CGSSS Costuming Panel Discussion

The 4 parts of the CGS Supershow Costuming Panel is uploaded to my YouTube channel. Please go there to check out all the segments and leave feedback there. :)

I brought the CGS version of Project Rooftop (which is a comic book version of Project Runway) to the show by moderating the Costuming & Character Design Panel. Plus I was joined by the 501st Star Wars costumers and panel participants Jamal Igle, Dave Wachter and Mike Norton!

New Images Uploaded

I just added a selection of images of me as Star Sapphire from the CGS Supershow and a set of the Cowgirl photos from my last shoot. I'm still really under the weather today. I shouldn't even be at the computer right now. I need to go lie down but I had to pimp these out. I think they're great.

Thanks to photographers Jeffery and John for all the great shots! I hope to have more energy soon to finish editing videos.

More Behind the Scenes Peeks

To get more peeks at the BTS from my photoshoot over the weekend, just visit my write up at AmberUnmasked.com. As stated, they might not be considered safe for work but there's nothing actually exposed in the images. I can't wait for the final cut!

I'm also making videos of the shoots too but not sure what to do about hosting them somewhere because most places don't have any protection for subscriptions only or adults only. If anyone has any ideas, shoot me a message. I can't deal with the options that I've found want $100/month. Not gonna happen that way.

What's going on this week: Photoshoots & Cons

First of all, I owe another giant round of thanks to Dave Wachter and John Hudson for producing another epic photoshoot yesterday in the backwoods of Pennsylvania! Thank you, guys! I'm sure your next question is, "What did you shoot?" We had a blast doing two totally different themes in one very long afternoon: Cowgirl and Firestar.

Yes, "Cowgirl" is the name of a DC character which would make total sense for my usual wardrobe, but that's not what we did. I wanted to cosplay as Pearl Rivera from Dave's captivating webcomic, the Guns of Shadow Valley, but Pearl is half Spanish and even with my dark hair, I'm not sure anyone will buy me as Pearl; however, that was the idea. Pearl is a gun-toting trick/sharpshooter with some other extraordinary abilities (yet to be revealed entirely in the comic) and she's clearly a girl after my own heart.

We first started with an entirely different series which was to have me modeling Dave's new Guns t-shirt which he now carries in men's and women's sizes. So after we monkeyed around with fun t-shirt shots, I dove into John's vast costume collection and was able to try many different cowgirl looks.

We finally got the chance to switch it up and so some of my sexy superhero work. I don't have any really great pictures of my Firestar costume so I wanted to make sure I'd fit her into my 2010 schedule. I was lucky to have found the absolutely perfect shade of red-orange lingerie to go with the mask and Firestar's flaming red hair.

This week is also packed with prep work for this weekend's CGS Supershow! I'll get the chance to extend my booth babe work which started last year for PKD Media. For this year's CGSSS, I'll be at... you guessed it, the Guns of Shadow Valley booth. I'll also be the roving reporter for CGS trying to nab some video interviews of the many creators and con-goers. It's a show run by podcasters so there will be plenty of other show hosts for me to interview. Saturday night we're doing our version of (everyone's favorite new show) GLEE by setting up karaoke at Third and Spruce restaurant. Sunday at 1:30, I'm bringing the CGS version of Project Rooftop (which is a comic book version of Project Runway) to the show by moderating the Costuming & Character Design Panel. I'm so very excited to announce that I will be joined by the 501st Star Wars costumers and panel participants Jamal Igle, Dave Wachter and Mike Norton!

Panelists

Jamal Igle - super famous and super nice artist well known for his work on Supergirl. Jamal usually hits a good amount of conventions during the year so it would behoove any comic book fan to seek him out. He will make time for sketches, autographs, answering questions and having a beer or two. Jamal is exclusive with DC Comics (a dream held by many of friends and myself). He's the lucky husband of Karine and super dad to Catie. Plus, he has a cat. I trust men who like cats.

Dave Wachter - I wouldn't describe Dave as famous; he's more along the lines of infamous. Dave received lots of attention in the past from his work on Tell Them Johnny Wadd is Here and Scar Tissue. However, it's Dave's Guns of Shadow Valley which he co-created with Jim Clark that has evolved into the best western themed comic available -- and it's free because it's online. If you imagine the Magnificent Seven thrown in a blender with X-Men, that's Guns. Plus, he also has a cat. Rusty even has his own twitter feed.

Mike Norton - Mike is another DC artist with his first Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam cover hitting shelves very soon. He's also got lots of history with Green Arrow/Black Canary. Mike takes the time to appear as a guest on podcasts (not mine -yet!) and has been a long time friend of Comic Geek Speak. Mike is also strangely obsessed with his pugs. I don't think he has a cat. I don't know if I trust him.

More site updates

I've spent the last two days adding lots more to the new AmberUnmasked.com including incorporating my flickr galleries of almost all my costumes. There's always more to do and more to upload so subscribe to the feed.

I'm also trying to prepare for the CGS Supershow and still do more reviews!

A rather Supercentric Day

I put in a couple hours helping spread the word about the Toonseum's Superhero Day (vote for it on refresheverything.com/superhero so we can win some grant money, please!); then off to the Phantom of the Attic to pick up my comics which was quite an adventure considering that half of the city streets were closed for the parade; and then sewed for a couple of hours to help a friend who designed a costume for an all-recycling fashion show.

