A week later and I am still coughing up the dirt from Ren Fair this last weekend.  For the most part, the Faire, as much work and struggle it took for me to get this set up and done, was extremely profitable for me.  Every year I do this fair, I gain a regular following with the Fair Folk and their families and friends.  I enjoy seeing those that I have only seen once a year and reaquainting myself with guilds and their members. 

My struggle to get my placement with Shiftings Sands this year turned into a blessing, for I had direct competition in the area in which I would have inevitably been placed.  Across the area was another Henna artist and as I hear (but didn’t find in my brief walk about) was at least one other several rows over.  The vendors row, when dusk hit, turned into a madhouse and so many people in so little space made it almost impossible for anyone to walk by and enjoy in their time, a look through the books.  My position on the opposite side of the lake gave me a beautiful view of the lake early in the morning with the golden sunshine shooting up over the hills in the East and two beautiful trees to shade my area.  One of the tree’s even gave me the ability to put 3 bales of hay around it to use as a sitting area for those that were drying and/or waiting.  A very serene and low-key area that I think my clients enjoyed emmensly.

Thanks to a dear friend, Mattlock O’Brien, an  old guild member and very dear friend, I had a beautiful tent to use this year. The first period tent that I have had since I started vending that I can call mine.  I still want to add elements to the tent and decorate it with other idea, but for now, it is the most viable situation for me.  I can’t thank him enough for the donation of his time, his tools and his living room floor.  I couldn’t have done this without him.

The Empire of Chivalry and Steel were very kind to me.  The Kingdom of Vega, the local chapter, has housed me for years and in exchange for the donation of land, I kindly give a donation to the kingdom.  Our location is actually prime and the way that the Kingdom sets up their “show line” (which I have not seen done with alot of the other guilds) they put me at the very end making me right on the regular foot path and with more room than I could have asked for.  They more than deserved the donation I made for their kindness and the fact that they even gave me a ‘runner’ knowing I worked the entire fair by myself and couldn’t leave without having someone in my tent.

After seeing Marjani’s tribe from the LA Pleasure Fair (Old Devore Fair) I made friends quickly with her girls and musicians.  I am looking forward to traveling this next year to go see them in California and spend a weekend slinging mudd as their personal henna artist.  They made a great tadoo about their set up and tear down since they traveled so far, even experiencing some vehicle problems which put them into the fair grounds much later than they had accepted and setting up in the dark.  Marjani definately has a wonderful character about herself and her tribe is wonderful.  Sayer, a beautiful young woman and I definately hit things off.  Her complaint had been that henna never took on her skin and after convincing her that she should try at least a hand to see if my mudd would take better, we did a simple top of the hand prior to a performance.  The next morning, she was rushing back to the tent in order to find me to finish the job as the excitement on her face told me the story.  Her dark deep rich color was just showing me that she had been seeing a difference recipe that didn’t take and mine, yet again, had proven to that it took on that rare “henna-proof” skin.

Several other girls came from her tribe and made sure that they thanked me profusely for their hands.  I was excited to help, just wish I could have spent more time on them to make more intricate and beautiful designs. 

THANK YOU MARJANI AND TRIBE!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, I have a quick trip to another Bat Mitzvah, and this time with my friend and co-hort in crime, Rossah.  Should be rather exciting to have someone else to work with and talk to other than the children.  Meanwhile, my house looks like a tornado went through it, and I have spent more time cleaning off the gear than I did setting it up and tearing it down.

There is still debate that I will be attending the new Laughlin Fair, but do believe that I will be going to check it out this year than to try and set up.  Next year will give me an idea of what to expect.

Look for me and my jewler friend, Lady Dame Leigha Fyrdrake at the Boulder City High School Ren Fair next year in March!!!!!!!

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