~~|Uncanny Dream Discussion - Seattle Doll Expo May 29th|~~

Omg, those stairs were terrifying! They reminded me of the convent school I was in as a kid. Lol! Did anyone get a picture of them? The only thing that scared me more was the golden-oldie style lift (with bars et al). It worked fine, I expect, just I wasn't getting into it! Lol! I am such a wimp!

Ah, the cramped corridor was a challenge, but I had fun! One thing I wish we could work on was having some kind of dolly police. Once I put out my dolls I couldn't move much. I had to inconvenience the kind people around me to watch the dolls if I wanted to run out and find, say, my sister. Then I ended up with layers of dolls -- that is, I was watching my dolls, and other people's dolls, and suddenly had to go get water. Then it was confusion as I recruited another person to watch them, and person #2 came back to fetch her doll, leading the kind lady to follow her around going 'Are you sure it's your doll'. Gah!!! A mess for which I was very sorry.

Thank you to the kind lady (Sue, yes?) who did this for me, btw. She was the same lady with the incredible black-resin Arabian. (To die for!)

 

I just wanted to give a big shout out to all the people that made Uncanny Dream possible!!! And thank you to everyone who voted for my little faun. I never expected that would happen.. heck, I didnt even know I could enter the competition till the last min. And of course thank you to Jpop dolls and Candygears who put together the prizes for the contest. It was so nice to get together with like minded people and see all the hard work everyone has put into their dolls. Hopefully we can do this all again next year!!

 

I had a blast! Thank you, Candygears, for organizing this. Also thank you to the amazing artists and vendors who attended- it was awesome seeing people's creativity. The little details were wonderful- snacks, pretty name tags -and really made it special. I would be delighted if this became a regular event, as I had a wonderful time!

 

A great event. Fantastic job, candygears, at putting this together. Hope to see another one next year!

 

Magicbunny - my Vesuvia thanks you very much for the nice words.

Ah yes - the lady with the gorgeous black Arabian was Sheri. You were close!!

 

It may seem silly to some, but now I can put faces to icons, I think it's just wonderful...I'd be thrilled to see this happen again, and I'd also love to contribute if possible, so if there's a volunteer sign-up sheet, count me in. I loved everyone's dolls, it was simply fantastic to know there were so many people there--and I had to smile when I saw that 80 tags was being considered optimistic, I'm sure you must've been through most of them before we got there, and that was before 1 for sure! It will be splendid to go next time having some anticipaton of what's going to happen.

.hlp

 

That horse was fantastic!! I didn't get to meet the other Sheri - but waving hello to that Sheri now. We share an uncommon spelling of a wonderful name!

 

This was WonderFanTaBulous! Met so many people and was amazed at the talented and imaginative displays and customed dolls..
I was making 'Ghostbusters' quips mentally while hiking up those stairs. I say the stars were all in favor of this event. Hoping it happens next year... have a feeling i might be bigger if t does...

 

Wow, what a really great event! Thank you to everyone who put so much work into hosting this, we really had fun! The building was a wonderful setting in itself too (though I was so glad our hotel was across the street after going up and down those stairs several times that day) The dioramas were just fantastic and I enjoyed meeting new faces ( including some resin ones) between my frenzied shopping stints . We will be looking forward to the next doll expo!

 

Gah! I so suck with names! Sorry Sheri! Let me say again -- resin horse = stunning! I need to find time to put up some of my pics. And, yes, this was my first time meeting a real-deal purple Vesuvia. I managed to keep my paws off! I'm so proud! She's spectacular!

 

Yeah, I was terrified on those stairs, yet... I was also fascinated by the doors of the artist lofts with the counterweights. It's exactly the sort of thing I like photographing, with all those mechanisms, and wear and tear, so as much as I might have been simpering up and down the stairs, I also really loved the view! So glad it didn't rain that day! If the stairs had been wet, I think I might have cried. (This is because I'm a big wimp.)

Omg... now that song is stuck in my head. Bloody hell!

 

I'm generally too goofy to be much help organizing anything, but I would pitch in too, Candygears, work allowing!

