Cupid’s Arrow?

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

Not the bow (so pretty, though!) or range we used, but a neat shot I saw when we arrived early.

Oh, I just had to, sorry! This week, my husband and I celebrated 21 years together. As a nice date, we decided to do something I have wanted to do since I was a teenager at least, and something he hasn’t done in a long time.

We took an archery class.

We lucked out, and there were only three of us in the class (the other guy was very nice and we enjoyed his company a lot too).

The facility we went to is called Cinnamon Creek Ranch, and is apparently a very big facility in the area. I know they have a lot of events and things going on, because the past couple times we’ve wanted to go there was something big happening. Thankfully, it was nice and quiet that night!

The instructor, Bryan, was excellent. He was funny, very laid back, but VERY helpful. To be honest, I was worried what sort of instruction we might get before we even saw the place for the first time, but he was there offering tips and encouragement the whole time. He also kept us relaxed and would occasionally chat to allow us a bit of a break to rest our arms and shoulders. The class was 1.5 hours long, and except for safety rules in the beginning, we spent the whole time shooting. All of us were very sore at the end (and two days later, we’re really hurting heheheh! It was worth it though). He was concerned with making sure that above all else, we had fun (and we did!), and he came up with games to test our skills, or keep us laughing when we struggled a little.

We were given some Genesis bows to learn on, and no protective gear for our arm or anything else. Very simple.

I have been doing a little better with fibromyalgia pain, but my upper body strength is very weak these days. I didn’t whack my arm, but the string gave me some fun friction burns. They went away by the next day and I guess I did whack my arm once, since there is a light bruise — I barely felt anything though. It was an issue with my wrist and being able to keep the bow steady that caused the problem. By the end, I was better about having the correct positioning, but I was also very sore and tired. I will try to do some exercises to build upper body strength back up, and I feel like I got the hang of it enough that I would be able to quickly find the right positioning to comfortably focus on shooting again.

We even got a coupon for a free range fee, so I’m sure we will go back sometime soon, even if we share a bow/lane between us. It will be more expensive for both of us to practice together until we get gear, and maybe we’ll find something affordable a little sooner while we save up for the kit we really want.

We want to go with a traditional bow… long bow or recurve, and when we do range fees will be so affordable that there will be no excuse to go regularly. Until then, you can rent gear from them and keep up with practicing and figuring out what you want to buy.

I would not have changed a thing about the class or the experience as a whole. I’m sad it’s over, and can’t wait to go back again. There are all ages and interests there, and the shop seems to carry a lot of items as well. I didn’t even get to see all of their ranges, but apparently there is a lot of shooting space.

I’m just so thrilled this is so close to us for a change. Half the time, when I want to take a class or try something, I have to drive a distance to get to it, or just accept there is nothing in my area. So to have a facility like this… I couldn’t believe it when we first found it. I only wish we’d tried it sooner!

I wonder if they allow costumes for Halloween? At least maybe… elf ears? *whistles innocently* 😉

The few photos we took came out blurry, but here is Christopher’s target.

Posted in Christopher, Hobbies | Tagged | 3 Comments

deviantART, Kickstarter, etc.

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

Hello again! I’m definitely not updating as often as I used to. Mainly because I don’t have as much to show, and I don’t want random babblings bumping actual “look what I’ve been up to!” entries down.

I thought I would update about a few things, however.

First, I did end up creating a deviantART account: cfgriffith.

I’m still in the process figuring out how best to have my living space taken up by yet another hobby, as well as getting the art online. I’m currently using a tripod and a camera for that job. I also need to get some other things out so I can do more than just random sketching (I sure hope I don’t spill ink all over the middle of my living room floor — that would be about my luck!). I am trying not to rush things and enjoy getting back to drawing, so a lot of what I’m doing are just random sketches and head studies.

I have most of my art (three sketches so far) in the Scrapbook section of my dA account. Including a better copy of the Thorin sketch I posted in the last entry. I did finish a black pencil drawing of Thorin for the main gallery, however. I got tired of seeing blank space, and didn’t want to add any of my old art. You can see that here.

View quick pencil drawing here.

Finally, I thought I would mention a Kickstarter project I’m backing. I’m not a part of the company, I just wanted to help them and my elf ear tips were made by them. Please consider backing Aradani’s costume dwarf ears — they are halfway to their goal, and only have 12 more days to go.

My sewing projects are all currently on hold at the moment, so that’s why I’m focusing on art (and I really should try to practice my fiddle again while I’ve got some time). I could work on a few small things, but I don’t really have my heart in those projects right now. I’ll need to get back to sewing soon enough, but the break has been kind of nice.

