MeltingMirror Cosplay

2023 was a slow crafting year for me. I typically produce 6-7 costumes each year and I made so few costumes in comparison. I need to remind myself not to be discouraged by it since I was dealing with a lot of life changes that slowed me down. There will always be next year to work on new projects and attend other conventions. I had a great time at the many convention I attended and I'm proud of the costume I did finish. Salty Vanilla has been a work in progress for years so I'm happy to finally wrap it up. Anasui is was a fun costume to wear since I love crazy Jojo designs. And Pokémon design are always a fun creative outlet.
So let's go over my 2023 cosplay year. 

Jojo has some fun designs and the thought that this is supposed to be a man's prison outfit just brightens my day. Posing in a Jojo costumes is an elite experience since nothing is too over the top so you can be a little wild and experimental with it. I highly recommend it.

I started off the year strong with Katsucon. It was nice seeing everyone after a few years of skipping it due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. It's busy as always but manageable if you go in expecting crowds.

I was a guest at Anime Detour and I had such a great experience. It was my first time at a midwest con. It was such a warm and friendly environment. I highly recommend you attend if you can.

After years and years of attending Anime North in Toronto/Mississauga, I got to be a guest in 2023. It felt like a real "I've made it" moment and something I would have never imagine for myself when I first attended back in 2006..

I was also a guest at East Coast Comic Expo in Moncton, NB. It was a great experience to see the cosplay scene in the east coast, which is a region I don't get to travel to all to often. I also stuffed my face with sea food the whole time I was there.
​
I wrapped up my convention season with Otakuthon, which is a staple of my yearly con schedule. It was a little hectic but a good time. 

I don't have any big plans for 2024 although I might try to compete again if I can get a competition ready costume done in time for certain events. I'm also looking forward to working on more Pokémon designs. I'm continuing my work on my set of Eeveelutions using mesh fabrics and lots of rhinestones. I also plan to return to one of my favourite themes, Evil Queens.
2024 will be a year of several cosplay milestones for myself so I'm hoping to post more content looking back on my many years of cosplay.
I'll see you around at conventions or online!

It's been a productive year. I managed to complete a few costumes on my long "to be completed" list and I got creative with Pokémon costumes again. 2022 was my return to conventions after pandemic lockdowns. I'm still adjusting to post-lockdown conventions while trying to stay safe and dodge covid for another year. Luckily, I was never the type to share drinks and I always had hand sanitizer with me pre-pandemic, so I was going in with good habits. I never want con plague, not then and definitely not now. It was nice to be back and seeing friends I haven't seen in years. Also, it was a shock to be assaulted by con funk after being spared for so long.

I don't really have a favourite this year but if I have to pick, I'll pick a Jojo costume. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the sewing went considering vinyl is such a finnicky fabric. The hat is fun and was an interesting puzzle to pattern out. I managed to get the stripes on the pants to align neatly. How satisfying! And the shoes are cool and comfortable. Plus any excuse to do crazy poses is a good one.

I was fortunate enough to go to four conventions this year: Yeticon, Anime North, Otakuthon, and Capital City Comic Con.

I had a relaxing time as per usual at Yeticon. The scenery is always beautiful but the wind was miserable this year and made it so cold, which was a pain since I packed mainly light costumes. It was the opposite at Anime North where it was horribly hot. Thankfully my Eeveelution costumes are as light as can be. They are probably the most exposed costumes I have. Although I was a little nervous wearing them out, I had no regrets once I step outside in the hot weather. Judging the masquerade was like riding a bike, it was nice to be back at it and seeing people's creative work.

I had a good time at Otakuthon, although I was trying to avoid the worst of the crowds. The fun I had that weekend was doing things around the city (going to the spa, checking out an art show) since it's been years since I could visit. Lastly, Capital City Comic Con, was my return to guesting at a convention. It was a great event and everyone was so friendly. Getting back to the west coast (Victoria) made me really miss travelling. There are so many beautiful sights to see on Vancouver island and Lichon Photography showed me around. I got to see a few small waterfalls and of course we took photos in the woods.

I'm  being cautiously optimistic for 2023. Here's hoping I can make another 5-6 costumes and maybe clear some other old costumes on my "to be completed" list like this Sakizo costume I've been working on since 2019. You can also expect more Jojo costumes and pokemon gijinkas.

Besides that, I'm mainly sticking to projects I can make with my fabric stash. After moving recently, I realized how much stuff I have and I need to reduce the amount before committing to new things. Also I don't really have place for any new costumes, which means I will be getting rid of some older ones to make room. 

I hope you all had a great 2022 and I'll see you in the new year.
​XOXO

It was my sixth year at Katsu and it had it different vibe than usual. It felt less crowded, probably thanks to the new badge policy. It also gave me a nostalgic con vibe thanks to hanging out with friends and meeting many new people. As always, I didn't run into many of the people I knew were there over the weekend, a fact of life for modern cons. Luckily I was able to have quite a few good chats with some old friends that live far away and I miss them already.

