Wednesday, January 28, 2009

We're got a Green Light for Upthrust

The ipod is loaded and charged. The video camera is empty and charged. I'm packed and ready for my 3 AM bus to the air port for my 9 AM flight to go to Detroit and then continue to Seattle for Conflikt Squee! keep the snow and other weather to yourselves so I don't get stranded in any airports anywhere! Full report when I return.

Until next time:
"Take me out into the Black...!"

Monday, January 19, 2009

May Have Been the Losing Side

...Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Did you ever feel like you're fighting a losing battle? Come on now, we're Browncoats, that's what we're known for! Well, I fight to find time in my real life to make new designs for the cafe press Firefly Cargo Bay and finally get a new image or two up there and BAM! One step forward, two steps back....

*Sigh* Once again I got the "pending images in media basket" email from the powers that be at CP. Not only did one of my new designs get flagged, but they tagged an old one as well! One of my most popular ones too! How am I ever going to stay in business if they keep pulling all the images that people are actually BUYING??? It was only text, but it mentioned Star Trek and with the new movie coming out... Well the lawyers are full on the hunt I suppose.

*Sigh* I hate to see things get pulled off of there, because it feels like I've wasted the time spent designing them. But corporate lawyers scare me, so I pull the products. I am going to try much harder to stay away from the copy right infringement line. It's tough though because, well, I'm trying to invoke the images that Browncoats will know and want and... oh look at that double edged sword over there!

OKAY! But not all doom and gloom for the New Year! Oh, no! Very shiny things abounding here. For instance Conflikt is just around the corner (10 days! Squee!) and I'm so excited (and already packed). Full reports will follow in early February

Also, Firefly Cargo Bay is confirmed for not one but TWO tables at FilKONtario in April. Naturally, I can never limit myself to bringing just a few things to a con, so I finally smartened up and got more space. She can be taught!

In terms of other cons I'll be attending, my application and full payment for (two!) tables at Dragon*Con is now in the somewhat trustworthy hands of Canada Post. Planning a much bigger booth there this year, so I won't get shoved into the hovel like last year. I (tentatively) state that you'll be able to find me this time!

Polaris here in Toronto doesn't even have their new web site up yet, so I'm wondering how much they've got their act together. They've been having personnel troubles of late- so the rumor mills tell me so.... We'll see. If it turns out that Polaris falls through, I may add another con in the fall. Texas has a lot of good ones. I love Texas.

I'm also "on the books" for Confluence in Pittsburgh (go Steelers) in late July. This will be my first appearance there and I'm really looking forward to getting to meet new filkers.

So, I think that covers all the scheduled cons at this point (I'm in total con with drawl, can you tell?). In other news, Captain Hammer was unavailable for comment for the first time ever. No, wait.

The other projects are progressing, if somewhat slower than I'd like. I've got a good body count going of the Firefly Rag Dolls and still haven't decided which Big Damn Hero I'm going to recreate first. I guess that all depends on what kinds of fabrics I come across. Oh! Excellent news on that front; the great (and I don't use the term loosely) folks over at Browncoat Fashions have generously allowed me access to their scrap basket! I've gotten word that they'll save those pieces of material that are too small for them to work with when they make their stunning brown coats Firefly Costumes and send them along to me! How shiny is that! So these bits of fabric will go to dress my little rag dolls instead of hitting the landfill. earthgirl approves!

Okay, well, I think I've emptied the contents of my brain for a while. Are you lucky readers? :)

So, on this eve of Inauguration Day and until next time:
"I'd like to be the King of all Londinuim and wear a shiny hat...."

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Shiny New Year

Ni Hao fellow Browncoats!

Welcome to 2009! It may have seemed as if I had gone into hibernation lately. I assure you that is not the case. I have been working on shiny new things behind the scenes here at Firefly Cargo Bay and '09 promises to be very exciting indeed!

Off line I have been working on a variety of things. First up is the preparation for FFCB's first show of the year; Conflikt in Seattle January 30 through February 1. I tried to scale down the amount of items I'd have at this show, since it is a small one. I failed at that miserably! I am taking at least 5 of each of every product I have! Plus, I'm having some of the Cafe Press designs shipped out there as well. That means I'll have nearly 200 different items to offer the filk fans attending the con. I know I'll be spilling off the table I got and taking up the majority of the dealers' room! I can't help myself.

Am I excited to be attending the filk con? Well... is it wrong that I'm already packed? It's *only* three weeks away you know!

Other activities include sporting my domestic side. I've been sewing. Really. By hand. I'm in the process of making rag dolls for each of the Firefly crew members. Right now i have 6 finished bodies and lots of material for more. I haven't decided which Big Damn Hero doll I will be making first. My daughters have voted for Kaylee in the layer cake dress, but I'm sort of leaning towards seeing what a little rag doll Jayne would look like! Whichever I decide, I will surely post the first finished one here before they go on the web site for sale. Each one is about 8 inches tall and, as I stated, made completely by hand, from scratch. I am able to complete about 1 body a day (just the body, not the clothes or finished doll) but so far they are worth the time imho.

Let's see... what else? Oh yes! More new products for the new year! Not all made by me mind you. That would take more time than I have to spare. But items designed by me and produced through various companies. I won't post any spoilers here (mostly because I like to have said items in production before I get anyone all excited about them or anything- just in case!)

There are already some new designs over at the Cafe Press Firefly Cargo Bay Shop waiting in the "Latest Cargo" section. I will have to admit several of them are actually Doctor Who related, but that's not my fault. I blame it squarely on Geek2Chic and thank them for it!

Well, that's the very brief run down of what's been doing here. We're still flyin' and that's good enough for me! (hey, if it's good enough for Mal!) My goals for 2009 are still to arrange for shipping within the US and for cleaning up the Firefly Cargo Bay website. Please be patient with both items, as others are involved, so logistics are not as simple as I would like. We'll get there though.

So, until new items, events, or occurrences... well, occur, have a great start to 09 and stay shiny!

Until next time:
"How come things never go according to the gorram plan?!"