Tag Archives: Steampunk

Wild Olive Stitch Swap 2012

24 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Embroidery, Gifts

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Back in February Mollie at Wild Olive announced that she’d be hosting a stitch swap that would run the month of March. I submitted my name, interests, and favourite colours. Someone, some place in the world has my name and will be sending me a little bit of handmade goodness by March 31st.

My stitchee indicated what she likes, and I then set out to create that for her. My first attempt was pretty bad, but I’m happy with what I finally created. I found a picture of a cephalopod that looked like it would be fun to stitch. I threw in the pencil-thin moustache last, and I think it makes it perfect.

I’ve decided that his name is Cuthbert Smythe-Jones, III,
and he’s quiet the ladies, uh, octopus.

Per the instructions, he’s stitched within a 4″ hoop. I added a couple of extras that I made that I hope my stitchee will like.

All items will go out into the mail on Monday.

Casting Resin

18 Wednesday Aug 2010

Posted by in Craft

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I pulled out my resin casting supplies to make some steampunk pins that I hope to sell. I decided to use the stinky stuff in the metal tin where you add a small amount of hardener instead of the odorless kind because it seems to set up better. I’m feeling a little loopy from the fumes!

When I cast resin I like to create three layers. The first is the basic layer on which the parts will rest. The second is poured after I lay down my pieces, and the last is to close it all in. The first and second layers are always clear, while I’ll sometimes color the third layer. Amber is my favorite third layer color for steampunk pieces.

I also tried out Dimensional Magic by Mod Podge. It seems to be similar to a resin product, only there’s no mixing, no smell, and it’s an easy applicator. I’m still waiting for it to harden. I didn’t read the directions thoroughly and shook it quite vigorously. Mistake! I had several air bubbles that were hard to get out (they wouldn’t pop with a pin).

The first few pictures are the steampunk pins I’m making. I love sifting through all of my spare watch parts to find the right pieces then matching those up with bits of wire. I’m also partial to the oval mold because I think it gives the finished piece a more classy look.

The last picture is the projects I’m making with the Dimensional Magic. I picked up the jewelry parts at Hobby Lobby, and they were quite inexpensive.

I again typed this post out only iPhone, which is quite handy. I don’t have to mess with uploading photos to my computer.

What We’re Working On

11 Friday Jun 2010

Posted by in Craft, Summerfield Zoo

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Your Craft Assassins are hard at work making all kinds of crafty goodness!  Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere, IL, which you know we’re CRAZY about, checked out our website and really liked what they saw.  They asked if we’d make some stuff to sell in their gift shop, and we said, “Heck Yeah!”  Amy’s been hard at work casting resin to make bottle cap magnets that feature the animals at the Zoo.  Todd helped to spray paint the bottle caps he’s been collecting at work for a project just like this, then Amy re-sized and printed out pictures of the animals at Summerfield.  So far, we’re working with 26 different images!  After sealing the paper, she punched the pictures out using a 1″ hole punch, hot glued them inside the bottle caps, then poured resin inside.  Once the resin is dry, we’ll hot glue magnets to the back.  We’re not sure how we’ll package these, but we’ll probably put 5 or 6 together, and kids (and adults) can “collect” the whole set.  As we get pictures of more animals, we’ll be able to add more magnets.

Three Sets of 26 Magnets

Amy’s also been working on more steampunk resin pins, rings, necklaces.  Right now everything is cast in resin, and we’ll have to wait for it to harden before attaching them to pin backs, rings, and chains.  We were very excited to pick up a TON of watch parts and watch movements from Sim’s Jewelers and Pawnshop the other day.  We got all of this stuff for $22!

LOTS of Watch Parts

Here are the things we’re waiting to harden:

Colorful Resin

Steampunk in Resin

More Steampunk in Resin

We’re pretty discombobulated right now, and our apartment is a MESS!  Craft Assassins World Headquarters did not have enough room for all of these projects, so we had to move to the kitchen island, too.

Messy Desktop

Another thing Amy’s been working on are more Graffiti Rose Hair Clips.  While the red with black trim ones are pretty nice looking, she wanted to try some more colors.  Please note that I took these with my cheapo point and shoot camera instead of my fancy camera…the colors do not revel how awesome they are.  Once they’re finished, you’ll be able to see how cool they are!