 

Thank You Candygears for putting together a true work of art! It was fabulous! So many wonderful people, artists and dolls in one place. Thank you to the vendors that participated. I hope we get to do this next year.

 

Yes thank you Candy Gears you and everyone else that put this together are the awesomesause wish I was going to be here next year since I would love to go again

 

This event was wonderful!! I was so surprised at how many people there were. Hopefully next time there will be more places to sit for some down time. Thanks to Candygears and everyone who helped put on this convention The dioramas were breathtaking; they could have easily been displays in an art museum! And it was very exciting to have such great vendors there. I got a Puki dress, a 6-7 wig, and some winged Puki boots! Yay! The best part, though, was all of the lovely people who showed up and made this event such a fun and inviting place.

Next time I need to be a little less shy though ^^; And remember to look at nametags, lol.

 

The displays were amazing, the vendors were great (got my Breakaway the exact wig I've had planned for him, thank you Revilis. ) Unfortunately I didn't stay for the entire event. I haven't been to Seattle for so long, I went on adventures...The place was really crowded (perhaps my only complaint) and people were getting pretty rude and pushy :<! I'm kind of a social-disaster. It would be nice if there is another event that a venue with a more open space could be found, because it would have been nice to just sit down and chill and talk to/meet people.
But, I really want to thank the artists and everyone who worked so hard to make this event possible.

 

My only complaint was how crowded it was. I understand that the turn out was more than expected, but if this happens next year I hope a larger space is found even if that means a small admission fee. I had a great time and was able to purchase wigs for the two dolls I had needing them, but I left early do to feeling way too crowded.

Thank you for putting on this wonderful event. I would certainly make the drive down to Seattle to attend again.

 

Just got home! Had a fantastic time!! I'll defiantly be at next years one if it happens Maybe as an artist as well

 

This was amazing event, especially given the lack of resources and the fact that it was the first time. Great work, Candygears, the tableau artists, and all the volunteers!

We can all think of ways that next show can be improved upon, but that requires more space and money. How much would you be willing to pay? Before you answer, think of how much money you have blown on dolls and doll clothes, and how much gas money you have used up getting to Seattle. I don't remember what that lame doll show in Puyallup costs, but this was much better than that, at least for us BJDers (I would pay twice as much just to not see women pushing reborns in baby buggies!) . Given the fact that next year is going to even bigger than this year's I wouldn't be stingy.

But a couple of suggestions even if the 2012 expo has to operate within the 2011 constraints:

Name Tags. If at all possible, I want to know the person's DoA name that that I am talking to, not the name their friends call them back in Spokane. I think many of the people who bothered to get name tags automatically gave their nicknames or first names without thinking. Those are fine too, especially if their DoA name is unpronounceable, but it should be in addition to, and not not instead of their, DoA name. (Don't worry, if you don't have a DoA name, you would be let in anyway.)

Preregistration. Even if next year's event is free, I think we should encourage people to preregister. We could have name tags made up in advance and get a rough idea of how many are coming.

A "Photo Booth." I have some professional photo equipment that could be set up to photograph each attendee standing with their doll. Anyone who wanted to be photographed would would fill out a card identifying themselves and their doll. I might need some help optimizing the space required and setting up the lighting and equipment, but from then on, it would just be a matter of clicking the shutter and making sure the cards didn't get mixed up. Eventually, the mug shots would be put on Fllickr with a link to DoA. Volunteers would take turns clicking the shutter so we would all be able to get into the action.

A Mixer. We all came to meet each other, didn't we? At the expo, it wasn't quite as easy as had hoped for, was it?. If someone has a big house who would be willing to host a party, that would be ideal. Of course, if such a person existed, we wouldn't still be meeting at the Oasis! My wife and I don't have a house in the city, and somehow I don't think coping with ferries would work. To sleep, perchance to dream...

If I am in the country for Uncanny Dream next year, I would be happy to work on all of the above.

~Ranma

Here are more photos of the show:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranma-bjds/sets/72157626723607079/

 

I think the biggest problem, for us, for mixing was the fact that, naturally, you can't just leave your dolls and wander off to do whatever, so perhaps some form of dolly guardian or even, if it came down to it, the ability to check in a doll or dolls to allow you time to walk the vendors would be helpful...I'm tossing out ideas, as not everyone arrived in groups to rotate people in and out of 'guard duty'.