​​Another observation, Katsu always had a party vibe to it, but I feel as if it is becoming Dragoncon north with the partying (congregation of drunk people) in the lobby of the Gaylord which is leading to many memorable moments. See the DVD X It crossover, Mothman, or the Danny Devito shrine.

I took it relatively easy over the weekend. I managed to finish all of my costume in time with minimal hotel finishing touches (adding a handful of rhinestones to my dress and sewing down some buttons). I kept it to 3 costumes for the weekend, 1 per day and I was maybe in them for maximum 4 hours each. I find this give me more time to enjoy the con, see the sights, and relax. I'm technically there on vacation so it should feel like it by the end of each day.

Katsucon is a yearly tradition for me where I look forward to seeing amazing work while also catching up with friends. With those two things in mind my mission was accomplished. I was really worried I wouldn't finish my projects in time but luckily I was able to pulled through without pushing myself too hard. The grind to finish Katsu costumes, aka "Katsucrunch", got the best of many people this year, which serves as a good reminder to take a step back and reevaluate things with high stress projects. I learned that lesson the hard way at WCS.

I have to give special thanks to a few people who made this weekend great. First off to Kurumasha for helping me finish my projects and lending me her wig. Second to VickybunnyAngel for being an amazing roomie, helping me in and out of costume, and also helping with makeup. Third to Jayuna, for helping me out of costume when Vicky wasn't there. Lastly to everyone who I caught up with ans shot with over the weekend. Thank you for your time and sharing it with me.

​All right let's dive in!

All in all I had a good time despite the crowding. Honestly, I expect this every year from Katsu so it was not a surprise and honestly I thought it would be worse. I wore my cumbersome outfits on Thursday and Friday to avoid the worst of it. Crowding makes it difficult to get good photos but a little ingenuity, courtesy, and determination goes a long way. I would agree with some friends with the point that some of the usual photoshoot spots are getting overused but I think that is part of the deal when you attend a con several years in a row. However, it's still leaps and bounds better for shoots than conventions held in warehouses every year. I will be returning next year so long as my friends will be there since that is the bulk of the fun for me.

How was your Katsu? Did you run into any issues?

| Ducklett | Primarina | Pharaoh Nidalee |
| Sawsbuck - Spring - Summer - Fall - Winter |

WHAT I LEARNED

1. ​Stretch mesh can dye easily
2. Crinoline on the other hand, does not
3. Feathers can be dyed with regular dye, you just need more product
4. Finally, and surprisingly, you can also dye starfish (not for too long or it will deteriorate)
5. PVC pipe connectors are super useful for props
6. I may have a fake flower purchasing addiction
7. Floral wire + florals make for easy headpieces
8. Get a sturdy headband if you are going to be wearing it often, especially for heapieces
9. If there is an option to gold leaf something, do it
10. The answer is more accessories
11. Organza is a magical material that you can airbrush
12. Don't be afraid of big false lashes
13. Fur collars are amazing
14. I love making headpieces
15. I also love making my own original designs
16. Location shoots are the best shoots
17. I have a surprising tolerance for the cold in the name of photoshoots

The Sawsbuck collection of costumes hit a sweet spot for me: I got to rekindle my love of design, I got to make a bunch of fun capes, I fell in love again with crafting headpieces, I got to embellish the crap out of each design, I had fun shopping for complimentary accessories, I got to be thrifty by reusing certain parts of the costume, I improved my corset making skills, and I got to play around with some intense makeup. All-in-all good stuff, 10 out of 10 will do again.

I also did another cosplay trip out west to visit my friend the super talented Lichon Photography. We shot 5 costumes over 7 days all around Southern BC, mainly Kelowna. It was amazing and the photos are to die for.

I consider myself very fortunate to be able to judge masquerades and to be invited to events, so I would like to thank everyone who put my name forward, those who came out to see me or buy prints. Your support means a lot to me. I`m glad my costumes could bring a little joy to your day. If you would like to see me at an event near you, get in touch with your organizers or contact me.

Since I have fewer events planned for 2018, hopefully that means I can create more costumes. I have quite a few projects on the go, but the biggest one I hope to finish is Lilith from Trinity Blood. I have also been dragging my feet on a Storm for years that is finally coming together. Hopefully I can knock out some more outstanding projects in 2018.

I have another cosplay photoshoot adventure planned and it is going to be even more intense than the last ones. More details on that to come. The plan is also to produce more regular content from home. I`ll do my best to work some magic.
​
The urge to return to NYC is also strong, the fabric district is calling me, although I`m not sure if I can swing either NYCC or AnimeNYC in 2018.

