Caresheet and FAQ | Beastcub Creations

If I get an email that can be answered through the FAQ below

or through reading my terms of sale it will be ignored, sorry!

Emails asking for a custom order of a specific design you want made will be ignored unless my site states I am open for quotes, outside of August 1-7 I am open only for artistic liberty or to make things in the

"Client Needed" folder of my gallery.

(sorry I just do not have time to answer such emails)

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Q: I have a specific costume I want, when do you take new custom order customers?
A: August 1-7th every year

Q: I want a costume from you and I don't care what it is, do I have to wait for August?
A: Nope! I am open for artistic liberty work (I design the costume) year-round, we can discuss the things I want to make and come up with something you'd like.

Q: Do you have anything already made for sale?

A: I sometimes have pre-made tails and costumes up for sale, I also have designs I want to make and will take a client for at any time of the year, you can check my gallery for these items.

Q: I run/know of an event I think you'd like to attend, can I contact you?

A: Yes. I do events within a 3 hour drive of Sacramento and enjoy fursuiting at the likes of Celtic, Fantasy and Renaissance fairs. I am always looking for gigs at such events in hopes of getting free entry/parking and a place out of sight to rest and cool down out of costume.

Q: will you come my kid's party in a costume.

A: sorry no, I find house calls uncomfortable and when it comes to kids and these costumes brief interactions are best (such as passing by me at an event) because when the novelty wears off the poking and prodding and tail pulling begins.

Q: What events do you?

A: I suit at the All Hallows Sonora Fantasy Fair, sometimes Sac-Anime, The only Furry cons I do is Further Confusion and BLFC.

Q: Can you help me make something? Can you tell me how you make heads/eyes/etc? Where do you buy your fur/supplies?

A: No I cannot help or tell you how I make things, I am far too busy with work BUT you can find help here as well as a list of fur suppliers and material suppliers. http://fursuit.livejournal.com/profile http://fursuit.livejournal.com/

Q: Can I buy this suit I see in your gallery?

A: Unless it says "FOR SALE" the it already has an owner.

Q: Can I order a suit just like the one I like in your gallery?

A: If it is not a unique design (ie a white wolf) yes BUT if it is a previous customer's unique design, no, not unless they say it is okay.

Q: Will you make me a Pokemon/Digimon/Sonic/Wolf-Link/(insert copyrighted character here)?

A: NO, the copyrighted items in my gallery were made for no profit and are either personal suits or ones made for friends. The only exception to this is if the character looks like a natural animal (such as Kiba from Wolf's Rain) or fantasy animal (such as a hellhound) For copyrighted characters that look close to natural I can make you a base but you have to add what makes it copyrighted (such as I make you a white wolf and you add red markings to be Okami) Fursuit making is my way of life, my way of life it is too valuable to me to risk getting sued.

Q: Do you sell painted eyes, blinking eyes, noses, claws, paw pads, teeth, horns, wings on their own, quadsuit stilts on their own, feet or hands on their own, ears on hats/clips/headbands, foam head bases.

A: No.

Q: Do you sell just tails?

A: Sometimes, ask and see if I am open for them (I decline such orders when I am too busy...or, uh, to be honest I tend to just not reply ^_^;)

Q: I wear glasses, can you make the head fit my glasses?

A: I actually wear glasses, the way my costume heads are built makes them likely the best out there for use with glasses.

Q: Will you lower the price for me please? I cannot afford it.

A: No, this is how I make my living, these costumes cost a lot to build and take a lot of time. I already keep my prices as low as I can for I like being considered affordable, I barely charge enough to pay the bills (the cost of living in California is not pretty)

Q: I am under 18 can I still buy from you?

A: Your parents can. But please, if you are under 16, don't bother with more than a head, it sucks to outgrow something so expensive!

Q: Will you make just a bodysuit for me?

A: No.

Q: I bought a head/halfsuit from you, can I get a bodysuit/the rest made?

A: Yes but you have to send back what you already bought from me for photos/to be sure the parts fit together.

Q: If I send you the fur and such can you lower the price?

A: Not by much if at all, also I am far more comfortable buying my own supplies and am used to working with certain foam/materials and using something different will only complicate things. SO I am most likely going to say No to having you send me anything unless it is a fur color/type I cannot get on my own.

Q: I live near Sacramento California, can I pick it up in person?

A: Yes.

Q: I live near Sacramento California, can I see where you work?

A: Um... No.

Q: I am going to the same convention as you, can I pick up my order there?

A: Maybe but it will not be free (our car is always crammed and arranging pickup at a con is a headache)

Q: Do you really need a duct tape dummy?

