you need skin studio for windowblinds and a graphics editor like photoshop, there are others but that's what I use. I haven't started Icons yet so I can't say too much about that, but you need a proggy called microangelo, I believe, and I think there are others. I started by messing around with stuff I downloaded from here way before I was able to do my own, but that's how I started learning, that and hours of looking through tutorials and the photoshop bibles. Lot's of trial and error. I just got to the point where my work is good enough to submit, at least some of it anyways, my wallpapers still suck and everything I have done could be better. I've been at it for about a year or so at a casual level and I still have a long, long way to go before I am where I want to be.
check out this thread for tutorials and what not https://www.wincustomize.com/msgboard.asp?id=106595&BID=WC&page=1#110445
