Goodbye 2012!

So here we are - the end of the year. It’s not a big deal really because when the clock rolls over to midnight life will be pretty much the same as it always is with no changes. Well, I say that. There are New Year’s Resolutions and stuff. It does seem like an appropriate time to start over.

How am I celebrating you ask? At home alone with a glass of wine, listening to music (non-holiday related) while giving one of my cosplay weapons a new coat of paint, and waiting for TV to get good again. Sounds amazing right? Soon there will be the addition of comforting my cat while he’s terrified of the fireworks. So, let’s have some end of the year type stuff.

3 Highlights of My Year

A lot of good happened this year. Since I left school each year gets better and better. Here are just three of the things that made this year great (of course, it adds up to more if you count how many times each actually happened):

• Prose Class – The highlight of second year’s first semester had to be the prose module. The workshop group was just such a fun place to be and it proved to me that you can get constructive criticism from university (unlike a certain event from the beginning of this year). Really though, everyone was great and I don’t think there was a day someone didn’t say something that made me laugh. Our tutor was great too and I’ll miss not having her in any of the next semester’s modules.

• Fun with Friends – I don’t think I’ve ever had such an eventful social life as I’ve had this year. There are a group of people I’ve been spending time with almost every month and it’s always a highlight of my month. Then there’s been the anime society, which has been amazing as always, and even flatmates that are fun to spend time around now.

• Expos – The two biggest highlights of my year once again were the MCM Expos. There’s just so much fun and happiness involved, it’s the greatest place in the world! This year was special because I could go for whole weekends and I was able to start making my own stuff for it. Next year’s will be even better, I’m sure of it!

2012 New Year’s Resolutions, Did I Succeed or Fail?

I made a whole list at the beginning of the year, let’s take a look:

1. Write at least one short story a day. X

I just couldn’t pull it off. I did get a few written though so that’s something at least.

2. Get better grades in my uni classes. ü

So far this has gone really well. I’ve only got a couple of grades back from this semester but they have been really good.

3. Be healthier. ü

Okay, so I’m probably still not super healthy but I’ve made some big improvements this year. I’ve had a more balanced diet, and doing other things that are supposed to be good for the body. I admit I haven’t been great at exercising, though I have done a bit on and off. I have lost a little weight which I’m quite happy about.

4. Stick to the budget. ü

I’m counting this even though my budget is messed up at the moment because I did stick to the limits I gave myself and certain problems I have with it currently will soon be solved.

5. Get better at drawing. ü

I wouldn’t say there have been big improvements yet but there have definitely been some so I count it.

6. Finish all the games I currently own. X

Yeah… that was never going to happen. I will get through them all when I have time though.

7. Be more confident in social situations. ü

There have been big improvements here I’d say, especially in university.

5/7 is pretty good I’d say.

Special Mention

My cat Trixie died on the 1^st of May, aged 13. I’d had him since I was six and this is going to be my first year without him. Trixie, you were awesome! I will miss you.

So there we have it, time for a new year to begin.

Happy New Year everybody!

Chibi Ulquiorra Cosplay - New Plan

My plans for this cosplay have changed quite a bit. It’s probably a good thing.

So the plan for the bottom part is still the same. I’ll be using a pair of black leggings as a base and then adding black fur to it, as well as my tail. I’m so excited about getting a tail. In addition I’ve been trying to figure out what to do about my feet. I think I’m just going to use long black socks and then make claws to put where my toes are. It’s okay, shoes aren’t necessary at expo. I’ll probably do the same for my arms using long gloves.

