tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56868668217937866892024-03-13T16:59:27.549-04:00Cosplay-vaniaA fun place to share cosplay experiencesMimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-7394710111277630232013-08-13T10:36:00.000-04:002013-08-13T10:36:25.297-04:00Otakon and what notWe are back from Otakon~ woot! To freshen things up, I have started to take photos for cosplayers instead of doing crazy cosplays myself. I thought it would be a good way to meet some awesome people and expand my portfolio at the same time. <br />
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The preview photos are up in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cosplayvania">facebook</a> account, and I will try to edit all the photos by the end of this month.<br />
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I also took some random pics from Otakon, so that might be up at some point ^^<br />
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MimiMimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-73898986443168392282013-06-25T21:17:00.000-04:002013-06-25T21:17:13.732-04:00Black Rock Shooter Photoshoot - Katsuya WellerI'm back with what I believe is the final leftover from the backlog of last year- The Black Rock Shooter photoshoot from the talented <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katsuyaweller/">Katsuya Weller</a>! We dragged her all the way to the North Carolina Museum of Art for part of this shoot, and we thank her profusely for putting up with all of our "getting lost while driving" and "having our costumes melt and/or fall apart" nonsense.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiGNNRYttGw19reWLf8kP1q15lSVRrSQ9MvTMkOxY1jsVx3plPCpodxXMJnQSlG_RjxG_XdCUhev1ovbF9v-Wb66xBR58cHG5GN-WlfkxFVgJiA5-PG0mDj4UPSX2xAsMnMeiPZEGsmE/s1600/MZMA+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiGNNRYttGw19reWLf8kP1q15lSVRrSQ9MvTMkOxY1jsVx3plPCpodxXMJnQSlG_RjxG_XdCUhev1ovbF9v-Wb66xBR58cHG5GN-WlfkxFVgJiA5-PG0mDj4UPSX2xAsMnMeiPZEGsmE/s400/MZMA+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, bask in the glory of the giant circles</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWl3-GpWPLvJQIk-nbHtH_W66ndmlf-JG73HSz4rODjT3ovYP45qgs70WZeMehqTHgkRthAGqSQANHlMFaJ3BqEptqtxHrzDWnh55FmmcLjv3Z7RcbmPpHE5YpODdkmDU3-6p7Sb_-sRE/s1600/MZMA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWl3-GpWPLvJQIk-nbHtH_W66ndmlf-JG73HSz4rODjT3ovYP45qgs70WZeMehqTHgkRthAGqSQANHlMFaJ3BqEptqtxHrzDWnh55FmmcLjv3Z7RcbmPpHE5YpODdkmDU3-6p7Sb_-sRE/s640/MZMA.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Stuart's model close-up</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVfHOcWGdZjE3FoQQU178E-E-glfOndEmHoxcMiJ0mCqS09EJJwvXKvJ4deCu7-wblxPPYGJtqzDQ5ZEiibfy5xeioqv6zack4vIsS6rBil0W46GnnXJfxhXDOWq_TN0T_jrS6XlxXNk/s1600/Black+Gold+Saw+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVfHOcWGdZjE3FoQQU178E-E-glfOndEmHoxcMiJ0mCqS09EJJwvXKvJ4deCu7-wblxPPYGJtqzDQ5ZEiibfy5xeioqv6zack4vIsS6rBil0W46GnnXJfxhXDOWq_TN0T_jrS6XlxXNk/s400/Black+Gold+Saw+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Dramatic gaze into the distance</i></span></td></tr>
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Then we trekked back to the convention center so we could dramatically lay down on the floor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxmKLRwGsuenQ7tNzfdTvvf6V5kj-F7zwMn6F8z_62VdVB-3w54g963mL9am1RRE9afHwpD1in8eUnWb1aff6YOzllK2CD1WPlrDBbXObK_VQMMZd_uzTCeSPgT4nKc43UC6vkUlSRdQ/s1600/Insane+BRS+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxmKLRwGsuenQ7tNzfdTvvf6V5kj-F7zwMn6F8z_62VdVB-3w54g963mL9am1RRE9afHwpD1in8eUnWb1aff6YOzllK2CD1WPlrDBbXObK_VQMMZd_uzTCeSPgT4nKc43UC6vkUlSRdQ/s400/Insane+BRS+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Careful not to get stepped on</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlaZOKzs-QkkgNBL6xkunJqUkljhejVvr_qNEAUoGYp8GgpDcG1aHddNUX5Mx9gbABl9a6PLqpu-hhFugOviKXupCeO5M5CGl13qQJ3rYT1P91tALw0lGDl6Ce7ecJ94nrAEaHdwXNt4/s1600/Insane+BRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlaZOKzs-QkkgNBL6xkunJqUkljhejVvr_qNEAUoGYp8GgpDcG1aHddNUX5Mx9gbABl9a6PLqpu-hhFugOviKXupCeO5M5CGl13qQJ3rYT1P91tALw0lGDl6Ce7ecJ94nrAEaHdwXNt4/s640/Insane+BRS.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuXeykw8bl0BECDz_8GmBZ9qfA1jo8HQpC6ieb6JNykgC39o1z1wLFFG2KQwOl8xjslWOiIQD3TzHSeMSgIh7zmLbH1-iqTVz2PqQsSkyzs5K1J4cMP_WeS0d7aw4VMfgdu7lB3iyqzw/s1600/Black+Gold+Saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuXeykw8bl0BECDz_8GmBZ9qfA1jo8HQpC6ieb6JNykgC39o1z1wLFFG2KQwOl8xjslWOiIQD3TzHSeMSgIh7zmLbH1-iqTVz2PqQsSkyzs5K1J4cMP_WeS0d7aw4VMfgdu7lB3iyqzw/s640/Black+Gold+Saw.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Because I just love my sword SO MUCH</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3GhA8biQosZCG9ebB1qJnxWKr260swVlz62nl_cdBDP21GRx1KQKlGKgzR0hGRAUyNsVyuQ-BcrtCmyoiwsX7ZRBvZUSpN6-dmhY9EELYvNqkocMJcahyphenhyphenA62pwK9ZmR4wnEFNQpoN3k/s1600/BRS+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3GhA8biQosZCG9ebB1qJnxWKr260swVlz62nl_cdBDP21GRx1KQKlGKgzR0hGRAUyNsVyuQ-BcrtCmyoiwsX7ZRBvZUSpN6-dmhY9EELYvNqkocMJcahyphenhyphenA62pwK9ZmR4wnEFNQpoN3k/s400/BRS+group.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Group shot!</span></i></td></tr>
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To see all of these pictures in their high-resolution glory, here is <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katsuyaweller/sets/72157629928409326/">Katsuya's AZ 2012</a> photoshoot set on Flickr.<br />
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~Kathryn</div>
Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-69467205365346589532013-06-13T16:38:00.000-04:002013-06-14T10:22:27.413-04:00Mirai Nikki Photoshoot (circa AZ 2012)Another item from the backlog of things from last summer- the Mirai Nikki photoshoots with the wonderful and talented <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katsuyaweller/">Katsuya Weller</a>! Beware- massive photo spam below.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Group shots yeaaaah</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DJOwJ1_IlF1hgsaAaWy3RTwiNui4KylwBAxFls-Ww2cD37rB4YBs1Mf7ZeCSFgIUyOm8EFAYhrQ13bI0uURbm39M5aGXCmD38q594xOVq3Ey9aT6VUGCbaABw5hkWlkhHTTUquM51mQ/s1600/group+shot+MN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DJOwJ1_IlF1hgsaAaWy3RTwiNui4KylwBAxFls-Ww2cD37rB4YBs1Mf7ZeCSFgIUyOm8EFAYhrQ13bI0uURbm39M5aGXCmD38q594xOVq3Ey9aT6VUGCbaABw5hkWlkhHTTUquM51mQ/s400/group+shot+MN.jpg" title="Mirai Nikki Group Cosplay" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojQVq2bHngH3IDo9H8OQtr4fwM-3S9TfHp_yby_wg4ix5RdMAii4jc7sF0JMTiajNfe36IA8gs-9YwIB3fRljhzikfRaWHgoRp-Yv3_6-V2n_79DTArCU72-19ApnfaJ8Xvp2ZazwZmQ/s1600/MN+silly+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojQVq2bHngH3IDo9H8OQtr4fwM-3S9TfHp_yby_wg4ix5RdMAii4jc7sF0JMTiajNfe36IA8gs-9YwIB3fRljhzikfRaWHgoRp-Yv3_6-V2n_79DTArCU72-19ApnfaJ8Xvp2ZazwZmQ/s400/MN+silly+group.jpg" title="Mirai Nikki Group Cosplay" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLNbwptC76lp76L2cePGPjFxXe3KGVlgdBvHmLqbqq7eI5eBdqzLNCGQJD1efubpn_pINKWJoyICMIBh_QRO3pOCc7D8c8Nl4e4-ry0CdedayD9pAN5uXitlNzlbz7CFMWRhcxzm_Nws/s1600/dark+group+shot+mirai+nikki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLNbwptC76lp76L2cePGPjFxXe3KGVlgdBvHmLqbqq7eI5eBdqzLNCGQJD1efubpn_pINKWJoyICMIBh_QRO3pOCc7D8c8Nl4e4-ry0CdedayD9pAN5uXitlNzlbz7CFMWRhcxzm_Nws/s400/dark+group+shot+mirai+nikki.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everyone loves sketchy parking lots full of cosplayers</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Deus!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI12BAt6sc-a3TY-uH1E_h3l8EevZSS-AmypjyJOwFOafIMaC2-39llRs6AB4Zj_xFNFW53f2m6QlOz2LNgGf35k2iiCj3PggXDxdNOi6y2XuzPDFRPDpYi7YACqi8gzpm_xvD_P3C2qo/s1600/Deus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI12BAt6sc-a3TY-uH1E_h3l8EevZSS-AmypjyJOwFOafIMaC2-39llRs6AB4Zj_xFNFW53f2m6QlOz2LNgGf35k2iiCj3PggXDxdNOi6y2XuzPDFRPDpYi7YACqi8gzpm_xvD_P3C2qo/s640/Deus.jpg" title="Deus Cosplay" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Poor Stuart and his miniscule field of vision</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Murumuru!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5XuBuInokp47-6QaZSK6kOw1IPgut43cszGBzmg6sxyNscQG40dwEUkSIxzpvGllTwLhFK_eoxkbcjy1qfypP0nJyVNvt7H_ZxO7WIjf6jJyLFVglyELcYl84-1zrDNjwqxyFqridTk/s1600/murumuru+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5XuBuInokp47-6QaZSK6kOw1IPgut43cszGBzmg6sxyNscQG40dwEUkSIxzpvGllTwLhFK_eoxkbcjy1qfypP0nJyVNvt7H_ZxO7WIjf6jJyLFVglyELcYl84-1zrDNjwqxyFqridTk/s640/murumuru+2.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lounging on the sketchy stairs</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WYB6Xbrrjdjh8QIbjMt956_601vidM_sgbHIbQiZjsJVh04nv4lxG4RT0O-FX4kqmEFd7LA-x2la9Sp6J0qiCKys1jxO1r-rYXwGOG5tTl-YThK0y12gclTItrZqEeHA-4rRWacDb4Y/s1600/Murumuru+manga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WYB6Xbrrjdjh8QIbjMt956_601vidM_sgbHIbQiZjsJVh04nv4lxG4RT0O-FX4kqmEFd7LA-x2la9Sp6J0qiCKys1jxO1r-rYXwGOG5tTl-YThK0y12gclTItrZqEeHA-4rRWacDb4Y/s640/Murumuru+manga.jpg" title="Murumuru Cosplay" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Read all the manga! (i.e. the Ratchet and Clank comic we borrowed off of Katsuya)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbr90Hpu55-R0qFYdrgZLUmQvevHHKXGnpEbyiZa7fagiFwM9sQOxaS-3YGUvuTUrvdAGizG4CI-NVJeHuJ3SH2WKAWRci7u8TITDQUr_P8RaCBnzPglCddjYESWIcX_LWIZsVNVZ0UY/s1600/murumuru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbr90Hpu55-R0qFYdrgZLUmQvevHHKXGnpEbyiZa7fagiFwM9sQOxaS-3YGUvuTUrvdAGizG4CI-NVJeHuJ3SH2WKAWRci7u8TITDQUr_P8RaCBnzPglCddjYESWIcX_LWIZsVNVZ0UY/s640/murumuru.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Time for Mimi's closeup!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ninth / Minene Uryuu!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6gy44O5mPXQ4ubDnyZXPqO7uUvNtoYrrnjpGa98ZRPAitRE_mkI-aIQrDsWwDq-V9phr6pjKqfpABIip_rz1KfLIi3GJHk7dA617XnP6bIKWD__UBNn559lhf87PafCUthXoa8Zym4o/s1600/MN+Ninth+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6gy44O5mPXQ4ubDnyZXPqO7uUvNtoYrrnjpGa98ZRPAitRE_mkI-aIQrDsWwDq-V9phr6pjKqfpABIip_rz1KfLIi3GJHk7dA617XnP6bIKWD__UBNn559lhf87PafCUthXoa8Zym4o/s400/MN+Ninth+2.jpg" title="Minene Uryuu Ninth " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I recall this feeling very awkward</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVt-gP5io0HSGmbMuMp1FrWB9n0SnKmxtFah-JI2aFh-DtiNIwNEkgyfNcjfGjjpSpvxL5pM3_pyY6iiWf5GDa17hG8Wk2ely3aKV-IFPVtBa-hbIjZd-QS8qno1OFmDYwyIVvXhUSbg/s1600/MN+Ninth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVt-gP5io0HSGmbMuMp1FrWB9n0SnKmxtFah-JI2aFh-DtiNIwNEkgyfNcjfGjjpSpvxL5pM3_pyY6iiWf5GDa17hG8Wk2ely3aKV-IFPVtBa-hbIjZd-QS8qno1OFmDYwyIVvXhUSbg/s400/MN+Ninth.jpg" title="Minene Uryuu Ninth Cosplay" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, scream into the microphone like a crazy person!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Third / I don't remember his real name because he dies after the first episode </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(spoilers)</span><span style="font-size: large;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyRymnu3ujHLNyUkD-XbLcXLs5ED0BxRYj3wjcJDVibYmS1rbnUeS-Yj3wXgSB3tpalBb9ylGWSWSRPVYeX9YFiM4OhI4y9f1LSPbZ1ZphgBHqpa8T_mzadTGvJ4W34oV8pQCFaxrzNM/s1600/MN+Third+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyRymnu3ujHLNyUkD-XbLcXLs5ED0BxRYj3wjcJDVibYmS1rbnUeS-Yj3wXgSB3tpalBb9ylGWSWSRPVYeX9YFiM4OhI4y9f1LSPbZ1ZphgBHqpa8T_mzadTGvJ4W34oV8pQCFaxrzNM/s400/MN+Third+3.jpg" title="Third Cosplay" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Guys, we should probably take the stairs instead</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twelfth!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5higJTYbkSjXO7AqE4b_tX53UZGBcdweifalyVctChYb2_sHxMW1mA1UsL4JVsagyFXisqWAxyEk24EHhY16AxOITG0DAJ2H2E4UmMqeqymxKvtIV7P8IzpzZ4kJLXqSQeMpRgj-jSq4/s1600/MN+twelfth+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5higJTYbkSjXO7AqE4b_tX53UZGBcdweifalyVctChYb2_sHxMW1mA1UsL4JVsagyFXisqWAxyEk24EHhY16AxOITG0DAJ2H2E4UmMqeqymxKvtIV7P8IzpzZ4kJLXqSQeMpRgj-jSq4/s640/MN+twelfth+2.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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Next up, Katsuya's Black Rock Shooter pictures!<br />
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~Kathryn</div>
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Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-55914430782611096422013-05-29T11:18:00.001-04:002013-05-29T11:19:49.189-04:00Black Gold Saw: SwordSo I realize this post has been a long time in coming (give or take a year or so), but I am finally getting around to the sword construction post for Black Gold Saw!<br />
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(<i>pretending that I didn't completely forget about this</i>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3tl_iye_iTawNU2bbPZmtUoXo8FleHdnIL5kfrZvHwUin5bMmxGYHexS2iurgmcIGy5k8z1ZEyTIuGS0Ek6lRCdLzsNxgz1EM2lOQ1183PDp-kf5XO3exRP2abieyR7ctMRWXcQ_Eg8/s1600/2f9082ddd9d3e37a715e6ea07d03a00c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3tl_iye_iTawNU2bbPZmtUoXo8FleHdnIL5kfrZvHwUin5bMmxGYHexS2iurgmcIGy5k8z1ZEyTIuGS0Ek6lRCdLzsNxgz1EM2lOQ1183PDp-kf5XO3exRP2abieyR7ctMRWXcQ_Eg8/s400/2f9082ddd9d3e37a715e6ea07d03a00c.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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My sword is quite similar to <a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/06/were-back-and-mzma-sword-recap.html">Stuart's</a> - we went to Home Depot and bought a giant piece of that pink 2" thick insulation foam together and got them to cut it in half in the store (meanwhile having to awkwardly explain just <i>why</i> we needed almost six feet of insulation foam when we were clearly not making home repairs).</div>
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Unfortunately, Black Gold Saw's sword (what a tongue twister) features an entire edge that is serrated, so I had to measure and sketch out every zig and zag along the way. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The top bit ended up being nixed and enlarged later</span></i></td></tr>
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And then came the fun part. Carving. Carving carving carving carving. Expect to spend many many mind-numbing hours on this part, and be careful - X-Acto knives are sharp. (You might think this obvious, but when you are trying to distract yourself from the tedium by watching bad television, your hand might accidentally <i>slip</i>). My poor apartment had more pink insulation foam on the floor than actual carpet by the time I was done with this.<br />
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In order to get the hilt to fit snugly into the sword, I cut a rectangular strip down the middle of the sword so that I could insert the PVC pipe. I remade the top part of the sword out of leftover foam (made it larger), so I just cut a hole through that and stuck the PVC pipe all the way through.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Just so.</span></i></td></tr>
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Then came the joys of expandable foam, and here comes the warning: DO NOT GET THIS ON YOUR HANDS, CLOTHES, FLOOR, OR ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE REMOTELY ATTACHED TO. Wear gloves, and then prepare to never be able to use them again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Terrible quality picture is terrible</span></i></td></tr>
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And once it is dry (you should leave it at least overnight- poke it with a stick to be sure it is hardened), you can shave off the extra foam. However, here is something I was not aware of that caused a few problems- when expandable foam is cut, it actually shrinks noticeably in volume. Do not shave the foam completely flat against the sword - you will end up with this weird warped indentation down the middle of the sword that I have (and was unable to mask). Once that is done, cover the entire thing in masking tape.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4-zQG1IAt5x0peDuxykyG3IvfKQI7tNj-k6-MKIssz_qYijiNTcejORc1ZoT-0pNbc0g10hlgNb6vsWSIJ1zZX5n2mJ8AxRzwioqZv2W9sJeP9F1m2aMEDmWYeBrMxBNHvnja9odQbw/s1600/DSCN0888.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4-zQG1IAt5x0peDuxykyG3IvfKQI7tNj-k6-MKIssz_qYijiNTcejORc1ZoT-0pNbc0g10hlgNb6vsWSIJ1zZX5n2mJ8AxRzwioqZv2W9sJeP9F1m2aMEDmWYeBrMxBNHvnja9odQbw/s400/DSCN0888.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Add paper mache, and voila!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ue-iHQhHDPP3Ph8_bcxIVqgqB53ZtS6qGpokydf-SjDBBDaEBYnnweOYLpbuakwyCkkEljCluj41pfTNXik9-TihpkYEFo6eKOGSd2lUKFe90WKqPRPBrt8M947llSga48CycXYjnGo/s1600/DSCN0890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ue-iHQhHDPP3Ph8_bcxIVqgqB53ZtS6qGpokydf-SjDBBDaEBYnnweOYLpbuakwyCkkEljCluj41pfTNXik9-TihpkYEFo6eKOGSd2lUKFe90WKqPRPBrt8M947llSga48CycXYjnGo/s400/DSCN0890.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, spray paint/acrylic paint it until it looks the way you want it to, then seal it with Mod Podge (but get matte, not glossy...I accidentally used glossy and my sword was much shinier than it needed to be).</div>
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The handle was made with <a href="http://media1.riogrande.com/Products/Images/Large/100949.jpg">Delight air-dry paperclay </a>, and I sculpted the skull on top with stone clay. </div>
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The finished product:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV8M13usCZhryjEnI87ZFkbOvfkuNUgeohMnrbl4RrAbuXAzPsmYQUPwvMDjmMks7zXUinEuyHoLB3ac1exUjxXU9IsWZXTl5lWFm1pWLuFQwqt6b5i7RhIvQP5NUbSYC_8eu85IK3aw/s1600/Animazement+1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV8M13usCZhryjEnI87ZFkbOvfkuNUgeohMnrbl4RrAbuXAzPsmYQUPwvMDjmMks7zXUinEuyHoLB3ac1exUjxXU9IsWZXTl5lWFm1pWLuFQwqt6b5i7RhIvQP5NUbSYC_8eu85IK3aw/s400/Animazement+1069.JPG" title="black gold saw" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBuM7WsUiKzeByQdbO33wxuxkQgVacXgQVHXzZlJqV1rq_WEAv1PS-20BbYmP4hR1y3DbRVU2ZZkutuIRK73aRRqr3mluEc2d5grD5xcDxG0EocRHBpQ8PtZSzvrgFKLDjoCo8MAH5kc/s1600/598522_449895371689868_1430332650_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBuM7WsUiKzeByQdbO33wxuxkQgVacXgQVHXzZlJqV1rq_WEAv1PS-20BbYmP4hR1y3DbRVU2ZZkutuIRK73aRRqr3mluEc2d5grD5xcDxG0EocRHBpQ8PtZSzvrgFKLDjoCo8MAH5kc/s640/598522_449895371689868_1430332650_n.jpg" title="black gold saw" width="427" /></a></div>
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Stay tuned for another sword tutorial!<br />
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~KathrynKathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-10574820344625096542013-05-23T22:02:00.000-04:002013-05-25T12:37:15.375-04:00Maniwa Houou - (or how I learned to dress like a giant chicken)It's that time of the year again - con season! I spent the last weekend at Anime Central in Chicago, which was a new convention for me. Photoshoot pictures will be forthcoming, but in the meantime I figured that I should make a construction post on How to Impersonate Local Wildlife (---> maybe if you live near Chernobyl and your local wildlife includes a six foot tall, bright red avian monstrosity). Give a warm welcome to Maniwa Houou of Katanagatari.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Chicken? No, no, see, he's a PHOENIX >__></span></i></td></tr>
