Friday Finds: Airship Art, Part II

"Wingship" by Dean Morrissey, originally seen on the cover of Dragon #91, November 1984

Imperial Airship Chinese by James Ng (You can buy the print of this and other of his designs at that link.)

Steampunk Airship by Bob Barry

Airship by Tuomas Korpi

Fishing Trip by Julianna Menna

The City of Alkon by Ditlev

Book Review: Steampunk Style by Steampunk Oriental Laboratory

Steampunk Style: The Complete Illustrated Guide For Contrators, Gizmologists and Primocogglers Everywhere  by Steampunk Oriental Laboratory

I will admit that the highlight of my week so far was getting a review copy of this brand new Steampunk Art and DIY book in the mail.

This book is actually a reprint of a book first published in Japan.  It was originally written for a Japanese audience and all the contributors are Japanese artists.  As such, it's not the same things I've seen before from English speaking steampunks.

This book, first of all, is gorgeous.  The first half of the book is just steampunk porn.  It's nothing but pages and pages of fantastically photographed works of steampunk art.  As all the artists are Japanese, these weren't steampunk pieces I'd seen before, pretty much at all.  (Which surprises me.  I look at LOT of pictures of steampunk stuff online, but I didn't recognize anything.)

Most of the works featured would fall into the category of sculpture or objets d'art.  But there are some cosplay pieces, goggles, and (my personal favorite) the amazing watch creations of Haruo Suekichi.  All of it is pretty and impressive, and some of it is mind-blowing in its intricacy and beauty.  These are not the same old steampunk creations you've seen in every Buzzfeed article on the subject.

The second half of the book is where my real interest lies, however.  In this half, the artists featured in the first half share DIY techniques they use to make their pieces.  As you might expect, since these are very accomplished artists, the techniques are a bit advanced.  This is not a beginner's guide, but something for the serious maker.

The guides will show you everything from how to cut shaped brass bits with etching solution, to how to machine a watch from scratch (except for the movement), to how to make realistic looking armor from foam.  I'm impressed by the variety and depth of the information given.  It's not every artist who shows you exactly how they make things.

There are some problems with the tutorials.  They are fairly brief and not particularly detailed.  Every step is covered, but not much is explained.  Also, because the book was written for a Japanese market, some of the information may not apply in other locations.  Certainly the parts about where to buy supplies will not apply, as well as what some of the materials are called.  The translation seems to be very good, but it's not a localization, so it may be difficult to source some of the things mentioned.

Basically, this is a guide for advanced users.  Many of the tutorials assume familiarity with materials and access to and knowledge of a good number of tools. But not everything here is strictly advanced. There is a section on Steampunk Home Decor that includes some nice ideas for upgrading your environment.  There's a lovely tutorial on painting faux wood grain on plastic, for example.  And all the information you need to recover books to look like gorgeous leather bound and gold stamped editions.  But most of the projects are involved rather than quick and easy.

And that's ok.  There is room for an advanced steampunk book in the market.  What I have taken away from reading this book is a large amount of inspiration.  Whether or not I ever follow any of the tutorials in the book, seeing how people make some incredible objects is incredibly inspiring.  And I have a feeling I may pick this book up when I want to borrow some small technique from one of the projects, like some of the metal joining from the watch tutorial.  Plus, did I mention it's a really pretty book?  Put it on your coffee table and your steampunk friends won't be able to put it down.

Tutorial: Modern Boots Into Victorian Evening Boots

Ok, y'all.  This post has been coming for a long time.  I had the idea to do this YEARS ago and have been meaning to experiment and create this tutorial for at least a year.  I finally got around to it, so here you go!






























The initial idea was inspired by the following images of historical footwear.

(L to R: Unknown source, 1918 Evening Boots, 1922 Russian Evening Boots)

The photo on the left was the first to catch my eye, and I thought it would be pretty simple to cut a pair of boots in that shape and fold the tips back and stitch them down to form the loops you see there.  Then I saw the two other examples and thought, hey, it would be way easier to just cut some rounded finger shapes and put an eyelet in each of them.

I did initially intend to try both techniques, but realized that since the inside of my boots was suede, if I folded the tips of the fingers back to make loops, they would be suede and not look very nice.  So if anyone wants to try that method, please let me know how it goes.