Oh, and categorically, I'd be more than happy to pay, although I realize not everyone can, believe me! Maybe a VIP offering to offset costs, I've seen some of the smaller anime cons use VIP presales to fund events as well...but I'm sure those discussiosns would take place behind the scenes. I'd love to see a house that could comfortably hold 200+ people!

.hlp

 

I am 100% with you! But the real problem is space to have a doll-check counter with cubby holes for the dolls, and in most cases, space = $!

[

I agree that not everyone has a $700 Volks (unless it is a car) and even may be saving up for their first doll, but they still should be able to come up with $5-$10. Depending on how many there are in that category, they could work it off doing volunteer duty.

I was semi-joking about finding someone with a big house, but I have been in houses that could host 200 people, but only on the East Side. They were definitely not BJD people, unfortunately!

~Ranma

 

Speaking as someone who has been involved with hosting ABJD conventions in the past, a "doll guardian" is a nice idea in theory, but is not something that any event (especially an event this small) should be taking on responsibility for. It is, and should be, the responsibility of all attendees to safeguard their own property (be it dolls, purses, cameras, or whatever), or to make arrangements for people they trust to guard it for them. This is not a coat-check, these are delicate, highly-personalized items worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. There is too much liability there.

 

I think everything went great for a first time convention/art show/huge meet up. While it was crowded everything I think ran smoothly. The biggest, and only real issue was the lack of space for people to sit and rest themself or their dolls. We managed to get a spot early to claim and we took turns watching our groups dolls. At one point when I was sitting I think I have like 10 dolls on me! They get heavy.... LOL I really don't think even if there was a doll check in spot many people would use it, I was, and I know others in my group were switching out dolls like crazy. Plus it be hard to trust a complete stranger with them. What Candygears and others have said, bring friends and take turns watching the dolls. Or bring only what you can carry, or atleast a bag to put them away in.

Overall I had a great time and found it worth the drive to Seattle for it! I would also be willing to pay to see this happen again in the future. As I think most of the people in my car would too.

I can't thank the people who put the time into this to make it happen enough, it was amazing. Thank you so much!

Also all you artist who spent so much time with your projects they were all amazing!

 

Okay, first of all, I would like to say that I had an absolute blast at Uncanny Dream last weekend! Yes, it was crowded, but it was so much fun. The artists' displays blew me the heck away, I swear to God (blew me away).

So, I had such an awesome time, that I'd really, really, really like to have something like this happen again.

Now, candygears has said she's not up to organizing next year's expo (which is totally fair, as I can only imagine the amount of crazy that had to have gone into making so much awesome), so that means we all have to step up! I have no experience and no idea how to organize something like this, but I know if we all put our minds to it, we can come up with something. I mean, until last Sunday, I had no idea there were so many BJD fans in (or near, or near enough) Seattle! How awesome! So I'm sure we can pool whatever resources we have, brainstorm, and make something at least half as grand happen again next year.

Just because I was backreading a bit, I wanted to second a few ideas from Ranma:

Addressing the name tag situation: There were name tags! They were really nice and were even custom printed with the event logo artwork on them (I kept mine)! But then FIFTY-THOUSAND PEOPLE showed up, so they ran out. But I saw plenty of people with plain white name tags on, so I know a valiant effort was put forth! Obviously, if we were to have some sort of official RSVP system (and I would go so far as to suggest a charge, of at least $5, because I would probably have paid $50 for the experience I had on Sunday), it would be much easier to get every attendee a name tag, because they wouldn't just be flooding through the door unchecked.

I personally love that photo booth idea, because I think it's adorable. It also has the added benefit of helping locals place names with faces and dolls (I know I recognize your dolls before I recognize you, and good luck remembering your username, let alone your real name!). And I know personally at least two amateur photographers who know enough of what they're doing and would most likely be willing to lend their time and talent to such a worthy cause, and I know there are plenty more out there who'd be just as willing (Ranma, for instance). Ooo, light bulb: you could totally use a little whiteboard for the info (use two, and have the next person in line fill out their name ans stuff while the other person is getting their picture done).

