Fifty shades of green

I am now, officially, a Work of Art.

If you don't believe me, I have been asked to be part of the LepreCon 40 Art Show.

Dear Artist,

We would like to invite you personally to show your art in the LepreCon 40 art show. LepreCon 40 will be May 8th-11th at the Phoenix Mesa Marriot Hotel in Mesa, Arizona.

This year our artist guest of honor will be Daniel Davis of Steam Crow, Artist Alfred Trujillo, Gail Carriger, and Cara Nicole.

Gail Carriger?! Swoon! I shall have to bring my Unusually Stout Parasol.

(I am honored to be in such excellent company. Momma's friend Jennifer Roberson was a Guest of Honor at LepreCon 12 in 1986.)

LepreCon is an annual Phoenix-area science fiction convention (Con) with an emphasis on art. It is the second oldest science fiction convention in Arizona. The first LepreCon was March 14-16, 1975, St. Patrick's Day weekend, thus inspiring the name of the convention, a pun on leprechaun. 
 
Wow. First the Renaissance Faire, then Geeks Night Out, and now being asked to be a Work of Art at LepreCon 40.

Can this week get any better?

Tell him to buy me 30 acres of land

Continuing on with the 26th Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival: the Best Part!

My Royal Press Pass - which they made me return!

At last! The Steam Pirate Airships!

I am giddy with excitement! Look at that top hat and goggles!

Ooh, the sign has a cameo like the one I gave Clementine!

I am overcome with excitement.

"You've got a friend in me."

I am the Queen of the world! Or the airship! Or the octopus! Whee!

Getting ready to see my boney prince Bobbie.

Momma making sure I look my best for Ded Bob.

"Look into my eye sockets...."

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

Watching Ded Bob flirt with other women. He is dead to Me.

Snuggle close, Ded Bob, snuggle close.

Hmm, it looks like The Tortuga Twins like The Big Bang Theory, too.

Always looking for new parasols, I'm saddened that this vendor has none my size, but this is close!

I can't wait to go again. Have you gone yet? What is your favorite part?


Click here to see the first half of my Renaissance Adventure.

Are you going to Renaissance Fair?

I am whipped - and I don't mean by the Whipmaster Adam Whip.

I want one of these parasols but they won't give me one without a subscription - even though we've had one for 39 years!

I love all the colors at the Renaissance Festival!

We have been buying perfumes and incense from The Perfumed Dragon for at least 20 years!

Yummm, chocolate samples from The Chocolate Maker!

They're correct, these Sky Chairs really do fit about everyone!

Ooh, I found one of the Wee Folk!

One of the things I love about the Ren Fest is all the sellers of snoods.

I love this booth! He has brass keychains just for Me! Decisions, decisions....

I love these tiny Under the Mango Tree journals.

My Steampunkin and I visit Isher Creations and his mummified fairies.

Resting under my Big Sister's VERY stout parasol while watching Adam Crack perform.

I make a friend with a one-eyed armored Dragon Pet.

Visiting Madison at the Storybook Castle.

At last! My very own catapult from Siege the Day!

This guy at the Queen's Kitchen didn't want to give me (Me!) a Turkey Leg! Ooh, Pippaloo....

To be continued!

Veni, vidi, vici

Venimus, vidimus, vicimus. (Et fregit, et dissolvetur.)

We came, we saw, we conquered. (We broke, we exhausted.)

Momma, my Big Sister, and I had a blast today at the 26th Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival & Artisan Marketplace, but I don't think I've ever been so tired.

You might say I've had the stuffing knocked out of me.

You might.

I shall report fully tomorrow, but (for now) I need my beauty sleep.

Huzzah!

In just a few short hours Momma, my Big Sister, and I shall be at the Arizona Renaissance Festival!

What am I looking forward to?

The Steam Pirate Airship Ride, of course!

But that's not all. My two favorite entertainers are:

• The Ded Bob Sho
• Zilch the Tory-Steller

And the shops! So many miniature weapons!

• Burnt Mountain Crafts
• R.T. Originals
• Bungled Jungle
• Imaginarium Galleries
• Isher Creations - He made my Steampunkin!
• Midsummer Knight's Dream
• Nostalgia & Whimsy
• Pyrate's Plunder
• Seige the Day - Miniature seige machines!
• Treasures of the High Seas 
• Whirlwood Magic Wands

 Shall I see you there?

Interview with the Steampunk Vampire

Why has no one told me about Key, The Steampunk Vampire Girl until now?

Becket, long-time assistant of legendary bestseller Anne Rice, presents his new middle-grade novel Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl and the Tower Tomb of Time with illustrator Raven Quinn.

The first book, Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl and the Dungeon of Despair (Volume 1), was released on Oct. 23, 2013. The second is scheduled to be released next week on Feb. 17, 2014 at 7 p.m. with a launch party at my favorite independent bookstore, Changing Hands.

Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl and the Dungeon of Despair (Volume 1)

Key had a very happy life on a farm — until her ninth birthday, when she lost her mom and dad, was changed into a vampire, and was ushered to the City of the Dead where she was thrown into the Dungeon of Despair. Key is now imprisoned for the rest of her immortal life in darkness, loneliness, and emptiness. But hope is not lost when Key is befriended by a ghost, a witch, and an immortal puppy. Through friendship, Key must learn that she herself is the key to freedom from Despair. Brought to life with the dazzling artwork of Raven Quinn, Becket - assistant to New York Times bestselling author Anne Rice - shares with you an enchanting world of vampire castles, glowing flowers, Crinomatics, and mostly dead Mystical Creatures.

Key, the Steampunk Vampire Girl and the Tower Tomb of Time (Volume 2)

Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl has escaped from the Dungeon of Despair, but now she must race through the Necropolis to the Tower Tomb of Time before Old Queen Crinkle can rewrite history. With the aid of Mr. Fuddlebee the ghost and Miss Broomble the Witch, Key and her immortal puppy, Tudwal, must drive a MotorHog, ride a Hobbeetle, and cling to an Umbracopter without getting lost in time, where she will have to confront an old enemy and a long forgotten past.

Gosh (and I use that wicked word boldly) Monday is going to be busy between the Renaissance Festival and the Launch Party! I simply cannot wait to read these!

The Coming Adventures of Clockpunk Addie

Arizona Renaissance Festival

Huzzah!

It is tyme for the 26th Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival, and new this year is the Steam Pirate Airship Ride!

(BTW, clockpunk, which is similar to steampunk, portrays Renaissance-era science and technology based on pre-modern designs. Obviously, Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine is wildly popular.)

I wonder if my buddy Ded Bob will want to go for a ride with me?

Longing for childhood days of make believe? Mythic heroes slaying dragons, steel clad warriors jousting atop mighty steeds and knights in shining armor saving damsels in distress...this can all be found at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. There is definitely something for the children and the kid in all of us to be found at the faire.

Arizona's annual festival is one of the largest in the nation, held on weekends in February and March in its fanciful European style village constructed on a 30-acre site just below the foothills of the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix and northwest of Tucson. This is where you’ll find theater, circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament, people-powered rides, and a feasting – all rolled into a non-stop, day long family adventure!

Merchants hawk their wares, selling everything from clothing to custom ceramics. Observe in awe at the demonstrations displaying skills of black-smithing, jewelry making, glassblowing and pottery throwing. More than 200 artisans are housed in the market lanes filled with story book shops.

There are 13 open-air stages where you can listen to raucous music and roaring comedy. Catch the swordplay and wordplay of festival favorites Don Juan and Miguel. It’s hard to miss the wild antics of The Tortuga Twins (three unrelated men in tights), and more than amusing to decipher Zilch the Tory Steller (the misspelling, like his miss-speaking, is intentional). On or off the stage you are bound to rub shoulders with delightful characters. Don’t miss the newest attraction - The Living Fountain!

A variety of food and drynk is available to satisfy your appetite; bread bowls, stews, steak-on-a-stake, roasted chicken, and so much more. In the midst of this enormous feast you'll find the King of festival foods - the huge roasted turkey leg. Tempt your diet plan with desserts from the Monk’s Bakery, the Cappuccino Inn, or the Chocolate Shoppe. Pubs serve beers, wine and soft drynks to quench your thirst.

And kids love this place! Dozens of activities bring out their smiles. A Festival favorite with children is Mother (and Father) Goose brought to life, with costumed ducks and geese, Maggie, Mimi and Matilda. Kids will cheer for their favorite knight at the 5,000 seat jousting arena or try their hand at archery. Children delight in the return of a falcon, the King of sports, at the Falconer’s Heath. Kids also, love riding the people-powered Da Vinci’s Flying Machine, the Swan Swing, Christopher Columbus’ “Voyage to the New World,” the Slider Joust, as well as, the Piccolo Pony, a rocking horse bigger than an elephant. In addition to the people-powered rides, the Festival offers interactive games like the dragon climbing tower, the castle siege, Jacobs’ Ladder, a maze and an archery range. Kids will surely be asking for a hat, wand, garland, wooden sword, shield, or to have their face painted, or to make a sand dragon, or perhaps purchase a pet gorgi or drabbit along with other interesting items available for purchase at the Festival. What’s more, kids will marvel at the

acrobatic antics of Clan Tynker. Those bolder of heart may feed the dragon or play King of the log.

We deal with the 21st century every day. Now the Renaissance is back, offering an opportunity to relax and escape to the amusements of a much simpler time. You can meet all these colorful characters on weekends, Saturdays, Sundays, and Presidents’ Day Monday, Feb. 8 through March 30. For more information contact the Festival at 520-463-2700 or on the web at www.renfestinfo.com.

Time to get wild

Less than one week!

I am sooo excited!

Wild Wild West Con II Steampunk Convention and Festival is scheduled for Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, 2013 at Old Tucson.

WWWC2 is America’s first and only Steampunk convention/festival to take place in a western-themed town.

