Cleared for Docking

Ni Hao!

Great news- I've gotten official word from the folks at Dragon*Con and I can announce that Firefly Cargo Bay has a home in the dealers' room on the BASEMENT LEVEL of the Marriott Marquis. We have a *little* better location than last year. That coupled with the fact that I have two tables this year instead of one should make it easier for all you shiny Browncoats (and other geeks that I love so much) to be able to find us.

What else do you want me to do? Draw you a map? Um..... Okay!

The "enter" highlighted in orange is the only way in and out of the dealers' room. (right at the base of the down escalator going to the VERY LOWEST LEVEL). You will find FFCB pointed out there in the first of the short rows.

As I said, I have 2 tables this year, and a banner with my logo and I'll have my parasol up that reads "Kaylee Parasols Sold Here" so you should be able to find me this year. When you do, be sure to say hi! I'll be there for most of the open hours.

You may have noticed that I have stressed that the dealers' room is on THE LOWEST LEVEL of the hotel on the BASEMENT floor several times now. That is for 2 reasons. First, the floor above us holds the two exhibitors' halls. They look very much like dealers' rooms and the same sorts of things go on there. Many folks told me last year they couldn't find my booth. Then we discovered that they were on the wrong floor and never made it down to the dealers' room at all. This brings up point number two- the elevator of the hotel doesn't go to the basement level. Really. Nice way to make it difficult for us, 'eh? So you have to get on the escalators and keep riding them down until you can go no further. Walk off that one, show your badge and enter the dealers' room.

I'll see you in 21 days! (*squee!*)

And speaking of squee worthiness, Ma Cobb's Hat Shoppe is featuring the buttons I supplied her with as her August/September Free Give-Away!! These were the first button designs I worked with when I got my button making machine. Since then I have added lots more in each theme and more themes as well. These will all be at Dragon*Con as well, so come check them out there. They will also be up in the Secret Stash right around the time of, or shortly after Dragon*Con. Thanks to Ma Cobb for showing them off so beautifully!

So, hey, exciting stuff! But now I must get back to getting ready for my trip to Geek Mecca. Only three weeks away! See you there!

Until Next Time:
"Don't I usually stay with the ship?"

Back from the Black

Ni Hao!

Sorry it took so long for me to post, but I sold out of the last of my available Kaylee-Esque parasols and have been busy painting shiny swirls on 2 dozen of them to replenish. But I had a wonderful convention in Pittsburgh, and would like to share (no pictures yet, as my minions have not sent them to me)Here it is! The Confluence report! Contain your excitement.

I'm back from Confluence now and WOW what a weekend! So much fun! Faces and voices new (to me) and old and lots of good music and eats (and sales- the business woman in me goes *whew*) A full report after I get resettled a little but now some highlights:

Cedric !!! Yea! Awesome concert with great reaction from the people who hadn't seen him before -- ever (I rarely get to be in a crowd that doesn't know his and the Bedlam Bards stuff well!)

Friday night filk-- I ended up sitting by Toyboat; unintentional groupie *blush* Also singing along with "Ladies Don't Do those Things" (one of my favorites!) in an impromptu trio (granted there were only about 8 people left in the room at that point anyway)

breakfast at Eggs n' At- it's a Pittsburgh thing... and so am I! :)

hearing someone describe my booth as "a geek's wet dream!"

dinner at Permanti Brothers (again, a Pittsburgh thing)

"The Girl in the Firefly" musical play-- SO squee worthy! L-O-V-E-D it!

More Difficulties concert so enjoyable! I heard "Cranes Over Hiroshima" for the first time there (remember- I'm still *really* new to filk here!) I had a hard time with it because a 10 year old neighbor was just diagnosed with leukemia this month, and the song- and the fact that it was being signed as well- really got to me.

adding to my filk cd collection some more *bounce bounce*

being in Saturday night's filk circle with the Fictitious Husband- first time ever! Got confirmation that Eric Coleman is a dangerous man behind the guitar! I think I believe him when he said we were all lucky his songbook was upstairs. Also discovered that Mark Bernstein LOOKS like a nice guy, but is really an evil, evil man (ask him to perform his Punfinished Symphony if you dare!) Plus, Blind Lemming Chiffon performed his "I am the Carpenter" which delights me to no end.

Got to catch the Heather Dale concert- although due to a failure to communicate, the Fictitious Husband and Thing One and Thing Two did not. My children did have people singing to them, though later- in the dealers' room, in the elevator and at the afternoon filk circle- they totally are hooked now! (and have I mentioned how great I think it is that a sci fi convention is being held in Moon Township?)

