Hot Steampunk Hat Girl

Bay Area Maker Faire

Cynicism creeping into your life? Feeling uninspired by your immediate environment? Dr. Stranger has got your prescription! Simply take a two day dose of Maker Faire and apply vigorously. Seriously, I’m convinced it is impossible to walk away from Bay Area Maker Faire with anything but a big stupid grin stretched across your face. Just a short list of the incredible to consider: Tesla Coils Dr. Frankenstein would be proud of, electroluminescent robot sharks snaking their through the crowd, fire breathing mechanical dragon-monsters, packs of roving people-sized cupcakes, 3-D printers galore, Arduino-controlled light hallucinations, and a solar powered carousel! So much energy is thing of beauty and we couldn’t be happier to be involved.

As this is basically my favorite show of the year, I pulled out all the stops and collected some of my favorite people to help run the booth. Raedar, Brooke, Kimber, Euphrates, and myself comprised this rag-tag group. We were pleased to see some of our favorite steampunks as well as a host of new faces this year. Additionally we had the pleasure of seeing the fantastic Todd Williams and his latest “elwire” creations.

Thank you to the lovely ladies of Steampunk Hatter, and to our friends for coming out and supporting us.

Lastly, Kimber was kind enough to take video of our experience. Watch it and see if you can spot yourself!

Nor Cal Pirate Festival

As it was my first time to a pirate festival of any sort, (I’ve been assured, there are many) I had some learning to do. First off, you can’t get away with simply waltzing through in your renfaire costume, even if you plop a tricorn on your head.  Pirates are passionate about outfit details, down to the material your billowy period shirt is made of. Second, pirate speak is difficult to execute well, but hilarious to do wrong, unless of course, you happen to be talking to one of the aforementioned detail-oriented pirates. In this case, you might come to be addressed as a yeasty codpiece. Finally, fairs like this one present the perfect opportunity to drink, act surly, and shameless hit on everyone you pass. Since this is basically my M.O. I’m in total support of this behavior, however I did notice one disturbing trend. On a couple of occasions, this light-hearted jostling became pointed insults and not of the pirate-y variety, (athankyou) but more along the lines of drunk asshole. Perhaps I was just encountering a natural response to the Steampunk invasion of a pirate gathering?

Well, turns out that despite existing on the very fringe of the pirate world-map, our steampunk esthetic was embraced warmly at this festival. It may be that edgy reinvented Victorian designs strike a chord with the outlaw pirate crowd. Steampunk Hatter harnesses the sex appeal of the high-fashion aristocrat but accosts “proper” sensibilities by incorporating leather, hardware, and asymmetry. Stick that in your ascot, gov’ner.

I was pleased to meet a number of festival goers who were familiar with our work, and a delight to talk to. I’ve met some fantastic people over the last year, and I’m thrilled when familiar customers stop by.

So who should go to Nor Cal Pirate festival?  I would recommend it to anyone looking for a weekend of free fun. There is plenty of family-friendly entertainment including stage shows, cannon fire, live story plots unfolding about the crowd, and costumes galore. Adults will revel in the occasional sexy outfit and respectable grog selection! http://www.norcalpiratefestival.com/

A special thanks to the lovely Euphrates who worked her adorable butt off during the show. Making the hatter booth happen takes many long days of physical labor and mental stamina. She rocked it with a smile.

San Jose Fantasy

The first-annual San Jose Fantasy Fair (http://www.sjfantasy.com/) was predictably full of memorable characters. Sparse attendance coupled with fantastic weather gave the weekend a relaxed feeling; a perfect atmosphere for making new crafty friends. Thanks to Roger Brimmer for this shot of Euphrates and myself