Blues, Purples, and Pinks with Blue and Black Edging

Purples, Pinks, and Blues with Silver and Black Edging

Reds, Pinks, and Oranges with White and Black Edging

And last, but not least, I’m trying to make spray painting on glass work.  Todd’s mom Barb and step-dad Sam recently came for a visit from the Land of Yuengling (Pennsylvania).  You can’t buy Yuengling here, so when Barb and Sam visit, Todd gets a treat.  According to Todd, Yuengling is the BEST beer he has ever tasted.  So, this last visit they brought two cases.  Todd’s been drinking them and sharing them with friends, and the empty bottles have been put back into the cases.  I had a bright idea for a single flower vase.  I took some contact paper, cut out a squiggly shape, adhered it to the bottle, then spray painted.  Uh…didn’t work.  The paint ran.  So then I took my Crafty Chica white paint and painted two coats on, then spray painted.  It probably would have worked if I had waited long enough between coats, which I’ll do in the future.

Yuengling Vase

The picture makes it look good, but, believe me, it’s crummy.  I think my idea is solid, but I need to have more patience and let each coat of paint dry before moving on.

So, that’s what we’ve been up to!  After I post this I’m going to find line drawings of the animals that are at Summerfield Zoo so that Todd and I can stitch them onto tea towels.  As a reminder, Summerfield Zoo is open this Saturday and Sunday!

Mother’s Day Re-Cap

29 Saturday May 2010

Posted by in Craft, Family, Gifts

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I know, I know…I’m a little late on this, but I’ve been really busy! My parents, Logan, Todd, and I had a delicious lunch at Ciao Bella on Mother’s Day. It’s a newer Italian restaurant, and their food is really fresh and delicious. I crafted all of the presents I made for my mom, and she (of course) loved them.

Steampunk Mother’s Day Resin Pin

L is for Linda Resin Pin

Resin and Paper Magnet

Resin Flower Magnet

Mom with the card I made her

Mom with her gift

Embroidered Mom and Rose

My Son Logan and I

Logan, Me, Mom, and Dad

I couldn’t resist this one…Todd is 6’3″ and my mom is (cough, cough) 5’1″ (ish). As you can see, she’s trying to make herself look taller, but it’s not really working :)

Height Difference: Todd and My Mom

Steampunkesque Crafting

12 Wednesday May 2010

Posted by in Craft

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Steampunk, as defined by Wikipedia (yes, I’m a librarian, and I LOVE Wikipedia!):

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, frequently featuring elements of fantasy, that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of “the path not taken” of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage‘s Analytical engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality.

Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.

Anyone who knows me knows this is right up my alley. I think that someone who is into Steampunk is also someone who appreciates Doctor Who and maybe even Sherlock Holmes, and we all know how I feel about them! Sigh…

I started to play a round with resin a few weeks ago.  I had seen things people made and thought they looked pretty neat.  While I like the final outcome of resin pieces, I have found that for me, who is a very immediate kind of person, this waiting for days to get my pieces finished is killing me.  I want to wear what I’m making NOW, not in three days…  I found that the two equal part, low odor resin and hardener works the best for me.  I tried the super smelly resin that you drop a few drops of hardener into, and it just didn’t work for me.  All of the stuff I made came out sticky/tacky, no matter how much hardener I used.  It could be a temperature thing.  It’s been pretty chilly in Northern Illinois, and our landlord only recently turned the boiler back on for us.  I don’t know.  If/when I run out of the two part, I’ll go back to using the smelly stuff.

I’ve been busy making pins and magnets with the resin.  Todd took apart an old computer CPU he had, and we took out some of the parts to use.  I also found a bunch of reproduction stuff in the scrapbooking aisles of craft stores.

Another medium I started to use (as of yesterday) is polymer clay.  I like this stuff!  You can create colorful and fun items, bake it, let it cool, and there it is!  Ready for me to do with what I want.  I had never worked with polymer clay.  I got the book Steampunkery by Christi Friesen at the library, and I decided to give it a whirl.

My Steampunkesque craft projects are below.

Steampunk Resin Pin Creations

Mother’s Day Pin for My Mom

Dunno why, but this reminds me of the Australian Flag

Purple Punk Pin

Love Pin

Steampunk Polymer Clay Creations

Murdoch (He glows in the dark!)

Murdoch’s Behind

Betty Beetle

Sisal the Steampunk Slug (He glows, too!)

Sisal’s Behind

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