightly dull blade will pull the material being cut.

If you don't wish to exhaust your finances by purchasing new blades at every turn, consider to purchase also a sharpening stone and stone oil (often water based) to hone the blades you have. A newly honed blade will slice through paper like a hot knife through butter, but with far less mess.

There are some references online suggesting to use sandpaper, but for best results, a fine grain honing stone and oil provides best results.

You can improve your results by making use of a cutting mat specifically designed for this purpose. Look for the terms "self-healing" in the ad copy or on the label. The material and construction allow the knife blade to penetrate slightly into the surface, but close up in short order.

Because your reference to art implies freehand shapes, a typical guillotine cutter would not be practical, nor would other shear type cutters or rotary blades.

On the more extreme level, one could make use of a laser cutter. Low power hobby-grade lasers tend to leave burned edges, while the higher power CO2 hobby lasers will provide a much cleaner cut. There is no "freehand" involved in such devices and would require computer generated images, removing much of the art from the craft.

I nearly forgot one option if non-freehand images are acceptable. Less expensive, by far, than any laser cutter and very clean cuts can be had by using a hobby cutter. Known by a couple brand names such as Cricut and Cameo, they may provide an option for your project.

See also this most recent post:

Laser Cut Wedding Invitations


How to make a pom-pom? Many years ago, I made some small model people and animals out of fabric, wool, old toilet roll tubes, etc. Their heads were usually made out of pom-poms perhaps 5-10 cm in diameter, as you can see in this model of a witch:

I had a nice simple way of making these pom-poms, which I found in a book (a Ladybird children's book - ah, nostalgia), but now I can't remember how it went.

How can I make a pom-pom of this kind?

A variation on Erica's answer there are a couple of things you can do differently if making smaller pom poms.

Wrap the yarn around a common fork. Using more yarn (more loops) will give you a more uniform/spherical appearance. If possible leave a small space between the tines of the fork and body of the fork. This makes the next step easier.
Use a single strand of yarn and tie it around the loops. You can place it in-between the fork tines in order to get around the yarn loops. Make it tight. (You could also just use a pipe cleaner depending on how you plan to use them)
Cut all the loops out just the same.
You can fluff up the end of the pompom by using something like a wire brush. Using the brush all around the surface will fray the ends creating a more solid appearance.

Wool yarn brushed. Image from clonesnclowns.com
Using small scissors, like sewing scissors, to clean up if some of the frays got out of control.

Here is a video showing the use of the above process minus the brush

Cardboard Disc Method

To make larger poms or to try and help make ones different sized ones consistently then you can try using a pair of cardboard discs

The following will consist of stills from this video that outlines this procedure nicely.

Make two cardboard discs. They will be shaped like a doughnut with pie slice removed.

Place a small tail of yarn in between those discs. You will be using this to tie of later much in the same way as the other method above. This is a very important part as this will be used to hold the whole pom together. You need to always be aware of where this string is during the process and not lose in inside the yarn wraps.

If your yarn is weak and prone to snapping under tension you should use something stronger. Wire work here as well if these will be part of a larger project.

Starting wrapping as much yarn as you deem necessary around the doughnut/circle. The more you use the tighter your pom will be.

Get scissors and cut the yarn in between the discs. Again, be aware of the location of the yarn tail so as to not cut it or lose it. You will have to hold the center of the discs to keep them together until you tie off.
Use the tail and tie around the cut yarn. You should be able to remove the disc now.
Beyond that the rest is the same. Fluff up the yarn to make your ball. Trim to get a more spherical shape. Use a brush if that effect is desired.

Disc Variation

There is at least one other variation to the cardboard disc method that uses specialized templates. It claims to be 5 times faster. If you are making more than a fair share of these it would be worth considering.

Image from homemade-gifts-made-easy.com. Two of them, wrapped with yarn, would be used to make a pom


What adhesive should I use for Carbon Fiber and Painted metal? I have a tripod that has carbon fiber tubes.  There is a metal end piece on the center tube that has fallen out.  What kind of glue/adhesive should I use to reattach it?

I would recommend two-part epoxy resin, and the addition of a pin. Basically you would:

pre-drill a hole through the tube and the cap
mix the resin
apply resin to both the inside of the tube and the cap
join the two pieces with a nut and bolt

EDIT
Looking at your pic again, I see that there is a place for a screw to lock in the cap. Maybe take it to a hardware store and figure out if it’s an M4 or M6 and use the screw instead of drilling again...


Are computer controlled sewing machine commercially available? Are such sewing machine available? Ones that start or stop or do reinforcement stitches by computer instruction?

There are a number of computer controlled sewing machines on the market. Brother is one company, Husqvarna, and a number of other manufacturers produce devices which use software running from a computer, which typically creates a file sent to the machine. The file contains instructions to be executed with respect to movement of the mechanism which shifts the fabric (encased in an embroidery hoop) and movement of the needle and thread.
The above references consumer grade devices, possibly described as hobbyist level, although custom embroidery and sewing shops will use them for commercial use.
If you require industrial grade device related information, consider to clarify your question. I'd expect that industrial grade devices would be even more fully computer controlled.
I have a client who manufacturers quilt producing machines. Many dozens of needles with corresponding thread spools, precise fabric movement, multiple fabric layers (of course, it's a quilt) and take-up systems for the completed product. At the time I was able to view the systems, they were operating on an embedded Windows XP OS, which also contained the software to generate the stitching and related operations.


Casein Paint Shelf Life I've been told that casein paints are great to use but that they will spoil over time, unlike acrylics and oils.

How long will casein paints last in the tube?  Is there any way to extend their shelf life?

