Cat Man Do Designs

Almost packed and ready to go! This new block took hours to complete - to ensure a clear print could always be made, all those little curls were replaced.

Usually we add one murder rabbit each war.

We've shown you Fencing Bunny and Bagpipe Bunny... now, here's a first look at Bodhran Bunny.

A bit of information for my SCA friends:

The price of Pennsic, for a merchant.

Our booth at Pennsic is a necessity. It is our biggest show of the year for Cat Man Do Designs. It's a minimum of eight hours a day being open for 12 days, with one employee. We tried doing it just the two of us the first year and that about killed us. It's not just sitting back and waiting for people to purchase stuff. There's also the set-up, which can take a full work day, and take-down, which thanks to not having to actually pack down our tent means we can be off-site eight hours after we close, once everything is properly balanced inside the trailer and our site is gone over to make sure we have left it cleaner than when we arrived.

To be considered to be a merchant at Pennsic, the largest Society for Creative Anachronism in the world, you have to send photos of what you sell and a diagram of your set-up. Once you are vetted in (which, if you're a first timer may take a couple of years to get a spot), you have to apply each year. That application fee, space fee, electric fee (if you want electrical - there are some folks still using gas or battery-operated lanterns for light), and site book advertising (yes, you do want that), can rack up. Our merchant fee came to $579 this year.

Registration for Pennsic is completely separate. For our team, that was $540. We had to be registered for Pennsic before we could secure merchant space.

We have a couple of choices on tents - because you have to have a tent. We decided a while back to rent a tent for Pennsic because the extra weight of carrying one meant we wouldn't be able to have as much merchandise to sell. Our tent, a 20x40 tent that houses us all, is $1050 for the 16 day span. Considering we're not having to put it up, it's a bargain. And it's insured in case something terrible happens with the weather.

Oh, and then there's insurance, which every Pennsic merchant is required to have. We're fortunate to have found an event insurance company that covers Pennsic and only charges $150 a year.

To get there, we take two days, with an overnight a little more than halfway between here and there. That's a night at a hotel for about $100. And gas? Ho boy. That all depends on what the gas is running in each of the six states we're traveling through. The variations can be up to a dollar a gallon. Towing a trailer that contains all our gear to live outdoors, all the tables for stock, the stock itself, and everything including the kitchen sink (yes, we have one of those) means gas mileage is terrible - think, less than 15 mpg for the towing vehicle. We take a route that's flatter than the most direct route, and Google says it's 978 miles. It comes out to right at 1000 once you count in diversions, road construction, and the distance off road for gas stops. Gas runs about $200-250 per vehicle, and we take two, because three people in the cab of a standard old school pickup for two days is... a LOT.

And you have to eat, so however you prep for that, you do. You can eat on site - average meal is around $10, which is pretty good for a festival, and Penn Market has ingredients. Three people for 16 days.

Put all that together, and we spend around $3000 for Pennsic before we ever open the tent and sell the first block.

Some merchants come from further away, some are closer to site. There are merchants with a bigger footprint and larger crews, and there are smaller merchants with a smaller footprint who are merchanting by themselves. In all cases, it's a financial commitment that means we spend a lot of money even before we get to site. That doesn't include the thousands of dollars in production cost and labor - from Grav and I drawing blocks, to him lasering and cutting them out and gluing and sanding and finishing them. And there's the time I have to take off from my job, which between travel time, event time and recovery is at least three weeks where I'm not on the road or writing. Getting my work done at Pennsic really isn't an option, considering the hours we put in there. And he can't make stock while we're at Pennsic - we can't haul a laser with us, and there's a no power tool rule. And trust me, you don't want him hand-carving blocks. It takes months for each one and he tends to bleed on them.

We're fortunate that most of our clientele has been understanding about our prices. But from time to time, someone will make a statement about our prices being too high. We don't pass along a lot of the extra cost to customers - we charge the same whether it's through Etsy or if we're at the event - and we're conservative on our price structure. We suspect the same of our fellow merchants. We're all just trying to survive, ,marketing needed goods to our fellow SCA friends.

So when you shop at Pennsic, please remember - we invest a LOT to get there. We're so very thankful for your business.

An update - and a preview of some more of our new blocks.

We now have more than 800 designs in our online store, including frogs, cats, squirrels, a camel, seahorses, badgers, an otter, a skull, a new butterfly, and much more. Visit us at Etsy.com/TieDyeTravels

Good news and bad news.

Good news - 33 new designs were added to the Cat Man Do page on Etsy today. Go ahead and place your orders now so they'll be top in queue when we return from Pennsic.

Bad news - we may not make that 1800 block mark. It's been a hard couple of months, with a marked reduction in sales at Steppes (dang weather!), an increase in our plywood costs, and being down an entire laser. Baron Jali's been doing his best.

We may not have every one of our 800 designs on the table when we get there. We will have 40 new designs from our last show at Steppes Warlord - that's 50 new since Gulf Wars and 200 more since last Pennsic. There's at least one of each of the new designs from this past year that will be on the table. But with so many designs, that means for the most part, there will be just one or two of each blocks available.

So, if you're planning to pick up blocks at Pennsic, we highly urge you to come visit us first thing Monday morning of Peace Week (July 29th). We will post the day before when we will open our tent. We'll have stuff OTHER than blocks, but as always, woodcut stamps for block printing is our main business. Jali, Alex and I will be thrilled to see you.

Here's a preview.
~ Master Kat

Pssst.... new block designs are going into the shop today. Pass it on.

