Fred and Elle talk about the fine art of cosPLAYING. It's not just putting on a cool costume and strolling around the convention floor. We're putting the play back in cosplay to discuss our recent experience at the Warhammer 40k Grand Narrative in New Mexico, where we fully immersed ourselves in our characters for an entire weekend. We'll also talk about how performance impacts cosplay competitions and our sometimes controversial take on it.

This week Fred and Elle are talking SEWING. Well, Elle is going to rant about how sewists don't get the respect they deserve, and Fred is going to stay out of the blast radius. They compare foamsmiths to sewists, and talk about their go-to sewing supplies and favorite materials. Elle gives her Seamstress's Manifesto and makes the case for why sewing in the cosplay world is hella fun and worthy of respect!

You can't talk cosplay without talking about conventions. For many of us, walking the con floor in our creations is one of the top reasons we do it. In this episode, Fred and Elle talk about their experiences as cosplayers at conventions, both small and large. They'll give tips and tricks on surviving the experience, some of which are quite controversial! Join us for stories about the wild days at DragonCon, and bring your questions about transporting big costumes, traversing the con, and getting the most out of your experience.   

To access links mentioned in the pocast, visit their website here: https://fredandelledesigns.com/2022/10/09/shopping-list-conventions/.

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Do you want to cosplay from head to toe? Have you wanted to dabble in prosthetics but were overwhelmed by the choices, skills, and materials you'd need? In this episode, Fred and Elle talk about their cosmetics journey to more authentic cosplays. They talk failures, rashes, accidental successes, and advice for your projects.

Links to the photos mentioned in this podcast: https://fredandelledesigns.com/2022/10/01/working-with-makeup/ 

Rigid collodion: https://www.mehron.com/rigid-collodion/

Duft Werks cosplay scents: https://duftwerks.com/

3rd Degree silicone makeup: https://alconemakeup.com/shop/details/silicone_products/3rd_degree/PM3DEG 

Beginning any new project can be daunting. Starting a cosplay especially so. Do I have the skill? Do I have the materials? How much is this going to cost? Will I have enough source material? On this episode, Fred and Elle talk about how they tackle the process and how different they are.

NOTE: The episode jumps RIGHT in because Elle forgot to unmute the first five minutes. Oops! Always an opportunity for improvement, right? 

When it comes to cosplay, how you paint and what you use is a hot topic. This week, Elle interviews Fred about his decades of painting both as a cosplayer and as a miniature figure painter. He shares his tips and tricks, talks about the tools he uses, and stresses the importance of contrast, contrast, and CONTRAST!