If you want to know what I`m up to, please check out my Planning page or you can find me posting progress pics on my Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. If you want to support my work, you can buy me Ko-fi. I hope your 2017 went well and see you in 2018!

I brought the sea goddess to Mechacon, and I was happy with how well received Tia Dalma was.

​Friday was busy since I was doing craftsmanship judging for the masquerade for the most of the day. I was amazed at the amount of talent I saw in the cosplay competition. After a few hours of that I went to the opening ceremony with my fellow cosplay guests Chinasaur and Starbuxx. I was really impressed with how well produced the opening videos were for the event in addition to the talent on stage since many of the musical guests preformed throughout the ceremony.

Afterward we had a meet and greet with the guests (ambassadors) and VIP con guests. It made for a great time to meet new people and socialize. It set a great tone for the weekend.
I wrapped up the evening by grabbing dinner at a great Colombian restaurant and calling it an early night.

On Saturday, I wore Kida. Earlier in the day I was judging more entries from the cosplay contest then I got to spend some time at my booth. I met so many interesting and nice people. Thanks again to anyone who stopped by to say hi and buy a print.

Later in the day I got to watch the cosplay competition and boy was it intense. There was a crazy amount of craftsmanship on display and it was hard narrowing down the winners. I'm also used to having lengthy deliberations to determine the awards but we had to pick the winners within 15 minutes! In the end, we came to a consensus and the contestants really put on a good show.

After the con I got to catch up with Hane Cosplay over dinner and frozen rosé. Yum.

Sunday was the most relaxed of the weekend. I was mostly at my table in my Ducklett costume. The AC is not a joke at this con so I was sporting a jacket most of the day. 

I had a great time socializing with the attendees and the other guests in the guest table area. I've got to say that Queen D is a great cosplayer and a joy to be around. I would love to see her MC a Canadian masquerade.

Chinasaur and Starbuxx were lovely and I had a great time hanging out with them over the weekend. Also thanks to Most Flogged for swapping X-men stories and taking me to the aquarium on Monday.

Stay awesome New Orleans!

It was my first time at Yeticon and it did not disappoint. I decided to go at the last minute and I'm glad I did. It was quite a relaxing event. It was a bit of a downer that there was rain throughout the weekend but otherwise it was fun.

FRIDAY
I drove in with some Ottawa cosplay friends and arrived at around 4pm. It quite the scenic trip, much better than driving to Toronto. I threw on Sharla in a rush and did my makeup in record time. I grabbed my badge at the event, ran into almost all my Toronto cosplay friends, then went straight to a shoot with Anna and Kay. I can't wait to have some good photos of Sharla with her prop. This costumes has been collecting dust for a few years since it doesn't travel easily. Some parts were coming apart since the glue worn down after a few years. After taking off my costume I rode the mountain coaster and hung out with friends for the rest of the day. I took it easy for the rest of the night since it was pouring rain.

SATURDAY
Despite my best efforts I could not sleep in, so I lounged around my suite with my roommates until around noon when I got dressed in Summer Sawsbuck. I got to shoot some video with Ackson and then did a photoshoot with Anna at the top of the mountain. Even though I doused myself in bug repellent I still end up with 4 mosquito bites.

I got out of costume and was killing time until the pool party except it got cancelled due to thunder, rain, and tornado warnings. Instead I went to go visit friends in their rooms getting drenched by the rain every step of the way then headed to a suite party for the rest of the night,

SUNDAY
There was a forecast of sporadic rain so I decided not to wear Ms. Fortune on Sunday. It was stupidly humid as well so I only imagine all my fake scars would be peeling off within a half hour. I took another ride on the roller-coaster and said goodbye to as many friends as I could. 
It was nice drive back to Ottawa filled with pitching questionable skit ideas.

OVERALL
​The resort is beautiful and great to wander around. There are tons of activities you can do in the resort for free thanks to getting a badge. There is a plethora of great photoshoot locations. The con has a lot of interesting events happening. I missed out on my free drink and open bar :( but others got to take advantage. there are a lot of food options and the hotel rooms are all great. It is very relaxing. In comparison, Colossalcon is a fun partycon while Yeticon is a laid back party con.

I want to return next year. I just hope they don't put it back to back with Colossalcon!

Being invited to Anime Matsuri was a dream come true. After hearing so many good things about this event for years and having it on my "to visit" list I finally got to experience it. Everyone was kind and polite which made my first trip to Texas a blast!

I thoroughly enjoyed Katsu this year. I decided not to push myself too hard and only booked one  shoot per day and left the rest of my schedule open for quick shoots and hanging out with friends. I wasn't able to finish my big showstopper costume (Lilith - Reference here) due to health reasons. In the end it didn't bother me that much. In the past it would have bummed me out for the entire weekend which is an unhealthy habit. Instead I had fun. Here's what happened over the weekend.