Best Wishes everyone!

Posted in Art, Hobbies, Links | Tagged , | Comments Off on deviantART, Kickstarter, etc.

Thorin Sketch

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

As you may have seen in my last entry, I’m trying to get back to art.

Last time, I drew Bifur (and I still need to finish him). I used a more relaxed and cartoony style.

This time, I decided to add a little more detail in this sketch. It’s also a bit small, about 6 inches from top to bottom. I hope to enlarge it, transfer it, and work in some more detail and fix things while inking with a brush.

Sadly, the scanner we have isn’t compatible with our computers, so I’m still using photographs to share online. I really need to just get one — it’s so hard to do things like that when there are so many things I should upgrade or get. Isn’t that how it always is, though?

I would like to color it on my iPad or computer, but we’ll see if I’m able to get a scanner sometime in the near future. Regardless, I’m tired of having to rely on photographs to capture the detail.

At some point, I would also like to consider setting up a better way to display my art for sharing. I have a Flickr account, and I love how easy it is to share to places like Twitter and Tumblr (oh yeah — by the way, I’m on Tumblr now). I’m just not sure if I want to put my art on Flickr. I’m considering Deviantart, but I get so tired of signing up for new accounts. Anyone have any suggestions or even reviews of using Deviantart or Flickr to host things like fan art?

Anyway, here is the photograph of my Thorin sketch. I can’t wait to feel more comfortable again, work out my system, and finish the things I’ve started. Regardless, I’m having such fun drawing the dwarves! 🙂

My small sketch of Thorin. I plan to eventually enlarge it and work a few more details in while inking it with a brush.

 

Posted in Art, Hobbies | Tagged , | 3 Comments

It’s Been Awhile

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately, but right about the time I was starting to get my mind around some projects, our car decided to start having trouble. Always a stressful thing, we decided it was time to stop putting money into a car that seemed to have some of the same issues over and over… so we bought a new one!

Unfortunately, it may cut into project funds (and of course it’s just in time for hail season here, which is always nerve-wracking). At least we have a reliable car again.

One of the projects I want to work on involves art supplies, and so I had to haul the old drafting table into the living room in front of the fireplace. It’s not like we’ll need the fireplace again anytime soon.

I had to make a decision when we first moved here due to lack of space in our small apartment: art or sewing, and sewing won.

It’s been some time since I’ve really drawn anything (and if you knew me, you would know that’s a huge thing since I have been drawing… well, since I could hold a pencil). I figured it was time to get back to it because sewing has slowed down a little.

I’m also still inspired by The Hobbit movie, especially the dwarves, so of course that’s a great subject for me to focus on. Unfortunately, I feel stiff and rusty, so I decided to start with my cartoonier style. I actually did my first sketch Wednesday to shake the rust off and figure out what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, my husband came home sooner than expected and I wanted to hang out with him, so I didn’t finish the whole thing.

My quick sketch of a cartoony Bifur holding a bird toy — not finished, and I definitely have a lot of rust to work through, but it’s nice to be drawing again!

I decided to start with Bifur, because I loved a scene in a video where he was playing with an eagle toy he’d made (added at the end of this entry). I still have a lot of work to do on it, as well as getting used to all his costume details, but it was so much fun to draw again.

I joked to my husband that I should draw all the dwarves (including Thrain and Thror) in the same style and have them framed as a set. I barely finished my sentence before Christopher was nodding his head excitedly. Ha! I have no idea where we’d hang them, especially since I’m sure I will do a lot more of them.

I guess I better get to work! Like I said, I need to finish the sketch and see what changes I’ll make to the pose, and then I’ll transfer and finish it in brush and ink, and maybe color it on the computer. I need to hook a scanner up and hope that works (another thing I’ve not had access to for a long time, and the image above is actually a photograph of the drawing, not a scan). I may end up just sketching the dwarves for a while and getting used to that again before finishing. I am not even sure my ink has survived after all this time!

(Bifur’s part with the bird toy is towards the end of this video…)

Posted in Art, Hobbies | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Elven Costume at the Picnic with the Pixies Event

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

I finally had the chance to wear my new costume at an event. It wasn’t raining, in fact the sun was shining bright, but boy was it windy! As you can see, this isn’t exactly the best costume to wear on windy days — but it was worth it!

We had a blast at this event and it was fun to see what everyone made and wore. Christopher took photos for us, as usual, but we didn’t get as many as we probably should have, and Christopher is still a little shy about taking lots of photos of everyone. It can be hard to think of everything when you’re busy chatting and having fun! We almost forgot to take a group shot, in fact!

