Colored bubble etiquette?

[Sunshine]

I have some really neat blue bubbles from Zubbles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubbles) that I'd like to take along to the faire. I'm sure kids would get a kick out of them, and colored bubbles are unique enough to pass off as a bit of faerie magic.

They don't stain. In fact, if you just leave any splashes of color from popped bubbles alone for a couple minutes they disappear entirely, though you might have a bit of soap residue left if the bubble was big enough. I've tested this out myself, and it's remarkable to watch the color vanish. But for the few minutes before it goes away, it looks like an ink stain that I'm sure many a parent would be unhappy about.

Do you think I could still bring my colored bubbles, perhaps with an accompanying warning for any nearby children? Or is it better to leave them at home?

Note: I know Crayola also makes colored bubbles, but they aren't the same as Zubbles and actually do stain sometimes (despite Crayola's labeling), so there's that to consider too.

[DonaCatalina]

The heck with parents being unhappy. If I thought someone left an ink stain on my silk skirts I would be livid.
I'm not sure this is something you want to risk.

[Serenity]

^^ This ^^

Don't you dare come near my silks, satins and velvets with anything that is colored like that!  Even if it doesn't stain, would you really want to incur the wrath of a woman or man who spent days, weeks, even months, on their garb who believes for the few minutes it remains that you have ruined their work?  I certainly wouldn't want to even take that chance if I were you.

[LadyFae]

As much as bubbles are wonderful and colored bubbles are even better, I don't think that around the general population at Faire is the best place for them just because garb is so easy to stain, even if they are "stainless" bubbles (THANK YOU for finding an alternative to Crayola's!)  If you were to bring them I would say be absolutely positive that you are in an out of the way, kid friendly area and make sure that you talk to the parents before allowing the kids to play with them.  I do allow my girls to play with bubbles at Faire but only when we are not in our Noble garb- the peasant and pirate and fairy garb can get as bubbley as they want!  I make sure that they never blow them towards people and most of the people that have the bubbles available keep them in out of the way areas.  I know on one particularily windy day the bubble people had a "bubble catcher" to corral wayword bubbles- the person acted like he was catching fairies and would be confused when they "disappeared" from his net.  =)   Sorry, does my rambling make any sense?  LOL! 

[BubbleWright]

Perhaps I should weigh in on this topic. I have been making bubble machines since 1983, originally as a means of showing what the ground winds were doing while flying kites. Over the years I have made machines that make a blizzard of bubbles (15 gallons in one day), machines that make giant bubbles (The Ephemeral Sculpture Machine), and for RenFaires, the Renaissance Bubble Machine. For a number of years I was the moderator of a Yahoo Group called "SoapBubbleFanciers", which has accumulated a vast amount of soap bubble knowledge from bubble makers all over the world. Early on in my bubbling career I learned that even regular store bought bubble soap will stain fabric (kites, clothes, what have you). I always made a point of setting up away from vendors of any kind, away from food venues, away from entertainment stages, and away from any terrain where children running after bubbles might come to harm (cliffs, large bodies of water, Interstate highways, etc.). Plus it is always important to keep a close watch on the nippers for pointy things such as wood/plastic swords, sticks, and umbrellas ("You'll poke someone's eye out!"). Sooooo.... I wouldn't recommend colored bubbles unless you are in an area that is far removed from the Faire mainstream and set aside for such activities. Keep an eye on where your bubbles are traveling... remember, bubbles go with the wind and you would be surprised at how far that can travel, particularly on a high humidity day. Lady Fae has a great idea in having a "bubble catcher". ...The Bubble Wright

My FLICKR Page Bubble Machine Set- http://www.flickr.com/photos/28247229@N02/sets/72157626185772355/

Blog Entry about my bubbles- http://kendrickhang.com/2007/04/04/kite-festival-photos-bubble-machine/

[Sunshine]

And this is why I asked here. Where else are you going to find a Bubblewright to answer all your bubble-related questions?

I think I'll take them along, but only bring them out if the area's quite clear and anyone nearby is properly warned. At DMRF, that would usually be near the end of the day when it's not very crowded. The bubbles don't fly nearly as far as regular bubbles, so a designated catcher shouldn't have to work too hard. I can use my own sleeves, even, and show off the "magic."

I love that pictures of the bubbles with the kites!

[Rowan MacD]

   Sorry Sunshine, Looks like you had your heart set on the colored bubbles; but I have to agree with the rest of the ladies....If you are wearing noble garb, (particularly in light colors and silk, they're right up there with the dreaded glitterbombs.
  The best policy is to treat the nobles with the same care as you would someone in an expensive party dress.   You won't find them participating in the mud show, or within range of the washer wenches; those shows have disclaimers explaining the risk of getting wet/dirty for a reason.
    The Nobles stand in the far, far back.

  Our faeries have bubbles, and leave buckets of bubble stuff and wands around the Children's' Glenn.  We know this, and enter at our own risk. I would recommend you use your bubbles there, and only there.  No one will blame you if they get winged by them.   
  Having experimented with a few of the top products with the help of my 4 year old grandson ,  I can tell you that even the 'regular' bubble stuff will leave marks (albeit faint ones) on any fabric.         
  When wet, the fluid also attracts dust, and the soap will make the dirt stick to fabric, walls and floors.
  While it does wash out of most fabrics, most of the noble stuff is are dry clean only.  That means we will have to hand sponge the spot and (if we're lucky) hope it won't make the problem worse.