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♔ QU$TOM QU££N ♔



Last Updated: 11/20/2009

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Gender: Female
Status: Single
Age: 27
Sign: Aquarius

City: GLASVEGAS, UK (Glasgow)
State: Scotland
Country: UK
Signup Date: 8/20/2006

Blog Archive
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009 
Short and simple - please dont ask me to replicate another artists design, or link me to an image of someone elses work for 'inspiration' I wouldn't like it if it was the other way round.... if you can get to an image of their work, chances are you are able to contact the original customizer.

thanks.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Current mood:  thoughtful


My real name,.. alot of you will not know, is Kim Simpson, but I have just changed my surname, which has been a long time coming, and here is an interesting little story as to why.

"Maling" is the surname on my birth certificate, my name was changed to Simpson when I was around seven years old.....

I've never thought that there is any meaning in a name - other than family connections, so was very happy to stick with Simpson because it means alot to me and without going in to too much personal detail, if I didnt have the Simpson connection, I would not be the person I am today, for which I am very grateful.

my first name is "Kim" and not kimberley, and "Kim" means Royal.. or Ruler..... or in Vietnamese '..precious metal.. or Gold'.. 

My birth Surname, Maling, is of Norwegian origin, and translates as 'to paint..'

Kim Maling = Royal painter....... I had no idea what my name meant until around a year ago, and have been using my alias Qustom Queen since I put down my sewing machine and picked up a paintbrush around 4 years ago.

Who ever said whats in a name??? Do we really make choices in life or are all our moves predestinted?


Qustom Queen

xx


Tuesday, April 01, 2008 

Current mood:  busy

SO I’VE BEEN PRETTY BUSY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS WITH PHOTOSHOOTS... PLEASE PLEASE GO AND HAVE A LOOK AT THE ABOVE TITLED ALBUMS IN MY PHOTOS AND COMMENT... LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

 

SHOUT OUTS! 

ALL IMAGES WERE TAKEN BY WWW.SHAUNEKIWI.COM WHO HAS JUST RELOCATED TO SCOTLAND - I MUST SAY HIS WORK IMPRESSED ME FROM HIS WEBSITE BUT I NEVER EXPECTED MY IMAGES TO TURN OUT SO WELL!  TRULY AN AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHER AND GREAT TO WORK WITH.

BIG THANKS ALSO TO ’DROP’ BAR/CLUB ON WATERLOO STREET, GLASGOW FOR LENDING US THE VENUE FOR THE DAY TO SHOOT IN!  THE PLACE LOOKS GREAT AFTER THE REFURB!  AND THE TUNES KEPT US GOING TOO :) ALSO A THANKS TO TSHIRT JOHN WWW.TGTS.CO.UK FOR HOOKING THAT UP.

MY WONDERFUL MODELS - SEAN (SORRY AGAIN HAHA) CERI, PRI-PRI AND ANN..... THANK YOU ALL FOR LENDING ME A HAND (OR SHOULD I SAY A FOOT)

MY DAUGHTER LAMAYA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEHAVING ON SET!!!

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE JUNKIES IN THE ALLEY FOR NOT STEALING THE EQUIPTMENT!!!!!

MASTERCARD!! HAHA.... GLAD TO HAVE HAD YOU IN MY POCKET IN PREPARATION FOR THE SHOOTS TEE HEE... OK I’M TAKING THIS A BIT FAR NOW...........

ANYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED......... THANKS!!!!!

QQ

Tuesday, November 20, 2007 

Current mood:  accomplished

http://photobucket.com" target="_blank">..http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/qustomqueen/BANNERSIG.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">

 

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO SUPPORTED AND BELIEVED IN ME, I WON THE TITLE OF BEST CUSTOMIZING DESIGNER AT THIS YEARS UK URBAN FASHION AWARDS.

 

WHEN I RECEIVED THE PHONE CALL FROM UUFA TO INFORM ME THAT I HAD WON, IT TOOK A WHILE TO SINK IN... I REALLY DIDNT EXPECT TO WIN!

SO WHATS NEXT FOR ME?  I HAVE HAD SUCH A HUGE DEMAND FOR TEES AND HOODIES THAT MY SPRING COLLECTION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN BOUTIQUES IN GLASGOW, LONDON AND NEW YORK IN THE SPRING, IN THE MEAN TIME, IF YOU CANT WAIT THAT LONG, YOU CAN STILL CONTACT ME FOR A ONE OFF PAIR OF SNEAKERS/HEELS AND MATCHING CUSTOM TEE/HOODIE.

