Geek Chic Cosmetics and the Epic Battle of Convention

The wonderful ladies at Geek Chic Cosmetics have contributed 2 sets of their eye shadows for prizes to offer the plethora of lady gamers going to be heading to Guise Knights gaming tables this weekend for Phoenix Comicon. In doing so they sent me a metric butt load of samples from their various shadow lines. Because of their generosity and because I am a sucker for make up. I am going to be using primarily their products this weekend to test them out for color, blending, and stickablity. Essentially this is the ultimate stress test. I will be in the start of summer head (in the triple digits) and I will be running about and working all day, so I am curious as to how they will work. Be on the look out for the full review, for now first impression.

So far working with the eye shadows have been amazing, they are highly pigmented so a little goes quite a long way. The uber fine ground to them means a nice smooth application. The colors on the website don't quite do justice to the colors on the skin. Most of what I wear has a bit of shimmer or glitter in it. The shimmer is well done and the pigments so far done dribble all over your face leaving frustrating streaks.

The lips stick I tried first is "My Little Pwny" A glittery grape purple that appeal to my sense of the absurd. The first issue I have with their lip sticks is mainly a geographic thing. As they are soft for a nice smooth application it does mean that when the box comes from the post office and you live in a warmer state I suggest that you put them in the freezer or fridge. Otherwise you might find yourself with a huge piece of lipstick that has fallen out of the tube.

As I said I am going to forgo my normal make up back and take all the samples to see how they stick up to 14 hour days.

Look a blog I haz one!

So uh... look I have a blog still. It has been quite sometime since I updated this site mainly due to those personal things that seem to keep us from finding that creative spark that is hanging out someplace. Rather than let this die, because honestly almost all of us need to have something to keep us on track (just admit it, self discipline is a refined art that a good portion of us unlucky bastards don't have). So...oh! Yeah, update. That is what this whole thing is for anyway. First a plug for something I am doing next weekend. Nerds, Geeks, Dorks UNITE, clicky the link and find your promised land right here in Phoenix next weekend. Phoenix Comicon at Phoenix Convention Center, get your ticket and wave your freak flag high. CAN YOU DIG IT?! (Sorry just saw The Warriors again) I will be photo monkey running amuck amongst the beautiful people. Just go to the website, look at the lists of guests and make sure to have a towel ready.

Also the hubby will have a his booth at Zach Reddy Art and sharing it will be the ever lovely Em2a. Buy stuff, it is only polite not to mention they have some awesome art. I will also have some of my stuff for sale, so if you have been jonesing for a Jayne hat, now is the time to get one as I will have just a few for sale at their booth. How could you possibly not go see Adam Baldwin and NOT have one.... Just saying. And if'n you feel like preordering NOW is the time. There is only a week to go and I can only knit so fast so be quick on the draw.

Since my last post I have lost a metric f-ton of weight (about 80 lbs) so sadly NONE of my costuming fits. All the pretty stuff went to a good cause so I am not too upset but it leaves me with little to nothing. This will be fixed, I am already working on a few things here and there so I can feel less naked without any of my costuming. None of my corsets fit either, talk about a broken heart. Again, they went to a good cause and yes she looks damn fine in them too so I can't TOO upset.

Watch this space for new goodies I plan to be posting.

Be Excellent to Each Other.

Dream a little Dream..

With the life of a friend in limbo, and my own life in a different sort of limbo, I have an idea of the mental space he was coming from. I did not get the bullies from work or people leaving me, instead I have scorched zone of bare earth around me. Someone I respect very much refuses to speak to me, friend whom I love would rather not be near me. No one is to blame in a situation like this. Some would say the bullies, some would say his friends for not seeing, some would even blame him, himself.He told one person of this intention I hope as he is in his coma that he dreams of beautiful things, his coffee house lit up, music playing and no need to be concerned for the bills, that he finally feels the love and joy he brought to so many people.

For me there is a lesson to be learned in all of this and perhaps and I hope I am not the only one to see it. Loving someone from a distance doesn't work. If you love someone but can't be around them for long periods of time, please check on them, in person. We all have those people, hell we might be one of those people. In a world of twitter, facebook, myspaceand , IM's, we can seem to be a totally different person than the one you look in the eye.

Forgiveness is all the time, but sometimes we need a kick in the rear to remember that forgiveness flows both ways, have you been blocking forgiveness? Or not allowing your self to the freedom to forgive? There are a few of us at the raggedy edge who may need just a kind word or a surprise visit to keep from falling. This is not just about LGBT, this is about our friends and people in general. I cannot get out to see some of you due to doctors orders, but i will start.

For these things and perhaps more i am sorry

*I am sorry I ruined what was a creative and beautiful friendship

*I am sorry in action or in deed I have caused you any form of harm,

*I am sorry for promises broken.

*I am sorry for words that hurt.

*I am sorry I could never be what you wanted or needed.

*I am sorry I am not the woman you wanted.

*I am sorry I could not give you what you wanted or needed

*I am sorry for drifting away.

* I am sorry I may never get better.

*I am sorry for secrets kept.

And for those who may not know yet I am sorry

And the harder part.

I forgive those who have trespassed upon me. All of them.

This message is only for thought purposes, I offer any all clean slate, I know many cannot do that, but everyone has a chance to simply be loved for who they are.