Master Jali's work stack. Someone ask for a Japanese boar?

You want new murder bunnies? We got those, too!

You want badgers? We got badgers.

You want frogs? We got frogs.

Kat here. Lots of new blocks debuting this Pennsic. Grav's cutting off the laser in a week, and I have just a limited time to draw. Which of these are your favorite? And what design would you like to see on the table under our yellow and white tent?

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieDyeTravels

If you want to get your stamps in time to be able to block print clothing for Pennsic, you need to order by 6/19. Doing so now will get your order in the mail by 7/12 at the latest. Even if you are not going to Pennsic, if you need stamps before the end of August, you must order before the end of the month. Ship times will move from 3 weeks to 7 weeks August 1st when it will move to 4 weeks. I have to do this in order to have plenty of stock for Pennsic. So get your orders in today!

Also, new items in the shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieDyeTravels

If you want to get your stamps in time to be able to block print clothing for Pennsic, you need to order by this weekend. Doing so now will get your order to you a couple days after July 4th at the latest. Even if you are not going to Pennsic, if you need stamps before the end of August, you must order before the end of the month. Ship times will move from 3 weeks to 7 weeks August 1st when it will move to 4 weeks. I have to do this in order to have plenty of stock for Pennsic. So get your orders in today!

Also, new items in the shop including the new murder bunnies pictured below.

I think my next hardcore, somebody my beer draw may be from the Lindisdarne illuminations.

Storms hurt business for us this weekend... but for all those folks who weren't able to make it to Steppes Warlord this weekend, we got you covered. Comment and PM for payment instructions on these ready-to-ship items! Shipping is included within the contiguous United States.

Everything in the sale is 10-15% off of regular Etsy prices. Check out the savings.

We are at Steppes Warlord Sunday. Please come visit.

We have brought more than 700 stamps to Steppes Warlord in Canton, TX for your block printing enjoyment. Come see us Sunday at the Canton Civic Center!

Working on nothing, but small things for stock today.

The Arkansas Times is doing Best of Arkansas again. Kat has been nominated in three categories! She has been nominated as best artist under local entertainment and best reporter columnist under Local Media. Also, Tie Dye Travels has been nominated as best blog under Local Media as well. Go vote today!

2024 Best Of Arkansas The Arkansas Times’ annual survey of what’s Best in Arkansas. Cast your vote!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieDyeTravels

Kat and I just got tagged for a 10k home repair. Needless to say we need to make cash as quick as we can, so our loss is your gain. Everything in the shop is 10% off unless you buy $250 or more which will bump your discount up to 15%. For those big spenders out there who spend more than $500, you will get a full 20% off of your order.

Today was a good day. Very profitable and I got to see old friends that I have not seen for a long time.

Slept from 4:30 to 8:30. Fixing to hit the hay again. I want to be very well rested for tomorrow. See everyone when we open at 5pm.

A thousand blocks, maybe more. That's how many we're bringing with us to Gulf Wars this year. With 750+ designs in our shop, that means for many of those motifs, we only have one with us.

We will open our shop with a small reception at 5 p.m. on Saturday, barring severe weather. Come grab your block before someone else captures it!

We're sponsoring this Eclipse Allthing event at Camp Formosa. Our event is April 7-9 and it immediately follows an SCA event, Newbie Collegium, which means you can combine the two for a four night stay. You'll find we have the cheapest rates for stay in the totality peak zone. Come have fun and watch this once.in a lifetime (or at least once in a decade) event with friends!

Admission | Eclipse Allthing - April7-9 -Formosa, AR Register for this medieval-themed event happening around the April 8. 2024 eclipse in the totality zone near Clinton, AR.

Last chance for Girl Scout Cookie orders.

Hunter is winding down in-person delivery orders. We will be delivering in-person Pulaski County orders in the next couple of days, and we will be delivery Gulf Wars orders at our booth there. However, after Monday, we will stop taking in-person orders and go shipping orders only.

Sadly, sales have been less than expected, and the child has just 313 of 3000 expected boxes sold for the season. We may look at other fundraisers to help out troop and to get Hunter to camp.

Please feel free to share this link for Girl Scout cookies. We thank you.

Order your Faves on my Digital Cookie Site Today That's right! You can order your favorite Girl Scout Cookies from me online, all while helping my troop and I do great things in our community and beyond! Check it out.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieDyeTravels

We have just added several new designs to the shop. This is also your next to the last reminder:

If you want/need stamps before Gulf Wars you must order them by February 14th. The first the I do after procuring my morning caffeine on the 15th will be to change the automatic ship date on all online orders from three to six weeks, and it will stay at six weeks until Midnight Madness at Gulf Wars. Order now.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieDyeTravels

I am in full Gulf Wars production mode. I also just had to pony up for a double root canal and set of crowns. Needless to say, I could use a few extra orders. Also, if there is some stamp you need before Gulf Wars, now is the time to order. Anything ordered on Valentines day or after will have a six week fulfillment rather than the usual three week fulfillment. This extended fulfillment time will continue until Gulf Wars, so get your orders in today. New things are being added regularly.

For this evening's drawing pleasure.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieDyeTravels

We just added a bunch of new designs to the shop. Come see what's new!

"My relationship with cats has saved me from a deadly and pervasive ignorance. I prefer cats to people, for the most part. Most people aren't cute at all, and if they are cute they very rapidly outgrow it."

William S. Burroughs