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EACH AND EVERY PERSON WHO VOTED FOR ME - THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT POSITIVE COMMENTS, AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE INSPIRED ME AND GIVEN CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FROM THE BEGINNING - I BELIEVE YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE.  I AM OVERWHELMED AT THE SUPPORT I HAVE RECEIVED, AND HOPE THAT A LITTLE BIT OF SHINE ON ME, IS A LITTLE BIT OF SHINE ON THE CRAFT AND THE COMMUNITY.

 

QQ

Tuesday, October 09, 2007 

I GET SO MANY PEOPLE EMAILING ME ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW I DO THIS, HOW I DO THAT.

I THINK IT IS GREAT THAT THERE IS SO MUCH INTEREST IN MY WORK, AND SNEAKER CUSTOMIZATION IN GENERAL...

BUT...

PLEASE GOOGLE YOUR QUESTION FIRST.  IF YOU ASK ME A REALLY SIMPLE QUESTION, I SIMPLY WONT ANSWER IT. 

TRIAL AND ERROR IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN, AND MEANS YOU WILL DEVELOP YOUR OWN METHODS BEING DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE.   IF YOU DONT WANT TO WASTE A NEW PAIR ON YOUR FIRST TRY, USE SOME BEAT OLD SNEAKERS AND WORK THINGS OUT ON THERE.

HERES AN ANSWER TO ONE OF THE 'SIMPLE' QUESTIONS. YES, YOU NEED TO STRIP THE FACTORY FINISH OFF THE SHOE BEFORE STARTING.  YES, THATS WHAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES, NO THERE IS NOT A SPECIAL PAINT TO SKIP THAT STEP, NO I DONT HAVE A SECRET METHOD, I REALLY DONT HAVE A SECRET METHOD... ...  .... ... ... you can see why I posted this blog entry

SNEAKER CUSTOMIZATION IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF SKILL INVOLVED, AND ALOT OF TIME.  TIME WHICH IS BETTER SPENT WORKING ON THE SHOES.

QQ

Friday, July 06, 2007 

Current mood:  hyper

Introducing a new concept in Sneaker Customization...

'COLORCHANGE CUSTOMS'® brought to you by the Qustom Queen.

 This is the first time that this technology has EVER been used to customize a pair of shoes - and I am almost certain that these are the first colorchanging shoes on the planet.  Remember where you saw it first (I'm sure that the concept will be duplicated in the coming months).

 - Qustom Queen -  

 

http://www.youtube.com/v/1Mv4XEqmVCM

 


 

Sunday, May 27, 2007 

Current mood:Informative

DONT BE SHY... JUST ASK!!!

What is a custom shoe?

I work on already produced shoes, mainly leather, and treat them like blank canvasses.  My artwork goes on top of the shoe.  These shoes that I have on display are not available from any retailer.  They are not mass produced.  They are more limited than a limited edition.  Nike/Adidas etc did not come up with these designs - I did.  Each pair is hand painted and most of my work is a 1 of 1 - basically, they are as unique as you.

I want a pair... what do I do next?

Your design should be unique - I rarely reproduce exactly what you see in my portfolio - if you cant think of anything, browse through my work, take inspiration from the textures, designs, colors and take it from there - or give me a guideline and let me come up with the design for you.

Does it have to be an Air Force One?

No.  You will notice that most of my work has been done on Air Forces, but that is simply because that is the type of shoe that I get asked to do the most.  Actually the best base shoe to work with is an Adidas Stan Smith or Superstars... The leather is perfect.

Oh but you are all the way in the UK... is that going to be a problem?

Not Atall... Yes, the postage can get quite steep depending on where you are in the world but I cover half of that cost to keep my trade international. (half of estimated cost)

How long will I be able to wear them for?

How long did your last pair of uncustomized sneakers last for?  There is your answer.  I do NOT sit with a can of grafitti spray paint.  I paint with the correct tools to make the job as close to a factory finish as possible.  Check my care guidelines for more information.

Why should I choose you over a cheaper customizer?

I dont try to be the 'cheapest' and I dont cram orders in either.  I dont want to end up with more orders than I can manage.  I work on a first come first served basis and usually have a waiting list.  I never rush my work, I can spend weeks emailing back and forward with you getting each detail perfect before I even start.  I am experienced in this field - this is my passion - I'm not some kid sitting in their bedroom at their parents house, and not someone doing this as part of a midlife crisis tryna be cool lol.  My work is on display with Sneakerpimps, and ofcourse, I invented the colorchange customs concept and produced the worlds first color changing shoes.