I do not think you have to worry about commercial casein paints in tubes unless you are leaving them alone for months. Doubt they would spoil, one site said you can refrigerate them if you wish, but do not freeze.

Maybe you are thinking about egg casein which is mixed fresh from egg whites? Or other methods that start from powders? Those would go bad but the tubes seem to be stable.

"Casein paint tubes may harden a bit if they aren't handled frequently. Squeezing the tubes circulates the emulsion with the pigments, keeping them moist and pliable."

FAQ 1 - good overview of casein tubes. source of quote.

FAQ 2 - more focused on freshly mixed caseins

FAQ 3 - about underpainting with casein, talks about true casein spoiling though


Is it possible to restore the plastic on a pickguard without removing a signature on it? I have an old flat white colored pickguard from my first guitar that I got signed by some guitarists I like with permanent marker. However, with age, the plastic has yellowed somewhat, which normally wouldn't be a problem (it's a nice cream color right now), except now I'd like to have the pickguard framed, and there are parts of it which were covered by the knobs of the guitar that didn't get stained, and I'd like it to all be a consistent color.

I've heard that you can soak yellowing plastic in hydrogen peroxide, and set it out in sunlight for a bit to restore it to its original color, but I'm concerned that this, and other methods like bleaching the pickguard might also remove the signatures on it. Thus, I was wondering if anyone knew a method that would let me restore the color of the original plastic without removing the signatures.

Please do not soak the pickguard in peroxide! That's highly likely to remove or damage the permanent marker signatures since peroxide is a bleaching agent. You might be able to carefully clean around the signatures using a mostly dry small tool with peroxide or other cleaning solution on it, but even then you would run the risk of some of it bleeding over onto the permanent marker and doing harm. I wouldn't recommend even trying it!

Instead, since you're planning on framing it anyway, consider adding another layer of glass between the pickguard and the glass in the frame. Then stain that additional glass layer strategically with a thin wash of paint or ink or dye to visually even out the pickguard that will be beneath it. Colors can be powerful. Try washes in various colors and shades of the same color to see how the pickguard looks through the stained glass. The eye can be fooled nicely with the proper colors.

The advantage to that approach is that you can experiment without any risk to the pickguard, and you can clean off what you did if you don't like it and try something else (glass is very friendly that way). You should be able to achieve the desired result without changing the pickguard in any way.


How to glue stones and shells to burlap-covered wood? I bought a oval, finished piece of wood, then I covered it with burlap. My issue now is which kind of glue should I use to hold my glass stones and shells on it?

I have my glue gun , this what I used to apply my burlap (along with some normal Staples). The glass pieces are the type we all see in any crafts no-show. I bought a bag of them, so you know what I'm describing. The shells are from any beach from L.A./Florida. No doubt the glass is going to be my challenge due to there weight, and being round. Roundness doesn't leave much area to attach glue or anything.

I have been working with all different types of glass on a daily basis for over 20 years, stained, frosted, fused, etc. I create mosaic art pieces using all sorts of different backings. For example: Glass on glass, glass on wood, glass on metal, glass on ceramic, glass on plastic, and the piece I'm working  on now is glass on egg shells. Yes, glass on blown out egg shells.

Over the years  I have tried everything from Elmer's school glue to contact cement, to hot glue guns and I have found that the best adhesive to attach any type of glass to any surface is "Weldbond". It is the strongest, weather and water proof, a little goes a long way, dries clear glue. And best of all it's inexpensive. You can find it in any craft store for around $8.0o. I swear by it, I wont use anything else my glass pieces. I promise you wont be disappointed. Here are a few links, check it out for yourself.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Weldbond-All-Purpose-Glue/47657022

https://www.amazon.com/Weldbond-8-50160-Universal-Adhesive-5-4/dp/B00P94NRDE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502264340&sr=8-3&keywords=weldbond+glue+mosaic+adhesive


How to make paper waterproof I am a paper craft artist. I am wondering if I can make my paper art waterproof.
I tried putting clear epoxy resin on the paper model, but the resin changed the color of the paper.
Is there any material I can put on my model to make it more durable and waterproof?
The paper I am using is 200GSM.

There are various waterproofing sprays and brush-on treatments sold for maps.  They shouldn't change the colour very much, (hopefully not at all for print) but may darken the base colour a little.  Here's one example, and here's another.
The key to using these is to ensure perfect coverage, and several thin, even, coats.  The same would be true for spray lacquer, which should also work though it's not necessarily designed to be flexible.  For origami I'd spray from a different direction for every coat, but even so getting it into the crevices will be tricky.
I've also seen a recommendation for polyurethane varnish, with the note that some change the colour but others don't.
A dip process would ensure good coverage but in an oil-based varnish is very likely to change the colour (as you found with epoxy), maybe adding translucency.
A range of options is presented here including some I've mentioned above.  One that looks particularly interesting is shellac.  It dissolves in alcohol but not water, and hardens when the alcohol evaporates, so unless you have alcohol-soluble colours on your paper, it shouldn't have much if any effect on the colour, and is described as being suitable for a bath process.


How far does a 5oz oil paint tube go? I'm part of a group of seven people looking to paint along with an episode of Bob Ross, and I'm trying to buy supplies for the group, but we've never painted before.

How far would a single 5oz tube of a given color (e.g. Alizarin Crimson) go? Would one of those be enough for seven people to do two paintings each?

We've selected one of the paintings we will be doing:

This is Grandeur of Summer by Bob Ross.

The amount of paint you will use depends both on the size of the painting and your personal style and technique.  The amount of paint you use may be more or less than another person in your group.

