Simple Cyber Punk and Post Apocalyptic Cosplay Prop Weapons Idea

      Cyber Punk, Steam Punk, Post Apocalyptic, Atom Punk and Diesel Punk Squirt Gun Altering

You've got the perfect costume, now all you need is a cool weapon to fit your favorite aesthetic! I've got a couple of diy techniques and ideas for you to try that don't involve a lot of foam, which lets face it, foam gives an incredible look, but execution of such projects isn't a likelihood for everyone, like me.

      Paint an existing squirt gun

I know it doesn't sound like the most original idea, but there are SO MANY different squirt guns and so many different paint effects you could apply, that the possibilities are ENDLESS. 

Steampunk Style Phaser Weapon

Post apocalyptic style weapons, with rust and aging effects

       Alter an existing squirt gun

This idea relieves you of the stress of having to create a base, while maximizing the possibilities for your weapon creativity. Depending on which materials you have, and what you can manufacture, you can come up with some seriously unique killing machines.

This ray gun features a painted rubber vape stand as a flared barrel on the front of the gun, a working compass, some tubing, a jar of green goo (Victorian battery), and a bubble wand as a sight.

This painted water gun features an unaltered base, metallic paint scheme, and a faux patina effect.

It's pretty simple, and all you need is a squirt gun, and some paint. Added supplies are nice and help to make more complicated and otherworldly weapons, but even if all you do is paint an existing water gun, you can still achieve some pretty cool additions to your cosplay get ups.

When choosing how to distress your weapon it really depends on what type of conditions your character would live in. How old is the weapon? does it exist in a dry climate, or a wet one? maybe it is exposed to chemicals frequently. Is it covered in blood? What powers it? These are all important questions to ask yourself while creating your weapon.

How To Get FREE Make Up!

   

     Your wallet is probably in disagreement with your face on how much make up you want or need. In today's economy, personally, I'm on your wallet's side! Your face doesn't even need make up, you've got a lot of glow naturally!
     But your inner artist needs room to breathe! How can anyone just not use their talents? Your face was a work of art before you start, but once you've finished, by golly, it's a masterpiece!
      Just in case you want to wear more makeup than you can afford, (you're not broke, it's just so danged expensive!) I've got a method to get you as much war paint as you need.

     Put on your boots

You probably didn't realize that your quest for beauty was going to end up with you in a dumpster, but here we are.
     Most corporate stores throw out a LOT of product. You wouldn't believe the reasoning behind this! Why couldn't they just throw a discount sticker on it and let us bask in the affordability? Your favorite stores to buy make up probably throw a lot of brands you love away all the time! Of that cheap mascara has you looking like a raccoon, get your paws rummaging through dumpsters ASAP! I'm not saying you should do this if you can afford makeup, but who can afford make up in this econony, anyway??
    Dumpster Diving for Divas

1.Don't make a mess! You'll render your secret make up dumpster useless if you do, they'll lock that sucker up if they think they need to, do so yourself and the employees a favor, and clean up after yourselves.

2. Go at night. Shopping while the store is open might be tempting, resist the urge!

3. Bring a friend. A seasoned diver may not think they need an escort, but there's nothing worse than getting caught stuck in a dumpster.

4. Pallets aren't just what you're looking for, they're ladders. Shipping pallets can be useful to get into and out of dumpsters with.

5. I was NOT kidding about the boots. You're going to need sensible clothing and footwear for this mission. The last thing you want to do is jump into a dumpster and accidentally ruin your cute shoes. Flowing, loose clothing is a big no-no as well. You want to wear darker colors without looking too much like a full on robber.

6. Bring a bag! Although you can usually find bags in the dumpster, you don't want to count on it. You're going to need a place to carry all your great scores!


Happy hunting, folks!
   

How Traveling On Foot Made My Faith Stronger

  

        Faith on the Road

  I've spent the better part of my life as a backpacker, hitch hiking across the United States. I've attended a large number of Rainbow Gatherings, and worked countless small jobs along the way. While at times, I experienced symptoms of homelessness, other times, I experienced things that cannot be bought.    I would not trade my travels for anything.

     I, along with many friends I met along the way, went through intense personal growths during our time traveling and i honestly can't tell you that I would be who I am today had I not spent that time on the road. I volunteered with traveling free food kitchens, I worked for a Gator Farm. Ive climbed too many mountains to count or name. During all that time, for the most part, I kept my faith.

   
      I as well as anyone will tell you that Christianity itself is downright criminal. Responsible for some of the largest massacres in all of history, Christianity as an institution is full on offensive. But this does not mean that I don't believe. I believe in many things.  I believe in today, I believe remotely in tomorrow. I believe in myself, and right now. And most importantly and in relevance to the title, I believe I'll make it ok, and that I've had some serious help along the way. some of this help came from people, and some, from unseen forces that i would be condemned as a crazy woman forever if I gave much time explaining.

                             
  
     Sometimes, you just suddenly know something without knowing. Sometimes, exactly what you need to happen happens just as you're getting ready to think of it. The moments of serendipity were frequent on the road, and it's almost impossible not to believe in something greater than yourself when you're out there, no matter how you choose to define it.

   

    I've found hundreds of bananas, or a 100 dollar bill. I've found friends under bridges, and in high rise condos. I've woken up next to the highway to the most incredible views and I can't help but think that the entire time, I was exactly where I was supposed to be each moment. When i stopped overthinking things, everything i needed came easily and i rarely wanted for anything for long.

