Skull Duggery

Recently, I have been trying to incorporate different elements into my jewelry designs. Yes, steampunk but also a Goth touch. So I've been researching skull and bone jewelry on the web. Not beads made from bones, but the bones themselves.

We've had this bird skull sitting on the windowsill for years and years. I decided to resin it onto a pendant piece and make a statement necklace out of it.

The scrolled backing is a Tim Holtz design. First, I cut out an oval from a page of an old book and attached it with resin to the back. I am using Lisa Pavelka's Magic-Glos. I love this product because it dries super clear, but, it is a) expensive and b) HAS to be cured in sunlight or under a black light. If you are doing a larger item it would make more sense to invest in an ICE Resin set up.

The resin will cure s-l-o-w-l-y under a fluorescent lamp and since the day I started it was overcast and really cool I put it directly under my Ott lamp to cure overnight. I suspended the piece over a small plastic box so it got plenty of air circulation and wouldn't get attached to anything it was laying on. I know some folks use packing tape but I guess I'm not doing it correctly since I've never had success with that technique. I checked it several times to make sure the first layer wasn't 'bowing' out.

Then resin a very thin layer on the front, THEN add your decoration. If I was doing this again I would fill the cranium of the skull with resin before setting it in the frame. Int his photo you can see into the eye socket and see the interior - the skull it pretty thin so the resin would support it well.

I tried to drip some into the cranium a bit at a time so I'll see if it was enough when the piece breaks or doesn't break!

I'll try and post a photo of the end result.

Check out this totally cool accessories from Author (and Blogger) Gail Carriger and her blog Retro Rack. Great idea for those of us who luv conventions!

Steampunk DYI Pocket Belt

I am just starting her new book "Etiquette & Espionage", which I'm sure I will enjoy as much as the Parasol Protectorate.

Thanks, Gail!!

The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted (acoustic)

Easy Peasey Men's Steampunk Shirt

My son needed new shirts for our various steampunk and Comic con adventures and now that he is 6'1", he's outgrown everything. So, here's a super simple way to alter a men's shirt to make it more 19th century.

We acquired two shirts (a Van Heuson and a Liz Clairborne) at a couple of thrift shops in Barnstable, Ma. One was an ecru/beige and one was a lovely tan weave. Both looked non-modern although we could have tea stained the tan one to make it even more authentic.

First step is to remove the collar from the band around the neck.

The Van Heuson it was fairly simple. Once I got the seam open a bit it clipped and ripped well. Make sure you always clip on the inside of the collar - in case you clip the fabric it won't show!

Now you have an open seam that is already folded and ready to sew.

I found the Clairborne shirt to be a bit of a pain to get started, the stitches were extremely tight and small. I had to work it so much I pinned the collar back together before sewing just so it wouldn't bunch up on one side.

After sewing, of course press, and then go!

Here are shirts in practice. Each boy is wearing a shirt, the middle teen is wearing a top hat, pants and vest we thrifted in Cape Cod. The left teen is wearing a thrifted bowler hat and a previous thrifted vest. The lady is wearing a purchsed hat with self made lace decoration and a owned bustier over her own clothes. Accessorize with derringers, pocket watches and goggles of course!

Vintage Thrift Steampunk Shopping in Cap Cod

We recently wanted to attend a steampunk gathering and I needed so new clothes for my son. He's now 6'1" and has outgrown most of what we've acquired for him.

Luckily we were in Hyannis recently and, if you are on the East coast, I can attest that Cape Cod has some of the best thrift store around. It's a challenge, since at almost every one we find something we have to purchase.

With my son's needs in mind we were able to find two men's button downs in appropriate ecru/tan colors, two pairs of dark pants (one lovely pair in pinstripes) and a fantastic button down vest.

In Hyannis itself we visited Plush and Plunder, a vintage store that is vintage without all the over priced hype we've seen elsewhere. This place has become our new destination shopping venue in Hyannis! We scored a men's top hat, a wool felt round top hat, a black crushed velvet fedora with a leopard print band (think Superfly!) and a pair of Durango boots in used but still good condition. And best of all since it was the "end of season" everything was 1/2 off. Woo woo!

Here's a photo from their website

The entire ceiling is lined with HATS!! Yahoo!

Onto how the clothes were (slightly) altered to steampunk status.

(Here's a link for Plush and Plunder.)

Finally!

 

Steampunk World's Fair 2013

The SPWF is in a few weeks and I'm starting to work on our costumes. My sister and I are thinking about going as a steampunked Wicked Witches of the East and West. There's a great hat tut here. This site gives the most complete step by step projects I have ever seen!

The hat is decorated with organza "dead" roses, the tut is here.

I've been practicing on some brown organza I had in my stash and am very pleased with he results.



Just be sure to not breathe in too many of the fumes! It's melted, burning plastic. Ick! And I couldn't believe how fast the fabric burned, I will NEVER were organza again without watching for candles! Shades of Mrs Havisham!

OK, so how do you know your husband loves you? When he gives you a gift - a mini anvil for your metalsmithing!

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Creepy.......

OK, I DARE you to find something creepier than this change purse. Go on, dig through the attic, call Grandma, look under the bed. No where will you ever find anything half as creepy as the Croc Change Purse from Hell (CCPFH).






Thirty three years ago I stay with my Grandma and her (older!) sister while Grammy was having chemo. Not fun, but I am glad I was there for her. Her sister Alice, at that time was around 95, almost blind and never the sharpest tack in the box, lived with her. Alice is well known in the family for having LOST a diamond parure (look it up) of which one ring remains. One huge, expensive diamond ring. Don't mug me, I don't have it (yet!).

One night Alice says she want to show me something. Since she is almost blind (and cheap to boot), she never turns on a light. I followed her into her bedroom, where under a 40 watt bulb she pulls out this clawed paw and begins to wave it at me! I swear I thought she was going to give me the evil eye.

As she tells the story, the family (at that time all women) would travel to Florida every winter, obtaining work as musicians in the large hotels. At the docks fishermen would bring in their loads to sell. The fishermen coming off the bayou, the Everglades, would bring alligators, which they would proceed to slaughter right on the dock as "entertainment" (gross!). The guys would sell trinkets as a sideline. Alice bought this "lovely" authentic souvenir. I have kept it all these years cause it is just so creepy and gross I've kind of come to love it. Go figure.