Others have asked this specific question, e.g. "Amount of paint used in a typical Bob Ross painting"
https://www.reddit.com/r/HappyTrees/comments/6d29w8/amount_of_paint_used_in_a_typical_bob_ross/

As you can see by the range of answers, again, there is no mathematical way to calculate how many tubes/grams of paint you will need.

Once you have painted for a while, you will know approximately how much paint you typically use.  In the mean time, I suggest visiting a local art supply store if there is one in your area, and ask for their advice.  You may be able to buy more paint than you think you will use and return unopened tubes. But we sure to ask about returns before you purchase.

This sounds like a great group activity and a lot of fun.


What can I line a collectible card box with that is not felt or flocking? I made a card box, for holding Magic cards, a while ago, and I lined it with felt. While that does look good all the plastic sleeves I use get caught on the material so it is difficult to put them away.

Flocking seems like a good idea as well but I am imagining loose bits getting into the cards and it bothers me. Yes, I have never actually flocked anything before, but even if it all adheres to the paint I find it hard to believe that it will never fleck off.

What can I choose to line a card box with? It has to be something that will allow the sleeved cards to move freely and stay in its place. Being decorative is secondary, if it matters.

You could take inspiration from old suitcases: these used either fabric (woven linen or cotton), or paper. (I actually suspect that they used bookbinding paper/cloth, more on that later.)

Reasonably sturdy paper would be easiest to handle - patterned wrapping paper from a craft store, maybe, or even a piece of wallpaper.

Fabric can be tricky (stretching, glue seeping), but a smooth, woven upholstery fabric is a reasonable option.

If you can get your hands on book cloth, that's definitely a great choice. It's fabric lined with paper, sold in sheets or rolls. Takes glue well, doesn't stretch or wrinkle, easy to cut in straight lines. The downside is that it can be expensive or hard to find, depending on your location.


How can I recreate/restore small text and graphics on a painted surface? I'm refinishing an old Bausch and Lomb Stereo Microscope and I am trying to recreate the graphics and text on the body, but I am not sure of the method used during manufacture. I would like a method I can apply myself, but I am open to using outside services for the materials or printing.

I initially looked into water slide decals, but they look obviously tacked on, revealing a transparent background. I also looked into decals, but I am assuming it is unsuitable given the small size of the graphics.

Any suggestions?

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.


How to add paint to the bottom and stain/varnish to the top of a wood project? I have a small wood pencil holder that I want to paint on the bottom with blue and then stain and varnish the top.

My question is how do I go about the varnish?  Can I varnish over the paint or do I use blue tape to block off the painted portion and varnish after I've painted then remove the blue tape (which will ruin the varnish right?)?  Or do I just varnish very carefully?  Or do I paint after I varnish and possible paint over the bottom of the varnish?

I have crossed this situation where clients want to stain their banisters and paint the spindles. In such cases, we stain first, then tape off the banister and paint the spindles.

Note: You can stain (light colors / not solid) over paint and it will adhere, giving it an antique look. Example photo below of stain over paint.


What is the name of this sliding collapsing square tool? I am trying to find a tool I had a long time ago. Uses probably range from locating to measuring. Could be used for anything really, drawing to wood carving.

The device is expandable. In its initial position it would look almost like a + ; when fully expanded it would look like a square. Basically it is two pieces of L-shaped metal that slide, but are joined with two sliding rivets:

(red represents the sliding rivets and the left image represents fully closed, while the right represents an expanded state)

I think what you have is an adjustable viewfinder, a tool used by artists to help frame a scene.

By sliding the arms along the guides you are able adjust the view of the scene you are trying to capture.

Helps the artist to learn how to control the content, design and layout of an image.

Here's an example from the Derwent company.

[

Here's an example of someone using their fingers.


What is the paper cutting art called which does not involve folding? The paper cutting craft shown here - How to cut a tiny circle in paper? does not seem to be done by folding paper (there are no wrinkles). Doesn't seem to come under origami.

Since I wish to learn that kind of paper cutting art, I wish to know what is that craft called?

This may simply be called papercutting!

From Papercutting on Wikipedia:

  Papercutting or paper cutting is the art of cutting paper designs. The
  art has evolved uniquely all over the world to adapt to different
  cultural styles.

  Silhouette can refer to the art of cutting outlines or portraits out
  of black paper. [...] Contemporary papercutting is also sometimes
  associated with the art of stenciling, itself being derived from
  techniques used in graffiti art. The use of hand-cut stencils in
  graffiti art has received international attention in recent years due
  in part to the artist Banksy.

There is also more information on Chinese paper cutting, although I can't verify the accuracy of it:

  "[L]ong before the paper was invented... people used thin materials,
  like leaves, silver foil, silk and even leather, to carve hollowed
  patterns for beauty. Later, when paper was invented, people realized
  that this material was easy to cut, store and discard. Thus paper
  became the major material for them to use, and people habitually
  called this artistry paper-cutting, or Jianzhi in Chinese."

And Jewish paper cutting:

  Jewish paper cutting is a traditional form of Jewish folk art made by
  cutting figures and sentences in paper or parchment. It is connected
  with various customs and ceremonies, and associated with holidays and
  family life.

A couple of examples:


What fiber crafts can I do when I am allergic to wool? I'm allergic to wool. Is it still possible for me to knit/crochet/spin/weave?

Yes, while you may lose some techniques that depend on wool's specific properties (like felting), there are a variety of fibers still available to the wool-allergic:

Other Animal Fibers Alpaca is the most common - but there are also other, more exotic ones - which may be tolerable.

