VancouFur 2018 Review

So! I am home, sick, tired, but good. This was the first year i didn't staff VancouFur (outside of helping with some art assets and a few things before con) and it was sometimes weird trying to figure out what the heck to do with the extra free time. It was nice to have time off though. Vending already takes up most of my time during the day and finishing commissions takes up so much time in the evenings too. I wasn't struggling to finish things this year so that was a huge bonus!

Image: Missing a few pieces i did but this is most of it.

Wednesday: 

Travel day. Much car, such hours. Not much to say about this other than 12 hours in a car suuuuuuucks. 

We stayed with Lomarcan and TyinsDarkwulf, as we have the last few years. Always a great time! <3 

Thursday: 

A busy day but good. I couldn't have gotten all my stuff done if it weren't for Elias being there and helping with setup. Had a good breakfast (i'm going to miss the apartment suits next year... The convention is moving hotels) and then with Elias' help, got my stuff down to the dealers den to setup. 

Somewhere in here my mother dropped by the event to drop off a painting for the art show. She stayed for a little bit and then had to drive home. 

I had the Artist Meet & Greet panel as well as the Doodle Games panel to host, which were super fun! It was awesome to meet all of you and laugh and have a great time doing the doodle games. I wish i took a video of the doodles because a lot of my photo's came out really blurry. Oh well. 

After this I setup my stuff in the art show room. Thank you to all who purchased artwork from the art show! You guys make it possible to have one and without those who purchased my pieces, i'd be in a rougher spot than i am so i am so grateful that you guys liked my works! <3

After Art Show was done, Elias and i went to Carvers for dinner. We always treat ourselves at least once to Carvers. Lovely people and a really nice place. Good food for someone who deals with allergies.

At the end of the evening, if memory serves, we had a little goodie and tea party in the hotel room with Sixel, Thea, and some others. Amazing company!

Friday:

Typical convention day. Breakfast, dealers den prep before opening, open, sales, chat with folk, buy a couple pins (one from Rhari and one from Allosaurex.) Dealers Den was able to order us food through Tivoli's and I'm never disappointing in the one choice i have, so bonus! 

Finished in the Dealers Den, took stuff to my hotel room, I think i had some quick noms and then back down for the Art Show Socialite for the Sponsors, Patrons and Dealers Den vendors. It was awesome to chat with the folks there, wander around looking at art. Placed my first ever art show bid (I've been going to conventions for a decade and have never bid on anything but i've always put stuff into the show?? Ahaha.)

I think we played games that night. Some Deception, with friends in the games room. Zen, Ph8l, Davecko, and others. (I don't remember everyone's fandom names or links to link. I was also tired AF so i don't remember much.)

Saturday: 

Another mostly typical convention day. Dealers den and all that. 

Mom came back to the convention, i got her registered, the GOH dinner cake she made into the hotel catering cooler until the dinner then back to the Dealers Den.

Closed down early to have time to pack up and get to the GOH dinner and also help mom put some final things together on the cake. Delicious dinner as always. Super thankful that the staff are willing to accommodate my allergies. <3 

While i cannot enjoy any of the cake, it is always a treat to be a part of the project. Everyone loved the cake and there were three flavours to choose from so that was a huge bonus. I actually didn't see the cake before it arrived to the event so i was very surprised. I made the sculpted cake toppers of the GOH characters to put on the cake and they were also a huge hit. I also made an extra one to fit inside the Jetsons car mom made for the cake, so i made it the Chairmans' character. A fun little surprise!

After we served the cake, we took leftovers to Ops, left some for those in the variety show and mom also took some home. It was a LOT of cake. 

We helped mom back to her car with her stuff and then we went back to the hotel room to chill and art. I worked on commissions, mom borrowed some watercolours and paper and we had a few people come in and out of the room to visit and chat. 

Didn't do any dancing this year. Was going to but then the schedule changed and i wasn't really feeling it. I have pretty specific tastes for dancing i guess but it was good, we just chilled out for the evening which was pretty nice!

Sunday:

Another typical dealers den day for me. Mom hung out a while before she headed home. Made some gift doodle badges for friends and was happy to see their smiles. Checked out the art show, picked up my stuff and purchased the piece i won (an inktober Zebra from Zardis) an then had an issue with the bidder for my moms painting not come to pick it up or pay for it. So i took moms piece with me as her agent and tried to find a buyer last minute. No luck. 

Hotel room hangouts, some unexpected guests... Watched closing ceremonies on the hotel TV and was super excited that the convention i've spend more hours of my life on than I'd like to admit, hit 1K attendees and is moving to a nicer hotel. (With one caveat that none of the rooms have kitchenettes which is going to make things REALLY hard for my allergies and dietary restrictions... Which means the trip is going to cost me a whole lot more... Which means i have to think weather it's going to be even worth it to go.... Fak.) But i'm really excited for the team, The one year i take off to have a break and they hit 1K! *left out mumbles* Oh well. Exciting either way! 

We walked around, saw people, then we went and stole away to a room to play some games for a while. 

Monday:

Some of our Monday plans got a little turned around when the high bidder for my moms painting contacted myself and the Business Exec of VancouFur about the painting. I was so happy they were still willing to take it with them and buy it though so it was all good! So that got squared away and money sent to my mother. YAY! After that we packed up all our stuff and headed to Cora's for breakfast with Tyins and Thea. Was a good morning, even if we left for home late. Leave late, get home late. We still made good time getting home though, which is awesome when it's a 12 hours drive. (Super thanks to Elias for driving. <3 )

Overall, my income for the convention was stunted by the fact that i couldn't do take home commissions. So I'm concerned a bit BUT, it is back to work for me! Expect new items up in my Etsy soon and other cool stuff to come.

And the VancouFur staff put on a pretty great convention! I look forward to seeing what they do next year in the new hotel space!