I also had the chance to finally finish putting makeup on the elf ear tips, as well as putting them on “for real.” I was very nervous I’d have trouble since I have so much hair and a lot of it tries to get in the way right where you’re gluing part of the ear down. I thought I would need Christopher’s help, but I managed to do it on my own thankfully. I was pleased they stayed on (in fact, I left them on for several hours after we got home so I could test how well and long they held up).

This was a fun costume, and I have to admit I wouldn’t mind having a few elven costumes of varying types. This one might be a little too annoying to wear at some events. I also updated the costume page with a few more photos, and some showing the better-blended ear tips a little more.

Follow the link below to see the photos we got at the picnic!

 

Posted in Costumes, Events, Hobbies | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A project that will take a long time to make

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

I mentioned recently that I’ll be making a few changes, cutting back on some of my historical costume To Do projects, and learning some new things — all for a project my husband wants. This will be great fun, even if it’s making me very nervous. We haven’t worked on anything together for a long time.

My husband actually isn’t a costumer and never had any interest in it. He’s been sucked into my costuming world a little, and now there is something he really wants. And boy, am I excited — no complaints from me! I actually think he’s a close enough match for the costume.

He was a HUGE fan of The Hobbit when he was a child. He also liked the character of Thorin.

We went to see the movie, and when the character Thorin showed up on screen, I was intrigued. After the movie, as we walked back to our car I said, “So, this… Thorin character.” He grinned a really huge grin, and thus it started.

He wants a Thorin costume.

We’re going to have to learn some new skills, dust off some old skills (we used to work in a casting shop, and he made molds), and we’re going to take our time. I know some people can whip out a costume like this, but I’ve made the mistake in the past of not giving proper attention to his costumes and he doesn’t like wearing them, understandably. That’s partially why he has no finished costume at the moment, of any sort.

Besides, he has to lose some weight (we’ve been needing to get back into shape anyway, so why not have a goal to help?), and grow his hair out. Shame he had to cut it last year when he thought he’d have in-person interviews. Turns out, he didn’t need to and it would have been that long by now. D’oh!

We’ll probably end up making most of the items, and we’ll see what we leave out for comfort, and there are other items we’ll just buy. Like the Key to Erebor, which arrived yesterday.

We purchased it from Weta, and we’re very pleased with the item. It’s affordable, and he almost bought two because he thought we’d fight over it. He’s just been going around telling everyone it’s mine (not his), and I say it’s “ours.” I’ll lay claim to Orcrist — I desperately want that sword heheheh. The key has a nice weight to it and it’s fun to turn it over in your hands and look at the detail. It comes with a stand and looks nice with two books from the movie we have that show concept art, makeup photos, etc. We have them displayed on a shelf in our living room, and hope to add a few more fun pieces to the display. That’s where the key and other accessories will be when he’s not in costume.

I thought I’d post some of the photos of us opening our package. It may be a long while before enough of a start happens with this project, but we’re very excited. It seems fitting to start with the Key to Erebor.

I know this won’t appeal to many who follow this blog, but don’t worry! I still have some of my old projects I need to work on — those will get my attention. I am, however, cutting back on events as well as keeping control over my To Do List so I’m not tempted to keep adding projects. The Thorin Project will take a while, and will be a budget-hog, so I don’t want to end up frustrated and confused over what my focus is. There will be long periods of time where nothing will be happening. I’m not even sure if the basics will be finished in time for the last movie to be honest!

It makes me very nervous, worrying that I will fail miserably, and I want my husband to LOVE this costume. I’m even contemplating adding a little more to my elven wardrobe, and expanding the Thorin costume pieces as the movies come out (I’ve already seen another garment that caught our eyes).

Anyway, thanks for checking the entry out. I know many of my friends and family have already heard me babbling enough about this character and the movie and I do apologize. We’re hooked. We’ve been having such fun sharing the fandom on this one, and he is SO happy that I love the movie as much as he does. 🙂

Posted in Christopher, Costumes, Hobbies, Photos, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

I was very surprised to see that I received a nomination for an award from A Frolic Through Time!

It makes me happy to know that I can help add back to the blogging world — after all, I used to be too  nervous to give things a try. With all the great information online, as well as such encouraging people, I’ve been able to push myself to try many things I never would have dreamed I could attempt.

To accept the award, one must:
1. Display the award and link back to the person who nominated you.
2. State 7 facts about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 bloggers for the award.
4. Notify the winners.

I’ll admit, most of the folks on my list have already won the award, so I’ll be skipping #4, but wanted to keep it with the rules list. I also will add some non-sewing things, and one non-blog… just ‘cuz.

