THE LAZY COSPLAYER- Impractical Lady Armour

When you can't afford the ever popular Worbla and you don't have a smithy to make you armour, what do you do?!

RESORT TO CRAFT FOAM.

So this tutorial is for making inexpensive lady armour. (I'm serious. I think I spent $30 max on this breast plate) Obviously you will have to adjust it to your personal needs. I kind of winged this the first time I made this, so I've figured out what works and what I should do next time.

TIME- 5 hours (approx. including wait times for paint to dry, NOT including getting references and supplies.)

DIFFICULTY- Beginner

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1.Reference Picture.(you will want to have a basic sketch or picture of the armour you want to make. I sort of winged it since I wasn't set on making a replica of anything in particular.)

2.Some paper and a writing instrument. (This is for drawing out all the pieces of armour on paper and pin them to your base to see how its going to look before you go and cut them all out.) Check out this tutorial for a great way of making a pattern with some cling wrap and tape.




3. Base.  Your base is what you are going to build on top of. I used an old bathing suit that was a little big. You could also use a old bra or cheap corset.The reason for using this is that it already provides some support for your ladies and you know it fits. Ideally you will want to make sure it isn't too tight/stretched on your underbust because foam doesn't really stretch. (Seriously, foam is very chill and doesn't take stress well) I personally like having ties/lacings/bra snaps at the back.  You could however cut it so your ties are at the side (more like how traditional armour is made. This is entirely up to you. You don't really see the back of mine because I wear a cape or jacket with Loki so it wasn't a big deal for me what the back looked like.)

4.Craft foam. (I purchased a package of 50 sheets for about $2 at a local dollarstore. However you can get large rolls at craft stores like Michaels for about $8-$15 (you will probably have to ask an employee to pull them from the back for you). This may be an option if you can't get sheets big enough for your pattern. I didn't use all 50 sheets. More like 10 ish)

5.Scissors or a xacto-knife. 

6. Hot Glue Gun (I have a heavy duty one. Cost about $6, but its so hot it gives you blisters if you touch the glue by accident. However, I don't recommend going with a light use ones as the glue for whatever reason really doesn't hold on well to things in hot weather. ie. Florida and the like.)

7. Flex Seal (Video- Flex Seal) If you don't know what flex seal is, it's a spray on plastic that is used to fix leaks and generally make things water proof. It's very durable and I basically use it on almost all my foam props. You can get it at places like Walmart, or hardware stores. There's other brands as well (Leak Seal is what I happened to pick up, but it's the same thing. Plastic). They retail for about $12.00 and come in white, black and clear. I personally prefer white or black just because its easier to see where you have sprayed. Clear would be beneficial if you aren't going to paint your armour/prop after.

OTHER BRANDS INCLUDE- Plasti-Dip, Leak Seal, Flex Seal, Permatex. (I have only ever used Leak Seal or Flex Seal as that is what the Walmart near me had. But the principle is this... it is a spray on plastic sealant)

8. Spray Paint. (in your desired colours. Alternatively you can use acrylic paint, but I find spray paint easier to work with and gives it a fairly even look. If you want weathered armour you could go in and use acrylics to weather it on top of the spray paint and then seal it after)

9. Plastic garbage bag (or any kind of "drop sheet" This is so you don't damage anything while spray painting or sealing.)

OPTIONAL ITEMS

Decorative pieces like gems or stencils. (ie. say you wanted to make Elsa armour and you have some snow flakes hanging around that you want to include)

Heat gun. This is if you want to mould your foam. Foam will heat up and then you can press it over a rounded object and hold it there until it cools. This is an alternative way to make your lady cups. However I am too lazy for that. (Though it would also be good for making rounded shoulder armour) If you are interested in that method I'd check out the links below.

