Post-Granite State Comicon

This past weekend Kelley and I attended Granite State Comicon as vending artists in their Artist’s Alley and Dealer’s room. I had a wonderful time and met some really cool people! With Halloween coming up, many of you asked if I had a store online or made custom masks. Yes, and yes! I sell my masks and other costume wear through etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/shaunart. I was waiting to list a lot of masks until after the convention was over, but now that I’m done with Granite State, I will be listing the bulk of what didn’t sell on my Etsy within the next few days. Be sure to check back!

If you need something very specific for Halloween, feel free to send me an email or message me through Etsy to start a commission. Get you commissions in soon, though! There’s only a month left before Halloween and I already have a few commissions in the works. The sooner you can place your mask orders, the better your chances of me accepting it for a Halloween delivery.

Thanks again to everyone who came out to Granite State Comicon, and to all the artist’s in our vending row who made the convention so much fun! Hope to see you all again next year.

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Spring Leather

Remember all of those fairs I have been vending at? Well, I have accumulated a bit of new work that I haven’t had a chance to photograph and share with everyone due to the chaos of fair preparation. I still have lots on my plate, but now that two back-to-back events are done with, I have a moment to share with you some of my recent leather creations.

The leaf barrettes above have already sold out, but I do plan on making more. They are a fun new addition to my leather collections, perfect for summer and fall. By the time Connecticon rolls around, I should have several more back in stock.

A series of green masks with an iridescent shine. Another summery accessory.

This set is for the fairy princesses out there. Specifically sized to fit a young girl’s face, these brightly colored, ultra feminine masks also have an iridescent finish.

Here’s a bold statement. Metallic green, scalloped edges, and big gold studs draw attention to the eyes.

Last bunch for today, a series of blue iridescent masks in a variety of shapes and sizes. Everyone likes blue, so why not make a size to for everyone?

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Paint-Your-Own-Masks on Etsy

For those of you who like to do things yourself, I’ve got some new paint-you-own-leather-mask listings up on Etsy. Leather masks are surprisingly simple to make from vegetable tanned leather. However, if you only need one mask, its hardly worth the large investment of your time and money to track down a good piece of leather, draft a pattern, cut it out, punch holes, and wet form it, just so you can have a custom mask that may or may not turn out the way you like.

Instead, I’ve done the hard part for you with these masks by purchasing the leather in bulk, and completing all of the special tooling and prep-work which requires specialty equipment. All that’s left for you to do is design and decorate the mask of your dreams!

I have two styles of do-it-yourself masks available right now; the ever popular Super Villain Mask, and the stunning Sprite Mask. Both patterns were hand-drafted myself and are not available elsewhere. These masks are ready to paint! They readily accept acrylics, oil-paints, glue, glitter, varnishes, matte and gloss mediums, and just about anything else you can think of thanks to their smooth yet porous surface.

So what are you waiting for? Any design you can imagine is possible!

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The Pirate Rendezvous

On Saturday, June 22nd, Faire Trimmings (a collarborative brand between Kelley and I) will be vending at the Pirate Rendezvous in Damariscotta, ME. Activities begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. The pirates invade at high noon, which is essentially a large parade and general storming of the fair grounds by costumed reenactors. All attendees are encouraged to come in costume, but there is no requirement to do so. The fair and parking is free, but you may choose to make a donation to the Lincoln County Family Holiday Wishes, a Christmas season food and gift drive.

This is a family friendly event and there will be tons of activities and merchandise geared towards children. However, because no one is ever too old to be a pirate, this event draws fair-goers and reenactors of all ages from across New England.

The Faire Trimmings booth, where I will be stationed, will be offering one-of-a-kind leather costume wear and accessories. You can find eye-patches, masks, armor, and jewelry to complete you pirate costume all in one place. We will also be offering prints of original artwork, and for the children we have facepainting and temporary tattoos. We even do caricatures!

For more information on the fair, you can check out their website at: http://piraterendezvous.com/

I am very busy preparing for the fair, but if I get a bit of extra time this week, I will try to post some process shots of my work and wares.

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Masks on Etsy

I also want to let everyone know about the new masks that I have listed on Etsy. All handmade and one-of-a-kind. Click on an image to be taken to the listing.