Facts about myself:

1. I love birds. I used to have a parrot, as well as other smaller birds. I will make a fool out of myself doing cutesie-talk to a bird. My favorite (although it really is hard to pick just one) is the mockingbird.

2. I’ve mentioned it on one of my costume pages, but I can’t stand anything on my lower ears especially. Tried it once and had an ear double pierced, and couldn’t even bear to touch it or handle anything on it. It didn’t help that it didn’t want to heal properly, but I also get a little icked out by piercings of any kind. Not sure why that is, since it seems like most of the world has piercings.

3. I used to have an art contract with an NHL goalie (it was a blast going to practices and getting waved at by him when he’d recognize us watching — usually my husband, since you can’t miss him). I also planned to play hockey myself (goalie), but never finished getting the gear. I did have a custom mask made by the maker and painter. I’d tried on one of the NHL goalie’s old masks and the fit was close enough, so I had one made up for myself from my own design.

4. I have some phobias — such as claustrophobia, and I’m overly shy and tend to want to run from large gatherings and crowds, along with a few other phobias — but I absolutely hate spiders. Hate ’em. Surefire way to get me to block or hide someone is if they randomly post a photo of one. I don’t want to hurl my laptop across the room when I suddenly see it. Ugh!

5. Similar to #2, I am overly protective of my eyes. It’s a little embarrassing to admit that my doctor had to practically pin me down and avoid getting kicked so he could check my eye once. I make a huge fuss over putting in eye drops, even if I’m miserable. My husband hopes to get contacts some day and I’ve asked him to please not mess with them in front of me.

6. I never played role playing games before I met my husband, but I’d always wanted to. We mostly used GURPS and it was usually superhero-related. Lately, thanks to the Hobbit coming out, my husband and I have been gaming again with fantasy characters (an elf for me, of course — he was always a dwarf fan). We’re still using GURPS, but we might try another system soon, and I finally have my own dice so I don’t keep borrowing his. It’s fun to play in groups, but we adore just playing by ourselves. I love how fun, over-the-top, and creative he can be. You almost don’t even care about rules at that point.

7. I’ll be changing things up on my costume list soon. There is a big project I want to make with my husband (for him) that is going to take a long time. I’m sure I’ll post about it on the blog in the near future. I just hope we’re able to do a decent job. This one makes me nervous, but it should be so much fun!

Blog Nominations:

1. Rockin’ the Rococo: I’ll admit, I’m guilty of forgetting to take a lot of step-by-step photos and writing information. Thing is, my page isn’t necessarily a how-to since I’m muddling through quickly so I have things to wear with friends. I adore blogs and websites that do have great photos and information, and this blog — although it hasn’t been updated in a while — has been one of the places I head first when I’m considering a new project and want to push myself to attempt new things.

2. Festive Attyre: Okay, so I think this is one of the blogs that show up frequently on these awards lists, but I have to admit she not only shares a lot of great information online, I’m lucky enough to know her in person and she’s just as encouraging and helpful. Another great blog that inspires me and I return to over and over to see if I can find help for new projects.

3. The Fashionable Past: Another well-known blog, but I have made SO many petticoats thanks to her tutorial. It’s awesome to not only be inspired by a blog, but to also be able to look at the information and feel more confident that “hey… I can do this!” 🙂

4. Before the Automobile: I think we all want to be able to do even a tiny fraction of the awesome she’s able to make. Such beautiful work!

5. Mistress of Disguise: An upcoming project of mine will be requiring new skills — I just may have to dig through past entries to look for more inspiration here. Lots of great costume variety here!

6. DFW Costumers Guild: I’m sure it sounds like a weird choice for an inspiring link, but this is the group in my area that puts on events for costumers, and I’ve had to force myself to slow down because everything looks like fun. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time and budget to do everything, so I have to stick to certain eras and themes. Nothing like the thought of a big fun gathering to inspire someone to get cranking with sewing!

7. Madame Isis’ Toilette: Lots of great information, and I could definitely see myself giving period makeup a try someday.

8. Kleidung um 1800: Wonderful garments, and I really enjoy the progress photos here as well!

9. Kitty Calash: Great information, and not just on sewing itself.

10. Three Dresses Project: She does a wide variety of clothing — costume and regular-wear. Lots of posts about fittings as well.

11. Needle ‘n Thread: Great website and blog, and not only are there photo/text tutorials, but there are lots of video tutorials. I loved that part, and the information was so clear and helpful it made me finally give embroidery a try.

