Looking back at 2013 - My year in cosplay

Thank you for a fantastic year, your comments and questions have made it very interesting and fun for me. I have done so much this year and learned even more.

I got to know a lot of new wonderful people and spent more money than I want to admit on wigs, fabric and paint. So let me sum up 2013 with the costumes I have made, and gosh I have been busy!

I have to start off with Vi, the idea came to me late January and it took about four months to make. 

Photo by Pål Andresen

Then another two months to improve it before NCC.

Photo by: Joacim Schwartz

I even made a backup costume as Vanellope von Schweetz this spring, I love Wreck it Ralph. I don't really look like 6 year old, but I like candy. Note to self, get a better photo of this costume

Then I followed up with making my first elvish costume, the Wood elf. And I felt really beautiful :)

Photo by: Nils Katla Photagraphy

And I even made a cosplay that is not from a game, Codex from the Guild. I made it mainly because I wanted that staff. 

And I had to make Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite.... Not my best, but very fun. 

...And then I got to create something for my own, the Sea Goddess.

Photo by: Nils Katla Photagraphy

I recycled a few more costume parts and made a Spirit Elf.

Photo by: H. Nyhus

And strutted down the red carpet in my demon outfit.

I learned how to style wigs with my Lilith costume.

Photo by: H. Nyhus

And I added more horror as a Splicer from Bioshock 2.

Photo: Tom Vidar Johanessen

Then I ended up with creating more styles like this post apocalyptic bad ass

Photo: Kake Yamamura

and this steampunk adventurer

Photo by: H. Nyhus

And let's not forget that trip where I went out looking all Asari.

In between all of this I have made several zombies

Photo: Selfie ;)

Photo by: Danarki

And something extra for Halloween

Photo by: H. Nyhus

Being pretty as Morrigan and leveling in sewing technique.

Together with Karin Olava Effects

In the end of the year I was very tired, but I had to make just one more costume - Death Elf

Photo by: Artano Photography

... And another bloody makeup. 

...ehem, and one Christmas inspired deer makeup. 

To sum it up I have made  7 Cosplays and 14 Original characters/looks this year. That is more than a costume each month. And it is all documented for you on this blog ;) And i can't wait to start on next years projects. 

Happy new year

Merry Chrixtmas

I love Christmas, or jul as we say in Norway. And this year I got the best present, my sister got home from Australia one month before she had led us to believe. Truly the best Christmas gift ever :D Now we get to plan many, many more cosplays together.

Sometimes we have snow, sometimes it melts. I love the snow, it is so bright and quiet. This year we have a rainstorm :( So I have play a bit Skyrim this morning to find any snow at all.

IIZ SLEN NUZ

Traditions
I love this holiday and my family traditions. Every year on the morning of the 24th we watch the Czeck/east German movie from 1973 - Three nuts to Cinderella. And the Norwegian version is dubbed by one man, Knut Risan. And I mean one man, he does all the voices, with the czech as backnoise. It is kinda sweet and it is tradition, so no point even trying to change it now.

 Cinderella and the Prince

The stepsister Dora and the stepmomther

And the food. 
Traditional Norwegian Christmas food is either "Ribbe" roasted pork side (like a huge piece of bacon) or "pinnekjøtt" which is salted sheep meat steamed on branches. I don't like neither and luckily my familiy prefer Turkey. Although not as sweet as the American style, I think ours is more salty. And brussel sprouts, I love brussel sprouts. 

I was blond once, but not now (like red or black better) 

Christmas Cards
This year I have written a record amount of cards, not many per say, but many for me. After tweeting about writing them, I got requests to send to followers at twitter. And why not, that's just fun. Handwritten cards is a dying tradition in Norway, but I did my part. 

Merry Christmas from Piltover
And I even made some Christmas cards together with Tine Marie Riis, Holiday style Caitlyn and Vi. 

Yulegoat?
We also have a tradition called "julebukk", similar to Halloween. Children dress up and go to houses and sing in return for candy. Here is the Deer makeup I did earlier in December, but no "julebukk" for me, I'm too old. 

 

Merry christmas

Codex from the Guild Cosplay

OMG Codex. I love codex and Felicia Day, but since so many others have cosplayed her I wasn't sure if I wanted to. But I could at least build the staff - and so I did - but how could I stop with just the staff. After all I already had red hair (at that time). 

I have made corsets before, so I started with this part. But this pattern was made by me taping my abdominal region and drawing on where I wanted the seems to go and the cutting out the separate pieces. Please be careful if you intend to use this method, it can hurt if you tape directly on your skin. 

If not you can use this tutorial to make an underbust corset pattern. 

Fabric was cut into shape 

And sewn together with two vertical pockets for the bonnet on either side of each seam. For bonnet you can use el strips. 

The edges were lined with gold ribbon

In the middle of the corset there is a section of white fabric

And the plastic rubies were sewn on the front (these are bought at Saab Tekstil in Oslo).

The head band.
I just bought golden rings and red rubies and glued with contact glue (hot glue gun will not work) on to a golden head band. 

Test on my messy hair. 

The arm guards are made from a single piece of fabric with gold trimmings and golden grommets. 

The dress
Plainly said, I took white fabric and sew it over a bikini top. And Since her dress has pointy shoulders I added card board to stiffen them up. 

Added a gold ribbon along the edges and red rubies for details.  Most of the top is covered by the corset a. For the skirt I was lazy and just used a skirt I already had lying around. 

The back

Too bad My shoes didn't get finished. 

And here you have it, cospaly just for the fun of it :)