Embellish this!

the plain "before"

The other day while randomly shopping, I scored this cute bag on sale at Target. It was sort of steam-punky, and I've been looking for a new purse.

My last attempt to leave my current purse was too small, so I returned to the heavy tank of a purse my mom got me. Its shiny and black and Coach. I usually feel very "wrong" when the purse is worth more than anything inside of it. Plus its a heavy purse.

This messenger bag is a bit more "me."

The day I went to move into the bad I realized it needed something. It needed to be embellished, but I wasn't sure with what. Of course being steam-punk oriented I thought gears, then immediately chucked the gears and thought tentacles.

it was another few days before I managed to  add those tentacles. Also I decided to just go with a sharpie marker. They are fabric permanent, and its not like Im going to be washing this much, if at all.

the front of the bag

the side, I felt like drawing a jelly fish, I know not terribly steam punk, but fun none the less 

the back

Its been so long since I decorated a piece like this, I forgot how nice it is to customize your stuff. Just because you purchased it not with the intent to embellish, does not mean you can't embellish it and make it yours.

Steam Punk

More random notes from that random notebook. A few years ago I was interviewed to explain what Steam Punk was. This was JUST before all the books hit the shelves. I mean within weeks. From my notes it looks like I was starting to gather some resources, and possibly come up with a book on my own, or more likely just write an actual article.
Probably just as well that I did not.

But, I really don't want those notes to go to waste so......my notes, a bit cleaned up

Steam Punk is a genre that has been around for quite a while. The name however, was coined in the 1990s by K. W. Jeter to label a type of Victorian-era futurism.

Stylistically its very big in video games and anime and manga.

Why is it all of a sudden popular? Popular culture takes time to catch up with trends in sub-cultures. Steam punk even has some of its own sub culture groupings:
clock punk, diesel punk, goth
Diesel punk is like Steam punk, but with more of a 1920's Art Deco type of origins as opposed to Victorian era origins.

The look in crafts relies heavily on gears and watch parts.
Brass filigree stamps, the combination of industrial and lacy.

Think vintage science fiction, fantasy mechanics, vacuum tubes, dirigibles, steam power, gears and cog wheels

Who has components: CFOriginals.com, jewelrylessons.com, hardware store, Tim Holtz (ok that was then now you can get Lisa Pavelka gears at Hobby Lobby).

That cell phone: waay cool, but cell phones are not steam punk. Any way found that image from this blog post http://justtenbooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/ten-steampunk-books.html
Which is great because my book list was a bit shorter-all books on my list are on this list, I just didn't have as many. Of course NOW there are a ton!

My TV and movies list however was a bit more fleshed out.
Movies:
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Around the World in 80 Days (specifically the one with Jackie Chan)
Wild Wild West
Van Helsing
Hellboy
Young Sherlock Holmes
Brazil
Steam Boy
Atlantis (Disney animated)

TV shows
Wild Wild West
Brisco Country Jr
Secret Adventure of Jules Vern (which I LOVED)

Hell is a hockey town!

Well, maybe not, but....
The other day I was wondering around Hobby Lobby, just cause. I had no intension of buying anything, I was just killing time will the girls were across the street at sewing class.
As I turned down the clay isle, my intension was to look at the resin molds. Im having a difficult time finding nice dimple free wells to use with resin--I've had to send 2 back to Firemountain already--no nipples on my molds thankyouverymuch (especially since these arent nipple molds!)
Then I saw it...
just a little pack of gears and bits from Lisa Pavelka
in the store!

I usually snag these findings from Christie Freisen, or other online sources, or demolish watches myself.
But I have never seen them available in a local store.

And Hobby Lobby to boot!

And I m thrilled I can get steampunk elements commercially, No I don't think its a sell out I think its wonderful, I can finally get my fingers on this stuff, after years of drooling over it!
yyay!

Here are some links to aquiring steampunk gears for use in crafts, if your local Hobby Lobby does not carry them:

https://www.lisapavelka.com/Findings-Mountings.asp
http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H201325AS
http://store.cforiginals.net/libagostgo.html
and lots of options of etsy
http://www.etsy.com/search/supplies?ref=auto&q=steampunk+gears+parts

I love this line of papers for scrapbooking!

Steampunk debutante by Graphic 45

Of course my brain is not limiting the uses to scrap booking alone!

Discussing Steampunk

Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

I will be discussing Steampunk with Mitzi on Bead Java Saturday August 15, 9 pm central. On Blogtalkradio

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Bead-Java/2009/08/16/Bead-Java-Your-Hot-Forum-For-Hand-Crafted-Jewelry

I fell in love with sea horses last year. We did a day trip to the Chattanooga aquarium, they had an exhibit of sea horses and sea dragons.
I was amazed. they are so beautiful!
I spent at least the next month drawing them. Im actually surprised I didnt make hundreds of little polymer ones.
I even found a wire artists who makes some wonderful little ones.


Seahorse by pippijewelry.etsy.com








I also learned from her site, that they a caught live and left under heat lamps to dry out. to be put in all those curio things. That makes me sad. i think I may have some from a craft store. i got them when i thought they were nifty, but i didnt et any after last years adventure. Im glad, because that treatment makes me sad. Anyway these can be quite tiny up to quite large.
I could watch them all day. Their variation in colors was glorious.

I am taking a polymer clay clay with christi Friesen. its on-line (I love on line learning but thats another story). The class is steam punk gryphons. I have been wondering how to incorporate steam punk into polymer for a bit now. Well as soon as the class got started I started seeing how to incorporate steam punk in other things. I made a great dragon fly--at least I like him, and this sea horse. Both figures are large, and not jewelry size. i will need to figure out what to do with them.
The next challenge will be to make a sea horse small enough to wear, and a steam punk octopus!

Heres anpother cute little sea horse by urbanwoodswalker.etsy.com


















and a cute almost steam punk octopus by societysedso.etsy.com

Art Cards

4 ACEO
Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

Im not a big art card maker. But I do try, and they are this months challenge in PCAGOE, and I do try to participate in the ones that are a challenge to me. I find the challenges help push me out of my comfort zone, making it larger.
So, I made art cards.
The top winged heart, and the filagree heart under that one both burned. I was bummed. later I decided to white wash them, instead of doiing a darker antiquing the way I usually do. I must say i was surprized. The white wash gave the cards a nice shabby chic look.
The mica powdered covered heart was my next attempt. Its not finished. It may never be finished. See all those lumps and bumps? Well, it boiled up during the curing process. I guess my toaster oven in the garage in the middle of winter is not such a good idea, it obviously could not maintain a constant temp, and most likely had temp spikes. Oh well. The hubby said sell it anyway no one will know. Doink--I will! He can be kinda thick sometiimes!
The last one is my attempt at steam punk. I think it turned out a bit more industrial than steam punk, but Im on my way. It is the card I selected as my entry piece for the challenge.

The challenge will be up and available for voting next week at http://www.pcagoe.com