12. The Replica Prop Forum: Okay, this isn’t a blog, but I’m going to cheat and list it anyway. Talk about inspiration (not to mention wanting to make so many things). I had to log off and not go back to it for a long time because I knew I’d lost my mind to so many projects. 😉 I’m logged back in there now for an upcoming project — I’ll definitely need inspiration (not to mention tips) from this place.

13. The Traveling Pear: This will make you want to pack your bags and see the world. Beautiful photos.

And as if I needed a reason to get inspired by food, two blogs with yummy recipes that I’ve been adding to my collection:

14. Chocolate Covered Katie.

and

15. FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

This was an incredibly hard list to come up with. I ended up repeating some of the blogs I’ve seen others post, but it probably can’t be helped (especially with a list that long). Keep up the great work sharing online, everyone!

Posted in Blogs, Links | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Elf Costume

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

Christopher used a filter and edited this photo of my new costume, but see the link below for some other photos.

I originally intended to wear this costume yesterday, but we weren’t sure if the event was going to be cancelled due to weather.

The theme is different than I usually do — Picnic with the Pixies. Anything fantasy-related. I decided to do a loosely inspired Lord of the Rings-type costume.

I was actually nervous I wouldn’t finish in time. I was trying something new with an accessory, and the gown itself ended up taking more time than I intended. It’s amusing that I finished two days before the event, but ended up not going.

I decided to go ahead and take some of my usual indoor photos for the blog, and since they’ve decided to have a second picnic (same theme) I hope to have more photos to add.

I might also go to my usual garden location early in the morning sometime for a few of them if we have time and good weather.

Anyway, please click the link below to see the outfit. Best Wishes!

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Another Podcast

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

The podcast my husband Christopher and a fellow writer-friend of his are currently doing.

No, it’s not mine (I wish I had the guts and time to figure out something to babble about weekly or even monthly), but it’s my husband’s and a writer-friend of his.

Christopher and his friend Shawn have a podcast. They’re already up to the 4th episode, but I haven’t had a chance to post about it here and include a link. You can find it here: Men in Gorilla Suits. I know you can find it in various places, and I’ve been assured that it should be available on iTunes at some point as well.

I’ll admit it. I’m not a big podcast listener. I don’t like listening to people talk (although I will have TV on in the background while I’m sewing, but it needs to be something I don’t need to pay attention to).

And I’m not just saying this because I’m biased, but I really am enjoying the subjects these guys are talking about. I find myself agreeing, totally getting what they’re talking about, or just laughing hysterically.

And another thing I’ll add… I’m not sure why they picked the name they did. Perhaps Christopher would be so kind to explain it here? Or maybe in a future podcast, they’ll say why? I’d like to think it’s based off the thought of bigfoot sightings being footage of people in gorilla suits, but that’s just me. Or maybe I’ve been watching way too many X Files episodes lately. 😉

So please, give them a listen.

Best Wishes!

Posted in Voicework | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Two new bustle-era accessories

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Cynthia Griffith

See the links below to find out more about the talma wrap and bonnet I made, as well as see more photos of them.

I finally have an update to share with you.

I originally intended to wear these items to a costuming event this weekend, but wasn’t feeling up to it. I did however want to get some photos and test how well they worked in cold weather.

I have to admit I had a little trouble with the new items. The first, is a Truly Victorian Talma Wrap. The pattern itself is just fine and was rather fun to work with. The problem came when the waist tape snapped off just before taking photos. The waist tape is a rather important piece, as it keeps the wrap against the back in a pleasing manner. I just have to sew it back on more securely. The rather amusing part of that is because I was only going a short distance for a few photos, I didn’t bother to bring my sewing kit. Doesn’t that just figure?

The other item is a small 1880s bonnet. I didn’t use any patterns, and figured things out as I went. I had a few frustrating moments trying to figure out how I should proceed, and almost gave up to make something else. It’s actually very comfortable to wear and quite fun! I did my hair a little differently than I should have though, and this made the bonnet sit back on my head instead of more forward. Ah well! You get the basic idea!

I also got a chance to use the muff with the new black cover! It was a cold morning and all these accessories worked just fine together to keep me warm. In fact, as the sun was coming up (it was a bright day as you can see from the photo on this page), I ended up a little too warm! I also carried a small black reticule with me.

I wore everything over the gray bustle gown, and I’m very happy that I fixed the puckering on the back hem! It’s a very simple skirt to wear, but it’s still rather fun when you layer accessories with it.

Please see the costume pages for more information and photos:

The Talma Wrap,

and

the Small 1880s Bonnet.

 

Posted in Costumes, Hobbies, Sewing | Tagged , , | 6 Comments