I honestly think that, if we had the space, we would automatically be more chatty with each other. I know I saw a bunch of sculpts I wanted to ask about and would have loved to walk around a do some resin matching (so much resin...), but I just felt like I would be getting in the way. I think our number one priority for next year is to find a venue that will hold the amount of people who have now shown interest in an event like this. (I feel like maybe I should embolden that last sentence...*does*) However, the mention of a "mixer" has put me into brainstorm mode as far as getting-to-know-you type activities, both for people and dolls. I know there are plenty of people who have BJDs because they're pretty, and because they customize them to make amazingly incredible art (case in point, the displays we saw on Sunday), and there are also many people who use their dolls as avatars for fictional characters, and who give their dolls personalities, and it would be fun to explore all those sides of this awesome hobby. Because it's cool to be inclusive like that, and I know I have a hard time when I first show up at meetups and am standing awkwardly in a corner because I don't know anyone (and then my dolls get all self-conscious of their clothes or wigs or blank faces because I'm lazy and all they've got on is a pair of purple bloomers and we're standing next to, oh I don't know, one of Kiyakotari's crazy awesome things and I'm going, "How the HELL do you DO that??" It can be overwhelming). So, getting to know people first, then once you're more comfortable with the people (like, you've determined they're not going to look at you funny and/or have you committed), you can be more comfortable telling them all about your dolls' stories. We could totally have mini organized events for that sort of thing if we wanted.

Okay. Wow. That was a lot of text. I hope I haven't gotten myself into anything too crazy.

Oh, and I promise this is the last thing. To candygears, all of the (other) crazy-talented artists, and everyone else who contributed to the Uncanny Dream expo this year: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I wish I could've bottled it all up and relived it. Your hard work was so worth it, and so appreciated, at least by me. Thanks again. You rock.

 

CaityJay, Fenris and I are looking into possible venues for next year along with the option to pre-register and many, many other details. Feedback and ideas are welcome, along with additional volunteers for next years event.

 

I just wanted to thank CandyGears and all the Volunteers, vendors and artists (with their crazy amazing breathtaking setups) so much for all the hard work that went into the event!!

I had an amazing time (and I know our Vancouver convoy group did too). It was a great location, considering it was only planned for the small group or (was it around 50?) who actually said they were going from DOA and Facebook. I know I and everyone I went with would be interested in an event next year and I'd die for an actual BJD con, that would be amazing and worth the ticket price if there was one.

I wish I hadn't been too nervous to actually approach and talk to the Seattle people and the artists , so I love the idea from others of a Mixer (one geared more to knowing the dolls and one to people maybe?) to make it much less difficult to talk. The name tags were great for that anyways! I didn't mind the stairs (being used to artist's warehouse spaces), but if it was a bigger event to be taken on next time, more space and a longer event (like a full day, or 2 even?) would be great of course. (I was amazed by the huge turn out this time, it was just awesome!)

Maybe there could be a bag/coat check ? (assuming there's a next year again) I understand doing that for dolls would be way too big an undertaking considering the value (personally and monetarily) of them. I just need to get my friends to rotate as doll watchers so I wouldn't have to lug them around in my bag, I'd rather have them out. ^^ But having somewhere for carriers and that sort of thing would be helpful. All in all, it was great to see so many dolls and people and I bought way too much, lol.

 

1) I cannot thank Candygears and All who made this past weekend such a WONDERFUL event--Bless you for all you hard work that we don't even know about. Bless you bless you!

2)Doll watching--sadly it has to be up to the owner to figure this out, too much responsibility as stated (that's why I bring Dd with me and as compensation, buy her stuff for her Bjd's--oh and it is mommy/daughter special time for us).

3)I will do whatever is needed to do to make this happen next year and would love to be part of a growing expo/con here. Good way to meet others BTW.

4)crowded/yes, ever been to a con before, crowded YES!!!!!!!!! It just shows how popular Bjd's are and viral the info was. I say, GOOD JOB well done--there is a need for this.

5)Did I say I had a perfect time? I did ;D

 

It may be premature, but at some point we should have a new thread about suggestions for next years' show, and and how to make it happen. If so, would it be possible to take the post-show posts and copy them into the new thread?

