Shibaricon: The Afterglow

So I’m back from ShibariCon and while I had an amazing time the best part about it was that now I do not have any travel currently planned for the rest of June and July. Huzzah!

There are, however, some close runner-ups for “best things about Shibaricon 2008.” First would be I learned Master Z’s fantastic 12-point suspension rigging which is ideal for larger bodies and people who can’t have rope marks. A few of you “anything you want, Mistress” clients of mine are going to be cursing the name of Scott Smith, whose “Needles as Anchors” class taught me some really evil bondage that can be done with needles. (I’m also very pleased to report that when I commented during class about how I’ve done butterfly piercings (click for a poor example) using a surgical staple gun, Scott — a twisted, sadistic fuck in his own right — literally leaped from behind his presentation table and gamboled over to me in the audience to lift me above his head and gleefully proclaim, “I LOVE this lady!”

Sir C taught me some pretty hot hojojutsu moves … or at least I thought they were until I tried them on a 6′ ft. 5″ in. friend. Then I just felt silly. I also finally learned how to do the Two Knotty Boys’ crossed foot tie, seen on their home page and their Double Coin Knot (also known as a Carrick bend). Actually, I’d learned it a couple times before but this time I’m pretty sure it’s going to stick.

Of course I picked up some stuff too. Two 24 ft. skeins of fat, dark brown twisted cotton rope that I have no idea what I’ll do with but it was just so pretty — like a soft, fat baby — that I had to get it. And I was fascinated by the potential of the flat, woven hemp — like rope tape — that I got 100 ft. of it. (At the evening play parties, I saw Mistress Yin use hers as head bondage and loved the feelings of objectification it inspired, seeing that head haphazardly wrapped in strips and folds.)

A few of us left the rope world for an excursion downtown to the International Mr. Leather (IML) convention. As we rode the escalators down to the vendor’s bazaar, the scent of leather wafted up toward us, like fresh baked goods. I ran my nails across the rubber skin of a boy in bondage; gawked at another fellow’s large, pale pucker as he lounged on a bondage sling, inviting stares; and talked with a couple of guys about the pros and cons of the Ass Lock Cock Ball I’d been coveting, concluding that perhaps it wasn’t the right piece for my needs after all.

On the other hand, I fell in love with the gorgeous inventions at Scott Paul Designs, particularly his Click-a-Cuff bondage system and his unique gags and blindfolds. While I managed to restrain myself from buying the collection, I just had to walk away with something so I picked up his Cruel Condom. Oh boy! Also, I found a really fantastic double thick, elk flogger from Heartwood that swings flawlessly and is just the thuddy-thump I needed in my flogger lineup.

So that’s all the top-level detail, but there’s lots of other stuff I’m still percolating and will share in the days to come. Needless to say, I’m now counting the days til Shibaricon 2009.