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So we can argue about the fact that the white bit at the top is probably his hair, and that beak is just sitting on his hair, but let's be honest- your wig hair is NEVER going to do that properly. So just go all out and make a full-on chicken helmet.<br />
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Let's start with the helmet, which was probably the most craft intensive part of the costume. I started with a chicken wire base that I molded onto the shape of my head - which is easier said than done. Chicken wire is surprisingly inflexible (or perhaps I am just unaccustomed to using animal enclosure materials), so after wrestling for an hour or two and pulling out far too much hair, I just went ahead and used my head-shaped wig stand. And make sure that you leave a hole in the back of the head- this is necessary for the "hair" that will end up sticking out of the back of it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Make sure to tuck in those stray wires..chicken wire cuts hurt</span></i></td></tr>
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Another word of warning: After the clay is applied and hardened, the helmet will be considerably tighter than it was when you fitted it. I basically have to force the damn thing onto my head - take this into account unless you enjoy crippling migraines.<br />
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I used half-gallon milk cartons to stabilize the beak section, and then just masking taped the living daylights out of the whole thing. I used cereal boxes as the weird wrap-around face claws, and stuffed cotton into the open spaces to keep it from falling in on itself. I also did a layer of paper mache, but it quickly became evident that it would not end up being smooth enough. So what did I resort to? My go-to material for everything, <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Alg8XxDnL._SY300_.jpg">stone clay</a>! I also poked four holes in the top to make sure that I had somewhere to stick those floating diamonds. Let it dry, sand the shit out of it, and you've got yourself a giant chicken helmet! Life accomplishments, man.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcHxWPla1QRErzbOgeUSV2IgSrZkw4qGsOKz04icXrt3ENPz6_ml7llc882ow9N8ihgTIlFprYE_vIxggrFR_T49rTwBwhVPeYe7z0Dq9DZiwuRT8eWYCGlOBcVe-QhqpBowkjHLFwBg/s1600/IMG_0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcHxWPla1QRErzbOgeUSV2IgSrZkw4qGsOKz04icXrt3ENPz6_ml7llc882ow9N8ihgTIlFprYE_vIxggrFR_T49rTwBwhVPeYe7z0Dq9DZiwuRT8eWYCGlOBcVe-QhqpBowkjHLFwBg/s400/IMG_0630.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Who DOESN'T love shitty quality bathroom mirror pics - This is post paper mache, pre stone clay.</span></i></td></tr>
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Then just paint, seal with mod podge, and voila! You are now ready to terrorize small children.<br />
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The floating diamonds (because I really have no better word for the things sticking off the top of his head) are just wire with craft foam glued onto it and painted. <br />
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And now for the "hair." Due to its weird-ass gravity-defying anime-tastic shape, I decided to make a giant squiggly thing carved from a two layers of a three-foot roll of black craft foam with wire mod podged in-between the two pieces for malleability and stability. <b>Note to self:</b> <b>make sure the wire is thick and sturdy enough. </b> Thin wire just ends up dragging pathetically behind you, and you want some nice gravity-defying action going on. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUgVkV2jQu5QSyNhghLQP_mJvvoJHWsnBGnj-2Qg8OwYGTDeJIXqHo9CBn5605PxRlYHvq-q269WkTQFQFRqtENg8hRpD-_YBXSo6Io3NNcSRlYfIpG4mp2f8gESKArp8b64a97mCR_k/s1600/hair+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUgVkV2jQu5QSyNhghLQP_mJvvoJHWsnBGnj-2Qg8OwYGTDeJIXqHo9CBn5605PxRlYHvq-q269WkTQFQFRqtENg8hRpD-_YBXSo6Io3NNcSRlYfIpG4mp2f8gESKArp8b64a97mCR_k/s400/hair+final.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Apply mod podge on the outside for shininess like whoa</span></i></td></tr>
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And now we move on to the feather cloak. This gave me more trouble than <i>anything</i> else in the entire outfit. Not because it was particularly hard: just because my stubborn-ass brain refused to use sensible materials like<i> felt</i>, and instead originally opted for fabric. Twice. With disastrous results. I was determined to get the totally unrealistic three-dimensional shape of the feathers from the anime, so I forced myself to step outside the box and then throw the box out the fucking window. After much trial-and-error (but let's be honest, it was mostly error), I just took two pieces of felt, cut it into a zigzag cloak pattern, sewed them together, and stuffed it with the innards of a poor, innocent, $1 pillow from Goodwill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOkzRqWSIYtMEYkzo4HHIQyuoYaPYdxdSqDby0gXOlMv04TMcb_IgZIERZmPzejw41hnl3oVUpcqbMFpch00SPKhG5yP7twtFO424ARUlu5ST3RlwvS_PMiuaend-Yte5-W-WEYbIZTU/s1600/IMG_0682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOkzRqWSIYtMEYkzo4HHIQyuoYaPYdxdSqDby0gXOlMv04TMcb_IgZIERZmPzejw41hnl3oVUpcqbMFpch00SPKhG5yP7twtFO424ARUlu5ST3RlwvS_PMiuaend-Yte5-W-WEYbIZTU/s400/IMG_0682.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">USE FELT, IT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE MUCH EASIER</span></i></td></tr>
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The gloves were equally irritating to make. I ordered shoulder length yellow gloves from <a href="http://www.welovecolors.com/">WeLoveColors.com </a> - incidentally, the same place I got the matching tights - and I prepared to turn them into claws. So, in a moment of my infinite wisdom, I bought orange fabric dye to color the hand part of the glove. <b> Thing that sounds like a great idea in theory but ends up smelling really dreadful and burning your esophagus: dyeing fabrics. </b>The lines were just drawn on in normal black pen. <b> </b>The claws were easy enough- I just bought long fake fingernails, trimmed them to points and painted them black.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh696UlUFxBLfEibV7ULi68dcWCUutVpzIdBLrxKBPVzTeh3aktT8D2w_ty7Xa820jWSdrWwwz4lTV_7lo1zYGZ2-2a5hX8ef3A8N8E-mhosHw7Od32-vC2lsB9PN2SOwxJkJ7XNiJ11tI/s1600/IMG_0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh696UlUFxBLfEibV7ULi68dcWCUutVpzIdBLrxKBPVzTeh3aktT8D2w_ty7Xa820jWSdrWwwz4lTV_7lo1zYGZ2-2a5hX8ef3A8N8E-mhosHw7Od32-vC2lsB9PN2SOwxJkJ7XNiJ11tI/s320/IMG_0654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Why does almost every cosplay I do seem to have claws</span></i></td></tr>
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The belt was just yellow craft foam with those yellow chains you can find at Home Depot hot glued on in sections. The craft foam itself was attached to a wide belt with sticky velcro (not one of my better moments), but crunch time is crunch time, I'm afraid.<br />
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The tail was also made out of two layers of craft foam reinforced with thick wire. Craft foam is your friend...make good use of it.<br />
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The pants were fairly simple - I just found some white wide-legged yoga pants online, hand-sewed on some red panels and put elastic into the bottoms so that they would come in at the knees. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmwnQj3rc92wtTkF3f0R2CK6LuxyYTLD189A4D2csbgvjAx2d8gfRQHzePVNvGRX_bsosA8UOT96sJlGg9tsRSRH_jNWL-Lr75sYxpVAFv5tSmBwAiBLG3iNTnFI0Tx3OOE7VPDr2ZTk/s1600/IMG_0627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmwnQj3rc92wtTkF3f0R2CK6LuxyYTLD189A4D2csbgvjAx2d8gfRQHzePVNvGRX_bsosA8UOT96sJlGg9tsRSRH_jNWL-Lr75sYxpVAFv5tSmBwAiBLG3iNTnFI0Tx3OOE7VPDr2ZTk/s400/IMG_0627.JPG" width="216" /></a></div>
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As for the tights, I ran out of time to actually paint them properly, and ended up using electrical tape cut into thin strips, which worked to great effect. The downside is that it takes a bit more prep-work every time you want to wear the costume, but it probably looks cleaner in the long run than actually painting them.</div>
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And the final product....</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOPyjtxz3uggcbA1Bhtz-yCl-nE767LIvuJjHv-amf4RDYAHihwT1iBoulofpV-mb5_wr3m5J7eKMUQmvGjdM_uabuHldI-tjrFle4aiK0sT-HUUROrWgukyPEGVFKPs2FFup49j5M5Y/s1600/IMG_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOPyjtxz3uggcbA1Bhtz-yCl-nE767LIvuJjHv-amf4RDYAHihwT1iBoulofpV-mb5_wr3m5J7eKMUQmvGjdM_uabuHldI-tjrFle4aiK0sT-HUUROrWgukyPEGVFKPs2FFup49j5M5Y/s640/IMG_0693.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Do I look like a crazy person yet</span></i></td></tr>
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And after spending an ungodly amount of time sweating in this heat-absorbing costume, this is how I felt after getting back to the hotel room:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4q4HPXrNrUPn2bH2yh2fo28lpm7Aa-ng-Zr6zEhlMYvhttZQXdhqDdEE65c9i2MOGa4wJU5V8INJkCX7fAkFswCUrRyiSRDX3QYmGAVSPCuwgBg7qIGTw4ZRusyMFSY1bNPqjijZf2kA/s1600/after+the+con.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4q4HPXrNrUPn2bH2yh2fo28lpm7Aa-ng-Zr6zEhlMYvhttZQXdhqDdEE65c9i2MOGa4wJU5V8INJkCX7fAkFswCUrRyiSRDX3QYmGAVSPCuwgBg7qIGTw4ZRusyMFSY1bNPqjijZf2kA/s400/after+the+con.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Minus the whole "being a dude" part</span></i></td></tr>
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I'll make a separate post for the sword- I think this madness has gone on long enough, as it were. I'll be back with sword construction and photoshoot pictures. Join us next time, on "What the Fuck is That Crazy Person Wearing."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKmO89YSDFrbGf5gH97GaAK1c8JbierCOIMHCBaDXywQfKyfKKG2k-RYDEpLuCGYYYd4fHk3wsSx6BkzA1FGXxhxh5aGmBxpw5GRiNHFiJ0WyhcAWvU9MPY3QmIV1KcuLPc6_o2g4Hiw/s1600/dance+chicken+dance.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKmO89YSDFrbGf5gH97GaAK1c8JbierCOIMHCBaDXywQfKyfKKG2k-RYDEpLuCGYYYd4fHk3wsSx6BkzA1FGXxhxh5aGmBxpw5GRiNHFiJ0WyhcAWvU9MPY3QmIV1KcuLPc6_o2g4Hiw/s400/dance+chicken+dance.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Dance, chicken, DANCE</span></i></td></tr>
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~Kathryn</div>
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Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-14335033816674488812012-08-11T04:13:00.000-04:002012-08-11T04:13:14.126-04:00Black Rock Shooter Photoshoot, Part 3 - MZMAPoor Cosplay-vania. I've totally left you abandoned. Q_Q You need a good old-fashion post to get you back on track. And so, without further ado, the continuation of our picture-fest from our Black Rock Shooter photoshoot (again, shot by the wonderful <a href="http://www.bryanreganphotography.com/">Bryan Regan</a>) with my MZMA pictures. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qb_1AHszOHbu3etn__gSBhHdupmQPioFSU5WchYIH4SrN_w8rB5gyypeFI93dy0v8arRb4qVO4sMVfgxkHxwkVU2QVwb7N26JAOdGRlXNpBpRTegdrcQ0TtEiLWmynDB-fpw100MSeQ/s1600/Animazement+0865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qb_1AHszOHbu3etn__gSBhHdupmQPioFSU5WchYIH4SrN_w8rB5gyypeFI93dy0v8arRb4qVO4sMVfgxkHxwkVU2QVwb7N26JAOdGRlXNpBpRTegdrcQ0TtEiLWmynDB-fpw100MSeQ/s400/Animazement+0865.JPG" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FyaUSADbkxL-2QKIlZejQY-Rox171I26xKMahHxkDOczGtt_0At0GS0x8D-YwLbKPoEWypS48u5zr0eShh6iLH6psVtB-5dMN_UCxU30d75DseBuL32f2XX8oHpU20wgoql-8OxDYws/s1600/Animazement+0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FyaUSADbkxL-2QKIlZejQY-Rox171I26xKMahHxkDOczGtt_0At0GS0x8D-YwLbKPoEWypS48u5zr0eShh6iLH6psVtB-5dMN_UCxU30d75DseBuL32f2XX8oHpU20wgoql-8OxDYws/s400/Animazement+0886.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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I love the angle of this next one :) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0mEX3kt1yDHApE5P0P0s_P0aiIjD7LJSbW1WRZ0NrpRx5AOF3cqSwp_0z2iBMLYyP0-DoUcB_5QjCRXfy6BvBfwjbANzw98edbpYfIM73_AT_1wlTezxzpLF-YPfAVRv_RcbW4GkKPo/s1600/Animazement+0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0mEX3kt1yDHApE5P0P0s_P0aiIjD7LJSbW1WRZ0NrpRx5AOF3cqSwp_0z2iBMLYyP0-DoUcB_5QjCRXfy6BvBfwjbANzw98edbpYfIM73_AT_1wlTezxzpLF-YPfAVRv_RcbW4GkKPo/s400/Animazement+0979.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And this next one is my favorite one of this cosplay. ACTION SHOT! :P<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRekJim-Kb4-tZw9dfA5NdJSIsplVhalPbyM5hgwiiojJT7nw-xhIAxyEJl2ggeSdNb45vVG7EdbhRKrQZ8b1cllZxaUJUAvLkWS-seCDXS29uqXdTMC2eUULPi-QAG7jDUZNk4qaqu8Q/s1600/Animazement+0985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRekJim-Kb4-tZw9dfA5NdJSIsplVhalPbyM5hgwiiojJT7nw-xhIAxyEJl2ggeSdNb45vVG7EdbhRKrQZ8b1cllZxaUJUAvLkWS-seCDXS29uqXdTMC2eUULPi-QAG7jDUZNk4qaqu8Q/s400/Animazement+0985.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And finally, one group shot where we all look awesome :D</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2JQwh4PyzX4jc8QMFj9zPJR-f2sIzHJynADmsTUbxabXFnuZHE16xB0MEs55UvsMdI-Yo_UHapx4s0f_S_qU3ZRK0dgoEGKAA1Q_sM7ViUGiaIYxIQT4Jmj5N05rYBedbUvolFunULE/s1600/Animazement+1018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2JQwh4PyzX4jc8QMFj9zPJR-f2sIzHJynADmsTUbxabXFnuZHE16xB0MEs55UvsMdI-Yo_UHapx4s0f_S_qU3ZRK0dgoEGKAA1Q_sM7ViUGiaIYxIQT4Jmj5N05rYBedbUvolFunULE/s400/Animazement+1018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This photoshoot was amazing, and wouldn't have been nearly as fulfilling without Mimi and Kathryn, and our photographer Bryan Regan! Thanks everyone!</div>
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-Stuart-</div>
<br />Xylofunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212944359342553956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-71265292299482747092012-07-15T13:26:00.000-04:002012-07-15T16:12:03.888-04:00Black Rock Shooter Photoshoot, Part 2- Black Gold SawAfter a week of blerg (that's actually the technical term), I'm finally getting around to posting my pictures from our Black Rock Shooter group cosplay. So without further ado, here's the second set of photos from the photoshoot with the wonderful <a href="http://www.bryanreganphotography.com/">Bryan Regan</a>! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L4NxrpMWEsD91EjTG3fbkIGThF5RNPjbNlvND7GLWRNb1HEzXJ4wW-lYGavRRt1w2nZtLAfYmd1R9Rk8ycbi2L3Ot4Rgfcyq8m4uOd8cUSDKjwgo9zGoS5TlsLMhJrHAavEF2UQJ_ac/s1600/Animazement+0804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L4NxrpMWEsD91EjTG3fbkIGThF5RNPjbNlvND7GLWRNb1HEzXJ4wW-lYGavRRt1w2nZtLAfYmd1R9Rk8ycbi2L3Ot4Rgfcyq8m4uOd8cUSDKjwgo9zGoS5TlsLMhJrHAavEF2UQJ_ac/s640/Animazement+0804.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You know how much fun it was getting up onto that platform? Not.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxGcOGw1sAuO3HYEHaodMNYnKAdtx8c3lYAEgfd1ugSjX9AfDnDsYt6917clyURRY1NOszmSBOJPpRX4Z425HVWXJLBjT1P2eKW-mjK8nAfyFogiwKYYIKsMo-D3-p6gSSqlFiPq0L_E/s1600/Animazement+0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxGcOGw1sAuO3HYEHaodMNYnKAdtx8c3lYAEgfd1ugSjX9AfDnDsYt6917clyURRY1NOszmSBOJPpRX4Z425HVWXJLBjT1P2eKW-mjK8nAfyFogiwKYYIKsMo-D3-p6gSSqlFiPq0L_E/s640/Animazement+0812.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Model pose GO</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tzuGMat136G61HTCMehnmQf_2r87SwFtogl0T0vvRYa_wHiyyKb5hxMT0yuFZgWNofAeXr9m08h7LzKKR9zHGdb8VNgwHLMFqOpgWwNbx5-db4qKC7GfiZLHNQpwNw03kgk-2NACfQE/s1600/Animazement+0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tzuGMat136G61HTCMehnmQf_2r87SwFtogl0T0vvRYa_wHiyyKb5hxMT0yuFZgWNofAeXr9m08h7LzKKR9zHGdb8VNgwHLMFqOpgWwNbx5-db4qKC7GfiZLHNQpwNw03kgk-2NACfQE/s640/Animazement+0823.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That sword is ridiculously difficult to hold up with one hand. That is my intense concentration face.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UvDOsD3SJzuiMavnn05caINiPphrMvJpK3vpFpeo9UJiv74zTcWNk2mbSl2h3HnGlhecJYQoXTVCJVi5iC5b0fOBSKaZ6ZA9B9sAd3A6CNFiXYfVIoawo66SbwHOS3CI8NPtnopQVmI/s1600/Animazement+0825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UvDOsD3SJzuiMavnn05caINiPphrMvJpK3vpFpeo9UJiv74zTcWNk2mbSl2h3HnGlhecJYQoXTVCJVi5iC5b0fOBSKaZ6ZA9B9sAd3A6CNFiXYfVIoawo66SbwHOS3CI8NPtnopQVmI/s400/Animazement+0825.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Why hello wig, after a day of conning you don't look so good. Creepy factory makes up for it though.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud5W4IN6_r3n4ZMAQnEeO9lHGYIbnEPQuhUSSzqaXYsQC0-W4VNhaosEi-f63Xaph5yJKlBMuMaZBhBEh6dCouumCcFSrMwc9_4cCn3yrz6U7SB0JrVA3zfAO3o3a2moXfKbbeDawQgg/s1600/Animazement+0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud5W4IN6_r3n4ZMAQnEeO9lHGYIbnEPQuhUSSzqaXYsQC0-W4VNhaosEi-f63Xaph5yJKlBMuMaZBhBEh6dCouumCcFSrMwc9_4cCn3yrz6U7SB0JrVA3zfAO3o3a2moXfKbbeDawQgg/s400/Animazement+0953.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dramatically stare into the distance. This is an important skill.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVJo_dBHrgYoO9CMPNtfMKcqJRJlZJlzBDrIfbHi7EOu_Wrk4RUdrXtLAX2n4GU4CVu7eSD_N0Tgl12-U-EkSpI-90Nx3nyaiYXVjp4s8g6qrDyM_4hX_PLc3UtN0q0Ewn5e_XP17dqA/s1600/Animazement+0926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVJo_dBHrgYoO9CMPNtfMKcqJRJlZJlzBDrIfbHi7EOu_Wrk4RUdrXtLAX2n4GU4CVu7eSD_N0Tgl12-U-EkSpI-90Nx3nyaiYXVjp4s8g6qrDyM_4hX_PLc3UtN0q0Ewn5e_XP17dqA/s400/Animazement+0926.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I think I may have been singing here. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKPFX_GEdaJ37UHYVRjov0RFkRssokRu81yBl-x-uwgN0oBR0nIpNAZ3LUsTta-fucUson0cBkyo1oBGgZ6K2O8wzGclRs8K76gSDmFks21SB6t1j00NdqgeYalfhdDmiIrPXFBG7YHo/s1600/Animazement+0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKPFX_GEdaJ37UHYVRjov0RFkRssokRu81yBl-x-uwgN0oBR0nIpNAZ3LUsTta-fucUson0cBkyo1oBGgZ6K2O8wzGclRs8K76gSDmFks21SB6t1j00NdqgeYalfhdDmiIrPXFBG7YHo/s400/Animazement+0987.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Totally not slipping on the gravel. Definitely an intentional pose. Definitely.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvP7FFFa4qMa2q0ZNoMi3AgPbUGA_GmQbOhTaNvwrDobow8ZqXTJJy-UmiSi0c0yIy0ynAXbPkiUyqKJulHMmBJp3OM_1-UW0xrvU0wgh4zoISSus7-IuKF3KpRl4bOUL_b0lLPNg2WM/s1600/Animazement+0993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvP7FFFa4qMa2q0ZNoMi3AgPbUGA_GmQbOhTaNvwrDobow8ZqXTJJy-UmiSi0c0yIy0ynAXbPkiUyqKJulHMmBJp3OM_1-UW0xrvU0wgh4zoISSus7-IuKF3KpRl4bOUL_b0lLPNg2WM/s400/Animazement+0993.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You're damn RIGHT there's no trespassing.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkH7dGiaRmkmHw6g4ExYQFExMHIiA0D-f_po1iQcvUwGX1xd4swIoYJBhDZsRbh8HM2_T-ieY0qf8ravJeY9eqQa0Pq5ezXp0aKzEIjjJZ4fwAwnjnq86bjauvG0mx1tcK7Hkftn9vVQ/s1600/Animazement+1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkH7dGiaRmkmHw6g4ExYQFExMHIiA0D-f_po1iQcvUwGX1xd4swIoYJBhDZsRbh8HM2_T-ieY0qf8ravJeY9eqQa0Pq5ezXp0aKzEIjjJZ4fwAwnjnq86bjauvG0mx1tcK7Hkftn9vVQ/s640/Animazement+1058.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ridiculously well-timed walking picture.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1mMBtt3KnGkMkuwN37vFLeD68EmM2EEMNE684nuC4sCnXtamyhqP6o3lcv44NCKsKWBC-4GwEr9HByZoGpuM0uBQYqLk4DxEGPxx1XcaY_CDn0MXE4I0JUNvTd_mzIIGYbNHgOFAnTo/s1600/Animazement+1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1mMBtt3KnGkMkuwN37vFLeD68EmM2EEMNE684nuC4sCnXtamyhqP6o3lcv44NCKsKWBC-4GwEr9HByZoGpuM0uBQYqLk4DxEGPxx1XcaY_CDn0MXE4I0JUNvTd_mzIIGYbNHgOFAnTo/s400/Animazement+1069.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>AWWW YEAH, cue dramatic wind blowing my hair. And, you know. Cars.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSdy25pw6LdFztGpnWwnotxCYMGf6bk0U6RJuwOIGSgdj7EjZuQqiTqdrPZ9i9WKh8Hvv-q887yQyFKccDX7qwZq5k1b8kaVxkR4tqXhPDGvMIS_jpx3RyiatXfUlRU2E136rA9LAW6M/s1600/Animazement+1075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSdy25pw6LdFztGpnWwnotxCYMGf6bk0U6RJuwOIGSgdj7EjZuQqiTqdrPZ9i9WKh8Hvv-q887yQyFKccDX7qwZq5k1b8kaVxkR4tqXhPDGvMIS_jpx3RyiatXfUlRU2E136rA9LAW6M/s640/Animazement+1075.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Batter up! Swing batter batter SWING</i><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprrTAeR9VGZR6M59ozcbNz_ieKvwdnqupGwhQi3Y9o-R9R0GY7lvegWIzEW35LG4Rrazui3uV4H2NZsoab_R3OJkLNdkIeT9VEjTXZvDHovEuykBXBjEeaWaJstj9ddFRz3Fg7HTBBEs/s1600/Animazement+1086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprrTAeR9VGZR6M59ozcbNz_ieKvwdnqupGwhQi3Y9o-R9R0GY7lvegWIzEW35LG4Rrazui3uV4H2NZsoab_R3OJkLNdkIeT9VEjTXZvDHovEuykBXBjEeaWaJstj9ddFRz3Fg7HTBBEs/s640/Animazement+1086.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>>__<</i></td></tr>
