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kelldar.com

  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog,  costumes

    when i hated biters

    December 3, 2003 /

    Sometimes I think the people on cosplaylab just randomly chose a time on the “Amount of time spent on this costume” section. 40-60 hours on super simple costume? Wow OK! And while I’m ranting, this person on a board I occasionally post at started posting in this one thread, linking to the artwork of the arwen wedding dress I’m making…

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    kelldar
  • Sketchblog: Graduating Harry
    Blog,  fanart from magical wizard series,  my art

    Sketchblog: Graduating Harry

    December 2, 2003 /

    This is a back-dated post! In 2016 I went back through my old sketchbooks and “rescued” a lot of my old, lost artwork, and I’m slowly getting them re-added to my archives. I’m not sure if I was doing this as a graduation gift for someone, or just wanted to draw Harry and the gang graduating. (Of course now we…

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    kelldar
  • Arwen wig and crown test
    Blog,  costumes

    Arwen wig and crown test

    December 2, 2003 /

    Tried my wig on with my crown and ears tonight. This is a little thing I made to post on cosplay.com along with the design of the dress I’m making.

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when there was a jesus christ superstar miracle

    December 2, 2003 /

    Something really weird just happened. As you all know, I lost a LOT of CDs recently when my 200 disc CD wallet was left on the back of the car. So anyway, I’m reinstalling Photoshop on my aunt’s computer (because SOMEBODY deleted it). I borrowed Dad’s 5.5 disc from his office, a CD he doesn’t bring home, and that I…

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    kelldar
  • Arwen progress pics!
    Blog,  costumes

    Arwen progress pics!

    December 2, 2003 /

    Basic dress put together – still needs hemmed.

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when i made a christmas list

    December 1, 2003 /

    When I was a kid we would get this Wish Book every year, just in time for Christmas shopping. I forget who put the Wish Book out – Sears, I think – but it had a LOT of toys in it. And as soon as we got it, I would go get a pen, sit down, and circle everything in…

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    kelldar
  • Arwen crown!!
    Blog,  costumes

    Arwen crown!!

    November 30, 2003 /

    here’s my crown I got a couple of weeks ago. I’m in love with it!! I know I already posted it at the LJ but you’re getting it here too!

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when i played rotk all thanksgiving

    November 28, 2003 /

    Today has been pretty nice. I spent the night at my aunt’s last night so I could ride with her up to my grandmother’s house this morning. We were the first ones there. I didn’t help cook. I sat in the living room with my grandfather and aunt and watched Rudy. Everybody else eventually got there and we ate. It…

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    kelldar
  • Art Post: Belldandy (Ah! My Goddess)
    anime fanart,  Blog,  my art

    Art Post: Belldandy (Ah! My Goddess)

    November 28, 2003 /

    Costume reference for my manga Belldandy costume for next year!

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    kelldar
  • Sketchblog: Graduating Harry
    Blog,  misc fanart,  my art

    Sketchblog: I will eat anything

    November 27, 2003 /

    Mema, Daddy Bob, and Rex as drawn by my aunt.

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when it was thanksgiving

    November 27, 2003 /

    Happy thanksgiving, you turkeys

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    kelldar
  • when my site wasn’t bad candy
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when my site wasn’t bad candy

    November 26, 2003 /

    I just suddenly realised my site’s name isn’t bad candy anymore.

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when i played ROTK

    November 26, 2003 /

    Beat ROTK last night – was disappointed, no extra exclusive ROTK footage. The last level with Frodo, Sam and Gollum was *annoying.* And you know how much I love Gollum, but he was SCARY. he kept jumping after me and making these awful noises. I ran around in circles for a long time with him chasing me. I’ll probably have…

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    kelldar
  • when we took yuffie photos
    a day at the races,  Blog,  costumes

    when we took yuffie photos

    November 24, 2003 /

    haha I love The Simpsons. Lisa Simpson: Can you tell me what happens at the end of the series? JK Rowling: Oh, he grows up and marries YOU. Is that what you want to hear? Lisa Simpson: (dreamy sigh) Yes! A happy happy birthday to Priscellie, whose picture present thinger I need to finish. Yuffie pictures from yesterday!! Calvin joined…

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog,  costumes

    when i had a pattern

    November 23, 2003 /

    Moose – it’s Butterick Classics 4301. It’s been over a year since I bought that pattern – it may have been discontinued or something by now….

