Ren Faire Announcement

Swipe through the gallery for the quick version, or read on for the full story:

The New York Renaissance Faire is starting in August and I have some news! In case you missed it - I had wrist surgery in March to remove a ganglion cyst that kept coming back over the past ten years. As I planned for surgery and recovery, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the inventory demands of the faire season (thank you for all your support making that the case!) I’m taking a year away from the faire to heal. Luckily, I have some amazing artists selling at the booth for you to meet!

Jason Ferguson is a ceramic artist, instructor, and tattoo artist. His intricately carved pieces are such a marvel - you’re going to love seeing them in person! Not to mention his fun pumpkins and other creepy-cute sculptures. Be sure to check out his gallery and shop to scope out your shopping list!

Blue Toucan Studios is run by artists Chris Pallace and Kevin Serwacki. They’ve been making art together since 1999 and actually gave me my first studio space out of college! Once you buy your first door, you know you’ll be back for more! They’re always experimenting with new designs so be sure to check out their website and shop to see what’s coming to the faire!

Jason Ferguson - Ferg Studios

August 15 - September 7

Blue Toucan Studios - Fairy Doors

September 12 - October 4

I hope you all give a warm welcome to these great artists! Make sure to tell them I said hi!
I’ll see you in 2027 for the 50th Anniversary of the New York Renaissance Faire!

Ren Faire 2025 Wrap Up

Thank YOU so much to everyone who came out and visited my booth at the New York Renaissance Faire this year! Your continued support never ceases to amaze me! As always, my favorite part of the faire is getting to see everyone’s amazing costumes, and meeting my customers face to face. I love the excitement on a person’s face when they finally get to take home a dragon mug or sculpture they have been thinking about for years. It is also so fun to see bottles from years past being carried around and incorporated into costumes! I’m so honored to be a part of your Ren Faire expeirence!

This year was also very exciting because I got to share my booth with three amazing artists! Studio Julep, Avé Rivera Studio, and BAT’s Ceramics all had fantastic weekends at the faire, and it was so great to see the NYRF visitors embrace them! Make sure to check them out if you don’t already know their work!

Didn’t make it out to the faire? No worries! Fired Figments will be reopening for the holidays on Black Friday. More news to come - so be sure to sign up for emails if you want to be the first to know the details!

NY Renaissance Faire - Guest Artists!

New York Renaissance Faire is only a month away and I have some BIG NEWS!

I am so excited to announce that I will be joined by three very special guest artists this year! Each artist will be sharing the Fired Figment’s booth for ONE WEEKEND ONLY so check them out and mark your calendars!

Studio Julep | August 30th - September 1st

Avé Rivera Studio | September 27th - 28th

BAT’s Ceramics | October 4th - 5th

Psst . . . if you’re reading this in July, my early bird gift card special is still going on, which means you can save 20% when you shop from these artists at the faire too! Click to learn more.

Summer in the Studio

Hi there! Can you believe that it is already June? Summer for Fired Figments means that I am in full production mode for the New York Renaissance Faire and lots of exciting things are happening online and in the studio! I wanted to write this so that you don’t miss anything that is going on!

First up - Early Bird Savings!

If you’ve ever worked a seasonal job, you know what it is like when the work season is a month or two away and your savings from the previous year are running thin. (It reminds me of all my summers working at an ice cream shop in high school and college.) Getting ready for the Renaissance Faire feels a little like this when I have to start saving more inventory for the faire and less pottery is available online. Around this time of year I like to help you help me with an early bird discount - win win!

Now through July 31st you can save for the NY Renaissance Faire by purchasing an e-gift card for 10% off values of $25 or more! And do you know what the best part is? While everyone else is in line for the ATM, you can shop with me using just your name and I’ll have your credit on file!

Getting a gift card now helps me make it to Ren Faire season and you get to shop at the faire knowing you already got 10% off your pottery!

