Just to let everyone know who is not already on my friend's list to comment if you want to be added. I don't check up on who has friended me or not so I have no idea who or who has not has friended this journal. And I'm not going to automatically assume you even want to be added.

So, the stuff I normally make public is my finished fursuit work and other business related things or public announcements (conventions I'm going to, if I'm going to be away, website updates, etc)

I friends-lock my WIPs, doodles, rants, general conversation, and pretty much anything I'd consider more personal (without moving into really personal stuff or TMI). It is pretty random and I tend to use my LJ friends as a sounding board when I'm considering something new or just need advice on a project (or on life in general).

So just comment here if you're interested.

As long as your journal is active and you seem to be a real person (not a suspiciously empty journal with no contact information or apparent life) and you are not someone I personally object to (though I really can't think of any offhand) then I'll add you.

My AIM is Beetlefursuits@aol.com (though don't use that an an email address, because I won't check it. Email via my website instead)

Feel free to AIM me, but keep in mind that I probably won't be receptive to 'small talk'. Do not contact me if all you want to say is "Hi. How are you?". I DESPISE that. If you're reading my LJ then you already KNOW how I am! Though if you want to discuss fursuits and fursuit business - then I'll be all over that.

I often do stuff on my computer that I don't wish to immediately alt-tab out of. As well, I often jump back and forth between my computer and my work room all day. So if you IM me and don't get a response, then don't take it personally. Keep the program open and I'll reply as soon as I get back (probably within the hour).

EDIT: I occasionally go through and remove friends who have not friend me back/unfriended me. So if I friend you upon request and then later unfriend you with no explanation, that's a likely reason why.

Since FC is looking pretty likely for me right now, I'm beginning to contemplate what suits(s) to bring with me.

1)


My Beetle character suit. I will bring her 100%. She's currently a head, handpaws, and tail and I will make her a pair of legs and footpaws. These sort of 3/4 suits are very fun and easy to wear so she's good for dances and just for hanging out in suit.

However, her head is not of my own work, so I should probably bring something I can show people up close as an example of what I do.

And I've narrowed it down to one of the following 2 suits as my 2nd (mainly as I have nothing else):

A)

This is as far as this suit is finished right now. It's a saber hyena made from blue, grey and rainbow furs. It will be a regular anthro fullsuit.

The biggest downside is that I still have to BUILD it XD And I never thought I'd say this about a rainbow hyena, but it's almost too boring XD Still, he'd be an example of my most current classic fursuit work. Plus.. rainbow!

B)

I'm now contemplating bringing my quad targ. The biggest downside for him is that he takes up a stupid # of totes (extra airport fees) and he takes a bit of effort to get in and to wear around so he might be worn less overall (unless I can find someone my size to wear him for a bit.. hmm...)

However, he's also very showy, very fun, and has thus far been very underutilized as he's just too complex to take to local events. He's perfectly capable of walking around but only as long as my arms hold out >< And I'm a not-so-strong girl so he might just sit in the hallways a fair bit.

So tell me what you wanna see!

Poll #1490853
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 53

Targ or Hyena

EDIT:

So Two out of Three people say Toby! I think I'm going to sway that direction too, if only because he's already mostly complete (needs some general repairs and painting) and I notice I have a lot of work to do before and around FC lol

Granted I can make a personal suit faster than a commission plus work on it after everything else has to have been shipped already (there is no 1 day shipping across the border!), but with post-FC commitments I'm suspicious over my ability to create a whole new suit in time XD

(click for bigger)


Well Okay I still have to handsew a few things and test fit it with the bodysuit. but it's finished enough for photos :D

None of the rest (it's a full fursuit) - I'll post some in the future if the customer is amiable and/or I can manage to swipe them off the internets :D :D

Just throwing this out here. I really want to get into making a few faux taxidermy pieces - taking proper taxidermy forms and accessories and combining them in weird and wonderful ways with fake fur.

These differ from a fursuit in that they'd be unwearable and just for display. I think my current fursuit works probably work fine as a reference that I can do the work to make it look real.

I'd like to make either a shoulder mount or a rug (with a head). I'd rather not get any smaller than a coyote. Real animals or fake mythical ones as good. I can add horns or antlers or whatever. Sculpt and cast pieces if I cannot buy anything suitable.

