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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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appliedumplings:

neimhaille:

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…

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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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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 SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE IT!

 

No really, I wound up scaring a lot of people over how rapidly I go from well to totally not at all and threatened with the hospital. And yes, still suffering physically.

 

Anyway so I think I have LJ and All The Social media hooked up now so…. on to the progression of the day!

 

So the Friday I might have gotten lost and then walked away too far and sort of ruined any chance of turning up to the show on Saturday. So I spent the day debriefing and sitting on my Iron Pillow Throne. So wish I’d grabbed a photo because it was totally a throne of pillows. Yay for the hotel having five pillows I had all to myself!!!!! I did though cut my tattoos:

DSC_1789

 

Note the trades under them all 😉 And I think some may be late back to the library. I should not be allowed a library card! I also tested some of the scrap unprinted paper and was super happy:

DSC_1790 DSC_1791

 

I painted my hand then stuck the stuff over then cleaned with IA- I wish I was able to do this on the actual product as it really makes them look more subtle. But it basically removes the coating and leaves the gummy adhesive which is very hard to remove and will pick up dust.

 

So Sunday morning I woke at 5am and couldn’t get back to sleep and thought.. what the heck! Stupid but logical for Stupid O’Clock!

DSC_1793

Green tea and Isopropyl Alcohol…  Anyway yes. That was entirely painted by me and yes it took a few hours- you can see the two brushes I used in the small Klipit container. No idea if the metadata is still attached.. okay my comp says 7.49am. Sounds about right. Okay I have mentioned my gigantic ribcage before. You may now see why corsets are a tad not comfy and need to be very carefully made. Also why I can’t wear belts over an inch wide. Also sexay leopard print pants are my pj’s so shush.

So I started peeling, sticking and wetting. And wow, I love this stuff! So easy to print (aside from my printer issues) and cut and then stick. Just make sure to not get the backing wet before you stick because it will cause the tattoo to remain stuck to the clear side.

DSC_1794

 

But bugger, the bikini sits too low so I wound up hiding too much of the tattoo I spent most time on! But in love with the chest tattoo! Also thigh and arm tatts need rescaling as my printer scales down and I hadn’t taken that in to account on those pieces. And then the face paint:

DSC_1797

 

I learnt fast to not put paint on under the lekku. And the lekku have to stick all the way to the brows. Also I noticed how heavy Jan penciled her eyelashes so falsies!

DSC_1798

So yes. hotel pillow plastic bags to protect the paint and i took up three basins at the showgrounds to actually stick the darn things on! Amusing moment was trying to dry the PA/cabosil Bondo hiding the seam. See those rectangles in the background. Yes hand dryers and I had to sit under them to dry the Bondo… which I also stippled latex over. Wet fingertips are the best way to smooth latex when still wet. Only trouble was I really needed hot water…. nevermind.

And I did use a paint brush just over an inch wide to get the glue on my forehead and to stick the gloves and leggings in place.

 

And then… well I stepped out of the ladies room and was stared at. Good staring but people were too shy to stop me until one person did and boom! A ring of cameras and phones. We live in an age where there is a camera on nearly every hand held device and while NZ is still one of the highest uptakers of new tech and social media we aren’t terribly sharing. So I think most of those photos are on private facebook accounts or on files on comps. I have found a few so will link them. Here if I can remember how WP works for linking…

 

8974805123_b2a3fbc684 8976001178_17c9684c9a armageddon_2013___black_spidey_with_darth_talon_by_lyctiger-d67nfa3

And soon after that… I wound up shivering outside the end of the Zombie walk and having to cut through to first aid. And that’s when I scared a lot of people. And I have to admit scared myself.

 

Anyway, back on the costume… I have plans to upgrade and get an actual shoot done (as in not a fly by photo grab 🙂 ).

So….

Enlarging the tatts for arms and legs.

Adding the extra tatts that are less distinct for the back and upper hips (I have three pages spare to make up to ten sheets per application!)

New bikini! As per previous posts from wonderflex and leather.

New skirt strips, also leather from a piece that has been languishing in my stash for about a decade..

Thinning the lekku latex near the face

Repairing paint blotches on lekku..

Trimming lekku over ears and back of neck.

Make the thigh armour a little smaller…. or figure out a velcro arrangement.

New bikini bottom for the same reason and to expose a little more of the hip so as to put the thigh tatt in the right place.

 

But I really am in love with the costume and have been in contact with wonderful people with it (online and in person XD).

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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-supplie…

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