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when there were unexpected fireworks

    November 23, 2003 /

    The freakos up the road are shooting off fireworks for no reason again. I mean, it’s kinda cool that just randomly shoot off really cool fireworks every once in a while (they must own a fireworks shop or something, because they have really, really good fireworks. Like all of it is what we would consider our “grand finale.”), but DAMN.…

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    kelldar
  • when i wanted to take yuffie pics
    a day at the races,  Blog,  costumes

    when i wanted to take yuffie pics

    November 22, 2003 /

    I want to go out and take pictures of my Yuffie costume today – it’s really really nice out and perfect for taking pictures. I wanted to go into the field next door but someone is mowing it, so if we do take pics it’ll just be in the front yard. I just had a weird experience – I came…

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    kelldar
  • Sketchblog: Graduating Harry
    anime fanart,  Blog,  my art

    sketchblog: belldandy

    November 22, 2003 /

    a rough belldandy doodled on the tablet

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    kelldar
  • when i hated biters
    a day at the races,  Blog

    when i had a matrix cap

    November 21, 2003 /

    I’ve had this line from this one MST3K short stuck in my head all morning. “You-will-dance-WITH-ME-EVA!!” Dad brought home this Matrix Reloaded cap. It’s cool. I’ve been wearing it all morning. I’m hungry!

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    kelldar
  • when i got my tiara
    a day at the races,  Blog,  costumes

    when i got my tiara

    November 21, 2003 /

    In Lit class we watched The Ruling Class, which was great. Maybe the best movie I’ve ever watched for a class. I want to rent it so I can watch it again. Buuuuut best thing, I got my Arwen tiara!!! It’s soooooooooooooo pretty!!!! I wanted to wear it all day but our big boss is in town in our office…

