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Messages - Charis

#1
So Fanime's a no-go for me next year -- I've got a wedding to go to at the beginning of May that makes asking for the time off unlikely at best.  I'm gonna miss everyone something fierce, but taking a year off is better for my wallet and my sanity than trying to drive up after work Friday and back down on Monday or something like that ...

That said: if you guys still want to do a JK gathering, I'll gladly hand off the reins to whoever wants them. <3  And either way, I hope you all have a wonderful con!
(And hope to see at least some of you outside of Fanime~ )
#2
Varies depending on which hotel you stay in.  Don't forget to account for taxes (about 14%, I think?) and parking (if applicable).  I'd err on estimating high, so ballparking $130 per night (w/o taxes/parking) for a two-bed (four-person) room probably is safe.  (I think I still have the numbers from last year somewhere, but can't check for them right now.)
#3
While you can dye resins or coat the mold with metallic powders, painting after it dries (especially for anything you have to shape *cougharrowscough*) is by far the cheapest and easiest method. XD  If you do clear resins for gems then you put the dye into them when you cast, but that's a different matter.

Molds typically get made one of two ways, both of which start by making your template positive (here's Kaya's cross, for example) out of clay or something like that.  Once you've got that made up, you either mush up enough putty to press it into (or press down around it) and let it harden before removing the positive, or you build a wall around it with some other clay or lego bricks or whatever and then pour the liquid silicone over it, and let it cure before you pull up the retaining wall and pry out your positive.  The putty's quick and easy but doesn't always like details (I got this out of it, but it's hit or miss and I've noticed it's easy to get bubbles or voids in the mold), and can be a little hard to get a nice flat bottom on the mold, but it's a lot cheaper (especially with a craft-store coupon applied) than the pourable stuff.  The pourable will get you detail, but requires mixing and pouring from way up high and can be a pain in the backside if you spill it anywhere.  If you're just trying it out, the putty might be easier to experiment with first.
(Liquid RTV and putty.)

As for how much resin you need, there's an easy trick for that: get a measuring cup (or make one by gradually filling a disposable cup and marking lines), fill it with water to a point, and then drop your positive into it.  Displacement will tell you roughly how much you need for one, though you want to account for scrap.  Unless you're making tons and tons of stuff, though, or covering large surfaces, the smallest available kit (for Quick Cast it's a quart) should be plenty.

In either case, get a small mountain of Dixie cups (or some other plain paper cup) and a packet of shish kebab sticks or wooden craft sticks for mixing up the resin and (if applicable) the silicone.  I use a small digital kitchen scale for mine since I was buying one anyway (most are a weight ratio); I know Kimu balanced hers on opposite sides of a stick to see if they were the same weight.  I tend to put wax paper down on whatever surface I'm building up the molds on so the silicone comes off easily.

Ramble ramble ramble ANYWAY. XD

(You can make your molds out of latex, too, which is cheaper, but it's a real pain in the backside to work with and I don't recommend it.  I did it for my first ones and while it worked, it stunk and took forever and a day to build up enough to cover even my shallow pieces. Silicone = 100x easier and worth the price difference.)

Michael's carries the molding putty.  Home Depot and similar stores have some resins, and Michael's (or equivalent craft stores) will have some, but I don't think I've seen a quickcast resin anywhere but TAP (and one place down here, but they sell it in giant containers so yeah, no).
#4
I've usually seen swords peace-bonded into scabbards, but I didn't actually go to peacebonding last year (never had my prop sword inside the con centre) so I couldn't tell you if anything's changed recently.  However, in my past experience posing for a photo has not been treated as brandishing.  In 2010 Peacebonding had clippers as well and cut my zip ties for me before a gathering so that I could pose with sword drawn for that.

Not an absolute by any means, but hopefully that helps you.
#5
I'd be down with Friday. :3  My Fanime schedule tends to be pretty flexible; I'm probably staffing next year, but I'll make sure that my shifts work out for this gathering.
#6
Seifer - Fabulous! ^_^ As for timing ... we've done Monday in the past because it's easier to avoid other scheduling conflicts -- Saturday and Sunday usually tend to be a bit of a fustercluck with other gatherings -- but I'm 100% open to change.  (I know trying to decide anything this early is kind of insane, and I don't expect that -- just throwing it out now to get talk started. ;) )

Pixie - YAY RAT! <3

Tenkage - I'll keep fingers crossed that you can make it back out! <3 Would be lovely to see you again out here (especially since I have no idea when I'll be able to make it back out to your neck of the woods for a con ...).
#8
By request from the Cos.com JK thread, resurrecting this gathering for next year.