As for the top half, well… last time my plan was just to use my binder and bandages. Here are the problems I found with that:

1.       I was worried it would still look like I was trying to do a female version.

2.       I thought it would look too much like the normal version instead of a chibi version.

My friend actually suggested something I think will fix both of these problems and it’s what I’m planning to do now. I’ll be making an Ulquiorra hoodie. This will be good because then I can probably just use the binder instead of bandages too, I should be able to get a bigger one by then so it shouldn’t keep falling down without extras. If it does, I can just wear the hoodie closed instead of open. This will also be helpful if it turns out the day I’m him is cold. My friend’s suggestion was to make the hoodie with the horns and wings attached. I’m a little worried it won’t look as impressive as making them properly as I was originally going to do, but it will certainly be easier and make it look chibi, which it’s supposed to be. Plus I really like the idea of having another hoodie with horns. With wings too, that’s just perfect. I think I’m going to put a ‘4’ on the chest too, even though Ulquiorra’s release form doesn’t seem to have that. Again, chibi version, it doesn’t have to look exactly like the real version, right? I think it will look good.

Then I just need to get a suitable wig, perfect my make-up, and get a load of white body paint.

I’ve actually drawn a picture of Ulquiorra in that form wearing the hoodie I’ve designed… just to see how well the look actually worked. I think it’s adorable. I’ll upload it here as soon as I get access to the scanner.

Silica Cosplay Part 1 - The Plans

I’ve been in a really cosplay obsessed mood lately, which is bad because I can’t afford to buy the things I need until February. So I’ve been using this time to plan out my costumes and I’ve decided to share what those plans are. First up, is Silica from Sword Art Online.

- I did consider using my real hair but it’s a little too dark. Silica’s one of those people where I had a problem figuring out if her hair was meant to be light brown or dark blonde (yeah, my eyes really can’t tell the difference half the time). I had so much trouble finding a suitable wig as well. I couldn’t find anything that seemed to be the right shade or length. Finally I just had to start looking for a character specific wig. I did manage to find a good looking one that isn’t much more expensive than a normal wig, now I just need the money to order it, and to hope they’re still selling them by the time I get it.

- The first layer of clothing should be fairly simple. My plan is to get a plain black t-shirt and black skirt and alter them as needed. That means cutting the shirt to the right shape (because I’m sure I won’t find one already in that shape) and sewing the yellow lines onto them by hand. I’m not sure actually whether hand or machine sewing will be better for that part but if I do it by hand I can do it while I’m still in Liverpool so I don’t have to wait until I get home to do everything. The socks will be done in the same way. For the part with the buckle I’ll be using a cheap little one with some of the fabric I cut off the shirt. The shoes will be done similarly. I’m hoping to find a cheap pair I can just alter to look like hers.

- The outer layer of clothing is a little trickier, for someone who’s never done this before anyway. It shouldn’t be too hard though. Basically I’ll be getting some red and yellow fabric, cutting out the shapes and sewing them together. That will be done with the machine; I’m not even going to try hand sewing with that part. I’m also a little worried about those extra yellow bits, like the crosses. This is why the costume will take longer to make than it has to, I’ll be spending a lot of time just making sure all the shapes are right. Hopefully I’ll have enough material leftover to make the gloves.

- I’ll be making the sheath and belt with fake leather. The weapons I was originally going to make out of wood but considering I don’t even have all the tools I’d need yet I’ve found a cheaper and what looks to be easier way of making them out of foam and paper mache. I’ll be following a tutorial I found online, and from what I’ve seen quite a few people including a couple I know use this method so hopefully it’ll be good. I do still hope to get the things needed to make wooden props at some point, but I need to save money at the moment. Making my own costumes seems to be helping with this too. Aside from the stuff I need to get to make this it will cost £50-60 including shoes and wig. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything for less than £100 (excluding my first costume). I’m not sure whether making the breastplate will work the same way but I’ve been having trouble finding a good way to do that so I might try it.

- I’m still not 100% on how I’ll be doing the anklet and hair accessories yet but I’m sure it won’t be too hard to figure out.

Cat Stole My Bed! (Generic Christmas Post)

Cute cat pics to make up for generic Christmas post!

I am home! Well, to be fair, I’ve been home for over a week now. I came back on the 13^th, but I’ve had a fairly lazy week where I’ve done nothing but talk to family, watch TV and play Sims 3. There was the Christmas party last Thursday, Christmas food shopping on I don’t remember what day, and spending hours on Tuesday with one of my best friends. Other than that, laziness. It’s a good thing. I needed a rest after the semester finally finished. That was an exciting time; it felt so good to get all my assignments in.

