Round on the ends, high in the middle, something bit me in the ass today to realize that Ohayocon is gonna be coming up on us! The dates are January 29-31, and so far, in my room, we have Me, Joel, Lindsey, and possibly my friend/slumlord-IMEANLANDLORD Derek - SOOOO, question is, does anyone else want/need room space?

Why yes, yes it is! Happy Birthday feytaline !!!

A VERY happy birthday to my buddy Pat! Send him some bday love over at darryn_grey - before he enters Left 4 Dead 2 combat tonight!!!

I'm in the money crapper pretty bad - so I go to Craigslist and route through the "wanted" ads.  This guy says he's looking for an artist to make a lightweight mask for him.  I'm like, "Okay, I've done this before, and I've made a bit of stuff.  I can probably do this".  I did a "commission" (and I use the term VERY lightly, as it was just sewing two outfits together for someone, dirtying and cutting up the one side) for a friend of my sister's for $40 - and he really liked how it turned out.  So I email him, and at first, I thought he was a furry, since he said he wanted a full head "mask" (which isn't really a mask per say, more like a helmut, but I give him the benefit of the doubt that he's probably not very knowledgeable about this stuff if he's going to Craigslist for it).  He sends me a picture of what he's looking for, and wants to talk on the phone.  I HATE the phone, and besides, I'm not comfortable talking about pricing until I ask some more questions, since he wants it "as cheap as possible".   My

So I suppose the best way to describe how this turned out is to just post the emails.


Response 1:

Here is the deer head I am looking for.  I think you can click and follow the link for a clearer bigger pic.




My response:

Thanks for the reply - before we talk, I'd like to ask a couple of questions (I'm horrid on the phone).

1)  Are you looking for the full headpiece, or just a mask to go over your face?
2)  Does it need to have this expression, or is this merely a rough reference?
3)  How much visibility are you going to need?
4)  I'd need a ballpark figure of what you're looking to spend.  The only reason I ask is I keep cost of supplies separate from manpower to produce things.

Hope to hear back soon :)


He sends:

1 - full head piece
2 - rough ref -- looking for better antlers too
3 - I have some ideas - need to breathe and see better.  Want to be able to drink a bottle (beer type bottle) thru the mouth.
4 - What is roughly your price to make a head mask between ?---?

 

 

So off the bat, I know that drinking anything through a mask is just kind of a bad idea - both for safety, and the possibility of ruining the piece itself.  But I figure, this is good, I at least know what I can start referencing.  So I visit a couple of sites - I go to Ebay, and watch about an hour's worth of Fursuit-head tutorial videos.  No sweat, I've done similar things before, and now, I'm a little more confident that I can do this.  Next, I start thinking of ways I can cut cost for the guy - I.E. use something other than an expensive fur to cover the piece, etc.  I decide that if I'm going to do this, I want at least $100 for the labor - a number I determined after visiting a couple of custom fur-suit websites and comparing prices.  They seemed to range from $300-$500 - depending on what the quality was.  Now I know damned well that I'm not a professional fursuit maker, so I'm sure as hell not going to charge as much as them.  So, I decide to send back a detailed response that shows my research, so he knows I'm not just making numbers up:

Okies - this actually kind of helps a bit in determining some things.  I'm researching some things right now, and upholstery foam is the way I'd go about something like that.  Pros are that it's lightweight and breathable (and I really wouldn't recommend drinking through anything like that though, regardless of how it was made).  Cons of that are upholstery foam can be expensive.  I put together a costume that required about two yards of the lower density, and it still, even on sale, can run about $12-30 a yard (it's been a little while since I got it though, so I can visit a joann's tomorrow to recheck on that pricing).  As for the antlers, there's this AMAZING stuff called Model Magic that Crayola puts out that's EXTRA light - I've made armor parts from it before, and I barely even felt it!  It can be easily broken, but I've coated mine with epoxy or polyeurothane, which for a pair of head wings I made for a costume, have done me nicely for a while.  I'd probably use wire for a base/shape, and the antlers would take 2 - 3 packets to make.  I know that stuff's roughly $3.69 or thereabouts per pack.  The snout can be made from craft foam, which is rather inexpensive AND lightweight, and the coloring for the head could be done with felt, which is also inexpensive per yard.

 FIX'D.

Okay, the post prior was saying "I need a new job.  Anyone know anyplaces hiring that would pay above minimum wage?  I'm already in Adecco's systems, and I've been ravaging Monster.com frequently."

But seriously, any input/suggestions would  be greatly appreciated.

