Friday, February 29, 2008

FilKONtario Web Page Update

The fine folks at FilKONtario have updated their web home page and news page to include mention of the Bedlam Bards.
http://www.filkontario.ca/

Although it's not really written down anywhere, much progress has been made in the planning of the Serenifly events for the Saturday of the convention. I was working full tilt on it, but then realized that some other time sensitive obligations were pending. So hands on work on the Bards Without Borders got set aside, but the mind is whirling on more plans.

I will be able to get back to actually pulling things together in a few day. I can't tally long. After all, day one of the convention is only 34 days away!!!

Until next time:
"Just once I'd like things to go according to the gorram plan!"

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Cheery Projects for Dreary Days

Well, it's nearly the end of the 2nd month of the year, but I still have time to squeeze in another new project. (Shooting for one new item in the Firefly Cargo Bay per month of 2008 - so far so good)

I am cheerfully presenting the latest product available - the Kaylee-esque Parasol! These paper parasols are hand painted by me with as much love as Kaylee put into decorating her own (I'm sure).
The parasol covers a full 32" diameter and is painted in acrylic red yellow and green paint for bright color and durability. I'm offering them for $20.00 plus shipping. Email me for orders and questions about them; earthgirl@kos.net

The one pictured is my personal one for display at show booths and I'm absolutely thrilled with it. It was my first attempt at recreating an actual prop from the show. I've discovered that the spirals are not geometric nor mathematical in nature. My husband will attest to this as he tried several methods of getting me a spiral pattern off his computer. It took me several weeks to figure out how to get the spiral as close looking to the one Kaylee has in the show. You have to picture the final method that worked - me kneeling in front of the tv with a piece of paper stuck to the screen while the dvd player was on pause! Sometimes it's best to abandoned the high tech methods and go back to basics I suppose!

The next challenge was translating that flat drawing onto a slightly conical shape. The one pictured is not quite right, but was my first attempt not only at getting the spiral right, but actually painting a paper parasol. Now that I've gotten the hang of it all, the others will be faster to complete.

The entire time I was struggling with the challenges of doing this project I kept thinking that somewhere there's a costume/prop person who has no idea of the trials their one little prop has presented to those of us who have recreated it. It just struck me as the funny quirks of fandom.

ANYWAY! Until next time:
"Cap't, can you stop her from being cheerful, please."

Monday, February 25, 2008

Bards Without Borders Update

So, I know all of you have your curiosity piqued with what exactly will be going on at FilKONtario and the Bards Without Borders event. Here now is a run down of some of the things that are shaping up to make a very Brownish day at the con...

First off, Saturday April 5th is the day the good folks at FilKONtario will be letting the Independents invade. Although Cedric and Hawke will be partaking in all 3 days of the convention, Saturday is Browncoat-centric. We have a meeting room at the con from 10 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon Saturday. These three hours will be filled with Serenifly events and activities - many of which will feature the Bards themselves.

From 1 to 5 pm, the main hall will host 4 (yes I said four) concerts back to back (to back to back). The Bards regular show (if there is such a thing as a "regular" Bards' show!) will be one of the performances. Also on the line up are Bill Roper, Marilyn Miller and Michelle Dockrey and Tony Fabris.

After the concerts the Browncoats get to take over the ginormous con suite for 2 whole hours. We're planning on ordering in some pizza and hanging out and enjoying the cushy digs of the suite.

But wait! There's more! At 7 pm Saturday we can head back down to the main floor with 4 more hours of "programing" geared specifically for Browncoats. That totals 13 hours of Firefly related activity in one day- all for $25.00! (you could join the filkers at the con - and enjoy more time with the Bards - all three days of the convention for a mere $55.00)

April 5th is the main focus of the themed "Bards Without Borders" event and will include some fun and - I guarantee you- unique activities for the Flan that you are! I can not at this time release too many specifics, but I can hint that goslings *will* be juggled! There will also be a Firefly Theme Hypnosis Session (I kid you not!)

So, how can you resist? Check out the FilKONtario website and register yourself! http://www.filkontario.ca/ Print out the registration form and write "Browncoat Rate" on it and send the very nice people at FilKONtario your $25.00 for a whole days worth of fun in the 'Verse!

Until next time:
"It's the finest party I could imagine gettin' paid to go to."

Monday, February 18, 2008

Y'all Gonna Be Here When I Wake Up?

Thanks all, for checking back in to the blog in my loooong absence of posting.

I've been wanting to make a post, but I've been waiting to make some BIG exciting announcements. I couldn't let them go public until they were official, and thus, I didn't post. It's so hard keeping a secret! Especially one this much fun!

Well, at least one of the big things I've been doing behind the scenes has been made official and can be announced: THE BARDS ARE COMING! THE BARDS ARE COMING! That's right, my goal of bringing the very Brownish sounds of the Bedlam Bards to Canada for a show/concert/shindig has come together much faster than I anticipated. Yea!

Thanks to the good folks at FilKONtario, the Bards have been added to their already impressive guest list for the 2008 convention. Come out to the Delta Toronto Airport West Hotel for 3 days of fun, filk and all sorts of musical scifi adventures. This year's con is being held April 4-6 and can be enjoyed by purchasing a 3 day event membership, or a Saturday-only membership, depending on your personal preferences.

More information can be found at their official website: http://www.filkontario.ca/ Please note that there is currently no mention of the Bedlam Bards or the Saturday-only membership at this time. This is because we got the Bards on the list LITERALLY at the last minute. I expect as the con gets closer, the web site and progress report pages will be updated with the latest information of the Browncoat nature.

I encourage you to get your tickets early, as early registration prices end in early March and the hotel room block will be released at that time. Any questions you have will be answered by emailing the organizers- trust me, they're very good at getting back to you in a timely fashion, those folk.

I have begun putting together a small crew to also make the even more Browncoaty with 'Verse related ideas and special side features. Unfortunately, at this time I can not share any of those plans :( Gotta wait until everything is official, you know. But for any and all updates to the Bards' appearances during FilKONtario, watch this blog! Anything that gets in the semi-official category will be posted here.

As for my other exciting news I've been wanting to post about.... you still have to wait. Nothing's finalized there either. Oh, I'm *so* bad at waiting!

So, until next time
"It's better than just sitting"
"It IS just sitting"

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Back From the Black

Did I just go crazy and fall asleep?

No, I didn't. I haven't been posting here because I've been busy getting all the shiny 2008 products ordered for stock in the Firefly Cargo Bay. I'm very thrilled because the very first one already came into my possession. I've posted here about the new Companion Fans I'm carrying. Now I am excited to be able to also offer lovely wood display stands, seen here:

The set of fan and display stand is offered for $15.00. You can also continue to buy the Companion Fan alone for $10.00.

On an unrelated topic, I don't know how many of you actually did get the obscure song reference in my last post. If you were racking your brains trying to figure it out since then, it was 1977's "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" from the Muppet Movie. Yeah, my pop culture likes span a WIDE variety!

I have here, thanks to Sue M and Belinda B, a better shot of the group of Toronto Browncoats at the E&C at the last shindig. My sister came up with a great caption for it, which I will use to sign off for now. Until next time-

"They're really very...gentle...and fuzzy. We're becoming fast friends"