Stuff McStuff

[merimask]

I'm all over the place today.

Various things...firstly I just finished another Venetian Raven mask.

I haven't done one in a while, so I figured it was about time.   Also, I wanted more variety at my web shop...too much steampunk in there right now (though I love the steampunk so!  I do hope it catches on).  Anyway, yeah, the bird is up on Etsy already.

It is COLD here and I'm not kidding.  To go from the high to mid 60s to mid 20s in the space of ten days...well, it happens here every November but it still takes you by surprise every time.   We have very little snow right here, but just a few miles south of where I live there is almost two feet of white stuff.  The bands of lake snow coming off of Lake Erie are very narrow but very intense.  At any rate, snow is snow.  Here is mine...

I'm going to have to switch my Fall flag to a Christmas Snowflake flag really soon.
 
A great way to warm up; exercise!  I went to the gym and did some lifting in earnest last night.   First time in a while for that.  I guess I haven't been feeling like myself since the last trip to Japan; it probably started while I was killing myself making the masks for the show.   Big events tend to throw me off balance.   My routine gets interrupted & it takes me a while to get back to my old habits.

The good news is, I didn't really suffer for it.  I did a full set and I only had to adjust downward on a few machines, & I was sure I'd have to drop my weights by a lot more than I did.  I'm not even sore today, really!  That's just great.  ^__^  From now on, an hour on the cardio machines every day & a full set of weights every other day.  I want to hit the ground running when the weather warms up again, like my good friend golden_meliades !   We are both going to look & feel awesome by May '09, I just know it!
 
Speaking of Japan (and I always am, it seems.  Are you sick of it yet?)  I have two pictures, sent to me by one of the guys in the show (Shun!  Cutie!).  These pics kill me.   You must see them.   Taken on the night of the cast party, with Shun's cell phone.  Disclaimer; I am the least drunk person in both these pictures. 
 
The first guy is Hiromitsu Takahashi.  The second guy is Shun (Shunsuke Shigemura).  Guess which guy I was crushing on?  You can sort of see it in my eyes.  I wear my emotions like a freaking badge.  It's all good...his girlfriend is like the most gorgeous girl in the show (and very sweet too).  But yeah, total geekgirl moment captured forever.  I must really love you guys, to be so honest about all my embarrassing moments!  ^__^" 
 
And!  I thought I ought to share some pictures of my inspiration for all the yummy steampunk masks that ate my life last week.   Greg got this heart for me...

I love it 'cause it's all coppery and brassy AND silvery...it goes with everything.  You can find much much more like it at this girl's shop.  Her prices are beyond reasonable, considering she's using real vintage German watchworks on all her Steampunk pieces.   Here are a couple pictures of me wearing it, so you can see how dainty it really is (for steampunk).
 
I just took those in the bathroom for ya!  Best light in there...  Also, I want to say that my hair is REALLY STRAIGHT today.   Welcome to winter.

 So how is everyone doing today?  I love my LJ peeps!

Comments

[rumdiculous.livejournal.com]

We had snow here too! I posted pics in my journal. ^_^

And that necklace is adorable and just kickass all in one. O.O I'll have to look through her work. Oh, I'm starting a new job, maybe that's what I'll reward myself with for finding a better job. Jewelry seems very fair. *nods*

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I missed your entry! I think my friends page doesn't load correctly sometimes.

Congratulations on the new job! & yes, her work is lovely & VERY affordable, & she has a HUGE selection of steampunk (hundreds of things).

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

Very nice - I like the venetian pieces, but the most recent steampunk mask is pretty cool. Not my thing, but very cool.

It's really cold here too. No snow, just December-cold. I'm hoping the snow will hold off a few more weeks until the chimney sweep comes. I don't want the poor guy to have to go up on my roof if there's snow up there.

I remember how sharp the lake effect bands were in Cicero. Where I grew up in Herkimer they weren't as defined.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm experimenting...it's fun. ^_^

Cold there too eh? It feels like winter toys with us for weeks & weeks, & then it pounces all at once. I'm never prepared (I mean emotionally speaking...I've cleaned up all my leaves so they don't turn to mud under the snow, & I have my new shovel by the door. But in my head I'm still back in July...).

[charismitaine.livejournal.com]

Snow? What's that? ;)

I love that steampunk heart! I'm a big fan of the steampunk jewelry trend--I think it's all fabulous. I have a gorgeous little watch-parts hair pin that reading_angel gave me for my last birthday. Of course, I'm also into steampunk--if I were going to embrace an alternative, sub-culture lifestyle, I really think I would have to go steampunk. I would kill for a steampunk keyboard--it's a shame I don't have a thousand dollars lying around!