A Siberian tiger or Male lion rug.. a unicorn or Targ shoulder mount.. the possibilities are endless.

So! Given how expensive materials are, before I make anything I'd like to have a buyer already. If you're interested in something drop me an email (beetlefursuits.at.gmail.dot.com). I'm pretty much past the capacity for new projects until the new year but I could probably start this in March. I'm thinking around $500 - $800 for the finished item. I'd need about half of that as a deposit.

- here is my Twitter: http://twitter.com/Beetlefursuits

It feeds to my website and sometimes feeds to my LJ here (unfortunately it has to stay under a friends filter due to technical limitations. And the feed doesn't seem to always work for LJ since it's a 3rd party system).

The part worth noting is I post quite a few WIP photos to Twitter now. Incomplete stuff that never gets referenced anywhere else; just showing that day's work or anything else I decide to snap a quick pic of.

I update around 2 or 3 times a day. Once I get it set up from my phone I'll be able to update from conventions and other trips! Now *that* is technology! being how I otherwise never get around to actually writing a synopsis of the trip once I'm back.

---

Ah while I'm at it..

http://beetlecat.deviantart.com/

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/beetlecat/

Those are the only other 2 gallery site that I regularly update (with photos - LJ is more my talky talky journal). There will be some overlap but I try not to post the exact same things in each.

I suppose FA is more interesting single scene photos while DA is more to the technical side with compilation shots from every angle.

( Read more... )

Still have to fix up around the nose slightly. I ended up remaking the nose after furring the head and so put it on top of the fur rather than under like I usually do. The direct lighting makes it look particularly bad D:

Newest creations shown here for those not watching my other galleries and new photos for those that are --



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Think back to photos of fursuits that you saw and went "OMG <3!" and favorited it or saved it to your harddrive.

What makes them so awesome? What caught your eye first? What features are awesome and makes them the best among best?

(for this purpose ignore character performance as much as you can. I realize it matters a huge amount but it's not really something I can influence lol)

I left the poll vague because thoughtful comments explaining the poll choices will probably be more enlightening overall.

COLOURS - do bright colours catch your eyes first? Matching colours? Contrasting colours? Many colours in one suit or few colours?

STYLE - do you prefer suits by one maker or like specific style like huge noses or floppy ears or saberteeth etc etc

SHAPE - related to style but more in the shape of the suit itself. Curvy? Tight? Huge padding or no padding? Large tails and ears? Eye size and shape?

MARKINGS - Spots? stripes? stars? 'husky' patterning (darker back and thighs)? random patches of colour everywhere or basic one or two toned suits with a bit of accenting.

Poll #1476041
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 56

What Makes a widely Aesthetically Pleasing Fursuit?

One of the random foibles of fursuit-making. So I have a suit here that I need to match some dark-tipped grey fur to fur already used in it. After eliminating all the other half-a-dozen tipped grey furs I have here, we're down to 3:



I *swear* to you each of the furs in this photo is different :D :D The winner in this case is the top-most fur. The lower right has black tipping not brown and the left one has too much tipping.

Really it illustrate how hard it is is match furs when they're not from a specific store and specific stock and you don;t have them in front of your to compare with. And even then the dye lots can change meaning fur that used to match no longer does. In this case since I made the suit I know what fur I used in that area and I still have some here.

Trying to match another maker's work would not be fun.. so stay in good spirits with whomever makes your suit (or get them to only use fur found on the internet which is much more common and thus easily matched rofl)

I followed the concept art a bit closer on this one than usual. Some of you may recognize the art style. This was entirely too much fun to make though also a bit chaotic as there are many firsts for me in this costume. It's also a bit heavier than the usual as there is an *incredible* amount of yarn in that hair.





This was actually the prize (free head commission) for that contest I held oh... 2 years ago? Linkee: http://beetlecat.livejournal.com/44358.html#cutid1

Far as I'm concerned, I still came ahead in the deal ^_^

And now that this contest is finally closed I suppose there are possibilities for a new one sometime in the (far) future ;p

Did a few calculations and I'm expecting I'll be opening for new commissions January 2011.

My current queue (suits I have deposits on) should take until around April - June 2010. The next queue will take the other half of the 2010 year and by 2011 I should have only around 6 months left (assuming the current drop out rate remains the same through the whole list).

