The usual technique on the body of the mouse: a coat or two of gold, then a quick spritz of another color, quickly smudged with a paper towel or sponge. I used black for the USB gear drive, but brown for this one. Black is good for a dirty industrial look, but I like brown for elegantly aged brass. After drying, it got several coats of polyurethane for durability.
Wood veneer was cut to fit the mouse buttons, stained, and epoxied on. Close, but not quite there yet, I think. The epoxy is too thick, so there are noticeable gaps around the edges. Next time, I'll try superglue. The facing side of the mouse, where the thumb rests, is covered with leather, cut to fit and superglued on. It's actually very comfortable.
The smokestack on the far side is a bendy straw, filled with epoxy to stiffen it and sprayed with a thick "aged iron" paint. OK, but I can do better. After the bend, it goes through a hole drilled in the side, just far enough forward not to interfere with the grip on the mouse.