How can someone you thought you knew so well change so drastically? 

And I keep telling myself he HAS changed, QUITE a bit since we had started dating.  He always did have an angry streak - he just seemed to keep it in check better than as of late...

I went to get the remainder of my things back from Brian last night.  I had originally intended on taking at least one male friend, but decided against it because I didn't want to seem domineering, or really start any problems.  At first, I was going to go by myself; but after poor communication, and mounting fear over the encounter, I decided to bring Lindsey feytaline along with me, as a kind of quiet support.  I knew she wouldn't say much, just kind of be there for me.  I'm really glad she decided to come, because the whole thing was a nightmare.

When we arrived, I sent a text message that I was there.  Mind you, I'd sent a text message the evening before around 6:30pm asking if he'd gotten the rest of my things together while I was in Idaho visiting Joel omegatalon .  I also reminded him that the phone bill was due on the 20th (we share a plan, which also hurts, because he claimed to have known for a WHILE that things weren't working out -- and while I'm currently being accused of "milking his generosity dry", he decided to get the phone with me, and continue to stay on the plan after he dumped me, "to save money" - which I'd have been ok with, had he not been so inconsiderate with returning things to me/making me hound him each month around the time the bill was due for half of it).  He didn't respond to my text messages, even by the next evening - I saw that he was online, in an active status, So I sent a text message - and when there was no response, another one.  Still, nothing.  So, I did the only thing that got him to communicate with me last time -- I posted a negative status on Facebook, and lo and behold, response.

"I've been busy talking to the bank (about the house), and it's not fair you're slandering me online."

I then reminded him that he'd ignored both of my prior attempts, and he didn't respond to it.  So, I decided the only way to guarantee I got my things back was to go to his house and see what I could get.

We pulled up to the house, and about a minute or two after I texted that  was there, the garage door opens.  His mother is standing there with him, which immediately made me a bit nauseous.  That was something I'd been afraid of -- that one of, if not both of his parents were going to be involved.  To me, we're both adults, 26 years old -- too old to let our parents get involved in this.  I mean, my mother hasn't called him, or sent any nasty messages his way, why should he let his mother involve herself?  There's boxes ready, all packaged up that he proceeds to bring down to my car.  After he brings the last of three or so boxes down, I told him I wanted to take a final sweep through his room.  He very annoyedly said "fine", and we made our way up to the house.  Discomfort city - just as always, his father was sitting in the armchair, sister on the couch - mother coming up from the garage.  I made my way to his room.  A couple things ticked me off right off the bat -- like the fully articulated Motoko Kusinagi figure he'd BOUGHT for me at AUSA last year, which hadn't been taken out of the box for lack of space, was now proudly displayed on the bookshelf.  I didn't say anything about it, until he started causing problems with items I wanted - many of which, he claims I did NOT pay for, or since they were gifts, they were his.  Case in point -- I purchased a set of the hard to find Last Exile busts a couple of months back.  They are EXTREMELY hard to find -- I paid about $110 for them - and when I said I wanted them, he VERY pointedly declared "I'm buying them from you," - to which I said "No.  I paid for them, I want them back." He then pulls up ebay, and says "Here's a set I found.  They're asking $110 for them - how much did you pay, and I'll give you that, and you can buy them online if you want." I started putting them in a bag, telling him if he really wanted them, HE could buy them online.  Then, things started getting REALLY ugly.  There were LOTS of things he yelled at me for, saying he bought them.  My Silent Hill: Origins soundtrack.  "That was a presale bonus, it's mine," to which I retorted, "I got this at Joy's Japanimation one weekend while visiting Lang," he kept telling me no, that I was full of it, then I said "I can even prove it - this is a Japanese soundtrack - it's in the standard DVD sized box that OSTs are often sold in in Japan, and it's a Japanese copy -- they never released it in the US."  He begrudgingly agreed with me, but then, with many other things I'd purchased, of which, I could give CONCRETE examples of (which now, I'm currious to see if I ever blogged about them - even though I've cut my losses at this point), he claimed were his.  Two other things that really REALLY ticked me off - the DS rhythm game I bought at AUSA last year because he was currious, but didn't want to buy it, so I said I'd get it -- even though that was he and Ilona's playtoy for a LONG time, since I was busy working on costumes Ilona lied to me and said she'd help me work on, but all she wanted to do is cuddle with Brian, and act like she didn't know what to do next when I asked her for help.  The second thing that bothered me, REALLY bothered me, was the Xbox copy of Fatal Frame II - which he told me he bought -- I reminded him of the Christmas we were all working at EB together, when I was house/dog sitting for my friend Zeiland's parents while they visited her in England -- how I'd invited him, Bridget and Fran over to play games -- he'd arrived first, but I had a THROBBING migraine, and I felt bad about just trying to sleep it off without anything to do, so I popped in my copy of Crimson Butterfly, and introduced him to that series.  He told me he had no recollection of it -- which I laughed at, and told him I bet Bridget remembered that - -hell, even my ex from the time, Derek, who was in Florida with family, could probably remember the story.  I THINK I snagged the game - but I haven't looked through any of it tonight.  That's for tomorrow, because I'm really tired and upset at this point.