Also available in the Etsy store is the option to add ribbon or a suede cord to any of these masks to make them ready to wear!

You can always add you own cord or ties to any of these masks, but the ribbon and suede that I offer is guaranteed to fit through the holes on the masks, as well as provide just a tiny bit of stretch so that the mask stays snug on your head without pinching.

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Bracers on Etsy

This week I have added several new items to the Etsy shop, including three new, and very different bracers!

All hand-made and one-of-a-kind, these bracers are cut from the highest quality vegetable tanned leather. This study yet flexible material insures that these bracers will fit any arm (of the intended gender for which they were designed). Simply tighten the suede laces to fit.

Each bracer also features brass grommets and has been sealed with a waterproof acrylic varnish to improve its durability. Simply click on any of the images to be taken to the listing!

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Wear You Heart on Your….House.

New lovey-dovey items for sale in the Etsy shop just in time for Valentine’s Day. Two new listings for handmade heart garlands! The first listing is for a pre-made, ready to ship string of four bright red heart ornaments, strung on a length of hemp and cut to your size specifications. Ornaments are hand-made out of  vegetable tanned leather and painted with a waterproof acrylic ink.

Ornaments are free-sliding on a length of hemp cut to the size you specify. I offer a length of 35″ for standard windows, 40″ to hang over doorways, and 60″ for mantles, double windows, and just about anything else. If ordered this upcoming week, I can have them to you in time for Valentine’s, and shipping is incredibly affordable with this light-weight and foldable item.

The second listing is for a yet-to-be-made custom string of garland comprised of eight hearts instead of four. Looking for personalized wedding decor? How about a string of eight hand-made heart ornaments painted the color of your choice? Hang these hearts over any doorway, window, entryway, altar, or bride’s table to instantly transform the space for your special day. Have difficult to find wedding colors? I can reproduce any shade to match your vision. Want multiple colors? I can make every heart a different color at no extra charge.

This cheerful modern accessory is made from vegetable tanned leather ornaments painted with acrylic ink and sealed with a waterproof varnish. Strung on cords of hemp and tied in neat little bows, this simple design matches any decor. The best part about this item is, when the wedding is over, your bridal party can each take home an ornament as a bonus wedding favor! Use them year-round as Christmas Ornaments, & Valentine’s Decor.

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New Masks in Etsy & Queen City Kamikaze Con Announcement

Alrighty, I will start with the Queen City Kamikaze Con business so we can get that out of the way and start looking at some pretty masks. February 16th, Manchester, NH, I will be vending at a one-day anime convention called Queen City Kamikaze Con. Admission is only $10! My table will be named under the collaborative fair project, “Faire Trimmings,” which is also the new title of my Etsy store, though the URL and username remains the same. Basically, Faire Trimmings is the name of any project that me and Kelley Griffin work on together, so that we can keep our individual art careers as separate endeavors.

In the Etsy store today we’ve got some new masks up! Including this super mischievous leaf sprite mask for only $20. All of my masks are hand-cut, carved, and painted with a waterproof acrylic ink, then sealed with a waterproof acrylic varnish. All of my masks are one-of-a-kind, so if you see one you like, you’d better get it before its gone forever. Just click on any image in this post to be taken directly to the listing.

I have also recently added two new super hero masks. The above is the slimmer of the two, designed to fit the petite face of a woman or teenage girl without covering all of her beauty. That’s one thing that I always found annoying about wearing a mask with a costume–if the mask is too big, it would cover my entire face. I like my face, and I would like for people to still be able to see it. These slim masks are my solution. They cover only what’s necessary to hiding your identity (essentially your eyebrows) and nothing more.

Another new listing in the shop is for the option to add a length of cord or ribbon to your mask purchase. All of my masks come with pre-punched holes designed to allow this particular suede and ribbon to pass through them snugly, but without snagging. At this time I offer black suede cord and black organza ribbon. The cord is barely noticeable once the mask is on your face, especially if you wear it under your hair while the organza is a dressier more decorative accessory.