Plant Fibers Cotton, linen, hemp. Should be completely tolerable even to the most wool allergic.

Synthetics Acrylic. Like plants, no crossover with wool, so should be safe. (This one may not apply to spinning, however, since synthetic yarns aren't made the same way as natural fiber ones.)

There's been at least one book written specifically for wool-allergic knitters ("No Sheep For You") and if you're on Ravelry, you can search the pattern database for patters written for non-wool fibers.


What aspects of drawing should I focus on as a beginning artist? The UK is going into a second lockdown and I've decided to try drawing as a hobby to get away from my every day job of been a programmer. I did art at school and that was the last time I did anything arty, other than my photography, so I'd consider myself an absolute beginner at 48 years of age :)
The problem is I do not know where to begin to start training myself. I'll be using a drawing tablet.
So, the type of art/drawing/sketching that interests me is pencil and inking. Stylized portraits and figures (I'm not after photo-realistic style), dioramas etc is kinda what I want to do eventually.
My Question
As a beginning artist, do I begin with figure drawing, full figures and heads, and just try get proportions right, or do I go even more basic?
Of course I realise that becoming adequate is going to be years of practice, but I'd like to ensure I'm starting off on the correct path.

There are some fundamentals that everyone who wants to draw needs to learn. (Not in order of importance).
#1 Control exercises
Make yourself comfortable with a pencil and paper, draw straight lines - 1/4, 1/2 and full width of a paper - draw  5 times over each line and try to hit the line as precicely as you can. Same thing for circles or ovals. Draw 2 Lines and fill the space between with - as perfect as possible - circles, or ovals. For very small things it is ok to "draw from your wrist", but try to train to keep your wrist still and rather use your shoulder and elbow to make the movement.
#2 Perspective
Learn about 1-/2-/3-point-perspective and vanishing points. Start with very simple forms like a cylinder or a cube and draw them from different angles. Put some simple objects on a table and draw these forms in a composition. Try to draw some stills with more complex objects, or use some photos of streets from different views.
#3 Shape and form
Start with simple objects and try to create more complex forms. You can draw some random "blob" and try to define a 3 dimensional shape by drawing contour lines in that form. Like a wire frame.
#4 Value and Light
In order to create convincing 3 dimensional forms you need to control your values. Always start with black and white. Use a simple value scale of 5 values. White is the lightest, black the darkest 50% grey the middle. Learn to understand highlights, reflected light, core, cast and occlusion shadows. Add more lights and complex forms.
#4 Anatomy
There is a ton of really good resources online to learn anatomy for artists. Get a book about it - I always used this: The Complete Guide to Anatomy for Artists & Illustrators from Gottfried Bammes. I cant remember the Website but when I trained figure drawing, there was a site where you were shown a picture of someone in a specific pose and you could set a timer for how long you wanted that picture to be shown. Train to do poses in 10s, 60s, 10minutes.
Depending on what type of learner you are you might want to search for some resources on each topic, get some books or just trial and error. Always use some reference even for relatively simple things.Get a sketchbook and carry it around. But most importantly have fun !


Is there any eraser that can erase charcoal? Is there any eraser that can erase charcoal?
I've been trying 3 different brands of kneaded erasers (Faber-Castell, Prismacolor, and an unknown brand) and nothing has happened.

Kneaded erasers are usually perfect for erasing charcoal.
However, when it comes to erasing charcoal, the success of kneaded erasers depends on a few factors:

The type of paper
I've experienced problems erasing charcoal from papers with very low to no grain (this includes the typical A4 printer paper, on which it is hard to draw with anything to begin with).
Select proper paper when drawing with charcoal: a medium to heavy weight paper with a fine to coarse grain (the charcoal needs to be able to deposit particles within the structure, but the kneaded eraser equally needs to be able to pick it up from there). Anything smooth and flimsy is usually a subpar choice for charcoal.

The quality of the charcoal
Cheaper charcoal tends to have an inconsistent structure. If you use charcoal that deposits particles of varying size or at times doesn't leave a trace at all, stop using it and buy other charcoal (if from a reputable brand you might want to ask your money back).
These deficiencies are due to the quality of the burning process, and the type of wood and the part of the tree or plant used.

The pressure applied when drawing with charcoal
When drawing with a piece of good quality charcoal on good quality paper, the lines produced should have a consistent hue. Get a feel for letting the charcoal stick glide over the paper, without consciously applying pressure. Depending on the technique and work method, only after the initial linework is done should pressure be applied to create different hues. Generally, the harder you push the charcoal, the harder it will be to remove.

The condition of the eraser
Lastly, of course, there is the eraser itself. For the best results, use a clean or well-kneaded eraser. Kneaded erasers become saturated when used, and at some point it might be hard for them to pick up anything at all.
I myself have not encountered bad kneaded erasers yet, but the quality could also differ between brands. There is a difference in how kneadable the one is in comparison to the other, but this is a matter of personal preference.


Soldering iron to make holes in sticks? I am making hamster toys and equipment.  I have successfully used a soldering iron to make holes in plastic and cardboard.  My question is, can I use it to make holes in small sticks?  (As in small pieces of tree branches.)

If you need to know what kind of tree -- probably willow or apple.

Plastic will melt and flow away from the iron leaving a hole.  Cardboard is really just paper with air gaps between the glued layers so there's just a little bit of material to burn.

A wooden stick is going to be solid wood.  It doesn't melt and move out of the way - if anything the burned area of wood actually gets harder (and more brittle) as it turns to charcoal.  You're not going to just burn a hole through it.

