Swordwhale Walking: illustration, webcomic, stories, photojourneys, videos
  • launch here
  • art & stories
    • black horses
    • Sea Ponies of Chincoteague
    • Just Animals
    • playing with water
    • Tradigital illustration
    • environmental education >
      • Christmas Magic Mural 2020
      • animal alphabet and counting murals
      • Assateague ponies
      • the salamander room
      • more touch room ocean
      • more: touch room forest
      • wetland
      • wetland art
      • greenleaf
      • reptile week murals: Nixon Park
    • just animals: photography
    • Tales of the E.L.F. >
      • That Darn Elf, a musing or two
      • cast and crew
      • I dreamed of black horses
      • fanfiction: If Wishes Were Elves...
      • Skyfire
      • Leyover and Bardic Circle
      • Following Raven
      • The Merrow's Cap >
        • Merrows Cap credits
      • Manannan's Horses
      • Fins
      • fandom >
        • Radagast's Rabbit Ride
        • the Lone Ranger >
          • LOLs and Trolls
          • but wait, there's Moore, and Silverheels
          • Hi Yo Silver
        • black panthers and night furies
        • tales of Middle Earth >
          • Mirthwood
          • Loth-LOL-ien >
            • Im-LOL-dris
            • Smirkwood
            • well, that coulda' been worse
        • Sherlocked
        • catz and doges on fandom
        • Faithful Sidekicks
    • murals
    • scribblings
    • coloring pages
  • mermaid tales
    • Gramma Swordwhale's Mermaid Blog >
      • how to mermaid
      • merfolk on the Chesapeake
      • my life as a mermaid
    • privateers and pumpkins and ponies oh my!
    • stupid gravity (the adventures of a mermaid on Eastern Neck Is.) >
      • stupid gravity credits
    • stupid gravity: the search for sea glass >
      • stupid gravity: the search for sea glass: credits
    • Stupid Gravity: Misty Cloudy Windy Stormy Augh! >
      • Misty Stormy credits
    • Stupid Gravity: the search for mermaids
    • mermaids, Moana and Maui, beached on Christmas Eve
    • horseshoe crabs forever
    • stupid gravity: hot hot hot >
      • hot hot hot credits
  • Chincoteague
    • back to the islands 2021 >
      • Ponies 2021
    • identify that pony
    • chincoteague pony art
    • Fall Roundup Oct 2019
    • Chincoteague 2019
    • pookas pumpkins and swamp ponies
    • Chincoteague Carousel
    • Chincoteague November 2018
    • the 3rd Sea Voyage of Makenuk's Fin
    • wild horses and kayaks 2017
    • wild ponies in camp
    • North Beach
    • on island time
    • saltwater cowboys
    • Chincoteague
    • Christmas by the Sea
    • island ponies
    • Ace and Unci revolt
    • beached
    • running water in between
    • Assateague Light
    • the Haunted Lagoon
  • crafty stuff
    • photo your toys >
      • how to photograph Breyers in the wild
      • Lokigator and Throg's Epic Adventure
      • Sam and Bucky's Excellent Adventure
      • Mando and Grogu
      • paint and wet snow pants
      • Legolas and Hwin, snow
      • derps (or how not to photograph Breyers and others)
      • Wonder Horse repaint
      • wild Breyers >
        • printable prints and downloads
        • water horses
        • beach Breyers
        • Lotus Legolas and Arod
        • teeny tiny Breyers
        • backyard Breyers and Schleichs
        • vintage breyers
        • Hartland Horses
        • Black Horses
      • educational display
      • Schleich and Safari Faeries
      • North beached
      • more model horses
      • beach party
      • advenatureData
      • Finding Hank
      • Otterlock and Hedgejawn >
        • Hounded in Baskerville
      • how to photograph your dragon
    • Rich Toy hobby horse rehab
    • ModPodge rules
    • paint pours
    • flour salt clay
    • chalk paint
    • rock it: paint rocks and use or lose them
    • faerie gardens >
      • more faerie gardens
      • faerie festival at Spoutwood Farm
    • sea this tutu (and make)
    • I found Dory
    • knit me a mermaid, or chicken, or Hei Hei
    • sea treasures
    • sea glass
    • sea horses
    • rehabbing horse epic fail >
      • do you wanna build a snow pony?
      • do you wanna build a sand pony?
      • Barbie horse gets a makeover
    • mermaid saddles
    • Yule Laugh, Yule Cry... >
      • a Brandywine Christmas
    • Uncle Bob's Toys >
      • Uncle Bob's Toys 2016
      • more: Uncle Bob's Crafts
      • the Adventures of Mortimer
  • adventures
    • Go Play Outside
    • Nature Deficit Disorder
    • I heart Nature
    • autumn light
    • cats
    • mushing 101 >
      • dogs on wheels >
        • Autumn Run on Wheels
      • dogsled
      • dogsledding: running on snow! >
        • Groundhog Day
      • kids and dawgs: first sled run
      • Klondike Derby
      • Sled Dogs and Pirate Ships
      • Christmas Day Run: Rail Trail
      • Horses and Huskies: when predator and prey share the trail
      • Schipperke doo dah >
        • Runnin' with the Big Dogs
        • Hobbit Husky
      • women who run with the wolves
      • Play Time
      • wubba wubba
      • New Year's Dog Day
      • Team Swordwhale
    • trains, sleddogs, and horses oh my!