Who's on board? XD
#9
Quote from: jingko on June 13, 2012, 12:26:01 PMfor PEACE BONDING---------
THEY ARE CHANGING THE RULES! YOU HAVE TO READ THEM WHEN FAMINE COMES AROUND AGAIN.
*snip*

Um ... if you look at the timestamp on that first post, it was last edited in January.  There's been clarification in the thread, and there's a certain amount of fluidity to be expected in the rules from year to year, but Aelia has always been very good about answering questions and keeping the cosplaying populace up to date, even if it's just "we're not sure about _____" yet.

That said -- did you read the rules before posting this?  Airsoft is explicitly prohibited according to the 2012 peacebonding rules.  Better to just point people to that thread and leave it at that, especially since it's best to have the people doing peacebonding commenting on what's okay and what's not okay with weapons, since they'll actually be the ones approving it at con.
#10
Quote from: Tenkage on June 08, 2012, 04:18:14 PMJust to poke your brain a little, is there any chance of getting the Juuni Kokki translations from you??  :D

Aaaaaah, that's right, I have to go hunting those links.  There are some up here -- I'll see what else I can dig up when I'm on my home computer. :D
#11
Less than two weeks after Fanime means I'm not being a horrible slacker in posting here, right? <_<;;  Anyway, THANK YOU ALL for coming out and making the gathering fun. <3  I love this bunch and I love ending Fanime on a positive note, so it was great to do it again.

Haven't really been looking for photos yet, but I did see this turn up today -- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.422738637747656.97356.181144498573739&type=3 -- and I'm sure there's more out there.

(And I'd ramble more but work is interrupting my break so back to it. Love you guys!)
#12
Quote from: spycker on June 06, 2012, 07:09:31 PM
ive seen pictures of people cosplaying with weapons that had orange tip!

Yes, but per this past year's rules, none of them should have had the ability to fire anything at any point in their lives.  If they did, the odds are good that they either (a) didn't get them peace bonded, or (b) someone made a mistake

There are a number of ways people get prop guns by circumventing the "no airsoft, etc." rule -- making their own, repurposing water guns (which I believe were permitted as long as they remained empty), finding solid ones without the moving bits.  I've known people to take airsoft guns and create resin copies of them.  Point is, there are still other ways to get the props you need.
#13
One thing that'd be interesting to see is what sort of panels/Q&Ds/etc. people would be interested in seeing in the cosplayer hangout.  I've thought about trying to do one or two, but I'm terrible at ideas and gauging what people might want to learn about ...

I'm planning a major clean in the next handful of months; if I find anything that might be helpful for the hangout, I'll save it to donate -- and I certainly hope the fabric swap's at a time I can make next year!  Goodness knows I've got enough random odds and ends ...
#14
I can't wash most of my costumes, so what I do is wear a layer underneath that I can wash, or make the layer against my skin something washable -- the juuban on a kimono, a very thin t-shirt, things like that.  I air the costume overnight, and change that underlayer if I'm wearing it back-to-back.

If you do go with wipes or febreeze, PLEASE don't use heavily scented ones.  It does nothing except provide a different kind of stink.
#15
Pictures up online, rather than in the programme book! :D It gives people a reference beforehand.  I know we can always ask here, but for those going shopping it gives a vague idea.  (IMO, it'd be especially helpful with soles -- one can't always test out shoes in a store for whether they'll mark or not.)

I don't recall what reason he was given in '11 as for why the shoes were forbidden; I know it wasn't marking concerns.  Probably formality, though they are what's appropriate with the cosplay and time period in question (it was on the style of Chinese flats).

I really do appreciate that you guys are always quick to comment and provide feedback on the attire questions thread, though -- even if we don't always like the answers, it's good to know earlier rather than later, and to know WHY makes things at least more understandable. :)  (I forget -- are the attire guidelines on the Fanime site linked to that thread?  If not, it might be useful; sort of a "if you have any questions at all, PLEASE ask here first".)
#16
Hotel Name: Fairmont
Would You Book Next Year: yes

Pros:
- BIG rooms. Granted, I was the only serious cosplayer out of the three of us, but we still had a good amount of space, even on the last day when we had our stuff, things for two friends (including camera gear and more cosplays), and about eight people sitting around the room.
- Vanity outside the bathroom with good light and mirror.  Super-convenient for dealing with cosplay makeup without getting into everyone's way. XD
- TV worked fine with a friend's laptop.
- Roomy, fast elevators.
- Located right next to all sorts of food options.
- Pretty quiet hotel in easy walking distance of con.