The right tool is, of course, a drill.  You may be able to use a sharply pointed knife for a smaller stick, but a drill really is going to be your best bet.  It will also work for the plastic and cardboard, and in my opinion, will be safer than using a burning hot iron.


What is the best type of leather for handmade goods (mostly wallets) I was wondering what properties should be considered before choosing a leather type for wallets creation, based on the following facts:

The leather should be stitched after cutting;
The margins of the leather should be polished;
It is possible to apply a stamp (for branding) on the leather surface;

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


How can I avoid fungus in an alien water tank? I am building an animatronic alien inside a transparent plastic cylinder. The cylinder is filled with water and a few drops of green ink. The problem I have is: in a few days, the water fills with algae and becomes moldy. I have tried some mixtures (water plus white vinegar, water plus alcohol, water plus chlorine) and although the water last longer clean, the ink always reacts with the vinegar/alcohol/chlorine and the green color dissappears or becomes an awful brownish. Do you know any way to keep green water without fungi or algae?

It looks like you're making something rather like a specimen in a jar, so why not do it the way the professionals do it: pure ethanol or isopropyl alcohol?

As long as the jar is properly sealed, this should keep your alien fluid in pristine condition for centuries to come.

Of course, this may be overkill. If you do a decent job of sterilising the jar beforehand (I recommend the kind of steriliser used for brewing), boil the water beforehand and seal the jar properly, then even without additions the inside of the jar should stay bacteria/fungi/mould/algae free for months or years.


How to prevent acrylic or polycarbonate sheets from bending? I'm not sure if this is the right forum but seems more relevant to my question.
I'm building a rear-projected screen in a form of a large table (3m x 2m) with frosted/diffused acrylic or polycarbonate sheets as a tabletop. The ultra-short throw projector below the tabletop will project an image on the sheet. The table will be holding max 20-30kg equally distributed weight.
What would be the best options to secure the tabletop sheet and prevent it from bending? Any special kind of mounting tools or screws?
I can't have solid structures supporting the sheet from below as it would cast shadows from the projector.
Is getting a very thick sheet the only option?

Consider tempered glass instead.
While using glass brings a real fear of breakage, thick glass actually doesn't break so easily, and it is quite strong. 2m x 3m is on the large size. Typical glass table tops that I remember seeing are more in the (at most) 1m x 2m size. I did a quick search and found a local (to me) vendor - local is important because picking it up yourself or getting a local truck delivery will be a lot cheaper than sending long distance - where this size is in the $1,000 range. From the same vendor, a table top 1/4 the size is ~ 1/8 the cost and 1/4" thick instead of 3/8" thick. So clearly this is a viable option, but whether it is practical or not will depend on your budget and other factors.
Glass also tends to not get scratched up as easily as most plastic, which may be a big advantage for a display medium.


What drawbacks would there be in drawing miniaturized patterns in a vector-image program and then scaling them up? As a means of making demo sewing patterns I was thinking of making them with the use a program such as Inkscape and then scaling them up.
My idea is to use small scale designs, so I can rough them out by eye first, and once I am satisfied with the appearance, make it a bigger scale.
Would it be a good approach to use a program such as Inkscape to draw them first, and then use the vector resizing to scale them up?

Can you scale them up directly and get a perfectly workable pattern just by doing that? Unlikely, unless the pattern itself is particularly simple (a basic skirt or loose-fitting garment).
But can you do it? Sure. You'll need to accept that, once you've got the overall idea worked out, you'll have to make some further adjustments in tailoring after scaling up--your pattern won't be "done" by any means after increasing the size, but you can save some frustration on working out larger elements of the pattern using smaller pieces of fabric and less sewing time before bringing the whole concept up to full scale--keeping in mind that drape and gathers may not always work as well in the small-scale versions and may offer some "surprises" when you scale up.
I don't draft patterns myself, but I'll regularly modify existing commercial patterns to fit what I'm trying to make, and I generally will test the modifications in small-scale first before moving into the full size pieces. As long as you're aware of the limitations of the process, and the adjustments that need to be made when switching scales, it's perfectly doable.


How do I know when my sewing machine needs a service? I have inherited a sewing machine from my grandmother and have just started sewing. How do I tell that my machine needs a service? Is there a recommended schedule or some tell-tale sign that it's time for one?

It never hurts to take a machine that is new to you in for a servicing, because you don't really know how it's been treated, and what it may need.  At that time, it's not a bad idea to talk to the person servicing the machine.  Different models and brands of machines may need different work, and different usage levels and types of projects may require more regular servicing than others.

I'm pretty irregular at getting my machines serviced - and my Viking has held up very well to my abuse.  But it's always good take it in for service if:

thread is getting stuck or breaking frequently
you are breaking lots of needles
the machine's engine does not sound like a regular repeatable sound
you see signs of oil anywhere on your fabric or your hands
the thread will not catch (so the machine won't sew)

Keep in mind that service schedules may not be instantaneous.. at least near me, the folks who can service a sewing machine are getting rarer.  So I plan at least 2 weeks of service time if my machine is acting funny.


What home printer is capable of printing on board book pages I am interested in making books myself for my child and for holiday gifts. ; I want to do it all myself and avoid going through a commercial printer. What sort of printer would I need to accomplish this? Would I have to print and then bind the pages afterwards?

I am looking to make colored children's books like Sandra Boynton board books. I have seen numerous third party services offering to do this  but I would like to attempt something in house. I do not mind spend a few hundred on printer but I cannot find any information on one that could put an image on thick boardstock.

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.