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    kelldar
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My Costume History Day 48 - Honda Tohru from Fruit My Costume History Day 48 - Honda Tohru from Fruits Basket, for Katsucon 2004 After just finishing that Arwen costume and working on that new Belldandy costume, I wanted to do something a little more simple and casual. I had gotten into Fruits Basket recently, so I decided throwing together a quick version of her uniform was the ticket. I bought the navy blue pleated skirt on ebay, and then took it to Hancock to find a matching fabric. Settled on a navy blue cotton for the top. I’m sure mom & I used some kind of pattern for this but I’m not sure what - it does button up the front. I again used my Sailor Jupiter collar as a template for creating this collar - though this one I just pull off and on over my head and it’s not attached to the top at all. The center front triangle section did have an opening at the side to make it easy to get on - it closes with velcro. Added the blue stripes using ribbon, and made the cuffs the same way. The hair bows were yellow ribbons I glued to barrettes and I had the socks and shoes. All in all a quick and easy costume. Had a lot of fun wearing it at Katsucon - especially running into an entire Fruits Basket group who didn’t have a Tohru!! I took it to a few more conventions that year - it was a great simple costume, didn’t take up a lot of luggage space and didn’t need a wig. It sat in my closet for a few years after that, and around 2012/2013 I decided to sell it. I got it and shot it on the white backdrop first - I did have to get new shoes for the photoshoot, because the original ones had died by that point. I do love how the photos turned out. So it went to a new home after that, which makes me a little sad but I hope it had a good life after me.
My Costume History Day 47 - Belldandy from Oh! My My Costume History Day 47 - Belldandy from Oh! My Goddess, for Katsucon 2004 I wanted to get some more use out of my Belldandy wig, which was to that point the most I’d ever spent on a costume wig. I thought the outfit she wore on the cover of 1-555-GODDESS would be a fun project to recreate! The base of this costume is a bodice — made it out of a blue fabric (can’t remember exactly what), with plastic boning and it laces up the back. It also has “straps” that I beaded that hang down the back. The white designs on it were done in suede and heat-bonded on. The shawl is made of some really cool orange and metallic gold fabric I found at Hancock - it’s got some heavy interfacing in it to keep the shape, and for the design on all of the streamers down the back, I painted the design on. I had to make up everything from the hips down, so I decided on skirt that was open in the front and flared out at the bottom. I used that same sparkly lingerie-like material I was obsessed with back then - I dyed it pink, and added part of a hoopskirt hoop into the hem to make it flare out. Also added some of the undyed fabric along the front edge to look like an underskirt, just because I felt like it needed something else. The headpiece is all built around a headband - covered in some light blue crepe fabric, with the two large pieces that hang down the front attached at the back. The white suede designs are heat-bonded on here too. The parts that stick out of the top have wire on the inside to keep them sticking out - I painted the designs on those, too. Reused my wig, bangles, gloves and socks from my first Belldandy. The necklace and earrings I bought - lucky finds at Claire’s! I was really proud of how this turned out! I wore it at Katsucon 04, and then later took it to MTAC 04 where I entered the costume contest, where it won Best Master Craftsmenship. Nice! I really need to get this shot on the white backdrop one day. I know it needs some repairs - like, I know I stole the hoop out of its hem at some point for something else so I need to figure out a replacement. Maybe I’ll get this one done for white backdrops later this year...
My Costume History Day 46 - Arwen (original design My Costume History Day 46 - Arwen (original design) from LOTR, for ROTK midnight show So as we were all anxiously awaiting to see the costumes from ROTK, there was a tiny little snippet of Arwen in her coronation dress in some promo image. It was just her head with the tiara, but I wanted to make it. So I designed something I thought would go with it - a wedding dress. Both parts of this, the dress and robe, are modified versions of Simplicity 9891. The underdress is made of a matte white satin, with fitted sleeves and I made it way longer and wider. I wear platform boots with this to be elf height, so it needed all that extra length! The neckline trim was from Calontir Trims, and I added some pearls to it. For the design on the sleeves, I copied a motif from one of Elrond’s costumes and painted it on with silver fabric paint, and beaded around it as well. The robe I made out of a silver stretch velvet; it has two sets of lower sleeves, one of the velvet and one of the white satin, and I beaded the collar. The hem was a happy accident - we put horsehair in the hem to give it some body, and it created this wavy effect, which I ended up loving. The belt is also made of the velvet, with the same motif painted on and beaded. My tiara was made by Atelier des Elfes and is still one of my fav pieces in my collection of costume pieces. I wore this to the ROTK midnight show, and then to several conventions throughout 2004 and 2005. I also did a photoshoot at our local art museum (and one of the photos ended up in a gag book I stumbled across at Barnes and Noble while wedding planning years later! Story for another time!) I actually wore this in the Dragoncon 04 parade - I made an extra skirt that was longer than everything else that the rest of the costume could sit on and not get dragged on the road. The laces of my boots got tangled midway through and I thought I was a goner! LOL Still have it - it’s not in great shape. The satin fabric is weakened at the sleeve seams, and some of the velvet has lost its stretch. Always thought about remaking it from the ground up with 20 more years experience - that would be fun!
