So, my Innocent Darkness edits have been turned in. Woot!
In case anyone’s interested, I’m teaching a month-long workshop on writing YA in September. Details here. (next online Steampunk workshop will be in November, we had great fun last time and many people were doing this in conjunction with NaNoWriMo).
I have some WINNERS to announce for our Christmas in August giveaways.
The winner of THE IRON THORN is:
JANE GEORGE
The winner of DRACULA MY LOVE is:
LUCIE SIMONE
Congrats! Please contact me to claim your prize.
Didn’t win? We still have three books up for grabs!
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?
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.
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.
First off, there’s still time to register for my writing YA class, which starts Feb. 14th. Details here.
Second off, I have the winners of the two copies of The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire Book 1. The winners are…
Alden Ash and Heather Hiestand
Alden and Heather please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize. Winners of Anya Bast’s Raven’s Quest will be anounced Monday.
Today we welcome Middle Grade Author David Burton who’s going to tell us about his new steampunk adventure for kids, Scourge (and giveaway some copies, too.)
First, can you tell us a little about yourself and your latest steampunk creation?
Gladly! I was born in Windsor, Ontario (just across the river from Detroit) to parents who encouraged me to read from a very young age. I graduated from the University of Toronto with a major in Biology and a minor in Classical Civilization. I currently live near Toronto with my same-sex partner and our three boys (we adopted three brothers three years ago). And we have one basset hound that keeps us all in check. 🙂
Scourge is a middle-grade (ages 9-12) novel that is the first in a series. It centers around a young boy and his family that travel to the world of Verne. Naturally, there are dirigibles, goggles (my favorite part!), and absinth.
Here’s the blurb and the book trailer:
Two dads, five siblings, and goggles!
Grim Doyle has always known his life was not exactly “normal”, and things get even more curious when he discovers a set of stones that sweep him and his family to the fantasy, steampunk world of Verne – a place they had escaped from years ago. Now that they’ve returned, Grim and his siblings hide from the evil Lord Victor and his minions. And while learning about Jinns, Mystics, and the power of absinth they try to discover who is trying to kill them with the deadly Scourge.
Why did you choose steampunk as a genre?
For most of my life I would have considered myself more of a fantasy reader/writer. But looking back, prior to adopting our children I was a Final Fantasy addict for two decades, so a steampunk influence has been in my life a long time. In fact, that’s probably the greatest influence when it comes to this book (other than my boys, that is!). When we adopted our boys I watched what really got them hooked and that’s when I realized that I should go back to my roots and not focus solely on fantasy as a genre. Incorporating steampunk with fantasy was the perfect mix and it really allowed me to stretch my imagination for this series.
Why did you write it for middle grade?
There are great works out there in the YA category: Boneshaker, The Windup Girl, Leviathan, Soulless (and thankfully because of these, I think the steampunk genre is really taking off), but there isn’t as much in the middle-grade arena. Pullman’s His Dark Materials series is wonderful, but I thought there needed to be more. Fortunately, the voice of the narrative seemed to come out in a middle-grade format when I started writing it, so it worked out well.
Can you share with us a scene from Scourge?
Here’s a scene when Grim takes it upon himself to try to find a cure for the Scourge:
The streets were bare. The lampposts gave off a bluish-white light that reflected off the slickened streets. The moisture in the air settled into Grim’s bones. There were no moons or stars in the sky. The thick cloud cover had taken care of that. Yet despite the lack of life on the street, Grim couldn’t help but feel that there was something there, watching him. He looked for the strange bird that he had seen across the street, or the cloaked man.
There was nothing.
He stopped. A couple of sewer rats scampered across the road behind him. An alley cat, or maybe it was Pringles, was perched upon a steel railing. It paid him no heed, more interested in the rats.
Grim moved on, determined to make haste. He pulled his jacket about him to ward off the night’s chill. Three small dirigibles sped overhead.
He looked at the street signs, one at a time, yet none were Absolution Street. And none of the buildings had signs that read The Green Fairy.
Grim ducked into an alley at the sound of something coming up the street. One pair of boots and a walking stick that tapped the ground at a hurried pace. He stuffed himself between some old crates that smelled like bad cabbage and waited.
The footsteps turned into the alley towards him, and Grim shuffled back, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was coming. All he could see were shiny boots and a pointed walking stick.
Grim turned and ran, twisting and winding through alleys. The footsteps continued behind him.
The passageways funneled Grim between large buildings, yet never seemed to lead him anywhere, or at least not to any street. It became a maze of darkened laneways and slippery cobblestone corridors. He tried various doors.
All locked.
The footsteps quickened. Grim ran, his feet sliding.
Until finally he came upon a door. On it was a metal emblem of a girl with emerald wings.
He yanked on it, and it opened.
Then a large, meaty hand reached out and tugged Grimwald Doyle inside.
So what’s next for you?
