Construction Details:

Cage/Staff:The prop, was a gift from my friend Izzy. He noticed how stressed I was, or so he says..[I was totally stressed x x] and made it as a surprise gift for me! Thank you Izzy!!!!
Osca:
> medium sized circular styrofoam ball
> Medium sized rectangular styrofoam ball
> Flower[floral] wire
> White feathers
> paper clay
> paint
> large doll eyes
> knife
> hot glue gun
> toothpicks
Osca, [the owl] was made from styrofoam that I covered in cheese cloth that was dipped in a water/fabric glue mixture. More glue than water; the head was the round styrofoam ball that I shaped with a knife, the same technique was applied onto the body since a rectangle isn't a bird body. After shaping, I then inserted a few toothpicks onto the side of the head where I assumed a neck to be and push it to the body to attach the two together and covered in cheese cloth, and allowed to dry. I busied myself with first shaping the beak out of paper clay[ if you have a better clay you'd like to use, go for it. I just used what I had at the time, and it worked~] and at the end inserted a toothpick before inserting beak onto the face.
Next, I took the doll eyes and with a dab on hot glue on them, inserted them onto the face to what i assumed to be a good structure for an owl's face. After doing so, I surrounded the eyes in hot glue gingerly to make an eye lid, but also above the eyes faintly to make that raised since some owls have that, and plus it makes the eyes look sunken in.
Next, I began to glue the feathers on, and when doing this, be mindful of the flowing pattern bird feathers grow. Once this is accomplished, take your flower wire and shape a basic skeletal wing, mimic again for both wings. And also once more for the feet, and follow up with making the claws and talons with clay before allowing those to dry. Remember to keep some of the wire exposed at the top tip of the legs and the beginning of the wing[i recommend about 3 inches for the wings] because that's how you'll attach them onto the body. While the clay dries, cover the wings in the appropriate pattern of feathers, and attach wings onto body, reinforce with hot glue if need be. Lastly, as the clay is dried, paint and finish with whatever colour you want the talons and beak to be and on the legs, cover with the appropriate pattern of feathers before inserting into the body, and shape the wings and posture you'd like.
***What is really cool about using the flower wire is, when you move, the wings on the owl will also flap like a real one~!!
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The outfit itself was a combination of store bought patterns and self made patterns. There are soooo many layers and many buttons and eye hooks installed just so it sits right. The back of the dove I hand embroidered as well as the arm sleeves, I decided I wanted to really, sew the ribbon through the fabric. The fabric though not too uncommon, the accessories however such as the belts were something that came with the stroke of luck from Wal-Mart before they closed down their sewing section over a year ago so..slowly i have been gathering for this outfit. This outfit calls for a lot of detail and lace which i hand sewed along with the ribbons and the embroidery that went into it, and despite it's tiny appearance there are many..many layers. The boots, I luckily had laying around and altered completely!, the wig was wefted and extensions were sewn in.

Personal Thoughts:

Wow, this costume was... It was fun!!! and challenging too!
Thankfully, I had my friends to help me and motivate me on.<3

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