The Shape of the Times

Hello darlings.

Yes, I’ve been away far too long. But Lolita Theresa has been working dilligently on a new steampunk novel for you. In the meantime, since you know how much I adore research, I thought I’d take you on a little trip into fashion.

I’ve always found it fascinating how our society and what’s happening in it can directly impact the way we dress. Today we’re going to look at the changing silhouette of the Victorian era as a mirror of the times. (Courtesy of http://lady-of-crow.deviantart.com/art/Victorian-Silhouettes-83666275 which provided the original artwork.)

In 1837, Victoria ascends to the throne. She’s young, only 18, and beautiful and the silhouette of the time reflects that ingénue-like frame. Times are changing, there’s research happening about dinosaurs in the Pleistocene epoch, Samuel Morse has exhibited his electric telegraph at the College of the City in New York, and there’s a Gag Law in place passed by the U.S. Congress suppressing the debate on slavery.

By 1842, Victoria would have been, 23, and trying to appear very grown up. The skirts are widening (as are the hips and bust line after bearing two children), and do so even more in 1847 when she would have already had five children.

In 1852, at the age of 33, Victoria is truly on her way to showing the world that the English are a world power. They control India, Tasmania, Australia, parts of Canada. Notice the amount (and expense) of ruffles and added lace in the silhouettes of both 1852 and 1857.

However by 1862 the silhouette changes drastically to more simple lines. Victoria’s beloved husband Albert died in December 1861. As Victoria grows older and more critical of the behavior of her wild son Prince Edward, you can almost see the stricture and behavioral mores of the Victorian era changing in 1867 as the skirts grow increasingly more tight and confining until 1882.

Know what surprised me most? Check out the difference between the first image 1837 and the third to last image of 1892. Not much difference is there? Ever hear how at the end we start thinking about the beginning. Makes me wonder if the same was happening with Queen Victoria. Or perhaps, like all fashion, they just started recycling things, and she just happened to be old enough for what was old to become new again *resurgence of 1980’s fashions, cough, cough*.

Notice that by 1902 the silhouette has become so relaxed there’s barely even a bustline anymore. It looks almost worn out and tired. Since Victoria died in 1901, I can see why. (Well that and Edward, who succeeded her, did tend to be a pretty relaxed sort of guy.)

These images also illustrates why it’s so critical to make sure you know precisely which decade (or in many cases which five year period) you are discussing in your steampunk writing. Sure you don’t have to be accurate all the time (as rayguns and dirigibles aren’t exactly accurate either), but if you put an enormous bustle fit for 1887 in your 1847 set book, you really ought to be able to explain why.

Next time you are writing a scene, ask yourself, what do you read into the changing clothing trends and how can it more aptly reflect your characters?

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Book Monday–The Vespertine

It’s book Monday!  For those new to Steamed, Book Monday is an occasional feature where I talk about a (usually) Steampunk book I really enjoy and think you will, too. 

The Vespertine

by Saundra Mitchell

Review copy provided by Harcourt Children’s Books

The Vespertine isn’t Steampunk, it’s a Victorian historical.  I was attracted to it because it’s about Amelia, who goes to Baltimore for ball season in Baltimore in 1889 in order to make a good match.  I *adore* balls and fluffy Victorian dresses.  But this isn’t some light, fluffy story.  No, the balls and dresses simply set the stage for a  lush historical tale of longing, social games, forbidden love, and just a hint of magic. 

Magic?

Yes, I just used the “m” word.

I wasn’t expecting a paranormal element, but for me it added so much depth to the story.  Amelia starts getting dreamlike, and sometimes disturbing, visions at sunset.  At first, these visions skyrocket her popularity, as she only has months to meet the right people to make the right match.  But soon her visions start coming true, and when the darkest things she sees happen, there’s no turning back and could ruin everything she’s come to Baltimore to achieve.

The Victorians did love their visions and esoteric mysteries so this paranormal element meshes very well, making it really (to me) a historical with paranormal elements rather than a full-on Victorian fantasy or even Gaslamp…though the mysterious Nathaniel bring it awfully close to Gaslamp territory (and I do love me a good Gaslamp). 

Ah, Nathaniel.

Who doesn’t love a good story about forbidden love? 

Amelia meets Nathaniel at a party.  But Nathaniel isn’t there to make a good match, like she is.  He is an artist who hires himself out at a “fourteenth”, so there’s never an unlucky thirteen  guests.  Nathaniel and Amelia are instantly attracted, and of course, a poor artists isn’t the type of guy she was sent to find to marry in Baltimore.  But this isn’t as typical of a story-line as you might think.  There relationship is complicated, and even though the attraction is there from the start, they have to work  to develop it, making the relationship portions of the story very fresh and intriguing. 

Amelia is a great character, not an insipid Victorian socialite, but a rather plucky, independent girl who’s sent alone to her cousin’s to experience the wonders of the big city and the decadence of ball season, wonders she’s never seen before, which lends to some great moments.  Imagine what it might be like to see a big city for the first time, or go to your very first ball wearing a ridiculously beautiful, extravagant gown by the lkes you’d only seen before in magazines? 

Then imagine discovering you have abilities that could, if exploited right, help your social standing, brining you into contact with all the “right” girls?

And what about falling in love? 

Or the fear that one wrong step, like even being in the same room alone with a man, could lead to your ruin?

Or that the man you love is not one you could marry?

The whole tale is richly woven, textured, and decadent, like a really good chocolate truffle.  The tale very lyrical  and I devoured most of it in one sitting. 