~Ranma

 

Ranma, because of the formal organization going into this event (and any future ones), it cannot be organized on Den of Angels. Just as this year's event was not organized here (only announced and discussed), any future shows would also need to be organized off-site. We allow informal meetups to be organized in the Doll Meetups subforum, but this is too close to being a convention to be organized here.

 

to reiterate: plans are in the works for future events. announcements will be made once we are further along in the process. if you have planning suggestions/comments/requests for future events, please email [email protected]. thank you~

 

I just want to add that I really liked having Uncanny Dream as an over the top meetup. It was great to be in an art studio with lots of natural light instead of some airless convention room or hotel space. I know how much work went into our Olympia group's relatively small contribution to the day and cannot fathom what CandyGears and company went through to bring this off so amazingly well.
Kudos to all the contributors, and endless appreciation for all the artistry and fun.

 

This event was the first time I ever got to see BJDs in person, it was amazing. I'd definetly go to it again if I had time.

I have a question, I hope someone can help me There was these very cute rabbit masks for sale from one of the vendors there but since I didn't own a doll at the time (and I didn't have a doll in mind to purchase) I didn't buy one. Now that I have a doll on layaway I realize that I really wanted that mask but I can't remember who was selling it.

Does anyone know which vendor it was? I think they had a online shop because they had business cards but when I googled I came up with nothing :/

 

You can learn more about the masks by pm'ing Cat ^..^ here on DOA. She is selling them and they're made by Stine Sculpture. Aren't they brilliant? I thought the leaf masks were wonderful myself, and made sure I grabbed one of those for a fairy project I'll be working on for my Dollstown Soph.

 

Oh, thank you very much Christy ^^

 

Soap - I was selling those masks at Uncanny Dream for Cat. Weren't they wonderful? I hope to have more at future events, but in the meantime, do PM Cat. She's planning a wonderful series with an Alice in Wonderland theme and highly recommend asking her about that set of three!

 

Oh, that was you? I loved them! Will you be attending the doll event in Puyallup this month?

 

YAY! Thanks!

 

There seem to be only 7 members of the Uncanny Dream - Articulated Fantasy 2011 Flickr Group -- why? There were many people on the halls shooting other's dolls, but I don't see any of these doll photos in the group. It doesn't matter whether they are good or bad -- I wish there were more pictures of dolls clutched in their owners' arms.

My wife said that 16 people took pictures of Hikaru while she was holding her, and I didn't count the number times she was snapped while I was holding her. But no photo of her, and hardly any other doll.

So please -- if you took one or more pictures at the event, join the group and add them to the Uncanny Dream - Articulated Fantasy 2011 Flickr Group.

Thanks

~Ranma
(On Flickr: Kakumei Utena)

P. S. If this text is in boldface, it isn't because I am yelling, it is because it seems to be stuck there!

 

I didn't realize a flickr group existed! I added my daughter's photos. She is Lirin in DoA

 

Your daughter's photos added a lot! New dolls, and even when she photographed the same dolls that others snapped, they were from a different angle or cropped differently.

The number of Group members has shot up to 9, for a gain of 2. Keep 'em coming!

~Ranma

 

I didn't even know the group existed! Thank you for pointing it out, I joined and contributed two photos, though they are not the best shots

 

Hey, so glad you liked the photos Lirin took. Maybe not everyone has a flickr account? I mainly use photobucket, but the groups in flickr are great and I can stream them onto the TV too.
You can PM Lirin here on Den of Angels as Lirin. You can search for her name in the gallery too. Our family Flickr account is in my name even though our daughter is the primary photographer of our dolls and sets.
The event was so much fun for us even though we got up there sort of late. Maybe you saw Lirin carrying her huge Lusion doll Eugenie. We stayed mainly in the room with the 2 large sets for folks to photograph their dolls. I don't think she took any photos of Eugenie in her new dress (finished at 4 am the night before). But someone took a great photo of her holding Eugenie. I'll have to go back and find the photo. I'd sure enjoy seeing more pictures anyone shot even of the same dolls. Thanks!