Cons:
- Water heaters were wonky.  We had issues with the shower temperature over the course of the weekend, but never intolerably cold.  Still, kind of annoying.
- Hallways are a little twisty and it's easy to get yourself turned around. XD
- Valet-only parking which takes a little while to get your car, and cost is fairly steep.
- The beds we had dipped into the middle, which was hell on a friend's back. Don't know if it's a commonality or if it was just our room (and I didn't have problems because I tend to sleep halfway off the edge of the bed anyway), but still.

Special Notes to Share: I really like this hotel mostly because of the lack of elevator troubles.  I've stayed in both the Hilton and the Marriott, and while I like them for the convenience, being as I tend to have cosplays that are not very stairs-friendly, I think I'll stick to the Fairmont.
Also, it's an awesome place to shoot in. ^_^

The Fairmont does hit you with a pretty steep deposit, which might be an issue for some.  Also, they will apply the deposit to multiple credit cards if you split room charges at the beginning (or so I was told); we bypassed this by splitting at the end.  The lady at checkout was very helpful with getting that set up.
#17
One thing that actually bothered me a lot about the dress code was the distinction between cosplay and non-cosplay -- specifically the "boots are allowed for cosplay but not if you're out of cosplay".  Now, I'm a cosplayer, and what I wore to the Ball was formal cosplay, but I find it unfair that I could hypothetically wear boots but (for example) a friend who wasn't cosplaying couldn't.  (I tend to prefer dress boots as formal shoes, mostly because I like the extra bit of ankle support they provide.  Not sure if I'd have run into any problems because I wound up sticking to the shoes I'd worn earlier in the day, which are actually leather-soled ballroom shoes, but the principle still stands.)

I know, in people I've talked to, there's been a lot of friction to rules being in place for "personal safety".  While it's true that someone not used to 4" heels will be awkward in them and more likely to do damage, there are people who are perfectly comfortable in them -- and the same people who might be awkward in 4" heels might be equally awkward in 2" ones.  Heck, the people used to taller heels might also be, simply because they're used to that way of holding themselves.  I understand that rules need to be painted in broad strokes for ease of application, but that's one that might want to be reviewed for wording.  The same people who will chafe at heel restrictions for safety will understand better if it's for something like protecting the dance floor.

If you do allow heel protectors, it would be nice to have examples and/or links to places where people can find them.  I think that might be a nice middle ground on the heel size restriction.  (In general, providing specific examples in the dress code could be really helpful -- possibly with pictoral examples so there's less room for argument.)

Adding my vote for the nongendered clothing guidelines as well.

While waiting in line for the Masquerade, a friend who'd been turned away from the Ball before looked across and saw a girl who was wearing the same flats he'd been told he couldn't wear into the Ball the year before -- and his had been part of a cosplay.  I don't recall whether I saw the girl inside later or not, but I know my friend was kind of grumpy about it.  It does seem as if there's an unevenness of application in the rules, and while I understand there will always be exceptions and rules realistically can't be unilaterally applied, consistency would go a long way.

Question: I know the dress code was posted up in multiple locations, but was it in the programme book?  I never actually wound up looking at mine this year. <_<;
#18
And we're aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalmost there! Hope everyone's last-minute crazy is going well and very  much looking forward to seeing people! <3 <3 <3

(I hit a setback -- the vast majority of paint on my sword blade (that I painted almost two years ago) peeled off when I took off the painter's tape from masking it for a hilt redo. T_T  Murphy's Law, that was tonight.  Guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow night in the room ...)
#19
WUnderground is my go-to site -- here's the station closest to Fanime.
#20
Moleskin, BTW, is a padding sold in drugstores and the like for cushioning blisters.  It's a thick adhesive-backed fabric with a short pile on one side.  Very useful for keeping your feet from being destroyed by new or uncomfortable shoes, or just to pad those areas that get a lot of wear.