There are no automatons or rayguns, and fans of action packed stories may find it oddly quite (but not boring, her attention to detail and compelling story see to that).  Overall, this is a very compelling read. 

And the end.

Oh yes. 

The end will take your breath away.

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Armchair BEA — Blogging about Blogging

Today’s the last day of Armchair BEA.  Thanks to them for hosting it.  I hope you’ve enjoyed these posts and I hope those new to Steamed will come back.  We always have something going on. 

Today we’re supposed to blog about blogging.  I’m going to talk just a little about running a group blog.  I didn’t start Steamed!, I joined up when someone else formed it.  Actually, I don’t know how I ended up being the defacto blog mistress, though I’ve always been “calendar keeper.”  I just do what I need to do to keep this blog running, since I believe in what we do. 

Group blogging can be a fun way to get into blogging without having to set up your own blog, blog all the time, etc.  It can also be a great way to be able to blog about other things that may not fit on your current blog.  For example, here I mostly blog about Steampunk and writing Steampunk.  But on my personal blog, I’ll get more into the general trials, tribulations, and craft of writing in general, not just Steampunk, and post silly things (like my Friday fun videos) that might not fit a Steampunk blog.  On Geekmom, another group blog, I’ll talk about more mom-type things, like misadventures in crafting or fishing–things that may not work on either blog. 

One thing to think about, whether starting or joining a group blog is the commitment.  Do people have a “day” where they blog, or do they blog whenever?  Is it okay when they miss or do you have to blog on your day?  If you can blog whenever do you still need to meet a minimum, like a post a week? 

We’re pretty lax here at Steamed since we’re all writers with things like deadlines, day jobs, kids, etc.  But it’s definitely something to carefully consider. 

How often are you going to have content?  If you want to have something going on every single day, it can be a lot of work.  Also, who’s going to be doing the scheduling/setting up posts?  Does everyone post their own thing or does someone pst it for someone?  Is there an approval/editor process?  Who keeps the calendar?

Here at Steamed, the Lolitas all post their own stuff, and I post a majority of the guest posts.  But at Geekmom I write my post and put it in a queue for approval and one of the editors checks over all our posts before making them live, she also manages the flow to make sure there’s not 10 posts one day and only 1 the next.  I keep the calendar here at Steamed, I also book most of the guests.  As I said before, I’m not really sure how I ended up sort of running the show, sometimes I wonder, especially when I start scheduling odd-ball theme weeks, if someone’s going to take my calender away, lol. 

Do you have a style guide or anything to ensure uniformity? 

We don’t here at Steamed, but at Geekmom they do.  I struggle with the “one space in-between sentences” since I naturally use two, even when I tweet. 

Also, what are the parameters?  Do they assign particular topics?  Have theme weeks?  Just have a general theme (like Steampunk) that you blog around?  Will it be hard for you to come up with topics?  Are there things that you can’t talk about? 

It might seem like a great opportunity to join a group blog, but thing hard about how difficult it will be to come up with topics.  For example, I struggle with posts for Geekmom and am grateful they give us lots of ideas.  I always feel like I’m just not geeky enough.  (Shhh…)

Are you going to have special events?  Who will be in charge of them? 

I adore running special events here at Steamed, and I’m the one who usually ends up doing them, though really anyone could.  I have to say, special events can be a huge time suck.  When I run Steampunkapalooza in April, it’s like a part-time job.  But, to me, it’s well worth it. 

Do you fit?  Not all group blogs are going to be good fits.  Can you meet the time commitment?  Do you mesh with the other bloggers? 

I adore all my fellow Lolitas and the Geekmoms are fabulous.  But not everyone would be a good fit for the different groups.  Having diverse viewpoints and personalities in a blog is great, but everyone should still be united around the central goal/theme of the blog.

Most of all, will it be fun to have/join this group blog, or will it be a stressor? 

Blogging should be fun!  If you’re stressing out about topics or time or blogging feels like a chore, then maybe it’s time to take a step back and see what you need to do to make it fun again. 

Thanks so much for joining me during Armchair BEA.  Come back soon.  Have you entered our contest just for Armchair BEA participants yet?

What do you think is something to take into consideration before starting a blog of your own or joining a group one?

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Armchair BEA–Relationships…and Giveaway!!!

I’m excited to be a part of Armchair BEA as we continue our virtual conference.

Today we’re supposed to talk about relationships.  Although I love to get ARCs, I don’t get a ton of them since there’s just not that much Steampunk out there yet.  We also usually only feature books we’re in love with (but we always welcome author guest blogs.  Since the Lolitas are authors we  want to support other authors.  We also welcome guest reviewers.)  I feel guilty asking for non-Steampunk ARCs since this is a Steampunk blog, but if I really love a book, I might feature if even it’s not Steampunk and sometimes we have non-Steampunk theme weeks. 

But honestly, the relationships I want to talk about aren’t about with authors, publishers, or even other book bloggers.  It’s about the relationships I’ve built with my co-bloggers, my fellow Lolitas.  There are four of us (myself, Theresa Meyers, Marie-Claude Bourque, and Elizabeth Darvill) who post regularly, but there’s about a dozen of us all-together, most of whom only post once in a while (including my “sister” Leanna Renne Hieber, who is awesome.)  Having a group of co-bloggers is amazing.  It’s having a group of people who you can share things with from silly links to trials and tribulations.  I know if I go to a conference there will be people to hang out with–and people to conspire with for submitting panel and workshop proposals.  If I’m panicking about something writing-related or need a last-minute beta I know someone will answer my emails (Yes, Shelley and Deb, I’m talking about you.)   Sure, running a group blog is a ton of work.  Group blogging is also not for everyone.   But, to me, just being part of a group like the Lolitas is well worth the effort. 

