Ladies and Menfolk, we have a job!

Did Buddha not bring you a pony or a plastic rocket? Well, Firefly Cargo Bay is open again so you can get your fix of shiny Firefly Goodies!

Dear Buddha Please Bring me a Pony and a Plastic Rocket

PLEASE NOTE:
FFCB will be CLOSED for Christmas, starting December 23 through December 27. We will reopen for business TUESDAY DECEMBER 28. All orders will be processed in the order they were received at that time. Xie-xie!

Follow FFCB on facebook!

A customer asked recently, "can I like you on facebook?" And I thought, "I don't have a facebook page for the shop. Why don't I have a facebook page for the shop? I'm always on facebook-- I mean working away diligently on the computer!"

So, now, you can follow me on facebook yea!

I'm still working out some things on the page, but I can guarantee the updates will be more frequent there if not all that in depth!

Until next time:
"Get on the Cortex. Signal everyone who ever sheltered us after a heist"
(quote not directly correct, I know. I'm sorry)

We're In!

Checking the business books today, I see that Polaris cashed my payment check, so ladies and menfolk, Firefly Cargo Bay is IN! Two tables of Browncoaty goodness in July in Toronto... with ADAM BALDWIN as guest! (Not, unfortunately, at the booth, but at the con in general)

That makes POLARIS 25 the first confirmed show of 2011.

*squee*

Until next time:
"Do we care? Are we caring about that now?"

Yep, That Went Well

Ni Hao!

I've been working away like a little busy Space Monkey (of the non terrifying variety) since Dragon*Con doing all the necessary post con stuff when I got to thinking, "What am I forgetting? Taxes, inventory sheet, pay consignees, settle up business bills, process back orders.... OH YEAH! Post about it all!"

So here I am shiny Browncoats with the update. In short. Best. Year. Yet. As you may know, I base my coming year's product line and show attending on the money that comes in at D*C (call me wacky, but I like to spend the money I have and not the money I'm projecting i'm going to have... I never did get that aspect of budgeting. I mean, what happens if the money you *expect* to have does not arrive? But I digress...as usual.) So there are conventions in the future of FFCB, there are shiny new products coming in 2011, and we will keep flyin', pushing out just a little bit further, for another year. Yea!

D*C was amazing and the new layout of the tables is working very well. I've also requested a third spot for '11 and hope it works out. Eighteen feet of table! The con was also great because I made more new business contacts and thus began the process of increasing the product I carry. I've currently got 3 new suppliers of shiny 'Verse related goodies working on deals with me. Then there is still the matter of the new products that are stuck in my mind begging to be made. They WILL be a part of the '11 product line.

So, yeah, good all around. And it's always nice to see so many people when I go to cons. I'm actually recognizing faces sometimes too, which is shiny. And the comments and reactions I hear about the stuff at the booth really help me. My job has me, at my computer and dealing with people only on the internet. I have no idea who is looking at my stuff, what they think of it, or how it makes them feel. Hearing and seeing people reassures me that, no, I'm not just doing this for myself. Other people get it.

For that and your continued interest in this little endeavor, I thank you. Sincerely.

Now I'm going to go before I get all mushy. ;)

Until next time:
"You call that 'going well'?"

NOTICE

FIREFLY CARGO BAY WILL BE OUT IN THE 'VERSE - AT DRAGON*CON IN ATLANTA GEORGIA WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8
ORDERS WILL BE PROCESSED IMMEDIATELY UPON RETURN IN THE ORDER THEY WERE RECEIVED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!!

Find Us!

As mentioned before, Firefly cargo Bay can unload at Dragon*Con in aisle E tables 27 and 28. So... where is that?

RIGHT HERE:


And that- of course is in the BASEMENT of the Marriott Marquis. Although please stop by the lower lobby levels and see teh Bedlam Bards in the Exhibitors' Halls with the Southeastern Browncoats , who are also giving home to the Browncoats: REDEMPTION crew. Somewhere up there as well is the Austin Browncoats who are shiny shiny people. Be sure to make your rounds!