The straw that broke the camel's back...His mother heard him yelling (which was almost comical, because he told me to stop yelling, even though I wasn't the one that raised my voice), and came to the room.  Lindsey, whose only words had been "Come on, let's not fight you guys, just get your things Natalie, and let's go", was told by Brian's mother to move and get out of the room - Lindsey suggested she let us take care of it, as we were adults, and Brian's mother's response?  She VERY roughly grabbed Lindsey's arm (Lindsey, who weighs MAYBE 110 lbs at TOPS), and pulls her away.  His mother then enters the room, and accuses me of "Nickle and Diming" her son, because he's been SO generous (which I'll admit, he had, but when you're going to use that as leveridge to do whatever the hell you want to me, that's no longer generosity, it's a power game).  She even brought up my dead cat, "Look at all the money he spent on Ta-Kun.  It ain't right for you to take all these things, unless you paid for them," which I told her I DID.  One of the FUNNIEST things was when she tried to take DVDs out of my hands, one of which was the movie Quills, as Brian was saying "she's gonna do this, I know she is, just let her have it," and I exclaimed, "I KNOW I bought this - you haven't even SEEN it, or HEARD of it -- I wanted you to watch it WITH me, but you were too busy cuddling with Ilona to do it!" His mother told me not to bring my heart into this, and I reminded her that her son LIED to me for two years, every time I 'd try to discuss whether or not things were working out -- if he was in love with Ilona, and needed to end it to go with her, to which HE DENIED IT EVERY TIME, TELLING ME HE LOVED ME, AND THAT HE WAS NOTHING WITHOUT ME, CRYING, BEGGING ME NOT TO LEAVE HIM (which was later used against me as "threatening to leave him", and at the time even, he replied to my comment here with "I TRIED TO FIX US SO MANY TIMES").  It was madness.  I got to the point where I started crying, because of how FRUSTRATED I was (the asshole even logged into my and his ebay accounts to try to PROVE to me HE bought the Japanese Dissidia guide - -which he couldn't find proof he'd bought it, because GUESS WHAT?  HE DIDN'T - AND EBAY ONLY STORES TRANSACTIONS FOR SO LONG.  I even lost out on one of the two Final Fantasy Anniverary guides that covered all of the games, I had bought one and he had bought the other at Otakon last year - but they were HIS -- and the Xenogears art/guide book, I found at Half Price Books for eight dollars...the one that we took home and found out was worth at LEAST $200...that he initially paid $8 for up front because I forgot my purse in the car, and he insisted on paying for it at the time -- AND I EVEN GAVE HIM THE $8 FOR LATER, BUT WHAT DO I KNOW, I JUST SUCKED MONEY FROM HIM LIKE A PARROT SUCKS MARROW FROM BONES.

I got so frustrated, I said I regretted not bringing a male friend with me, because of how I was being ganged up on.  He said, "Why?  So he'd threaten him? So I could call the police?" to which his mother started agreeing, because at this point, I was being accused of STEALING.  THEN, his FATHER BELLOWS "NO, NO, NOW I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, YOU DON'T WANT ME TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS."  Honestly, I wish I'd said something that made him hit me.  Because then, I'd at least have had SOMETHING to stand on.  I just started crying, grabbed what I had, and left.  I started driving while Lindsey was trying to make me feel better, and halfway down the block, around the bend of his house, I broke down SOBBING.  I was shaking, and crying so badly.  Lindsey had to offer to drive.  I took five minutes there to cry, then resolved to drive to Walmart's parking lot to get the rest of it out.  I just couldn't believe how poorly he'd been treating me -- and mostly within the last six months.  Joe tells me, it's because of Brian's opinion that emotions are useless, and only get in the way, and make trouble -- that Brian doesn't know how to deal with his heart still caring for me despite the lust he has for Ilona.  He tells me keeping some of my things to remind him of me, or at least how I made him feel, is the way he keeps me in his life - since I'll be in his life so long as he has those things.  I think it's a little of that, and a little that he's just a materialistic bastard.  Which I won't deny, to a point, I am too -- but I can say most of the things I have I have read, played, or watched on a regular basis.  For instance -- there were a lot of things I thought were mine - which he said were things HE'D bought to replace what he "graciously gave" me.  For instance -- all four $100 Ultimate Sandman books (among MANY other things) - which the Sandman books are hilarious, because they were my birthday gift last year -- he'd never even HEARD of that series before me, and he claimed to want to read more of it -- even though it sat on the shelf ALL YEAR without him even CRACKING it open.  So there must have been at LEAST 2 grand worth of things he just RECENTLY purchased.  And he wondered why I was so insistant on me getting back things I'd paid for -- I don't make $4,000 a month while living at home, I can't drop that on replacing things.  Easier to be "THE BIGGER PERSON" (as he thinks) when you're loaded.