Want to save even more? Patreon members of The Fan(g) Club or higher get 5% - 15% off all their orders, which will apply on top of the 10% you already saved!

Speaking of Patreon - Three BIG Updates

NEW Membership Mugs

I’m so excited that I finally have the new stamps for Patreon club mugs! If you didn’t know, Patreon members can earn an exclusive member mug over a year, six months, four months, or in as little as two months depending on your tier! YOU get to customize your mug by choosing the mug shape, handle placement, glaze colors, and custom colors for the club crest. Here are some examples from the 2022 crests, and a peek at the new club crest.

Surprises are Coming

Renaissance Faire season means that I am too busy to keep up with the normal exclusive monthly pre-orders for Patreon members, but I will still try to make as many exclusive offers as I can manage. I actually have a deal going on right now, but I wanted to let you know that paying members who are active June through October will get a special pottery gift when the faire is all over! I like to give some pottery away as a thank you for sticking with me during my busy months since I might go a little quiet online.

First Dibs on Puppy Wizards

My Patreon deal going on right now is first dibs on my first two puppy wizards - an extension of the kitty wizards I released last year. All this week, members of The Nest or above can comment their interest to purchase one or both of the sculptures, and on June 9th I will randomly pick a winning buyer for each sculpture. My hope is this method avoids the stress of “first to claim,” and anyone who is interested in buying will get the same chance to purchase. I am also offering payment plans if you’d like to buy in installments. If no one claims a sculpture during this first dibs period, the sculptures may become available online, or they might be saved for the Renaissance Faire.

On Social Media . . .

You may or may not know about Meta’s new claim that content on their platforms can be used to train their AI generative programs. Many artists on my feed are stressing about the implications, and it is just another reminder that we don’t truly own our audiences or work on social media platforms. Whether or not this ultimately sways the majority of users away from Meta platforms, I just wanted to remind you about other ways to keep up with my work.

1.) I am going to start utilizing the free membership aspects of Patreon more. While exclusive behind-the-scenes content will still stay reserved for paying members, I will post anything that would normally go on Instagram for free members on Patreon. You can choose to receive notifications when I post so you never miss a thing.

2.) Fired Figments news right in your inbox! If you’re not already an email list member, now is a great time to join! Email members get to know the exact times of online restocks and occasionally get exclusive discounts during the year.

3.) For something completely different - YouTube! If you didn’t know, I have a growing channel on YouTube with content that is totally different from my other social media platforms. I talk a lot about the aspects of running a pottery business and give you a more in-depth behind-the-scenes looks at my studio. If you are an artist yourself, or someone who likes videos playing in the background of your day, these are great work companions in the studio or while you’re washing the dishes.

Thanks for reading this far! I actually had about 75% of this typed out when I accidentally “discarded” the blog post and could not retrieve it, so I’m a bit wiped from typing it all out again. I really appreciate every form of support for my small business - purchases, shares, comments, and likes all mean a lot in their own way. I hope you are having a great start to summer and we’ll talk again soon!

- Stephanie, Fired Figments

Creative Ways to Stay Safe in the Shire

Across the country, Renaissance Faires and Festivals are opening after a year of closures. My local festival, Sterling Renaissance Festival, is set to open in July and I will be returning as a vendor at my booth near the jousting field. The festival community is so creative, and I am looking forward to seeing how vendors, performers, and visitors incorporate safety into their garb! I’ve seen so many cool masks pop up on Faire Relief 2020 and across the internet, so I wanted to share some of my favorites with you - plus some other clever ways to encourage social distancing with your garb!

Face Masks

I hope to have a couple masks to match my garb throughout the season. Here are some of my favorite choices. Please note that some of these masks are decorative and should be paired with functional masks. Click the pictures to go to the stores.

