I've been cosplaying since December 2007... seems like so much longer than that!
I prefer crossplaying, the guys always have cooler costumes! But there are a few female characters I'm now working on.
I tend to stick to going to MCM Expos, since they're my favorite purely for the amount of faggotry and fun myself and my friends get upto. I can't afford/get the time off work for loads of cons, but I hope to go to Kitacon some time.
I sometimes hold cosplay meetups in Manchester, so keep an eye on my Deviant Art journal if you're interested in coming to one!