So this is something you can try with any old pair of boots that might be sitting in the back of your closet.  Obviously if they have a heel, especially a Victorian shaped heel they are going to look more period, but this is steampunk, use what you have.

These are what I had in my closet:

They're a pair of Nine West boots I bought in 1995 to attend the David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails concert in Austin.  They took me to a lot of rock shows back in the day and I've kept them for the memories.  Unfortunately they are pretty trashed, with several lacing hooks broken, eyelets missing, and the interior is in bad shape.  I never intended to wear them again, but I figure at least making them pretty again is an appropriate send off.

When choosing your boots, try for real leather, because often faux leather has weird materials on the inside which will not look finished if you just cut it.  There are exceptions, so you just have to be careful with boots that aren't real leather.



Materials:
-Old/thrifted/cheap boots
-pencil or pen that will mark on boots (preferable which can be removed)
-Sharp scissors/shears
-small eyelets or grommets
-ribbon or laces

Friday Finds: My Favorite Small Steampunk Guns

Well I did Really Big Guns, it's time for little guns!

The Bunny, a Steampunk Garter Pistol - This instructable shows how this tiny gun was made.

 I love this stylish glass and brass raygun by Lawrence Northey.

   The H.G. Wells Tesla gun by Nerfenstein

The Clockwork Vapouriser by Rubbertoe Replicas  -Guns don't get much more gorgeous than this.

This is a lovely and unique gun made from old camera and radio parts.  Check out the progress photos here.

Upcoming Events for Steam Ingenious

Obviously there are lots and lots of steampunk events out there, and which ones you attend is going to depend on your location and means.  I'm limited to events in Texas mostly, due to travel and financial concerns.  But luckily, 2014 is looking to be a great year for steampunk in Texas.

Here is what I'm looking forward to attending this year (I'm sure there will be additions and changes to this list as the year progresses.)

First, it's a small event, but I'm hoping to make it to Sherwood Forest Faire this coming weekend for the unofficial Steampunk Invasion weekend.  I love this faire, and it's pretty local for me.  But my back is acting up, so it depends how I feel.

Twisted Gears is a one day mini-con held on the University of Houston campus on Saturday March 1st..  I attended and vended the previous Twisted Gears in 2012 (there wasn't one in 2013 due to space availability) and it was a good time and great chance to meet and socialize with local steampunks.  The panels they have lined up sound really great.  I'll be sitting in on the corset panel and vending this event.

Comicpalooza in Houston on May 23-26th is a huge general con.  I'll be vending it again this year.  They won't have as much steampunk programming as they did yesterday with the large steampunk ball, but Frenchy and the Punk are returning and other events have yet to be announced.

Steampunk Invasion - This con has just been announced for the Dallas area on September 13-14th and there's not a huge amount of info on it right now, but I know several people behind it and I expect it to be awesome.

Weird West Fest - September 20th, Giddings, TX - I don't know yet whether I will be attending this event due to its closeness in date to Steampunk Invasion (because I'm limited by my disability).

Aetherfest III  Texas' oldest steampunk convention returns to San Antonio on November 21-23, 2014. I have attended both the previous Aetherfests and it's a great con.  This year will be in a different historic hotel (that hopefully has better air conditioning than the last site) and it's still early, but I'm excited.

Book Review / Preview: Steampunk for Simpletons

I mentioned before that some of my tutorials will be in the upcoming book Steampunk for Simpletons.  I also volunteered as a beta reader for the book and so I got to read the beta version and was given permission to review it here.  Obviously I have a vested (non-monetary) interest in promoting this book, since my work appears in it, but, well, I think you guys know I wouldn't lie about it in a review.

So, what exactly IS Steampunk for Simpletons?  The goal behind the book is to be a complete guide to steampunk, aimed at someone new to the subculture.  There is a big need for such a book, actually.  I constantly meet people who are interested in steampunk but don't know where to begin.  Many have questions that they are ashamed to ask or don't know how to find the answer.

And let's face it, steampunk is hard to pin down.  It's an aesthetic, a literary genre, a fandom, an alternative subculture...  Steampunk is everywhere, but it differs not only from region to region but individual to individual.  It can be really overwhelming for a newbie to really come to grips with what steampunk is and what is out there.