To help spread the Steampunk love, I’m doing a Steampunk-themed giveaway open to all ArmChair BEA participants (even the international ones).  I’ll email you if you win. 

Just comment below on what Steampunk book you’d love to read most for your chance to win your choice of:

 Blameless, by Gail Carriger is one of the Parasol Protectorate books.  This series is my favorite. 

Or…

 The Brimstone Key, is part of the Clockwork Chronicles Series, featuring the popular Grey Griffins. 

So, is there some Steampunk book out there you’re dying to read? 

Contest open to all Armchair BEA participants (I’m going to trust you on this).  Contest closes Monday, May 30 at 11:59 PM PST.  Winner will be contacted by email.

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Sideshow, Burlesque and Circus

Today we have Jane George, author and illustrator of the YA book, The Mumbo Jumbo Circus. 

Sideshow, Burlesque and Circus

by Jane George

“STEP RIGHT UP! DON’T BE SHY. THAT’S RIGHT FOLKS, WHAT’S INSIDE MUST BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED!”

As a kid, I was exposed to such imaginative oddities as The Wild, Wild West TV show and The 7 Faces of Dr Lao.

These kinds of cultural influences wax and wane, and now the lure of the mysterious, the impossible, and the forbidden is stronger than ever.  The resurgence of interest in circus arts, sideshow and burlesque theater may be part of the same cultural backlash to beige-box consumerism that spawned Steampunk. Humans crave color, imagination and creative freedom.

Poster: Gemini & Scorpio

Intense explorations of cabaret/burlesque, circus, sideshow and Steampunk have popped up all around the country, from one night events like The Lost Circus – Circus Meets Dark Cabaret With a Steampunk Twist in Brooklyn last year to on-going performances and dinner theater.  Just to name a few:

In Austin, Texas, The East Side Show Room serves up gourmet cuisine and vintage cocktails with a side of cabaret in a steampunky-circus atmosphere. For a Tim Burton meets the circus experience, there is Cirque Berzerk   in Los Angeles. And in San Francisco you can have, “Love, Chaos & Dinner,” in a tent with Teatro ZinZanni. 

While the delights of classic roadside attractions like The Thing are now few and far between, there are performers who are carrying on the tradition of Sideshow and the Ten-in-One.

Austin, Texas is also home to Noel Benedetti aka Ballyhoo Betty, a sideshow performer who specializes in fire arts.

Noel is blogmistress of www.HeyRubeCircus.com , a fantastic celebration of all things circus and sideshow. She is affiliated with 999 Eyes Freakshow, The Invisible Man Corporation, and The Surreal Sideshow.

Noel says this about her experience as a sideshow performer, “Aside from musical acts, people are relatively sheltered from live entertainment today and so people are typically unaware of the very visceral chemistry that can exist between performer and viewer. During a live sideshow, there is an interaction taking place, unlike the unidirectional consumption of most mass media, such as television. This dynamic often takes people by surprise, and you can see their eyes light up in response to this confrontation.”

In contrast to the hybrid theater/circus/cabaret blends that are gaining in popularity, Noel says this about her art, “While sideshow is often considered a radical or fringe culture, it is also heavily steeped in tradition. There are relatively few genuinely novel sideshow acts around today; people have been eating fire, swallowing swords and displaying anatomical oddities for centuries and tipping the hat to performers of the past has become a norm in the business.”

Photo: Jason Black

Noel suggested I look up a visual artist and sideshow performer named Jason Black, aka The Black Scorpion.  Among the venues he performs at is Coney Island’s Sideshows by the Seashore. 

A poem by Black describes The Black Scorpion:

A winged, performance Anti-Artist.

He, born a naked baby boy with irregular hands, unlike any other.

When him you see, understand you will.

Witnessing his Anti-Act is the longest day you will ever live.

Remember he is breathing for something onstage, and living the rest for his life.

That last line stays with you, doesn’t it? I’ll bet his act does too.

Current circus and sideshow acts could be be said to be more about individualism and creativity than about “Hey, Rube” hucksterism. This is especially true in the modern world of burlesque. A revival in burlesque and the art of the striptease happened in the Nineties and has been gaining in popularity ever since. Partly driven by a nostalgia for old-time glamor, modern burlesque is also a feminine reclaiming of the “male gaze,” often in intelligent and hilarious send-ups of the medium. Burlesque is theater, cabaret and performance art rolled into one.

photo: RJ Johnson, Hot Pink Feathers

Hot Pink Feathers   is a renowned, award-winning San Francisco Bay Area troupe that performs World Cabaret Showgirl dance. Founder and head Feather, Kellita, told me why she feels burlesque is so popular, “The heart of the matter is that burlesque is an art and a craft that puts the woman front and center, as performer and as producer. Audiences today are more heavily female than they used to be. Content is almost exclusively created by a woman for herself, and it often parodies her personal insecurities, transforming them into mainstays of joy and inspiration.  Burlesque is an art form that deserves its due. When it’s done right, a lot of craft goes into the art of slf-expression.”

Hot Pink Feathers is performing a Sally Rand-type showgirl routine, with feather fans and dripping-pearl bikinis, in San Francisco’s Carnavale Parade on  Sunday, May 29.  Say hello to them at the staging area 9am-12 at Bryant between 21^st & 22^nd.  Parade starts at noon. They can also be seen on the 2^nd Saturday of every month at Café Van Kleef, where they perform with the Blue Bone Express brass band. Next show is June 11.