Until next time:
"I'm a business man, see? Roots in the community"

We have a Docking Bay!

I just got the official local letter from the good folks at Dragon*Con and Firefly Cargo Bay will be in aisle "E" in the basement of the Marriott hotel. The tables numbers are E27 and E28 but that won't much matter. You just need to find aisle E and then look for the banner with the FFCB logo on it.

SHiny stuff for sale! Big stuff, little stuff, Browncoat stuff, Dr. Who stuff, Whedon stuff, Princess Bride stuff, LOTS of STUFF!

So, 24 days from now, stop in at the 24th Dragon*Con and say Ni Hao!

Can't Stop the Shiny!

It was another good year for the Toronto Can't Stop the Serenity crew even with the horribleness that was going on just blocks away at the same time. The turnout was very good and the auction bidders brought their cashy money. Naturally, the final donation total won't be in for a while yet, but I know there were several items that went into triple digits. I'm please to say that the parasol I donated (and a crew member got Jewel Staite to autograph) brought in $140.00 for Equality Now . Here it is being modeled by a lovely runner:


All in all, another good year for the local crew.

Until next time:
"We're just happy to be doin' good works."

But Who's Counting?

I am in the midst of painting the most current batch of Kaylee-Esque parasols (the yellow is drying now) and it has occurred to me that I may be hitting a milestone. I never numbered the finished ones as I went along, but boy, do I wish I had done that now! I think after I finish this batch - 6 in total, for I have found that doing 6 at a time is a good amount for me- I will have hand painted over 100 Kaylee Parasols! By my math with the quantity and number of time I've ordered it's got to be around there. I do have a tabulation of all that sold through the website, but then there are the ones sold at shows, or donated to charity auctions and such. So I really don't know for sure, but I've got to be close, if not over the triple digits.

When I first started making them I was so uptight about it. We had a computer printed spiral as a template. Too mathematical. I ended up pausing the dvd and tracing the pattern off the still image on the screen! Then I had to transfer it to the parasol and paint over the lines so they wouldn't show. One parasol took me hours to do and I was never happy with the results. Some of those first ones were a lot different looking!

It was during this frustration that I finally hit the simple answer that was in front of me all the time. I was griping that I was putting all this work into replicating something that some prop person probably just whipped out fast without thinking much about it. Yep, that simple- Kaylee *would* have done her parasol freehand and with a light attitude. So I put myself in a Keylee frame of mind and have been much happier with the parasol results ever since.

I also remember the first time I ordered the supplies- I thought getting enough for 12 parasols was going to be too much. I'd never sell 12 of them after all! Hee!

So, here's to the next 100!

Until next time:
"Everything's shiny Captain!"

Off to Mary-Land

I'm beginning to think that a post is nothing more than something that holds up a power line. It certainly doesn't apply to this blog, 'eh? Another month has gone by and no updates.

Because I've been BUSY! That's a good thing for FFCB followers! Mostly, I've been pulling stuff together for various Can't Stop the Serenity screenings around North America. Want to know what I've been doing? Then head out to the Toronto showing or the one hosted by the Seattle Browncoats or even Whedonfest 2010. Actually, attend any of the 2010 CStS events and you'll see FFCB represented. This is due in part to my undying love for, I mean working relationship with the Browncoats: REDEMPTION team.

Incidentally, just as a FYI, the Toronto Browncoats have taken phone bids in the past on auction items if you've got your eye on that parasol signed by Jewel. Contact them to learn more.

Okay, what else.....? Oh! Shipping!

I have been working with a wonderful woman in the local Canadian Postal Outlet and she's helped enormously. They all recommended the card for small business discounts, but that doesn't help all that much- maybe a buck here or there once a month or so with what I ship. But lovely Jan analyzed *why* things were costing so much and was able to make suggestions. By cutting my boxes ONE INCH smaller they qualified for the cheaper price bracket, thus saving about 5 dollars EVERY SHIPMENT! What does that mean? Well, the shiny news is that FFCB can now LOWER its shipping charge! Yea! Win for everybody! Oh, and to my American readers; Do NOT let your postal system go private. You have NO IDEA how great and wonderful the US Postal System is. Seriously, I lived there 27 years and here 15 years and I still use the USPS whenever I can.