A: Rarely can I go without, and that is only for simple loose fitting suits made with fur not shorter than 1 inch, with no markings or padding.

Q: I live in X country, can you mail to me?

A: Most likely yes, so far I have mailed to: Canada, Singapore, Australia, France, Scotland, the UK, Norway, Germany, New Zealand, and Africa...so unless your country cannot import from the USA I can mail to you.

Q: How old are you?

A: My birthday is March 22, 1986, so do the math (this way I do not have to remember to update this answer, lol)

Q: Did you go to school to learn how to do this?

A: I went to college and have an AA in art but it has not helped me with this at all (it was mostly art history, color theory, drawing, painting and ceramics) I took a business class and it too did not help me at all. I am self taught when it comes to making costumes and learned how to run my business on my own.

Q: Can you give me tips on how to start doing what you do/run a business?

A: Pffft, I hardly remember how I got to where I am today, things just sort of fell into place for me...so No.

Q: Can I be your apprentice/work with you/help you work/watch you work?

A: Ummm No.

FAQ

Never use an alcohol based cleaner or disinfectant anywhere there is paint or glue as it will fade if not remove paint and weaken if not remove glue. This means it is really only perfectly safe for your tail and bodysuit if your tail and bodysuit has no airbrush paint work. If your bodysuit has paint work then you can spray the inside but only very lightly, you do not want it to soak through the backing of the fur.

Please refrain from using anything with alcohol on heads or paws, it is not worth the risk to the construction.

Please note that most fandom created "fursuit sprays" are alcohol based.

FAQ

Alcohol based disinfectant warning

I sprayed on, brushed it in, let sit for 10 minutes, rubbed real hard with a damp cloth, then with a dry cloth, repeated once more, and DONE. No need to rinse, just wipe with a wet rag, no sticky residue, no damage to glue or the fur.

*Do not use on airbrush work.

Around here I can only find this at CVS pharmacy, you can go to the Oxy Magic site to locate your nearest seller.

No-rinse surface cleaner that works

Heat is bad! Heat can soften or even melt the glue used to make the head and feet, resin head bases can also warp if it gets too hot, so never leave in an attic or car in the summer. Fake fur is actually thin strands of plastic and it melts very easily in a clothes dryer or with a hair dryer and becomes curly and matted, once this happens there is no saving it! "air fluff" is the only dryer setting you should ever use and double check that it does not get hot before using it.

Never swim in your costume: not only can this ruin parts of your costume but can be harmful to you because fur will soak up 5-10 times its weight in water, a 10 pound costume will be more like 100 pounds when wet!

The more you wear it or the more rough you are on your costume the faster it will wear out.

Be careful not to let your head become misshapen: the foam used to make heads is fairly malleable, the head will instantly bounce back into shape if you like run into a wall BUT storing your head in a squished up position for a long period of time will warp your head.

You should brush every use or every other use as needed to keep from looking unkempt and to keep matting at bay.

After use spray down the inside of your suit with antimicrobial Febreeze and then blow a fan on the suit to help it dry faster, this will help keep the costume from smelling bad between washings and cut down on how often you need to wash. Washing a suit is time consuming and kind of tough, and in the case of heavily airbrushed suits or ones with "artsy fa

rtsy" bits like spines or scales washing can even be risky.

Be wary of any spray with alcohol in it as it will wash away airbrush work and may make any guide marks made on the backing of the fabric bleed.

You should also wear something under your suit, an undergarment will soak up most of your sweat and body oils and keep the suit cleaner longer. If you invest in a moisture whicking under suit such as a Lycra diveskin this extra layer will not only help keep the suit cleaner but also help keep you cooler! An under suit is also nice because it keeps the backing (which is sometimes rough and itchy) and padding from rubbing on your skin, and with a slick material like a Lycra diveskin it makes sliding the suit on much easier.

Do not store in direct or bright light: Some fabric coloring or airbrushing can fade or change color, and the foam used to build the costume can also age faster with extensive light exposure (namely sunlight)

General Costume Care Information

Never expose to excessive heat, temps above 100 degrees Fahrenheit can soften the glue and cause warping. Temps above 150 can melt the glue entirely. Resin head bases can warp if they get very hot. Being left in an attic during the summer or in a car on a hot day, or being left in direct sunlight on a hot day can ruin your fursuit head for good.

When storing, shipping or transporting your head and ears need to look the same in the box/luggage as it does when being worn. If the head is squashed or folded for a long period of time (say more than 24 hours, however even an hour squished up on a hot day can cause damage) the foam and materials could warp and retain the folded or smooshed up shape. *Tip: when traveling with your fursuit rolling up your extra clothes and putting them inside the head is a great way to help it keep its shape and save room.