For a while now, circus arts have been making their way back to the more intimate, single ring circus. When I saw an equine show produced by Cirque du Soleil called Cheval Theatre, I could practically reach out and touch the horses. I definitely felt the whoosh as they galloped past my seat.

Poster: Circus Flora

A circus dedicated to this connection between performer and audience is Circus Flora in St. Louis. Circus Flora weaves a theatrical storyline through their classical circus acts. From their site, “The artistry, magic and charm of Circus Flora’s performances have made it part of the vanguard of the “new circus” movement in North America.”The artistry, magic and charm of Circus Flora’s performances have made it part of the vanguard of the “new circus” The theme of their performances changes annually. This year it’s a Victorian-era riverboat theme entitled Vagabond Adventures.

“Circus Flora is about performance, not spectacle. Circus Flora concentrates on displaying the individual talents and personalities of human and animal performers highlighting their relationships to one another. It’s a circus about family, beauty, magic and inspiration.”  Ivor David Balding

That quote could have been written about my recently-released, young adult fantasy, The Mumbo Jumbo Circus. It describes the themes of my novel perfectly. One random commenter will receive a paperback of The Mumbo Jumbo Circus. Step Right Up! into the world of human possibility that is this writer’s imagination.

Freedom, creativity and individualism are hallmarks of modern sideshow, burlesque, cabaret, and circus arts. Just like the relationship between author and reader, the magic is in the point of connection. I like to think of a circus ring as a sacred circle of human possibility. Happy performing, in whatever you do!

 ~Jane George

www.jane-george.com

What do you love most about the circus? 

Jane is giving away a copy of The Mumbo Jumbo Circus to one lucky commenter (North America only please).   Contest ends 11:59 PM PST  June 1, 2011.

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Armchair BEA — Book Blogs

Apparently, I never signed up for an interview.   Oops.

Since a few people expressed surprise at the idea of a Steampunk book(ish) blog, I thought I’d share a few of them with you:

The definitive Steampunk book blogger is Mick Perschon, aka the Steampunk Scholar.  He’s a doctoral student doing his thesis on Steampunk and a professor who has his students read and analyze Gail Carriger’s books (among other things).  He’s got extensive reviews and reading lists on his site.

Matt Delman, who runs Dr. Fantastique’s Show of Wonders, also has a blog called Free the Princess which is “A practical literary guide to Steampunk and the Victorian Era” where he talks about books, features Steampunk authors, and talks about Steampunk.

Silver Goggles also reviews books but this is different from the usual book blog.  Jha reviews books from the view of a Steampunk Post-Colonist, analyzing them to “deconstruct narratives in steampunk, with a particular focus on the issues of colonialism, imperialism and politics, as they appear within steampunk literature and/or roleplay, in order to de-center the traditional Eurocentric focus” which can offer a very different perspective.

Do you know of a book blog that’s almost exclusively Steampunk?  I’d love to know about them…

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Armchair BEA — Best of 2011

Armchair BEA is continuing (for those of us not at BEA in New York.) 

Today all of us participating in Armchair BEA were asked what we think the “Best of 2011” is.

I can’t even begin to fathom such a list, there’s a ton of great books that have come out this year and a ton more on the way. 

However, I will share the best new book 2011 I’ve read so far and the book I’m most looking forward to. 

 The Girl in the Steel Corset, by Kady Cross is the best new book of 2011 I’ve read so far.  It’s a Steampunk YA (but of course) and a debut.  I loved it because there are kick-butt heroines, action, adventure, very solid steampunk worldbuilidng, great gadgets, and pulls in themes from classics (Jekyll and Hyde anyone?)  My review of it is here.  I’ve got a different review and a giveaway of this book over here on another site I blog at. 

 Darker Still, by Leanna Renne Hieber is the book of 2011 I’m looking forward to the most.  It releases in November 2011.  It’s  her YA debut (she also writes the Percy Parker books, which are amazing.)    Darker Still isn’t Steampunk, but Gaslamp (think Victorian fantasy), but nevertheless sounds awesome.  What I love most about Leanna’s books is that they all feature unconventional heroines.  In this book Natalie suffers from Selective Mutism.  Yeah, totally looking forward to this book.

What are you looking forward to?  What’s been the best new book of 2011 you’ve read so far?

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Lolita Suzanne’s Armchair BEA Into

Hi, I’m Lolita Suzanne (aka Suzanne Lazear) and first off, thanks to the folks at Armchair BEA for organizing this great event for all of us who can’t make it to Book Expo America. 

I’m one of the Lolitas here at Steamed, which is a blog about writing Steampunk fiction (and Steampunk in general), run by a group of Steampunk authors.  I write about Steampunk faeries.  Innocent Darkness:  A Steampunk Fairytale comes out from Flux in 2012.   

I fell in love with Steampunk long ago, but I didn’t know it had a name until a few years ago.   I discovered the clothes, the music, and of course, the books!  If you still have no idea what Steampunk is, I have an explanation here.

I never set out to be a blogger, per say, but when I group of writers formed Steamed I jumped on board.  Somehow I’ve managed to become the defacto blog mistress for Steamed, which just celebrated its second birthday.  I book all of our Thursday special guests, coordinate our blog events like Steampunkapalooza,  a giant Steampunk blog party that happens every April, and I’m also the Monday blogger.  (Today I’m blogging about putting together Steampunk outfits).   I also run an occasional feature called “Book Monday” where I review (mostly) Steampunk books that I absolutly love and think you might love, too.  Because Steamed is run by authors we’re book heavy and we have a ton of posts on writing Steampunk, interviews with authors, and we tend to blab about our favorite books, but we also feature artists, musicians, and jewelry makers, and talk a lot about cute Steampunk clothes (I write Steampunk for the hats and tiaras.)