Also, I have solved the problem of things getting stuck in customs for over two months (do you believe that? Neither did I!). Turns out, all I had to do was switch packaging. I noticed the trend that it was only the Kaylee-Esque Parasols that were being delayed. I went on a hunch and changed from mailing tubes to rectangular boxes. Sure enough, no more delays. What customs has against mailing tubes I do not know, but now I no longer need to know. So, as far as I can tell, delay problem gone! Shiny!

I wish this was the end of the post and happy news just continued. Sadly, Jan was diagnosed with and died from cancer all in one week in mid April. That's 2 people I've lost to the disease in less than 3 weeks. Dear Death, you suck. ANYWAY! She was a good business friend and I will think of her any time I ship stuff out to you shiny Browncoats. She will guide your orders to you I'm sure.

So, next up is Balticon! with Tanya Huff as GoH. Tanya is a great writer, friend and all round lovely lady. She'll be wearing her writer hat, her musician hat (in the filk circles and such) and her crazy-hyped-up-cause-we're-at-a-con hat this weekend. Such fun! All the merchandise for the Firefly Cargo Bay booth is safely (I hope!) sitting at the hotel waiting for my arrival. Squee! Come see the shinys!

Now, I've rambled long enough. Time to pack! I'm putting more merchandise in my suitcase and I hope I have room for clothes. If not, I'll certainly be able to go through the security screening at the airport much faster!

Until next time:
"Yep. That went well."

This is What I'm Uncomprehending On...

I just reread my last post and can tell how whimsical in the brainpan I was. I said we'd reopen on Tuesday April 12, but was making the post on Monday April 12!! I meant Monday the 19th in the posting, but we're even past that point now! Gorram it!

Anyway! Mundane life sucks! Fandom rules! We're flyin' once again and slowly getting caught up after losing the entire month of April so far! All orders are being processed on time again and the back log is cleared. Thank you all for your understanding.

NOW! Norwescon!
Norwescon was Oh. So. Shiny. I was a little anxious about how I'd run such a large show on my own. Not a problem thanks to the wonderful con com and staff and volunteers. Seriously, it was the easiest show I've run in the 3 years I've been doing dealers' rooms! It was the first show with the full arsenal of buttons out and they were a huge hit. I will be restocking and maybe adding more (although I have over 100 designs already!) The shiny QMx products were available there too and I need to restock those as well. Thank you Seattle area Browncoats and sci fi fans for making Norwescon so enjoyable and worth the trip all the way across the continent! I plan to be back next year!

FilKontario was a surreal weekend for me, what with all the personal stuff going on. But I couldn't have been at a better place when this happened. Thank you again to my filk family for, well, just being you!

Okay, other updates...
The raffle of the Fruity Oaty Dolls got a great response when I posted it, with lots of people saying they wanted them. However, only ONE person actually entered the raffle! This actually worked out okay, because I discovered since then that there are legal issues in Ontario with running a raffle. It totally didn't serve the purpose of raising money to help offset the cost of the upcoming Bards Without Borders Duex, though. Ah well, the best laid plans, as they say....

So, now I'm catching up with the April stuff and looking forward to convention 3 of 6 for 2010: Balitcon!!! This is another one I'm running on my own, so it should prove to be interesting! More updates as I can get to them....!

Until next time:
"Wow, Simon. That was... historical."

April Updates

Ni Hao,

Just a quick word here, even though there is much to update.

I have returned from Norwescon and FilKONtario on back to back weekends. Con updates will be coming, as well as updates on that raffle of the Fruity Oaty Dolls.

