CLARE KRAMER
THISTLE, HEATHROW - CON
24th JUNE - 26th JUNE 2005

She remembered me...

This woman will never ever stop amazing me. I'm serious. I should start off with when I first saw her. It was after I had been in the autograph session on Friday, I had talked a bit to the girl on door duty, as I remember how long and boring that duty was at Fusion and I went to see if I could find my friends and I walked by a group of people, stopped, looked to my side and there Clare stood. She saw me, said hi and pulled me into a hug. I asked her if she had gotten the drawing, I had sent it with one of the staff since she wasn't doing an autograph session this year and I dobted that I'd run into her, which obviously I did.

She told me she hadn't yet, but it was in her hotel waiting for her and she thanked me allready then. Someone else started talking about artwork then and Clare told the woman that she should see mine. I was really in awe. I told Clare all the things that I had been wanting to say to her for the past year, like how thankfull I was for the way she was to me at Fusion. How she really helped my self-esteem. Because I'm the type of person who feels that unless I say something first noone will notice me, unless I make myself noticeable nobody will ever know I was there. And Clare told me I should feel that way, that I was a really pretty girl (I still have a hard time believing it, but it was really nice to hear it). And then she told me that she too once had felt like a wallflower cause she had been really shy, something that really amazed her, cause she's so outwards and chatty with everyone now.

I also got to ask her about this thing I wanted to do in the photo-session, that my best pal's favourite villain was Glory and I wanted to surprise him with something special in a birthday present and I had originally planned on getting her autograph to him, but as she wasn't doing one, I had come up with plan B; to bring a "Happy Birthday" banner with me to the session, buy an extra photo-ticket and have one of them be with me and her, holding up the banner. Clare told me she'd love to do it, "especially for you" was her exact words.

When the photo session came, I had been tipped to go far back in the queue, so that I didn't take of anyone else's time when I brought forth the banner. Clare was really enthusiastic over it and the photo turned out great, she had drawn a small birthday cake with "Happy Birthday" written in it, my pal loved it :) And then we had our photo for me done and Clare pulled me into a tight hug in it.

I bumped into her more than once that weekend, and when I did, she hugged me :) I also got to whitness when they had pursuayed her to do a Techila shot, with her hands on her back. I felt so much sympathy towards her, when I saw her expression as she took the shot.

Before the closing ceremony they held a raffle and the very last price was won by badge number 200, which was me, so I got up to collect my price and Clare exclaimed in the mic "Oh, it's Illyria who won". And then after the closing ceremony, right before the stewards end ceremony was to start I went over to Clare, just like I had done at Fusion and I said that I didn't know if I were seeing her any more that evening, so I really wanted to say a proper goodbye. She asked me if I was coming to any more cons and I told her that I was booked for Not Fade Away.

I was also made a Jedi-chef apprentice, and I bumped into Clare one more time and I told her I had been made an apprentice and she said "Yeah, I saw" :)

I really hope to see her at Not Fade Away, cause I can't imagine a Starfury convention without her. I really love this woman, she made both my convention experiences special and I am really gratefull for that.


PICTURES FROM THE CONVENTION

Clare:

Amy, Clare:

Andy, Clare:

Jenny, Sarah, Clare:

Sarah, Clare: