Hoodie weather is swiftly creeping upon us and I have already found myself switching into heavy blankets and snacks on the sofa mode. Which is why it wasn't surprising that it felt like I hadn't achieved a lot in August until I'd sat down to write this newsletter. This is one of the reasons I started this whole blogging thing in the first place, I get to rub my ceaseless productivity in my own face once a month.
So... what have I been up to?
Between catching up on orders, and organising my workshop, I'm pleased to announce that I've finished sculpting the first of my new set of masks, behold the goat! ... or what will eventually be the Goat, they're just missing some horns at the moment, which I am working on in CAD so I can have a selection of shapes and sizes as optional additions. These will be printed in flexible filament to make sure they're still safe and durable to wear in LARP combat and other high-octane theatrics.
I'm already really excited about the costume I'll create with this grumpy bean, I'm planning some post-apocalyptic armour to go with it, it's something I've wanted to try for a while but never had the time. Now, this is in the moulding process, I can start gathering up parts for the armour ready to get stuck in and be more Goat.
This new mask has also inspired me to finish some other complementary parts I'd already been working on. These subtle cleft hooves are now available in my store here. Which will also be featured in my Post-apocalyptic Goat.
As I've been planning to work a lot more with flexible filament, I have modified my CR6 Max to print TPU. Because of the scale of the bed, I now have a lot more options open for some exciting projects.
particularly, I get asked about making custom head bases a lot, but usually, I'm unable to do this because I work with foam bases, and the process to make them is long and expensive for just a single cast.
I did consider printing in a rigid filament for these requests, but I've always prefered foam because it's a lot more durable and versatile... and sometimes safer to wear depending on what you're doing in costume. So, being able to offer a one-off, custom-designed full head that is also flexible for the first time, felt like a real step forwards in what I'm able to offer now. And, I'm really excited to say that it is now a service I am offering on my website.
One other perk is being able to print in different sizes for other projects, this little head was just a test print, but my god it's so cute I want to make something with it.
I'm also going to test a print with other moving jaw methods, another thing that limits flexible foam casts is the ability to create a sensitive moving jaw without a lot of rigging, and has to be very well custom fit. But, as this flex filament is more durable, I want to test how well it can take hinges as an option.
Finally, in things I've been playing with... another thing I'm asked about a lot is clear domes for true kemono-style eyes. I've been playing around with these for almost a year now to try and get them right consistently without being wasteful. Hopefully, I'm now on the right track, so I'll see in the next few weeks if I can get something like this in store too.
UK cost of living
Without getting overly political... or bitter, I've reached a point where I can't avoid discussing the rise in cost of living and how it will be affecting the goings on at Runaway Workshop. I will be transparent with the fact I have been looking to secure some part-time work to supplement my business income. This means in the next few weeks I will either be reducing my product range, or limiting the number of each product I produce a week. Either way, it will leave me more time to focus on the products I enjoy making more whilst not letting my standards or my bills slip. I will still be working on designing new products, as these are done in my free time anyway, but they may come out slower than usual.
Other disruptions may come from the many labour strikes that will be happening across the UK over the next few months, particularly the Royal Mail. Which I fully support, as their work is necessary, mine is not.
So not to end on a down note, I want to say that I am actually excited to be looking for more work in the different areas I'm qualified in, particularly conservation and environmental science. I've had the luxury of my business supporting me for over ten years, things can get stale in that time, and a little change will shake things up again and help me focus on the projects that excite me.
Finally, heres some pictures of our rescue dog on the beach for the first time. She frigging loved it.
