ArkkySan

Send me a llama badge and I'll send one back! So yesterday I was posting about a mask that I was making. It's two halves that are independent of each other, so when I talk, the lower jaw can move as well <3

Okay, so I devoted some time (an hour or so) cutting foam, trying designs and scarping things that didn't really work out. In the end, this is what I ended up with:

That's the top + bottom half. I didn't know how to make the nose nicely so i just settled for that. I was going to add whiskers using fishing line but I couldn't find it, so maybe at another time I will put the whiskers in.



So this is the lower jaw by it self. Again boring boring thing, cut out a tongue from red colored foam and made a second one, then stuck them on top of the grey foam to 'raise' the tongue closer to the jawline. Though I regret adding the grey foam at that size, because the jaw now sits lower and makes the entire snout look really 'thick'. Gonna cut out some of the grey foam to remedy the thing. Also added teeth to the top and bottom jaws, and that makes the mouth not close properly anymore



Also made some ears, although I still don't know how I'm going to wear 'em yet. Crappy example of ears, I stuck the grey piece wrongly at the start and now it looks weird. Might redo this if I have enough leftovers, but I'm quite satisfied with the shape and size of the ears.



Jaw slightly open. I kinda regret using the grey foam for padding, LOL. Looks darn weird now.

And for a bonus picture:

Can anyone tell me how to put a custom skin for my journal?

Anyway...

So I said I'd update, so here it is, along with many pictures!

Okay first up are pictures from last week, where I met up with Daryl and Marcus and went to Vivocity's Ben & Jerry's for it's Free Cone Day. We went for seconds, though I know some people went for thirds and more heh. Greedy people heh.

Beautiful sunset isn't it?

There was a pretty sunset that evening too. Loads of textured clouds. Blue, grey, white, yellow and orange... Gosh that was a gorgeous sunset.

Then yesterday, I went out to buy some breakfast. My word the ground was littered with flowers! Really pretty!

And breakfast was some chicken porridge, one fried dough stick and a red-bean bun. Pretty normal stuff I guess.

Met up with Zul in the afternoon to go jalan jalan. I bought some candy from a store called Sticky, really nice candy! Eating a few of the thing they call 'Acid Pops' now. Kinda sour. Heh. Went to Art Friend at Bras Brasah, bought some art supplies to make a mask! The thing cost me like $35 in total, which are:

[caption id="attachment_53" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Some of the stuff I bought"][/caption]

The things are:

• 1 piece of craft fur roughly A3-sized.
• 7 pieces of A4-sized foam
• 1 hot glue gun
• 1 pack of glue sticks for the glue gun
• 1 penknife
• 1 pack of elastic
• 1 masquerade mask

So I spent the next few hours crafting the mask. After Zul and myself bought the supplies, we went to Macdonald's for a meal, and I mentioned that I might've bought too much of the foam. Thank goodness I did though, since I messed up a bit and ended using up 4 of the 5 black colored foam I bought. Below is what a early attempt at the mask looked liked:

[caption id="attachment_54" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="An early attempt at making the mask"][/caption]

The one on the left is the lower jaw, and the one on the right is the muzzle/ upper jaw. These two ended up as scraps because the lower jaw was waaaaay too short, and the muzzle was too thick.

I made these with foam (obviously), cut and  hot-glued them to give them it's basic shape, then 'set' the shape by dipping it into hot water. Dipping it in hot water actually accomplished two tasks, it set the shape and got rid of that awful chemical smell that the foam gave out, especially strong when I wore it.

So after getting hot glue on my hands several times (and boy does it sting), I managed to do it correctly. I made several mistakes while making it. At first, I thought the muzzle was too long, and so I cut the muzzle shorter but ended up looking very weird. So I re-did the upper jaw, making it thinner. The lower jaw still didn't fit.

Left with no choice, I made a second lower jaw. Still didn't fit. I made the third one, hoping that I'd nail it this time. Turns out that I made two mistakes while making the lower jaws previously: I cut it too short and I cut the shape wrongly. Third time's the charm, I guess. xD

After burning myself with the damned glue a few more times, this was the end result:



The dreaded lower jaw that made me waste so much foam. The elastic is so that I can wear the thing (duh). That piece of black foam is to provide more... 'gripping' area and makes it less prone to slipping off halfway. Another shot of the mask:



You can see the shape better like this. Basically it's a sorta funnel shape with curves rather than straight edges. And now for the top part of the mask:



This is the front of the top part of the mask. As you can see I haven't added in the nose or put in any details at all. The basic structure of this is the muzzle piece from earlier and a masquerade mask. This is what it looks like from behind:



This is the back of the mask, or the inside, or whatever. There are actually holes for the eyes already, although they're kinda small at the moment. Also need to trim back the fur around the eyes to stop them from going into my eyes. The foam strips are there to make wearing the mask more comfortable, since without them they were actually pressing onto my eyes, making it nigh impossible to blink my eyes (or if my eyes were closed, open them again).

Side view:



The fur looks weird unfortunately Maybe I'll just do it again but I don't wanna waste too much more materials.

So... That's all for today

So hi everyone!

Been AGES since I've posted a journal entry, and I am super bored now, so why not!

