ChupacabraCon - January 17-19

ChupacabraCon will be held January 17-19, 2014 at the Hilton Austin Airport. https://warhorn.net/events/chupacabra-con

IKKiCON is Just Around the Corner!

http://ikkicon.com/

December 27-29, 2013
Kick off the end of the year with a great con with friends and some great shopping!
Hilton Austin, 500 E 4th Street, Austin, TX 78705

On-Site Registration
$55 Weekend Membership
$40 Weekend Child Membership (ages 8 to 11)
FREE Children Membership ages 7 and under
$10 off Military discount (On-site Registration Membership only)
$40 Friday Only Membership
$45 Saturday Only Membership
$30 Sunday Only Membership

Steampunk Guests:
Delirium of Grandeur (a.k.a. the Sky D.o.G.s)
The Brass Apple
Guest Host: Ben Hamby

Join The Brass Apple on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheBrassApple
Check out their website here:
http://thebrassapple.com/

Join Delirium of Grandeur on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/182222379160/
Check out their website here:
http://theskydogs.net/wordpress/

Follow Ben Hamby on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/benthechef
Check out his website today!
http://www.thearcana.net/

AMA-Con Hooooooooooooooo~

Eyes to the skies and wishing safe travel to all those making the voyage to AMA-Con!

We head out this afternoon and continue our journey on Friday.
Looking forward to docking in Amarillo, TX!

http://ama-con.amarillolibrary.org/

Finding Inspiration for Steampunk Personas & Costuming

Finding Inspiration for Steampunk Personas & Costuming

• Identify your passions
     o Colors
     o Interests
     o Styles/Genres

• Take a look at history and costuming

• Don’t be afraid to break the rules once you know the background

• Research online, through books and more!

• Look at objects critically and creatively, how can you repurpose them?

• Integrate the things you love! Does not have to limit you to ‘Steampunk’ or ‘Victorian’ themes!

• Consider digging into your heritage! Use it as a chance to learn more about you and your family. Where do you come from? What kind of culture surrounds you?

• Steampunk: Beyond Victorian Times – The Victorian Era is a time period, not a location. What was going on in the areas of the world you always dreamed of visiting? Dig in and learn the history and really play with your possibilities!

AMA-CON APPROACHES! ♥

AMA-CON APPROACHES! ♥

http://ama-con.amarillolibrary.org/

Come on out to a great event hosted by the Amarillo Public Library featuring comics, anime and steampunk creations and panels!

 

SATURDAY: JULY 21, 2012 - AMARILLO, TX

11AM-10PM @ AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER

ALL DAY PASS $5

CHILDREN UNDER 6 FREE 

• Anime! Comics! Steampunk!
• Performances by Sahara Nar and Marquis of Vaudeville!
• Seperate Anime/Comic and Steampunk Cosplay Contests!
• Tephra Steampunk RPG game tournaments by Cracked Monocle!
• Buy loot and meet professional comic book and manga artists!
• Browse at APL's Comics and Manga!
• Steampunk Panels with Airship Isabella & the Neo Dulcimer!
• Dancing class with Sahara Nar!
• Magic The Gathering tournaments from Game Quest!
• Learn about the power of steam at the Discovery Center's Steamwerks!
• Amazing Artist's Row with panel discussions and workshops!
• Online Registration with Volunteer and Advance Photo-Release Forms!
• A Family-Friendly Event!
• FIRST Convention of its kind in Amarillo! BE PART OF HISTORY!

Home from Maryland & Ama-Con Approaches!

So I am not returning with mass amount of goodies like I did last year but this time I am returning with a rather nice treasure trove of antique keys. Photos to come!
In the mean time, off to work and prep for Ama-Con in Amarillo THIS SATURDAY!
http://ama-con.amarillolibrary.org/

Amarillo Steampunk/Anime Convention Hosted by the Amarillo Public Library!

AMA-CON Approaches!
http://ama-con.amarillolibrary.org/

Saturday, July 21 – Amarillo Civic Center – Heritage Room – 11am – 10pm

I will be hosting a panel about Steampunk Inspiration and in the panel I will basically be talking about places to research design and costumes ideas when trying to develop your steamy styles. This can range from jewelry to weapons to costumes. 

Things to expect at my table for vending:

Comics by Chris Ralston: Third Rail! http://www.r10creations.com/

Originally from Houston, Chris now calls Nebraska home but he will be returning to TX for Comicpalooza 2013 so grab a sneak peek of his comic Third Rail now! 

Comics & Prints Chris Holm:  SteamPets! http://chrisholm.deviantart.com/

Did I mention Chris is from Amarillo? While unable to make it due to schedule conflict, there is always next year. Stop by and grab some awesome comics and prints!

As far as the different types of jewelry, charms, trinkets and tokens that will be from me this list should give you an idea:

Cufflinks

Earrings - Wire, Stud & Non-pierced 

Bracelets

Necklaces

Charms (Great for backpack zippers!)

Various Original Art Creations 

    I am very anxious to get the 3 Japanese Women Statues Modded before this event!

