Ok, so I've gotten my mod to the point where I'm willing to release version 1 to the world on Steam Workshop. But for some reason, the game keeps trying to have me make an Archive and then fails to make one, and won't upload the mod. I don't see why it would need one though; there is nothing non-basic about this mod. It is simply a set of NPC followers all using in-game items and assets, with a couple of specially enchanted armor pieces for 2 of them. No special textures, voices (yet) or anything else.

My only thought is that because my I have special textures/item re-skins installed from other mods, that it is trying to make upload those as well causing it to want to make a BSA.

Is there any way around this or am I stuck?

For me the way that Workshop works is a complete mistery. I've only been able of uploading one of my mods, the most simple one, a mod that only has an esp file and nothing else. Every time I try to upload mods with a BSA the following happens:
* the CK creates the BSA in the Skyrim root folder instead of the Data folder.. It also says that the creation process has failed but it hasn't, what it has done is creating the file in the wrong place.
* I move the bsa file to the Data folder (I've tried the process copying also a .bsl file that is created by the CK. I don't know what the bsl file is, but it makes no difference)
* I try to upload the mod to Steam workshop, fill all the details, and so on.
* The CK says "Failed to write to the cloud", creates a .ckm file (I don't know what that is, either), but doesn't upload anything

It doesn't matter how many times I try it. It never works. And it is not a problem of the filse size as according to the CK it is small enough

I have only put my stuff up on Skyrim Nexus so far... mainly because of what you two are describing. The Steam thing doesn't really give you many options or controls, so I have no idea what it is doing.

One this for sure... don't use the Create Archive in the CK. It misses things all the time. Load their Archive tool directly make the BSA yourself. There's an http://creationkitadventures.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/how-to-package-a-bsa-archive-for-skyrim/ on how to do this if it looks too daunting.