What crochet stitch is similar to a garter stitch in knitting? I was thinking about making a scarf at some point like the scarf from the 4th Doctor in the Doctor Who series. The original scarf was knitted, which I am not capable of. I like the appearance of the garter stitch that was used and is commonly used in knitting. Single crochet is a simple enough stitch but the appearance is very different.

(Left) Garter stitch (Right) Single crochet

I understand that an exact match is not possible, but the garter stitch has those nice horizontal thin rows without the "bulk" of the crochet stitches. I don't think I can just slip stitch this, but is there some stitch or stitches that I could use that would be closer to the image on the left?

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


Will putting an oil painting under glass cause damage? I inherited a painting from a relative. It has some cracks so I assume it's oil, not acrylic or watercolor. I also do not know the age, but it is not new.

When I bought a frame to fit it (since it didn't have one), the frame came with a pane of glass.

Will I damage the painting if I place it in the frame behind the glass? (Because I already did. It's been there for a couple of years.) If so, what can I do to mitigate the damage?

There is no visible damage to the painting, I'm just concerned.

As long as the Painting isn’t recently painted, within 6-12 months, then there isn’t a general consensus and the answer is: It depends.

The reason for the delay after the painting is finished is that it can take this long for the painting to fully 'dry'. In your case, this isn't a consideration.

One of the biggest threats to your oil painting is the environment: dust, air pollution, UV rays, smoke, pet hair, kids with crayons, red wine splashes. The list is endless. Canvas is porous and if left open to room air, it actually acts like a filter for that air, absorbing chemical and particulate pollution.

Advice from the British Conservation Register on cleaning without glass:

  Dust can be removed using a very soft brush with metal elements protected so that they cannot be a cause of damage. Avoid feather dusters, sheep skin dusters, however soft, as they catch. You must be careful to check that there is no paint flaking before dusting. Do not attempt any dusting if the surface appears unstable.

Below is an example of flaking:

Further examples of flaking can be found on the Painting Conservation Studio website, from where the above image came.

It is much easier to clean the glass or acrylic than to pay for an expert conservator to restore your painting.

If you choose to keep the glass, make sure that the glass is spaced so it does not touch the artwork. A professional picture framer can advise you in this regard, as well as recommend a quality UV protecting glass that will preserve the clarity of the painting.

Further advice from the British Conservation Register on cleaning the glass:

  Always spray glass cleaner onto the cloth, not the glass. Spray well away from your painting. The use of backboards is recommended as a preventive conservation measure to protect against the accumulation of dust and dirt, as well as against knocks and accidental damage. A conservator can fit backboards to your paintings for you.

When deciding what to do, ask yourself these questions:

Does this canvas artwork hold great sentimental value to me?
Am I keeping the artwork to enjoy for a long time?
Will I eventually want to resell the artwork?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, and the work is older than 1 year, then keeping glass will probably be a good long term choice.


Can I substitute fusible interfacing for sew-in interfacing? I want to make a tote bag, using a canvas weight fabric for the outside and a quilting cotton for the lining. The pattern calls for "sew-in interfacing" or "hair canvas", but the fabric store I went to only had fusible in stock. Can I use a suitably thick fusible interfacing instead? Will it make a difference in the final product how the interfacing was attached?

Now that I've seen the pattern, I would say that for the handles to stand up by themselves, as shown in the pattern,

and for the bag not to flop over, as they are wont to do, hair canvas would be much more effective than normal interfacing (whether sewn in or fusible).  I've seen hair canvas used in tailored jackets (not the modern "deconstructed" kind) to give body to the shoulders, collar and lapels.

Here's how Pellon describes it:

  Sew-in Hair Canvas Interfacing is an excellent tailoring product. It is a woven interfacing that is suitable for garment construction where crisp detail or firm control is desired. Use with medium to heavyweight fabric.

When I was googling hair canvas I came across a fusible kind which, if Pellon is selling it, should work similarly to the sew-in kind.

If the shop where you live doesn't sell hair canvas, you could ask them what they can recommend as a substitute, showing them the sketch and photograph of the bag.  Basically, you need something appropriate for creating a crisp, tailored look.

I recommend making a full lining even if the pattern doesn't call for that.  It's much nicer to rummage for some small object that's floating in the bottom of the bag if there's a nice, full, smooth lining.

I take back what I said about fusing to the lining.  For this kind of bag the lining should be soft and flexible.

By the way, I believe fusible interfacing can in principle be sewn in.


What is the technique to get a proper consistent crochet tension without being too tight? Crochet tension is a real problem for me. In order to keep it even I have a very tight stitch meaning I have to go up in hook size to get the correct tension for the piece.

Is there a technique that I am missing to get a proper consistent tension without being too tight?

Your problem does not seem so strange to me: I do the same with needles whenever I knit. That is the main reason why instructions contain the Gauge part, so you can choose the right yarn and hook to get the right size.

As I found written on a shawl crochet pattern:

  CHECK YOUR GAUGE.

  Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

On the other hand, don't be too worried about "even" stitches while crocheting at first, but let the thread slide quite easily through your fingers while you work, otherwise the final result will be too stiff. The more you get used to crocheting, the more regular your stitches will become.

Hope this can help!


How does the step transition in this origami construction occur? In Tanteidan Convention Book 13, Nautilus (186-197) (Link to extract: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QxtIK4txrjl4iz2ZHLOYuIJoFJtT-JFj/view?usp=sharing)

I am unable to physically realise the fold that takes diagram 15 to diagram 16.

How does this step "manifest" on the paper? I end up with the coloured portion covering the hump in a way that does not obviously transition into diagram 16.

You have to pull out the paper as far as the vertical split visible in step 15. At the same time it will "wrap around" to show the other side of the paper.

