Fifty Shade of 'Oh, Please!'

We all know the frenzy that is Fifty Shades of Grey. I read all three books, and I was underwhelmed. Unfortunately, there are millions of people who disagree with me. But, I suppose that all adage is there for a reason- Different strokes for different folks.

Knowing what the Halloween crazy is like in NYC, I have already been approached by two women for my mask-making skills. Yes, my friends, someone out there (two, actually) are fans of my little mask attempts and have commissioned me to replicate Anasatasia's mask from Fifty Shades Darker.

As you can see from the cover of the book, the mask is longer at the nose and actually comes all the way down to the nostrils. I've never attempted to bend leather into such a detailed shape before, but there's a first time for everything, right?

At the very least, I'm excited to try. I think I'm good enough. I don't think I'm gonna suck. Wish me luck!

And, just to update you on my last project- the Yellow, Green and White puffy crochet blanket; my new nephew Riley was born on June 7th. Meet Riley Chase Rothwell. (Yes, my cousin is all about the resume names.) Unfortunately, his blanket is only halfway complete, but it is summer so by the time the weather cools down, it should be all ready for him!

When Bad Masks Happen

...to good people.

This mask was going to be a mardis gras work of art! However, falling behind on my baking and running short on time (once again), I ended up rushing it and I absolutely hated how the paint job came out. HATE. I added a gold-painted dowel as the handle after the pictures were taken. The woman I gave it to loved it, and didn't believe I made it. She was still a hit at her party, though, with this one-of-a-kind mask.

Not my best work, but even the duds should be documented! This only goes to prove that you can't put lipstick on a pig!

Materials & Sources:

8oz vegetable tanned leather: Tandy Leather
Liquitex Acrylic Paints gold & purple - Pearl Paint (NYC)
Feathers & Plastic Jewels: Pearl Paint (NYC)

Peacock Mask

I just learned this cool new leather mask technique. This is my first creation! I made it for my friend Margaret as a going-away gift. We saw similar masks (which were a lot less ornate than this one) at a Renaissance Festival last summer. A very plain mask was selling for nearly $30 a piece. The materials I used cost a lot less than that!

Materials & Sources:
8oz thick Vegetable Dyed Leather: Tandy Leather
Peacock Feathers: AC Moore
Liquitex Acrylic Paint: Pearl Paint
Ribbon: AC Moore