I am working on my costume for the Harry Potter midnight premiere.

Some of you may remember two years ago with I made a cast of Kel’s face for my Theatre Design assignment, and then a latex disfigurement. I also made a mask. That time my poor roommate lost half of her eyebrows and some hair because we did not use enough Vaseline, so this time I coated my bangs with it.

T I made a cast of my own face (since I want the mask to fit me). This was slightly more dangerous as I had no assistant so I had to put the plaster over my own eyes, mouth, and nose. A risky business to be sure!

I forgot to ask my mom to take a photo of me in the plaster until after I’d already covered my face by which time it was too late.

About 40 minutes later I took the plaster off my face, turned it upside down and poured Plaster of Paris into it (after coating it in Vaseline) and scraped Vaseline out of my hair.

Then I went downstairs and helped my Dad make strawberry jam. That was a really cool experience. We cooked it and canned it and now we have seven jars of strawberry jam for about $4.00 and 30 minutes of stirring. Not bad. (we picked the berries in our yard)

Then I took a shower, shampooed about 4 times, and still had some Vaseline in my hair.

After which I dyed a pair of white tights red (and the dye totally looked like blood!) for my costume.

This morning I showered, shampooing twice, and remained a little (less) tacky. Then I blow-dried my plaster cast face, then coated it in petroleum jelly. Then I spent about an hour and a half molding the mask in clay on the cast. I did not make the feathers quite bumpy enough so they didn’t quite show up, however the beak looks fuh-mazing!

I coated that in Vaseline, and painted on four layers of latex (letting them dry in between).

Then my sis sent me this link http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip959.htm.

I got in the shower again first coating my hair in cornstarch (as advised) and by the way my hair looks amazing white! and then shampooed that, twice, and rinsing in frigid water.

I STILL have that gunk in my hair a little. So in a few hours I am going to get out the degunkifying shampoo.

This shiz better come out. That’s all I’m saying.

After that the latex was dry so I painted away. Now I am just waiting for the paint to dry and then I will take it off the form, clean it out, cut out the eyes/mouth, and try it on.

Now I just need to finish the rest of my costume and get some spirit gum before the 14th of July!

(oh yeah and help Sasha and Steven with theirs)

Sincerely,

Emilie

Pictures will follow eventually if mom lets me borrow her camera.