Then, there was the phone bill - which had been unresolved by the time I left.  I've tried numerous times to get him to take the line over for himself - and as he didn't even TOUCH upon that, I've just suspended the service, until I can figure out the termination fee, and he can get his own phone.

I promise I'm not going to let the negativity linger - in fact, I'm so hurt, because I'm frustrated there's nothing more I can do.  And I KNOW that a LOT of this attitude is coming from Ilona and Steph -- he NEVER hangs out with ANYONE else we used to - which has actually hurt a LOT of people's feelings, since he TOTALLY blows them off - not even responding to their texts.  I'm just...really hurt...because he used to be different.  He was sweet.  He was kind.  Maybe he really DID just get all of that stuff/help me out because it made him feel like a man.  And I'm glad I'm not with that anymore - I'm glad the guy I'm seeing actually likes my body, will actually HAVE sex with me, and enjoy it, and make it last more than five minutes - and likes me - even for the things Brian HATED about me.  I like to think I have a good head on my shoulders, and the long time it will sometimes take me to decide to leave someone comes from me having a good heart, and giving a chance - not me being stupid.

Benjamin Franklin said it best in Poor Richard's Almanac, when he said "Time is an herb that heals all wounds..." because that really is the case.  Only time and baby steps are going to make this better.  I already feel a LOT better since the initial breakup, and than I did right after I walked out of that house.  I'm going to let these bad vibes flow out of me for the next day - I'm going to sew with Lindsey and Jen tomorrow, work my BUTT off on my prototype for Catwoman, so I have a decent idea of what to do with the actual fabric.  (P.S. - anyone have a pattern for body/zentai suits?"

My next post will be more positive.  I've already started on it, and already started uploading photos to go along with it - detailing my adventures in Idaho.  I just need a couple of days to get this out.  Thanks for listening, whoever has.

Comment with a picture of a fictional character that most reminds you of me!

I'm both nervous and excited to see how this one goes...

No asshole -- I want my things back.

I hate this so much -- yes, I know I'll be happier in a couple of days, but still; I want my things back. 

This is why I don't want kids.  Fortunately, inanimate objects don't have feelings, so I'm really the only one upset here.  But still.  I paid for some of those things, you bought some of them because I wanted them, as gifts.  I don't make $4,000 a month while still living at home.

I just want to cry...because I'm starting to seriously consider just showing up at his place when I get back into town, and TAKING things.  And that's horribly childish, but still...

Why does this hurt so much???

Thank you Zug.

I found this completely by accident from firelilycosplay 's journal.  A little while back, cosplay.com had advertised they were accepting entries for possible submission in Cosmode's world-wide cosplay spread feature.  I decided as a joke to try out with a photo of my Doll Factory Boss costume, since I haven't really been as satisfied with a costume since that one.



Yaaaay me!

I really don't care who can see this.  I don't really care what anyone thinks of me at this point.  I hope everyone is happy with the end result, and that at the end of the day, my broken heart can cause so much amusement.  I hope everyone goes so far in life, I really really do.  At least I'm sleeping with a clear conscience.  

Even if I am fucking alone right now.

I am not the crazy bitch I am made out to be.

So I still have a veritible butt-ton of work before next week, bit I'm REEEALLY close to finishing Pink's mallet, in fact, I think I can have it done tonight! Thanks to everyone who cheered me on last post! You guys rock my world!

This is my half-assed attempt at a progress/mobile post testppst (IJUST MADE NO SENSE!!)

But yeah. Sally Jupitee. Kind of getting there...