Additional Info & Sources-

LEATHER LOOK TUTORIAL

(Another way to create "crackled leather" is to scrunch some tin foil up, flatten it out a bit again and iron it onto your foam. There's a mini tutorial online somewhere that I saw, but I'm having trouble finding it again)

EVA FOAM TUTORIAL- (Eva foam is that playmat foam you can get at Walmart. Bit more expensive but also really durable. However you will need some additional tools)

CRAFT FOAM BREASTPLATE TUTORIAL- (This one is really handy for showing how you can make a pattern and also making foam armour without a base. I would however use flex seal or similar product to toughen it up and make it more durable)

_________________________________________________

Step 1 - PLANNING

What do you want your armour to look like? How far do you want your armour to go down your torso?  Pull some reference photos and then start figuring out on paper what pieces you are going to need. Make a pattern if you want. (highly advisable) See the video tutorial above for a great way of making a pattern)

I personally skipped this the first time since I sort of made my armour up as I went. (It was a trial and error process) But if you are going to accuracy then definitely do this. Cut your pieces out and label them. Better yet, pin them on your base to see how they will fit.

** I AM GOING TO UPDATE THIS WHEN I START WORKING ON MY SECOND ARMOUR.

Step 2. - CUTTING THE PATTERN OUT

Cut all your foam pieces out. (Label them or alternatively use different colours of foam to see which pieces go were) I used scissors for all of mine, but exacto knives also work.

Step 3. BUILD!

Now is when you are going to heat up your glue gun and start building!

I unfortunately didn't get a picture of the bottom bit. I glue on two sheet of foam to the bottom of the swim top and then built on top of that to length the armour.

Step 4. Decorations (optional)

This is where you can take your glue gun and add decorations.I used the glue gun to add swirls similar to what I used for my Loki Horns.

Step 5: TRY IT ON

So before you get ready to spray the plastic on, try your armour on, This is be the last chance to make any big changes.


Step 6: LEAKY SEAL TIME

Take your armour out to a well ventilated area. Put something down to protect your surface. I opened up a garbage bag for this purpose. Lay your armour flat. (Alternatively if you have a manikin you can use the plastic to protect your manikin and then have your armour on there)

Shake your can of Flex Seal up and spray the front section of your armour. (If you are using white or black flex seal this also acts as your primer for painting) Then wait for it to dry, turn over and do your back section. I only had to do one coat, but if you notice you missed some sections or crevices (this is when the brightly coloured foam comes in handy) you can go over it again. Make sure you clear the nozzle once you are done with the Flex Seal. (To do this follow the instructions on the can. It's usually just turning it upside down and spraying it on plastic till the nozzle clears. That way you can use it again without having a clogged nozzle)

Once it's dry, try it it on again. It should still fit the same but be a lot more durable. The great thing about Flex Seal is that it is "flexible" and allows the armour to bend a fair bit without getting any cracks. (Though the more "stress" you put on the foam, the higher the chance of getting little hairline cracks there is)

Step 7: PAINTING

I usually give my props a couple hours in between flex sealing and spray painting.

Since it's armour, I use a metallic spray paint. They actually have quite a few different metallic colours out now. If your armour is going to be an "unusual" colour (blue or pink or something like that) you may want to get a shiny clear coat for sealing it, if your base colour is matte. Again it's all up to you and what you want for your personal armour.

If you want you can go with acrylic. However this will usually leave brush strokes. I only use acrylics for weathering my armour, or for small details. (Shadowing, intricate designs or spraying "blood" on)

(Lady Loki armour as it will be worn underneath my jacket)

Step 8- ADDING DECORATIONS

This is when you will want to add any additional decorations, such as gems that you didn't want painted over.

Step 9- SEALING

Couple of options. Get a clear spray paint sealant.

Or if you were using clear Flex Seal, then that works great too. (and adds that extra protection)

Alternatively, spray paint is pretty good at sealing itself. But this is just added protection.

Step 10- WEAR IT

Parade around in your awesome new armour.

And share pictures! I'd love to see how this tutorial worked out for you!


** THERE WILL BE A VIDEO TO FOLLOW WHEN I PUT TOGETHER MY NEXT SET OF ARMOUR. (Which is hopefully going to be less "impractical" and more styled after Sif's armour) This was a trial run, so I didn't really get as many photos as I should have. I will also update this with some more info and pictures later.

If you have any questions hit me up on Facebook (DJ Cosplay) or in the comments here.

Maze Runner Trilogy Review

The Maze Runner is the first book in a young-adult post-apocalyptic science fiction trilogy of the same name by James Dashner. (Wikipedia)


So I bought the Maze Runner box set just before the holidays, but I didn't get around to starting it until the new year. (Just in time for the Reading Challenge)

Short Version- 3.5/5 stars.

