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Total matches for commission: 5
THE COMMISSION
This is... so much. And better known as: Six FFVI-inspired Beadwoven Panels, Two Displays, and One Storage Box.
A long time in planning, a long time in making, and a couple of tricks discovered. Mainly that I can make little wooden boxes! The beadwork was already a thing I did, clearly, and this time I sort of had to force myself to actually keep track of how much time they took to make. "A lot", is the answer that everyone else knew and I refused to think about, but once I had a little working system in place, I enjoyed the challenge. And very much the demon chocobo.
The easel stand is a modified mini-easel with a solid panel for the (otherwise floppy) panels to rest against. Tiny black wire loops keep them from sliding off.
The hanging holder was a bit more of a process, since my first iteration was an "over-design" involving a hinged panel with a clear vinyl window. I'd still like to do that for something, but I'd have to figure out how to keep the vinyl from getting scratched up from being breathed upon, let alone actually used. This design was the better option: a solid curved backing acting as a counter-weight, three thin black wires to hold the panel against the backing, and two padded clips on either side to actually keep the panel attached to the board and also to serve as a point to hang the displayed panel from interchangeable chains.
The storage box was the one thing I was least certain about, but turned out to fall together easily once I actually started figuring out how all of the pieces fit together with some reinforcement and so much sanding. I also put a bit of wire at the bottom front and embedded two tiny magnets into the lid so that it snaps closed and stays that way until enough force is applied to open it.
Nera's Choker and Earrings
Commission for both the earrings and the choker from the Dragon Quest series' Nera Briscoletti. Not gonna lie; while there was plenty of initial annoyance regarding materials and some things that had gotten damaged and needed replacing, I had a lot of fun getting these together, though.
The earrings themselves are "plunger-style" clip-on gold-plated hoops, gold-plated base metal beads, and... cardboard. Layered, reinforced, hardened, and then made to look like gold. No, it's most definitely not going to bend, warp or fall apart anytime soon. The beads themselves are dangling from 4 extra-strong beading thread... er, threads. So they're dangly!
As for the choker, I tried quite a few fabrics to see if I couldn't simulate the texture and look of gold, and ultimately settled upon some lovely soft suede. With a nice little mostly hidden bar clasp, there's enough comfortable stretch to the suede itself to allow it to be worn without, you know. Choking every time you try to take a drink of something. (I know cosplay isn't about practicality, but I have my priorities.) The jewel is a little sky blue fiber optic/"cat's eye" cabochon.
The gold coloring itself? Took (4-6 layers of) one paint, one pigment wax, two additional iridescent pigments, and a variety of mediums to get that shine.
OP Material Necklace
The commission started as a simple request: all the FFVII materia on one necklace. So I asked if all the materia meant all the materia, black, white, and Huge Materia included, and... result!
This was a fantastic project with a lot of communication and encouragement, and an overall great experience. I've also been made aware that the receiver of the gift was very appreciative, which is always a joy. Handmade geeky bling for Christmas, y'know?
As for the materia themselves, the small ones are my usual uber-glowy acrylic beads in the usual spiral wire wrap, but I wanted to do a little something different with the Huge Materia. Not just make them bigger, clearly, but give them all a little sparkle. I kind of liked keeping everything "rounded", so I used larger jade beads, dye, and so many coatings of iridescent pigments to give them a different look. Plus I both really liked the idea of the "caged" wire wrap for them, thanks in part to in-game "Huge Materia container" field model, and just the fact that the beads were a bit heavier and needed some extra security for long-term hold.
I also decided to do the spacer beads myself. They're black epoxy, hand-formed and then hand-drilled because it ain't FFVII unless it's super extra. Plus I just wanted to see if I could do it, and behold.
Corrupted Water Crystal
Like a good many things, this started off as a nebulous concept I hadn't taken in any way seriously until it was too late. My girlfriend had been talking about wanting some version of a water crystal pendant (ala Final Fantasy 1), with the mention of "corrupted" in there somewhere, and the Fiend responsible being the Kraken so tentacles were a given and... I let my mind wander and tried a few things with a spare crystal I'd had around for ages to add color and some extra sparkle. I was only encouraged further.
Several layers of sparkly and a wide variety of techniques later and ta-da, there be a corrupted water crystal. As is the standard case with me, trying to get a decent representation of the colors under various lighting proved... challenging. There's a depth of purple beneath the blue, and the crystal itself remains translucent, so depending on how the light bounces and how much there actually is shining on it, the crystal itself has waves of both purple and blue, while the tentacles are always a darker blue with an opaque black base.
This one's both spoken and paid for, but I'm definitely planning to play more with the concept in the future. I'm also open for commissions, as per usual.
Snake Lariat Necklace Commission
I was contacted with a remarkably specific request for this pale yellow and cream snake lariat necklace, and was extremely happy to work on something like this again. I do hope it’s being greatly enjoyed. Date: 04 March 2017