Currently, I’m working on another children’s novel that I’m posting live at my blog as I write it called Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave. I’m also releasing a paranormal romance novel in the spring titled Broken, and I have a dark fantasy novel I released last year called The Second Coming. Naturally, I’m trying to work in the next of the Grim Doyle series as well. 🙂
You’re offering to do a giveaway. Can you tell us about that?
At my site, I offer an electronic version (ebook) of my novels with a dedication page, addressed to the purchaser, that is autographed by me. I also substitute the name of one of the minor characters in the book with the name of the purchaser. It makes for a unique version of the book for those that want it. So I’ll be giving away 3 of these for Scourge. I’ll let you handle the rules for the giveaway. 🙂
Good luck to those that enter, and thanks so much for having me here!!
Want to win one of three of these unique ebooks (for you or someone else)? Just comment here and three lucky people will be chosen at random. Open internationally. Contest closes Sunday, Feb 20th. 2011 at midnight PST. Good luck!
Yes, we have more winners! Thank you so much everyone for making the Halloween Authur Invasion such a success. Keep tuning in through October 31st for more prizes and great Halloween-themed posts.
First we have the winner of a copy of Inara Scott’s Delcroix Academy: The Candidates:
drumroll please
~*~*~*Sarahv*~*~*~
Next we have a copy of Drink of Me by Jacquelyn Frank
drumroll please
*~*~*Candace*~*~*
Congrats! Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize.
First off, I’m going to be teaching an online class on writing Steampunk, November 1-30, 2010. Details here.
Second off, it’s time to announce the winner of the ARC of Arthur Slade’s The Dark Deeps.
Drumroll please….
~*~*~*MARIA BROWN*~*~*~
Maria, you have won the ARC. Congrats! Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize.
Now for today’s big news…
I have been busily planning a new event for you.
From October 24-October 31 Steamed! will be invaded.
That’s right, for eight days, eight fabulous non-steampunk authors will invade this blog to entertain you with Halloween-themed blog posts and plying you with treats. So join us for daily contests, tricks, treats, and spooky mayhem.
Color me embarrassed, but I forgot to announce some winners.
…drum roll please…
~*~*~COUNT JASON, DAYLE, and THERESA~*~*~
Congratulations, you’ve all won a copy of Steampunk Tales Magazine. Please contact me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize.
I have a few more copies to give away, so if you want a copy of issue 6 of Steampunk Tales let me know in the comment box and I’ll give them away until they’re gone.
I also have some amazing news. My Steampunk dark fairytale for young adults, Innocent Darkness, has sold. It’ll be published by the awesome folks at Flux and right now is slated to hit the shelves in the first half of 2012. The whole crazy tale of how I managed to sell a book and land an agent is here if you care to read it. Nevertheless, it’s very exciting to me. 2012 seems so far away, but I’m sure it’ll pass by in a blink.
Now, this is a movie I’d like to see, even if it’s in French. It’s deliciously Streampunk and based on an old comic book.
Have a great week everyone, and please keep those guest suggestions coming!
The first is the copy of Chenda and the Airship Brofman.
…drum roll please…
~*~*~*Aheïla*~*~*~
Congrats! Email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize.
Now we have the amazing Girl Genius stuff.
…drum roll please…
*~*~*CARA KING*~*~*
YAY, Cara. Please email me at suzannelazear (@)hotmail to claim your prize.
Thank you, again, for everyone who helped to make Steampunkapalooza a huge success. We got almost 10,000 hits in April. Just because Steampunkapalooza is over doesn’t mean the party ends. We’re looking for guests for our new “guest Thursdays.” If you have a suggestion (or want to be one) please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail with “guest suggestion” or “guest inquiry” in the header.
I’m still recovering, and don’t have anything profound to share with you, so I’m going to share a couple of things that I find interesting. Enjoy.
Did you ever wonder how a book cover was made? This video from Orbit shows us how they made the cover for; Gail Carriger’s upcoming book Blameless.
Is the world ready for Steampunk Mickey?
About a month ago Disney announced the release of its new pin set The Mechanical Kingdom ; featuring Steampunk versions of all our favorite Disney Characters.
This has caused reactions on all realms of the spectrum from excitement to disappointment. Personally, I think the pins are cute and I see it as positive, not a negative. Just because someone knows what an idea is, doesn’t necessarily make it “mainstream.” And, well, Disney has Steampunk roots, too — 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Treasure Planet anyone? I’d love to see Disney remake one of their early black and white cartoons, Steampunk style.
The Steampunk Scholar has a very eloquent post on Disney’s contribution to Steampunk. The folks over at Voyages Extraordinaires have a great post on what Disney is doing aesthetically with Steampunk. (It makes me want to plan a trip to Japan.)
I had a friend bring me back a Minnie Mouse one from her recent trip and I think they’re cute. (And it moves, lol).
Happy Monday, everyone. I have some winners to announce.
First, we have the goodies from Lolita Elizabeth.