However, since April 3, my mother-in-law fell gravely ill and subsequently passed away. Naturally this has thrown our normal family life and schedule into chaos.

Firefly Cargo Bay is a one woman operation and although I try to be as efficient as possible and get those shinys out to you wonderful Browncoats, sometime I have to let the mundane world supersede my fandom. Obviously this is one of those times.

So I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but FFCB will be closed until Tuesday April 12. Orders will be accepted and processed in the chronology they were received.

Thank you for your understanding.

NEW SHINYS!

Okay, get your squee-ing voices ready! I have just added the latest products to the page at Firefly Cargo Bay and they are gorram shiny, if I say so myself!

There are several QMx products there including the new Atlas of the Verse as well as the wave card sets, BDH poster sets, Bank Heist Money and there will be more official QMx items to come. Scan down the page to fin the header "QMX ITEM!" to find them all

Also new to the secret stash are items that can't be fond anywhere else. I've already shown you the cool, if somewhat creepy Fruity Oaty Dolls. Joining them is a new item I am absolutely thrilled about. These genuine leather wristbands are not available ANYWHERE ELSE. The designs are browncoat specific and are engraved right into the leather. They come in brown (with "Browncoat" and the independent emblem on it) and red (with "Serenity" and the chinese for serenity and an outline inspired by a very familiar ship)

Oh, there's also a second version of the serenity necklace that's been in the shop for a year or so. This one is a little more elegant, so I'm calling it the Companion Necklace.

Check out all the new shinys to be found in the secret stash!

Until next time:
"Oooh! Look at all the pretties!"

Bringing the Bards to Toronto

You may remember, this fall we have Bards Without Borders Deux coming up. Those crazy Bedlam Bards choose to live in Texas, which, as you know, is a long way from Toronto! It's going to take some considerable amounts of cashy money to pay the expenses to get them up here.

With that in mind, Firefly Cargo Bay will be holding monthly raffles in which you can win shiny shiny stuff not available anywhere else. And since today is my birthday, I decided to start the first one now!

Here's how it's going to work. If you'd like to enter the drawing, paypal the amount to paddison at kos dot net and you're in. Simply put "March Raffle" or Bards without Borders Draw" or something similar in the subject line or somewhere on the transaction. You need not give me postal information or anything other than your email and the amount. Please note that this raffle is being conducted IN CANADIAN FUNDS. Two weeks from today (Mar 26) I will take all the entered emails and draw one at random and that person wins. I *will not* be using these emails addresses for anything other than the draw- no worries of spamming here (I don't have time for that kinda crap anyway). I will contact the winner for mailing address and post here the results. Then in april we'll do it all over again with shiny new prizes.

I will verify receipt of the transaction via email and keep records of the accounts. The Bards Without Borders ledgers will be posted periodically, and will be available anytime on request. Any moneys raised that exceed the costs of bring the Bards back to town will be donated to Browncoats: REDEMPTION

Tickets cost 3 for $5.00, 10 for $10.00 and 30 for $25.00. Wanna know what's up first? How 'bout a set of Fruity Oaty Dolls!
This is a set of 3 hand made (and I mean HAND- I don't own a sewing machine!) rag dolls inspired by the wild commercial in "Serenity". No subliminal message comes with these dolls however. You do get a little foam Fruity Oaty Bar though! Each doll stands over 19" tall (from toes to top of head).

So what do you say? It's not mandatory, but these dolls could all be yours!

The Bards are Back in Town!

Well, okay, not yet- but they're coming! Cedric and Hawke, better known as the BEDLAM BARDS will be back in Toronto come November for "Bards Without Borders Deux"!

They will be appearing the weekend of November 19-21 at SFContario, Toronto's newest science fiction convention, celebrating the best of science fiction and fantasy. SFContario will include the content of literature, media, and visual arts, the educational and academic aspects of science and culture, and the participatory and social aspects such as costuming, gaming, filking, fanzines, online fandom, and other fannish activities. The con will have 3 days of activities will focusing more on creativity, both content (books, art, and media) and fan activity (filking, costuming, gaming, etc.)

