Thursday, January 8, 2015

New Daenerys Jewelry Set in my Etsy Shop



Hello my winter children!  I wanted to share with you the three piece Daenerys Set I have now available in my Etsy shop.  (Click here to see my shop!)  The set includes Daenerys' necklace, her bangle bracelet, and ring.  Each item can be customized to fit you best!  Just leave me a note in 'Note to Seller' with detailed instructions.

As a thank you to those of you who follow my blog, please use this coupon code for 10% your entire order:

JELLYFISHSOUP10
for 10% off!

That aside, are you guys excited for season 5 coming out?!  I am!  I'm currently working on some of the jewelry I've been able to spot in set photos and promo vids, so check back soon for those pieces!

Peace out!


Friday, January 2, 2015

Princess Serenity Cosplay Overview



Hi there my loves!  Long time no post!

I wanted to share with you all my recent endeavor at a Princess Serenity cosplay.  Now, as usual, I somehow managed to pull this costume together in two days.  I'm starting to realize I only finish cosplays when I need them in the next 36 hours. -_-  I envy those cosplayers that take their time to put together quality costumes instead of my methods: running around like a crazed monkey woman frantically throwing fabric at a mannequin until it somewhat resembles what I have in mind.

(Picture relevant)

H O W  I  C O N T R U C T E D  the  D R E S S: 



I used a white chiffon for the bodice and the draping.  The dress had two layers of draping.  If you're making your own dress, search for a simple empire waist line pattern and you'll be good to go.  A lot of Serenity cosplayers use the Kwik Sew dress pattern here.

The back bow was constructed from a white tulle kind of fabric.  I also decided against adding a long train as this wasn't intended to be a contest costume, I was just wearing it as I walked around the convention.  (Walking around with long trains is murder!  Everyone and their mother will be stepping on them and tripping you.) 


I couldn't find the perfect gold color pearls or fabric for the embellishments, so I ended up painting them both with an Elegant Finish Metallic Paint in champagne gold.  The fabric was originally some teal fabric I had left over from another costume that I ironed onto fusing backing so the fabric wouldn't fray after cutting the circular shapes.  I fixed the golden circles and pearls to the bodice using Tacky Glue, my go-to adhesive for virtually everything.   


These shoulder cuffs were a pain. -_-


For the cuffs, I ended up having to make a spiral frame with stainless steel wire that would would clasp onto my shoulder.  I then rolled up white tulle and began covering the frame, stitching the pieces in place as I went.  

M A K E U P and H A I R : 


So, for the makeup I kept it pretty simple.  Just a primer and BB cream along with some fake eye lashes.  For the crescent moon, I sculpted it out of Sculpey polymer clay, painted it, sealed it, and stuck it to my face with spirit gum. 


For the hair, I used my real blonde for the odangos, and then clipped in the extensions for the pig tails.  I recommend cutting all different length layers into your extensions 'cause that'll help them tangle less.  I also used a faux fringe that I got off eBay for like 5 dollars.  And if you didn't notice, I totally forgot the shoulder cuffs at home. :(



So that was my attempt and Princess Serenity's dress.  Drop me a message or comment if you guys have any questions or need some advice on your own Serenity cosplay! 

PEACE OUT LOVES!


Sunday, September 7, 2014

DIY Elsa Snowflake Tutorial


Hello there my little snow bunnies!  So as promised, here is a super simple tutorial for making your very own Elsa snowflake hair accessories!

Here's what you'll need:
  • Plastic snowflakes (I used these notions from Jo-Anns)
  • Tacky glue (or any other glue you have at home)
  • Jewelry wire in 12 gauge (I like this one also from Jo-Anns)
If you don't want to order online, I suggest stopping in at your nearest craft store and checking out the button aisle.  There are tons of cute snowflake buttons that work just perfectly for Esla's hair accessories.   


Okay, so let's get started!

Step 1: Curl your jewelry wire into a spiral by wrapping it around a pen or a paint brush.  If you have something that tapers, like the end of a pen, it's easier to get the gradual smaller coils.


Step 2: Take a nail filer or sand paper and smooth the edge of the spiral so it's smooth and won't cut an arm off.  

Step 3: Take your glue and add a generous amount along the largest coil and place it in the center back of your snowflake.  Once you stuck the spiral to the back, I like to add a little more glue just to be safe, 'cause you don't want them falling out while you're building ice castles!  


Step 4: Let it dry and VOILA!  Super cute Elsa Snowflakes!  Just twist them in your hair until they're nice and secure.  You may need to press the spiral a little flatter if you're adding the snowflake to a thinner portion of hair.   


The spiral attachments are really the best way to go, I think, 'cause they stay in place and you don't have to worry about unsightly bobby pins poking out!  



I've also experimented with making Elsa's snowflakes out of crystal beads. (seen in the photo below)  They're a little more complex, but I can make a tutorial for them if anyone is interested.  If you don''t have the time or desire to make your own, you can also purchase the whole set below in my Etsy shop! (Link to the right ---->)


I'll also be uploading my tutorial on how to style Elsa's wig and how to draft a pattern for her costume, so check back soon! :D

As usual, leave me some comments below if you have any questions or just want to share your own creations!  


