Disturbing

The following images are not for the weak of stomach or of mind.

( This is what an extreme allergic reaction to flea bites looks like )

I have delivered the photos, as promised. I bet that some of you now wish I hadn't. *grins evily* You'll never be able to look at bubble wrap the same way again, will you?

Off day.

Or is that day off? I couldn't really work on anything today, everything's in limbo. I need supplies to arrive, I need downpayments to be made, there just wasn't much I could do today on the really big projects, so I took the time to make a prototype raccoon tail. I've wanted to do this for quite some time, and today seemed like a good day to do so.

http://bladespark.topcities.com/costume/sparklecoon.jpg

Spiffy, isn't it?

I have a problem though. The prototype tail was partly just so I could have one in my gallery to show off, but also so that I'd know how much work they are and how long they take so I can know how much to charge.

Well, to do a proper coon tail like this took 14 seams, about five hours, and nearly half a yard of fabric. That's not really good.

See, my normal size of standard tail, the fox tail, like this one, has two seams in it, and takes no more than an hour from start to finish, and uses less than a quarter yard of fabric.

So this coon tail is twice as much material, seven times the work, and to pay myself the same hourly wage I make while sewing a regular fox tail, I'd have to charge around five times the price. Since a fox tail is $35, times five would be $175.

I'm torn over this. I'd love to sell coon tails, but I can't imagine somebody paying $175 for one! Even one as awesome as that! I could redesign it to be skinny, shaped more like the fox tail, and that would cut it down to seven seams and just a quarter yard of fabric, so I could sell for $70 or so and make a good profit, but the smaller tail just wouldn't be as cool.

*sigh* Ah well. Perhaps after I have a sewing machine set up a working I'll be able to cut down the production time enough to sell these for a reasonable price.

Guardian.

This is currently hanging on my wall. I was going to scan it, but the scanner is currently out of commission, so I took a photo. Happily that turned out okay, once I tweaked the contrast a little in paintshop. The original still looks much better though.

http://bladespark.topcities.com/art/guardian.jpg

I told the artist of this that I wanted an oriental dragon, and I described Guardian's personality as best I could without getting too personal with a stranger. I said she was purple with a bit of red and a bit of gold. That's all I had to say, as I've never been able to get a really clear mental view of Guardian. This is what I got out of that bare description. And just seeing this has crystalized my mental image of Guardian. Interestingly enough, she's not exactly like this drawing. Her face is a bit different, the horns are the right shape but a touch too long, the scale pattern isn't quite perfect, etc. But it's awfully close, and the overall mood, look, and attitude of this is exactly what I wanted.

I'm so thrilled!

P.S. This same artist will probably be doing the cover art for the final version of Blood and Fire! Whee! (Now I just need to find the time to sit down and do some serious editing of that thing...)

P.P.S. This artist's stuff can be found at http://www.littlecrow.deviantart.com She's amazingly good and more than decently priced. That gorgeous thing up there? It cost me $40 Canadian.

*flop*

Well, today has been plenty busy. I painted a gryphon first, and then I spent the rest of the afternoon taking photos, uploading them, writing up descriptions, and pricing things, so now my for sale page is competely current with what I have available right now. I think. I may still be missing something or other, but if I am, don't ask me what it is...

Anyhow, full list of stuff I have finished and on hand, ready to ship, is right here now: http://bladespark.topcities.com/costume/sale.html

Yay!

Gryphon pictures will be posted later.

Gryphons.

Photos of the latest Windstone gryphon I painted. It's green!

http://bladespark.topcities.com/greengriff1.jpg
http://bladespark.topcities.com/greengriff2.jpg
http://bladespark.topcities.com/greengriff3.jpg
http://bladespark.topcities.com/greengriff4.jpg
http://bladespark.topcities.com/greengriff5.jpg