So now I have 2 weeks left to enjoy what’s left of the Christmas holiday, and I have a few plans. I’m cleaning and reorganizing my room, again. Expo left it a bit messy and the closet exploded from all the crap I stuffed in it. I also need to prep it for the next time I come back when I’ll finally be able to work on my cosplays. Hopefully that means finally getting the sewing machine up here. Perhaps I’ll even be able to start the wall painting finally. Cosplay planning is also going to be happening. I’ve planned everything for Silica over the last couple of days and I’m really excited to finally start. There are a couple of things I’ll still be able to do in Liverpool luckily so I won’t have to wait forever.

I’m also excited to get back to my console games. I can’t believe I’ve been too lazy to even set them up. There are a certain couple I want to go through but in general I’m just excited to be able to play again. I love my handhelds of course but there is a difference. Another thing I have to do is the research for my university Independent Study project. I’m doing a graphic novel so half of it is just reading them. That should be easy enough. Then I should start planning what I’m going to do for it.

There will probably be posts on all of these things.

As for the actual Christmas stuff… well, tomorrow I’m making biscuits following a recipe I got from one of my teachers who brought some in on our last day. They’re delicious and I’ve given up the chance to get a birthday cake in order to have them (we’re having budget Christmas again). Then I get to have my birthday on Monday which will be no different from a normal day because it’s budget Christmas and I’m having my birthday biscuits tomorrow but everyone still has to sing to me. Then Christmas, yay! At least we get a full Christmas dinner and we got a load of fruit and vegetables free thanks to our neighbour and lots of other yummy food. It’ll probably be just stay in and watch all the Christmas TV and listen to the Christmas songs thing as usual. At least I managed to get little trees from the 99p store.

Chibi Ulquiorra Cosplay Part 1 - The Basics

This is the first cosplay I’ve started for May mainly because I realised recently that I already have the basics for it. I’m not exactly using any actual chibi-type image as a reference pic but for the most part I’m going off of the original look, like this:

I’ll start by showing the basics I have for him and talking about how I’m planning to alter them and then go on to what I need.

So here I am:

I don't look anything like him yet, but that will change as the costume progresses.

First of all I’m going to lose more weight by the time I do this properly. I don’t feel like I have to look really skinny or anything but I’d like to have less than I do now. Especially for being someone who looks like that.

The bandages, well, unfortunately I’m a girl who likes to be a boy and boobs don’t help. Boys generally do not have boobs. So I was gonna have to wear something over them anyway. I use a binder to flatten them but it’s a bit small so without the bandages for extra support it keeps coming down. I’m hoping to have a bigger one for May but I think I’ll keep the bandages even if I do. I think they work as a cute addition for a chibi form, a benefit of not doing the actual version.

As for the bottom, I think the leggings work as they’re the right colour and fir to match the picture. The fluffy bits are going to be added to the thighs, I’m going to sew fake fur onto them, and then I’ll be adding a tail.

Now, the things I’ll need:

• Black fur - as mentioned above
• Black wig - I have a couple but neither is suitable for this cosplay.
• White body paint- It’s pretty obvious why I need that.
• Make up - I already have some in the right colours for him but I’ll have to check after I get the paint that it will go on top of it properly.
• Arms and feet - I do have an idea of how to do this but it’s a bit difficult to explain the idea in its early stages
• Wings – I was originally going to make full sized foldable wings but now I’m thinking as a chibi form I can get away with much smaller wings which will be cheaper and make moving around easier at expo. I’m not sure if I’ll use the foldable feature yet. There are a few things I need for this one.
• The horns – The idea at the moment is paper mache and I’m hoping I’ll be able to make them strong enough that way.

So those are my plans for now. Have I missed anything?

I’m also going to have kitty Grimmjow with me who I’m guessing will get a lot more love.

