Avengers. Dude.

Okay so...I've seen Avengers about three times now...and is it one awesome movie or what?
So awesome, in fact, that its been messing with my ability to do anything that isn't related to it in some way or another.

Which has caused some...interesting results.

This is the LokiScarf, the first doubleknit I ever did!

Getting more to the point, I've opened an Etsy account.
Its nothing big or shiny or awesome, but its hopefully going to be worthwhile in the end and I'm rather proud of myself for going out and doing it.
You can find it here, at LokiKnits!
Currently the only thing available is custom, double-knit scarves, but that will be changing very soon. I'm in the process of figuring out how best to do my reversible wrist warmers, and once the basic pattern for those have been figured out they'll be available as well. Unlike the customs, however, they'll be more by what I've already designed.
The first ones will be Captain America themed at the request of my besty and they should be available by next week if I'm able to finish the prototype and modify the pattern in time.

In the future I also play to sell legwarmers--probably not knit, unlike most everything else--coaster sets with favorite logos on them, possibly some messenger bags...and various other little things from a polymer clay, FMA themed chess set to Cutie Mark Crusader capes.

Did I mention they'll be shiny gold on the inside~? Shiny. Gold.

Aside from my new shop, which is taking a good chunk of my energy, I'm also beginning to spend more time out at the barn as well. I'm working for my trainer by tacking up her horses and cleaning tack for her, which makes it so I can get "free" lessons. ;P Which is great, 'cause I've got a show coming up in July that I am crazy excited about. So much so, in fact, that you guys might have to deal with the occasional grooming/braiding/horse-related tip every now and then...sorry ahead of time?

I couldn't find a good picture of my horse where he wasn't looking derpy...so have this instead!

But lucky for you guys, I haven't COMPLETELY forgotten about cosplay...and what this blog is...ya know...about.
In fact, the next few months are gonna be pretty cosplay-tastic.
Funds wise I'm treading on eggshells, but I'm pleased to say that I haven't forgotten Penelope Spectra, and am basically just waiting for enough money to pay for the wig materials before I continue...so her costume has kinda been put on the backburner.
Rainbow Dash, however, will be done by this winter, as I will be presenting her at Ikkicon in Austin this year. ;] With me will be a hipster!Twilight Sparkle, as well as a lolita!Fluttershy and a very possible Pinkie Pie as well. As for the others...to be honest we three just don't know. It will depend on how...enthused our group decides to be.

And for those of you who recognized my friend's Clockwork Droid mask--I am sorry that I never continued the "GUESS WHO" dealeo, but things moved quickly and we all literally got sick the days we were supposed to do the photoshoot anyways...--there will be a Doctor Who themed group con pretty soon. I'm not entirely sure when I'll be presenting my character--End of Time Master, ladies and gentlemen!--but it will likely have to wait until when Walmart starts selling hoodies again. xD They are...surprisingly hard to find in the summer. Every place we went--including some awesome thrift stores, one of which presented me with my fabulous new friend Cow, who I will give pictures of next time--had literally everything but a hoodie. And yet I still ended up with short blonde hair by the end of the weekend.
Oh well.
Now that my roots have come in I look awesome so its all good. -thumbsup-

The huge wall of text scared me so here's a moose.

More in my line of "Must. Have"s, however, is the costume I've been designing for the last couple of days.
Several of my friends are doing Avengers cosplays--one genderbend and two normal-gender--and...as we are all disgustingly in love with the movie and the characters...it kinda...grew.
And got corrupted somewhere along the way.
So now we are in the process of planning an all-gender-bent Avengers get-together...and it looks like it actually might get done. Included in our cast is a female Banner--who, I must add while staring threateningly at the screen in a warning manner at her, will be letting me at her costume and will be wearing a motherfuckin' skirt with a motherfuckin' shirt that shows off motherfuckin' cleavage on this motherfuckin' pla...er...at this table. We also have a girl Tony, a girl Cap, a lady Thor(potentially...we should...probably ask her first), a chickie Hawkeye and a male Widow. Ironically our Widower is actually gonna  be cosplayed by the cutest member of our group...who is very much a girl. She is also making a true Widow, which I know for one, I am bouncing on the balls of my feet to see. She's gonna look incredible.
...I will probably have to handcuff my hands behind my back to resist the urge to squeeze her at regular intervals.
Its like one of those really really really cute things you just...you can't not touch.
Think of me as Patrick in a jellyfish museum.