    Some of my Austin Bats with accompany me!

    I hope to complete another Steampunk Collage before the event!

Leather Cuffs

Antique Keys

Various Gear & Supplies

Pictures of recent works to be posted on the blog soon! 

Comicpalooza Map

For those whose PDFs might be having issues with what is on the Comicpalooza site:

Comicpalooza Trailer 2012

Con Crud

Please excuse me while I go dig a hole and die in it for a while.

Normally I escape the accursed Con Crud but this year it must have latched on to me.
I'll be making lots of updates this weekend if I can get the Con Crud to leave me alone.

;.; I want chicken soup and frozen yogurt, anything to make my throat not kill me.

Pumping up on vitamins and lots of herbs to hopefully kick this thing before it gets any worse.
And tea, lots of tea.

ÆtherFest is in the news!

ÆtherFest is in the news!

Pick up a copy of Thursday's San Antonio Express-News.

Look for ÆtherFest in the S.A Life section!

Many thanks to Rene Guzman for the fantastic article and photoshoot!

http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/article/Celebrate-anachronistic-fashion-1354855.php

Ready for ÆtherFest to start on Friday?

Via Aetherfest on Facebook:

Thanks to our friend Freya Pruitt, publisher of Today's Texas Woman and lady-extraordinaire, for creating this surprisingly-amazing ad for ÆtherFest and including it in her magazine! We are quite honored!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=164623413586083

Anime Matsuri Loot

Artists I came across include:
RoboRoku: http://www.roboroku.com/
Diana Sprinkle: www.ghostcircles.com/dxs
Hoshikko Ink: http://www.hoshikko.com/
Fuzumi: http://www.fuzumi.com/
Kristin Bergh: http://www.kristinsstudio.com/
Kris Comics: http://www.kriscomics.com/
mochi mochi: www.etsy.com/shop/shopmochimochi
Saratonin Studios: http://www.saratoninstudios.com/

Fellow Deviant Artists I came across:
http://sansansan.deviantart.com/  
http://johnyume.deviantart.com/
http://ladre.deviantart.com/
http://toontwins.deviantart.com/
http://warhound-cmp.deviantart.com/
http://silvernomiko.deviantart.com/
http://cinnamoron.deviantart.com/
http://taniathepirate.deviantart.com/
http://neko-berii.deviantart.com/
http://zyephens-insanity.deviantart.com/

Ikkicon Austin, TX 2011

Ikkicon was a most awesome way to spend the New Years holiday!
I met so many new artists and fellow steampunks and had a chance to see old and new friends alike. I was able to grab a wonderful collection of business cards from the various artists in the Artist Alley and I look forward to tracking down their websites, blogs and deviantart.com pages.
I did not get too much of a chance to roam around (that was a good thing because it was busy!) but I did have a chance to stop by some of the steampunk booths along with picking up some more kitty hats. (Human hats with cat ears, not hats for my cats. I didn't see any small enough for that or I would have.)
There was only a minor problem that happened in the middle of Saturday in the Dealer's Room. Evidently someone had complained that it was too cold in there and the hotel thought that meant "Turn the AC off."
-.- In a room full of people, it got very warm, very fast. One of the security guards passed by our table and chatted with us and evidently he kept calling down to them to turn the AC back on and eventually they did, but not before many of the con attendees had already fled the quickly heating up room. I think that was the only hiccup I ran into.
Another thing to note, on Friday evidently the registration line was a bit rediculous. Ikkicon has tried to swap over to being all electronic for registration and this caused the lines to slow down quite a bit more than last year. I hope those that attended and were stuck in line are willing to come back next year after Ikkicon has a chance to adjust their process.
I picked up a few manga, bought a neon green and black tail and a few other things from Fuzumi (XD I love their fuzzies!!) and a few Kuroshitsuji capsul figures along with a duck tape rose from Air Ship Isabella and a small steampunk journal from another steampunk group I thought was called Delusions of Grandeur, (still trying to track them down online.)
On a side note, the hotel cafe sold really yummy italian subs. :3

Ikkicon Prep #2

I think I am pretty much done with all the new pieces for the con.
See something you would like to own? Shoot me an e-mail at turnerstokens@gmail.com and let me know before I take the pieces to the con.

A-Kon

Just returned from A-kon and wow... It was great.
I missed it last year but this year really made up for it.
Revenge of the Penguins was the theme and penguins are my fav.
Originally the JRock groups selected didn't really entice me to go but when I heard Abney Park was going to be there I knew I had to grab the chance to see them live. It was a great concert and full of energy (Granted the crowd didn't move around a lot... My friend believes it is because the steampunk gear is so heavy. XD) They played a couple songs I hadn't heard before and I look forward to their next album with the direction they are taking.
There were many steampunk outfits and it seems that was the most common type of outfit this year. I had a great chance to meet up with old college buddies, talk to other steampunk artists and just grab a chance to relax.

It was a great time and I am already getting amped for the next con, San Japan on July 9-11th.

http://www.san-japan.org/v2/
There is a chance that some of my items may be available there. More details to come.