Blackbead

To one and all - pics will be forthcoming (I'll sift through the 150 or so and put up only the ones that are good) and stories will be passed about for all to hear but this morning, as I head back into the salt mine, I wanted to thank all of those who had anything to do with PyrateCon 2008 and that includes those who were the paying attendees. I had an incredible time and I am looking forward with great anticipation to next year's event! I heard a lot of buzz about changing hotels and looking for one that has a large enough room for ALL of the vendors to be in one place without having to charge both arms and one leg for the rooms. But there are LOTS of hotel rooms in New Orleans and not all of them have to be at the venue. We'll see . . . but for now, it's just after seven bells on the morning watch and time for me to go topside. More to come! Blackbead

I just met ye out here in the Big Easy, mate, and I KNOW ye had a grand, grand birthday!

Well, me hearties, PyrateCon is in its last day but there are still lots and lots of people wandering the booths and going to the sessions. Last night was incredible - easily 400 pirates meandering down Bourbon Street with crowds and crowds of people lining the street and cheering the invasion. It's been an incredible event this year and I invite ye all to try and get here next year! More to follow . . .

Ahhhhh, me hearties! Standing here is Rumba Rue and right behind her is Isaac Singleton. The Con goes on . . .

I'm standing here in me booth, watching multiple Jack Sparrows (CAPTAIN!) walk by and there are two Barbarossas standing off in the corner talking and there's several of the cast of POTC and several of the folks off of PM and . . . well, you get the idea. This event is a blast and it's only Friday afternoon! The feast is tonight (even though I've been eating free rum cake all day long!) and the invasion is still to come. THREE CHEERS FOR PYRATECON!!!

WE ARE HERE!!!!! At this moment, I'm standing in me booth, surrounded by cutthroats, buccaneers, and pirates of all shapes, sizes, colors, and attitudes! It's incredible and I'll give ye an update right after this sale . . . .

If ye get close to Fort Worth, call me - 817-896-2570. I plan to meet up with ye in New Orleans but if I can buy ye dinner in Cowtown we'll make it a merry time for ye! Blackbead

Ahoy. me hearties! Captain Jasper and meself will be arriving during the evening of Thursday, April 17th, with plans to be set up and open for business bright and early Friday morning! Lots of new jewelry this year with plenty of it made to look like plunder. I'll also have copies of me book for sale and some of me brother's CDs. We'll also be looking to meet up with old friends and meet some new ones! Weigh anchor, ye lubbers! We're PyrateCon bound!! Blackbead

Ahoy, mates one and all! My first book, Characters: The Buffalo Soldier and Other Poems is finally out for purchase! It will be available on Amazon.Com in about six weeks or ye can buy a copy at http://stores.lulu.com/Blackbead. Or you can go to me website, http://www.Blackbead-jewelry.com , and follow the links. The poems are varied but the book does contain "The Homecoming of Danny Fry," a poem about a pirate leaving the sweet trade for the easy life in the village he grew up in and the effect that his return has on his neighbors. Thank you for considering me work! Blackbead AKA Stephen Sanders

Ahoy there, me hearties! Let it be known that me and me crew FINALLY made reservations at the Holiday Inn!! And the young lass taking me reservation told me that we got the LAST three rooms in the SECOND hotel of the Con!! What that means is that we'll be havin' a hell of a convention with pirates coming out of the woodwork!! See ya there! Blackbead

(left foot forward, bowing low at the waist, doffing his hat with his left and hand gesturing with his right - making it easier to look up your dress!! ) Your servant, m'Lady!

The research that I've done indicates that the difference was based on who was going to be doing the buttoning - yourself or your dresser. If you are going to be doing the buttoning then the buttons were put on the right since most people are right-handed. If you had a dresser then the buttons were put on the left so it would be easier for your dresser to do their work. That's the reason why women's buttons are, still today, on the left hand side - they had dressers long after men began dressing themselves. Thank you, Beau Brummel. Hope this sheds a little light.

Greetings to all! Point your bow towards Kenny Sanders and have a listen to the song "Blackbead's Melody." It was written and performed by me brother, the Bard of the "Adventure," to honor me wife and I. If ye like his music then he'll be coming out with a new CD soon. He's traveled the seven seas of the music world playing everything from hard rock to country and western to jazz to blues to classical guitar. He's finally found a port that I think will be his home. Enjoy! Blackbead

Rhumba - looks like we owe you some more filthy lucre! We did Scarlet's Mid-Winter in OKC and I think Captain Jasper sold a couple of your items. I'll check the books and get a check out to ye! See ya in the Big Easy!!