Thanks again to the Armchair BEA team for organizing this great event.  I look forward to getting to know everyone and I hope you come back and visit soon.

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Putting Steampunk Outfits Together–Part II

It’s Monday and first thing off we have a winner to announce.  The winner of Tamora Pierce’s Tortall and Other Lands anthology is…

Danya

Congrats, please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize. 

Next off, I’m going to continue to my series on how I created some of my Steampunk outfits.  Even if you’re not the crafty sort (like me) you don’t necessarily need to go out and buy an expensive ready-made Steampunk outfit (as pretty as they are).  You may already own some of what you need.

Today’s outfit is something I pieced together mainly out of things I already owned.  I love costumes and have a trunk full of stuff.  I had no idea I even already had most of the stuff I needed to create a cute outfit until I wanted to put together a mostly black outfit. 

 

1.  The skirt is just a big, black lacy skirt I’d picked up somewhere at some point.  It’s one of those skirts that can be everything from Gothic to pirate to gypsy.  It’s full enough that I can wear it over a hoop and very comfortable.

2.  The black lace blouse is actually from Forever 21, of all places, as are the gloves.  I bought them last summer when they had a ton of victorian-ish stuff.  They often have great jewelry and you can’t beat the prices. 

3.  What ties this all together is the black corset belt.  This one is from Clockwork Couture but I nearly used a black waist cincher that I usually used for the Renaissance Faire. 

See, just a few easy pieces that you may already have — blouse, skirt, waist cincher/corset can be thrown together to create a basic outfit.  Then you can accessorize it depending on your style and what you already have.

4.  Because I’m obsessed with hats, I already owned the perfect hat.  I got this one from Ms. Purdy.  I actually have a few of her things and I really like them. 

5.  The necklace was a gift from a friend, but I love it and wear it with most of my Steampunk outfits.

6.  Finally, I added a tie-on bustle, which is exactly what it sounds — a big, ruched piece of fabric designed to look like a bustle you simply tie on top of your skirt.  There are a ton of types of these from punk mini ones made of net to elaborate and elegant ones.  I got this one on Etsy from Loriann.  Tie-on bustles are inexpensive ways of changing up your outfit and they’re a lot more comfortable to sit in.  This wasn’t something I had on hand, but that I bought to complete the outfit. 

View of tie-on bustle. Picture by Loriann.

 

See, easy.  Take stock of what you already have and don’t be afraid to repurpose.  That blouse from Renn Faire, skirt from your belly dancing days, or hat you bought for your cousin’s wedding may have other uses–especially if you’re willing to replace buttons, add gromets, or add a little flair to it/  Make a list of what you still need to complete your outfit and case thrift shops, the internet (I’ve found a lot of good costume pieces on ebay and Etsy), or perhaps even try to make it.  If you’re gearing up for something, I’ve found that it’s easier on the pocket-book (and less daunting) to plan ahead and buy one piece per paycheck until I have everything I need. 

 

Now, I just need some gadgets…has anyone seen my raygun? 

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Steampunk Jewelry Made Simple

Today we welcome Brenda Sue of B’sue Boutiques who’s jewelry supply store not only has everything you need to make neat Steampunk jewelry, but she also has loads of instructional videos for people like me who love to make things, but in all honesty can’t craft their way out of a cardboard box. 

 

STEAMPUNK JEWELRY MADE SIMPLE:  Breaking It Down to Cogs and Gears

By B’Sue

 

Love the Steampunk lifestyle?   Well as this blog has aptly demonstrated, you need the right glad (or perhaps ‘mad’) rags for your look!   And as every fashionista knows—whatever style genre he/she chooses—you need the right accessories.   Jewelry come first for me!   And the fact is, you can learn to make your own Steampunk jewelry, thus reflecting your own perfect Steampunk sensibilities.

 

Check out this sweet Steampunk pendant I made:

 

 

Gotta tell you, there are no hard techniques involved in this piece.   Let me tell you how!  I started with a luggage tag pendant made in the Victorian style, available here:  http://www.bsueboutiques.com/shop/index.php?keywords=fig39   

 

As this piece is raw brass, you’ll want to patina it.  One fast way is simply to clean the brass by washing in hot, soapy water…all raw brass comes with traces of machine oil on it, so gotta do it.    Dry completely, then torch it.   All you need it is a little creme brulee torch and a soldering block.   Torch it til it gets toasty or turns dark.   OR, you can try my vinegar/salt/patina method, which you can watch me do at YouTube right here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctp5xFW7XJM

 

When you have achieved the color you want on the brass, simply seal it with Renaissance Wax.  Then you will want to add your embellishments.   I added a pie crust bezel from the Bezels, Mounts and Frames section of our website, found here: http://www.bsueboutiques.com/bezels_mounts_frames.shtml    This is a great bezel to build with as it is textural and deep.  Into it, I glued a vintage soda cap, upside down, with the cork still in it.  

 

Into that cap, I poured a bit of mixed ICE RESIN.   For tips on working with Ice Resin, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2-lIZQlGEw     

 

I also inlaid a circlet ring found at our website, as well as a tiny propeller.  These propellers REALLY SPIN!

circlet: http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Etched-Circlet-7380

propeller:  http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Funky-Little-Whirly-Twirly-Propellers-For-Mixed-Media-Altered-Assemblage-5288

 

The trick is to pour only enough resin to inlay the bottom of the propeller so that it still spins.  This one does!