I'm very impressed with what Wendy L. Callahan and Travis I. Sivart have done with this book.  I haven't read all the books out there on steampunk, but I'm familiar with most of them and I don't think anyone else has come this close to creating the definitive guide to steampunk as a culture.  If you want to get involved in steampunk, but feel overwhelmed or unsure of yourself, this is the book for you.

They start by defining steampunk in a few different ways and presenting some of the history of the genre and basic information it's important to know about the Victorian period and Victorian science fiction.  Then they basically take the reader through a "how to be a steampunk" course covering clothing, persona, crafting, and attending events.

The second part of the book covers "Steampunk Arts" and introduces the reader to examples and types of steampunk music, art, movies, games, and books.  There's also discussion of communities, both online and offline, in the US and worldwide.

Throughout the book there are short pieces written by various notable steampunks on various topics.  And finally, there is a section of DIY tutorials with 12 steps or less.  That's the only part of the book I haven't seen, aside from my own two contributions.  But from the Table of Contents, there are 14 of these DIY entries and they sound good from the titles.

Above and beyond pure content, I love the attitude of this book.  The authors stress over and over again that there is no one "right" way to do steampunk and you should avoid (I believe their words were "run away quickly") from anyone who tries to tell you that you're doing it wrong.  They really capture the great things about the steampunk spirit and the community at its best.  I found myself reading with a grin on my face as I recognized things I've witnessed in the community and vigorously agreed with pretty much everything they said.   Readers of this blog should have a similar experience.

Honestly, I can't recommend this book enough.  ESPECIALLY for anyone who is just getting into steampunk.  This book will make you more knowledgeable about the history of steampunk and the community as it exists now than most steampunks out there.  It should give anyone the confidence to walk into a steampunk gathering without being afraid they will commit some horrible faux pas.  (Generally, there aren't a bunch of rules anyway, so long as you act like a decent human being, but it's something people worry about.)

For more experienced steampunks, I still recommend giving this a read.  I think there's probably something in here that most steampunks aren't aware of, or which may give them a different perspective on things.  I loved finding out that although there are regional differences steampunks are still steampunks everywhere and certain behaviors come through.  (We DO drink a lot.  And offer each other weird alcoholic beverages from flasks and mysterious bottles.  We WILL stop for photos pretty much instantaneously.)  I also found a lot of the information about steampunk in other countries fascinating and learned a lot.

In short, you should all go support the Kickstarter, which is still running until Feb 20th, and get yourselves a copy!  (Plus, they are really close to funding more art for the chapters, which would be awesome.)

Friday Finds : More Modcloth Designs and a Contest

Before we get to the finds, I want to mention that Modcloth is having a design contest in which you can design your own print for one of their clothing pieces.  I'd love to see some steampunk designs in the contest.  Details are at the bottom of this post.




Castle Party Vest - It's not often I look at a clothing item by a mainsteam fashion store and think: that looks like a steampunk-specific costume piece.  Plus, I actually think it's a nice piece that would work with a variety of outfits.

 Step Back in Time Socks - These are too cute, right?

 
Festooned for Festivities Hair Pins - These hair pins are connected by chains, which would be perfect for a steampunk hairstyle!  This is also a possible DIY idea.

 Flair-y Tale Boot - This is a gorgeous midnight blue boot perfect for steampunk.











ModCloth Make The Cut Contest: 'Prints Charming' Have you always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer? Well now that dream can come true! The ModClothMake The Cut program is a recurring design contest that invites the ModCloth Community to design garments, graphics, or fabric prints. Its main purpose is to further their mission of democratizing fashion by producing clothing designed by community members. YOU can become a designer at ModCloth!


How does the contest work?Entrants will design a new print for a private label dress silhouette that is already being produced! Contestants have two weeks to submit designs. After the submission period, the ModCloth Creative Team will narrow down the submissions to 20, which will be sent to the guest judge, Amanda Needham, Costume Designer for Portlandia. After Amanda has chosen the 10 finalists, they will be posted on the Be The Buyer page for voting. There will be a week for the Community to vote, then ModCloth will contact the winner and update the contest announcement with the big news!

• Contest is Live Now!
• End of Submission Period: Friday 02/14/14
• Launch voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/03/14
• End voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/10/14
• Winner announced on ModCloth Blog (winner will be contacted personally): Wednesday 3/12/14

Send your entry in now and good luck!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Book Review: Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

Third Daughter (The Dharian Affairs, Book One) by Susan Kaye Quinn

(This was a review request.  I received an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.)