Never soak-wash your fursuit head, the fur is surface wash only, do not let the foam soak up a lot of water, and never let the eyes or mouth get soaking get wet as it could damage the materials, you should be especially careful not to let any of the toony style eyes get wet.

The fur will need brushing to stay looking nice, use a soft brush and brush with the direction of the fur (generally from the nose back) Do not brush over the eyes or whiskers.

If your suit has wiggle ears do not carry your head by the ears or otherwise manhandle the ears!!! You will stretch or bend the springs and ruin them! Otherwise feel free to use your ears as a handle to carry the head with lol I do.

Be careful with eyes that have a lens (pretty much all the realistic style eyes) they are made of plastic and can get scratched, and scratches generally can never be removed.

Whiskers, both the thin clear and realistic, are prone to breakage and bending so you must be careful with them. When storing/transporting/shipping make sure the whiskers are laid flat against the head (as in the base is glued into the muzzle near the nose and the the tip gets laid against the head pointing back to the ears) and never, in any circumstance, should the whiskers be pushed forward away from the face as this will bend or break them. Also be wary of cats! My cats (namely Creampuff) loves to chew on and break off whiskers!

Teeth are prone to coming out if the head gets banged around enough, the larger the teeth = the more careful you should be with your head. The same applies to horns and spines.

If you have a hinged jaw do try to avoid letting it get pulled on or smashed to one side or the other because that could make it come loose.

Taking Care of your Costume Head

The hands and feet tend to get the most damage and get the most dirty, and they tend to need replacing before the rest of the suit is retired.

Both are surface wash only, you should avoid letting the feet get soaking wet.

Claws are made of solid plastic and have a wide embedded base, they are still prone to breaking or falling off if enough force is applied... so just try not to trip and slam your feet into cement curbs and such.

If you have feet paw pads avoid dirt and grass and such.

Some makers feet pads are done by sewing on like fake leather on a furred foot bottom and thus are about as durable as a sock, and while my raised feet pad style is more durable and can be worn outdoors you should still avoid really dirty areas, and defiantly avoid wet ground.

When the bottoms do get dirty it is best to take a tooth brush and soapy water or Oxy Magic and scrub, you can rinse the bottoms off in a sink but avoid letting the toes get soaking wet (the foam takes a while to dry and could mold)

If a foot paw pad comes off: this should not happen and is valid for a partial refund if you choose to repair on your own. All you need to do is tack it back on with some shoe goo.

If you do not have feet pads and I left the bottom of the shoes exposed: the black coating I used on the bottom may eventually wear off but this is purely for looks and will not affect the durability of the feet.

If a hoof comes completely off: this should not happen and is valid for a partial refund if you choose to repair on your own, I will direct you in the repairs based on photos of the damage.

Painted hooves are prone to having the paint chip if they are scraped and beat up too much so be careful.

Caring for the Hands and Feet

Popped seams are most likely to happen in the crotch or buttocks and under the arms, these areas get the most stress and it is not uncommon for a suit to pop in these areas. If a seam does pop and you do not know how to sew use safety pins to close the hole until it can be fixed, if you leave the hole alone it may get bigger.

Popped seams of any kind are valid for a partial refund if you chose to fix on your own (all cases of "valid for a partial refund if you choose to fix on your own" are also cases where I will fix the issue for free with free return shipping)

Hand washing in a bathtub with a little detergent and lukewarm water is the safest method, you can machine wash AT YOUR OWN RISK (if the suit falls apart I will charge to repair it) My washing machine works just fine but I have heard horrors stories of washing machines killing fursuits. Mine is a front load washer with no center agitator and I have been told this is the safest kind of machine. If you do use a machine it must be set on cold and have a delicate setting (some even have a hand wash setting) never ever use a dryer's heat settings! The only dryer use your suit should see is "air fluff" and even then you should check the suit after 3 minutes to be sure it does not get too hot.

Fake fur is actually thin strands of plastic! it melts very easily and the fur becomes curly and matted looking! And once this happens there is no saving it!

Wring out as much water as you can, laying on a stack of towels and rolling up in the towels and squeezing will help get a lot of water out. Do not hang-dry the costume because wet fur is heavy and it can stretch and warp the shape of the body. It is best to lay it flat on a rack, blowing a fan on the suit will help it dry faster.

I am also a fan of using a washing machine on "spin only" a few times to get water out of a suit faster.

Bodysuit Care

Tails should be surface washed only. The stuffing means the tail takes a long time to dry if soak washed and it could grow mold. If you do soak wash do not hang the tail to dry because it will be heavy and could cause the fur to stretch and thus warp the shape.

FAQ