You could also look at it like this: if in step 15 you completely unfold the white part, you will see a small square with a crease pattern such as for the bird base. Now, along the precreased lines, collapse one diagonal half of the square into a half of the bird base, and the other half of the square leave folded in two. This produces your step 16.


Oil painting in coastal environment I was given an oil based painting drawn by my relative (very dear to me). I live near the beach and we've had trouble with moisture/dampness. The painting is framed but not covered by glass or anything. Would it get affected/damaged by the salty air?

Oil paintings can be damaged by salt air and humidity. Other concerns are exposure to natural light, and sharp changes in temperature that can cause the paint to expand and contract and potentially crack or chip.

Rare and valuable paintings are kept under controlled temperature and humidity conditions and protected from natural UV light.

Two things that you can do to protect your painting are to keep it out of direct sunlight, and frame it with glass.  There are two things to take into account if you protect your painting with glass, (1) the paint must be completely dry, and (2) the pane of glass should not touch the painting.

Please see a similar Stack question with mention of glass placement over an oil painting: Will putting an oil painting under glass cause damage?


Finding fabric and thread thickness I was at Joann fabric store recently and couldn't figure out the thickness of the fabric or thread I was looking at. The fabric was just wrapped around some cardboard that just had a name and material. None of them had a denier (or anything else that I could identify as a thickness). The spools of thread were the same way.

I've attached a photo of what the spools generally looked like.

How am I supposed to find the thickness of the products I'm looking at? It seems like there should be a precise way of doing so, but I don't know what it is.

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.


Drawing a newborn baby I got comments saying that the pose is flat and the form has no shape and that I should draw simple 3D shapes. I don't understand what they mean by form having no shape or pose being flat. Here is my finished drawing:

Honestly, I have drawn simple 3D shapes before. Trouble comes when I try to both shade and color. If I just color, like I did here, I can get the color to be perfect. If I just shade I can get the shadows to be perfect. But both and trouble arises, for me at least because then it leads to all these questions of "Where is the light most intense? Does what I am drawing even have a reflective surface? Are there multiple shadows from multiple lights?" etc.

And I don't have a large set of high quality colored pencils such as Prismacolor to settle the shading + coloring issue. All I have for drawing with pencils is the colored pencils you would get from a store + lots of HB or no. 2 pencils and 1 2B pencil.

So yeah, I would either be putting graphite on top of color or color on top of graphite, not many options. This is primarily why I have gone with drawing it as though whatever I am drawing is at the subsolar point of a planet and thus has no shadow(really, Lahina noon which only occurs in the tropics = no shadow because the sun is directly overhead). No shadow = no worries about which way to layer the color and graphite and in what direction or if there is more than one of them which is great for me because this shading + color gives me much more trouble than either shading or color alone.

To me, it isn't worth it to go through all that trouble related to shadows unless I am doing a 100% graphite drawing where I know I can get it to look right(which clearly, I am not doing). And likewise, if I am doing a realistic drawing, I don't think it is worth it doing 100% graphite. Grayscale just does not look realistic to me at all, regardless of shading, especially for humans. No real human is black, white, and shades of gray all over their body, so no reason to go 100% graphite in my opinion. Sure, to someone completely colorblind, they couldn't tell the difference but I know no one with such condition.

I also got comments about using proko to learn how to draw humans. I don't see how that will help with newborns. Pregnant maybe but newborn? I think that is unlikely since all of proko is designed for drawing adults, not babies.

Anyway, how can I improve my drawing method for babies and potentially all humans? Here it is:

Find reference image
Try to draw as close as possible in pose to the image
Press lightly for pale skin, hard for dark skin
Add pink, particularly for pale skinned babies
Finally add hair

If you're drawing for a hobby, some tips for beginners can be found here and here.
Firstly, you can improve your drawing by:

Drawing newborn baby anatomy - I found a cute example for you here.
Reading this.

Control your drawing. You can practice some baby gesture drawing, and add light and shadow.
Here is an expert tutorial: press hard for dark skin tones and lightly for pale skin tones while coloring; only mix colors by coloring the drawing layer by layer; different shadows, tones, and highlights will yield a better result.
You can find many references by searching for 'baby portrait', 'cupid painting', and similar terms:

A newborn baby is similar to a sleeping baby in appearance.
Cupid painting has a long history and references can be found easily for many styles and periods.

You have a long way to go to become a realistic artist, but if you seriously want to be an artist, you can find short courses or even follow higher education in fine arts to enhance your skills.
Good luck!


How is this moving mouth effect done? I'm not very skilled with paper. I'm a video editor looking to achieve this effect.

I'm well aware that most of it is special effects, and things like articulation are made of wire attached to the hands and arms of the character. Although, the mouth is make by practical effects. Could some good soul give to me a way to create a similar effect?

If I had to make it, I'd do something like this:

The face has to go on one piece of paper/cardboard, and the lower jaw is a separate piece. The strip of paper that is attached to the lower jaw, will go through the hole just below the face, so you can hold the strip and move it up and down without your hand being visible.
A large chin can cover the hole, when the mouth is closed. When the mouth is opened, you'll see a part of the hole.


DIY acrylic lamp engraving problem I've been trying to make an acrylic lamp for a while - in short: engrave a piece of acrylic, and then put LED strip under it to light it up - but ran into some problems.

As you can see in the image, when I engraved the acrylic, the colors turned out to be a bit weird: in some spaces the light "doesn't fully go through/show as bright", even when placed onto a black surface - you can see it's different.

Any idea of what I am doing wrong?

I used a Parkside engraving tool (like a Dremel).

