Dia de los Muertos Painted Masks

Well, so much for doing a post a week. Good news is, I now have a full-time job and it's going pretty well! Bad news, well, time is hard to come by, as it usually is. But, I want to take a moment to share a project with you that was great fun for me and turned out so well, I can't wait to do more.

A couple blog posts ago, I mentioned painting a Day of the Dead style mask and having so much fun, I was going to do more. Well, I did, and they were so much fun that when offered, I jumped on a commission to make them part of a set of five. Here are the pictures of the finished set!

 (My Etsy shop)

This was an amazing set to work on, and I definitely want to create more. Next time, though, I plan on making my paper mache masks from scratch, creating unique face shapes and textures. I want lots more designs as well! I did experiment with a henna-style design, which was time consuming but very beautiful.

 (Available here.)

I really want to devote more and more of my crafting time to masks. I enjoy the accessories and the like, but masks are where I really find my creative juices flow best. I'm finishing another custom project as we speak, this one a simple collection of knit goods, and when that is done... oh so many more masks.

Painted Paper Mache Masks - Submit your ideas!

A few months ago, I had a blast painting a paper mache mask in the style of Day of the Dead sugar skulls. It was tricky work to get everything even and come out exactly as I envisioned it, but I love the result. It sold within days of being listed, and I knew I should definitely make more. I got caught up in other projects though, so I put off painting more.

Well, now is the time! I plan on painting at least two more in Day of the Dead style, in different colors and designs of course. I may paint a few others with something a little different, but I'm not sure what. What springs to mind first is leaves and flowers, because of course I love them and I can't seem to stop putting them on masks, whether in synthetic, preserved natural, or painted form!

So what I'm asking from YOU is to submit your ideas! Especially if you'd like to order one for yourself. Remember, there's only 76 more days til Halloween! The paper mache masks are pre-made, but I can alter the eye shape, edge shape, and ribbon color, and I prefer to line the back in a soft-to-the-touch felt. If you'd like, I can even add a lace trim to the edges, or add a cluster of hanging ribbons/rhinestones/beaded chain on one side. The possibilities are endless! I only have five pre-made masks but I have so many fun ideas for them that I may have to get more!

If you'd like to make a custom order, visit my Etsy store and send me a message! On the left side of the screen, under my Shop Owner picture, there are two buttons you can click to send me a message; doesn't matter which. Or, if you just have an idea you'd like to share, leave a comment here on the blog or on my Facebook page, or you can even send me a tweet.

When I get more painted, I will definitely be sharing them here. Look for more updates soon! :)

Mothman LARP Masks

Wow, no new post since February. Oops! Well, let's just get right back into the swing of things. I'd like to start updating this at least once a week, so watch for lots more!

I am super excited to show you my latest project: Mothman Masks.

This is (again) for a LARP, this one themed around the legendary Mothman.

This project has definitely put me through my paces. It took me some trial and error to find just the right materials. I am pretty proud of the result, and I think the LARP group will look pretty badass when they add these masks to their matching winged and furry costumes. If I get pictures of it, I will definitely share!

This is the moth we based the idea off:

Photo credit: Anish Kirtane

This is the result:

I hope you enjoy taking a look at them. If you're interested in more, check out my Etsy Store, and drop me a message for custom work.

A Starting Point

I am up late again. It's 2:00am and I am not sleepy. However, I'm at a loss for something to do. I am taking a break from crafting; my fingers are sore from knitting. I don't want to start painting at this time of night. It's too cold to take a walk, and I sure as hell don't feel like cleaning. Hulu has run out of interesting shows and movies. The internet, bless it, has ceased to entertain me for a little while. So I'm turning to blogging.

I've been meaning to start a blog for awhile now. I never quite know what to say. I am a small business owner, so do I stick to business talk for the sake of being professional, or do I let my personal thoughts take over the blog? It's a fine line, especially in a business like mine. I'm an artist, creator, and designer; my personal life is my business and my business is personal. So why try to separate it? I will just let the thoughts flow. Let me know if I get a little too babbly, though.

I am the sole owner of Natura Pluma Designs. I handmake hair clips, headbands, and masquerade masks in several styles, but most often very flowery and feathery creations. You can see my work at NaturaPlumaDesigns.webs.com and/or at NaturaPlumaDesigns.etsy.com. I'm also on Facebook (look for Natura Pluma Designs) and on Twitter (@naturapluma). I've also become an avid knitter, and my current kick is creating cell phone/electronics cozies with geeky text talk on them, like pwnd, lol, wtf, ftw, omg, and many more. You can see a few of those at crysiira.etsy.com (my old shop in which I first started the accessories and masks).


My work has been featured in several treasuries on Etsy. I've also been a featured artist at C'est la Vie Salon of Milwaukee. I've been in many many craft fairs, and was even invited to a Girl's Night Out event at Merle Norman Cosmetics of Brookfield Square. I've sent out orders across the USA and even overseas. I created custom work for events like weddings, Halloween, Mardi Gras, proms, and more. All this makes me sound much more accomplished than I really feel. I'm still doing my business on the side of a clock-in job for the time being. Someday I hope to change that!

I'm a voracious reader, a fan of so many different types of music, and I enjoy many movies as well. All of these things inspire me. I think you'll see bits and pieces of my inspiration in my work. I could list all of my favorites of everything, but that's probably worth a blog all by itself.

I work with what I have at hand, especially since I'm still kind of starting out. Much of what I create contains vintage or second-hand store pieces that are one of a kind and impossible to replicate. Some things I can certainly try to create in bulk for specific events you may have in mind. I absolutely love the challenge many custom orders give me!

I think that's enough babbling for an intro post. I'll be back soon enough with whatever new thoughts roll through. Now, since it's Daylight Savings, I'll go back in time and post this blog a half hour before I started it since the clock now tells me it's 1:30am. I'll leave you with an intro photo as well, a small sample of my work and therefore who I am. Thanks for reading!