That too.

Aside from the not-touching thing though, its gonna be pretty awesome. I've been cast as the female version of Loki--interestingly, the girl we're asking to be my lady-Thor is also cosplaying a male version of Loki.....and we're pretty similar in height...so...that could be pretty fun too--and I'm knee-deep in the redesign of his costume.
There are a lot of pretty good lady Lokis that are made to match the comic book version of her--and is she a doll or what? Look at this picture for a second.

Is she not class on a bass? I mean...look at that crazy crazy lady. Geez.

I'm in love with most of Loki's designs--I have a few favorites...like the wolven Narnia coat I'm too lazy to dig up--but for the most part, you see that one of up there being cosplayed...and I won't lie, they're pretty awesome. But I've only seen a couple people even take it upon themselves to design a new lady Loki based off of the Avengers' design of the costume, and I haven't even heard the slightest bit of murmur about a full costume off it. Well...except for some half-assed stuff that, I'm sorry you guys, but it just doesn't cut it. Putting on a store bought version of his movie costume, refusing to bind, wearing the wrong wig and heels...does not a Lady Loki make.

So I've been doodling a redesign of my own that tries to maintain the basics of Loki's costume in the movie, but that isn't a cookie-cutter exact replica. I'm also using some influence from the women in the Thor movie, as well as the Valkyrie and Enchantress just to get a feel of how the women dress and how the men dress and the big differences...aside from ya know...boobs. I'm going to try and stay away from the comic version, though. I love it, but it ain't what I'm after this time.

This is what I've come up with so far. It still has a lot to go, but I'm pretty fond of it so far. I plan on modifying a lot of the individual pieces of his costume, but there's a heckuva lot I'm working hard to keep. Like his chaps. I bloomin' love those things. They're awesome. I want to make some just to ride in they're so awesome.
This is just version one of who knows how many though so...I'll be posting a few updates on it I'm sure.

And last but not least in the cosplay world, I have a dream.

Uhm...close..? ...but no cigar.

I do have a dream though.
And while it does not include cupcakes or puppets or seeing glowing lights or playing piano...it does involve unicorns.
Well...
Kinda sorta..
Changeling close enough to a unicorn?
...Yeeeaaah.

Queen Chrysalis is currently my favorite pony of all time. I mean...c'mon. She's incredible, right? Right. Anyways, it is nothing more than a dream at the moment, but I really want to cosplay her. I say a dream, however, because I outright refuse to cosplay her without full freedom and the absolute ability to do like...whatever logic-defying thing I want.
As in...I need to be rich.
So when I'm rich, I'm digging this baby up and making something awesome.

This is a version and a half of what I'd do...these with heels. There's a HUGE part of me that wants to use digilegs to do this though, which would give me some crazy-awesome looming potential...and would give me the freedom to do some really manic stuff with her legs. Unfortunately digilegs cost around 700 US dollars...without shipping...so the chance of that is slim as they come.

Which is too bad...'cause digilegs are awesome. And stuff. Plus my friend is actually planning on doing Cadence.....as in the beat-up-i've-been-living-under-your-house version...and being able to stand and just loom over her...behind her...around her...all of that would just be amazing. But hey. I gotta get rich first.

Aaand I may have lied as I have one more thing to mention. Just a tiny mention though because I'm gonna be good and wrap this baby up...but here it is;

That's right. The Once-ler. A dear friend of mine is comissioning me to make this costume for her--and I am dying with excitement not only because the money would mean I could actually...ya know...make some of my costumes, but also because I mean....just...just look at him. Gawdyes--and I am very excited. So there.
As a side-effect of her and her mega-heels for her mega-long legs for me to make mega-pants I will be cosplaying the less-psychotic version of him at some point with her...if one of her sisters doesn't take the part. -le sigh/le shrug-

But yeah. That's what's goin' on in the world and its pretty awesome.
Stay tuned and sometime this week I'll do something useful and maybe hand out some kind of tutorial....or more likely I'll do a breakdown. ;P
In fact, I'll definitely do a break-down along with a bit of a 'why break it down' and a 'how break it down' to go along with it~
See?! I can be useful!

See ya Space Cowboy!