    • butterscotch and sprinkles
    • horses >
      • horse reference for art
      • ponies small but mighty
      • First Horse: Saraf
      • the Wild Black Mare
      • between thunder and lightning
      • Goliath, Nevada Mustang
      • Yataalii
    • Planet Water >
      • Planet fish tank
      • planet toadpool
      • Planet Pond
      • Planet Stream
      • Planet River
      • Planet Marsh
      • Planet Ocean
      • Planet Water Bird >
        • Planet Water Bird: gulls
      • Planet turtle
      • Planet water snake
      • planet amphibian
    • kayak! >
      • blue boat home
      • kayaking 101
      • kayaking Assateague and Chincoteague
      • how to train your dragonfly
      • Chasing Raven
      • the Susquehanna River >
        • the Rock Garden >
          • return to the Rock Garden
        • Conewago Dreamin'
        • the Conejehola Flats
        • Thunderbird Island (petroglyphs on the Susquehanna)
        • to the White Lady and Beyond
      • Calvert Cliffs fossils
      • Sassafras River Lotus Paddle >
        • Return to the Sassafras
        • sassafras river 2015
        • sassafras paddle 20160814
        • Sassafras River 2017
        • Sassafras river 2018
      • Eastern Neck Island >
        • winter marsh, winter beach
        • Eastern Neck Island: under the supermoon
        • more Eastern Neck Island
      • Pinchot Park
      • Lake Marburg >
        • where are the manatees?
        • ...and the dolphins???
        • macros and SAVs
        • Lake Marburg 2018
        • how to be a kayaking Gramma
    • beached
    • dive in! (SCUBA) >
      • Gourd of the Rings
    • mid Atlantic seashells
    • longship company >
      • December sail
      • Sae Hrafn at Oakley
    • pirates and privateers >
      • Sailing 101
      • Schooner Sultana 1768
      • Capt John Smith Shallop
      • Pride of Baltimore II
      • Kalmar Nyckel
      • downrigging 2010 >
        • Chestertown autumn
        • Downrigging Weekend 2014
        • Downrigging 2015
        • Downrigging 2016
        • Downrigging 2017
        • downrigging 2018: pink tardis
        • Downrigging 2019
      • privateer weekend
    • horseshoe crabs and red knots >
      • horseshoe crab spawn 2021
      • slaughter beach
      • horseshoe crabs and semipalmated sandpipers 2019
    • surfboards and watchtowers: Cape Henlopen >
      • beached
      • Watching Whales >
        • Watching Whales...again
    • Seadogs: Newfoundland water trials
    • wind hounds
    • wild things! >
      • baltimore aquarium
      • there's a hummer in the garage...ceiling ...
      • critter cam
      • sky walking
      • leaf-fall
    • The Adventures of the Good Ship Fearaf
    • the incredibly dead blog page
  • art class
    • framing 101
    • watercolor: how to
    • sip n paints
    • acrylic painting 101
    • wildlife art class
    • Santa, You're Doomed
    • (drawing) horses 101 >
      • horse color 101
      • gaits
      • ponies in motion
      • tack
      • Draw: a horse
    • dogs and wolves
    • go ahead, draw a pirate ship
    • anthropomorphism (cartoon animals and stuff)
    • the Little Kids Page of Big Ideas
    • mural: how to >
      • Gabriel's Whale
      • stuff you need
      • drawing (mural)
      • drawing mural 2
      • painting
      • mural jungle
      • mural bat cave
      • mural cats
      • mural ocean
      • mural arctic
      • mural leaf smacking
      • watershed mural
    • crayons and colored pencils
    • palettes
  • wait wait! let me get the camera!
  • who perpetrated all this???
    • swordbroad

ModPodge Rules


  • The Root of All Crafts is ModPodge
  • The Root of All ModPodge info is this:   http://modpodgerocksblog.com/
  • I have collected some cool stuff here: https://www.pinterest.com/swordwhale/modpodge-rules/
  • Jan Wetstone invented it in her garage in the 60s. Decoupage was all the rage, but it was time consuming with all the sanding and recoating and sanding and... so she invented a simpler decoupage medium: ModPodge.
  • she once decoupaged an entire VW Beetle...really.
  • It is NOT pronounced Modge Podge (it comes from Modern Decoupage)...MOD...PODGE.