Hmmm, now that be an idea that I think has true merit! And it would be a lot of fun, too!! I'm sure that Robert and Angela would have no problem with us setting up adjacent to each next year and there are LOTS of things we could do to act up, so to speak. I am in totally agreement with you and wish you and yours the very best - Captain Jasper and I are talking about coming up for Muskogee just to wander about. Perhaps we'll cross paths there . . .?

Scarlet's Mid-Winter Renaissance Faire - check out www.scarletfest.com for more info. Scarlet's has come and gone for it's fourth year and this one was a right joy to attend! The facility has a way to go but it provides all of the necessary walls, roof, bathrooms and heating necessary to make this a fun, safe, and memorable event. I was talking to one of the owners and she told me that the owner of the Historic Farmer's market has been doing well enough that he's going to put in brand new bathroom facilities! There's a real bar, dance floor and stage upstairs and that made the Masked Ball a very lively event indeed! There were over two dozen merchants, which is a lively number in this venue but there was room for more. I was in the booth most of the time but there were some great performances by some of the real cream of the pirate performer crop - THe Bilge Pumps, The Ladies of the Salty Kiss, and more - and there were belly dancers, mermaids, and even a Celtic dance troop! This is a small but VERY promising faire that fills int he gap during the deep winter here in the Heartlands (of course, it hit 65 degrees on Saturday but who's counting!) I will definitely be attending this faire every year from now on and I invite everyone else to attend as well! Blackbead

Welcome both of ye to the Pub! Since we have have two new hands and I have two hands . . . make it rum for port and port for starboard! And I thank ye! Blackbead

Jim, Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The world is lessened by his passing. Blackbead

Welcome to this house, mate! And a pint o' black would be fine for me! Join me?

Oops . . . the number SHOULD have been 817-372-9421! Sorry!

Black John, That truly be an easy one - "Cool Hand Luke." So, to get the party started again for the umpteenth time: "What are those assholes doing on the porch?" "Those aren't assholes; it's pronounced 'azaleas'."

Anyone within 500 miles of Weatherford, Texas (about 20 miles west of Fort Worth) desperately needs to call Sarah Focht (call her Sarah) at 817-372-9241 and ask her about meeting her to see the "house full of pirate stuff." I was there yesterday and spent as much as I had in the "pirate account" on replica flintlocks, daggers, maritime items (I picked up a working bo'sun's whistle), and decorative pieces galore. What's still there is everything from an assegai to Wehrmacht prints from WWII. The man that owned the house had an extremely varied taste and interests and was a real character. I found the assegai in a secret room "behind ze bookcase" in the master bedroom and right next to it was a replica of an Imperial German Navy flag dfrom WWI. There were cutlasses and a glass-top table made from a ship's wheel ($500 - the stuff ain't cheap; at least not yet!) and a lamp with a built-in table that featured miniature, removable belaying pins. There was a cutaway of a man-o-war and mugs that were etched with every different type of ship there was with a descriptive paragraph about them on the other side. It's worth it to go to the house just to stand in this guy's study that is decorated to look like the captain's quarters of a sailing ship, complete with bowed-out window and a view that stretches to the horizon (the house is built on a ridge.) I personally want to go backand buy the set of candleholders that are decorated with hippocampi but I need to get some more $$ first! His book collection covered everything from the American Civil War to naval warfare in the 1700's to medieval japan to joke books going back to the 50's. But the big draw is all of the nautical items - paintings of all sizes of ships in full sail, ship's lanterns, statues of ships, etc. The guy also collected eagle items and there were at least a dozen eagle statues and as many paintings of eagles. Finally, if you want to create a Greek revival garden, this is the place to buy the statuary for it. You have GOT to see this place! As I said, if you are interested in anything remotely connected to the items I've previously mentioned (did I mention the mermaids and faerie folk statues?) then it is worth your while to get there! Tell Sarah that Blackbead sent you - who knows, I may get a statue as a commission!

It's a crime movie . . . I know that. And it's definitely a woman saying it. Let me think . . .

You got it, Captain Sophia! It were in "2010 - The Year We Make Contact." I believe that brings the cannon to bear on you . . .

Ahoy there, lasses and lads! I bought me a pair of these here fine shoes and I did NOT need an insert! I wore them at a Christmas show that I did at my wife's place of work. I was on me feet all day long and they felt fine! THey look narrow at first but I be thinking that is a mirage (optical illusion) brought on by how high the tongue sits. THey are NOT buckled shoes but they look lik a pair. THe "buckle" on one of mine popped off in shipment but was easy as pie to repair. Suffice it to say that I'm an objective buyer and that I am very happy with these shoes for the price. THey ain't the real thing but from a distance they look good and they fit me as well as the shoes I wear to work everyday!! I be one happy shoe-wearing buccaneer! Blackbead