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! :)
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!
I recently completed a set of natural birch bark masks. It was a lovely experience to make them, and it really took me back to the very first mask I ever made. So I thought I would share a bit on how this whole thing got started. This is a long post, be prepared!
I'm a Pagan in a pretty loose sense of the word. I have trouble nailing a label to myself or putting myself in a box. I don't believe in a specific pantheon or practice, nor do I take my time setting up and following through with complicated rituals. What I can easily say in all honesty though, is that I believe in nature. I believe that nature is powerful and wild, tempered and kind, inexplicable and amazing. Nature is everything! I am passionate about science, and what is science but the study of nature? I've been asked before how I reconcile my scientific views and my spiritual ones; I guess the answer is that they're so interconnected that there is no conflict. Yes, there's things that science tries to prove or disprove, and yes, some people feel it takes the magic out of things. I'd say yes and no to that. Nature is still amazing, no matter how far we break down DNA, no matter how many theories and discoveries we make. Nature will always throw something new at us.
Most of all, nothing beats the spiritual feeling I get when I walk in nature. Nothing compares to the sun on my skin, the wind in my hair, the sound of the rolling ocean and the sand between my toes, or the sound of birds in the forest and tree branches scratching at my arms, ferns at my feet; the sight of a mountain or a rock formation or an endless beach or a tree so tall I can't even see the top.
When I started my crafting business ages ago, it was all based on a strange idea. I wanted to make masks. I have always loved masquerade balls, and my wedding reception was masquerade themed. I wanted to take that idea and put a natural spin on it. I wanted to take tree bark, leaves, and feathers, and make masks. My husband and I went up to his father's Northern Wisconsin property and collected all sorts of bark and natural materials, all things that had already fallen to the ground. I wouldn't let him peel any bark off the trees. I wanted it naturally shed, to cause no harm to the trees.
We took our materials home and were excited to get to work. However, we quickly realized our mistake. The bark that we had was moist, as it had recently rained; it crumbled under our hands and was generally useless. However, the single birch bark piece I had was bendy and easy to work with. With a little bit of work, I created my first birch bark mask.
I was so excited when I put it up on Etsy, which at the time was under the username Crysiira, a screen name I've been using since high school. Up until then I just had a few paintings listed but no sales. The birch bark mask was my first sale, to a fellow Pagan Team member. I was thrilled to pieces!
I wanted to create more and more, but I didn't have another birch tree handy and I couldn't always get to the property up north for more. I really wanted to make an entire mask of leaves, but worried about how to preserve it. I made the decision to switch from natural to synthetic materials, and my signature leaf masks were born.
From masks spawned the idea for matching accessories, so I started making leafy hair clips and headbands. This soon turned to feathers, since feathers are both natural and very in style. I changed my business name to Natura Pluma, Latin for Nature and Feather, to reflect my new niche. The synthetic material withstood the durability test, and the popularity test, and I was so consumed with making them that it was a very long time before I turned back to natural materials for another birch bark mask.
Whenever I need inspiration, I take a walk through nature. Even if there aren't any hiking trails or nature paths available, a walk through the park or the cemetery or any neighborhood with a lot of trees will do. I just need that time with nature to clear my head and fill it with peace and new ideas. In fact, my good old friend Science backs this up, showing that being outside in nature for just 20 minutes a day does wonders to boost energy and vitality. I don't always get the requisite 20 minutes a day, but I try to make up for it by overloading and taking an hour or two at a time at least once a week.
In my new home, I'm closer to nature than ever. My town is quite small, and surrounded by fruit and nut orchards on all sides. In fact, not three blocks from my house is a road that has an orchard on either side, and connects to a longer country road with never-ending trees. Granted, it is February, and there are no leaves on the trees; but the weather is warmish and sunny, and the birds are active and noisy, and taking a walk down that orchard road is something I try to do at least a few times a week. There are no birch trees here, but when I was packing up my craft things to move, I realized that I had an entire drawer of natural materials, including some very nice pieces of bark awaiting my hands. So when I was looking for a project to keep my mind off the distance between my friends and family and I, I dived into that drawer of nature.
I took walks down the orchard road. I watched movies that inspire me like My Neighbor Totoro (an anime kid's movie about two girls who move into a new home and discover that the woods they live next to is filled with earth spirits), Mirrormask (a movie based on a Neil Gaiman story about a girl who enters a world in which every single person always wears a mask), and Pan's Labyrinth (a not-for-kids fairytale about Spain's civil war in 1944 and a girl who must complete tasks set to her by a faun to become a princess of a faerie world). And I listened to music by Qntal, a band that effortlessly combines medieval style music with modern electronica. In fact, they have a wonderful video with art by Brian Froud (Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, lots more awesomeness) that has always been insanely inspirational to me.