At that time, I'll open for new commissions until I have enough work for another 6 months. Then I'll close and finish out the old queue over 6 months and then open for another 6 months of work. Etc Etc.

In that way I'll open for commissions twice a year and there will be a 1 year queue from deposit to finished suit. That seems pretty reasonable to me and fits in my style of work.

Realized it's been a while, so I went and updated my queue: http://www.beetlecatoriginals.com/

Sangluna Partial - Paid in Full except S&H. Progress 70%.
Kudu suit - Deposit recieved.
Highland Bull Partial - Deposit Paid. Progress 20%
Grey Sabertooth - Deposit recieved.
Zuki Suit - Deposit Paid. DTD recieved. Waiting on full concept art. Progress 10%
Dhole Suit - Deposit recieved.
Quad suit? - Waiting on customer decision.
Equine Head? - re-contact customer.
Anglaroo? - re-contact customer.

My website is currently suspended due to non-payment. I'm slightly annoyed because I never received any notification from my host that it was almost due and then overdue >< Keeping close track of a once-a-year payment on some random calender date is a bit beyond me.

As time is of the essence I've now paid for the next year and opened a ticket with my host so hopefully it's back up soon.

Those watching my Twitter here will see this twice. Sorry XD But I don't want you to have to wait until midnight to know this!

http://beetlecat.artfire.com

Uploaded 2 new fox sets. Check them out! If they sell out I'll add a couple more after RF!

So I'm gone this weekend (leaving today) then I get back for 3 days and then I'm off to Rainfurrest. So I'm writing this now because I may not have time later!

I'm staying in a poolside room in the main hotel. I do not have any plans this con except to hit the dances and try not to hang out in my hotel room too much. This year I want to meet and hang out with people! So if I have time to spare you'll likely find me in the atrium.

Unless I walk up and stare at badges, I never recognize people, so please don't think I'm snubbing you if I walk to an empty table XD And if you Do recognize me (I try to wear a badge at all times out of suit), feel free to wave me over.

If you're someone I've talked to previously or we've made plans to go to dinner/hang out/talk about a commission then feel free to note/message me your cellphone # and I'll text you to set something up. For obvious reasons I'm not going to list it publicly lol but I'll give it to people I know.

I'll be bringing a full fursuit of this guy: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2678542 so you might catch that one prowling around. I also plan to bring a partial of my own character: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2729034 though the holiday got in the way and it's still hanging out in customs. So hopefully they'll be quick enough and it'll arrive before I have to leave to start driving down.

CliffsNotes:

-- You can find me people watching in the atrium when out of suit and bored and wanting to hang out with someone. I'm petite with purple hair and should have a conbadge or 2 on.

-- Find me early or get me your phone number for texting if we made plans to get food, hang out, or talk about possible commissions.

-- I'll get there late on Thursday. Probably leaving Monday.

-- I'm not a touchy person with people I do not know. Honestly, if I only just met you, don't recognize you, or otherwise do not feel comfortable around you, I'll probably refuse a hug. If I do not know you and you try to stand in my 'bubble' or touch me past what two normal strangers allow, I'll move out of the way or even make my goodbyes and leave if it comes to that. Although it's never been a huge issue in the past, you DO run the risk of getting punched in the face.

On the other hand, people I DO know (and who I know don't mind it) run the risk of getting glomped and poked in the stomach by me for no reason :>

http://beetlecat.artfire.com

Assuming I did everything right, I now have several ear/tail sets (and one lone tail) up for sale.

You guys get first dibs - I'll post this to fursuitauctions tomorrow or so.

This week (if not this week it'll have to be after Rainfurrest so I'll do my best to make it soon) I will be putting several ear/tail sets up for sale. I just need to take a few more pictures, maybe make a couple more pairs, and figure out how to work my new online store/decide if I am moving my website sales page over to it.

Below are a couple photo previews. When it's ready I'll link the store here and in all of my galleries. Due to limited space I'll probably sell ears and tails only in sets rather than individually. Expect the price for a set to be around $100 to $150 though I may have some on sale..

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2729034/

Yus. A toony Beetle head - maybe now this proves I don't dislike non-realistic suits! :D

If all goes swell she'll be at Rainfurrest. Otherwise, she'll show up somewhere, sometime.. Just 'cause she's cute doesn't mean she won't nom you in your sleep ;D