My Costume History Day 45 - Padme’s Loyalist Commi My Costume History Day 45 - Padme’s Loyalist Committee Gown from Star Wars AOTC, made for Dragoncon 2003 My 2nd serious Star Wars costume for my 2nd dragoncon! For the top and skirt I found a iridescent blue taffeta at Hancock, and a sequin fabric for the inset on the top. The robe fabric is the screen accurate velvet burnout - but I used black, because that’s what I saw on screen - black and blue, more than purple. I can’t remember what Mom & I used as a pattern for the top and skirt, but I’m pretty sure the robe was a very chopped up and altered Simplicity 9891. I used that pattern a LOT! I added the trim to the edges, and the robe velcros to the top and skirt all the way down the front to keep them together. The appliques were all floral pieces I got at Hancock and dyed to match my fabric. The necklace is cardboard and gold lame, and my dad helped me with the headpiece - it’s craft metal backed in craft foam to help keep it comfortable, and I glued a hairpiece into it, so it all just sits right on top of my head. I had a disaster just a few days before Dragoncon when trying to finish this - I realized I was not going to have enough of the screen accurate velvet to finish the sleeves. I had to call the fabric store I’d ordered it from and beg them to overnight a yard to me. They were reluctant saying it would be very expensive and I just cried “I knooooowwww”. But they did and I was able to finish it. It was a beast to wear - just a lot of fabric to deal with plus the giant, heavy headpiece. I had to use around 40 giant bobbie pin to keep it on my head. This was the year they had the Dcon masquerade offsite, so when we got on the bus to go over there, I clanged my headpiece on the doorframe getting on the bus. That HURT! LOL After dcon, I did some upgrades - I painted all the trim a little darker, and biggest of all I fixed the shape of the sleeves of the top. I wore this to a few local Star Wars events over the next few months, but kinda retired it after I did my Leia. It’s not perfect but it still has a place in my heart. I haven’t been able to shoot it because I can’t get in the top - one day I’ll alter it so we can it shot on the backdrop!
Hadn’t updated this in nearly 2 years, so here’s a Hadn’t updated this in nearly 2 years, so here’s a new version - MOST of the costumes I’ve made 1998-2025.
My costumes that are turning 20 this year! My costumes that are turning 20 this year!
Easy video trend where I just get to plug in some Easy video trend where I just get to plug in some fav costume photos? Yes please!
My Costume History Day 44 - Teela from Masters of My Costume History Day 44 - Teela from Masters of the Universe/He-Man, for Dragoncon 2003 Since I’d done She-Ra in 2002, I really wanted to do a Teela costume too. And Dragoncon was the best opportunity I’d had to do a costume like that! I bought a white leotard and cut the sleeves off to make the lower arm gauntlets. Found a coppery sort-of crepe fabric at Hancock for the vest - I don’t think Mom & I used a pattern for this, I think we just kinda made it up as we went. It closes in the front with a hook and eye, and for the little “snake” chest details on the front, we made individual pieces and appliqued them together to create a 3d effect. Bought the wig online, and made the tiara out of some craft foam, leftover vest fabric and a red gemstone. It bobbie pins into the wig. Boots I had, added some fur just tucked into the top. Orko I made out of a little teddy bear, a bouncy ball, batting, duct tape, floral wire, paper mache, craft foam, and fabric for his little robe and hat. He attaches to my wrist with fishing line. Wore this at Dragoncon and had fun in it! I wanted to wear it again the next year to SDCC, but I didn’t like how the snake chest appliques weren’t obvious, in a lot of pics they just disappeared. So I went in with some watered down fabric paint and painted around the stitch lines to try to give it some more depth. And then after SDCC I had people making fun of me for painting the details on. Can’t win. Also had a guy come up to me in the Mattel booth, where I was taking pics in front of a big He-Man mural, and ask who I was supposed to be dressed as. I said Teela. He said no, you can’t be Teela, you’re too short. Ok like sorry I didn’t get leg extending surgery for my COSPLAY? WTF LOL I haven’t worn it since SDCC 2004, but I do still have it all. Several times it’s almost made the cut of getting a white backdrop shoot recently - in 2024 I even washed the leotard in prep for it, but it just didn’t happen. Orko needs some repairs too... so maybe I’ll get around to that this year. Fingers crossed.
My Costume History Day 43 - Susan Sto Helit from D My Costume History Day 43 - Susan Sto Helit from Discworld, made for Dragoncon 2003 Dragoncon is always a great opportunity to do costumes that wouldn’t really fly or be noticed at any other con. At the time I went to Dragoncon in 2002, I was reading through all of the Discworld books, and I thought Susan would be a fun costume to do for this con - and I immediately decided I’d do it for the next year, 2003. And I started on it almost as soon as I got home. I based it on Paul Kidby artwork! It’s mostly put together of bought and modified pieces. I bought the bodice and skirt on ebay - when the skirt arrived, I cut it at an angle and cauterized the edge. Bought the gloves, used my Morrigan boots. Made the cape out of some black fabric, bought the wig from Amphigory and painted the stripe in with some watered down acrylics. Death of Rats I made out of various things... styrofoam ball, sculpey, batting, friendly plastic, floral wire, some scrap black fabric. I thought he turned out so cute! I bought the scythe at Halloween time and painted it. And then I had to sit on for months until the next Dragoncon LOL. Thankfully I didn’t lose interest and did wear it - put it on as SOON as we got to Dragoncon that year! I was really happy with it. Though I didn’t wear it again after that for a few years - until Terry Pratchett was a guest at MidSouthCon in 2007! I was like omg I gotta get this Susan costume out and wearable again. Unfortunately I’d loaned the cape to someone and never got it back, so I substituted my husband’s Vader cape instead. The cheap bodice I’d used in 2003 RIPPED at some of the lower eyelets when I went to put it on, so I threw a black underbust corset on over it. Not particularly the look I wanted but I was trying to make it work! I did get to meet Terry Pratchett, he signed a book for me, complimented my costume so goal achieved. I do still have it all - but Death of Rats’ sculpey pieces are crumbling into dust. One day I’ll do a bunch of repairs and upgrades and get this shot on the backdrop! I need better pics!
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