On Friday I got up and ready and went to breakfast. When I came back I organized things for rapid set up of the booth the minute I was allowed in the dealers' room. This was at noon. We set up in the best booth location ever! (the guys next to us brought homemade brownies and were happy to share) We had an hour before opening, so we went across the street for munchies/dinner. We worked from 5-8 and the booth got a good reception and decent sales.

On Saturday I had breakfast with sister, brother-in-law and Cedric at Eggs n' At . I went to work at 10, but snuck out to catch the Power Salad concert at 1. I left that at 1:15. It was already too loud and he kept telling the sound guy to turn up the music track. Either I wasn't in the mood, or he wasn't my style, because i wasn't enjoying it. I went back to the booth. We worked until 6 and then got dinner at the Primanti's location there. Still good food, but it just taste better with the atmosphere of The Strip. Soon it was time for the play and we waited in the lobby with, I think, everyone else who attended the con, under disapproving glares from hotel staff. I was very much looking forward to seeing "The Girl in the Firefly" and the Parsec players did not disappoint! I had a wonderful time and enjoyed the mash up of Doctor Who and Firefly immensely.

Sunday I was back at Egg n' At for breakfast and then to work. By 1 I started the inventory and packing the booth up little by little. At three I began getting it all together in earnest and we were done by... 5? I hauled the stuff up to my room to seal it all up and label it for the next shipment which is (*squee*) Dragon*Con in a mere 25 days!

I had a wonderful weekend and will most likely be back again to Confluence in 2010

Okay, so enough rambling here! I'm happy to have a good con report to share and sorry I inflicted such a long one on yinz guys! In short, Firefly Cargo Bay is back on track so the financial future is looking a little less scary at this point.

And that? Well, that's just shiny!

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

Into the Black

It's just hours now (albeit in the double digit hours) until we head out for Confluence *squee!* A con in my home town! *squee*

I'm finishing up the new batch of Kaylee-Esque parasols and have a whole box of new shinys due to my new toy. I'm excited to see how they go over.

Unfortunately though I am not a member of the 21st Century- I do not own a lap top. So I will be away from the Cortex until Tuesday. Be assured though, that there will b a full con report when I return.

(now i have t get back to the 100 things I have to do before we leave!)

Until next time:
"see you in the world."

All Over the PLace

here are just some general updates to let you know that I'm not just out there floatin' in the Black with Jubal Early:

I've been watching the first complete month with Cafe Press' new pricing policy. And from what I can tell, their prices are higher than mine on practically every item. Seriously.

How this now works is something like this; If you go directly to my shop and find a design that you like- say the Evil Laugh one - and want to buy a mini poster print of it, you will pay $6.99. Of that, I would get $2.00 which helps pay to keep my shop on the site. Thank you very much!

Now, if you start at the main cafe press site and do a search on say "Browncoat" and the Evil Laugh design comes up and you buy a mini poster print, you will pay $8.00, of which I will get 80¢. This also helps pay to keep my shop on the site, but at three times slower a rate. Even if you are in the general market place and click on the link to "show all designs by Firefly Cargo Bay" etc, those sales still count as being from the marketplace and not my shop.

Having said all that, there are some items they have on sale from time to time, which make them cheaper there than directly in my shop. By all means- save yourself some cashy money wherever you can! I'd advise searching the main site and then if you see a design you like, and it happens to be one of mine, open up a new window in your browser. Pull up my shop directly on that one (go ahead, you can bookmark it) and compare the price.

That way- YOU get the best deal and I get to keep flyin'!

Now, I Hear You Ask- "So, are you leaving Cafe press then?"

In short- no.

Over the last few years they've changed a lot of things and I've watched my commission drop, pretty much on a regular basis. This is even though sales have remained fairly steady (and I thank you shiny people for that!) They changed the volume bonus program and I got less money. They pulled my most popular shops for various reasons and I got less money. Now they've introduced this new pricing plan and I'm getting less money. I will not be surprised when they phase out the shopkeeper price setting all together- I know it's coming.

But I will stay! When I started this experiment 4 years ago, I said I would keep the shop open as long as it paid for itself. It still continues to do that (again- thanks to you!) Cafe Press has the best marketing and circulation and internet reach out there that I've found. That certainly helps me. I have a Zazzle site but I never go there any more (it's harder to get the designs on the site and I haven't even put it on the new items) I've investigated other sites as well, but none have the shop potential that Cafe Press already has.