WWWC2 celebrates three fun-filled days of Steampunk fashion, merchants and music. You’ll find Victorian sensibilities combined with retro-futuristic technology against the backdrop of an 1880s town. Hundreds of devotees will descend upon Old Tucson to celebrate all things Steampunk. Much like a Renaissance Fair, many of the guests as well as convention staff members and guests will be outfitted in full Steampunk regalia.

Steampunk culture blends Victorian Age dress with a retro-futuristic vibe. Think Old West/Victorian dress meets inventions based on writings of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne with a
sprinkle of the "The Wild Wild West." Add cogs, gears, goggles, and tricked out guns and you get the idea.

The Con features more than 40 panels, workshops and concerts during the three days of the convention. Topics will range from "101" classes for those new to Steampunk to "make and take" workshops to advanced hands-on classes for those who want to expand their skills. Panels include interactive entertainment, exclusive video presentations, Meet & Greet panels with many of the artists and musicians, and more! Even little Steampunks will enjoy arts, crafts, and games as well as all the cool stuff already in place at Old Tucson.

More information about Steampunk and details about Con activities are available at www.wildwildwestcon.com.

WWWC2 will benefit Kids Need to Read, a non-profit organization that works to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children. 

I been Bobmotized

Ded Bob

Continuing on with my visit to the Arizona Renaissance Festival on Monday was my visit to The Ded Bob Show.

Bob may be "ded" but with the help of his assistant, Sluj, he’s funnier than ever! Join his audience as he tickles your funny bone, turning his audience into "bobzombies."

To be honest, this was my first time seeing Ded Bob.

Momma hasn't wanted to see him before since she strongly associated Ded Bob with her Ex.

But she decided the time had come for us to be introduced so off we went.

We enjoyed his show (and insults) so much that she's kicking herself for the missing his shows for the past 20 years; not only did Ded Bob say I was "Awesome!", but some guy asked Momma if she was single!

I also learned something from Ded Bob - hypnotism!

Look into my eye sockets....

  

 

A tagic trail

Zilch the Torysteller

Dorry for the selay, but girst it was Fame of Thones, then phow in Snoenix!

Rack to the Benaissance.

One of our all-time favorite entertainers at the Arizona Renaissance Festival is Zilch the Torysteller. We hear him perform at least once each time we go to the Festival.

Zilch tells stories in spoonerisms. A spoonerism is an accident in speech (or deliberate play on words) in which consonants or vowels are switched.

Monday's performance was for Spilliam Wakesheare's, Jomeo and Ruliet.

Spoonerisms are named after The Rev. William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency.

Apparently most of the quotations attributed to Spooner are apocryphal; The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations lists only one substantiated spoonerism: "The weight of rages will press hard upon the employer" (instead of "rate of wages").

Spooner himself claimed that "Kinquering Congs Their Titles Take" (in reference to hymn, Conquering Kings Their Titles Take) was his sole spoonerism. 

If you ever get a chance to hear Zilch talk, I reartily hecommend it. Lou'll yaugh sour yocks off.

Uneasy sits the queen

Sorry I didn't write yesterday, but the second season of Game of Thrones arrived and, well, you know....

There is nothing like watching Game of Thrones to disperse the myth of romance created by attending the Renaissance Festival.

I am reminded of the line from William Shakespeare's immortal play Henry the Fourth:

Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose
To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude,
And in the calmest and most stillest night,
With all appliances and means to boot,
Deny it to a king? Then happy low, lie down!
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

The heck with the crown! Uneasy sits the queen (or king) who sits upon that throne!

  

Renaissance women

We had so much fun today!

Ghostbusters

Momma, my Big Sister, Grandmomma, and I went to the 25th Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival.

Captain Jack Sparrow

Longing for childhood days of make believe? Mythic heroes slaying dragons, steel clad warriors jousting atop mighty steeds and knights in shining armor saving damsels in distress can be found at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. 

There is something for the kid in all of us to be found at the faire.

One of the largest events of its kind in the nation, the Arizona Renaissance Festival is Celebrating 25 Years of Cheers! Revel in the atmosphere of 16th century Europe! Explore our 30-acre festival village filled with 12 stages of nonstop entertainment; falconry, performances of music, dance and comedy. Cheer on your favorite armored knight at a jousting tournament in the 5,000-seat arena. Foolish pleasures mix with artisan treasures as you shop, eat and revel with a cast of nearly 2,000 colorfully costumed characters.

Where else can you eat, drink, and be merry? 

Our personal favorites? The Ded Bob Sho and Zilch the Torysteller, of course (more to come tomorrow!), and I got to meet my hero - Captain Jack Sparrow!

I got a mini stein and Momma saw the steampunk Octopus Parasol of her dreams ... but they sold the last one as she stood there.

If anyone is going to the Renaissance Festival before March 9, PLEASE let me know if you can pick one up for her.

Otherwise, she'll be ordering it from Clockwork Couture.