• Home
  • LOLITAS
  • READING LISTS
  • STEAMPUNKAPALOOZA
  • WRITING STEAMPUNK

STEAMED!

Writing Steampunk Fiction

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Book Monday: Tortall and Other Lands by Tamora Pierce
Putting Steampunk Outfits Together–Part II »

Steampunk Jewelry Made Simple

May 19, 2011 by suzannelazear

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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Artists, Guest Thursday, how-to, Jewelry, Steampunk, Visiting Lolitas | Tagged B'Sue, guest thursdays, steampunk how-to, steampunk jewelry, visiting lolita | 3 Comments

3 Responses

  1. on May 19, 2011 at 7:49 am Brenda Sue Lansdowne

    Thanks guys for a great blog and for allowing me as a guest, to be part of it for a day!


  2. on May 19, 2011 at 5:05 pm Deb Bee

    This is a great article and I loved the pendant!!!


  3. on May 20, 2011 at 5:31 am Kate

    LOVE B’Sue Boutiques and all of her wonderful creations! And Harry is an awesome jewelry designer, no matter what the genre!



Comments are closed.

  • Welcome to Steamed!

    We hope you enjoy Steamed. We're no longer adding new content, but we have lots of great stuff. so please enjoy!

  • Pages

    • LOLITAS
    • READING LISTS
      • Reviews
      • Steam Classics
    • STEAMPUNKAPALOOZA
      • Steampunkapalooza 2010
      • Steampunkapalooza 2011
      • Steampunkapalooza 2012
    • WRITING STEAMPUNK
  • Recent Posts

    • Lit-Con at Write Space
    • Tea Time
    • Gail Carriger – Book Signing for Prudence
    • Quest for the Lost City of Z
    • The Great Airship Scare of 1896 – 1897
  • Archives

    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
  • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,793 other subscribers
    • RSS - Posts
    • RSS - Comments

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • STEAMED!
    • Join 755 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • STEAMED!
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: