Today I wrote up a proposal for Armageddon cosplay events, kind of nervous even though I have been involved for such a long time. Really hoping we can do this, as it would help everyone. And I do mean everyone!
But I also managed to score some nice make up…
Author Archives: Michaela de Bruce
Progress?
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Members of Congress are living off food stamps for a week to protest Republican cuts. It’s a challenge for them, but GOP cuts would hurt millions of everyday Americans.
Why does this not have more publicity. This needs it!
Signal boosting this A) because it deserves to be seen by more people, and b) because I appreciate some members of Congress are actually willing to see what it’s like living on food stamps in order to make their point about how horrifying cutting food stamps would be.
News flash, regressives: people on food stamps do not load up on Snickers bars and filet mignon. They’re limited in what they can buy, and oftentimes, it’s not enough to get by on. Go on thinking these are entitlements that let minorities live lives of luxury, comfortable in the knowledge that you’ll never go hungry.
You privileged, elitist pricks.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why isn’t this being broadcast to everyone, why am I just finding out about it now? This is WONDERFUL. Get some reality up in there.
I won’t get too political, but we had a different yet similar situation here. Everyone moans about how much money is spent on Auckland transport. But I live in an area that has a general low level of income and the train station is a vital part of our lives here. It is how hundreds get to work, we aren’t talking a scenic route through the suburbs or a fun shopping trip this is a straight to the CBD and back line.
The lines are at street level which means there are level crossings the full length and especially here where the line crossed over a major road and even through a five point roundabout! Seriously right through it!
A large amount of money was needed to dig a trench so the trains could go under the road and allow the bus station above (yes really as well) to be modernised and have proper shelters etc.
This was going to be cut. As in the project was half way through and the government was going to scrap it. Exactly to what degree, I don’t know but it was going to cause even more chaos.
That was until some of the politicians got to visit (they had never been) and could see the huge safety issues as well as huge mess it was. And so the project was finished and we now have trains every 20 minutes or so vs up to an hour apart.
Sadly there are now traffic lights instead of roundabouts which actually work better for Auckland traffic which tends to see “stop” signs as “give way” and “give way” as push to sneak through by ignoring everything on the right. So the traffic is as bad as before but it is a lot safer and there is more public transport so it did have a very good positive outcome.
And this was because there was a willingness to actually see what the issue was rather than just brush it off.
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Apparently those skills I learnt back in er, well before the new millenium 😉 Have failed and I can’t make a working path to save me!I know there is an easier way and I could probably update photoshop at that. I’m trying to smooth and fix my tattoos which are pretty complex and the good old gaussian blur/levels trick is not enough to fix a few wobbly lines. So I tried paths but all my anchor points remain fixed and not able to slide along or move the section of the path. So I have just purchased some nice pens so I can print the most updated files and rescan those. Sigh. But then I can also use PS to get the gaps between each piece more even and so it will be worth it in the end.
So I’m going to have to take a break. The sky has decided to just dump rain though. Dump yes, it’s not trickly, it’s not driving it’s just falling. And flooding. So I am not all that keen to brave the walk to the workroom to try somehting else. It’s also just too heavy to go out in so no walking for me. Well… I could if I make sure to have a change of clothes ready for me when I get back. (edit: I did and I had to walk through ankle deep water so yeah it was a bit wet.)
Trying to assess what I can and can’t do in the near and semi-near future. Costume wise. I try not to think about the wider picture too much. And I do have the urge to sculpt Vastra so I have just taken some antihistamine and will back fill my headcast so I can then fill the inside with foam and sand the outer and actually have a base to work from. I made the cast when I was 10kg heavier and it shows so I may have to do a bit of creative fixing of the features to make them work now. bu the nose and mouth and brow ridge looks about right.
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Apparently those skills I learnt back in er, well before the new millenium Have failed and I…
Apparently those skills I learnt back in er, well before the new millenium
Have failed and I can’t make a working path to save me!I know there is an easier way and I could probably update photoshop at that. I’m trying to smooth and fix my tattoos which…
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You know you might have a few big files when…
Your lovely new computer capable of playing games on the highest graphics settings but your scans in b/w cause your comp to crash to desktop…. Yeah. But I managed to hit that magical “export as pdf” button in OO and now I have ten pages of tattooy goodness to test. Much easier to test as a pdf than 10 individual tif files. Yeah, might be a bit OTT with the resolution of my initial scans but I figure better to start too high and have room to cut back than try and increase resolution. Will test now I think and compare to the previous prints.
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You know you might have a few big files when…
Your lovely new computer capable of playing games on the highest graphics settings but your scans in b/w cause your comp to crash to desktop…. Yeah. But I managed to hit that magical “export as pdf” button in OO and now I have ten pages of tattooy…
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Thanks RA….
Autoimmune diseases suck. And they suck in ridiculous ways and especially in complicated and compound ways.
In other words yes I had multiple rather than a single stubborn sinus infection. And guess what is back.
So current plans do not include making anything for a while. Antibiotics got, but not sure if they will work, have to wait out 48 hours to see.
However I have managed to redraw and started to colour in my new tattoos. All 10 pages of space is now taken up. Ack. Pretty big investment but I do like the paper and the more sheets you buy the cheaper they are per sheet. If I can find a way to make them last two days over paint I will, but skin dries out under the paint and day two of paint is not as nice as first day.
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Thanks RA….
Autoimmune diseases suck. And they suck in ridiculous ways and especially in complicated and compound ways.
In other words yes I had multiple rather than a single stubborn sinus infection. And guess what is back.
So current plans do not include making…
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Debuted Talon in NZ to mixed results!
Well mainly because it wound up spur of the moment when I was really really really unwell and…
It may have been a last minute decision but IT LOOKED AMAZING WOMAN
Thank you 🙂 I was so tired after that I didn’t realise just what I felt but ultimately very glad I did do it 🙂 Though I have every intention of wearing her again I need to plan in advance including have back ups of back ups with more backups and help. And I hate asking for help. Which may not be news…
I am currently reworking some of the tatts to rescale (some are a good 10% smaller than my drawings and some are the same size so there is difinitely a little more work to do.) And more care with the next set of scans. The new thigh pieces work and the new arm prints is a better size. And now I have also shifted some pieces around and am working on the new additional pieces (side belly and the upper side back chest loop). If I have room I may fit a few more smaller pieces elsewhere.
But meanwhile my sinuses are bad again. Sigh. It was a lovely 3 weeks without one. My RA’s design is to torment me with infections that recur in the same place for up to a year- chest infections, GI, skin, kidney…. and now sinuses. Only up side to this is it may not happen again ever once those memory cells are kicked in the butt a few times. Meanwhile relentless pain from everywhere- though it offers a little protection from activity in my larger joints so… yeah. this is my non-choice in the matter too 😉
So Talon.. Aiming to wear her again in Auckland which means I need to carefully plan my time between now and then. Vastra is still on the cards but possibly for Melbourne instead. Ditto with Nyreen, but she may be for the contest. Cunning plan to make the mask work as a balaclava and velcroed face plates is being worked up. So glad I have all the materials for each in stash as it is a very tight few months ahead!
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I forgot!
I was also vindicated in regards to my latex issues! Ahah! It was probably imported into NZ by air, which froze it or got it very cold.
http://www.alconeco.com/Products/Character/Aging-Makeup/Paramount-Liquid-Latex
http://www.artmolds.com/molding-supplies/liquid-latex-rubber.html
So a warning to fellow Kiwis especially as this is common for us due to our small islands surround by sea issue.
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