 

The actual pendant is available at B’sue Boutiques right here:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Bsue-Dark-Patina-Pendant-w-Propeller-7432

 

How would you finish it?  Would you turn it around and dangle something from the hole and make it a heavy, cool looking brooch?   Or would you make it a necklace by adding beads, leather thong, old cord and maybe even safety pin or garter clip connectors?

 

Here’s a funky Steampunk necklace I made with our Steampunk components from B’sue Boutiques and scrabble tiles:

 

 

Come on over to B’sue Boutiques and check the place out!  We have a large, comprehensive Steampunk Jewelry Making Section broken down into watch parts, cogs and wheels, wings, keys, and all the components you need—-easy to find! http://www.bsueboutiques.com  

 

And…here is a very popular video we made at You Tube that will demonstrate how to make an easy Steampunk ring: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SAinqdSTW0

 

Another master of  Steampunk jewelry making is Harry Wood of OSCAR CROW: http://www.etsy.com/shop/oscarcrow   Visit Harry for great ideas and great ready-made jewelry at low prices.   Here is a very cool pectoral he made recently:

 

 

And for more Steampunk Eye Candy, why not visit our Steampunk Gallery?   These are pieces shared with me by visitors to my B’sue Boutiques Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bsue-Boutiques/123052674404364, and entered into an archived album at the B’sue Boutiques website.

http://imageevent.com/bsue/steampunkjewelrydesignalbum

 

I hope you feel enabled and inspired…..because who knows?  Maybe YOU are the next radical Steampunk jewelry designer!  Soon they may be beating a path to YOUR door!

 

~Brenda Sue/B’sue Boutiques
http://www.bsueboutiques.com

 http://www.bsueboutiques.typepad.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bsue-Boutiques/123052674404364?ref=search
 http://www.youtube.com/user/bsueboutiques

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Book Monday: Tortall and Other Lands by Tamora Pierce

This was originally scheduled for Fantastic February, then I got sick and never posted it.  Enjoy. 

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales

 by Tamora Pierce

Book provided by Random House

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales is a collection of short stories from fantasy author Tamora Pierce.

I am a *huge* Tamora Pierce fangirl and I devoured the Lioness books before I ever figured out they were YA (and then continued to read many of her other series all set in the land of Tortall). 

Most of these stories take place in the land of Tortall, but some take place in the “real world.”  Some are long, and some are short. 

We see old friends like Nawat and Aly from the Trickster books, meet new ones, and get to know more about characters referenced in other books, like Kylaia who was referenced in the Lioness books.  But don’t have to have all (or any) of the other series to enjoy this vivid, vibrant, and extremely diverse collection of tales which will appeal to adults and teens alike. 

Like all of Pierce’s stories (which is why I love them) the tales in this book are filled with the trials of coming of age, pushing the boundaries, discovering yourself and where you fit regardless of what others tell you, and  (of course) magic.

One of the most vibrant for me was “The Dragon’s Tale” which features Kitten the dragon from the Immortals books who has an adventure of her own. 

We also get a sneak peek of the new Becca Cooper story.   Can’t wait!

 Do you love Tortall?  What’s your favorite series or character?  If not, is there a series you want to read?  One lucky commenter will win a hardcover copy of this book (open internationally, contest closes May 22, 11:59 PM PST)

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Meanwhile… On the Other Side of the World.

We’ve got a prize to give away first off today, the lovely pocket watch from Steampunk Threads.   If you don’t win a new contest starts Monday.

The winner of the pocket watch is…

skylarkade

Congrats!  Please email me to claim your prize.  (Suzannelazear (@) hotmail

Today we welcome author David Boop.

David Boop is a Denver-based single parent, full-time employee, returning college student, oh, and yes, and author. His first novel, the sci-fi/noir “She Murdered Me with Science” came out in ’08. He has over a dozen short stories and two short films to his credit. He’s written in several genres, including weird westerns. His weirdest job was professional Beetlejuice impersonator. You can find out more on his website, www.davidboop.com.

Meanwhile… On the Other Side of the World.

By David Boop

“Doc’s Alive! And he’s in the Old West!”

While technically a comedy with shades of steampunk (“Ice Tea?”) and science-fiction (It’s not a hold-up, “It’s a science experiment!”) Back to the Future III gave many of my generation their first taste of a weird western.

However, some of us were fortunate enough to have discovered the weird western concept via comics, pulps, film serials or television many years before. I can remember sitting as a little whipper-snapper glued to the TV as cowboys lassoed a dinosaur in The Valley of Gwangi. As easily as I accepted that, I was more than ready to launch into the James Bond-esque world of post-Civil War western intrigue with the original The Wild, Wild West TV series (not the horrible remake.)

As to what makes a weird western, for the uninitiated, it is a gentle blending of non-western elements into the classic western tale. In Jonah Hex, the original comic book character was given the “mark of the demon” which eventually led to him being able to communicate with the dead. In Once Upon a Time in the East by Lionel Fenn, an outlaw is dragged through time in an attempt to find redemption. I’ve read weird westerns with aliens, zombies, robots and magic. The trick to good weird western writing is not to overpower the story with too many non-elements so that the core genre changes from western to something else.

Weird westerns are to steampunk what Star Trek: The Original Series is to Star Wars; the less sophisticated, country cousin come acallin’. While Victorians were having tea and riding in airships as they fought off sky pirates, on the other side of the planet, cowboys were drinkin’ moonshine on a train and battling an undersea invasions from Atlantis. Victorian England and Western Expansion happen roughly about the same time period, so it was only natural that the cousins would meet, marry in classic Jerry Lee Lewis fashion, and produce weird western steampunk fiction, such as Cheri Priest’s marvelous Dreadnought and Mike Resnick’s delightful The Buntline Special.