Do you have a shop that I can come and look at?

At the moment, I am an artist, not a business, man.  Keep your eyes peeled for my work creeping in to boutiques from London to Glasgow late summer/early autumn. (Oh yes its on the way)  Dont forget to check www.sneakerpimps.net for their world tour dates.  Definately worth a look and I might see you there!

How will I know they will look as good as what you have pictured?

My images are not graphic mock ups of 'roughly' how the finished item will look (dont trust people that do that - it means they have never actually done it!) These pictures are all examples of work that I have already produced.  Oh and I can only just about use the basics of photoshop so no need to worry about false pics lol.

I saw a pair done by another customizer can you do them for me?

Ehhh.... no not exactly.  I have links with many customizers around the world and respect their art.  I dont feel comfortable outright copying other peoples designs.  Plus they have been done before so lets come up with something new lol.

So how much?

The prices will be worked out on whether I am supplying the base shoe or not, materials and equiptment needed, and approximate hours to complete.

 

QQ

 

Monday, December 04, 2006 

Current mood:  jubilant
Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping

The Qustom Queen has now been recognised for her outstanding contribution to fashion....

By being approved to submit work to the Sneakerpimps world tour!  Not an easy task, but Pete Fahey (founder of Sneakerpimps) asked me to submit some work to the tour.

Sneaker Pimps is the worlds largest touring sneaker show featuring over 1000 pairs of rare, limited edition, vintage, celebrity signed, artists collaborated sneakers and a collection of sneaker inspired artwork, fashion and photography.
Featuring original artworks by Futura, Stash, Doze, Shepard Fairey, Dave White, Cope2, Ghost, Ewok, JB Classics, Methamphibian, Jor One, SBTG, Kinsey, C2, EricQ, Jeremy Fish and now Qustom Queen!!!

Sneaker Pimps has visited more than 62 cities throughout the globe visiting countries such as Australia (three times), New Zealand, USA (three times), Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, China, Thailand, Canada, Belgium and The Philippines, making it the world largest cultural street-art lifestyle exhibition.  The UK may soon be added to that list.

Sneaker Pimps has developed a global following, with thousands of people attending Sneaker Pimps shows world wide. 

Qustom Queen is the UK music industry's favourite customiser, and has a worldwide customer base.

Two pairs of my work can be viewed on the tour, information on future tour locations and dates can be found at www.sneakerpimps.net

I am waiting on the next European date being announced, and I'll head out to get some pics to put on Myspace for you all to enjoy!

 

QQ

Saturday, November 25, 2006 

Current mood:  working

CUSTOM KICKS CARE GUIDE

All of my customs are painted, printed or airbrushed using the highest quality materials available, which under normal conditions they will be wearable without having any negative effects on their quality. HOWEVER: abusing your customs by going to clubs* and playing sports* do not fall under the category of normal conditions.  If you abuse your sneakers, you do so at your own risk.  The designs will age with the sneaker and will not crack chip or peel.  The shoes are finished with a protective coating and I strongly suggest that you spray them weekly with a scotchguard spray or similar.  If you have any questions or concerns please contact me for more details.  All custom artists will advise the same. BEWARE OF 'CUSTOMIZERS' WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NO PORTFOLIO... ENTRUST YOUR SHOES TO A PROVEN ARTIST.

I have never and will never work on fake shoes - Do not send me fakes to work on because they will promptly get sent back to you.  Do not support fakes.

*examples - not an exhaustive list.

 

PURCHASING TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Payment is due before work commences.  I will only offer refunds on purchases before customising.  Once the shoes have been customised, or once I start to customise them, there will be no refund offered.  For example, if you buy a football jersey from a store and get your name printed on the back, you cant then ask for your money back for the shirt.  I operate under the same policy.  I take the time to confirm every detail of the work I will do to my clients to avoid any confusion.

I have been doing this daily since 2005 and consider myself as an artist.  Some people do this for money, I do it because I have a passion for it.  I wake up in the middle of the night with new concepts all the time.  I have mentored many up and coming customizers from all over the globe and have witnessed their work improve with my advice.  I have had many comments on how my work inspired individuals to start customizing.  The customizing world is generally viewed as a mans world... well... sometimes you have to send a woman to do a mans job... you have come to the right woman.  Enjoy wearing your customs as much as I enjoy creating them.......... QQ

 

Please feel free to comment on this guide and make suggestions as to how I can make my service work better for you.