Long Version-

I'm not big on post-apocalyptic worlds to begin with, but I saw the trailer for the movie and it looked interesting. The library had something like a 70 person waiting list, whereas I could buy the box set for $15.00.

I found the main character Thomas interesting, however the whole first chapter was a struggle to get through. (Something I imagine the main character felt as well)  The new slang (which was rarely explained) was hard to wrap my head around as was imagining the Grievers.

Once I got through the first couple chapters the book went by in a breeze. It was horrific to think that people where putting these children through such terrible conditions and elements as a scientific study.

I finished the book within a couple hours and then dissatisfied with the ending, I had to finish the trilogy that night.

I won't spoil the rest for you, but I was mildly irritated once I did finish it. (Even more so then when I read Divergent)

Then a week later I decided to read the prequel to see where all this disease had come from.

I may have thrown the book across the room shouting about the stupidity of government.

SPOILERS-





The Flare is a man made disease released by the government to curb the population in light of declining resources due to the Solar Flares (which were a natural occurrence)

THEY DID THIS KNOWING THAT IT WASN'T READY. THEY DID THIS KNOWING THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A CURE. THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A WAY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM GETTING THE DAMN THING.

WHO THE FUCK PUT THESE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF SCIENCE THINGS!

2015 Reading Challenge

Here are the categories for the 2015 Reading Challenge. Pop Sugar did a wonderful job creating a fun list! Counting the trilogy, there are 52 books total. 

1. A book with 500 pages- The Vikings: Life & Legend (Fin February 1, 2015)
2. A classic romance
3. A book that became a movie
4. A book published this year (2015)
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book written by someone under 30
7. A book with nonhuman characters
8. A funny book
9. A book with a female author
10. A mystery or thriller
11. A book with a one word title
12. A book of short stories
13.  A book set in a different country
14. A nonfiction book
15. A popular author’s first book
16. A book from an author you love but haven’t read yet
17. A book you own but never read
18. A book a friend recommended- How to Build a Girl (finished January 18, 2015)
19. A Pulitzer prize winning book
20. A book based on a true story
21. A book at the bottom of your to read list
22. A book your mom loves
23. A book that scares you
24. A book more than 100 years old
25. A book entirely based on its cover
26. A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t
27. A memoir
28. A book you can finish in one day
29. A book with antonyms in the title
30. A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit
31. A book that came out the year you were born
32. A book with bad reviews
33. A trilogy - Maze Runner (finished January 5, 2015)
34. A book from your childhood
35. A book with a love triangle
36. A book set in the future
37. A book set in high school
38. A book with a color in the title
39. A book that made you cry
40. A book with magic
41. A graphic novel
42. A book by an author you’ve never read before
43. A book that takes place in your hometown
44. A book that was originally written in a different language
45. A book set during Christmas
46. A book written by an author with your same initials
47. A play
48. A banned book
49. A book based on or turned into a tv show
50. A book you started but never finished

1st Anniversary.

Next Wednesday marks one year since I started working at a law firm as a Legal Assistant. Ironically Harry Potter lead me here and I'm finally starting to feel like I've settled into the position. I'm a receptionist/transcriptionist/personal assistant. I make calls, receive calls, run around filing things, and draft plenty of documents. It's sometimes hectic, yet sometimes slow. It's also the first year I've pulled off being able to work 2 jobs at once. (I still make pizza's on the weekend)

While not being my first "real" job, it certainly is what allowed me to move out on my own and in a way is akin to my first anniversary as an adult.

At least... an 21 year old adult who still indulges in geek conventions and gets excited over the new releases of Marvel movies. My house is decorated in superhero helms and framed posters of Daleks. My spare room is called the Batcave and a TARDIS holds all my movies.

But hey... I'm an adult that is young at heart still. I still pay the bills, and get groceries all on my own ;)

Cheers xoxo.

I'm Here Today Because of a Boy with Dark Hair and Glasses.

Someone has finally written the reasons as to why Fandom means so much.

Hannah at Literally Darling has done it. Check it out below.

http://www.literallydarling.com/blog/2014/08/20/fandom-matters/

MY THOUGHTS

I've often wondered what kind of person I would be without Harry Potter in my life. The possibilities make my cringe actually. I wonder if I would be as accepting as I am now. If I would be as willing to embrace the weird, and the wonderful. I know I certainly wouldn't have the job I do now without Harry Potter.