So I left the previous job with was making me quite miserable. It has been a meaningful experience for me, seeing how hard money is to earn. I am somewhat more aware of that fact and spending less. Currently waiting for to start work at Universal Studios Singapore! I hope I cleared the medical check-up! I really look forward to working there. Pay-wise, benefits are better, pay is slightly better if I don't include my sales incentives from previous job.

But hey, this is something I love doing. I like helping people, meeting them, generally making people happy. I always try to cheer up my friends, or at least let them have a channel to voice out their thoughts. I think it's pretty important to voice out one's thoughts, as keeping it pent up inside.. it's just gonna POP! Then everything rushes out in a torrent of emotions. I feel kinda weird saying this, but I'd do almost anything for a friend in need within my capabilities. While I won't usually lend money and do illegal stuff.. I don't know if friends know I'm always here, a call or text away from them should they need someone to talk to.

This is something, coming from someone who can't control his own emotions well. LOL. I'm easily moved, seeing people on the streets fight or argue, or see a movie or TV show, or even reading about a sad story can make me want to cry. This can be embarrassing at times, omg. I has no idea why I'm like this, meh.

Ohohohohohohohohoh I decided to do a gijinka cosplay of... MIGHTYENA! Going to buy the materials soon! I don't actually have any good references for a real cosplay, only concepts for a gijinka Mightyena. No love for Mightyena?! HOW CAN THAT BE, MIGHTYENA IS LIKE, ONE OF THE COOLEST POKEMON! ANDANDAND POOCHYENA IS SO CUTE I WANT TO HUG HIM! LOL. It's gonna cost me roughly $60-70 altogether, with the fur being the most expensive component to the costume. If it's successful and looks decent, I might consider doing other Pokemon. Currently thinking of Growlithe and Houndour. I want to do Absol but he's just too cool hehe.

Gosh I sound like such a nerd, LOL.

Wonder if anyone even reads or follows me anymore >.>"

So it has been ages since my last Journal Entry, just before I started working. If you're curious, I have a blog at masharnowolfe.wordpress.com, which I blog on every two days or so (with a new post being overdue - I guess I'll make a version of this).

It has been 5 long months since I've started working. I can't believe it - working for 5 months in a job that I don't really like! But strangely, I still do want to work, mainly due to economic reasons, meh.

Started working, faced a whole new set of problems. Mostly it was adaptation issues - usually I can adapt to most new situations, but even now, I'm still struggling to get in tune with the life of a working class 'adult'. I don't know what's so hard about it. Get up, freshen up, go to work, then come back home? But it's so much more complicated than that I guess. I'll just have to soldier on. I have to be strong, not only for my own good, but for my family. I owe so much to my family for putting up with me.

It's hard to get over something for me - the things I have done in the past were utterly unforgivable. Even now, years later, I still feel a tinge of regret. I do not deserve a place in this household. It's much too good for me to be called a family along with them. I wonder if they realize how much of an outcast I feel amoung them. It's easy to put up a facade, but when they're not around I can safely drop the facade and think over things.

I have been reading the Twilight Saga (so sue me, I actually LIKE it), I'm kinda envious of  Bella (except for the clumsy and whiny bitch part). Having someone to hold, physically (personally I'd go with Jacob, he's so much cuter, not to mention he can shapeshift into a wolf. HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT MAN) is one of the blessings that I crave for. Not just as friends, but something on a level higher than that, but I haven't found anyone suitable yet.

Recently I was reading a friend's blog. On it he blogged about the feelings for a girl. When I realized who he was talking about, it was like running into a brick wall. I don't know why, but I felt a sudden rage, then an empty hole where my heart should've been (oh my word, I'm writing like Stephine Meyer now). I didn't even have feelings for her - not in that way. I treated her as a sister more than anything else, so why does it feel so bad to know that fact? Maybe I have repressed feelings, unconscious thoughts that I don't even know about. I don't know, I seriously don't know.

Friends, I feel as if I'm drifting apart from them. It makes me sick to know that my friends are... 'moving on'. I don't want to move on, not after all these years. They mean more to me than the world itself. I won't be a martyr for them, but I'd want to protect them as much as I can, but I don't know how anyway. I feel lonely to the depths of my soul, it's beyond my control (kudos to anyone who realizes where this line is paraphrased from). It's stupid really, making my friends the pillars of my life, when people have to move on, eventually.

Work, differing interests, and the passage of time are slowly breaking us apart. I'm desperately holding on to whatever fragments that remain, holding them close to me. I can't let go, and that's where the problem lies. Having an overly-strong sense of loyalty sucks  (if you follow the Zodiacs, I'm a Leo Dragon. Double dose of pride, loyalty, stubborness and etc). What am I going to do when they move on? I don't know, I seriously don't. All I have to do is to hope I can make friends with others, make bonds that are more tenuous as the relationships I share with my friends now.

Back again, uploaded some photos... heh.

Been skating, putting on the miles, abusing my skates, my feet and the pavement, and enjoying it all

I feel like drawing again in photoshop but it's extremely laggy for some odd reason. didn't use to be this bad

I see drawing by Jess and Ramza and I feel like drawing too, but laggy comp is excruciating xP