More updates as they become available, the next will probably be me trying to do the make-up, since I can’t really start the rest until February.

How I Do My Assignments

So I now have just under two 2 weeks left to finish 4 assignments and I’m feeling pretty good about it, particularly as two are basically finished.

This semester has gone by quickly for me and that’s probably a good thing since I have no money and very little food left. Anyway, since the assignment deadlines are getting so close I thought I’d go through the steps of how I complete each of my assignments. It took me a while to figure out in which way I work best (I didn’t have it perfected throughout school and college) but now that I know getting work done is a lot easier.

1.         Knowing what to do

My first step in beginning an assignment is always going over what I have to do again as well as taking note of the assessment criteria. From this I can usually develop a list of things that need to be included in the assignment, as well as how to write it. Another thing I do when I have a number of assignments is to list them in order of closest to furthest due date. That way, the closer ones can be given more attention. Of course, this only works if they’re a couple of weeks or more apart, obviously that technique won’t work for ones that are one day after another.

2.         Use interests

This is a benefit of being a creative writing student. For original writing pieces I decide based on what I like to write obviously, for the presentation on an author I’ve chosen my favourite, for my essay on a film I’ve chosen one of my favourites, and for any other writing piece I’ve chosen stories I like. Of course, there are cases where I need to find new stories as well and in that case I try to find ones that sound interesting. Not only does this make the work more fun, but it usually makes it easier to find things to write about as well.

3.         Method of writing

It can take some extra time writing on paper only to have to copy it onto the computer, but if you’re like me and find it easier to keep writing that way, it’s probably for the best. It’s also best to then recycle the paper when you’re done with it.

4.         Schedule

I hate to say it but it is a lot easier to get work done when you have a schedule. Currently I’m not scheduling in specific times for working on assignments but I am writing down which day I’ll work on which assignments. This is just as effective for me because I tick off each job as I do it and I hate to get to the end of the day with ticks missing. I’ve been using the same method for housework too. Scheduling things like this also makes it easier to space out each job, so I only have a few tasks to do each day.

5.         Plan

This is of course an important part of any piece of work. I like detailed plans usually but this semester I’ve been keeping it simple – bullet point planning for original pieces and short notes for each other assignment.

6.         Cut assignments into smaller pieces

Trying to get everything done at once is long and painful. I’ve found the easiest way to get things done is to split the assignment into smaller parts. For example, my analysis of two short stories is divided like this:

-           Structure

-           Characterisation

-           Description and dialogue

-           Other writing techniques

This is then done for each story. In a later draft, these things will be compared as well.

7.         1st draft

What I’ve learned this semester is not to worry too much about the first draft. I put effort into it of course but I make an effort to keep writing even if there’s a point I’m stuck on. This can make it come out worse than I might like, but this is the best way of getting the whole thing written and means I know what needs to be said, there just needs to be a better way of saying it. The ‘bad’ parts can be fixed in the next draft.

8.         Feedback and following drafts

We only get class feedback on our original pieces. I’ve been lucky this year in that I’ve only been given constructive criticism so far. Not all of this needs to be included in the final piece either of course, aside from the odd mistake it’s purely suggestion (although a certain awesome person did give me a great ending for my story). That’s why I prefer this kind of criticism, if I don’t agree with what someone’s saying usually I can at least see where they’re coming from and if I do agree well that just makes my work better. I like to do new drafts following every feedback session as a result. Then, as with those that do not get class feedback, they get looked at every few days. I’ve been lucky enough to get it so that I only really have to focus on one assignment each day now. I like leaving a few days between new redrafts as well because the time makes it easier to spot things that should be changed. Plus if I have to read them too much they start to bore me and make me hate my work.

So yeah, that’s pretty much it. With the four assignments I have left to finish I’m hoping to hand them in early. Well, I have to with those for the prose module because they’re due on the 17th and I leave on the 13th. It’s good to get the work finished before its due date though because I hate having to rush to get it finished, printed and handed in. Luckily I’ve been avoiding that for the most part so far.