Harry Potter has been in my life since the 3rd grade. My cousin bought me Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on VHS (just saying that makes me feel old...) for my birthday. It was magical. It was amazing. Quidditch drew me in. (After all who doesn't want to play a sport on broomstick in the air?) It certainly helped that my uncle had build a broom ride at the top of the hill for her. It was a zipline between two trees and you dragged your broom to the top of the hill to 'fly' down to the bottom. (I'm terribly fond of trees, probably for this very reason.)

I was hooked.

In 4th grade I attended a small private Christian school. (My parent's aren't religious, but they thought me being homeschooled and then thrown into public school at that age wouldn't be a good idea. I was a bit of a little shit at home) Harry Potter was banned here, but that certainly didn't deter me. By that point I'd decided to read the books. I snuck my copy of Goblet of Fire into the school to show my best friend. She too loved Harry Potter. We even skipped school to go see Prisoner of Azkaban (They gave lego out at the theatre too, but I have long since lost my Lego Knight Bus)

5th grade found me recruiting some other girls to a Harry Potter trivia competition. We lost by one point. The question we lost on was "What are Bludgers made of? Iron or Lead?" I'd mistakenly chosen Lead....forgetting that indeed pencils are made of lead and therefore are much softer.

In 6th grade I was made fun of for owning Harry Potter crayons because I was a girl... and Harry Potter was for boys. Needless to say, I kept those crayons. (Thankfully I'm a fairly thick skinned person when it comes to bullying)

I got grounded at one point for being a smart alec and instead of saying you can't go out, my mum took away my Harry Potter books. I was more upset about this then most kids would be. I snuck into the kitchen and read them at night with a flashlight.

By highschool I was a bit more quieter about my love Harry Potter and all things geeky. Halloween continued to be my favourite time of the year (Which is for sure what lead me to CosPLAY). I joined dance and theatre, my favourite parts being costuming and the show itself. My group dance project for my graduating year was Pirate of the Caribbean themed.

I heard about Harry Potter conventions. I remembered the broadcastings of Midnight releases (which never happened in our town) on Mugglenet and the LeakyCauldron. I distinctly recall thinking how awesome it must be to play life size wizard's chess. (At one of the midnight releases this happened)

I found out about LeakyCon shortly after I graduated. It was a month before the convention, and I wouldn't be able to attend, but there would be another one the next year. I was determined to go. I went to college for Legal Administration, and finished my exams early so I could attend LeakyCon Portland 2013. In order to get my certificate for my course I would need to complete a 60 hour practicum. (Which I had to find myself... and I had no luck in finding one in the 3 weeks before I left)

My best friend Sarina came with me to Portland. It was a long bus ride from Canada and but an amazing adventure. The energy at LeakyCon is so positive. (My favourite moment was the morning before the convention started and we were downtown Portland and there were folks in cloaks everywhere)

On our last night in Portland we got dinner with Sarina's parents friends. (They're Canadian, but live and work in Portland). Jay's wife just so happened to have a friend who was a legal assistant in the city where I was applying and said she would ask her about getting me a practicum.

A phone call later and I got the practicum. After I finished my 60 hours I got my certificate. On one of my last days at the office, one of the assistants at a different firm in the building was leaving for her new job. The girl who got the job was A.

This is were things get ironic. No, I did not get the job in the building. Rather Am who got the litigation assistant position, left one open at another solicitor's firm. WHICH I GOT! and it is exactly the kind of law firm I wanted to work for to begin with. Small and focuses on Wills, Estates, and conveyancing.(selling and buying of houses)

So moral of the story... Read Harry Potter.... it just might get you a job.

LeakyCon 2014- Orlando Day 1

I'm sitting at my computer. I'm feeling midly nervous. Butterflies are in my stomach. Open at the Close tickets are going on sale in 10 minutes.

Feeling anxious as the page was loading, I thought there is no way that these tickets will sell out in under 10 minutes.  Me and my roommates were messaging each other as our tickets were confirmed. I was fast... I was a ninja.... I got my Open at the Close ticket in 6 minutes.

