New Masks on Etsy

I also want to let everyone know about the new masks that I have listed on Etsy. All handmade and one-of-a-kind. Click on an image to be taken to the listing.

Also available in the Etsy store is the option to add ribbon or a suede cord to any of these masks to make them ready to wear!

You can always add you own cord or ties to any of these masks, but the ribbon and suede that I offer is guaranteed to fit through the holes on the masks, as well as provide just a tiny bit of stretch so that the mask stays snug on your head without pinching.

Read Full Post »

New Masks in Etsy & Queen City Kamikaze Con Announcement

Alrighty, I will start with the Queen City Kamikaze Con business so we can get that out of the way and start looking at some pretty masks. February 16th, Manchester, NH, I will be vending at a one-day anime convention called Queen City Kamikaze Con. Admission is only $10! My table will be named under the collaborative fair project, “Faire Trimmings,” which is also the new title of my Etsy store, though the URL and username remains the same. Basically, Faire Trimmings is the name of any project that me and Kelley Griffin work on together, so that we can keep our individual art careers as separate endeavors.

In the Etsy store today we’ve got some new masks up! Including this super mischievous leaf sprite mask for only $20. All of my masks are hand-cut, carved, and painted with a waterproof acrylic ink, then sealed with a waterproof acrylic varnish. All of my masks are one-of-a-kind, so if you see one you like, you’d better get it before its gone forever. Just click on any image in this post to be taken directly to the listing.

I have also recently added two new super hero masks. The above is the slimmer of the two, designed to fit the petite face of a woman or teenage girl without covering all of her beauty. That’s one thing that I always found annoying about wearing a mask with a costume–if the mask is too big, it would cover my entire face. I like my face, and I would like for people to still be able to see it. These slim masks are my solution. They cover only what’s necessary to hiding your identity (essentially your eyebrows) and nothing more.

Another new listing in the shop is for the option to add a length of cord or ribbon to your mask purchase. All of my masks come with pre-punched holes designed to allow this particular suede and ribbon to pass through them snugly, but without snagging. At this time I offer black suede cord and black organza ribbon. The cord is barely noticeable once the mask is on your face, especially if you wear it under your hair while the organza is a dressier more decorative accessory.

The second of the new slim masks up for sale is this standard black mask made to fit any adult face. It is not slim, it is not over-sized. It is simply an average black mask. This makes it a costuming staple, really. It’s like owning a white camisole–you gotta have at least one!

Remember I also make custom masks. So if you have a specific costume for which you need a mask, send me a message and I would be happy to help!

Read Full Post »

Super Craft Weekend Recap

This weekend was awesome. Besides a wonderful annual caricature gig on Saturday afternoon (I love being paid to draw children), my best friend Kelley came up to my studio in Lowell for the weekend to have a super craft marathon. In a day and a half we got a solid 10 hours of work time in, as well as 3  hours of brainstorming, art-absorbing, and inspiration gathering. The rest of our free time was either spent sleeping eating or shopping. But shopping is also a part of the process I assure you. What better way to scout retailing techniques, research the latest fashion trends, and build your personal brand than by shopping? I think every artist can relate to me when I say that  shopping–not even purchasing but the act of browsing–is an important part of the 24 hour creative process.

Anyway, During our time in the studio, Kelley was hard at work on her beading projects, totally absorbed in that one task despite the fact that she lugged an entire shoulder of leather up to the studio in order to get started on some bags and masks. She finally took the last hour or so of work time to pattern and trace on her leather just to get started. But in the mean time, she got a lot of beading work done! Above is a shot of one of her intricate beaded necklaces. Ever talented and creative, Kelley even made me a headdress in order to practice the design in preparation to make a whole line of beaded headdresses, and it is absolutely stunning! I have to take some better pictures, but you should be excited for the dripping beaded magic that will be coming off of my head in the near future.

I on the other hand spend the entire weekend working on using up the last of my quarter hide making masks, braces, and hair accessories. In the photo above, I am sporting one of my favorite new mask styles which I found to be especially flattering. As frequent readers will know, I just patterned about 10 more styles of masks for men, women, and children. The masks range from thick to thin, pointy to soft, with a range of eye hole sizes and nose shapes so that my brand will accommodate a wide range of face shapes. Your nose does not have to settle for some “standard” mask shape. I offer variety. Anyhow, I think the standard black mask was a good place to start with the new mask patterns. Classic, versatile, sexy black masks; can’t go wrong there.

Here’s a picture of black masks, freshly painted, all lined up and ready for varnish. I tend to make small items in batches in order to work more efficiently, and thus save you and me money. So what’s next? Well, these crafting weekends will hopefully be a common occurrence in 2013 as we sign up for more and more conventions at which to sell our goods. Our first “test convention” will be Queen City Kamikaze Con at the Manchester New Hampshire High School on February 16th. It will be a minuscule convention, which is why I consider it a test, but it will be a chance to practice hauling our merch and display stuff around, setting up quickly, and give us an indication of what items sell to which demographic. We want to focus our time on making things that people actually want. So on that note, if any of you readers have any requests for cool leather accessories, armor, or jewelry, leave us a comment below and we will certainly take a shot at adding your request to our line.

In the mean time, you can see what we already offer at the Etsy store. Soon to be retitled, re-styled, and restocked, that is where we will be selling our products to the online and international community. However some items may sell at conventions or fairs before we have a chance to list them online. So if you are looking for something specific, shoot us a message and we can let you know if there’s anything in our inventory that meets your needs. We will try to list as much as we can online, but listings take time and some things are sure to be missed. Hope you understand.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Read Full Post »