Scale Mail by Pixie Shadow Craft

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

Dragon Print Mask by Racaire's Workshop

https://www.racaire.com/product-category/face-mask/

Leather Mask by Crimson Chain Leatherworks

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

Embroidered Masks by Folk Project

https://folk-project.com/collections/face-masks

Plague Mask by Avalon Leatherworks

https://www.avalon-leatherworks.com/s/shop

A Wing-Width Away

Need a reminder to spread out? Nothing a 6 foot wingspan can’t fix! Granted, these may not be 6 ft on each side, but I’ll take any excuse to wear fairy wings! Click the pictures to go to the stores.

Byrning Raven

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

Wearable Whimzy

https://wearablewhimzy.com/

Thistles Workshop

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

Angel Wing Makers

https://www.angelwingmakers.com/

Personal Space Skirt

If wings aren’t for you, maybe you’d like to add width at the bottom of your silhouette? Luckily, there is a lot of flexibility for visitor garb at the festival, so there are a variety of ways to enlarge your skirts to make a nice little barrier around yourself even if the silhouette you choose isn’t 100% time period accurate. Click the pictures to go to the stores.

Potomac & Wolfstone

https://www.potomacwolfstone.com/

Silver Leaf Costumes

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

Moresca

https://moresca-clothing-costume.myshopify.com/

Treasure Farie

https://www.facebook.com/treasurefarie

Don’t Forget to Accessorize!

I know I plan to have hand sanitizer available at my booth, but it’s a good idea to carry some around with you as well. I’ve seen some creative sanitizer holsters, or you can disguise yours in a bottle or just carry it in your trusty pouch. Click the pictures to go to the stores.

My Funky Camelot

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

Fired Figments

www.etsy.com/shop/firedfigments

Crimson Chain Leatherworks

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

Bags That Bite

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

Potomac & Wolfstone

https://www.potomacwolfstone.com/

I’ll be visiting my booth soon to plan out traffic flow and display changes to make the shopping experience as safe as possible. I look forward to sharing these alterations with you and hope to safely see everyone at the festival this summer!

Acknowledging Racism in the Ren Faire Community

As a Ren Faire patron for over 10 years and as an artist with fantasy/ faire influences, I was proud to see Digital Ren Faire acknowledge the existence of racism in the community and provide some resources to combat this behavior. I’ve quoted their June 1st Facebook post here, but encourage you to check out their pages for entertainment as well!

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A MESSAGE FROM THE WIZARDS: While the Digital Ren Faire usually attempts to provide a refuge from the weighty matters of the modern world, there comes a point where we must speak to provide clarity.

Each of us behind the scenes has struggled with the fact that while Renaissance Faires attempt to create an inclusive environment, they are often euro-centric places and sometimes do not foster good environments for performers of color. We have all heard horror stories from festivals where management and/or audience members have accepted the presence of dragons and fairies, but not a black man in noble garb. This is not what we are here to create.

There are parts of the history of the Renaissance to be acknowledged. For example, the Peasant Revolts (also known as “The Crisis of the Late Middle Ages”), during which rebellions sprung up across Europe, spurred on by a peasantry that had been oppressed for centuries. Without them, we might still be living in a feudal society. Also, the idea of “Carnival,” most famous in Venice, when performers could exercise free speech and critique those in power through elaborate revels. Or, if we jump a few decades past the Renaissance, the ideals of the Quakers, who often resorted to guerrilla tactics to protest for religious freedom, and who organized the first Anti-Slavery protest in the New World in 1688. This is the spirit of Renaissance history that we embrace.

As always, we are committed to providing a platform for performers of all walks of life, and we will continue to air programs full of music, laughter, and love that allow a short respite for those needing a breath of fresh air. Know that all are welcome and protected within our pixelated castle walls.