Right before they sold out at 7 minutes.

I felt incredibly relieved and mostly shocked. The last time they held this event it sold out in a week. Admittedly Diagon Alley is new still. I felt so bad for those who didn't think it would sell out so soon and missed it.

I did dance around like a lunatic in my parent's kitchen though. (They let me come over to use their computer since their Internet is better then mine) It felt like I'd just won the world cup. Not only did I get to go to Florida for holidays, I would get to go to Universal's Harry Potter parks... at night... with other witches and wizards.

Later we found out that rides would shut down by the time our official park event was to start. While there were many compliants about this, I wasn't bothered. Rollarcosters aren't my thing to begin with. (If you've ever been to West Edmonton Mall, you will understand why) The only ones I was particularly interested in was Gringotts and Forbidden Journey. (If the lines weren't too long). I was mainly excited about exploring the shops and hidden bits of the parks.

____________

Orlando time

___________

I was at the convention centre early. I was meeting the awesome Rebecca who runs the Tumblr side of my LeakyCon Cosplay Community page to give her some  of the page's cards to hand out. Registration wouldn't open till 11, but by 9:30 people were already beginning to show up. I figured I might as well stay and see how things went. The main LeakyCon banner was in the process of being put up still.

(Let's geek out)

Line Con officially started at 11. Registration was delayed till 12:30. I was about 10th in my line, so I lucked out quite a bit. I got my swag bag, tickets and pass. I was also able to make it to the Canadian Meetup.(and Canadian Enthusiasts)

(Not everyone in this photo is Canadian)

LineCon was still happening as we left the convention center around 3 to head back to our hotel to get ready for the park event. By this point they were asking people to please leave if they were not attending the Open at the Close event. It was imperative that those attendees got their ticket so that they could catch the bus to Universal. I know this was really frustrating for everyone involved, from the people that needed their tickets for the park event to those who has been waiting in line for ages to be told to come back tomorrow because they couldn't get through everyone that day.

We came back from our hotel dressed out in our school uniforms.

(Hufflepuffs rule)

We got to Universal around 4:30 and were let into the park for 5. We went straight to Diagon Alley. The Gringott's ride was a wait time of 3 hours, which we did not plan on spending there. So we wandered Diagon Alley  and then went off to Hogsmeade to see what the line for Forbidden Journey was. That was only about an hour and  a half. This is around when our group lost members and got split up. ( Somewhere between entering the park and Diagon Alley we lost Emma, and then we lost Emily and Abby to the rest of Universal - but at least we knew about that-)

Entering Diagon Alley was magical. I've never been to a theme park before in my life, but this was more then that I think.

(Lens Flare curtsey of JJ Abrams) 

You walk through muggle London. You see the Knight Bus for the first time. (If you're me you freak out a little bit, because never in your life did you imagine you'd actually make it here). Walking through the wall to Diagon Alley was another magical moment. Hedwig's theme is playing, and you feel at home. It's just like the movie, but with more muggles wandering through. (Like a lot more... At one point around 9 I was feeling very overwhelmed. I hadn't eaten much, was feeling hot, and I was surrounded by people and crying children)

The park started making the muggles leave at 10, and the food was being set out at 10:30. We were hanging out at the back of the Three Broomsticks at this point since it was the quietest part of the park then. The Hogwarts Castle was lighting up and it was beautiful. Unfortunately my camera couldn't pick it up very well as we were farther away.

The real magic was about to begin. Everywhere you looked people were in robes, food carts lined the streets and the shops were light up. Every display was unique and most of them had some magic to them. From self stirring cauldrons to Mrs. Weasley's knitting, everywhere you looked was something new.

All the Universal crew were in character. There were a few instances were they came out of character with some prodding. One guy at Borgin and Burkes explained the 5 point questions he was asked in order to get a job at this park. (He couldn't name the 4 positions of quidditch, but was able to list dark curses... hence why he's working at Borgins). We had a lvoely conversation with one of the Hogwarts Express attendants. She normally works at Ollivanders, but extra staff were needed for the night.

By far my favourite crew member was the Knight Bus conductor. He was quirky and weird and the talking head was fantastic. I was expecting it to have set sayings or generalized ones. Then it commented that I have more ink on my leg then the Daily Prophet. (I have a TARDIS tattoo on my leg)

(Dat gurls got more ink on her leg dare then da Daily Prophet)

(We found Emma again by this point!)