My own weird western writing started with a little mystery involving the ghost of an outlaw having to investigate and avenge his own death. “The Rag Doll Kid” was picked up by Tales of the Talisman Magazine, and will see a reprint in May within How the West was Weird Vol. 2. I created a fictional town of Drowned Horse, AZ for the piece, so when I was invited to submit to Science Fiction Trails Magazine I set my next piece, “Grismel Guffyfeld’s Quick Drawatorium,” in the same location. I decided to make this town the nexus of weird stuff, and have now three pieces set there. “Bleeding the Bank Dry,” about a vampire hired to pull a bank robbery, was released last year in Six-Guns Straight from Hell. I hope to release a collection called The Drowned Horse Chronicle, taking the reader through an eighty year history of the town from creation to destruction.

This is a good time for the weird western. In addition to the much anticipated, Cowboys and Aliens, Ron Moore, the force behind the Galactica reboot, is rebooting The Wild, Wild West. (I have no doubt Artemis Gordon will end up being a woman, which actually makes sense.) In addition, Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series will finally be adapted into both film and television.

So, strap on some irons and jump on your robot steed. We’re in for one hell of a wild ride!

-David Boop

www.davidboop.com

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Putting Together Steampunk Outfits — Part I

I hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day.  We’re holding a Steampunk writing challenge over on the Writing Steampunk Yahoo group during the month of May.  There’s still time to join in–make sure to say you found us on Steamed.

We have quite a few prizes to give away today and if you don’t win we still have a contest going for Steampunk pocket watch.

First off we have a The Twisted Take of Stormy Gale mug and some romance trading cards from Christine Bell.

Hilde

Next we have the prize pack of  Steampunk e-books from Carina Press.

Laura Kaye

Finally, we have the ARC of The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross.

Jessie

Congrats to our winners, please email me at suzannelazer (@) hotmail to claim your prize and thanks to all who entered.  More contests will be coming.

I wanted to share how I put together some of my Steampunk outfits as I’m amassing more for the different panels and speaking engagements and such I’m starting to do.  I’m not a seamstress in any way shape or form, so I tend to buy things here and there over weeks, months, or even years and put them together.   Hopefully this will be some inspiration for your own Steampunk outfits.  A word of warning, I lean very much towards the Steampunk princess vein and don’t have a ton of gadgets–or even goggles.

Outfit #1 — Steampunk Lite

I needed an outfit that was Steampunky, but not full on for events where I’m speaking as a Steampunk writer, but not necessarily on Steampunk.

I started with this outfit from Steampunk Threads as a base.    I chose it because it was feminine and a bit old fashioned, but not specifically Victorian.  It could serve as a dress for anything from a tea to a school visit and could easily be Steampunked up.  For sake of time I bought this ready-made outfit, but something similar could be fashioned from thrift-store finds–or even your own closet.

Picture from Steampunkthreads.com

I added some really great boots from Clockwork Couture I already had.  These boots are unfortunately out of stock, but they have other amazing styles.

photo from clockworkcouture.com

I added a hat very much like this (because you know me and hats) only there’s more  green in mine.

Photo from Maritime Arts on Etsy

A pearl necklace with a little clock on it from my jewelry box added a little elegance.

I love gloves so I got these from Clockwork Couture, which go with several outfits, though I forgot to wear them when I did a panel at the Burbank Book Festival over the weekend.

Photo from clockworkcouture.com

Finally, I put it all together with a really great belt I found at Mad Girl Clothing.  They’re not up on the website yet (I bought it at the Renaissance Faire).    Any waist cincher or corset would probably work, though I didn’t want to go the full-on corset route for this particular outfit.   I liked this belt because there’s a little pocket for a pocket watch and an additional pocket that’s just the right size for some business cards and a handful of buttons.  I don’t have a picture of it by itself, but here’s the whole outfit.

So, what do you think?  Subtly Steampunk? Well…perhaps the belt is a bit much but I love it.  But now I want a bigger hat…

Are you building a Steampunk outfit?  Where are your favorite places to find things?

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The Victorian Heart of Steampunk Fashion

Before we welcome today’s “Visiting Lolita” we have some winners to announce–because who doesn’t like winning stuff.  First up, we have the winner of the bag ‘o books and swag from RT.

Michelle Black

Next we have the $10 GC to Barnes and Noble or Amazon (your choice) courtesy of Steampunk Author Crista McHugh.

Matthew Delman

Congrats!  Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize.  Also, if you comment on Crista McHugh, Marie Harte, Christine Bell, or Cindy Spencer Pape’s posts you’re entered to win a Carina Press Prize pack–but it ends May 8, 2011, so hurry up.  You can also win a copy of Kady Cross’ “The Girl in the Steel Corset”.  Elizabeth Darvill, aka “Lolita Elizabeth” is also giving away some of her books. 

Today we welcome Sue McDonald, who writes about Victorian fashion in many places, including for Recollections a historical clothing company.  In addition to having beautiful Victorian gear, they also have a Steampunk line, Steampunk Threads.   We will be giving away a pocket watch from Steampunk Threads to one lucky commenter. 