The thought of having another friend feel the need,the utter loneliness, turns my insides out. Know that no matter what has been said in the past I can listen, I can be the shoulder you need, you have a whole group of people that feel the same way.

And maybe one day you can be that shoulder for me.

.....aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnndddd I'm back.

It is amazing how life has the ability to completely and totally suck you out of what you thought you were living, smack you upside the head and point you back in the correct direction. The good news is I have been working on a dress design. There are a couple of pictures of it over there. The design is based over a vintage 1953 design. Only I like my way better. When you alter, or gase or make major modifications like I am, you have to remake the dress and it's pieces time and time again. Something might not work right so you have to change that, the dress was originally designed for the spectacular bullet bras of the time requiring a complete restructuring of how it fits a female bust. The general idea of the dress is the only thing that has remained the same, but that is about it, the front is being majorly altered, I am going to add several large gores to the front and pleat it about 24 inches across so there is a volume of material there, it gives the idea of sleekness but not, and add more hint of innocence, that at least is my next idea. The front skirting of the dress is from a failed attempted at another idea that has led its merry way to the one I have currently.

Updates as the next attempt is made ;)

Etsy and product build up.

So I have an Etsy store that I created to see about bringing in some extra money from stuff I am already doing. If I am creating something I offer it to my friends first at a discount, so they get to see what is going on and as family get first dibs. This has lead to me not having anything to put in my store because everything I have offered up so far has been jumped on. I am getting payments and craft trade for my work, which is wonderful that my friends love my work so much they are grabbing it up as soon as I even make an offer some one wants it. Some how though I feel like I should get ahead so I have SOMETHING to put up in the store. I am so pleased that my work is popular and at the same time a little embarrassed that my store remains empty. I am not sure how I am going to go forward to have a store and offerings for friends at the same time. I have a few things in the work, and may just post them and let them be a surprise ;)

Well....bugger.

So I have suddenly lost 30 some odd pounds in the last month and change, for reasons unknown and my body is not talking, it seems this trend will continue. Most of my costuming is made with draw strings so that if I gain or lose a few pounds I will still fit and there will be no difference in the costuming. So the SteamPunk I made is quite safe and will continue to fit and I will continue to perfect it. It does however put a crimp in the making of my other pieces of attire. I have a jacket as can be seen here that a size up or down might not make a difference but as it is fairly tailored I may have to wait a while before actually making it and cutting it out. I don't want to guess and be wrong either way. Grr.. this puts a damper on my plans to have this finished by the end of July. The chemise I will be wearing under it will not be an issue, but my corset may. There is enough play in the corset currently that I can lose a few inches from my waist and not have an issue. More than 3 inches though and I am looking at over 100$ for another corset as by that time it will no longer be tight enough to be a corset. Double Grr. I am happy I am loosing weight as will be my pain specialist, but I am unhappy at the total havoc it is playing with my costuming. Not even to mention just my general clothing. Worse, it seems that I am 1/2 away from being too big for my bras. According to the proper way to fit a bra when I lose an additional 1/2 off of my ribcage I will have to move up to a DDD bra. Meaning that my very carefully sewn and made tribal bras may no longer fit. This will not do! I may continue to wear them until I can afford to purchase the proper size and cannibalize the others for parts. I am going to keep a careful watch on my weight and measurements and wait until I hit a plateau to actually make anything else that might be fitted. For now it is chemise, over shirt, petticoat on the plate to get done. At least with those components with a few extra bits of awesome accessories, even without the jacket, the outfit will look complete.

Steaming the Punk.

As promised yesterday, I bring you today the something awesome I promised. A little bird tweeted you had all been good(bird, twitter... come on it is mostly funny), although I am quite cross no presents were on my door step this morning. So here it is, the long talked about start of my new new steampunk outfit.
Basic run down; the bottom layer is a full circle skirt in a 45 inch shimmery black faux satin 5 yards total cost around 13$, the next layer is a, cream sheer. You may notice that it brushes the floor and then some, I wanted a vintage "waterfall" look, that had a bit of a train. However as awesome as that would be it would be ripped to shreds and dirty within a day, so the material will be raised in front so the "apron" is shorter and will bustled a bit differently in back so that it comes down to the hem of the black but not the floor. And finally my pride and joy, the clockwork over skirt, the position you currently see it in is not the way it will be bustled this was simply to give and idea of what it would look like. You cannot tell at the top and I may alter it just a tad but it is corseted through button holes to bring the corseting idea down from the corset I will be wearing with this into the over skirt, I will possibly put more button holes down the sides to make it a bit more apparent. The ribbon is what will be holding the skirt shut and on. For the curious I do actually have a padded two layered bustle under the skirts to give me that much booty, but I may cut back to one layer or just empty out some padding. I will be working on the rest of stuff that goes along with it for my project of the month. I am also making a petticoat for it. I have had many horrified stares, living in one of the hottest states, heck living in a city nick named the Valley of the Sun, why would I want to add more layers? Simple, sweat and breathablity. Satin, even faux is not exactly wash and wear. A simple thin cotton petticoat will capture sweat, and give me a little bit of room to allow for air flow.

It needs work, tailoring tweaking, but the long parts of hemming that much material is done, as well as taking a basic design made with my very much lacking sketching skills into reality. Sometimes it makes you want to squee and squish it.

And yes I did... so shutup.