As for the rides, I made it onto the Forbidden Journey before it closed. That was neat. It felt like I was riding on a broomstick, and while the ride got stuck twice (once in Aragog's nest and once in the Basilisk Chamber- BOTH which I am kind of afraid of) it was fantastic.

The Hogwarts Express was almost like a ride in itself. The first time I went on it, we were sitting with this muggle family and the kids were ruining the magic... They kept saying oh it's just a screen. They just recorded it. SHUSH children!

The second time back to Diagon Alley we got a compartment to ourselves. Nicole snapped a picture of me freaking out happily over everything.

(Don't mind me... I'm never leaving)

I have since proclaimed that the Hogwarts Express alone was worth $150.00 (seriously... I almost cried with happiness)

The food- I mainly stuck to the salad and dinner rolls that were offered. I dislike stew for the most part, and it was still hot out. The eggs were a bit odd, and Nicole said they weren't done correctly when we tried them. The desert trolly had various cakes which we tried. The line for Florian's Icecream parlour was too long in my opinion for dixie cup samples. We did get some frozen butterbeer, and a cold tea type drink. Frozen butterbeer is much better in my opinion then regular butterbeer. It's more like a slushie.

We finally left the park around 2am. Tired but happy.

UP NEXT- Day 2 - The convention begins!


All my photos from Open at the Close are here 

LeakyCon 2014 ORLANDO- The beginning

So I've come to the conclusion I only blog after conventions... and occasionally before.

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend LeakyCon 2014 Orlando this year. It was held at the Orange County Convention Centre, and was 5 days of awesome nerdiness.

I flew out of B.C Sunday night. This would be my first time flying international and I was a bit nervous. So naturally I got picked for extra screening....AT EVERY AIRPORT. What did make me feel better about leaving was as I was about to board the plane, the airport music had changed to Lord of the Rings. I'm going on an ADVENTURE!

I had a layover at LAX which was long (thank god). Customs almost didn't let me into the States. Since my passport photo was taken 2 years ago, I have cut almost all my hair off and now sport a pixie cut. The customs officer asked me about 30 different questions, and finally let me through after he decided that indeed.... my chin still looked similar to the one on my passport.

If you have never been to LAX, you are most fortunate. It took me about 20 minutes to find my departure gate (and this included having directions). It does however have the coolest sparkly floors. They literally look like you're walking on pixie  dust. So that was kinda magical. I was also incredibly worried I was going to lose my luggage since I had to get it and then hand it off to someone else who was just like yes.. yes.. no worries.

(It's now 2am... and I think my luggage is lost)

I landed in Orlando first thing Monday morning to the humidity that Florida is known for. It was akin to walking into a sauna for the first time. I don't particularly like saunas... I barely like hot springs. on the plus side. My luggage made it through, even if it now looked like someone did lines of cocaine off it.... (There was white powder crap on it).

Arriving at the Rosen Plaza ( I was one of the few who didn't have their room moved on them) a bit tired and hungry I found myself locked out of my room. (My friend Abby had arrived the night before and had put the dead bolt on) Thankfully she woke up and let me in.

(Quirrel forgives you for locking me out of the dungeon)

I couldn't sleep. I mostly just allowed being overtired to take over and dress up like Quirrell.... TROLL IN THE DUNGEON... Slytherins to your dormitories. Hunger ensued so we went on an adventure to Dennys where I ordered Belgium Waffles and found out that the whipped topping isn't whip cream... its butter. It doesn't taste good in globs in your mouth.

Eventually through Monday afternoon and Tuesday all my room mates joined us. We even had a temporary room mate... PIZZA GIRL. (Actually her name is Margot and she is very awesome. Check out her channel and especially this song --> Margot's Pizza Song )

Tuesday I spent stuffing swag bags.... like a lot of swag bags. I never want to see button pins again... SO YOU ALL BETTER APPRECIATE THOSE STEAMPUNK CLOCK PINS. (And if you got more then one in your bag that's because I love you... and not because at point me and my partner were jokingly fighting over who got the pin in the bag first)

UP NEXT - Open at the Close Private Event