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And just for fun...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSOQbYjL6xRRDCS5Ztna_mxC3FIQEkx-YVKZRhcq-svE3tkNiaSosJhtVfhfBrL6MAkcTi1W5nLFlGYUMaeBlKxTSxoUjdCmHaCSyi7JkSd3M88y4AmL0pvCrpaP8tOExAhdx77HMRs4/s1600/Animazement+1088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSOQbYjL6xRRDCS5Ztna_mxC3FIQEkx-YVKZRhcq-svE3tkNiaSosJhtVfhfBrL6MAkcTi1W5nLFlGYUMaeBlKxTSxoUjdCmHaCSyi7JkSd3M88y4AmL0pvCrpaP8tOExAhdx77HMRs4/s640/Animazement+1088.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I think you're doing it wrong.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3V9x3kSwf7bgG4lpFaM9GGTimRN7rt8gjMMDeDZELDXw_qatNpIEuoRgfNwYk0YzRsnJd3LmS1kQ_0nRL8AjpDLbr_IzxeAtR2NEohqZl92sxjBtVMUOwXyH72OSZmwGc7nqMqm5oOM/s1600/Animazement+1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3V9x3kSwf7bgG4lpFaM9GGTimRN7rt8gjMMDeDZELDXw_qatNpIEuoRgfNwYk0YzRsnJd3LmS1kQ_0nRL8AjpDLbr_IzxeAtR2NEohqZl92sxjBtVMUOwXyH72OSZmwGc7nqMqm5oOM/s400/Animazement+1040.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Herp derp. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd-UTQe9IL6q-5cXa4t-luXu3SAoU5-w7o2sv-93q-wIwKL3TOqXXc6_NjM3hwoRYkJulxDxvhPwEaGhulOXgLaA72UJG89FmtrA50rCi5JzdmRL0u-1UeY0sVBrjaJsUDIitj4xitLc/s1600/Animazement+1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd-UTQe9IL6q-5cXa4t-luXu3SAoU5-w7o2sv-93q-wIwKL3TOqXXc6_NjM3hwoRYkJulxDxvhPwEaGhulOXgLaA72UJG89FmtrA50rCi5JzdmRL0u-1UeY0sVBrjaJsUDIitj4xitLc/s400/Animazement+1125.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guitar sword? Yes please.</i></td></tr>
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<div>
More group shots and MZMA pictures to come!<br />
<br />
~Kathryn<br />
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</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-5806856297912118292012-07-06T10:32:00.001-04:002012-07-06T10:32:55.731-04:00Black Rock Shooter photoshoot with Bryan Regan part1 Insane Black Rock ShooterHi guys, no time no post...>.> but today's post is pretty awesome! I'm here to share with you guys some photos from our Black Rock Shooter photoshoot with <a href="http://www.bryanreganphotography.com/">Bryan Regan</a>, a local professional photographer who we had a wonderful opportunity to work with. <br />
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Below are photos of me as Insane Black Rock Shooter for Animazement 18. Remember, you will see a bigger photo if you click on it :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84lmSqWkFAvs9xemO9ERsh8Nik4HxAU4I5jYI4Bcr_lIG3GugkWmY2WkcBGCD69zFCT_8CAX211qnw-BcDeXjfwuOvWkji92BCV02CAhg2omVLoGBQwmqq5JqwXI-PsHdBDPOJqxSbhs/s1600/Animazement+0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84lmSqWkFAvs9xemO9ERsh8Nik4HxAU4I5jYI4Bcr_lIG3GugkWmY2WkcBGCD69zFCT_8CAX211qnw-BcDeXjfwuOvWkji92BCV02CAhg2omVLoGBQwmqq5JqwXI-PsHdBDPOJqxSbhs/s400/Animazement+0828.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkfZri-fV2eaRtlHaxjAuMLHTlJKlPlx-UkkyL4h5NcY-OLY2mZh6CSjd-YvpvsvmCORGUKZXNshyphenhyphen6JAVFPT-rI3OTee1OBnKggM9kOwmE8goq8PHp98PRJpcWR4Wxm0uh8v8Ld799QQ/s1600/Animazement+0830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkfZri-fV2eaRtlHaxjAuMLHTlJKlPlx-UkkyL4h5NcY-OLY2mZh6CSjd-YvpvsvmCORGUKZXNshyphenhyphen6JAVFPT-rI3OTee1OBnKggM9kOwmE8goq8PHp98PRJpcWR4Wxm0uh8v8Ld799QQ/s400/Animazement+0830.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WZwIM8b8_SKJ9yGPrWmtR5X7eD-iQChRcHuW16gw8sRrDWNry7-780m7Nkk4E7PJ2L9CyRQVm3gp_xGyupUPvmUkWk0xyh7gShd9TPm-Wh0XNIWzkabmFcCRYA09nFAOMY-sOAP15ew/s1600/Animazement+0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WZwIM8b8_SKJ9yGPrWmtR5X7eD-iQChRcHuW16gw8sRrDWNry7-780m7Nkk4E7PJ2L9CyRQVm3gp_xGyupUPvmUkWk0xyh7gShd9TPm-Wh0XNIWzkabmFcCRYA09nFAOMY-sOAP15ew/s400/Animazement+0844.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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we took these pictures near the train tracks about 10min away from the Raleigh convention center. The location was great, but Bryan's lighting skills are even better! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3LjPWsrJWbvLlhSOZSQ1Agc6Qi_FnNT9k66rQmxPEBwQHDk_xCqaw6E0_KOLlT8NF7M-Z55S7dUFQewv6of9piamMfoUkotBAcub26k3UQoFRq-PLEvf531kZcSbJt9Xa9DI6Myie90/s1600/Animazement+0899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3LjPWsrJWbvLlhSOZSQ1Agc6Qi_FnNT9k66rQmxPEBwQHDk_xCqaw6E0_KOLlT8NF7M-Z55S7dUFQewv6of9piamMfoUkotBAcub26k3UQoFRq-PLEvf531kZcSbJt9Xa9DI6Myie90/s400/Animazement+0899.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PZ14YIcKeFQBVOGXVxOpQ1bHVdxI6APXDNPBh4N_O_tJM6oD898U4ibbkU50eViJMMoGbklVhpPFwCuEsMMTk7l9B_fQ1D72EWm6E6ituup1xRHUD3DARFhgYhLdtaIuJFqOg8vYbIk/s1600/Animazement+0906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PZ14YIcKeFQBVOGXVxOpQ1bHVdxI6APXDNPBh4N_O_tJM6oD898U4ibbkU50eViJMMoGbklVhpPFwCuEsMMTk7l9B_fQ1D72EWm6E6ituup1xRHUD3DARFhgYhLdtaIuJFqOg8vYbIk/s400/Animazement+0906.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lOgD6S66Cs9RWlE8TEsJERcaOmEB9kHoKGPtVreTYTKUcSU_fdVvf8ApJdKspIFMosxsC7ULz__yq47lxxVSIvrrZmBMN9u-y0HQ-Fuf67myc-3oTSoNHJ9SNLdu15W6g93iWfyN14U/s1600/Animazement+0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lOgD6S66Cs9RWlE8TEsJERcaOmEB9kHoKGPtVreTYTKUcSU_fdVvf8ApJdKspIFMosxsC7ULz__yq47lxxVSIvrrZmBMN9u-y0HQ-Fuf67myc-3oTSoNHJ9SNLdu15W6g93iWfyN14U/s400/Animazement+0912.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WMNdai-N0Irso45OGA7_eLwxcH0M-naWBVnyLt1IjQMS61EXbbK7FWpF2Nyme3iPIv3C9aZy2DsBvB3brv_Jw0vAJOWm8-RggKpxMnNQf9d27XhgJBQGMM5yW4U8lBvG5NhbC3dn4h8/s1600/Animazement+0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WMNdai-N0Irso45OGA7_eLwxcH0M-naWBVnyLt1IjQMS61EXbbK7FWpF2Nyme3iPIv3C9aZy2DsBvB3brv_Jw0vAJOWm8-RggKpxMnNQf9d27XhgJBQGMM5yW4U8lBvG5NhbC3dn4h8/s400/Animazement+0997.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm really happy that this photo shows the blue streak in my hair. It took me a while to sew them in ^.^</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRMupyXmCdc-jua1tnyk6UzkSYxU-xdAeuMgIz3K0cjF3yXIkr-SPFBIG5gv942Oeh_st49sy7BPRqmJf9M23xieQlbaMK7n1GrRn1Ng3_r1ad5OH_SiYaAPDRNkZv41C_LhtODGz0RA/s1600/Animazement+1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRMupyXmCdc-jua1tnyk6UzkSYxU-xdAeuMgIz3K0cjF3yXIkr-SPFBIG5gv942Oeh_st49sy7BPRqmJf9M23xieQlbaMK7n1GrRn1Ng3_r1ad5OH_SiYaAPDRNkZv41C_LhtODGz0RA/s400/Animazement+1028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNX2Qmb6r5BW6os7tjjJxr4D1mtzZuNbSKK9AEhQx2YSi514KXckMkpU1B_LHmQ7FnciEOsCJGLgbRL1Nk1b8ouwtGPB-cR4FkgU1GLsCyG9zWfrIjb2rMbatjqUpNetosZNcMqgYMf34/s1600/Animazement+1050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNX2Qmb6r5BW6os7tjjJxr4D1mtzZuNbSKK9AEhQx2YSi514KXckMkpU1B_LHmQ7FnciEOsCJGLgbRL1Nk1b8ouwtGPB-cR4FkgU1GLsCyG9zWfrIjb2rMbatjqUpNetosZNcMqgYMf34/s400/Animazement+1050.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of my face........wahhhhhhhhhhhh =_=;</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3Y-F5JOTpd_5L60zbUK6-yraujqWt4W2W26I23o0e7httXVIoT_VmaplwDxuTjELdBAolV0mlUp5Sng3FHx-az7ZB95CE7IAhZpSHinACNUa1Qusfe645AWfACYjMjscujbSR-LaRBw/s1600/Animazement+1066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3Y-F5JOTpd_5L60zbUK6-yraujqWt4W2W26I23o0e7httXVIoT_VmaplwDxuTjELdBAolV0mlUp5Sng3FHx-az7ZB95CE7IAhZpSHinACNUa1Qusfe645AWfACYjMjscujbSR-LaRBw/s400/Animazement+1066.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSgQBtxAb4ismikR1K5A20CSscztUjvwBcdRs8EE4kH9RTyugI6qIUcUW7GjF5QunFftCbnJtBgTsD82oPDGiFAmEG1bBBV0Kot-IFiHtTFo5eu5Zjj_XT8_buhmgHN3reP4FshLUfk0/s1600/Animazement+1097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSgQBtxAb4ismikR1K5A20CSscztUjvwBcdRs8EE4kH9RTyugI6qIUcUW7GjF5QunFftCbnJtBgTsD82oPDGiFAmEG1bBBV0Kot-IFiHtTFo5eu5Zjj_XT8_buhmgHN3reP4FshLUfk0/s400/Animazement+1097.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6MUc4G6BoYeHytz7Q4gE_ZKHl89ohlxpWPJrh-0740bsiF5nrsC1YwOH8sE602IPcBUSAWFT8gAZotvNvS2_2lzw-mYOfquH_ChjvRV9Ebc0jBYe1zFcIPoVWqEozl7_SIYDI2eTFKo/s1600/Animazement+1102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6MUc4G6BoYeHytz7Q4gE_ZKHl89ohlxpWPJrh-0740bsiF5nrsC1YwOH8sE602IPcBUSAWFT8gAZotvNvS2_2lzw-mYOfquH_ChjvRV9Ebc0jBYe1zFcIPoVWqEozl7_SIYDI2eTFKo/s320/Animazement+1102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and here are some outtakes:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_ma_kbbVg0t7GfVzQf8e15P4DHWFOsH1rjcaaGXEhI6-6qMYJxi_F49Ucb5dspROxDYZM4FdevTPmmmya6HupyVMwUS87u9Ic52PrVYE-7qjtlITMh1YfDvlif73evkuMkZ3WXrvJW8/s1600/Animazement+0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_ma_kbbVg0t7GfVzQf8e15P4DHWFOsH1rjcaaGXEhI6-6qMYJxi_F49Ucb5dspROxDYZM4FdevTPmmmya6HupyVMwUS87u9Ic52PrVYE-7qjtlITMh1YfDvlif73evkuMkZ3WXrvJW8/s400/Animazement+0860.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my hair and shoulder piece fell off >.></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMYV4PGJ6cWU6qiZSJ4mY3DMRLqGpPTp6Sf3rYQpwy14KW54KOh_IgGGGKc23pKNAbFguLII-fK-SKO796BVWJaxykF9YnsL9U2weBp6sNeWw1EM6-6mLTH6BveZpDMqAbE56NWZwTQ0/s1600/Animazement+1044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMYV4PGJ6cWU6qiZSJ4mY3DMRLqGpPTp6Sf3rYQpwy14KW54KOh_IgGGGKc23pKNAbFguLII-fK-SKO796BVWJaxykF9YnsL9U2weBp6sNeWw1EM6-6mLTH6BveZpDMqAbE56NWZwTQ0/s400/Animazement+1044.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dude, I'm trying to say something here!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DpFkiqhqEW8mJC5BtHmysKlDK701IC0D-pluHbjnR7O0ZG98BlcLhsHXJswFpwhn4lcLTrxYJ0hW5KZAhix-makzzCGAme0V03yOfGAqtVMqN7Fja4wCC7yhGffBMkg3Rub0OpWoRYo/s1600/Animazement+1131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DpFkiqhqEW8mJC5BtHmysKlDK701IC0D-pluHbjnR7O0ZG98BlcLhsHXJswFpwhn4lcLTrxYJ0hW5KZAhix-makzzCGAme0V03yOfGAqtVMqN7Fja4wCC7yhGffBMkg3Rub0OpWoRYo/s400/Animazement+1131.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The broken Insane Blade Claw Q_Q</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many many many thanks to Bryan Regan for dealing with our ridiculous personalities!! Stay tuned for more awesome photos from Bryan of Black Gold Saw and MZMA. I promise there will also be crazy photos from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katsuyawellerofficial">Katsuya Weller</a> coming soon as well! :D<div>
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Mimi</div>Mimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com3Raleigh, NC, USA35.772096 -78.638614535.565965999999996 -78.9544715 35.978226 -78.322757500000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-21340154320064411732012-07-03T00:11:00.000-04:002012-07-03T15:58:52.321-04:00Contacts Review, Ahoy!So I thought that I would do a brief review of the contacts I used (or in one case, tried to use) for the Minene Uryuu and Black Gold Saw cosplays. Since I have green eyes, sometimes it's difficult to know for sure how contacts will look on me, so I feel like these kinds of reviews come in handy on occasion. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFsUcPMerX-gADzwxldfYLX35hVGW3_1yklByivo5zBx0DNiwjuwKxgHj7-Syc_Amo70NsJ1HQF_behf-2XOkI1AJ7DrynoGYyl8uC0S-MxDJSkIK7U__DPo1UVQvz9u-T9GgrFfJdTY/s1600/rar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFsUcPMerX-gADzwxldfYLX35hVGW3_1yklByivo5zBx0DNiwjuwKxgHj7-Syc_Amo70NsJ1HQF_behf-2XOkI1AJ7DrynoGYyl8uC0S-MxDJSkIK7U__DPo1UVQvz9u-T9GgrFfJdTY/s320/rar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Green eyes are green. I swear that I never used to take these silly mirror pictures before this blog started...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Both of these sets of contacts were ordered from <a href="http://www.pinkyparadise.com/">Pinky Paradise</a>, pretty much my go-to place for colored contacts. In addition, as I can see approximately three inches in front of my face without corrective lenses, both of these contacts come with strong prescriptions. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Black Gold Saw: <a href="http://www.pinkyparadise.com/Vassen_Ruby_Red_p/g20-ruby-red.htm">Vassen Ruby Red</a> </b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVBkTZUAN_3JnwrUw7Qp1vcPynGW-mPFPsGI-zPUwO3E1V3NrVtaVR9BVqqR3fdKa_le43xLRdaz0uEp03DwkmTQJqq1P2bHFKyy1LxXHfMRtgD36Uqb8I2xJlPgOeTuqAXDLfSFUbC8/s1600/eyesss2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVBkTZUAN_3JnwrUw7Qp1vcPynGW-mPFPsGI-zPUwO3E1V3NrVtaVR9BVqqR3fdKa_le43xLRdaz0uEp03DwkmTQJqq1P2bHFKyy1LxXHfMRtgD36Uqb8I2xJlPgOeTuqAXDLfSFUbC8/s400/eyesss2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i>EYEBROWS, WHY U NO MATCH WIG HAIR</i></td></tr>
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You can see my natural eye color around the center of the pupil, but it actually looks pretty interesting. You can't tell from this picture, but they actually do look a bit more red than they appear here. They were very comfortable - I wore them for at least 10 hours (although you are definitely not supposed to do that), and I felt no discomfort whatsoever. It felt like I was just wearing my normal contacts. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Minene Uryuu: <a href="http://www.pinkyparadise.com/Dolly_Eye_Violet_p/e2-v209lb-vi.htm">E.O.S. Dolly Eye Violet</a> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
...Well. I'm afraid there will be no pictures of myself in these <a href="http://www.pinkyparadise.com/Dolly_Eye_Violet_p/e2-v209lb-vi.htm">contacts</a>. I'm not sure what was wrong with them, but I could not for the life of me get them in my eyes without experiencing an intense burning that preceded immediate removal, on pain of death. I had hoped it was a fluke, but I tried to put the contacts in three times that day, and each time I encountered the burning fire of a thousand suns...in my eyeballs. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZK7gb80TRF01FJ66mpNXf9BEIH1AY6ZVy2OHszb6W98OkrDklR5Q_UzJm1x22BQLiSjqEpJy7-be72vXv_ch0ipI-Sy9iqlGuoVnlmCrb5vH8TO1IzFHkPHFoqNTHpUduPvtSmIggO8w/s1600/donotwant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZK7gb80TRF01FJ66mpNXf9BEIH1AY6ZVy2OHszb6W98OkrDklR5Q_UzJm1x22BQLiSjqEpJy7-be72vXv_ch0ipI-Sy9iqlGuoVnlmCrb5vH8TO1IzFHkPHFoqNTHpUduPvtSmIggO8w/s400/donotwant.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> Now imagine this in your eyes. This horrible color that makes your eyes burn? Yes. Just like that. Times a thousand.</i></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I contacted Pinky Paradise about this, and they indicated that in order to give a refund or replacement that they would need pictures of the contacts and the bottles they came in with the expiration date visible. As I had never had a problem with Pinky Paradise lenses before, I hadn't made a habit of taking pictures before opening the contacts, so I was unable to get a refund. In the future I will remember to take lots of pictures, and I would recommend that others do the same. Regardless, I have gotten many great contacts from Pinky Paradise and have never had any problems before, so I will write this off as a fluke. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>So what have I learned? </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1. Always takes pictures of the contacts you receive before you open them. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. Don't put things in your eyes that do not belong there. Your eyes will tell you. Vehemently. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. The bathrooms at Animazement have terrible lighting for re-applying makeup after your eyes have been watering. Bring a compact mirror. </div>
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And just because I can:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTj-hoIavyWwZnLEsf8UPdXMHpKFXKA1-o_0wakfodD1eH7ZOAVPZz_pkdXRc6Isf6k0HFfIpVEXNHdYToCBlhOOPUfuwVXgQLGgIOAZZXzrHoV_oJjAp689z0lD8U-NvbPufAMxe86M/s1600/yunol.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTj-hoIavyWwZnLEsf8UPdXMHpKFXKA1-o_0wakfodD1eH7ZOAVPZz_pkdXRc6Isf6k0HFfIpVEXNHdYToCBlhOOPUfuwVXgQLGgIOAZZXzrHoV_oJjAp689z0lD8U-NvbPufAMxe86M/s400/yunol.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Well put.</i></td></tr>
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~Kathryn</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-86232691064759397622012-06-29T10:42:00.000-04:002012-06-29T10:42:08.616-04:00MZMA Cosplay - Wig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yo people!</div>
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So today I'm going to post some pics of how we styled the wig for MZMA <span style="background-color: white;">(and by we I mean Mimi). Now I know that Gachapin's modeling images are still well within your memory, but for reference here he is modeling the <a href="http://cosplaywigsusa.com/cosplay-wigs-usa/short-medium-layered-cosplay-shag-true-red/">CosplayWigsUSA wig</a> we purchased.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSH7awGLLsrFDCKSliAKpf4_oaeO5OiiIvJpkLDsg_-hYAhYPpuMnKKWzXCbyi3qqa-2-lq6oNvf8Rx1IzFdLjyfsJrnP6jMCuXsKy5wq2ITVgIrYsxGjN8QwS5QA8e05stYNzZdZpaLA/s1600/IMG_7430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSH7awGLLsrFDCKSliAKpf4_oaeO5OiiIvJpkLDsg_-hYAhYPpuMnKKWzXCbyi3qqa-2-lq6oNvf8Rx1IzFdLjyfsJrnP6jMCuXsKy5wq2ITVgIrYsxGjN8QwS5QA8e05stYNzZdZpaLA/s1600/IMG_7430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSH7awGLLsrFDCKSliAKpf4_oaeO5OiiIvJpkLDsg_-hYAhYPpuMnKKWzXCbyi3qqa-2-lq6oNvf8Rx1IzFdLjyfsJrnP6jMCuXsKy5wq2ITVgIrYsxGjN8QwS5QA8e05stYNzZdZpaLA/s320/IMG_7430.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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...and here it is sitting on m head, uncut and unstyled.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0U0kjvoehfAX-vmj0bXiFP3dnOQ_gYYJGWlI6XHeBqwNIV6hSpdN8dH1nXCiD-lKUI_mGjUR5cVFyMPVv3rRtEppza4nfcS9lWCiNfsSxE-LdRGRi6io-lytucTz7d-h7Y6Ixf4qkmNU/s1600/IMG_8120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0U0kjvoehfAX-vmj0bXiFP3dnOQ_gYYJGWlI6XHeBqwNIV6hSpdN8dH1nXCiD-lKUI_mGjUR5cVFyMPVv3rRtEppza4nfcS9lWCiNfsSxE-LdRGRi6io-lytucTz7d-h7Y6Ixf4qkmNU/s320/IMG_8120.JPG" width="232" /></a></div>
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And now the cuts! Mimi did an awesome job shaping MZMA's wig to what it should look like. Much was taken off of the front and back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH_6o1smv8nUDieIo4G2bkDyIdFN0VjQdpJXvfW8bLOss1UrblukIQxfngcRlAkyd_kxLATecrVefOpZQwieMejjxO6LdQZQmWHFntpNVwsOgwytWV893eVTQaFwVasF8dlZsA6XpbG8/s1600/IMG_8129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH_6o1smv8nUDieIo4G2bkDyIdFN0VjQdpJXvfW8bLOss1UrblukIQxfngcRlAkyd_kxLATecrVefOpZQwieMejjxO6LdQZQmWHFntpNVwsOgwytWV893eVTQaFwVasF8dlZsA6XpbG8/s320/IMG_8129.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwPGG3GQJ_FiewXr2qWfo7e72b_BZdKS1Pbox9MM-Ze-WIlrQGU6uA3gbp5n-3-8dPRLruPodieg70LabD3KzEQf1yjb3gZ0_ZLqIILkCTsExNKw3FdgekeEmTSnH-cl2AreFvjJHV9A/s1600/IMG_8130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwPGG3GQJ_FiewXr2qWfo7e72b_BZdKS1Pbox9MM-Ze-WIlrQGU6uA3gbp5n-3-8dPRLruPodieg70LabD3KzEQf1yjb3gZ0_ZLqIILkCTsExNKw3FdgekeEmTSnH-cl2AreFvjJHV9A/s320/IMG_8130.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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And after feathering the wig and giving it some volume, here's what it looked like (notice the little tuft of hair in the back):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYI19k8d24AJ7kshWgSpPfxH0xeEN5q4GydV_b4y9CIXSCQ91JHCMlki9_NkakRcUGSKnnuTYL7xLi1v6NtOs1ePwjj-zjrxfBdB5T40qsS6lfneaHk_fDIYG00bamwPxTaJ-Na6LvSI/s1600/IMG_8131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYI19k8d24AJ7kshWgSpPfxH0xeEN5q4GydV_b4y9CIXSCQ91JHCMlki9_NkakRcUGSKnnuTYL7xLi1v6NtOs1ePwjj-zjrxfBdB5T40qsS6lfneaHk_fDIYG00bamwPxTaJ-Na6LvSI/s320/IMG_8131.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgNpUl2s8fAv-60A1Q2gmYCtBY1tp5DRZUmxuIM-KncKRLBHuWLMbe4EhZuBMorOMv2JWvxAiQPvVnwDg8gYSXZXe3E5hWJqcMQjKuzO-VCKauJIFzcLSV5QUbn6LVdnhNc8NSef14Y4/s1600/IMG_8132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgNpUl2s8fAv-60A1Q2gmYCtBY1tp5DRZUmxuIM-KncKRLBHuWLMbe4EhZuBMorOMv2JWvxAiQPvVnwDg8gYSXZXe3E5hWJqcMQjKuzO-VCKauJIFzcLSV5QUbn6LVdnhNc8NSef14Y4/s320/IMG_8132.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">[Just as a side note, if you wear a plastic garbage bag on your body while you get your hair/wig cut and styled, you will desperately need to shower afterwards (SOOOO SWEATY XD).]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbabKvhT-JVwUsJCSdaN5hqoEze1jKJMKpFtWz-JLY-q21wJfIQUNfdAcZhbT3YGebPyFwLhVDjh-796raUEbjWpSo_7R9pLNSBfpL3U8wV1nW0C2-ZjX4TsrgqSetrrQf2ijY_SrII5o/s1600/IMG_8161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbabKvhT-JVwUsJCSdaN5hqoEze1jKJMKpFtWz-JLY-q21wJfIQUNfdAcZhbT3YGebPyFwLhVDjh-796raUEbjWpSo_7R9pLNSBfpL3U8wV1nW0C2-ZjX4TsrgqSetrrQf2ijY_SrII5o/s320/IMG_8161.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think wig turned out awesomely accurate! The black spinal headpiece was attached with three wig clips. The wig clips worked well for keeping the headpiece in place, but in practice, only about one was needed.</div>
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Thanks to Mimi for all of her hair-cutting expertise and patience!</div>
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We'll be back to post more cosplay pics soon, and hopefully we can show you some of our completed costumes :D</div>
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THANKS!</div>
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-Stuart-</div>
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<br /></div>Xylofunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212944359342553956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-4141537026068023702012-06-11T21:49:00.001-04:002012-06-11T22:14:24.153-04:00Insane Black Rock Shooter cosplay part 5: the breast plate tutorialHi guys! Now that I have caught a mild cold from Stuart, I finally have some time to sit down and make another IBRS progress report (kinda late lol). I think this would be useful for whoever is trying to make light-weight armors.<br />
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First, let's recap. <a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/03/insane-black-rock-shooter-progress-2.html"> I have already shown you the fun foam pieces I made out of a modified shirt pattern I had</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfDfJ3ID6evPFBDKyaES8W-9RdJ3tPocxeTv1N0GBwTMpfi8mYmN-Jv8Oyqcl5y3xSw80t_FfTfxIviG6NG_k3FvOI4NgRiURZWjaUbw3UrCT-uS1aqCHjxPS0ZrPuhh6AXy2SCObqsM/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfDfJ3ID6evPFBDKyaES8W-9RdJ3tPocxeTv1N0GBwTMpfi8mYmN-Jv8Oyqcl5y3xSw80t_FfTfxIviG6NG_k3FvOI4NgRiURZWjaUbw3UrCT-uS1aqCHjxPS0ZrPuhh6AXy2SCObqsM/s320/IMG_7402.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRCAujwzFycuhpHmPKIYdhAsEDBpy2G24wnF7i_PEYTgmuK-elwSiyGaMJmmrzbtShkzK9PFg0c8Exbmrw6IxlizEzPA4nt-jHZdAuotvBtq5H2MIAzch46PMo1yTxgDkNUaOuz3MzXE/s1600/IMG_7405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRCAujwzFycuhpHmPKIYdhAsEDBpy2G24wnF7i_PEYTgmuK-elwSiyGaMJmmrzbtShkzK9PFg0c8Exbmrw6IxlizEzPA4nt-jHZdAuotvBtq5H2MIAzch46PMo1yTxgDkNUaOuz3MzXE/s320/IMG_7405.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSEDuC7YDv7ULZBBzmPRDNGQu1TRHEvKXH3lidyv1WC_jPX2Rp8KHQusxL6Zv1s61DQtM28o70scTYc0x3F8dUyW3tapM7-jy3-nsiIXmaRQ5BB_Abbsy9i6aAMWrQH9MXxuPv88b99Q/s1600/IMG_7407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSEDuC7YDv7ULZBBzmPRDNGQu1TRHEvKXH3lidyv1WC_jPX2Rp8KHQusxL6Zv1s61DQtM28o70scTYc0x3F8dUyW3tapM7-jy3-nsiIXmaRQ5BB_Abbsy9i6aAMWrQH9MXxuPv88b99Q/s320/IMG_7407.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
in order to make them with a little bit of depth to look like the armor IBRS is wearing, I had to add more layers of foam.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZUJACTyrfKu45txovlaaetaH03gOkjU2Hl0LwHfFU012wXKuz9d5fzkthFNFlNCZ4Jr8NsLkpuRw9RcXOhWitTapOCz1zNWOE-vM6c3AOJq-T8GBQA050leaQ7OivFdHBFG1c7Nc2ko/s1600/1245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZUJACTyrfKu45txovlaaetaH03gOkjU2Hl0LwHfFU012wXKuz9d5fzkthFNFlNCZ4Jr8NsLkpuRw9RcXOhWitTapOCz1zNWOE-vM6c3AOJq-T8GBQA050leaQ7OivFdHBFG1c7Nc2ko/s320/1245.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This gives you an idea of how thick the breast plate is</td></tr>
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Comparatively speaking, the armor I made was not nearly as thick as the figure's. Next time, I would probably use something like a thick yoga mat to make the armors.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdopvTDMHgrHQKjwHoEYR5a3k_kMzjca9ZsAaaCLq76N22kgrc5DitdRzAj2HEpGMNKe3uT3N28S3l8AT1pn_tqX8_T2Infv-h_RM9krWg5gIExlZzinG1RL162_Gye7dgG6-J4_Up_c/s1600/IMG_7631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdopvTDMHgrHQKjwHoEYR5a3k_kMzjca9ZsAaaCLq76N22kgrc5DitdRzAj2HEpGMNKe3uT3N28S3l8AT1pn_tqX8_T2Infv-h_RM9krWg5gIExlZzinG1RL162_Gye7dgG6-J4_Up_c/s320/IMG_7631.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The foam I found in Scrap Exchange that I used for the middle section to add thickness to the armor. I cut it according to the pattern I already made.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KJ7qwSWydds93dktaEeDrYjJZo6WFZxRxkQBKR1Mb8IAcs8ANTEI1nTyUZgsyvwIeYuzaatE92UmUIIORSNYe5R4GgFMLvyw09Om_2Sy7je6s9IzfWPVnE8jZaZ1qgV7fWnJxo9DrSc/s1600/IMG_7644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KJ7qwSWydds93dktaEeDrYjJZo6WFZxRxkQBKR1Mb8IAcs8ANTEI1nTyUZgsyvwIeYuzaatE92UmUIIORSNYe5R4GgFMLvyw09Om_2Sy7je6s9IzfWPVnE8jZaZ1qgV7fWnJxo9DrSc/s320/IMG_7644.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot glue the thicker foam onto the already existing fun foam layer</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkDGHy_WEQoJ_f4l4gPPVc_5fyt-KnoFFTPwVX6klPKDX-NhWFgrsQjsFyqM-dlEO6_btOW87bX8KHITkgnTqKI-AfNpF1Nm-3FLQegzGwJWdr6FlHJLNfL8g6ZS_K5QCfd-KpOEU_B4/s1600/IMG_7647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkDGHy_WEQoJ_f4l4gPPVc_5fyt-KnoFFTPwVX6klPKDX-NhWFgrsQjsFyqM-dlEO6_btOW87bX8KHITkgnTqKI-AfNpF1Nm-3FLQegzGwJWdr6FlHJLNfL8g6ZS_K5QCfd-KpOEU_B4/s320/IMG_7647.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">add tape to get rid of bumpy areas and glue another layer of fun foam on top of the grey foam.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlhFkIHmenD3xSbeDUUu_-uB3OMXlgdxuUBVX_RNPl-YwQwfHQbcVVu3rZDf8Sd7PGXxYPjTtQ9x3cNONZva0G7EFo7WhOUJEKwn6eIqYdV1hs7q9_FJBwclke7FaaG1hVqBMqQ7L_bw/s1600/IMG_7648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlhFkIHmenD3xSbeDUUu_-uB3OMXlgdxuUBVX_RNPl-YwQwfHQbcVVu3rZDf8Sd7PGXxYPjTtQ9x3cNONZva0G7EFo7WhOUJEKwn6eIqYdV1hs7q9_FJBwclke7FaaG1hVqBMqQ7L_bw/s320/IMG_7648.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what the back looked like, I used some masking tape to hold the layers while the glue was drying. I have not found anything better than hot glue yet to stick foam together.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JcZ60wdXRBDrqbPCJtwFXH_62sM6WOCvuvY-WCw8Oq3L4P3P6nxzP5Fsryeha_fNliv_9pdn_qci__IthVkxSyduxLKpTm3Ww3Wqnk_gbyFNwH6FVQ1OsEOWdLJ2npH_FiJPbcBkvdk/s1600/IMG_7649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JcZ60wdXRBDrqbPCJtwFXH_62sM6WOCvuvY-WCw8Oq3L4P3P6nxzP5Fsryeha_fNliv_9pdn_qci__IthVkxSyduxLKpTm3Ww3Wqnk_gbyFNwH6FVQ1OsEOWdLJ2npH_FiJPbcBkvdk/s320/IMG_7649.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoothing out the gaps by filling it with hot glue and scrape the surface with a piece of card</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIsU1frTWm0b4fB0XwJFW-AKXk7HHjsLQfAtwJicwW_g8576qa3VBvbaVCrvP3t7MfmryaCM3CCB_gQL2tvvgqvL9YjBWQShU4EQ2KJp4oHD8eLxyCE2jF-9HcDQ6u7cY1YENHfP1810/s1600/IMG_7653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIsU1frTWm0b4fB0XwJFW-AKXk7HHjsLQfAtwJicwW_g8576qa3VBvbaVCrvP3t7MfmryaCM3CCB_gQL2tvvgqvL9YjBWQShU4EQ2KJp4oHD8eLxyCE2jF-9HcDQ6u7cY1YENHfP1810/s320/IMG_7653.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">details on the filled gap</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6eifw5LHyQNC7QI-7CKovNnCTYI2Gfz867STae_6atZQIyLRXyR2vHJO4iSDAHa2Idxzt8k_0_uCrdFuqye85A4zD1sw0-5-FcKhzXt1ToX9Sisl_v3VZapNRVsBoecmCZddv3WTVZ4/s1600/IMG_7654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6eifw5LHyQNC7QI-7CKovNnCTYI2Gfz867STae_6atZQIyLRXyR2vHJO4iSDAHa2Idxzt8k_0_uCrdFuqye85A4zD1sw0-5-FcKhzXt1ToX9Sisl_v3VZapNRVsBoecmCZddv3WTVZ4/s320/IMG_7654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">then mod podge the surface to prep it for contact paper</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWEOvko9PT7mfDDE45C8bmXFUjkUwTVqB1KGVAVSMa4b4u_HHkddk83FNOcdTa0WpgcpFLfKISdCEpdXXUkv6ApYvHUjwbtMyVwnZt9o4vQcQgaq5POPkyNzjKK8vU-lMReP8-1emOIQ/s1600/IMG_7655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWEOvko9PT7mfDDE45C8bmXFUjkUwTVqB1KGVAVSMa4b4u_HHkddk83FNOcdTa0WpgcpFLfKISdCEpdXXUkv6ApYvHUjwbtMyVwnZt9o4vQcQgaq5POPkyNzjKK8vU-lMReP8-1emOIQ/s320/IMG_7655.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also taped the edges with black electric tape to hide the grey foam. I think model magic would work as well and make less creases, but I didn't have any at that moment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCLJ1RFXT-rp6e2wMZHhNBzXZXtsztkhvrWiM9TAqmOwB5S6FA2SSVV96ppGH9tlEBQViZ41rXE4avLLvipI8xUNKN1FOF75x9yimkmzUC3h9XF6INCLxgMLlmhDt6HZqtKluzLvByGs/s1600/IMG_7656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCLJ1RFXT-rp6e2wMZHhNBzXZXtsztkhvrWiM9TAqmOwB5S6FA2SSVV96ppGH9tlEBQViZ41rXE4avLLvipI8xUNKN1FOF75x9yimkmzUC3h9XF6INCLxgMLlmhDt6HZqtKluzLvByGs/s320/IMG_7656.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with the contact paper glued on. Contact paper sticks really well to craft foam once you mod podge it. However, it becomes extremely unforgiving with mistakes. Make sure you have a card ready to squeeze out those bubbles.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_fU3Vd3sbgRa-_FoO6lmxR5iUJ19H9RYxLCXs0XpQMlnjIeCU7mF7yul1m-sePIld2260fhgCgVld2jsifZ7KNAm0s450hzIobvxmdHYhaSwKBs-ah3O1zs-WD3xHRp8vHM52epzSRs/s1600/IMG_7661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_fU3Vd3sbgRa-_FoO6lmxR5iUJ19H9RYxLCXs0XpQMlnjIeCU7mF7yul1m-sePIld2260fhgCgVld2jsifZ7KNAm0s450hzIobvxmdHYhaSwKBs-ah3O1zs-WD3xHRp8vHM52epzSRs/s320/IMG_7661.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pieces of the back armor, I made this a little thinner because it would bend more easily for a better fit that way.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rj7yGai9Wiac2xgJTjwse9agkdfSa9JjYbuFqjrU_B-LyQQCYouVhAQQA7igqLes2hfPzJbFMIobMamk0Y3JkmY4t27Ysj5bV9gqWG90WWHsOba9EKgeFqI2YY34YHF_eLEd2Qlou8U/s1600/IMG_7665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rj7yGai9Wiac2xgJTjwse9agkdfSa9JjYbuFqjrU_B-LyQQCYouVhAQQA7igqLes2hfPzJbFMIobMamk0Y3JkmY4t27Ysj5bV9gqWG90WWHsOba9EKgeFqI2YY34YHF_eLEd2Qlou8U/s320/IMG_7665.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mod podge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXmfgjaKmnDBI7XBAa5r6A-sHPa4YW7TRy750ZMDPAIhia5b0Hj9-53jL_ImLLXA7zp-8N2CCGvnnZvUAhOwuJFqts0ZYCU5VMr4EyResfSetBjLnZcHf6tzC_-J8wE6Z8hHqKh_k2ZE/s1600/IMG_7679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXmfgjaKmnDBI7XBAa5r6A-sHPa4YW7TRy750ZMDPAIhia5b0Hj9-53jL_ImLLXA7zp-8N2CCGvnnZvUAhOwuJFqts0ZYCU5VMr4EyResfSetBjLnZcHf6tzC_-J8wE6Z8hHqKh_k2ZE/s320/IMG_7679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with electric tape and contact paper.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bT186l23B8b0rDKlmmrudioQExVeY-fpP2InM7Nk9p1fj4w8tHMsbKB05hK2FyMtM3ydaknirEiQ7yrWHNZFH11V10HjaHoiQ3_Qilux2S1Xu-GQOwskAa2HOgIW3QSn9vxHjqiXL2E/s1600/IMG_7681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bT186l23B8b0rDKlmmrudioQExVeY-fpP2InM7Nk9p1fj4w8tHMsbKB05hK2FyMtM3ydaknirEiQ7yrWHNZFH11V10HjaHoiQ3_Qilux2S1Xu-GQOwskAa2HOgIW3QSn9vxHjqiXL2E/s320/IMG_7681.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The basic breast plate is finished.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The sides are held together with elastic and Velcro. Do buy the industrial grade Velcro, because the regular ones just won't be sticky enough to hold the armors together. <br />
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After few adjustments, I added more details to the breast plate and voila! Oh also, since craft foam can kind of hold a shape after it is been heated, I recommend heating it and bending it before you apply mod podge and contact paper. They will become rather...burnt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GKj03FJnuO6Il0_BQrBBWnE3LsctP2ycW8oxVdDdKfXwGRMNcGIuIoGKBREdgy8GVyJ0ggE8yrkDzAjGIOt96Yrcza_5L-COwGBMqUoNtPu2klyz0UUA01qla_LOZgcWBSpDW88GbqA/s1600/IMG_8144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GKj03FJnuO6Il0_BQrBBWnE3LsctP2ycW8oxVdDdKfXwGRMNcGIuIoGKBREdgy8GVyJ0ggE8yrkDzAjGIOt96Yrcza_5L-COwGBMqUoNtPu2klyz0UUA01qla_LOZgcWBSpDW88GbqA/s400/IMG_8144.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
This displays all of the armor pieces I made for the cosplay. I did acquire some thicker craft foam from Michael's later on that I used for some of the leg armors. Other than that, the shoulder piece and some of the arm pieces are all thickened with the method described above. I wanted to show you guys the details for my other armor pieces, however, I was too busy to take photos and this is the only one I have now. Q_Q<br />
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Anyhow, let me know if you have any questions!!!<br />
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btw, I'm doing this <a href="http://cosplayidol.otakuhouse.com/2012/06/north-america/mimi-insane-black-rock-shooter-from-black-rock-shooter/">Otaku House contest</a> right now for this costume, please vote for me!!! Thank you!<br />
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- Mimi -<br />
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Insane Black Rock Shooter Cosplay Progress:<br />
<a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/02/insane-black-rock-shooter-cosplay.html">Part 1</a> | <a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/03/insane-black-rock-shooter-progress-2.html">Part 2</a> | <a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/04/insane-black-rock-shooter-progress-part.html">Part 3</a> | <a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/05/insane-black-rock-shooter-cosplay.html">Part 4</a>Mimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-91240143563463190702012-06-09T00:07:00.000-04:002012-06-09T00:07:23.065-04:00Post-con Posts! Black Gold Saw - Jacket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you couldn't tell by the sudden deluge of updates, <i>we're baaaaack</i> and ready to finish up our cosplay tutorials from this con. Or, in my case, to sarcasm at you some more.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPUgAyR_JgrALlxj4m5Qwj6He4UQsSQUMYGEpi27HcwLzfKVvJx08WZ3iTGHjpcP2hpY_ggU0klU1mzXjNi-u21B38LtmNlUK3xKE_gOrgRCcB0t0cEwp-uKYsY36MMsyXdOnfb_U_GI/s1600/56c56ecb2f0b6dc23304187ce77ab14d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPUgAyR_JgrALlxj4m5Qwj6He4UQsSQUMYGEpi27HcwLzfKVvJx08WZ3iTGHjpcP2hpY_ggU0klU1mzXjNi-u21B38LtmNlUK3xKE_gOrgRCcB0t0cEwp-uKYsY36MMsyXdOnfb_U_GI/s400/56c56ecb2f0b6dc23304187ce77ab14d.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And here I was thinking that the half jacket was going to be the hardest part of the costume. Ha. Ha ha. Ha. If only.</i></td></tr>
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To begin, I started looking around for the right kind of fabric, and I ended up with a type of black pleather that I found on sale at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I tried to avoid very stretchy fabrics that would probably wreak havoc on any sewing machine (more on that later, I'm afraid). After digging around in the pattern section, I came up with a cropped jacket that was close to what I was looking for and was relatively simple to make, an important feature for someone as sewing-machine challenged as I seem to be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DoxLKyPmnCtntC6U2nm9om2ZmSgHjP6Kow8bJ-Px_ZnTubXMC-PEvRgJSmSbD4HUTAAyjdR3OUCz4Tvb6RvxJjdLG_DA9hbrsPPK83tciR_9H3Sk4U50_7jm29jdH8OjfH_35zzVGjU/s1600/pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DoxLKyPmnCtntC6U2nm9om2ZmSgHjP6Kow8bJ-Px_ZnTubXMC-PEvRgJSmSbD4HUTAAyjdR3OUCz4Tvb6RvxJjdLG_DA9hbrsPPK83tciR_9H3Sk4U50_7jm29jdH8OjfH_35zzVGjU/s400/pattern.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> It looks so pink and happy, doesn't it? Won't look that way for long, I'm afraid.</i></td></tr>
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Minor alterations were made to the collar and front, but most of the changes were made to the length of the sleeves in order to make them come past my knuckles. Also, sewing on sleeves makes me want to throw things.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUu5W-28YlHrUthmsgvRkivvmNNjoJk9U7OGUSFvQjpxEhXc0dlIwHRP-9mxjcBC8M-3dKdQAh06L8KAYoIVtMmsGxC5STi4-bFE9-SCadO8jpHdaKdjG8Kq3Gqn7LsYM5J9mtrJP2zJc/s1600/DSCN0816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUu5W-28YlHrUthmsgvRkivvmNNjoJk9U7OGUSFvQjpxEhXc0dlIwHRP-9mxjcBC8M-3dKdQAh06L8KAYoIVtMmsGxC5STi4-bFE9-SCadO8jpHdaKdjG8Kq3Gqn7LsYM5J9mtrJP2zJc/s400/DSCN0816.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Look ma, no sleeves! </i></td></tr>
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I was surprised at how (relatively) well the fabric got along with the sewing machine, but alas - it was not meant to be. At the end of the project (i.e. the ends of the sleeves), the machine decided that enough pleather was enough, a decision heralded by a sound that (I can only imagine) was akin to that of a cat being thrown backwards into a wood chipper. (...What is wrong with my brain, that <i>that</i> is the first mental image I come up with.) So, the rest was done by hand. <div>
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The white stripes on the upper sleeves and collar were painted, and the stars were made as stickers from a pattern I drew. As I discovered, drawing perfect stars is not as easy as it sounds. Not that that sounds particularly easy to begin with. The collar was held together at my throat by two hook and eye fasteners.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiyYoWwaWxCQBqHdEtcYviViLJtSPjLBw67Sh-XdWAHiCe5bZs7hQOK7gtQRTH-gQ10Vg2VUiQ9MCkgzciU4nakC3Jv0cCrdjiONPknkAqEr6xNbHTBkBVTGdUz06MZWdK5O482UqZvk/s1600/DSCN1000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiyYoWwaWxCQBqHdEtcYviViLJtSPjLBw67Sh-XdWAHiCe5bZs7hQOK7gtQRTH-gQ10Vg2VUiQ9MCkgzciU4nakC3Jv0cCrdjiONPknkAqEr6xNbHTBkBVTGdUz06MZWdK5O482UqZvk/s400/DSCN1000.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stars and stripes! How patriotic.</i></td></tr>
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A word to the wise, though: Experience dictates that, in temperatures upwards of 90<b style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">°</b> F, pleather and any pleather-like materials tend to...melt. Spending prolonged amounts of time outside in the summer in the name of awesome photoshoots may lead to said melting. And pleather is not the most comfortable (or breathable) of materials to begin with. But it must be said, the jacket (unlike some other parts of my costume <b>cough</b> belt buckle <b>cough</b>) survived the entire convention, and that is all I asked of it. Overall success! </div>
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More on horns, contacts, and photoshoot pics to come!</div>
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~Kathryn<br /><br />
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</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-74357201173582756072012-06-07T14:58:00.000-04:002012-06-07T14:58:58.051-04:00Murumuru cosplay - the final touch! (a small wig tutorial)Murumuru's costume was super easy to make...until I started to work on the wig, which was a disaster. My original plan was to attach the two LONG ponytails I purchased from Arda wigs to my Eruka wig. Let's just say that it didn't work out very well, the Eruka wig had to be preserved for the second appearance of my Eruka cosplay and it was way too thin to work with. So I had to purchase another wig last minute from cosplay.com (due to the fact that Arda was closed Q_Q). <div>
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The wig took way too long to arrive. It got shipped out after I made a paypal dispute with cosplay.com. So, don't buy from them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBhbYICKS2a9OcJQygnBQzhc5bO9W7emCboOYmlgTwVjZY_pYpUfU7UQjBzBeAOpqxEwizwZaHutKIAWz3sgm9Fk4RREm7As4dQPDU7c1jSQ56jooH7tK2qFw1mceJss2BVQt19xR9Hs/s1600/IMG_8084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBhbYICKS2a9OcJQygnBQzhc5bO9W7emCboOYmlgTwVjZY_pYpUfU7UQjBzBeAOpqxEwizwZaHutKIAWz3sgm9Fk4RREm7As4dQPDU7c1jSQ56jooH7tK2qFw1mceJss2BVQt19xR9Hs/s320/IMG_8084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZw4kfDVlHMuNCmAEGKPic4BJ0eGuJCyZfOIF-5vIJoGgU_mU2U-xq16krzYyyqeVU4yVeRUEbWwX-bjpSRYo1FOfmNVPr_8dejZwOsJW6UXVmtYAMJJ4iI9H2nmbailmtI_iK9-M7oI/s1600/IMG_8085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZw4kfDVlHMuNCmAEGKPic4BJ0eGuJCyZfOIF-5vIJoGgU_mU2U-xq16krzYyyqeVU4yVeRUEbWwX-bjpSRYo1FOfmNVPr_8dejZwOsJW6UXVmtYAMJJ4iI9H2nmbailmtI_iK9-M7oI/s320/IMG_8085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the wig untouched. It was a lot darker than the "silver" ponytails from Arda. The quality of the wig was pretty good, except that they stitched up the eyelets in the back where you could adjust the size of your wig. tsk tsk</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW3-cCzWVast6D0E2LgQyO5iGZwTKmj-TFSrCvXrU-NOngx7XW3xzaJquOL00pW5seo1UwPwIPCxLKXQaCAK2jNCB0JSPCG5SbFvDBmqqHxk1rxXOykoC3gmSRnHc3PDHn-2m_4aIyo4/s1600/murumuru.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW3-cCzWVast6D0E2LgQyO5iGZwTKmj-TFSrCvXrU-NOngx7XW3xzaJquOL00pW5seo1UwPwIPCxLKXQaCAK2jNCB0JSPCG5SbFvDBmqqHxk1rxXOykoC3gmSRnHc3PDHn-2m_4aIyo4/s320/murumuru.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Murumuru has this weird bang thing going on where it lifts up and makes a little pocket thingie (this is hard to explain Q_Q) kind of like Sephiroth's hair. It took me ages to find a tutorial on how to make this happen, but I did find a Japanese tutorial <a href="http://classewig.com/wig/blog/?p=374#more-374">HERE</a>. It uses a frozen glass bottles to form heated fibers. Aslo..apparently this type of hair is called the middle M letter (<span style="background-color: white; color: #32220a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px;">途ä¸ï¼å—).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiakTbHWBMrMSTw_etr4Xjwzv0eqlBDv9XjKLGPAGNS9194nG-zbNm5lSY6o57Jh4J754PXt1lZGafOHV3YRPBH-THAxqZlG8L1eGBlLdDGBXJDhRgOXz9p6g6XObkwSyDAO92Xb9si6g/s1600/IMG_8086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiakTbHWBMrMSTw_etr4Xjwzv0eqlBDv9XjKLGPAGNS9194nG-zbNm5lSY6o57Jh4J754PXt1lZGafOHV3YRPBH-THAxqZlG8L1eGBlLdDGBXJDhRgOXz9p6g6XObkwSyDAO92Xb9si6g/s320/IMG_8086.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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so I took some hair, heated it up with my hair dryer and then rolled it down with a frozen glass tube I found. Then I teased the down side of the section and brushed the top smooth. Hair spray was then applied to keep the shape of the "M".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlMiPymgVzjMgU5NNTEWab3A1xvHL22nT3NcjFO6OTlIqj5JbIGaF25g7Rkz93r65wkrDA1vy6tU7QdnZnOhQ942sxSYNK3aTuYd-WnZ3qG-dL7qWNDY9KpVo6HhgWZ9knqUUEaIAzUM/s1600/IMG_8087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlMiPymgVzjMgU5NNTEWab3A1xvHL22nT3NcjFO6OTlIqj5JbIGaF25g7Rkz93r65wkrDA1vy6tU7QdnZnOhQ942sxSYNK3aTuYd-WnZ3qG-dL7qWNDY9KpVo6HhgWZ9knqUUEaIAzUM/s320/IMG_8087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Done with both sides.</div>
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I have to say, I thought my job was done after this since the ponytails were clip-on. I was totally WRONG. There was no way on earth those heavy clip on ponytails were going to stay on that wig. Especially when I have to make outer decorations for them. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJKKGwLunZ59bi7x_oszBXI8GbsQE2nWtxQOmqN-VRrKlurN6mGMH3qUaVCMGvymD2Qk80y6_w34nMbDH8yIY4cGKd1vRGx2b2apys1HSCFLT83dtY54ASCJUhxMO9k6redg1DckN-54/s1600/2534226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJKKGwLunZ59bi7x_oszBXI8GbsQE2nWtxQOmqN-VRrKlurN6mGMH3qUaVCMGvymD2Qk80y6_w34nMbDH8yIY4cGKd1vRGx2b2apys1HSCFLT83dtY54ASCJUhxMO9k6redg1DckN-54/s320/2534226.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taken from <a href="http://www.cosplay.com/photo/2534226/">THIS POST</a> on cosplay.com</td></tr>
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Now, the image above is where I got my inspiration to make my ponytails. However, instead caulk, I used hot glue. I know that some of you are probably frowning at this point, but I was in such a time crunch that I had to use whatever dried the fastest. I made two little stubs on the wig and hotglued them to harden. Then, I took the clips off of my ponytails and carved two pieces of pink insulation foams to fit/hotglue into the ponytails. Last but not least, copious amount of hot glue were applied to the foam and the stub to hold both together. You have to be VERY patient and hold the ponytails up until all of the hotglue is dried. The drying process took about 10min.<br /><br />After attaching the ponytails, you will notice that your wig has gotten so heavy that it is impossible to put on. Do not worry! Just sew some wig clips in the front and you are good to go! It will just hurt a little bit because your hair line will get pulled back really tightly.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjFwKsYJshnb3JI85UYLA4OgNqREyvTyaB0aQaKZ7LY9q09TsUKiwOzse8nrZ7sAhLphIe7ZznB2SpFgffp5O2VxiaOkiglqAFZV6ya2AMYAbU6Z0Z75VjDRqfmi3KV2ns-jV9gqI5rM/s1600/403413_10151817069670157_1932227462_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjFwKsYJshnb3JI85UYLA4OgNqREyvTyaB0aQaKZ7LY9q09TsUKiwOzse8nrZ7sAhLphIe7ZznB2SpFgffp5O2VxiaOkiglqAFZV6ya2AMYAbU6Z0Z75VjDRqfmi3KV2ns-jV9gqI5rM/s320/403413_10151817069670157_1932227462_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://fireteam-torch.blogspot.com/">David Song</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiLBEagwBgtM4wN5GFIw55EV_-GKnviPvBzkQLhLLqEUwRQyMysjip1hq5tJAwKFtzGFJMeSVVk4K9lRb_6ijCqQInqfbGK_pIfSxR_0bYgWWoI6tg5pCjQH4M4zdyO4TpzY8FMLaKZk/s1600/IMG_8148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiLBEagwBgtM4wN5GFIw55EV_-GKnviPvBzkQLhLLqEUwRQyMysjip1hq5tJAwKFtzGFJMeSVVk4K9lRb_6ijCqQInqfbGK_pIfSxR_0bYgWWoI6tg5pCjQH4M4zdyO4TpzY8FMLaKZk/s320/IMG_8148.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Stuart</td></tr>
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and Voila! My entire costume :D More photos will come since <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katsuyawellerofficial">Katsuya Weller</a> is awesome and has posted some preview shots of our Mirai Nikki photoshoot already! </div>Mimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-84017698158623936362012-06-06T22:44:00.001-04:002012-06-06T22:45:05.196-04:00We're back! and MZMA Sword Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello everybody! Phew, these past couple of weeks have been super super hectic, but SOOO much fun. After attending Animazement (cosplaying all three days of the con), and after taking a week long trip to Disney World and Universal Studios, Cosplay-vania is finally back home! :)<br />
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During the time that we were preparing for Animazement, we kind of neglected our blog for a while Q_Q. So I thought I'd go back and show the development of one of my favorite parts of my MZMA cosplay - his sword.<br />
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We started with a 5.5' by 2' rectangle of thick pink insulation foam board (found at Home Depot). The foam was then carved down to make a rough outline of sword (except for the side piece near the hilt). Once carved, we identified a location to place the hilt (in this case, a long, skinny cardboard tube filled with spray insulation foam), and cut a space long enough so that about 2 ft would stick out of the back of the sword. The tube was then place inside the sword and surrounded with spray insulation foam for adherence and stability. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVaBWMZkX1Vo8B9aOA6jQiLw4eZoZ78l3XwV6qOCYAbt_MnPsIr0Qvx7ZF5qwCZQnvZy99MMwAFN0VvBYdn92IRT0eCeuPdr_LtRzZ_4AzWSYXdaUv0z0HGiaK8GLWkgr_ihejqF4iTQ/s1600/IMG_8090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVaBWMZkX1Vo8B9aOA6jQiLw4eZoZ78l3XwV6qOCYAbt_MnPsIr0Qvx7ZF5qwCZQnvZy99MMwAFN0VvBYdn92IRT0eCeuPdr_LtRzZ_4AzWSYXdaUv0z0HGiaK8GLWkgr_ihejqF4iTQ/s320/IMG_8090.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7AvmMsEl8Grh_u8uBDaLQNKiX3fyVv5RJkH1bcXhrtn2O8LeeyvH4jbxwBRC0DyKssNxTawe0g9UqpiwIDw1WL7GlZGh1h8y1vCvbPrMpTCOwCqYCcjqPb-nRr3nSm9-tXhKavt6kjk/s1600/IMG_8091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7AvmMsEl8Grh_u8uBDaLQNKiX3fyVv5RJkH1bcXhrtn2O8LeeyvH4jbxwBRC0DyKssNxTawe0g9UqpiwIDw1WL7GlZGh1h8y1vCvbPrMpTCOwCqYCcjqPb-nRr3nSm9-tXhKavt6kjk/s320/IMG_8091.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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When the spray foam cured enough, we carved off the top layer so that it was smooth with the rest of the pink insulation board. Thankfully, this worked really well to keep the tube steady inside the sword. Using some extra pink insulation foam board, we cut out a piece that would work for that corner piece near the back of the sword. It was then secured to the rest of the sword using spray foam. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w-RWqcHcAW22TX0FuC8xJGSjv8m25qUhEeO_NBcCbv97X8A7IaPUzRRBadXbiag5zkSlditwAmgVY39x96qkgy5rCufldef9nB0hGg8yuDVWunPE5yacyQfOqPveRi7BQ9TlWm6qUZU/s1600/IMG_8093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w-RWqcHcAW22TX0FuC8xJGSjv8m25qUhEeO_NBcCbv97X8A7IaPUzRRBadXbiag5zkSlditwAmgVY39x96qkgy5rCufldef9nB0hGg8yuDVWunPE5yacyQfOqPveRi7BQ9TlWm6qUZU/s320/IMG_8093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The completed outline of the sword. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj18b1xfO0K_UGw20t7dirstUUg2slsI4-Pk82O3oWkq5v76CcwrAMokXn8SOYx29xilUYIfar0JRLcl4ENNIgmbkRJWa-6al1j5F3ANadHvsWnUeOD7CUtMzREz8jNKOQAtt3OdnF5Xo/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj18b1xfO0K_UGw20t7dirstUUg2slsI4-Pk82O3oWkq5v76CcwrAMokXn8SOYx29xilUYIfar0JRLcl4ENNIgmbkRJWa-6al1j5F3ANadHvsWnUeOD7CUtMzREz8jNKOQAtt3OdnF5Xo/s320/IMG_8095.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9dSFNr2KzaOIagyvjbkEi3VaBQDXKX-0JmOXkfwgEMxjjm0In0Q_yeX5oLYM6pth1wHZfbtIsew-HZkCtbOHtjAQzczMaAQ335N14U4r3cxTZqonfe7kRe5zQJYKgyivj4uviAHrdjw/s1600/IMG_8096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9dSFNr2KzaOIagyvjbkEi3VaBQDXKX-0JmOXkfwgEMxjjm0In0Q_yeX5oLYM6pth1wHZfbtIsew-HZkCtbOHtjAQzczMaAQ335N14U4r3cxTZqonfe7kRe5zQJYKgyivj4uviAHrdjw/s320/IMG_8096.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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The remaining spray foam was carved so that the sword was smooth all over. We then applied paper-mache to the foam components of the sword, and coated it with Mod Podge. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Mm1Lr7F1bWjU_6M1XnTqrGq0pktBwA04vZihOBZzc2X1vTTjKvdIFfMcUisng4GhFEII4dIBZFUFVxROTV2dS9rGyhilEdUQfCuYlDDTf0MVPJjxNxlp9TeUF28cTebr9ysjMmDcSHg/s1600/IMG_8107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Mm1Lr7F1bWjU_6M1XnTqrGq0pktBwA04vZihOBZzc2X1vTTjKvdIFfMcUisng4GhFEII4dIBZFUFVxROTV2dS9rGyhilEdUQfCuYlDDTf0MVPJjxNxlp9TeUF28cTebr9ysjMmDcSHg/s320/IMG_8107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wish I had more pictures for this next part, but we were in a time crunch and could not take many pics. We spray painted the sword red and used black electrical tape to cover the hilt. Red and black fun foam pieces were used to detail the tip of the sword, and pieces of industrial pipe foam were used to make those large black protrusions near the middle and backside of the sword. Hot glue was our adhesive of choice :P As a final detail, we used gold dimensional paint to outline parts of the tip and black dimensional paint to make the holes in the tip. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKUMgr2syUvs0xRLJdS23pE14pB2ZO4mbw_DFiaLfC-g1FRfNgHG2LIVojU2Q7OzQ8fRr-EGeZxaRcURKdKYaQ-GXRpAJikIduc3mbkGySGU917_okK9v7R71_AxVtSgcbSVTfIaawvY/s1600/IMG_8153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKUMgr2syUvs0xRLJdS23pE14pB2ZO4mbw_DFiaLfC-g1FRfNgHG2LIVojU2Q7OzQ8fRr-EGeZxaRcURKdKYaQ-GXRpAJikIduc3mbkGySGU917_okK9v7R71_AxVtSgcbSVTfIaawvY/s320/IMG_8153.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwYIKcHJva0yMLpC-HaTdYKdCdJQXf4OTHmZOzD736aaU1WRMFuzxRsLU59XAUFjgBngSe20qJ1HNAZusKzN1sXJBh8Be3VhM-KbGpzi_lFjLzgFdxbJsRK6DXM4l6s9UgViI_bM75uQ/s1600/IMG_8156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwYIKcHJva0yMLpC-HaTdYKdCdJQXf4OTHmZOzD736aaU1WRMFuzxRsLU59XAUFjgBngSe20qJ1HNAZusKzN1sXJBh8Be3VhM-KbGpzi_lFjLzgFdxbJsRK6DXM4l6s9UgViI_bM75uQ/s320/IMG_8156.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF95IAnkQd2WpkLNtVym7SbhRO3tPXaWc8jk0a60exfioPA4ToUnkLUHv1mWH-6ojxt_Qs9AnZa6NAVW6Ko385HMmA8EponFNL4-s621i4m6scDGkY6e8r-TnpfbN-epA-Ed-NdYLMTQ8/s1600/IMG_8157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF95IAnkQd2WpkLNtVym7SbhRO3tPXaWc8jk0a60exfioPA4ToUnkLUHv1mWH-6ojxt_Qs9AnZa6NAVW6Ko385HMmA8EponFNL4-s621i4m6scDGkY6e8r-TnpfbN-epA-Ed-NdYLMTQ8/s320/IMG_8157.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because I had to cut many pieces of pipe foam to get the shapes right, the sword came out looking more rugged than polished, which actually worked out alright. Also, because it was surrounded in pipe foam, the sword was nice and squishy, hehe. Once we get some more pictures from our photographers, you will be able to see the full sword, and its size compared to my height. Mimi helped out TREMENDOUSLY in the concept and creating of the sword. I really couldn't have made this in time without her.</div>
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Thanks everyone, and we'll be sure post more often now that we have time and are not on vacation, hahaha. </div>
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~Stuart~</div>Xylofunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212944359342553956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-37657757540473780352012-06-03T21:20:00.001-04:002012-06-03T21:20:37.978-04:00On vacation~ But will be back soon!I think you guys have noticed that we haven't updated in a while, that's because we decided to take a trip to Orlando for a week right after Animazement. We will be back in a couple of days for more updates!!!! :D<br />
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<br />Xylofunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212944359342553956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-66640834566205657842012-05-21T10:33:00.000-04:002012-05-21T10:33:40.195-04:00so much to do, no time for blogging Q_Q (and some cosplay memes)AZ is in four days! Animazement is in FOUR DAYS! OMFG!!! We are so screwed~ At this point, even sleeping sounds like a bad idea because it takes up time. Anyhow, I just wanted to say that we are probably not going to post much this week because we are trying very hard to finish our costumes. <br />
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Anyways, here are some cosplay-related (or not) memes that I want to share with you guys :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9e2G_ZcQpovthm8YC_hHtUrc9ibQnvnRi6pWTYf6o9hI5rBmylZlZLSrrfoug8xhpPKP6lTOhNLOR8kDkRT20aeV0HegCF0qzizuody7gt6bzfL-a44nxnakzWIij4kai_dOtvDnysw/s1600/ODNSsynthetic+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9e2G_ZcQpovthm8YC_hHtUrc9ibQnvnRi6pWTYf6o9hI5rBmylZlZLSrrfoug8xhpPKP6lTOhNLOR8kDkRT20aeV0HegCF0qzizuody7gt6bzfL-a44nxnakzWIij4kai_dOtvDnysw/s320/ODNSsynthetic+hair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJ8235qKdS4kIf6DnV0UDOpub20FAuMTRJ0hxUdq6z8fk8ZloRgrMivYDp6NW_ig5XZ95lOxSi3w3iZDuDBBFvbL2vWlt0FGW4B7ZsJR4ye28oFyr-PZ6Zn-6oKkOz9QjBuTjUAcWkC0/s1600/tumblr_lw3sdjgPfL1r7myemo1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJ8235qKdS4kIf6DnV0UDOpub20FAuMTRJ0hxUdq6z8fk8ZloRgrMivYDp6NW_ig5XZ95lOxSi3w3iZDuDBBFvbL2vWlt0FGW4B7ZsJR4ye28oFyr-PZ6Zn-6oKkOz9QjBuTjUAcWkC0/s320/tumblr_lw3sdjgPfL1r7myemo1_400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Enjoy and have a nice week!!<br />
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MimiMimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-85354290096854196622012-05-16T11:42:00.000-04:002012-05-16T11:46:17.042-04:00Japanese hair dye, anyone? (Palty - Raspberry Macaroon)I'm going to post something a little different on this blog today. This goes with the "Vogue" section that I have started a couple of weeks ago. The last time I got my hair dyed was ummmmm last year? My roots have extended to the point that I started to have two toned hair. Although I didn't hate the look completely, I also did not adore it. Instead of spending ~$90 to get my hair dyed at my local salon, I decided to try out something new: DIY hair dye! <br />
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If you don't know, I'm Asian. Meaning that I have rather dark hair that don't dye easily. Due to my previous bad experiences with some salons in the US (ehem, sitting there for 4 hours to find out that my supposedly "red hair" has turned into "orange"), I have decided to purchase Japanese hair dye that is designed for Asian hair. <br />
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With their extremely cute design and bright pink packaging, Palty from Dariya has definitely captured my attention. Since I just wanted to dye my hair a reddish-brown, I decided to choose Raspberry Macaroon (the decision might or might not have been made based on the name of the color >.>). The dye itself was not cheap compared to the generic US dye products. For $14, I got enough dye for my short hair. However, $14 is much cheaper than $90. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJFKXP5M0v3r2KcrJVKruA-smT7BHn4RMQYAADuBAImm0adATv3Ypl5tPVCO91vUJl58pFZ7Eyb-q4VsM6ZMqKH2DMp7Oczjs5cX9m5aEJwA9-epfZPr1jeYoOXTsO4QwlKrVXrkfmFs/s1600/24550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJFKXP5M0v3r2KcrJVKruA-smT7BHn4RMQYAADuBAImm0adATv3Ypl5tPVCO91vUJl58pFZ7Eyb-q4VsM6ZMqKH2DMp7Oczjs5cX9m5aEJwA9-epfZPr1jeYoOXTsO4QwlKrVXrkfmFs/s1600/24550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the awesome packaging</td></tr>
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Where, below are some disturbing images of me, so beware...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiP12FhFNYUJyQQXXB0DqoHUsQ6VXQ4EvLcY-grXql-W7SdfSwHAaSozdSRTiJ7zFIBOLDtxBWMbOFyz5P687faU1ZSEFJZPNIAJCsIRNMK5MCj7o3gplwCBxc2a43StBORlEDjoZXZU/s1600/IMG_8033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiP12FhFNYUJyQQXXB0DqoHUsQ6VXQ4EvLcY-grXql-W7SdfSwHAaSozdSRTiJ7zFIBOLDtxBWMbOFyz5P687faU1ZSEFJZPNIAJCsIRNMK5MCj7o3gplwCBxc2a43StBORlEDjoZXZU/s320/IMG_8033.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dye I got from Amazon.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAN-ahG14Y3YvcgBtyKWtxJJ1ljga6c8E9W4U_3VJzI9lqZzVD9rgh_IyClzDnGojN4tKGoY4CShqYRQoC6kviRO33GUKBlO5zxV9_CN3N09rpXxBECwNuTg1wabCit8Bh5SlqJX0rI6Q/s1600/IMG_8035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAN-ahG14Y3YvcgBtyKWtxJJ1ljga6c8E9W4U_3VJzI9lqZzVD9rgh_IyClzDnGojN4tKGoY4CShqYRQoC6kviRO33GUKBlO5zxV9_CN3N09rpXxBECwNuTg1wabCit8Bh5SlqJX0rI6Q/s320/IMG_8035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before: if you ignore the derpy-ness, you will see that my poor hair is lighter at the end and the mirror is dirty</td></tr>
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The dying process was simple, mix 1 & 2, shake shake, put on your hair. I didn't really get anything dirty during the process. The instruction sheet had a ton of information on how to do it "right." However, since I started before I read the sheet...yeah oh well. The sheet suggested on leaving the dye on for 20min, and I knew better than to follow the instruction, so I left it on for 40 instead. According to the sheet, leaving it in for more than 40 min could severely damage your hair, so do it at your own risk. </div>
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Here's the result:</div>
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I thought my hair was going to be a disaster when it was still wet, because the roots got really light and the rest was dark. Anyhow, I think the dye worked pretty well. The color was what I was going for and it matched the "expected color chart" at the back of the box. I also used the conditioner that was included in the package. It is not a wash-off conditioner, you put leave it in after you towel dry your hair.<br />
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I would say that the dye was enough for my hair, which means that it will not be enough for most people. If you have hair more than twice my length, you should get at least 2 or 3 boxes. I would use this hair dye again because it didn't damage my hair and I'm happy with the results :D<br />
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That's all for now~<br />
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Mimi<br />
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</div>Mimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-36127477995926729162012-05-15T10:48:00.000-04:002012-05-15T10:55:03.044-04:00Insane Black Rock Shooter cosplay progress part 4: more on the swordHi y'all! I finally finished my Insane Blade Claw! (what a silly name for a sword.) Anyways, just to recap (you can find part 1 of this tutorial/progress <a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/04/insane-black-rock-shooter-progress-part.html">HERE</a>): I used spray foam to make the structure of my sword, and then I carved it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOWcX6cDxeZ5VChgupSC2cDKdtBYf-HYhwE2E3tn02O1Pm2RogdDNVnJVPBJlKjqaOohsoSX2ZT2F_NDHD_7u5H5brXiCbJJEfVHnWIeaIANr59Idfea2ztWIYHU-G8Wbo_BcOVtn1IA/s1600/DSCN0560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOWcX6cDxeZ5VChgupSC2cDKdtBYf-HYhwE2E3tn02O1Pm2RogdDNVnJVPBJlKjqaOohsoSX2ZT2F_NDHD_7u5H5brXiCbJJEfVHnWIeaIANr59Idfea2ztWIYHU-G8Wbo_BcOVtn1IA/s320/DSCN0560.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
My plan was to masking tape the whole thing, and then paper mache it with newspaper and the paper pulp thingie. Well, I kind of changed my mind >.><br />
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The masking tape process was definitely necessary, considering that the spray foam formed a ton of holes on the sword. (I forgot to take a picture Q_Q)<br />
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I also paper mached my sword with newspaper to make the entire thing smoother and less fragile. I just went to Home Depot and bought a tub of wallpaper paste and dipped strips of newspaper into it. Then, instead of using paper pulp mache (which I bought...and needs to be returned >.>), I just mod podged the entire sword three times. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglma4w1raEGLRH_qpw4klAOugxEUdnOoxSUGnwi03MV0j4BYgQCZClaRGJwazpx3MstC4xkI48LiEfbJOvtKZcw7oRC1TwtDmbllswXsSv6smXlIXjHMQ9JZT3g01Pl3Sg9mAKwvWNPK8/s1600/IMG_7997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglma4w1raEGLRH_qpw4klAOugxEUdnOoxSUGnwi03MV0j4BYgQCZClaRGJwazpx3MstC4xkI48LiEfbJOvtKZcw7oRC1TwtDmbllswXsSv6smXlIXjHMQ9JZT3g01Pl3Sg9mAKwvWNPK8/s320/IMG_7997.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Mod Podge is amazing, it makes the small paper creases smooth! If you are not very picky (like me), you would be happy with the result of this. Then I sprayed the entire thing black with matte spray paint.<br />
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As you can see, it is not very smooth, but it is good enough for the grungy look I'm going for.<br />
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Here's another shot, you can't really tell the traces of newspaper anymore.<br />
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Then I dabbed some of the gold 3D fabric paint onto my sword to give it a rusted feel (I have other gold acrylic paint, but they were not nearly as pigmented as the fabric paint for some reason). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PMNJ7NelTbo4WTFV6oDvg2hyphenhyphenrAQ7JETviqPnFhXl8qPslVswzrlPgqIZM5q_CRY413IwIRDg9xDJgegnxjYTf5DpHdpLv-DnMd4V4YIMsKnv8ziAEMANcTwZMbKxiynaB26ll6CPdv8/s1600/IMG_8005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PMNJ7NelTbo4WTFV6oDvg2hyphenhyphenrAQ7JETviqPnFhXl8qPslVswzrlPgqIZM5q_CRY413IwIRDg9xDJgegnxjYTf5DpHdpLv-DnMd4V4YIMsKnv8ziAEMANcTwZMbKxiynaB26ll6CPdv8/s320/IMG_8005.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
The paint also made it a little shiner than the matte spray paint. Not what I was going for, but okay~<br />
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Then I used "Delight" paperclay and made a hilt for the sword. I really didn't think this clay was good enough for the hilt at first because 1). it was super expensive for a 3oz package, and 2). it had a sponge-y feel to it that made me think it was not sturdy enough. However, after letting it dry for a couple of days, the light and squishy feeling actually made the hilt very comfortable to hold. You can sand this type of clay, but it doesn't sand nearly as well as stoneclay.<br />
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After sanding, I wrapped the handle with electric tape and attached my foot-long chain to it! Voila!<br />
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That's all for now~<br />
MimiMimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-52958949503848235082012-05-10T01:07:00.000-04:002012-05-15T10:59:45.630-04:00UPDATES! - Potpourri of progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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WAH, finally more progress from my side of cosplay. I've been totally absent from the blog for WEEKS, so this update is badly needed. Ok so here's what what's been worked on so far:</div>
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1) Deus Ex Machina - Mask and crown</div>
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Mimi graciously created the crown in about an hour's time (excluding the time it took to for things to dry). The general shape was cut out of fun foam, mod-podged, and then spray painted. Afterwards, Mimi took some gold 3D paint and created the superficial designs on the crown. Then, the whole thing was glued together in a circle. Finally, Mimi took a hair dryer and heat formed the crown to be droopy like Deus' is. :D.</div>
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The mask has also been completed. The basic frame and white coat of spray paint have been finished for a while, but with limited pictures taken of them. So Deus' face now looks pretty cool and angular, just like it should, hehe. Mimi added the eyes with a couple of brush strokes of black paint. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h9NrBtKwwQmgMFovY7tTGO268Ix7MwrnPfAIC8rot6hzHB5M5W1hbu5gEvuBx7tvQGU62Ia9eDCu07vR8F-sZVVz622DM1IIW6ldzze60CXWcPGrmOVcnNRYMPZZrjMHkMPdSYNwOws/s1600/IMG_7996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h9NrBtKwwQmgMFovY7tTGO268Ix7MwrnPfAIC8rot6hzHB5M5W1hbu5gEvuBx7tvQGU62Ia9eDCu07vR8F-sZVVz622DM1IIW6ldzze60CXWcPGrmOVcnNRYMPZZrjMHkMPdSYNwOws/s320/IMG_7996.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHysByH8g2aMIOHbkDIYCU_Cr8vPR29LLVF5anZ3vtdglSOSAirjEeYYqIZDjB-KGU8xX8Oq_YBlrhySz-_yBSR6fLQvBJvdTujBELZpkrsFwCw1qNR3FDkS6x3QtafbdAnWux3oRmmz8/s1600/IMG_7998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHysByH8g2aMIOHbkDIYCU_Cr8vPR29LLVF5anZ3vtdglSOSAirjEeYYqIZDjB-KGU8xX8Oq_YBlrhySz-_yBSR6fLQvBJvdTujBELZpkrsFwCw1qNR3FDkS6x3QtafbdAnWux3oRmmz8/s320/IMG_7998.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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The major problem I predict with this mask is the limited visibility....that is I foresee not seeing. See those to little triangles under the eyes? Yup, that's where my eyes go, lol. Granted, I've tested it out, and I can see most things, but my peripheral vision will be significantly hindered. </div>
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2) MZMA - Gloves</div>
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To create these gloves, I meticulously cut out many craft foam squares and hot glued them on to the hockey gloves I purchased.......it doesn't sound as exciting written out as I thought it would, but hey, it's the truth. These gloves aren't <i>exactly</i> accurate with the design of MZMA's, but they are pretty darn close. This discrepancy comes from the joint placement within the gloves. Sometimes, you gotta sacrifice design for functionality though, hehe. </div>
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3) MZMA - Headpiece<br />
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I've cut MZMA's spinal cord and pelvis head piece out of fun foam. My next steps with this will be to make it more three-dimensional looking and attaching it to the wig (you know, the one Gachapin modeled ;P).<br />
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4) MZMA - Coat<br />
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Here's a wonderfully messy work-in-progress shot of the gluing of one side of MZMA's coat. The patterns on the coat have been cut out of red vinyl fabric and have been glued to the coat. More pictures will come along as I (with tons and tons of Mimi's help [thanks so much MIMI!!!]) glue the rest on. <br />
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Well, that's all for now. Next time (which will be MUCH SOONER than my previous posts) will be Deus' fingers, more of MZMA's coat and head piece, and MZMA's sword progress. Now I gotta sleep so I can wake up EARLY in the morning. Thanks guys! </div>
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~Stuart~</div>
<br />Xylofunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212944359342553956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-17872781785506607872012-05-09T22:07:00.000-04:002012-05-15T11:01:04.827-04:00Minene Uryuu- DIY Tights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I've been trying to get the outfit for Ninth over and done with, and the last thing that I needed to do was to either purchase or make the socks/tights shown below.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdbYjmoVl3Cam6um9whtWTu2dtpri-yuINtfq53evuKwhS1bkLAlloR9Yjd1yTf-wrPrFTIuTGXxyDMFL2CzECt9DmtugRSmJLXM6wDyvzfflDvp1whU0b9ymB_8Fth9HaekDdyOXePY/s1600/Untitled9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdbYjmoVl3Cam6um9whtWTu2dtpri-yuINtfq53evuKwhS1bkLAlloR9Yjd1yTf-wrPrFTIuTGXxyDMFL2CzECt9DmtugRSmJLXM6wDyvzfflDvp1whU0b9ymB_8Fth9HaekDdyOXePY/s400/Untitled9.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In what is probably still my favorite picture, because isn't kicking Yuno fun? Not like she doesn't deserve it...</i></td></tr>
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After countless internet searches for thigh high striped socks in this color scheme, I finally gave up and decided to go all DIY on some tights. So I ordered <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007055TBI/ref=pe_175190_21431760_C1_cs_sce_3p_dp_1">THESE</a> off of Amazon, and they fit well. Then came the fun part - how the hell to get those horizontal lines nice, clean, and even. <br />
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First I made a template out of a cereal box, because drawing straight lines free-hand is just a no no in any case. </div>
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In a fit of sheer brilliance, I tried to paint one of the lines while I was actually wearing the tights, reasoning that who better to act as a dummy than myself! Well. Unless you are insanely flexible and inhumanly accurate at painting straight lines on a curved surface (even with a template taped to your leg), this is just a terrible idea. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I feel like she could have done it.</i></td></tr>
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So then I did what I should have done in the first place and made a cardboard "leg" to stick in the tights. Then I just used acrylic paint to go over the template, making sure that I measured evenly between each of the lines.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Just so.</i></td></tr>
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The template was pinned in place with paper clips, and several layers of paint were needed to make sure that it showed up on the fabric (since it kept soaking through onto the cardboard underneath - or in that one case, onto my leg). After the paint dried completely, I covered it with a couple of coats of clear nail polish to keep it from cracking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Everything went better than expected. Except now I have to do it all again >_<</i> </td></tr>
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This is definitely a time consuming process, but I felt like the results turned out pretty nicely. And for those of you who count nine stripes on Minene's tights where mine only have eight, I may have made a counting error. And for the rest of you, pretend I never said that. <br />
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~Kathryn<br />
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</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-29216747432382979682012-05-03T22:54:00.000-04:002012-05-03T22:54:05.883-04:00Cosplay Progress: Murumuru (with a small bracelet tutorial)Sorry for the lack of updates, a lot has happened lately to my family and friends. Anyhow, I have made some major progress with my Murumuru cosplay from Mirai Nikki, so I'm going to post it here. :D<div>
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Currently, I'm done with Murumuru's shirt, panties + tail, and bracelet. </div>
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I made the shirt from scratch out of some pattern I used for my Ciel cosplay long long time ago. I altered the pattern quite a bit, but I think the vest came out a little short >.> oh well. </div>
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Anyhow, onto the bracelet tutorial:</div>
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1. Buy some cheap plastic bracelet and clay. I used La Doll Premier Lightweight Stone Clay, I like this type of clay because it is very easy to sand. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjwylFq0h3wbJovanxIwYDAHb6R3KDCwoWw4b1g12ST3jgDueasS_Nw8vw6a_WOFvnWVTixssnWgI2mRoE38vi9sFn41VkDl2uBYgtxHg_hjjua6ptkcJ4xrxuNoT1glUcUWAPrjkxPo/s1600/IMG_7835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjwylFq0h3wbJovanxIwYDAHb6R3KDCwoWw4b1g12ST3jgDueasS_Nw8vw6a_WOFvnWVTixssnWgI2mRoE38vi9sFn41VkDl2uBYgtxHg_hjjua6ptkcJ4xrxuNoT1glUcUWAPrjkxPo/s320/IMG_7835.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Then, I just wrapped strips of clay onto the plastic bracelet. This step would be a lot easier if you use water, water really helps to soften the clay. Well, my clay is a little old, so it kinda dried out. >.></div>
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Here are the two I made, obviously, they are not perfect, but I can sand them down later to make them a little rounder and smoother. They took about 24 hours to completely dry.</div>
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3. Sanding. This process takes a little bit of patience, and know when to quit. The good thing is, if you mess up, you can probably just add some more clay onto it.</div>
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See, it's a lot better!</div>
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4. Gesso. I use a type of transparent gesso from Liquitex, it was just something I had from painting, but I'm sure you can using any gesso that works with whatever your paint is going to be. This step is important because the plastic part of the bracelet is very smooth and hard to paint, you could even sand it so that the gesso would go on more easily.</div>
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5. Painting! I painted everything white :D</div>
