Can't Sleep, Con Will Kill Me: Crazy Banzai Update (And 1+ More Reason I Hate Printing)

Ahhhh, so close to the time to go! Just thought I'd post one more report on our con progress before I wrap up work projects and get us on the road.

All the pillows are ironed; Leeshee's last needle broke last night, but in spite of that most are sewed. (We might drag along the sewing machine to the con, if they don't get done in time.) Over half the bishies are stuffed; yay for Melissa! I spent most of my night last night getting the raffle item ironed and cut out. I printed more business cards, I just need to cut them now; will probably haul along the paper cutter too. Have a few more posters to print and need to see if he buttons ordered made it in time to my mailbox.

Other than that (and seeing if my laundry is dry) am basically ready to go! though I have my huge list of things to do on our way out of town, too. Tonight will be spent clothes shopping (yay Leeshee's work discounts and my huge freelance paycheck arriving!) and sewing up pillows in our hotel room; it will just be the two of us, so should be extremely peaceful. If the hotel doesn't have Cartoon Network, the History Channel, or at least a few good movie channels, I will cry.

Sad, half of our group is now no longer going. But Leeshee and Meliss and I will hopefully have a blast. And I definitely want to go to one nice sit-down restaurant while we are in town; either Squatters or Atlantic as I mentioned before, or maybe Sigried's if we are feeling cheap. And all are within a 2-3 block radius of the hotel; awesome location. =) Not sure what we will do for food the rest of the time; we'll probably pick up some snacks too on our way out (ooh, better add that to my list!)

Am so excited; hopefully it will be a small but great con. See you there!

::

I hate printing, I really do. Getting the files set up properly, and hoping and praying stuff doesn't go wrong, or if it does you can fix it fast, and not screaming out loud at how much that headache just cost, is tied for me on the pain scale with telling a client you cannot make their deadline. The feeling of getting the finished product in your hands almost always makes up for it, though; it's like childbirth in that way.

Ooh, I like the analogy that drums up: the creation of the idea is the consummation, the making of the idea is the gestation, the printing is the childbirth, and picking up the finished project is holding the newborn child in your arms. Have you seen Waitress? It is exactly like that, though unlike her some people actually enjoy the consummation/gestation parts. anyway, I'm totally digressing; sorry.

So I talked to a sign printing place that prints on fabric, and they CANNOT print the bishy at that size. Or rather, they could, but it would cost $300 in a 1x set up fee, and then $60 to print the bishy. GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Obviously we cannot do that, especially for a simple raffle prize. I guess Dye Sublimation isn't cheap. I called a place that does sublimation wholesale, and with them it will be arounf $130. We were going to printit on cheap canvas at Kinkos, but THAT would be $90! So no go on all accounts.

Do not fret, my lovelies (though does anyone besides me read my blog?); we wil have a huge raffle prize. We decided to blow up the bishie and trace him onto felt, then iron all the pieces together. We are doing Inuyasha, since he has less colors and shapes to him than Roxas. He looks good, though one of his eyes is kinda wonky; we'll fix that before the con opens.

I'm so glad the raffle prize wirked out; I had this consuming need for SOME type of great raffle prize at our booth, and somehow we will have one. I stayed up late cutting out all of the pieces and ironing them, but is worth it.

Gearing Up for Anime Banzai

Well, at last we are gearing up for the con. Most exciting news I have to report:

I FOUND A PLACE THAT CAN PRINT ON FABRIC!!!!! IN UTAH!!!!!

(breathes again after screaming for joy)

Sorry about that; ignore the crazy designer girl. I'm still so excited because I didn't think I'd find one, honestly. I wanted to desperately, but didn't get my hopes up. But found one at last! (Actually I found them last month, but lost their name and number, of course; therefore had to go to enormous lengths to get the number again, phew! Involved trying (and failing) to get a hold of the phone record keepers at the university for over a week and other nonsense, but got it at last.) They are a sign company in Ogden; I e-mailed the file to them yesterday, which should give them plenty of time to print me off a bishy on white cotton. Which means we will have a mondo huge Roxas as a raffle prize! He is almost 35" tall, and will be adorable. The bishies look surprisingly good in a variety of sizes; I checked how he looked at such a large size and he will be awesome. I think it's going to be hard to give him up at the con when the time comes, if my friends don't steal him first. =) Or, maybe no one will buy raffle tickets and we'll have to take him home; that would horrify me actually, but who knows? So that's one thing we will have available at the con, hooray!

The rest of my night (I had to stay late at work again to catch up, meh) will be spent ironing the transfers for the pillows. We are doign two sizes this time; the regular full size, almost 11" tall, and smaller pillows about 1/3 that size. Plenty of posters as always; I'll need to make a new one for Kenshin, but can't imagine I'll need to print any other ones again. And were hoping to have buttons for sale, with a free one given for each purchase of a pillow or poster, but both of us have no money to order any, and time is running out. We'll see; I feel horrible but may have to wait for the next con for the buttons. We were also thinking of getting some t-shirts to sell; we'd have them in L/XL, and if the person wanted it smaller or customized, Leeshee would do that at the table. But just buying the shirts is expensive (maybe transfer our own?), and we haven't bought a mini travel sewing machine yet. Hopefully next year as well. Oh, and I need to print more business cards! Seriously, there's always something, huh?

(Not to be too much of a complainer, as I realize quite well how hard it is to get events like these successfully off the ground, but does it seem like there will be less things to do at Banzai this year? And they had an awesome art lineup last year, which seems to be lacking this time around. Again, just happy to be going, but wonder how they will manage, when since last year was so awesome there are sure to be even MORE people this time around. Oh crap, and I need to have Elicia get in contact with them, to see if they still want her as a costume judge. I was going to to a panel but was too late; perhaps was for the best, as now can prepare the panel better and have more time for other things. I WILL do it though one day, I swear. I hope they change the con to October agin next year; it was fun to have it around Halloween, the weather is perfect for heavier costumes, and school is not just starting that week. I'm just saying. =) Man, am I a complainer tonight! Bad Lizzie. Honestly, it's just great that there is one so close to us in our own state; I do appreciate that. And with the people going with me, it will be fun no matter WHAT.)

I keep trying to think if everything is ready to go in less than weeks. Hotel? Booked and waiting. (There might be a massive amount of people crashing in our room; as long as I get some bed space, since I booked it, I don't care.) Registration? Done long ago. Artist Alley? Registered, and hurrying to get merch finished in time. No costumes to help Leeshee with this time around, she is too busy with work and getting her costume grant done. Transportation? My car and someone else's. Food? Hopefully will have enough that we could do ONE nice meal, at Squatters or the Atlantic or somewhere equally awesome. (Is Atlantic still open? Am craving their caesar salad but don't know with all the constructon going on downtown if they are even still open.) Money for fun things? I have already bought Blanc et Noir and a death note, so unless there are awesome art books don't know what I'd need. Besides, I'm such a dork; all my play money this month has beeen spent on plants, plus am probably buying even more on Saturday. (headdesk) I know, shut up! But I'd really love daffodils and ornamental grasses and Gaura (yes, pronouced like Gaara, awesome name for a plant!) in my garden next year. So no fun things at the con, though hope to see the wonderful lady who runs Toshiko selling there, perhaps. I miss her store so much.

Um, I think that's all for now; I need to hurry home and iron before Leeshee kills me for staying in my office so late.