So I'll be honest.  Every time I'm contacted by an author with a request to review their book, I'm both excited and a little scared.  Because I never know what I'm getting into.  There are some bad books out there, and I've seen them.

So understand how THRILLED I was to start reading this one and discover that it was really, really enjoyable.  Before I get into the details of the book, I just want to get it out there: I REALLY loved this book and read it in less than 24 hours.

Third Daughter is a steampunk fantasy romance set in an world that is definitely not our Earth.  It does, however, resemble India rather a lot.  The whole of the story is set in this alternate fantasy Not!India, which sets it apart from the majority of steampunk novels out there.  If I have any quibble with the book, it's that it took me a long time to really feel like I understood where I was and how the different fictional countries related to each other.  I wasn't sure how much this world was supposed to reflect the real world.  Eventually I just kinda gave up, relaxed, and went with it, but a little more explanatory detail or a map at the beginning would have been lovely.

The protagonist is Aniri, third daughter of the Queen of Dharia.  She is the somewhat typical rebellious young female heroine: climbing out of her room to meet her lover, more interested in fencing than court intrigue.  She's just waiting for her 18th birthday and her chance to escape her mother's palace.  Until she's pulled into peace negotiations with a neighboring barbarian kingdom that include her marriage to the heir to the throne.  Determined not to become political bride, she sets out to spy for her country and create peace.

This is an adventure/steampunk/romance that really gets the proportions of its mixture right.  Though the plot set-up may sound like typical romance novel fare, romance is actually the smallest component of the book.  Most of it is delightful spy/undercover agent shenanigans with a steampunk flair.  Because this isn't traditional India.  It's advanced-steam-and-clockwork-technology-Fantasy-India! I hope that sounds like fun because it is.  There's plenty of swordfighting in corsets and swinging from ropes on airships and nearly being assassinated.

The characters are excellently drawn as well.  Aniri is lovably flawed and insecure while being inclined to said swordfights and corsets.  Her love interests become more interesting the more time you spend with them, and the supporting characters stand out in their well-developed personalities.

Basically, this is a really well-written book, and if it's your kind of thing at all, you should go read it.  Right now the Kindle version is only $3.99, which is a STEAL.  I'm eagerly awaiting the promised sequels.

Steampunk Accessory: Cockade Pin

Once you have a basic steampunk outfit put together, the fun doesn't stop.  Now you have to keep ADDING to it!  A steampunk outfit is never complete.

One way to add some flair to a hat or jacket lapel is with a cockade pin.  A cockade is "a rosette or knot of ribbons worn in a hat as a badge of office or party, or as part of a livery", google informs me.   It's what all the rebels in Les Mis are wearing.  So, yes, for story purposes it can be a sign of affiliation with a party or group.   (I've suddenly had the horrifying thought of steampunk political parties and now I want to forget that idea.)

But they can just be decorative for our purposes.  You can make them from ribbon or fabric scraps, although I've found ribbon is easier and gives a neater look.  Making these is not too difficult, as you are mostly just pleating the ribbon in a circle and hand-stitching your pleats in place.   If you're a perfectionist it's a little more tricky to get all your pleats equal.  Luckily, I'm not.

I made this one from the Idle Hands
 tutorial.

I've made a few of these.  My most recent ones were inspired by the tutorial on making a Hat Cockade in the book Steampunk Accessories by Nicola Tedman and Sarah Skeate. 

But there are a bunch of online tutorials, too.  American Duchess has a nice one  for those a bit more OCD than me.  Idle Hands has a detailed tutorial to make a really stunning and more elaborate cockade.  Here's another tutorial, and one using bits of cut ribbon.

Whichever tutorial you use, it's easy to add some steam to these by adding clock parts or other steamy objects to the center.  I also added various feathers to some of them.  For the pin on the back, I just used a giant safety pin because I wanted something that was strong enough and large enough to pin to a hat and be changed out as desired.  So I used ribbon and hot glue to attach pins to the back.

With different types of materials and multiple layers you can really customize these a lot.  I need to get some more ribbon to keep working on these.  Although I'd like to find a cool way to reuse fabric scraps and have it look nice.








Have any of you made cockades or worn them on your outfits?