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6. Glaze or Clear nail polish. Since I couldn't find my clay glaze, I just used some spare nail polish.</div>
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Anyways, I also started to make the little cat pin</div>
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hehe, it really needs to be sanded >.<</div>
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Here's everything I have so far:</div>
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That's all!</div>
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-Mimi-</div>Mimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-49962677141376297272012-04-30T18:53:00.000-04:002012-04-30T23:34:40.675-04:00Black Gold Saw- Skeletal Claws ProgressWhat is this? An update? Gasp! Shock! But since I finally have some time on my hands, I was able to mostly finish the claws for <span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Black</em><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">★</span><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Gold Saw</em>. </span><br />
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So I started by making a few sketches from the
<em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Black</em><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">★</span><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Gold Saw</em> figma on which I will be basing my costume. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i>And then I will pose. Just like this. In front of a wind machine.</i></td></tr>
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I was inordinately excited to be making skeletal looking claws, because I have this strange obsession with bones and pseudo-anatomical correctness, so I spent much time carving and shaping them until they resembled elongated human phalanges. Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm kind of weird.<br />
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So I started with Premier stone clay by La Doll, and I found that it is very lightweight but also very sturdy. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I have tried to break my prototype claw, but I have yet to succeed without damaging furniture.</span></i></td></tr>
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It can be found at pretty much any craft store, and while it is a little pricey, you'll find that the small package actually goes a surprisingly long way. I managed to make all ten claws plus two prototypes and two "oopsies" when I realized that I needed to flatten out the proximal digit so that it would fit on my finger without being too bulky, and I still have a bit left in the package.<br />
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So here are a couple of the claws after they had been carved and let dry for 24 hours. I think this is a pinky claw and an index finger.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Why hello, Xbox 360, fancy seeing you here</span></i></td></tr>
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Post paint!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJNtrC_2zK1YG2W4okMABb-QpIRIcL1BU07Ii0pP6U1CRIo9DdDN4pR31oRorOHen5qvrZPtR6t-WUO-ktn6VVTbKt56v5wozD8aI1CrgC7rdWpp1mE3qjV7u58I0S-6OsM6ccqeBzTM/s1600/DSCN0786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJNtrC_2zK1YG2W4okMABb-QpIRIcL1BU07Ii0pP6U1CRIo9DdDN4pR31oRorOHen5qvrZPtR6t-WUO-ktn6VVTbKt56v5wozD8aI1CrgC7rdWpp1mE3qjV7u58I0S-6OsM6ccqeBzTM/s400/DSCN0786.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">You have no idea how many times I had to retake this picture for it to not come out blurry. </span></i></td></tr>
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The claws have been painted with a gradation of red to black. I'm afraid my camera doesn't really do the colors justice, though. In order to keep the paint from chipping, I decided to gloss them. I had bought Sculpey glaze for this express purpose, but after going over one of the claws, it became readily apparent that the paint was cracking, peeling, and bubbling. So...that idea was definitely out. The solution? Clear nail polish. No cracking or bubbling, and it's cheaper than proper glaze anyway. Extreme laziness ftw.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bidmc.org/CentersandDepartments/Departments/OtherLocations/BethIsraelDeaconessHospitalNeedham/DepartmentsandServices/OrthopaedicSurgery/HandProgram/~/media/Images/CentersandDepartments/OtherLocations/BethIsraelDeaconessNeedham/anatomy%20hand.ashx" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.bidmc.org/CentersandDepartments/Departments/OtherLocations/BethIsraelDeaconessHospitalNeedham/DepartmentsandServices/OrthopaedicSurgery/HandProgram/~/media/Images/CentersandDepartments/OtherLocations/BethIsraelDeaconessNeedham/anatomy%20hand.ashx" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Since this may turn into an impromptu anatomy lesson, here is a human hand for your viewing pleasure.</span></td></tr>
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Now there is a reason aside from my own morbid fascination that I have included this lovely anatomical diagram. I wanted to try and explain where I attached the claws to my own fingers, and this is the best way that I know how. The claws that I crafted give my hands the impression of having an extra phalanx, increasing length and creepiness. The claws are attached to my hand at the point between the middle and proximal phalanges, so that I am able to retain most of my mobility and grasping ability. </div>
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I used a satin opera glove that I had lying around (and yes, I actually have several pairs of opera gloves lying around my apartment, thank you very much) as the base for the claw. Then I used a hot glue gun to attach the claws to the gloves at the beginning of the middle phalanx of my hand. Of course, this means I was wearing the gloves while gluing things to my hand. Not quite as painful as I had anticipated, but I'm sure there are easier ways to do it that involve fewer burns. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfHCHGjUTMNAoiR9aiPLcQnSxAaQKOQ0-StBtFvsoPjMCk3RIp9uXFRqQrh69Mum3iQGRuIZ9MiOuMobsFNKntg_lojYJWERqNMC33QWSpTwAKIeOMOMcGUt-2Fgc0EZI465A0pRmGhE/s1600/DSCN0809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfHCHGjUTMNAoiR9aiPLcQnSxAaQKOQ0-StBtFvsoPjMCk3RIp9uXFRqQrh69Mum3iQGRuIZ9MiOuMobsFNKntg_lojYJWERqNMC33QWSpTwAKIeOMOMcGUt-2Fgc0EZI465A0pRmGhE/s400/DSCN0809.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">And I even have the mobility to use a camera (even if my claws kept photobombing my pictures)</span></i></td></tr>
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I am also in the process of making some more proximal phalanges and possibly metacarpals to go on top of the gloves to give the appearance of entirely skeletal hands, but that will be updated later. YAY CLAWS. Time to go freak out the neighbors.</div>
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Next up- the perils of sewing pleather. </div>
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~Kathryn</div>
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</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317193521808349860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-31411757467076871082012-04-23T22:09:00.000-04:002012-04-23T22:09:36.504-04:00Usamimi Headbands! I have been so lazy lately (well, actually busy planning our trip to Orlando right after AZ), I apologize for the lack of updates on our blog. Q_Q Anyhow, I always had the desire to obtain a Usamimi headband since when I saw it on the old Asia Jam couple years ago. <br />
Usamimi, or rabbit ears, is basically the shape these headbands make on your head. The pictures below shows some beautiful girls sporting them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52gP6U0LpyrUcX4CZV_73BNQbD7ojD7yz3jtd8s7ydjOUlxiY2WkK8GSPj08PkUMuoNefzbET81MXjaqTk67j_Ba5fKMbS1oCs_j3XGSQeUzZUAc6tQWDICJVf1quGOc7UWYk4CoHfhA/s1600/usamimi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52gP6U0LpyrUcX4CZV_73BNQbD7ojD7yz3jtd8s7ydjOUlxiY2WkK8GSPj08PkUMuoNefzbET81MXjaqTk67j_Ba5fKMbS1oCs_j3XGSQeUzZUAc6tQWDICJVf1quGOc7UWYk4CoHfhA/s320/usamimi.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is Kumikki lol but don't count my words on it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mcyNI4IHFw3rIT3IZbKz37-pGz_OvyGqPzJl-vgbhK7cZBEhyljuzzqT0pBZwi6PD9TAor_Q_1kwaFLc1zZNJibn_ZA0IrHH6q04IjVR8THS4rERakd_YxOlkFIZf-b_vrjdZAwLsHw/s1600/P1060485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mcyNI4IHFw3rIT3IZbKz37-pGz_OvyGqPzJl-vgbhK7cZBEhyljuzzqT0pBZwi6PD9TAor_Q_1kwaFLc1zZNJibn_ZA0IrHH6q04IjVR8THS4rERakd_YxOlkFIZf-b_vrjdZAwLsHw/s320/P1060485.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xiaxue - one of my fav. blogger.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE8OVEziIB7WQ5RBT0a3d6UnSneTOwmJuOm6YW-CkqO-zDHnu3enuWpEcEiEOIFCh7N5wHplKYp2ngVWULoj7um7Lx-u37B88Da0I25aQMt2IZJeUl58uQDNT9Vmj3W65QTdiOwapv4g/s1600/tsubas10_800x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE8OVEziIB7WQ5RBT0a3d6UnSneTOwmJuOm6YW-CkqO-zDHnu3enuWpEcEiEOIFCh7N5wHplKYp2ngVWULoj7um7Lx-u37B88Da0I25aQMt2IZJeUl58uQDNT9Vmj3W65QTdiOwapv4g/s320/tsubas10_800x600.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and finally Masuwaka Tsubasa!</td></tr>
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(I know...they all kinda look like the same person Q_Q it's not like I can change Asian's perception of beauty, don't judge!) <br />
Cute or not is up to you, but I do think this trend is cute and therefore wanted to obtain one or two of these headbands. Now, in order to tie this in with our blog, I did find an anime example (lol).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq1aDmxlI0KPjk8wGEyR7C_rQMbWK9s439T8dLt4K7REpsf1U2cNDi8At52eyoUEApl_Gva0IR1rZtN5TowesLnrJak65GHtJ_8Fw-UhCuxGkD6Fakua-fbd9rNSTLn_k8Bcy0MgN9n8/s1600/tsukasa+hiiragi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq1aDmxlI0KPjk8wGEyR7C_rQMbWK9s439T8dLt4K7REpsf1U2cNDi8At52eyoUEApl_Gva0IR1rZtN5TowesLnrJak65GHtJ_8Fw-UhCuxGkD6Fakua-fbd9rNSTLn_k8Bcy0MgN9n8/s1600/tsukasa+hiiragi.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think she is from Lucky Star</td></tr>
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also, if you are familiar with Lolita fashion, then you probably knew that BTSSB has also sold some of these usamimis. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5fpSOYeqa2nZwTCJZbnDpt_o6vkPaSkjw8VlYh1fmxYJ532NsRLWfr17zX_5HESvTSqilLg85v860DMSWuRoP6nT9gvCSRT05Qkr1D3FAIjfgg19pAeaxAmCuQ6O60Cl_Iqs_pL23XI/s1600/BTSSB+usamimi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5fpSOYeqa2nZwTCJZbnDpt_o6vkPaSkjw8VlYh1fmxYJ532NsRLWfr17zX_5HESvTSqilLg85v860DMSWuRoP6nT9gvCSRT05Qkr1D3FAIjfgg19pAeaxAmCuQ6O60Cl_Iqs_pL23XI/s320/BTSSB+usamimi1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now, not only were these headbands hard to find on the internet, they were also super expensive. How much do you think it's worth? I think ummmmmmmm....maybe $5 - $10. Since it's not very hard to make, I decided to try making one or two. I found a couple of tutorials by googling "DIY Usamimi". Some people have written extensive tutorials for these, so I won't repeat it. <br />
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Basically, I just bought some fabric from my local fabric store (1/4 yard), sew it together, put some wire in it, and Voila! Super simple and fast if you have a sewing machine. If not, just sew by hand. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimximDVWmHZmIwXaR2pLQ2IroTAK29B9zNVyHEyQXgdWw2qUsgsIGtfZj39hRQb9EJ-SBVTwgEJ77rxvcDmyomPbf8Esnh3dv5OX0gDfvgjtikjh4f9UvTpTSsnZsp8Wz_uoNbpVXfezU/s1600/IMG_7685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimximDVWmHZmIwXaR2pLQ2IroTAK29B9zNVyHEyQXgdWw2qUsgsIGtfZj39hRQb9EJ-SBVTwgEJ77rxvcDmyomPbf8Esnh3dv5OX0gDfvgjtikjh4f9UvTpTSsnZsp8Wz_uoNbpVXfezU/s320/IMG_7685.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just folded this fabric in half and stitched both sides</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPY0-3i11ABKolfcBFlpIih0nkUroRE9g4lXDW0jM8qNZISVkUlsmoR9eQaO7fSjOuYyQOrKvPFkjWbahvRZ2cQ2bKjuJoFIbQzixW2-Dq1DAZJK94PTAAwabvD9lLj9gMogGcJs6Ya0/s1600/IMG_7687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPY0-3i11ABKolfcBFlpIih0nkUroRE9g4lXDW0jM8qNZISVkUlsmoR9eQaO7fSjOuYyQOrKvPFkjWbahvRZ2cQ2bKjuJoFIbQzixW2-Dq1DAZJK94PTAAwabvD9lLj9gMogGcJs6Ya0/s320/IMG_7687.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one was one of the quilting squares they sell at fabric stores. I cut it in half and connected them to make a long strip.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Shb555GIeVyT5efUVX5Pcvgd8itIYJVk889JfeRdKhUSXQeRc4yBAeNA3j-jSXBlbE2-xYZg6GXf4yzt1g5DzljIStrYzuQGJYKFw4jI4T-Y7KbHCyONeFIAVammpx7U4X_V8oJCws4/s1600/IMG_7690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Shb555GIeVyT5efUVX5Pcvgd8itIYJVk889JfeRdKhUSXQeRc4yBAeNA3j-jSXBlbE2-xYZg6GXf4yzt1g5DzljIStrYzuQGJYKFw4jI4T-Y7KbHCyONeFIAVammpx7U4X_V8oJCws4/s320/IMG_7690.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wire in the middle were taped so that it doesn't poke you later.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssIOowjrRRLxfisbil8VzuOPQov6WqaM9A_ADnjZ2Dp8h4u0eppSqJssFu3dJevIUp_-N-YidAvms7DGEbyXXo-xG5F0MbUKBBhRTvdTnDWvF1UygdWscAy6I-2GZguV9QjwG30XnYyQ/s1600/IMG_7692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssIOowjrRRLxfisbil8VzuOPQov6WqaM9A_ADnjZ2Dp8h4u0eppSqJssFu3dJevIUp_-N-YidAvms7DGEbyXXo-xG5F0MbUKBBhRTvdTnDWvF1UygdWscAy6I-2GZguV9QjwG30XnYyQ/s320/IMG_7692.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sewing</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFC3ikQGddM1c-CGK3ddSncAeV8VQIS4jnrNYOMIGQNShMNAhT9mqb_utbk1tWuVg1j22zFvs6hi_vvrtafsgqpEWvP4rDKPVSdba7l_UMoyA2c_1jCgvP6xB0i20_ail5Lkncme-8rM/s1600/IMG_7693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFC3ikQGddM1c-CGK3ddSncAeV8VQIS4jnrNYOMIGQNShMNAhT9mqb_utbk1tWuVg1j22zFvs6hi_vvrtafsgqpEWvP4rDKPVSdba7l_UMoyA2c_1jCgvP6xB0i20_ail5Lkncme-8rM/s320/IMG_7693.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">making the pointy "ear" part</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbsSwAdV6aOs5bC7GhtQ43p8jAsjPHMedOF8aCuSRr4gMfdZu31NpIL4MErF41Z0dnx9kYFRHsZ4SFuqFWwd-l3kBoe5ZvTgq4rbOD719alLBCtfyhi-l4iSxlnXNx_auvZ91f2EPICg/s1600/IMG_7729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbsSwAdV6aOs5bC7GhtQ43p8jAsjPHMedOF8aCuSRr4gMfdZu31NpIL4MErF41Z0dnx9kYFRHsZ4SFuqFWwd-l3kBoe5ZvTgq4rbOD719alLBCtfyhi-l4iSxlnXNx_auvZ91f2EPICg/s320/IMG_7729.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">final product modeled by Honekoneko (with Stuart in the back)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgRg15bnN3y54KdyWDiRYhYbiL9U32hF7hmVlKvUYBySxICh2guollvCgQwaVOGfBYUOlK-Qq_20T3hqTQfveVEJY1fMWrtGhgp2xfe5029AVJZv5gzgjW6VhH8HpV1FRvU7mALanIsU/s1600/IMG_7823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgRg15bnN3y54KdyWDiRYhYbiL9U32hF7hmVlKvUYBySxICh2guollvCgQwaVOGfBYUOlK-Qq_20T3hqTQfveVEJY1fMWrtGhgp2xfe5029AVJZv5gzgjW6VhH8HpV1FRvU7mALanIsU/s320/IMG_7823.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me wearing it >.<</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA5ZJThMrYWDDDuSWFXe5Ulwj2PMixL_ZToVNwBrTKbnebb5sZA01epY1-5Eu4HoJ89MocXfcei54s-Iy-aJbcH6eqoo-u-jVPB60w5XW2MjvskIc9y64_UJVb7t8HTXYyYuuQf4IsVQ/s1600/IMG_7828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA5ZJThMrYWDDDuSWFXe5Ulwj2PMixL_ZToVNwBrTKbnebb5sZA01epY1-5Eu4HoJ89MocXfcei54s-Iy-aJbcH6eqoo-u-jVPB60w5XW2MjvskIc9y64_UJVb7t8HTXYyYuuQf4IsVQ/s320/IMG_7828.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me wearing #2 XD</td></tr>
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Hope you guys liked it!!! It takes about 20min to make each one! :D<div>
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Mimi</div>Mimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-28772938894058490762012-04-18T10:35:00.000-04:002012-04-18T10:38:46.000-04:00Insane Black Rock Shooter progress: part 3 - The Insane Blade Claw Now that the anime for BRS has finally come to an end (right?), my character is not just Huke's illustrations anymore! Huzzah!!! I probably have not indicated this before, but I'm actually doing my costume based off of the figure that comes with the BRS blue-ray disc. <br />
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Anyhow, I have finally made some very small progress with my weapons! The big one (Insane Cannon Lance) is still the biggest concern for me, but I wanted to at least get started on the smaller one due to it's complexity. The sword itself is called the Insane Blade Claw (why are the names for things in BRS so stupid sounding?), it is basically an upgrade from the Black Blade used by BRS. <br />
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My inspiration for making this weapon comes from <a href="http://www.kamuicosplay.com/">Kamui Cosplay</a>, who is known for her awesome weapons and armors made out of foam or/and wonderflex. I decided to use expandable foam for this sword because of it's "organic" shape. So, below is my current progress:<br />
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1. I got some foam boards (the ones you use for science projects) from the scrap exchange for about 25 cents each (if not less), and free handed the sword onto the board. I kind of trust my free hand ability (even though I know it's not perfect), but if you don't (or you are a perfectionist), then do it with a projector, or print out large patterns in pieces and then glue them together. Then I cut the sword out with an X-acto knife.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3OasCcBwPOSLTj7voXxHQ1c34wcLx8Q7GSvEJNCcOlmCZTYqBqfJSYYDguy9tWFzsgWCysWe-hpYy7dcqgTGmEXi8cNeB7y4WgcnCmBgri2bVYAYS92n1qC3XE-dmhXOTzyq6gh7C70/s1600/DSCN0547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3OasCcBwPOSLTj7voXxHQ1c34wcLx8Q7GSvEJNCcOlmCZTYqBqfJSYYDguy9tWFzsgWCysWe-hpYy7dcqgTGmEXi8cNeB7y4WgcnCmBgri2bVYAYS92n1qC3XE-dmhXOTzyq6gh7C70/s320/DSCN0547.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
2. Here is where I made my first large mistake. I forgot about the stick that I have to insert into the middle of the sword.... yeah, but you will see I fixed that later. Anyways, I sprayed "Great Stuff" foam (from Home Depot for $3.99) onto my foam board pattern. This was rather amusing because the foam came out like whipped cream. Although on the can it said that the foam will cure in 8 hours, this is complete bull-shit. Perhaps it's due to the thickness I sprayed, it took about 14 hours if not more for the foam to completely cure. Also, according to the guy that works at Home Depot, air is what cures the foam, so if you spray this stuff into a bag that is not airy, the foam will become liquid. <br />
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3. After about two or three hours (I went to dance and came back), the top part of the foam was already stiff, so I just turned the whole thing over. Of course, this is when I realized, "SHIT, I forgot to stick a handle in there." Luckily, I only had one side sprayed. I took a sharp utility knife and dug a long hole onto the exposed foam board, this is when I realized that nothing inside was dry, and once you get that stuff on your hand, it is very hard to get off. I sprayed some more foam into the middle of the sword, and placed a pvc pipe (from Stuart's Stein cosplay) into the middle of the sword (of course, the pipe had to be supported with a box or something). Then, I sprayed foam onto the other side. "PHEW"<br />