The Bards will have a full concert in the main convention room as well as hosting panels, workshops and maybe even some hypnosis sessions throughout the entire weekend. Other Browncoat specific activities will be going on as well during the con. Plus, if you clearly put somewhere on your membership form "I AM A BROWNCOAT" you will receive a special goodie bag at registration!!

Oh, and did I mention Firefly Cargo Bay will be in the dealers' room with a full 2 tables of shiny stuff for sale? The whole new 2010 product line which also features some gems from QMx!

So, what are you waiting for?!?!?!? Get on over to SFContario and get yourself registered! Don't forget to include "I AM A BROWNCOAT" on your membership form! Free shinys, after all and that's quite a discount, because 10% of nothin is... let me do the math here... nothin into nothin carry the nothin.....

Is It September Yet?

My mother always told me not to wish my life away, but it's hard not to when the movie Browncoats: REDEMPTION comes out in September.
Here is the latest trailer now live on their site.

SHINY!
(hey, I know some of those people in there!)

Until next time:
"Wacky fun!"

CONfirmed

Ni Hao!

I've been busy scanning the airline web pages trying to figure out the mystery that is best air fare rates. So far, I'm losing.

ANYWAY, I'm doing this because of the six cons I decided to work this year, I'm definitely in for four of them. The are, in timeline order...

Norwescon. I'm working this big con on my own, so if you're in the Seattle area and planning on attending, please be sure to stop by the booth! And bring food ;)

FilKONtario. My filk related merchandise will be in the interfilk bazaar being sold by the wonderful FKO volunteers. I'll be around the con itself actually taking part! Yea me!

Confluence. Returning to my home town with a full FFCB booth at this great con. Come to the 'Burgh and see all the new shinys I have!

Dragon*Con. Back for our 3rd big year! A full FFCB booth and the release of Browncoats:REDEMPTION Why would you *not* be there?!??! (psst: there will be more than a few shiny BC:R items available at the Firefly Cargo Bay booth in the Marriott dealers room-- BOTTOM floor!!!)

Also on tap, but not confirmed are Balticon with wonderful author GoH Tanya Huff. I should know by mid-March if they're letting me in the dealers' room. I'll post when I know for sure.

The last con of 2010 will be hopefully, SFContario. This is Toronto's newest scifi convention and looks very promising. They do have a music track and this should be of note to Browncoats in the area because we are working on (hush hush now--) BARDS WITHOUT BORDERS DEUX!!!!! That's right, ladies and menfolk, we're planning on getting the Bedlam Bards back through customs for music and mayhem! Hhmm.. and now that I've just broadwaved that I guess I really HAVE to make it happen now.... Well, I've never been known to be one not to overstep boundaries!

ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOPIC TO DISTRACT YOU FROM MY PREMATURE ANNOUNCEMENT :)

I have completed the sequel to my (I'm so proud) very popular Youtube video Motivated by Firefly and am thrilled to present Still Motivated by Firefly. Enjoy!

Until next time:
"Some people juggle geese!"

A SHINY New Year!

Ni Hao!

Just a quick post to let you know that the NEW SHINYS for 2010 are starting to make their way into the Firefly Cargo Bay! Some are original items I'm making myself, others are exclusive items I'm having produced and some are from those 'verse lovin' folks at QMx! All very squee worthy and all coming in the next few weeks.

Watch this space for further details!

Until next time:
"Oh! Look at all the pretties!"

FFCB is *IN* At Norwescon!

Just got the word today that FFCB is confirmed for two tables in the dealers of Norwescon33 in Seattle April 1-4. And can you guess what I'm going to say...? Yep-- SQUEE!

Now... I will post more about this later, but for the moment I'm looking for someone to help me work the booth, as my usual lackey will most likely not be able to make it. You will need to find you own accommodations, and transportation, but membership to the con is covered.

Let me know if you're interested.

Until next time:
"Ladies and Menfolk, we have a job."