So the Firefly Cargo Bay at Cafe Press is staying put. I'm not abandoning ship, either. I've just placed my attention elsewhere for a while. I will get back to it again.

After all, there's always a ton of more ideas for designs floating in this head! Just gotta find time to get them out there in the 'Verse!

"So What HAVE You Been Doing?" I'm glad you asked!

The Firefly Cargo Bay has recently acquired a new-to-me button machine system! (see it right there behind Jayne's work out bench?) Squee! I have been trying out designs and papers and the like to see which of what works best. (This has left me with a big bag full of less than perfect test buttons which will be showing up on freebie tables at any conventions I attend!)

I've been having so much excitement from this little device it's unreal. My first line of designs will show up as a free give away in Ma Cobb's Hat Shoppe. She's thinking of making them her August promotion, so keep an eye out for that.

After that, sometime they- along with other button designs- will appear in the Secret Stash of the Firefly Cargo Bay. And Speaking of the Secret Stash...

I've been taking some product out of the web site, adding some in and assessing the others. The layout of the site has not changed yet- BUT IT WILL. (Someone at DucKon even said to me "your web site sucks." *insert big frowny face*)

I do want the new layout before year's end, but we'll see how that goes. It's going to have drop down menus to divide the product up better. Categories such as "flags", "jewelry", "toys and novelties" and "costume and decor" are some of what I'm thinking. That should make the product page load time a lot shorter!

And, since I have you here, just a note about ordering from the secret stash. I hate the fact that the Allied Postal System charges so much to get your shinys to you. This is why with EVERY ORDER I add some little thank you freebies in the package. These are constantly changing- due to whatever I have on hand or what will fit in the box, but will always be included. So check out the site and know you'll be getting some extra Browncoaty Goodness in every box!

After all, I am a business (wo)man with roots in the community!

Until next time:
"I may not be a fancy gentleman like yourself, with your very fine hat, but I do business. I'm here for business"

I Can Haz a Button Maker!

I am now the owner of a new-to-me button machine. Am I happy? Can't you hear me squee-ing from there? Why am I so happy? Because I always have all these fun ideas for designs and if I put them on shirts to take to a show, I have to take 4 or 6 of each size and hope they sell. If I get them on buttons they are much more easily transported. We all make out, because the customer can get a fun design for 2 bucks that they don't have to worry about how to get home, and I don't have to haul around big boxes full of shirts!

I prefer being fun flighty artist designer person, but if I want to keep doing that, I've got to pay the bills. Thus, I am phasing out the t shirts (at shows) and moving into 2 1/2" buttons... along with the bookmarks and fans and coasters and flags and all the other fun- transportable- stuff I already do.

I'm not sure what designs to do first on the button maker... but I'm going to have fun playing with it. Ya gotta love new toys!

Back from DucKon

Ni Hao again,

back from DucKon in mostly one piece. Con crud made me miss all the best bits of the weekend *pouty face*

But I'm back at 90% at this point and filling orders that were made whist I was away. What I saw of the con I really liked, but it was the first time I was not sorry a con came to an end. With the illness knocking me out on Saturday, and our room being 2 down from the 24 hour con suite I had no sleep. In fact, when I got home monday night, I went to bed at 8pm and slept for 12 solid hours! Total unconsciousness!

On the down side, sales were very dismal at this con. On the up side, I don't have to restock too much for Confluence. People just weren't coming through the room. I guess the gamers kept to themselves and I know the filk track was so rockin' full that there was no time for them to get ALL THE WAY over to the other side of the hotel (seriously- we were in no man's land!)

Anyway, I a m more bummed that my con crud kept me from enjoying all the talent and great people who were there. *sigh* They can't all be gems.

Well, it's 35 days until Confluence and we'll see how that one goes (and please don't be put off by their sucky website- it's going to be a great weekend!)

Until next time:
"This must be what going mad feels like."

New Stuff and off to DucKon

Ni Hao!

As promised, the new products are in the secret stash of the Firefly Cargo Bay. I've put up the attention paddles and the drink bottles that are both filk related. Right now, there are almost 20 sets of the paddles in my suitcase. I hope the customs guys don't ask! BTW- the full shipment of stock is out to delivery to the hotel, so YEA!

I am starting my DucKon adventure at about 6:30 tomorrow morning. All orders that come in from that point on will be processed in the order they are received the day I get back (June 16). All orders waiting payment will be sent out when I return as well.

So watch this space next week for all the fangirl blathering about my geeky weekend!

Until next time:
"I'm fine! I'm... Giddy!"