If you would like to pursue deeper exploration of these ideas, please click here:

Black Nerd Problems article: https://blacknerdproblems.com/yes-there-were-black-people-…/
Black Bristol Photo Album: https://blackbristol.wixsite.com/blackbristol
People of Color in European Art History: https://medievalpoc.tumblr.com/

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Some additional suggestions from Fired Figments for Black creators that faire-goers will enjoy:

https://www.instagram.com/brownsugarfairies/
https://www.brownsugarfairies.com/
https://www.instagram.com/neiceythefairy/
https://www.instagram.com/ginaxanadu/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackUnicornShop
https://www.instagram.com/mintfaery/
https://mintfaery.wixsite.com/mintcoven
https://www.instagram.com/averiverastudio/
https://www.averivera.com/

The Four Essential Renaissance Festival Accessories for Any Costume

It’s almost my favorite time of year - Renaissance Festival season! There are Renaissance Festivals happening all year long across the country, but here in New York, I’m prepping for the New York Renaissance Faire. There are so many costumes to choose from: royalty, wenches, pirates, fairies, fawns, rogues, mages, and more! But no matter what character you choose, these four accessories are essential for any costume.

1. Shoes

They say that shoes can make or break an outfit, and that is very true of any time period costume. The most important thing is to have shoes that are comfortable because you’ll be doing a lot of walking. But if you also don’t your shoes to break the immersion of your costume, there are some guidelines to follow. But don’t worry, you don’t need dedicated Ren Faire shoes - there are plenty of modern shoes that can work for your costume. Here are some ideas:

• Most leather-look sandals will work, but stay away from simple flip flops. You want something with straps that will hold the sandal to your foot - as much for style as for practicality while walking around the festival.

• Canvas slip-ons like TOMS or BOBS are a great option. Make sure you wear solid colored shoes, and not any with a crazy print.

• Other simple flats or loafers can also maintain the Renaissance look. The more nondescript, the better. Your shoes don’t have to be spot on, but the main goal is to not clash with the feel of your costume.

• Boots can complete your look, but make sure you don’t pick anything too modern. Think pirates, Robin Hood, or riding boots.

If you are ready to pick out special shoes just for the Renaissance Festival, there are lots of online vendors offering a variety of styles. You can even get custom boots or shoes made by artisans at the faire! The shoes in this picture are by Medieval Moccasins.

2. Belt

A belt is used for both function and fashion at the Renaissance Festival. You can usually spot a life-long festival goer by their loaded belt. Their belt will be filled with pouches, a fan, a goblet or tankard, plus a half dozen little accessories that can be bought on the festival grounds. It’s rare to even see their belt under all the trinkets that can be kept on it. At its very base purpose, a good belt can keep you hands-free at the festival by carrying your last two essential accessories. Make sure you pick out something wide and sturdy so that it can support carrying everything you need. I found this vintage belt at a thrift store, but you can also find a beautiful artisan-made belt right at the festival.

3. Pouch

Also known as a “bag of holding,” your pouch will act as your purse for the day. There are lots of options for pouches right at the festival. Some are more structured with loops on the back to hold on tight to your belt. Others are simple bags like the one in this picture. I bought this pouch from Potomac Leather over ten years ago and have used the same one ever since! I call it a Mary Poppins pouch because it fits EVERYTHING. Here’s what I can fit in my pouch all at once:

• Water bottle (standard plastic bottle size - I don’t bring these anymore - see accessory #4)

• Car keys

• Wallet

• Phone

• Lip balm

• Festival map/brochure

• A sandwich bag of almonds

• A sandwich bag of grapes

I stuff everything into my one big pouch, but you can also buy a few smaller pouches to decorate your belt and reduce the need for digging through your bag.

4. Ceramic Bottle

Hydration is key. You’ll be walking around the festival in the summer sun and need to make sure you stay hydrated. A ceramic bottle gives you a costume-appropriate way to carry water with you and let’s you skip buying a disposable plastic water bottle at the festival. Plus, here’s a cool tip: Fill up your bottle and put it in the fridge overnight. Ceramic is a natural insulator so it’ll stay cold longer throughout the day. You can find my handmade ceramic bottles online or at the New York Renaissance Faire!

I hope this article helps you plan your festival costume! Is there anything already in your closet that you will use? What’s on your shopping list?