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4. Once the foam was completely cured (aka Next Day). I took out my utility knife and just carved the sword out. This sounds easy, but it was rather difficult. Just be patient and take your time. Do it at a place that you don't mind getting dirty, and don't wear anything that the foam will stick to (such as nylon stockings Q___Q). When you are happy with what you have, you should just put the knife down. I tried several different types of knives because I didn't like how short the blade on the utility knife was. However, nothing worked better than the utility knife. Saws are nice and long, but they created very uneven surfaces and sent tons of little foam particles flying everywhere. I had a set of wood carving tools that I wanted to use for the details, but it didn't work really well. <br />
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That's all for now, I'm planning on masking tape the whole thing, then paper mache it with newspaper. I'm still debating on whether to do the pulp paper mache on top of it or not, I like the idea of paperclay better, but of course it is a lot more costly >.<. <br />
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- MimiMimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04132603480656670574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686866821793786689.post-87563643698898955612012-04-17T10:09:00.003-04:002012-04-17T10:17:04.508-04:00Sakura Matsuri 2012 - Washington DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 100%; text-align: left;">
This weekend, in Washington DC, was the 52nd annual Sakura Matsuri, or Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival celebrates the 1912 gift of cherry blossom trees from the mayor of Tokyo to the United States, as continued celebration of friendship between the two countries (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cherry_Blossom_Festival">Thanks Wikipedia! :P</a>). We at Cosplay-vania decided to take a day trip to DC to see what the Sakura Matsuri was all about. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">(Stuart) After a very bumpy and wobbly ride on a double-decker bus, granting us very little sleep, we arrived in DC around 6:00 AM. One round of much needed coffee later, we were ready to hit the streets. First up in the list of events was the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. We got some pretty awesome seats on the side of Constitution Ave. to watch all of the floats and performers go by. Giant Scooby-Doo, Ms. Piggy, and Cherry Blossom Balloons, various groups of clowns, policeman, marching bands, and motorists, some sweet vintage cars, and plenty of pageant winners all got there applause from us. I enjoyed seeing the Bon Odori dancers and the Japanese drummers pass by (the toddlers playing the drums were really cute, hehehe). We also saw our first signs of cosplayers in the distance (the pink and purple wigs in the crowd gave them away :P).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLUXdoAT_Ew5a5EwK5Kw_7u9Rt0lSqL7_9PuKh-YOggRiTvc6vilL9hshZZWfhvHwoMzpGqbv16XV849xmLVCWSs56N1gfbvRY37_Z36GEFYKzOBYuFtW-AoyM_USxAhiCLmQEyIUr7g/s1600/DSCN0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLUXdoAT_Ew5a5EwK5Kw_7u9Rt0lSqL7_9PuKh-YOggRiTvc6vilL9hshZZWfhvHwoMzpGqbv16XV849xmLVCWSs56N1gfbvRY37_Z36GEFYKzOBYuFtW-AoyM_USxAhiCLmQEyIUr7g/s320/DSCN0631.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were SUPER Close to Katie Couric and Alex Trebek, the hosts of the parade. Then they walked away, lol.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very pretty fluffy dresses and parasols :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D20 dice XD</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYf6KT9pR6cnKInIYAOjNnFzSXPnkl2KhodggSGEzoLm1HLn2TSyzTe9wMPsJaLwckvnyNxXkDi199-OhJ4zUS5eg25tLFFqjYNp5EbUm5p4gWhj3rewpgFsHaqVlZHVUB7yLVWDGMQk/s1600/DSCN0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYf6KT9pR6cnKInIYAOjNnFzSXPnkl2KhodggSGEzoLm1HLn2TSyzTe9wMPsJaLwckvnyNxXkDi199-OhJ4zUS5eg25tLFFqjYNp5EbUm5p4gWhj3rewpgFsHaqVlZHVUB7yLVWDGMQk/s320/DSCN0652.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AWESOME Spider-walker machine from the Science and Engineering Festival representatives.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9c31xUMYJo7hEAnv8ea9cnm9TlcGYFm4CrIDLvr-YnOnDIQWde0LTLvb8LasB62qxfsZvV7St9ai5WYhDSfsx8qwgrBgK5HTa-nTHMEf6uerv2_2_RFLt2J-wUi3xUGEBV4E8ZW-8sCs/s1600/DSCN0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9c31xUMYJo7hEAnv8ea9cnm9TlcGYFm4CrIDLvr-YnOnDIQWde0LTLvb8LasB62qxfsZvV7St9ai5WYhDSfsx8qwgrBgK5HTa-nTHMEf6uerv2_2_RFLt2J-wUi3xUGEBV4E8ZW-8sCs/s320/DSCN0658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clown-organ car for the WIN</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtQpufLERZqki55BTW_u9I4YC4fodiFAZ0WuoBAlJYLQNyUYBS9Jt-uiVK5IVOKQYUydivqmJYdCu2xsBFRLo3kehjV0ErmNzm-U2j7abyExj-N6Rnu63DMvw1mV8twbl4qBnuRYRILE/s1600/DSCN0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtQpufLERZqki55BTW_u9I4YC4fodiFAZ0WuoBAlJYLQNyUYBS9Jt-uiVK5IVOKQYUydivqmJYdCu2xsBFRLo3kehjV0ErmNzm-U2j7abyExj-N6Rnu63DMvw1mV8twbl4qBnuRYRILE/s320/DSCN0660.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guys was a pro clown-cyclist!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyBD0IyI8as-WnaS5uuIev9EvEgqGA96CBZkf0hhOgVvB_KtGaIO_3cADPPFtALBUnps8gzUZrw7qQdITayw2zUQCyYQrWafyvX9x8YqJUq_oVtbQNkkvR-91aZ57Nhn5OnAwkcAZCRQ/s1600/DSCN0661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyBD0IyI8as-WnaS5uuIev9EvEgqGA96CBZkf0hhOgVvB_KtGaIO_3cADPPFtALBUnps8gzUZrw7qQdITayw2zUQCyYQrWafyvX9x8YqJUq_oVtbQNkkvR-91aZ57Nhn5OnAwkcAZCRQ/s320/DSCN0661.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power Rangers made an appearance too! Though these were from the Ninja season that I didn't really recognize, lol.<br />
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<b>The Festival:</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Insert Kathryn narration here! After the parade was mostly finished (and our behinds were completely numb from sitting on the sidewalk for two and a half hours), we meandered a few blocks over to the actual festival area. Come 11:30 AM it wasn't terribly crowded, and it was pretty easy to get into the area they had cordoned off for the festival. We were also absolutely starving, as our McDonald's wake-up meal seemed like it had been an eternity before, so we headed over to the food stalls to peruse the wares. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Stuart and I tried the Yakisoba, which was alright, but rather light on the flavoring. Mimi had Takoyaki, more or less fried balls of octopus, which she enjoyed. All in all, not bad for stall food at a festival, but as the day progressed the lines got impossibly long and the food progressively less edible as the crowds grew in size. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There was a decidedly larger smattering of cosplayers in the festival area proper, but still not to a large degree. For the most part we just wandered from stall to stall browsing merchandise.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9L1EKHF3ZdiCJEHvX7s3iRRcH1IxQgtLzYXA7m0gUdtsVyYHk-WYVrpFMpRrro-4xo-06RPCcM3BvcjkGSDZ3GFpf-exERLIsJSpQa6_-w6-9oe_OfulrpyizCnxM_G8dQTs4qVbUQ4/s1600/DSCN0668.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732175840805213074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9L1EKHF3ZdiCJEHvX7s3iRRcH1IxQgtLzYXA7m0gUdtsVyYHk-WYVrpFMpRrro-4xo-06RPCcM3BvcjkGSDZ3GFpf-exERLIsJSpQa6_-w6-9oe_OfulrpyizCnxM_G8dQTs4qVbUQ4/s400/DSCN0668.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
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<i>Totoro! And someone's awkward reflection.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There was even a station where you could try your hand at throwing shurikens at a target- Stuart tried his luck, but to no avail...</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dygVFZad9n3ByNfeQZziv2x6iuGXZxqB8p50OkOZx0DarTRiIG7AKErPtWtZohVZogfRKA3zSisAQrn2Nj8Uw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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We also saw a group of people in Anigao (see Mimi's <a href="http://cosplay-vania.blogspot.com/2012/03/this-doesnt-make-sense-japanese-people.html">post</a>), and I have to agree with her - it is insanely creepy looking. I have an aversion to Uncanny Valley and doll-like things anyway, but damn are those masks creepy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YGsHi6UAq3TKVat1x05-pvoveTpfVSCLqyrHowl4xMaVq9Cc_zu_MPDopXoVClc8-L5yBC2BNv7xPM6yyGZD4wVR4hAATLF3HeCGtVV2t2tMOKfqKAmGXeNDjPlDK1za9x6cY9i3jLE/s1600/DSCN0664.JPG" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732173425916637394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YGsHi6UAq3TKVat1x05-pvoveTpfVSCLqyrHowl4xMaVq9Cc_zu_MPDopXoVClc8-L5yBC2BNv7xPM6yyGZD4wVR4hAATLF3HeCGtVV2t2tMOKfqKAmGXeNDjPlDK1za9x6cY9i3jLE/s400/DSCN0664.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>InuYasha is freaking me out, man...</i></span></div>
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We wandered over to the J-pop stage and heard The Asterplace play - they did some covers of anime songs, which was pretty cool.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVT6g6Y0sslS-NAH1NjJq5Ayice6Y4TyZsr6JsYwMqkLCPgimYgAzqES3lwQwGBDcUSCHw7pZzmgq87O0j9pfrSPVTk2ZhF8Wl5cwbiLq21srzAX_RmS3mZYE2rehT41MI53Qw7jpNIc/s1600/DSCN0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVT6g6Y0sslS-NAH1NjJq5Ayice6Y4TyZsr6JsYwMqkLCPgimYgAzqES3lwQwGBDcUSCHw7pZzmgq87O0j9pfrSPVTk2ZhF8Wl5cwbiLq21srzAX_RmS3mZYE2rehT41MI53Qw7jpNIc/s320/DSCN0669.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWkBKkglDy9J4XU5-l9x5SgQs6onHbK3_8KsRhtsf7fCik3zO1zBZ6CKIrz-jLhfEJEerjQ9X-LYHy9JlHLTBQxxOmrH8jEjxZTjzYnB9s3pYP8V_SjvXW58vi4Io6wSa8ycRrn0J06Y/s1600/DSCN0673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWkBKkglDy9J4XU5-l9x5SgQs6onHbK3_8KsRhtsf7fCik3zO1zBZ6CKIrz-jLhfEJEerjQ9X-LYHy9JlHLTBQxxOmrH8jEjxZTjzYnB9s3pYP8V_SjvXW58vi4Io6wSa8ycRrn0J06Y/s320/DSCN0673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drummer was hilarious</td></tr>
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The last thing we stayed for was the Anime USA Cosplay Fashion Show (because honestly, by that point we were falling asleep on our feet).</div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">And here is the point where I'm going to mini-rage, because in my mind, cosplay refers to dressing up as a specific character from anime, video game, comic books, or some other media. The minute they started including Japanese street fashions in the lineup, it rather soured the taste of the entire fashion show for me. I have nothing against people dressing up in Decora, Cyberpunk, Lolita, or what have you. Just </span><i>don't call it cosplay, </i>and certainly don't put it in a show dedicated to cosplay. There is a difference between Japanese street fashion and cosplay, and the fact that these were included in the line-up really got on my nerves. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb_pwPnplr1XBL3YeWaqlWOJlM6jU-NOcHh3pLWj2L6VKgSUyTRE0BsCLT4-idGyEXzZGS98aTZHRzprUWs668bMe33gZ0qEWsc-0jAYD4THe91vygnYfchH8HCa3dIsC3jkSr1pl9u0/s1600/DSCN0695.JPG" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732179176953591666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb_pwPnplr1XBL3YeWaqlWOJlM6jU-NOcHh3pLWj2L6VKgSUyTRE0BsCLT4-idGyEXzZGS98aTZHRzprUWs668bMe33gZ0qEWsc-0jAYD4THe91vygnYfchH8HCa3dIsC3jkSr1pl9u0/s400/DSCN0695.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>Decora is fashion, NOT COSPLAY.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">That's not to say that they weren't lovely outfits that were perfectly representative of the fashion, because they were. Just not of cosplay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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And now, in the interest of time, I am going to photo dump sans captions. Watch out, people. Here be pictures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHEc_VRNnRBJU59xgKSPXqnYU9oTwvxesu_qE6LInxDmhrSW78CGzXGjp1oDDlGPiZ3giy3VDatPVKQgJevjyvEm7auXE-f2hYDdts6ksioVCFpjXLsDOt25CKNWgstu4ALV0GVb7UFM/s1600/DSCN0680.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732183359230375602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHEc_VRNnRBJU59xgKSPXqnYU9oTwvxesu_qE6LInxDmhrSW78CGzXGjp1oDDlGPiZ3giy3VDatPVKQgJevjyvEm7auXE-f2hYDdts6ksioVCFpjXLsDOt25CKNWgstu4ALV0GVb7UFM/s400/DSCN0680.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexCWX8cIExkMxtWdPkUT27gPdxZN4N1zHqt2pTvt2DmQwxwOoROzioXBK98kitSIRtCQk20-rK8rWb0KTnqGK92Rvi843La_my8KPacEJW2gs4WWDEzhihXYD60ygsxcq0emWKNVUy3M/s1600/DSCN0688.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732185599408931282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexCWX8cIExkMxtWdPkUT27gPdxZN4N1zHqt2pTvt2DmQwxwOoROzioXBK98kitSIRtCQk20-rK8rWb0KTnqGK92Rvi843La_my8KPacEJW2gs4WWDEzhihXYD60ygsxcq0emWKNVUy3M/s400/DSCN0688.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOZkhDHfFWMCDdUpCFWf9mP0YjOyA24yBcF7-PjOAkrrA50KNvQt08XOL_WP7jtUI1Rg_EOlidKT-yNjyETgNwS6mQTL3-fDL6HlzO_DDER9x4IkwxUUEC0E5Yn_1FZv56nr1H2SMeN0/s1600/DSCN0685.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732185586130406354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOZkhDHfFWMCDdUpCFWf9mP0YjOyA24yBcF7-PjOAkrrA50KNvQt08XOL_WP7jtUI1Rg_EOlidKT-yNjyETgNwS6mQTL3-fDL6HlzO_DDER9x4IkwxUUEC0E5Yn_1FZv56nr1H2SMeN0/s400/DSCN0685.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj79NTwOOMzMz9SdhNDyr8g_mTgW6VudvlAn5bXMz9YULy3nelXtCGy0fh215w9MWvrIat1yaFS81x0SVtVsR-ZwIaHVjcdRHZKvM5VievdnCY-G0K04FMz-RUr9b0I5hep6_GTLqdrY/s1600/DSCN0683.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732185575428636274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj79NTwOOMzMz9SdhNDyr8g_mTgW6VudvlAn5bXMz9YULy3nelXtCGy0fh215w9MWvrIat1yaFS81x0SVtVsR-ZwIaHVjcdRHZKvM5VievdnCY-G0K04FMz-RUr9b0I5hep6_GTLqdrY/s400/DSCN0683.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShFx8711evga5Ff5uOl81mbJBbffZNFZpxGC13G4VAZkf3meAeLOm2AZio5fRckAeDTyaDOMGfnf9qme5h3j3Q06O6AZCyAn-xMUXTKhBR04Iar66a7LXveZe1ubwKmW4IPWK2WaHmTA/s1600/DSCN0681.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732185567574433922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShFx8711evga5Ff5uOl81mbJBbffZNFZpxGC13G4VAZkf3meAeLOm2AZio5fRckAeDTyaDOMGfnf9qme5h3j3Q06O6AZCyAn-xMUXTKhBR04Iar66a7LXveZe1ubwKmW4IPWK2WaHmTA/s400/DSCN0681.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37joL3IFJt4A0AVZpqMaPbExNhGU7PiFLwKZK_IgjJiCPowphWOlApnx_y9dc8NHJS3O5Q4ROLMfSgARGiBL2kj3LRPjg7PSKx66usSBV0s0T7h5EM5VvuDVr1GdfAUzYz-m-S0uWpoU/s1600/DSCN0675.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732185561050674802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37joL3IFJt4A0AVZpqMaPbExNhGU7PiFLwKZK_IgjJiCPowphWOlApnx_y9dc8NHJS3O5Q4ROLMfSgARGiBL2kj3LRPjg7PSKx66usSBV0s0T7h5EM5VvuDVr1GdfAUzYz-m-S0uWpoU/s400/DSCN0675.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbLR1hf_TiyuYB5Ft9TPllnHNEvaNfJGfa9nISIWIMp06cVkkaulSKp7zHoHu3mIdza-uENCKeDv16d4IFN3QeMYtqGc9KcLSdF13Oq14XplZxioCZLFN0xDPVqKm6Hf5bjJCD4Ei3AU/s1600/DSCN0704.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732186946215930386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbLR1hf_TiyuYB5Ft9TPllnHNEvaNfJGfa9nISIWIMp06cVkkaulSKp7zHoHu3mIdza-uENCKeDv16d4IFN3QeMYtqGc9KcLSdF13Oq14XplZxioCZLFN0xDPVqKm6Hf5bjJCD4Ei3AU/s400/DSCN0704.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3WhLuWgLdy1dxNRFgXo79PSLzOgHbuTcTeyCgQ1DviywkPBP5s3kFFN5Sj8VJxm3u0gOrbGI4C_AbYL2wyM4Ho4U1ClBZfrF4dh0ObQ3SuXcO8mRx-9ZXx49ewFD1S2OQiSYIw-y7DM/s1600/DSCN0701.JPG" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732186942833107986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3WhLuWgLdy1dxNRFgXo79PSLzOgHbuTcTeyCgQ1DviywkPBP5s3kFFN5Sj8VJxm3u0gOrbGI4C_AbYL2wyM4Ho4U1ClBZfrF4dh0ObQ3SuXcO8mRx-9ZXx49ewFD1S2OQiSYIw-y7DM/s400/DSCN0701.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOfHMQhGTZavW9gJc9JE_skl6_KaCJYqShY1qNByGkKhItTdboo8gpmPnSiNZSnV7651ClwCRmIULbgGDFmpPLW78JC4_-PQSpoLH4Vdua6U4mm_43iAlbY5GHgVfJsYjXE2HBukDfwc/s1600/DSCN0712.JPG" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732192658145023666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOfHMQhGTZavW9gJc9JE_skl6_KaCJYqShY1qNByGkKhItTdboo8gpmPnSiNZSnV7651ClwCRmIULbgGDFmpPLW78JC4_-PQSpoLH4Vdua6U4mm_43iAlbY5GHgVfJsYjXE2HBukDfwc/s400/DSCN0712.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SksnHUyx3eKsrV7gorbSt_9uS0VzEcr_G4RsHDw1Tlp-Bq8AVAARGtNVARK1pvL0c7UpXy9Jr3oHuVGkuNHGZ_YY9w1LmPk4C6HiY-bfytttrZzGgCFxQCpmPyI2DgQ8K9L0GFeIGUg/s1600/DSCN0733.JPG" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732192652277654658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SksnHUyx3eKsrV7gorbSt_9uS0VzEcr_G4RsHDw1Tlp-Bq8AVAARGtNVARK1pvL0c7UpXy9Jr3oHuVGkuNHGZ_YY9w1LmPk4C6HiY-bfytttrZzGgCFxQCpmPyI2DgQ8K9L0GFeIGUg/s400/DSCN0733.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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And at that point we had been on our feet for most of the day, so we left the Sakura Matsuri area and hobbled over to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History!</div>
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<b>Smithsonian Museum of Natural History:</b><br />
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(In Mimi's voice) If you have been there, then you know it is probably one of the coolest museums in the whole entire DC area (lol). It usually takes me a while to get through museums, but this time we only took about umm...2 hours. We visited almost every part of the museum except for a couple that we were not interested in. We even attempted the insects exhibition despite my phobia for c**********s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0Z2UXJtx6WHsaeaBDZtxaqOfcDf_ySUh-k-57TNsLjg4h3N0v6IEGcQxk4h9QjPjYBo2sKQasRNMj0-LcInidWk-d3kvit7npavsPBYhEjlWXmGAEkiJ1BxBAjmMMklvM8JN6gHGkgc/s1600/DSCN0756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0Z2UXJtx6WHsaeaBDZtxaqOfcDf_ySUh-k-57TNsLjg4h3N0v6IEGcQxk4h9QjPjYBo2sKQasRNMj0-LcInidWk-d3kvit7npavsPBYhEjlWXmGAEkiJ1BxBAjmMMklvM8JN6gHGkgc/s400/DSCN0756.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Kathryn freaking out about bones because she loves them so much!!!! </div>
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A ghostly picture of me trying to touch the whale replica!!! I really like how creepy this picture turned out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QhSQ2SC7JVJN4dLu6K3THDaDTNFb917DIuVVXeuYe3k8-a82ideajZB7OSSEV_wtXOO0VpydlxMsC6KTIihH9Vnh7l4UUhounRKS0m6ERb5eaRlqcI9W_QAdg70ZRA9_w3W5cjVR1bU/s1600/DSCN0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QhSQ2SC7JVJN4dLu6K3THDaDTNFb917DIuVVXeuYe3k8-a82ideajZB7OSSEV_wtXOO0VpydlxMsC6KTIihH9Vnh7l4UUhounRKS0m6ERb5eaRlqcI9W_QAdg70ZRA9_w3W5cjVR1bU/s400/DSCN0760.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Stuey not really getting attacked by a stuffed tiger. </div>
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Many silly pictures later, we were so tired that we had to leave the museum and hunt for food. We ate at "Absolute Thai" (I think) and it was absolutely delicious! NOM NOM</div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span id="goog_699934924"></span><span id="goog_699934925"></span></span>Xylofunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212944359342553956noreply@blogger.com1