  • it's glue
  • it's a topcoat/varnish
  • mix it with glitter for your own custom glitter glue; use whatever colors in whatever combinations and as thick as you want
  • mix with a little glitter for a top coat/varnish that sparkles
  • mix it with sand and build stuff like faerie houses and stepping stones
  • mix with translucent color (watercolor, acrylic, food color) for "stained glass" effects.
  • paint stuff with it and sprinkle sand on for "sand sculptures"
  • non-toxic and water based it cleans up easily... but don't put it on the topside of food dishes, or on toys a toddler will chew on.
  • eight gazillion kinds for various purposes, but the basic stuff in the bright red label is terrific for nearly everything
  • Why you really can't make it in your garage: "Mod Podge is a step above craft glue in terms of the sealing properties. Mod Podge is glue, but it’s also a sealer – and there are varnishes, etc. in the formula that don’t exist in craft glues. The bonding properties of Mod Podge are way stronger than that of (most) craft or school glues. Long story short, the ingredients in Mod Podge are not the same as craft glue, and in 99% of cases are superior. That is why Mod Podge costs more than craft glue." http://modpodgerocksblog.com/2011/11/why-you-shouldnt-make-your-own-mod.html
  • just buy it, at any craft store (look for the coupon)
  • decoupage stuff onto lamps, tables, bookcases, bookcovers, hangers, pumpkins, Christmas ornaments, furniture (they make a special one for that), cars, boxes, ceiling fans, shelves, trays, drawers, etc etc etc.
  • decorate your bike... and helmet
  • glitter up your wine glasses (recycle some cheesy ones and make'em look awesome)
  • cell phone cover
  • shoes, yes shoes
  • jewelry, sunglasses
  • your own ruby slippers
  • turn old desk drawer (or other recyclables) into a doll house
  • doily lamps and leaf bowls
  • ModPodge is not quite waterPROOF...use furniture ModPodge for furniture, and outdoor ModPodge for stuff outside, use a waterproof sealer over the top of the finished ModPodge project... do not make a ModPodge Titanic and sink it in your pool.
  • be careful ModPodging photos: MP will smear inkjet printouts (and sometimes Sharpie marker): from ModPodge Rocks: "Spray both sides of the paper with clear acrylic sealer (several coats) and let it dry. Paint with a thin layer of Mod Podge on both sides, let it dry. Then you can Mod Podge as normal. It sounds like a lot of steps, but it’s not that difficult – you just have to make sure it all dries."
  • ModPodge lasts a long time BUT, will eventually yellow. For preservation/archival clear coats, use acrylic mediums and sealers. 
  • more here: http://modpodgerocksblog.com/learn-how-to-mod-podge
  • just google it on Pinterest

Stuff I Made

  • ModPodge/sand can be used as the basis of a lot of crafts from "mud" or mortar to create faerie houses (or superhero supersecret headquarters), to glopping it onto various surfaces and pressing in round beach rocks, beach glass, shells, bling, little random things for memory jars, or making stepping stones or wall plaques. Start with a bowl of sand and a few tablespoons of ModPodge. Mix until smooth but not runny. Helps to paint some ModPodge onto the surface first, then glop the MP/sand mix on top of that. Use plastic spoons, knives (or other expendables). It does wash off easily when still wet, and hot water will help remove it from shiny surfaces after it's dry. A nylon or taklon brush, wet, helps to spread and smooth it. Sponge brushes also are great.
  • ModPodge/glitter: better than glitter glue, you can mix any dry glitter with ModPodge to create your own custom glitter. Use more glitter, or less, mix colors to your liking, or do one layer of each color at a time. A hair dryer will speed up the drying time.
  • ModPodge/paint/dye. Mix a translucent color like food color or watercolor or artist's acrylics with ModPodge for stained glass effects. Or fill a tiny wine glass for your model house or diorama. Opaque colors (craft paint, house paint) give different effects, they are not translucent or transparent).
  • Puzzle glue: paint it over the top of your finished puzzle, dry, turn over, paint bottom, glue to board and frame.
  • Poster on canvas: ModPodge a poster to a stretched canvas: http://modpodgerocksblog.com/2014/04/decoupage-poster-canvas.html
  • Transfer photo to wood: http://blog.consumercrafts.com/decor-home/photo-to-wood-transfer/
  • Varnishes and sealers: at least one web guru claimed ModPodge was just thinned down white glue. Not so fast there Khemosabi! This web guru (modpodgerocksblog.com) says: "No. Mod Podge can glue things down, but it is also a sealer and a finish.  It has “special” ingredients that school/craft glue doesn’t have. It’s much stronger than Elmer’s, especially over the long haul. Read this post about why you shouldn’t make your own Mod Podge." If you are concerned about the archival quality of your work, you may want to use an acrylic sealer, either spray or brush on. Winsor Newton varnish: http://www.winsornewton.com/na/discover/tips-and-techniques/other-tips-and-techniques/all-you-need-to-know-about-varnishing-paintings-us  Liquitex varnish: http://www.liquitex.com/glossmediumvarnish/ Rustoleum also makes a spray on clear coat.
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