Thursday, August 21, 2014

Sansa Necklace and Makeup Test

Hello my little doves! So when I cosplayed as Daenerys last year, I had a lot of peeps say that I looked nothing like her. That I infact, looked a lot like Sansa Stark. I personlly don't think I look like either, but I decided to go ahead with a little makeup test anyways to see.


Annnd I was right.  But that's okay, you gotta cosplay whoever you want, brah!  I really love Sansa's character development within the books, and I really loved how the series underscored that with the change in her look.  I know she dyes her hair in books as well to hide the fact she's Sansa Stark, but the visual and placement of the change in the series was super cool and really made me want to cosplay her! : )  So maybe I will go and buy her wig and get to makin' her birdwear.  

Here's some closeups of Sansa's necklace.


I tried to keep it as authentic as possible with the images I was able to find on the web. 


I tossed around the idea of making a resin mold for the circular and nail pendants.  Ultimately, I didn't think it would be a good weight considering resin is pretty light, so instead I opted for a hand sculpt using Sculpey.  It had a much more realistic weight that stayed in position perfectly around the neck.   


I'm also selling Sansa's necklace in my Etsy shop (link somewhere to the right) for those of you who will be cosplaying her! ---------------> 

Leave me a comment below if you're planning on dressing up as the dark Stark for Halloween or conventions coming up.  I'd love to see pics or just pick your brain about wigs and things :D

And I apologize for taking forev on my Elsa costume tutorial.  Things have been crazy with work and the move, that I haven't uploaded nearly as many tutorials as I would have liked.  Hopefully that'll change now : )

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Daenerys Costume Patterns by Simplicity

Hi there!  Long time no... type and read?  Buwhahaha!  So, recently I was wondering through my local fabric store when I stumbled upon an awesome pattern that may be of great use to some of you....  

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these Dany and Tauriel patterns!  And, on top of that, they each look very authentic and very much like the actual costumes.  Anyways, I thought I'd share this with ya'll in case any of you were thinking of making these for upcoming cons or Halloween parties.

Let me know if any of you end up using these patterns!  I'm very curious to see how it turns on! :3

Oh, and if you're looking to make Dany's Astapor blue dress, check out my guide and tutorial here!


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Review: Arda Suzi Wig in Titanium Blonde - Elsa Cosplay

Hi there my little snowflakes!  So, you may or may not have read my Elsa wig guide I posted earlier.  (if not, I recommend a quick peek !)  One of the wigs I recommended in my guide is the lace front Suzi Wig in Titanium Blonde made by Arda Wigs.  This, in fact, is the wig I purchased for my own Elsa cosplay, and I wanted to share with you my review.  Now, the pictures below are of the unstyled wig, and are just to give a better reference for the quality.  My review is also based on my needs for this wig, which is for my Elsa cosplay.  You may be purchasing this wig for an entirely different character, and if so, just ignore my Elsa comparisons!    


Attesting to its popularity, this wig has been out of stock forever.  Now, that doesn't mean you can't order it, it just means you may have a long wait before your wig finds its way to your doorstep.  (ie ORDER EARLY!)  I ordered mine at the beginning of February and didn't receive it until almost the end of March.  Now, Arda warns you that you're in for a wait because of all the backorders, so waiting until the week before your con to order the Suzi wig is out the window.


Length was spot on.  I did a quick braid to give you a better idea of how long the styled wig will rest.  However, the volume isn't up to Elsa code.  When styling, you will need to pull the braid very loose to mimic her wider braid.  You can also achieve this by adding in more wefts for greater volume.  Here's a great tutorial for that.

As far as color goes, I could not be more ecstatic.  Too often do you buy wigs that end up being the totally wrong shade when you finally get them in front of you.  Titanium blonde has the perfect golden yet icy undertones that looks exactly like Elsa's.  


This is a lace front wig which you can see hanging from the hairline.  It comes with a good amount of lace in the front to give you plenty of room to work with incase you want to add more strands on your own.  Personally, I don't think that will be necessary if you're using the wig for Elsa.


I was really pleased with the widow's peak on this wig.  It was really well ventilated - which is the process of tying fibers to your wig.  This makes the Suzi wig have a very realistic hairline that looks very similar to Elsa's.  A lot of precision and care went into hand ventilating this hairline.  And because this wig is a lace front, it gives the perfect realistic hairline for Elsa.


The picture above doesn't do the layers justice, but I was also very pleased with them.  They're essential for easy styling of Elsa wispy pulled back bangs, and I did not want to have to cut them myself.  (I'm dangerous with scissors, like that time I tried to cut my own bangs... oh, man!)

So to sum up my review, here's my ratings:

color:        ♥    ♥  

length:   ♥  ♥    ♥  

volume: ♥  ♥    ♥  

quality:     ♥  ♥  ♥