The second of the new slim masks up for sale is this standard black mask made to fit any adult face. It is not slim, it is not over-sized. It is simply an average black mask. This makes it a costuming staple, really. It’s like owning a white camisole–you gotta have at least one!

Remember I also make custom masks. So if you have a specific costume for which you need a mask, send me a message and I would be happy to help!

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Super Craft Weekend Recap

This weekend was awesome. Besides a wonderful annual caricature gig on Saturday afternoon (I love being paid to draw children), my best friend Kelley came up to my studio in Lowell for the weekend to have a super craft marathon. In a day and a half we got a solid 10 hours of work time in, as well as 3  hours of brainstorming, art-absorbing, and inspiration gathering. The rest of our free time was either spent sleeping eating or shopping. But shopping is also a part of the process I assure you. What better way to scout retailing techniques, research the latest fashion trends, and build your personal brand than by shopping? I think every artist can relate to me when I say that  shopping–not even purchasing but the act of browsing–is an important part of the 24 hour creative process.

Anyway, During our time in the studio, Kelley was hard at work on her beading projects, totally absorbed in that one task despite the fact that she lugged an entire shoulder of leather up to the studio in order to get started on some bags and masks. She finally took the last hour or so of work time to pattern and trace on her leather just to get started. But in the mean time, she got a lot of beading work done! Above is a shot of one of her intricate beaded necklaces. Ever talented and creative, Kelley even made me a headdress in order to practice the design in preparation to make a whole line of beaded headdresses, and it is absolutely stunning! I have to take some better pictures, but you should be excited for the dripping beaded magic that will be coming off of my head in the near future.

I on the other hand spend the entire weekend working on using up the last of my quarter hide making masks, braces, and hair accessories. In the photo above, I am sporting one of my favorite new mask styles which I found to be especially flattering. As frequent readers will know, I just patterned about 10 more styles of masks for men, women, and children. The masks range from thick to thin, pointy to soft, with a range of eye hole sizes and nose shapes so that my brand will accommodate a wide range of face shapes. Your nose does not have to settle for some “standard” mask shape. I offer variety. Anyhow, I think the standard black mask was a good place to start with the new mask patterns. Classic, versatile, sexy black masks; can’t go wrong there.

Here’s a picture of black masks, freshly painted, all lined up and ready for varnish. I tend to make small items in batches in order to work more efficiently, and thus save you and me money. So what’s next? Well, these crafting weekends will hopefully be a common occurrence in 2013 as we sign up for more and more conventions at which to sell our goods. Our first “test convention” will be Queen City Kamikaze Con at the Manchester New Hampshire High School on February 16th. It will be a minuscule convention, which is why I consider it a test, but it will be a chance to practice hauling our merch and display stuff around, setting up quickly, and give us an indication of what items sell to which demographic. We want to focus our time on making things that people actually want. So on that note, if any of you readers have any requests for cool leather accessories, armor, or jewelry, leave us a comment below and we will certainly take a shot at adding your request to our line.

In the mean time, you can see what we already offer at the Etsy store. Soon to be retitled, re-styled, and restocked, that is where we will be selling our products to the online and international community. However some items may sell at conventions or fairs before we have a chance to list them online. So if you are looking for something specific, shoot us a message and we can let you know if there’s anything in our inventory that meets your needs. We will try to list as much as we can online, but listings take time and some things are sure to be missed. Hope you understand.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

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Facebook Give-Away

In an effort to get my Facebook fan page over that last hump before 300 ‘likes’ I decided to have a give-away. One lucky fan of my page will be selected at random to receive this hand-made, hand-painted ginko leaf leather necklace for free! 

All you have to do in order to participate is visit my Facebook Fan Page, give the page a ‘like’ and then ‘share’ a post about the give-away on your wall or on a friends wall. Everyone who shares a give-away post will have their name entered to win. But you must share before Jan 7th at Midnight (Sunday Night into Monday). If my Facebook page reaches 300 likes, which it will because we are only one away at the time of this posting, then I will pick a winner at random on Monday morning, and contact the winner via Facebook that same day to obtain a shipping address where they would like to receive their free necklace.

Again, you can find similar hand-made leather jewelry by visiting my etsy shop anytime!

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