Wednesday, October 31, 2007

And in other news...

Mom is going back into surgery this morning. (She had her second knee replacement surgery on Monday morning.) The wound wouldn't stop bleeding yesterday and apparently, last night too. They've given her four units of blood so far. So, back in to find out what the heck's going on. It doesn't seem life threatening but still, one thing after another. She had enough gumption to be bitchy on the phone yesterday, which was a good thing, my father assured me. Only my mother could be in a foul mood while on Morphine.

Y'all, ~points at my lovely readers~ have my permission to SHOOT ME IN THE HEAD if I ever get that bad, mkay? Seriously.

I'm not dressed up at work today, which feels strange. It's a whole ~handwaves~ contractor/not-FTE thing that I don't really care to get into. Plus there's actual work to get done, and that's hard to do when you have to stop every ten minutes and demonstrate how the wings work. (Something I'd normally get a huge kick out of.)

To top it off, I had to walk passed a bowl full of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups this morning on my way out the door. Damn that man for being oh so prepared. But I resisted. (Maybe there'll be some left over, y'think?)

Post pics of your costumes if you have them. Post pics of Halloweens long since passed to dust. I'd much rather be flitting about with you lot than counting mustard seeds and worrying about things I have no control over.

Hell's Angel with Wings v1.0

This was version 1.0 of the wings (circa 2003?).  Way different outline, same infrastructure.  Also, many pounds ago. 

Steampunk Aviatrix

FRIDAY, 8PM, 10/27:
Leather? Check
Canvas? Check
Metal wire, armature strength? Check
Spare altimiter? Hmm.
Rare earth magnets? Check
Copper paint? Check
Goggles? Check
Lineman's boots? Check
Chalkboard and chalk? Check
Charcoal? Check
Estes rocket? Check
Mad gleam in my eye? CHECK!

SATURDAY, 8PM, 10/28/2007
Steampunk Aviator

Steampunk Aviator

Steampunk Aviator

Steampunk Aviator's Engineer

There's a ton of things I would still like to do to it, including dye and age the wing harness; tea stain, patch & repatch the wings (my canvas shrunk in the wash. ~DOH~ I knew that!), and go with all white or brown under costume. The black didn't go well at all with the outfit, but it's what I had. And I didn't have time to hit the local military surplus shop.

Also, the pics don't show the uber-kick ass HUGAMOUS dinged-all-to-hell lineman's boots I was wearing. They're five sizes too big and go all the way up to my knees.

All in all, I'm really happy with the way it came out, considering the turnaround time from conception to execution*. I may have to put this on again and get some better "action shots". HEE.

* And yes, mine is the kind of house where we happen to have laying around: lineman's boots, leather helmet, goggles (that's just one pair), leather gauntlets, and 60" wide canvas. Things we bought: copper pipe, copper strapping tape, copper paint.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Fetching


Fetching
Originally uploaded by cavalaxis.

Work in progress. I don't like the picot bind off and will probably make the next one without it and then decide how to make the third glove.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Bill & White Bengal Tiger Cub


Bill & White Bengal Tiger Cub
Originally uploaded by cavalaxis.

Bill needed cheering up after his grandfather's funeral. Kittens make everything better. Tiger kittens even more so. This is the same park Bill took his nieces and nephews to after his mom passed in 1997, so it's kind of a tradition now.

Roosevelt Elk


Roosevelt Elk
Originally uploaded by cavalaxis.

Roadside, 101 Freeway, Northern California

What's up Wallaby?


Wallaby Nose
Originally uploaded by cavalaxis.