So:
Travel: No trip that starts off with spending $500 on car repairs before even getting out of town is a good one. It could have been worse. But getting there late and setting up late put me in a Very Bad Mood to start the con. Going home Monday worked much better.
Vending: I sold some stuff. Not a lot. Best sale: a chainmail hood I've had for years, to author Melissa Scott, who wants a character in a book she's working on to wear such a thing and bought it for inspiration. This made me happy. I also made contact with another chainmail vendor who's much more enthusiastic than I am and may end up consigning a bunch of my stuff with him, which for me would be the best of all possible worlds.
I did have visitors. Nomi Burstein came by and spent some time. Melissa Scott chatted along with shopping. Jennifer Pelland (of the Naked Guy anthology) stopped by (that's her at left), as did her friend Margaret Ronald, whose novel Spiral Hunt
I was also visited by Raven and her posse of college students all dressed up in costumes that I didn't recognize. (At one point I didn't even recognize Raven, who was wearing a wig and a pink tailcoat. Oops.)
Several of my costumer friends from Castle Blood came by Sunday night and we hung out for awhile. And speaking of costumes, I was quite pleased by this lovely Steampunk visitor (pictures below; click to enlarge) and her fabulous leg-ruffles, which I plan to go home and copy for myself:
She was definitely more on the punk/Goth side of Steampunk, which is fine by me; I lean that way myself aesthetically, even though my wardrobe default is to pretty straightforward Victorian, that being what I have around.
I made periodic trips out to forage in the green room, run by the wonderful Rose Fox and her crew and full of substantial food and an infinite supply of apple juice, which is a great thing for me, since I don't drink soda, coffee, or tea, and occasionally get tired of water. In an elevator, I encountered a woman wearing a fabulous mask that fit over her glasses. She turned out to be the maskmaker: Amanda Leetch of The Uncommon Facade. I've always had a problem with masks since my glasses are just not optional for ordinary walking around, so I may be purchasing a mask from her soonish.
My program items were...fine. Nothing special. Lots of kids with high-pitched voices descend. All the craft supplies fly into the air and come down again in a state of chaos as the kids thunder off with their completed projects. All I contribute is occasional suggestions and a great deal of hot glue gun work so the little ones don't burn themselves. I was much less weak and exhausted this year (which isn't saying much; last year I was only a few weeks post-surgical) and had fewer items at better intervals, so it was more bearable. Kind of weird not to do any adult program, though.
The Steampunk Ball was hugely popular and thus extremely hot and very crowded. I danced a little then wandered off for fresh air and lower temperatures.
My party went fairly well, though it didn't go late. Just as well since we were, ah, unauthorized. Naked cupcakes are definitely a hit: food and party game all wrapped up in one. I will do that again sometime. I remembered that I like throwing parties much more than I like vending. If only they didn't make money go in the wrong direction.
Overall, it was...quiet. That wasn't a bad thing. But next year, I think, will be different.
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