So that's the story behind my birch bark masks. I like to make them because it reminds me of my roots; because the natural materials coming together under my hands feels like magic; because if you must hide yourself behind a mask, what better mask than nature?
So I have finally finished a two-month-long major project: Creating eight original masks for a Cthulhu-themed Live Action Role Playing event. It was a challenge, but I enjoyed almost every minute of it!
The tentacles were made from polyfill fiber stuffed into plastic cones,
with a wire center to create the twists and curls. The mask itself was
cut from a piece of vinyl, then a layer of fusible webbing was added to
the back, then a layer of felt for the wearer's comfort. The front was
layered in small sequins. The entire mask was then painted with liquid
latex. The paint job is entirely done by hand. Then a clear coat to seal
everything completed the piece!
I couldn't believe how long it took me. I set them up assembly-line style, so they were all completed right around the same time. I think much of the time was waiting for the glue to dry, and of course those damn tentacles. If I were to make just one, I think it would take me a week... times that by eight... yeah, two months! I'm glad I got started nice and early...
Each mask is different, but they all look like something crawled up from the deep ocean... with the sole purpose of driving me completely insane. I read H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu for inspiration, along with an entire book of other Lovecraft stories of the weird. I can't believe I never read them before; they were perfectly to my strange tastes. Cthulhu fhtagn! :D
This project was a blast, but I need a break after all the hectic insanity. No rest for the wicked though; I have a bridal party that needs hair clips!
Just last week, I was so exhausted from working two jobs, I was in tears. I felt downright defective because I couldn't handle the stress, and I debated quitting one of my jobs. I couldn't decide which one, as they both have their ups and downs, and honestly, the extra money from working both of them made the stress worthwhile. I gave myself a goal to work towards to pay off some bills, and I knew I could get through the next couple months with that goal in mind.
My dear husband and I had a long conversation. He shocked me and thrilled me to pieces by telling me we could put half my check from the clinic every two weeks into my business account. He said because it's time taken away from my business, it seemed only fair to put some of the money back into the business. I was shocked because I didn't think my husband had that attitude towards my business, especially regarding the money aspect. I was thrilled because there were supplies and other items I've been needing for awhile now. With those thoughts in mind, I knew I could definitely get through the stress of the next few months.
This week, I lost one of my jobs.
I suspected that the clinic wasn't doing very well financially. That was confirmed when he took me into the office and told me it was financially impossible for him to keep me on. I was very strong; I managed not to burst into tears until I was in my car. It doesn't matter that he told me it was nothing I did, it still feels like my fault. If I felt defective before, it's nothing like how defective I feel now. I guess one of the things that bothers me is the fact that the choice was taken away from me. Something happened that was completely out of my control. I should have been able to make the choice to quit one of my jobs, and choose which one. Honestly, I would have kept the clinic job and quit the retail one.
Part of me is somewhat relieved. I'll have more time to spend with my husband, on my business, on myself. But of course, the other part looks at the financial issues. I was looking forward to paying off some bills and getting out of debt. With my husband's promise in mind, I've already bought several supplies and other items on credit, and now I need to figure out how to pay that off. I guess the upside to this is that the supplies are already on their way, and I'll have more time to turn those supplies into amazing and fun new pieces. In the end, I can't help what happened; all I can do is move on and try to make the best of it. I'll probably try to apply at a few other places, but until something works out, I'll throw myself completely into the business and see where it takes me.
If you, my awesome friends, family, and fans, want to help me out in any way, you know what to do - support the business by making a purchase or spreading my store and/or fanpage to those who might like it. Every sale I make goes right back into the business and gives me a much-needed boost of confidence. Sorry to shamelessly self-promote, but I think you can understand it right now. Just remember that Mardi Gras is coming up, and I'm sure you have a party to go to or bar plans or something fun you might need a mask or accessory for! You know how much I love to do custom orders too! :)
In other news, to help myself feel a little better, I went out and got my tongue pierced. I needed to do something a little crazy. I'm just now starting to eat solid food again; how exciting is that? Lol.
Listening to: Zeromancer (Chrome Bitch is a really good angry-mood song; it's been on repeat since Thursday.)
Pics: My tongue piercing, and a few Mardi Gras masks to get you in the mood :)