Sue McDonald has always had an interest in all things vintage and often dresses in Victorian attire, and in addition to writing and acting in short melodramas that take place in the 1800’s, she does “living history” presentations. Her adopted persona, Fannie Bashford is based upon the wife of Charles Bashford, who figured prominently in early Prescott history.   Doing the research to ensure that her costumes were period-correct gave rise to the urge to share that information. She started by creating two costume guides for re-enactors and continues to write  about Victorian clothing and customs. She has also written several “how to” pieces, like “How to make a Victorian-style purse”. Sue also writes articles for The Wild West Gazette, and The Bustledress Marketplace.  Sue also has been writing articles and copy for Recollections. This assignment has also led her into doing research and writing articles about Steampunk attire, which is heavily influenced by Victorian style from the 1800’s.

The Victorian Heart of Steampunk Fashion

By Sue McDonald

For starters, let me say that I have been an aficionado of Steampunk since before the name was coined. I still recall watching the original CBS series Wild Wild West when I was in high school, and am now a bit horrified to discover the series aired in the mid-sixties! The character of Artemis Gordon and all of his fabulous gadgets was endlessly fascinating. I have also been a life-long fan of science fiction, so fabulous machines like those created by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells have always seemed like a reasonable possibility. It is therefore thrilling to see an entire sub-culture now moving into the spotlight of “mainstream culture” here and abroad. More recently I have become fascinated with – and immersed in – re-enactment dressing, circa the late 1800’s, which puts my current love of clothing squarely in the Victorian age. All of which leads me into this dialog about the influence of Victorian dressing upon Steampunk fashion.

It is no surprise that Victorian style would be front-and-center when you consider that Steampunk has its roots firmly embedded in a collection of science fiction books generated in the 60’s and 70’s by several authors who all used Victorian England as their setting for the stories. Just as the currently-popular Indiana Jones movies re-create a World War II setting, with the attendant clothing styles and ever-present “Axis of Evil”, the solidly Victorian backdrop of this special genre of writers set the stage – so to speak – for an alternate world that carries with it all of the romance we attribute to the Victorians, coupled with new possibilities for adventure and discovery.

And the clothes! Let’s face it ladies and gents, dressing in Victorian attire does transport us to a time when women were ever-so-feminine in their corsets, bustles, frills, and petticoats. Gentlemen are somehow at once more masculine and more chivalrous in their frock coats, gloves, and silk hats. I believe the simple act of putting these garments on changes our brain chemistry so that we become somehow altered from just a few hours before when we were wearing jeans and tee shirts.  But the hallmark of Steampunk fashion is the ways in which the basic Victorian style has been expanded to include the various forms of equipage that might have been conceived by a Victorian mind. Victorians were fascinated by every new invention, and were always quick to adopt the “most modern” technology at their disposal. I have to believe they would heartily approve of ladies and gents who are equally prepared for a dirigible ride, a journey to the center of the earth, or a gala ball. One can hardly raise an eyebrow at a pair of brass goggles equipped with an eye loupe for examining a heretofore-undiscovered find, or a clockwork-mechanical arm which endows its wearer with special powers.

From previous blogs I have seen that putting together a Steampunk outfit is at once challenging and exciting. On the one hand each outfit is supposed to be unique to the individual. Mass-production is contrary to the Steampunk sense of uniqueness. On the other hand Victorian clothing cannot be obtained from the local mall. In addition most of us do not have the skills or the inclination to find vintage patterns from which to fashion our garments. Having them custom-made is usually beyond our pocketbooks – having invested most of our money in the afore-mentioned accessories. However, there are ways to obtain suitable garments and make them your own. There are on-line shops that specialize in Victorian-styled clothing, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Steampunk Threads  and Recollections. Both sites present clothing that is solidly in the Victorian style. There are also pattern companies who have thankfully re-drafted many Victorian patterns to fit modern bodies. They have also improved greatly on the instructions that come with a vintage pattern. My personal favorite is Truly Victorian. This site has the added bonus of specifying when each pattern was popular, so if you are shooting for an outfit for a particular timeframe, you can make it happen.

In closing, I would leave you with a piece of advice that I have found invaluable when dressing in period attire. That would be to go online and browse as many Victorian sites as you can, paying careful attention to the clothing shape and details. (By Victorian, I mean mid-to late 1800’s sites – people tend to call a large variety of things “Victorian” when in fact, they are modern items that perhaps have a Victorian influence.) Be sure to note things like ladies’ hats and jewelry, and men’s accessories; like watch fobs and how they wear their jackets – for example the bottom button of the vest is always left unbuttoned, but a shirt is always buttoned clear to the top. Soon, you will develop a ‘feel’ for what is a correct look. This will help you when you are making your own wardrobe selections, so you can avoid beginner’s mistakes.

~Sue McDonald

What’s your favorite aspect of Steampunk fashion?   I have to say, I write Steampunk for the hats (and tiaras…maybe the boots). 

Steampunk Threads is graciously giving away this really great pocket watch to one lucky poster.  North American only please.

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Contest time and a really cool announcement!!

 Hello lovelies!! So, I’ve got some fun and exciting things going on I want to share with you!! First off, to celebrate the steampunk romance anthology featuring my story, ‘Love in a Time of Steam’ going into print, I am holding a contest over on my blog for a chance to win a signed print copy and also a signed print copy of the paranormal romance anthology, ‘Love’s Immortal Pantheon’ that has my story ‘The Depths of Passion’ in it. So head on over to my blog and enter to win, there are several options to accrue entries!

Also, I have an all ages appropriate steampunk novella releasing in the steampunk anthology, ‘Her Majesty’s Mysterious Conveyance’ next month, more info on that coming soon!

Finally, I am so super excited to announce that my paranormal romance, ‘Bound by Blood’ is set to release in print on July 1st! Join me in happy dancing this awesome news, I got the print cover and it looks fantastic!!

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