      Now that I'm back in a home, raising my family, I need to remember this effortlessness with which my life used to flow, as I'm certain it can still, so long as I don't get in it's way.

When You're Angry With Christians (And You Have Every Right To Be)

    First off, I find it necessary to note, that I AM a believer. However....
   
    After the first time I got exorcised, I became angry with God. Very angry. with all we had gone through in our relationship, I couldn't believe this was happening. Here I was, in His house, being called a thief, and a prostitute, by His people. After I had kept Him so close, for so long, in the darkest of places? I felt a sense of utter betrayal.
    By the SECOND time i got exorcised, I was beyond livid! There was no way any God that knew me would say any of these things to these people! "We exorcise the demon of theft out of this young woman!" "we exorcise the demon of prostitution out of this young woman!" It hurt. There is no ego wounded so badly as in the case of such a God smack.
     I was none of what the church kept accusing me of. Those churches did not know me. I was new there, or a random passerby. The THIRD time someone attempted to pull me into an exorcism, I was hip to the jive, and did not allow it. He thought it would cure my schizophrenia....
     This was the final straw, and what would inevitably lead me to conclude that God, Himself, did none of this. God did not tell His people bad things about me. They were just zealots, hopped up on a good book and maybe a little too much free will. What God HAD done, was created me. he created me, and schizophrenia and he gave that to me as a gift I would only begin to unwrap at exactly that point in my life. If I weren't meant to be, I wouldn't, and i cannot allow some misguided church people lead me to believe otherwise. Not even for a moment.
    Fast forward to the present day. It's been several years since anyone had any plans to vacate demons from my body. And it's gotten to the point where, God and I? Back to being homies. The church? Well, it can pretty much leave me alone. After lighting some of my ancestors on fire for being herbalists and midwives, I should have known it wouldn't be all that much better in the modern age.
     If you happen to be christian, please understand, I'm probably not angry with you, so much as the institutions you may uphold. I'm maybe a little disgusted. People leave catholic schools hating God, and it takes a special kind of evil to get someone to hate Him. I still pray, but I don't want to pray with anyone else. And so I only find fellowship occasionally. I avoid services. I avoid groups of Christians.
     As Christians, I think this is symbolic of unattended responsibilities to learn to accept those with mental illness as His creation. We see a "problem" and we want God to solve it for us. But, what if God saw a different problem first, and this thing we don't want to see for the challenge that it is, IS the solution to that problem?  What if we are flaking on God when we ask Him to do away with our tests?
     If you're angry with Christianity, I totally get it. The list of crimes keeps being added to. Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Genocide.....
     If you Are a Christian, I sort of get that, too. Maybe they've never exorcised you, you like not feeling cast out. The moment you're the one they start throwing stones at, things tend to change. Please do not allow your groups to continue this madness. IT IS OK to defy the church. Jesus chased people with a whip in one. IT IS OK to call out your fellowship when something is not right. And it may just be your test.

Returning to the Light

So I Finally Attended A Webinar, And Here's What Happened

     Just in case your propensity for B.S. disallows you the experience, I have martyred myself by attending a webinar for small handcrafted business for you. Rest assured, you're probably not missing all that much. Below, we will explore some of the bogus tips I was given, and why they most likely won't work for artists, or possibly anyone.

      Automate your small business:
Well, this may be possible if you're making bath bombs, or something with some level of uniformity, but it won't work for artists! You cannot outsource your art. You can reach someone else how to make production-quality knock offs of your work, but it'll never quite be YOUR work. There are plenty of jobs to hire out when it comes to your business, but if you create one of a kind pieces of art, I suggest you keep the hiring out to stuff like shipping and shopping.

      Stick to ONE THING.
To get noticed, to stand out, these small business gurus recommend making yourself the end all be all in just ONE arena. What? You want....artists.....to suppress their talents to appease you by focusing on one medium until they're bored? This is terrible advice for artists! True artists fiddle with multiple mediums every week! What if you haven't even found the medium that will allow you to reach true greatness, and you settle for good? No, artist friends, do NOT stick to ONE THING. Unless that one thing is your heart. Follow that bad birch everywhere.

      Assess the competition
How about no? As an artist, other artists are teachers more than they have ever been competition. Assess the market, sure. But keep any ideas about competition strictly to sports. This isn't a competition, and the only one you should be competing against is your former self. No one else can produce your art because no one else sees the world quite the same way you do. Eyes on your own paper, there, Jimmy.
     The market, however, watch all you want. Its good to be aware of trends and to use effective tags, but don't think of the art market as competing for sales. Other artists and sellers may be employing marketing strategies you could benefit from, but they are still not your adversaries.
   
   
      Attending a webinar could be enough to crush your spirit, but don't start restructuring your small business just yet! There are many paths to success, and you could be very close to yours and not even know it. While it's always good to keep learning new techniques to apply to your business strategy, it seems best at this stage to keep plugging away, and apply the techniques that feel right for you. Not being able to match strategies with one guru seller won't break your company, but cutting off what people genuinely love about it, might. If you're going to subscribe to any of these gurus out there, remember that not everything you try on I'd going to be a perfect fit, but when something does got for your startup, you'll know it! What fits your business best, is your passion for it.