Short answer: you are using the wrong technique.

Long answer: The light travels from the LED strip in straight lines through the acryllic and emerges at the top of the acryllic plate. In order to illuminate the pattern, the light beams have to be deflected into your eyes. Engraving the surface does just that: it puts tiny scratches into the surface that deflect the light beams hitting it.

To get a very uniform deflection, all the scratches have to have the same orientation. You can see that the bottom edge of the engraving is illuminated very well, while the left and right borders are almost invisible. You probably turned the acryllic sheet around while engraving the border and now the places that the tool cut horizontally deflect the light outward to you, but the places where the tool cut vertically or diagonally deflect the light into different directions, thus making it less visible to you. You can see that very well in the D of "Legends".

The solution: You need to engrave the whole motif with a fixed orientation of the acryllic sheet and your tool. It seems to produce the best result if the tool cuts parrallel to the bottom edge, so the handle must be perpendicular to the bottom edge. You must not turn the sheet around or hold the tool in a different angle, regardless of the orientation of the line you're currently engraving.

An alternative solution is to order a laser engraving of your motif. Acryllic sheets are known to engrave well and create the desired effect. There are lots of companies online that offer laser engraving, but it's worth comparing prices.


How do I repair the binding of the book where the spine of the cover is too wide? I ordered a print-on-demand textbook, and here is what I received:

However, when I opened it, this is what I saw:

There are two evident problems with this book.  The first, that it’s the wrong book, got taken care of quickly.  They shipped me the correct book pretty quickly.
That left me with an free copy of the Virginian Woolf (with a humorously ill-matched cover).  However, the books still has a second problem.  As you can see from the picture, the binding is coming apart.  The reason for this is that the Virginia Woolf book is slightly shorter than the quantum field theory book.  Laid side by side, the pages of the Woolf are about a millimeter thinner, but they are bound in identical covers (which were obviously sized for the slightly thicker book).
I don’t want to replace the funny cover, but I am afraid that the tear between the overleaf and the cover page is going to get worse, and the book will fall apart.  So what is the best approach for repairing this unusual binding, in which the spine of the binding is about a millimeter two large for the pages it contains?

It looks like a low-budget operation using a one-size-fits-none cover stock, or they got the wrong size covers.  The cover spine is too wide.  As long as it's stiff, it will continue to pull on the page seams.  I would try these two steps:

The original glue location is visible where it came apart.  Put a narrow bead of glue in the same location (Elmer's Glue should be fine).  If you put down too much, spread it from the original location toward the spine and wipe off any excess (when you press it closed, you don't want glue being squeezed between the cover overlay and the front page).
Lightly close the cover and immediately open it again to spread some of the glue to the other side.  If excess glue squeezes onto where you don't want it, wipe that off with a slightly damp rag.  Leave the cover open for a few minutes for the glue to mostly soak into the paper and any wiped areas to dry enough to not be sticky.  Close the book, making sure the cover is aligned as it originally was.  Put a little weight on top, like another heavy book, and let it dry for at least a few hours.

Soften and curve the spine so it's flexible.  The spine will try to pull the pages apart if it's stiff and flat.  Between the spine and the covers, there's an indentation front and back.  Put a heavy duty rubber band in that indentation to compress the covers against the pages.  Then open the book in the middle and lay it flat, pages down.
The spine should jut out in a curve.  If it doesn't, find something rod-shaped that you can push between the spine and the pages to push the spine out into a curve (just big enough to introduce a curve, not so big that it tears the glue joint holding the pages in).  Use your fingers to compress and roll the curve all along the length and from cover to cover to train it into a curved surface instead of a flat one, and to soften it a little.
Then close the book and with the rubber band still on, hold the book spine-down, press it against a surface like a desktop, and roll it from side to side (putting pressure on the front and back corners).  Compress the indented area to make the indentation and the bend between the indentation and the spine more pronounced.
These actions will reduce the tension on the pages so the cover doesn't try to pull the pages apart.


Can pigment ink somehow be used like a stamp-pad? Relatives gave our little daughter some stamps (I mean the little plastic things whose front has a protuding (text or image) pattern that can be used to leave the same mark on paper many times) as a gift, together with a little box labeled "Color Box Pigment Ink Option Plate"1.

As we had never heard of these terms, in particular "pigment ink" or "option plate" (neither in English nor of their literal translation to our native language), we assumed it was simply a fancy brand name for what was simply a stamp-pad (which would very much make sense to give along with stamps).

However, upon trying it, it seems like that assumption was wrong - the "pigment ink option plate" appears to dissolve/crumble when a little pressure is applied, parts of it stick to the stamp (thereby making parts of the image the stamp is supposed to leave on the paper blurry or even unrecognizable), and the colour can be smeared over the paper much more easily than what I'm used to from stamp pads.

Trying to find out what "pigment ink" actually is has only led me to inconclusive results, in particular, that it's somehow related to the ink for inkjet printers ...

What is this pigment ink; can it somehow be used with the stamps? Or is it maybe useful for some other kind of crafting little children (child nursery age) can do?

1: It looks basically like this product.

Based on your description and on research based on the terms you've provided, I expect that you have what users would consider an ordinary colored rubber stamp pad. Unfortunately, most of your description leads me to believe that it has deteriorated due to age or exposure to air.

The pad should be firm sponge feel and slightly moist. If it had dried and deteriorated, it will behave in a manner similar to an aged kitchen sponge.

The fragments you've described sound like "chunks" of the pad breaking away. As they are typically well impregnated with pigment, when you are experiencing the smearing, it is due to the higher concentration of pigment being released from the fragmenting fragment.