Tiger Torre Art ~ Mask Info & Ordering

Mask & Crown Information

     Tiger has been making leather masks since 1996. In that time, she has honed her skills and developed a lot of techniques that make her masks and crowns unique. She puts a lot of care into making each piece, and takes pride in her finished works. Tiger’s leather masks and crowns take a minimum of three days to about a week to make, when starting from a finished pattern. The exact amount of time depends on the complexity of the mask, the relative humidity in Baltimore, MD, and drying times for the different layers of finishes.

    Most leather masks and crowns get a base coat of Fiebings leather dyes, very often a custom blend. All the paints that Tiger uses are acrylics, with archival Golden Fluid acrylics the most common. All sealers used are acrylic. Tiger also recycles plastic lids for use as palettes, uses a water based cleaning blend for her brushes, and minimizes waste whenever possible.

     The majority of Tiger's masks and crowns are patterned pieces, meaning a repeatable pattern she has designed and copyrighted. Tiger doesn't do custom work, but she can repeat any current stock pattern in a different color, or with small changes. There are also the Zephyr masks, which are partly free form pieces, fit into spaces between patterned pieces on the leather to maximize usage. Tiger does her best to use each piece of leather efficiently.

     All of the masks and crowns are unique from piece to piece, depending on the leather, finish, and exact details. Tiger has hand made several of the tools that she uses to impress and carve the leather. Each leather mask and crown is signed and dated with the year on the inside of the piece. There are also the numbered series of Jnani & Prachika masks, as each piece is decorated in a distinct free hand design.

    The masks are held on by black braided elastic. The elastic knots on the front of each are finished to match the mask, and blend in nicely. The elastics are guaranteed. If they should become brittle, stretched, or unattached, Tiger will replace them free of charge, and paint the new elastic to match the mask. Tiger considers this a long term study into the longevity of her masks and crowns. Contact Tiger if you need an elastic repair.

     Tiger uses a 5-6 oz., vegetable tanned, top grain leather for her masks and crowns, meaning the leather is about 1/8” thick, and is very durable. The masks are rather resilient, and somewhat malleable; they can be slightly altered to improve fit. The more they are worn, the more comfortable they become. Tiger makes leather masks and crowns that should last a lifetime. Should you ever need a repair on your mask or crown if the piece becomes damaged, that can be handled on a case by case basis.

    Tiger CAN make the masks work with GLASSES. Never say again that you can’t wear masks because of your glasses. We usually place holes for the stems of the glasses on either side of the eyeholes of the mask, so that the glasses sit on top of the mask. Tiger needs to see you, your glasses, and the mask in person in order to make a glasses adjustment. She can generally alter stock items at an event to fit your glasses. Tiger may also be able to alter a stock pattern to work under your glasses. Again, you have to be present for glasses adjustment.

     Though our leather masks and crowns are generally one "size" fits all, custom fittings can be done to ensure a comfortable fit, as well as a feeling of participation in the final product. Custom fitting must be done in person, and takes anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on the details of the mask and the relative humidity. Custom fitting is done by advance appointment only, from a stock pattern, and can be done at the MD Renaissance Festival, or in Baltimore, MD.

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Care & Cleaning

Care: Display or store your mask in a dry place; excess moisture could be harmful. Hang your mask out of direct sunlight if possible, and away from direct heating or cooling vents. Mask hangers are available in silver and brass, at $2 each, for display of your mask on the wall. Our mask hangers are made from recycled wire, and hook to the top of the eyeholes of the masks. We highly recommend that you hang your mask with a mask hanger, and not by its elastics.

Cleaning: You can use a soft bristle brush to brush away dust in the nooks and crannies. We use dry, soft bristle brushes to clean the dust off the masks at the Ren Faire Booth. You can also carefully wipe your piece inside and out with a slightly damp cloth or wipe, and let air dry completely. Baby wipes or make up wipes work well for make up that may remain inside of a piece after wearing. If your mask is hanging for extended periods, dusting before wearing is highly recommended.

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Placing an Order

You may place an order by sending an e-mail to Tiger@tigertorreart.com with the name(s) of the item(s) you are interested in purchasing. If a piece is in stock, it can ship fairly quickly. If not, a current pattern can usually be made to order.

Please provide the following info in your initial e-mail to help expedite the order process:

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If you would like a mask hanger, $2 each, in brass or silver to go with your mask order.

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Your shipping address, where to send your item(s), which helps determines S&H.

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If you have a deadline for your order, please let Tiger know your time table.

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Your name and preferred e-mail address for PayPal Invoices, or if you would prefer to pay via another method.

Tiger will then return your e-mail, confirm details, and arrange payment. As soon as payment is received, your item(s) will ship out on the next available business day.

During the MD Renaissance Faire, from late August to late October, response times might be delayed. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Payment

For online orders, Tiger can send you a PayPal invoice. You can pay with your credit card or bank account securely with PayPal.

At the MD Renaissance Faire, and other conventions and shows, we will accept Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Shipping

Unless otherwise noted or requested, orders ship out using USPS, First Class or Priority. Insurance and/or other means of shipping, like UPS Ground, can be arranged. S&H fees will be determined by current shipping rates. Tiger uses recycled materials for shipping whenever possible.

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