I can't show his complete design but I think it's ok if I spoil just my part of it. It's for a bellydance inspired outfit. I created a cape and waist sash out of old Superman bed sheets. The little jangles at the bottom are notebook binder rings.

Classic Star Sapphire completed / Lantern Corps.

Before there was a "Violet Lantern Corps" there was only Carol Ferris, the bittersweet girlfriend of Hal Jordan.

If you've checked back on my work-in-progress posts regarding Star Sapphire, you'll note that the fabric I ordered online is dreadful. I mean, truly horrible. There are a vast amount of words I could use to describe the radioactive neon bubblegum that is this color but I'll just leave it at horrible. This is a problem when shopping for fabrics online. I prefer to touch them and see them up which is why I enjoyed my shopping spree in NY's garment that one time I got to go. Luckily, spandexhouse.com will mail swatches; I still have problems with how their "processes." For example, the swatches I got are numbered but the numbers do not coincide with the actual item number on their website. So while I thought I ordered, let's just say #22-fuscia, what the sheet says is #109. I emailed them and they said that they keep a copy of the swatch card so they know what they sent to the customer. Ok, but still, don't they need to know what the real number is to go fetch in the aisles and floors of the warehouse? I don't know. I also can't believe that they still do not have an online secure shopping cart. Get paypal already! But to clarify, the spandex in this suit did not come from spandexhouse. I got it somewhere else online; a place with better shopping and better identifying of swatches. I made the mistake of ordering before getting swatches. After the barbie nightmare arrived, then I ordered swatches of other colors to see if any of them would work for Star Sapphire and that shop didn't have anything suitable, in my opinion. So if/when I remake the suit, I'll be using the swatches from spandexhouse to choose a better color.

It's been a very Lantern Corps winter here at Hero Fashions. I just finished a Blue Lantern suit for a sweet gal that I've done work for in the past. Unfortunately I don't have truly completed pictures to show for it because I have a chest emblem on order from someone and it hadn't arrived by the time I needed to mail out the suit. I embroidered a logo for her and included it unattached with her suit just in case she needs to hand stitch it on there before the real logo arrives. Con season has started!

While I'd love to follow Margie Cox's example of what Carol Ferris should look like (see, that's Margie in all her supreme goddessness in the modern Star Sapphire suit), I have unhappy with my weight going up again and I felt the suit was just too challenging while I'm so stressed out. I still want to make that suit but it had been months since being at my sewing machine. I needed to do something new but easier.

You'll also notice the "fubar" of the neckline. Originally I thought that I could slip into the suit like a bathing suit and not need a zipper. I kept making the neckline bigger and bigger until it could fit over my hips and damned if it just wouldn't work. So I was left with a ridiculously low neckline and a zipper in the back.

The collar is also pissing me off because the interfacing had been nicely stable or so I thought. But after putting it on a couple of times it just looks "limp." I should have used foam inside it but I thought the interfacing looked fine before I attached it. Live and learn.

The tiara - well that had its own problems. The glue wouldn't hold so I had to resort to Instant Vinyl. Then there were spots where the glue showed through the spandex like wet marks; and the foam layer had marker lines that were visible through this rather see-through fabric. (Another reason that I will stick with the milliskin from spandexhouse from now on). In order to cover the marks, I added GLITTER! Yes, GLITTER, because I had lost that much of my mind from staring at this blinding brainwashing fabric for so long. I do think there are military applications possible to torture prisoners of war with it. Seriously. Make them wear zentai suits of this fabric and they'll crack like a bad back.

The best part of the suit is the mask which was made by the leather artisan "columbina" of Ravenwood Masks on etsy.com. You can find the link in my past Star Sapphire posts. She also made my Firestar mask if you're curious.

The purple gloves came from a thrift store. Whenever you see something that you think might have a purpose somewhere down the line, just get it! The ring was made by a friend from thesuperherocostumingforum.com one of my favorite go-to places for costuming. You can get the rings really easy now that DC released them as novelty items. Just ask your local comic shop.

My plan was to debut the Star Sapphire at the CGS Supershow. I definitely don't feel its worthy of NYCC.

Surprised no one's asked you this yet on Formspring but...now that you're a full Deviant, what's the plan for your next set? *pleasesayroguepleasesayroguepleasesayroguepleasesayroguepleasesayrogue*

Haha, I do hope to tackle Rogue some day. Luckily, since Rogue is a character that has so many different costumes, more than one of us can be her. I already started on a Rogue swimsuit but I got stumped with the instructions and it's been sitting there in pieces ever since.

I have already submitted Sue Storm (Fantastic 4) and Steampunk Alice in Wonderland to the admins. They have tons of new sets so I don't know the release schedule. I have a very long list of "want to do" for @cosplaydeviants including Firestar, Star Sapphire, Catwoman and Black Widow. "Want to do" doesn't mean that they'll get approved though or that someone won't beat me to it first.

Ask me anything

What's the nicest compliment you've ever received about a costume you've made/worn?

When the son of Wonder Woman's creator told me he wants me to play her in the movie! Best compliment ever.

Ask me anything

Possible Rogue Jacket

Just because I'm wasting time searching for Zatanna costume parts online, I stumbled across this cute little brown jacket which could easily be enhanced for X-Men's Rogue. I have nothing to do with the site selling it, so I don't know anything about its availability and sizes.