Gearing Up for Florida's First Steampunk Convention

Preparations are underway for Florida's first steampunk convention, which will be held from Friday, April 13, 2012 at 2:00pm until Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 1:00pm at the Daytona Beach Resort.


Developments can be followed as they occur, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/FLSPExhibition


Ticket prices and ordering information can be found here: http://floridasteampunkexhibition.eventbrite.com/

There will be some great steampunk shopping opportunities at the Merchant’s Grand Bizarre.

Entertainment at the con will include a masquerade ball, afternoon high tea with author O.M. Grey, The Admiral's Feast, demonstrations by Airship Isabella, Cupcake Burlesque, the music of The Bawdy Boys,

Professor Elemental,



The Cog is Dead,



and a Saturday night concert by Abney Park.



Blaze and I went to the Abney Park concert at Dragon*Con last year and I'm really looking forward to seeing them preform live again. It's a fantastic, high energy show.

The Train Case

I had been wanting an old fashion train case/over-night case, so I was very excited when I found this one under a pile of old suitcases in the back corner of the Salvation Army Thrift Store. It is just the kind of sturdy, durable luggage I wanted to replace the thin nylon bag that we've been using to carry medicines and toiletries when we travel, and it was only $3.99.



It looked good on the outside, but the inside was stained, ripped, and just generally disgusting looking.



The lining was easy to remove and I used the the pieces of old lining to create patterns for the new lining, before throwing it away. The old fabric had been glued to thin cardboard, so this became another good use for the cardboard from empty cereal boxes. A large Cornflakes box turned out to be just the right size for the inside of the lid and the floor of the box.



I used cotton fabric that I already had on hand, adding a 1/2 inch seam allowance to it, and used iron-on interfacing cut to the exact size of the area to be covered in the case.



After giving the entire box, inside and out, a thorough scrubbing and letting it dry, it was just a matter of glueing all the lining pieces in place and smoothing them out. I also used Super Glue to attach a small shatter-proof mirror.



Now, I just need a reason to load it up.

Winter Fine Arts Fair

For something fun to do this afternoon, Blaze and I went to the Winter Fine Arts Fair at the Tioga Town Center, not far from Gainesville.



It wasn't as big as the downtown Gainesville art festivals, but we still had fun.



We met the talented Rick Shamel of Chronography: Retro Mechanical Jewelry and Artifacts (Shamel_law@comcast.net). Each piece of jewelry he makes is one-of-a-kind and very creative.



His toy gun modifications are unique things of beauty, made from computer parts, dental tools, and even a blow torch.



No fair is complete without funnel cakes, lemonade, and live entertainment.

















The Art Fair continues tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012) .

Teddy's Tour of Ybor City

The members of the Tampa Bay Steampunk Society were treated to a tour of Ybor City this afternoon. Our guide was the very charming and talented Mike Norton, who plays the role of Col. Teddy Roosevelt for his tours of the city where Roosevelt and his "rough riders" were stationed in 1898.

Ybor has a very colorful history full of Cuban, Mexican, Italian, and Jewish immigrants, soldiers, cigar factories, artists, night clubs, and gangsters.



Here, our guide stands in front of a row of houses built for the cigar factory workers:





Explaining about gangs of boys who once greased the streetcar tracks and pelted the passengers:





There had been a parade Saturday night and Mardi Gras beads were everywhere.



Since this was a steampunk event, there were people in costumes and a chance to look in a store that sold costume and vintage clothing.

















I really can't say enough good things about our tour guide. He was very entertaining, combining history, ghost stories, and humor.








When the tour was over, DH, Blaze, and I walked to the Columbia Restaurant for dinner. We saw this on the way:









Ybor City at night:

This week at Noah's Endeavor Baseball for All

If you are in the Gainesville, Florida area and have a child who would like to participate, practices are Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. at Westside Park, Go to http://endeavorrecreation.wetpaint.com/ for more details.