Hello faithful readers, and new friends!
I last checked in with you as summer was just beginning to rear her shaggy head, and I have to tell you… it has not slowed down one bit!
For those first seeing this blog, I began Repleating History over a decade ago as a way of keeping myself accountable for documenting my process as I designed clothing, costumes and cosplays. I’ve been making all of those things for nearly three decades, and have won a good many costume contests (and judged a few), organized and participated in fashion shows (including Fashion Week here in Milwaukee), been an actor at the Bristol Renaissance Faire for a few summers, been an active member in the tri-state area Steampunk community for over a decade, and two years ago I wrote a book on costuming– mainly focused on my Steampunk-Victorian designs. I also have a degree in English and Fine Arts, and a master’s degree in Education, which informs a lot of my creations…
I believe in continually challenging myself and learning, and I wrote my first book in the hopes of encouraging others to do the same, and to hopefully make parts of costuming easier and more entertaining, while using gorgeous images to illustrate the chapters. When possible I fund new projects on my own, but once or twice a year I’ll run a crowdfunded project to help cover initial printing costs for a variety of items I’ve designed; a card-matching game to improve memory, a deck of cards featuring original sketches and vintage/obscure fashion terms & definitions, and a steampunk murder mystery game (for 2024)!
I kicked off the summer with a Kickstarter for a deck of fashion-focused (my brand of edu-tainment) playing cards that I designed, utilizing a ton of never-before-seen images from various photoshoots, and commissioning 36 original sketches from a madly talented artist in Madison, WI!
Well those cards have just recently arrived, and they turned out great!
The summer closed after a mad slew of conventions and vending opportunities in which I slung my goods. (I also finished a super-fun crossover of Starbuck and Bo-Katan, and made Katee Sackoff grin when I dramatically opened the curtains at the photo-op)
I also took time over the last two months for more original creations, to design new banners for my business, to do some much-needed housecleaning in my life in general, to finish one of two photoshoots, and to ramp up plans for the new book! (more on that soon!)
All three banners are new, and work for booths of different sizes and setups!
Also, yes, I work out 💪
And NOW…. I’m busily gearing up (haha, see what I did there?) for TeslaCon, the largest and longest-running immersive Steampunk convention in the US! If you find your way over to Madison during the first weekend of December, you will find much to entertain you!
For one, I’ll be launching the Kickstarter for my SECOND book, “The Halloween Collection: Costume and Cosplay Techniques”!! (click!)
What will be at my TeslaCon table?
- My book “The Victorian Collection: Advanced Costuming Techniques”
- A bookmark set all about women fashion designers in the Victorian era!
- My fun and fashionable greeting cards
- Fashion-focused Card Games
- Fun corset and fashion-themed stickers and pins
- AND an activity booklet featuring the article I wrote on steampunk costuming, as well as art contributions by a few artists….
….what artists, you ask? Well, the aforementioned artist who created the sketches for my playing cards, Katie French!
ALSO contributing will be the international Steampunk author and fashion icon, Bonsart Bokel!
Bonsart created the podcast Radio Retrofuture, and has published a number of stories, comics and coloring books set in his compelling “Association of Ishtar” steampunk-with-a-Lovecraftian-twist universe!
… and probably a dozen more things I don’t even know about- to say this man is immersed in the Steampunk community is a huge understatement. In fact, his newest project, a new Association of Ishtar story, is due to kick off with a launch party on October 22, HERE.
If you’re a steampunk fan, it’s definitely worth checking out! Bonsart has had me as a guest on his podcast a few times, and I always enjoy talking with him about writing, games, conventions and of course… steampunk!
RepleatingHistory
Repleating History 