Flashback 2011

3/1/2012

Candid shot from Aion photoshoot

Last year was an interesting one indeed. It was the first year that I didn't really accomplish my cosplay goal of creating my set list of costumes. I was bogged down with school work which made me learn how to make due with little time. I only made 5 out 7 costumes I planned. Even with that in mind and the horrible weather, I still had a great year cosplaying. This blog will be a summary of last year's highlights and lowlights.

Blog Highlights: See how much it costs to be a traveling cosplayer; my favourites from costumes, props and conventions; a round up of features and awards; a good commission year; and a look to 2012.

2011 Cosplay Costs

As you may know cosplaying can be expensive. Since I was spending a lot of money on this hobby, I decided to track my expenses to see where it all goes. All totals are in Canadian dollars, which is almost equal to US dollars.

Total Spent on Costumes = $1500
This includes fabric, craft supplies, wigs, boots, paints and the works.
This also includes money spent on costumes I have yet to make. It averages out to $130 a month.

Total spent on Conventions = $1700
Not bad considering I only went to only one local convention.
This includes con passes, hotel, gas or transportation.

2011 Total = $3200
Luckily cosplay commissions offset some of my expenses.
If you commission me, you are supporting me in my cosplay endeavors.
Many thanks to my customers for the support!

Most Expensive Costume: Tia Dalma with $156 but by a short margin. Aion and Mercedes both cost $150

Least Expensive Costume: Karako from Deadman Wonderland with $50

Favourite Costume

Tia Dalma from Pirates of the Caribbean
I'm surprised at how well it turned out. I was pretty worried it would not work out since it's a live action recreation. She is also a great character to play. I had so much fun talking in a Caribbean accent.

Favourite Prop

Flarestorm Sword from Aion
I love all the small details on this sword. The glass gem really added to the look as well as the watercolour paint swipes. I didn't make that many props this year. Most were for commissions.

Favourite Photo

The colours and the details pop in the beautiful shot by James Park.
This was part of a photoshoot done at a farm in the late spring.

Last year I made a concerned effort to do photoshoots. The results are often much better than a quick shoot at a convention. I will definitely try to do more on location shoots next year.

Favourite Convention

Mercedes @ Otakuthon

Otakuthon

For many reason this con took top spot.

1. I knew almost everyone there so I was constantly surrounded by friends
2. I got to be a judge for a masquerade for the first time and I learned a lot about the process
3. I got to go out for dinner with Yaya Han and learn about being a cosplayer for a living.
4. I had an artist alley table and finally made some decent sales.

Read the full con report.

Least Favourite Convention

Uxi and myself at AB 2011

Anime Boston

It was not really the convention that was bad but rather the circumstances around it.

1. It was my first time attending so my usual cosplay buddies were not around.
2. I was very sick and every time I woke up in the morning I was miserable.
3. The weather was miserable. It was raining all weekend so we were stuck in the con center.

For more details and the things I enjoyed, read the full con report.

Features & Awards

I am astonished at the amount of features I managed to get this year. I was in Cosmode (Japan), CosplayGen, and I was also in the Montreal Gazette. I got showcased on websites such as Cosplay.com, ACP, and Kotaku.
I didn't so so well when it came to masquerade awards but I still managed to get two good ones.
Click on the images below to see where the costume has been featured.

Commissions Gallore

This was my best year for commissions yet. I got to test my skills on projects that I could never imagine I would take on.

I am very proud of this Kamen Rider helmet. It was a lot of trial and error and many hours of work but it looked amazing in the end.
I got to make 3 props to be part of 2 music videos. The two masks below were in Freedom or Death's first music video.
The final image is a staff from Hetalia that I made for a friend. It was the first time I used Bondo. It was quite the pain to work with especially in cold weather.
It was also a good year for selling bleach masks. Starrk's eye-patch was my bestseller.

Looking Forward to 2012

Blue Serpent costumes from Granado Espada

The plan is to go to more US conventions and to up my skills to the next level. Last year I would say I leveled up my makeup and sculpting skills. Next year I hope to improve on my sewing skills. Sewing is where I struggle the most but I fake it well ;)

I also plan on taking on a big project by making a full costume for someone else. I have never made a costume for someone else, excluding a Smurf costume I made for my nephew. I want it to be masquerade worthy so I can imagine it is going to take a lot of time, patience and effort.

I also can't wait to finish this costume on the left. I had to postpone it to this year because I didn't have enough time and I want it to look perfect.

For a full list of my convention and costume plan, see my Plans page, which I will be updating throughout the year.

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