Featured Teapot Racer: "Eat Our Dust"

Today's featured teapot racer has special significance. Caitlin Karcher, the driver of the vehicle, posted about her Belle costume from "Beauty and the Beast" on her cosplay page, "Today is the one year anniversary of when I watched the new movie trailer a thousand times just to get a good glimpse of the yellow dress. I knew even then. "





As soon as I saw her walk into the SWFL Steampunk and Fantasy Expo, I offered her the Mrs. Potts and Chip racer for the Splendid Teapot Races that afternoon. "Eat Our Dust" is one of the spare racers that I bring along to teapot racing events, just incase someone, who has never heard of teapot racing before, really wants to try racing.

Since Caitlin had never tried this sport before, she came back a couple hours before the race to practice and that was when she discovered that "Eat Our Dust" was suffering from technical difficulties. It would no longer turn.



No amount of adjusting would make it turn.



Besides being an all-around lovely person, Caitlin was a good sport through all of this. When I handed her the song lyrics and explained about the "Most Dastardly Driver" ribbon for most entertaining cheat, she immediately started practicing the song and turned out to have a beautiful singing voice. My husband says he thinks all future teapot races should begin with her singing this song.







Since this race, Mrs. Potts and Chip have moved to a new remote control car chassis that can be steered.

The New Steampunk Christmas Wreath

My new wreath is made out of Dollar Tree finds and things I already had around the house.

I started with a wreath that was purchased from Dollar Tree last year. It looked kind of flat at first, but fluffed up nicely.



Fluffed before painting:



I sprayed mine with Old Copper spray paint.



Mixed metallic colors were added by tying pieces of dollar store tinsel to the bases of some of the branches. This also adds additional fullness to the wreath.



The mixed colored bells have been used as vase filler in past years, to support a pillar candle, but since I have a different candle display idea for this year, they are now part of this project.

I made 5 sets of wired bells, with 3 bells in each set.



This bright red train was purchased at the post-Christmas sales last year and received a coat of shiny black paint before being added to the wreath.



A blue-striped airship ornament was painted gold to balance out the other side of the wreath.

The bells and ribbon were wired to the wreath, everything else was attached with E6000 glue.

Featured Teapot Racer: Gerard the Garden Butler

Leena Nabulsi and her splendid teapot racer, "Gerard the Garden Butler" competed on day two of the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Missouri.





Many of the people passing by the teapot racing display on Sunday, stopped to admire the beauty of this racer. The duct tape roses were a particular source of fascination.



The judges gave Leena high marks in every category, but had to make deductions for the times she touched her vehicle during the race.



This was the race where we started to wonder if the hot weather drains batteries, which continued to be suspected during subsequent races.



"Gerard the Garden Butler" also competed in the drag race. It did not win, getting off to a very slow start, but went straight, which was more than could be said about most of the contestants.

Featured Teapot Racer: "Lady Kate's Bubbler"

This teapot racer releases a constant stream of tiny bubbles as it runs.

Katie Sawyer won the Grand Champion trophy with this vehicle a year ago at Renninger's Steampunk Industrial Show, but "Lady Kate's Bubbler" did not do as well this time around. Katie, however, made it a fun and memorable race.





A boozy bribe for the judges.
Bartender, Katie, gave each of the judges a custom made bottle of "snake oil".





Not a teetotaling teapot racer:



If you ever wondered how to turn Splendid Teapot Racing into a drinking game, this may be it.
Every time the driver touches the vehicle, take a swig of beer.



"She's whiskey in a teacup"

                 -Tom Waits

The Homeschool Group's Halloween Party

Blaze's Black Butler costume:



My witch costume:



At the park:

































Festive foods:

Featured Teapot Racer: Swamp Tea

First time teapot racer, Sandy Means, raced this intimidating creation at the SWFL Steampunk and Fantasy Expo on Oct. 14, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida. With its alligator head, feathers, and shells, it may be the most organic teapot racer in existence, its definitely the most Floridian.



Swamp Tea may look like it's looming above the other racers, but Sandy was very careful to keep it within the specified size limits.







Swamp Tea won the teapot drag race, but you'll have to watch carefully to see it speed past, finishing the race in only 3 seconds.

Featured Teapot Racer: Tea Time With Tardis

This is one of those last minute creation stories.

At Big River Steampunk Festival, we did teapot racing both Saturday and Sunday. Blake Frerick and his friends came to the race on Saturday and felt inspired to go find a teapot at one of the downtown Hannibal antique stores and build a racer out of an RC car they already had.

On Sunday, they showed up ready to race.



The racer lost a few points for exceeding the size restrictions, but there was no doubt that it was the fastest racer competing. I have been told that it is not a World record, but "Tea Time With Tardis" finished the course in only 35 seconds, the fastest I've ever seen.



Watch when it gets to the seesaw. This Tardis makes excellent time, while traveling through space.



 Needless to say, "Tea Time With Tardis" took home the ribbon for "Most Splendid Speed".