Y'know, I adore all of your masks, but I think that the Venetian Raven is probably one of my very favorites. It's so classic and perfect...and I could design such gowns to go with it!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

LOL! Want some? ;-)

If you love steampunk you need to check out that girl's Etsy shop...her prices are unbelieveably low. I 'spect that'll change eventually so make sure your friends & family all know what you like, if you want something from her! ;-)

Thank you! The Venetian masks are always fun for me, 'cause I get to draw those swirls freehand.

[tricia612.livejournal.com]

Snow is mainly a dream here - more ice than anything else. have you changed your background color or am just behind in noticing things?

Never get tired of hearing about Japan. It was a dream trip and you lived your dream there - you are entitled to geekgirl moments. The necklace is awesome - you do take good pictures.

Great new mask! A gown/costume designed around it would be awesome. Mardi Gras is just around the corner.....

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Ugh...ice is much worse than snow. Snow is something you can play in, & it looks pretty. Ice will just hurt you.

Yeah, observant! I changed the color to something more "wintery". Silly artist, color-coordinates her journal to the season... ;-)

[firegazer.livejournal.com]

Aw. And here I was all excited about being the Steam Punk inspiration.

Also, your venetian masks are sheer *drool*. :)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Aww! You TOTALLY were my catalyst though! ^__^ I just found my artistic direction from the jewelry, really.

Thanks about the Venetian stuff. I'm thinking, maybe a Venetian Wolf someday?

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Jewels By Nature is where I bought the necklace for my best last Fday...but she didn't have steampunk items back then. Her prices ARE low, and beautiful...the necklace I bought was $24! Super pretty, too...I still want one for myself.

Ugh, there has been a mask in my head, lately, pestering me to DEATH. It's vaguely "Nightmare Before Christmas" in appearance...it's black, with a silver spider web to one side, with sharp edges and extra-large eyeholes that would let my eyebrows show. (The masks I have of yours LOOK like they have HUGE eyeholes, but when I put them on my eye takes up the ENTIRE space, which makes them look really weird when I try them on. I don't know why I look so much better with my brows showing, but I look really good in face masks, I can tell you that. Another weird fact for the file!)

Anyway, the mask also has little...not horns. Not hair. Oh, maybe either. But it has black and white (striped like candy-canes or stockings) curling streamers of SOMETHING arching back from the top and the upper outsides, curving back over the head like very stylized back-branching antlers. It's creepy and sexy and cute at the same time and it's been BUGGING me and I don't know why because I don't even like that sort of black gothic stuff! (I like to see really sexy gothic stuff on OTHER people though...preferrably hot people...)

What a pain my brain is. I don't even have any reason to ever wear a mask, but I keep picturing the eye makeup I could wear with it and the portrait I could do...

I skipped the gym yesterday because I started my . at 8am and it was my first ever while on BC and I was a little concerned...but I should be back as usual tomorrow. Can you believe my shoulder and bicep muscles have already popped up slightly?

I am seriously a mesomorph. Sometimes I try to say I'm not but I think it's unavoidable.

When I come see you someday, we'll have to DO something. Go to the gym or go biking or something. Even skate, though I suck at it. Something. It's possible I can come see you in February or thereabouts. The last issue is in figuring out where I'll stay. I do think I still know some people in TO, maybe even family, it's just that I'm so antisocial that I don't like any of them enough to want to stay with them, LOL. (Plus I hate being intruded upon, so I REALLY hate being the one doing the intruding, too!)

Once I figure that out though it won't be a problem. I'd probably take the train from Ottawa to TO. It seems doable.

LOVE the photos :)

[ramblingrican.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Oh so much to chose from :) Pics on Cell phones are becoming my favorite so far these days LOL. It's not like people carry cameras unless they are GOING to take pictures so the phone ones are cute! And yes the pics are great fun!

Oh.. Love snow in pictures but hate having to travel in it :) Dustings are my favorite because it's not enough to be a royal pain in the nards and you don't have to shovel!! (So glad I live in an apartment complex when it snows...)

I LOVE THE NECKLACES! I think I'll do my Christmas Shopping thank you very much!!

[pamwax.livejournal.com]

Love the mask. I am going to add these 2 pictures to your picture gallery.

So that is what snow looks like. OK we do get snow at least once a year. Snows for an hour and melts in 5 minutes. This year I don't think we are even going to have winter.