…drum roll please…
~*~*~*EDEN BRADLEY*~*~
Congratulations, Eden. Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize.
Next up we have the ebook from Reginia Riley.
…drum roll please…
*~*~*SANGU*~*~*
Sangu, congratulations! Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail.com
If you won a tiara, I hit a few snags and I hope to send them out towards the end of this week or the beginning of next. I apologize for that. You can still enter to win a book from Kate Milford or an amazing gift basket (with brass goggles) from O.M. Grey.
Tuesday, April 27th Emilie P. Bush comes to visit. The creators of the Girl Genius Comic stop by on Thursday, April 29th. Diana Vick from SteamCon visits on friday, April 30th. Lolita Elizabeth and Lolita Marie-Claude will also be giving us updates from the Romantic Times Convention.
The Making of Steampunkapalooza
People have asked me how I came up with “Steampunkapalooza.” I joke that Steampunkapalooza is what happens when an event planner is out of work. Basically, it started out with a simple idea and then took on a life of its own.
When I decided that it would be fun to celebrate “Steamed’s” first birthday as a thank-you to our readers, a month-long blog party was far from what I had in mind. My original idea was that since we had regular bloggers Mon-Wed-Fri that I’d find guests once a week for the month of April as something different. Or, if I got really lucky, twice a week. I never imagined we’d have a different guest nearly every day for an entire month.
I made a list of a few of my favorite Steampunk authors and businesses that I thought might come on and sent out a couple of emails. My first response was a polite “no.” But the second response was a “yes” and had me doing the happy dance. I opened slots up to all the other lolitas and kept making lists of people I thought might be willing to be a part of our party. But I just couldn’t keep up, so I asked Lolita Elizabeth and Lolita Marie-Claude for help in getting guests. They started reaching out to their own contacts and boom, we were suddenly out of Tuesdays and Thursdays. It seemed like the more guests we booked the easier it was to get others. A few people even contacted *me* asking to be part of our event.
We added weekends and started booking guests on “our” days. I even worked up the courage to email some of my “dream” guests and was even more surprised when some of them actually agreed to come on. I also got a little paranoid wondering if we left anyone out and that I’d hurt someone’s feelings. (If I did, I’m sorry, we’d still love to have you on. Email me.)
I’m not quite sure when exactly I coined the term “Steampunkapalooza,” but it fit, since between our guests and the amazing giveaways we were getting it was far cry from “just” a birthday party. As me and the other lolitas joked, somewhere along the way we’d become “the real deal.”
April 1st rolled around and then the party officially started as we kicked off. We got more guests, more blog hits then we’d ever had, lots of new visitors, gave away super cool prizes, and had a ton of fun. I’ll be a little sad to see it all come to an end on April 30th.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a lot of work, too. I spend hours every day formatting posts, moderating, emailing back and forth with guests and the other lolitas, and promoting our posts. But it’s also been a fun and incredible experience. I learned a lot along the way about follow up, coordinating, publicity, and how awesome and generous people were. I’m still amazed at our incredible line-up. Really, it belongs on a t-shirt (anyone one to take a crack at designing a concert-style “Steampunkapalooza” shirt with all our guests?) My only wish is that I would have been eligible to win some of our amazing prizes, lol.
Truly, I am amazed and blessed not just by all those who participated, but by all of you, who visited every day, promoted our posts, entered our contests, and just stopped by to say hello. Thank you so much, each and every one of you. I’d also like to put a special “thank you” shout out to all our super guests and to the rest of the lolitas, especially Lolita Elizabeth and Lolita Marie-Claude. There would be no Steampunkapalooza without you.
As much fun as we’ve had getting to know all our great guests, ultimately we did this for you, our fans, as a “thank you” for being with us this past year. I hope all of you, both our longtime followers and those new to the blog, had a great time and will continue to visit us even after Steampunkapalooza comes to an end. Lolita Elizabeth, Lolita Marie-Claude, and I will be back to our regular blogging days, with the other lolitas chiming in, as usual. We’ll be introducing two new lolitas. We’ll also be introducing “guest Thursdays” where we hope to bring you a visiting Lolita or special guest each week.
We’re looking for guests right now, if you have a suggestion, or are interested in visiting us on a guest Thursday, please contact me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail with either “Steamed! Guest request” or “Steamed! Guest suggestion” in the title. Guests should either be Steampunk writers/musicians/artists/craftpersons/etc or be willing to do a Steampunk-themed post (those who might not be a Steampunk writer/artist/etc but love Steampunk). If in doubt, email me anyway, maybe we can work something out. Giveaways are always welcome but not required.
Thanks again for helping to make Steampunkapalooza 2010 a smashing success. Will there be a Steampunkapalooza 2011? You bet there will.
First off, before we get to today’s visiting Lolita, I’d like to announce the *finalists* of the Clockwork Couture ensemble contest. Thank you so much to everyone who entered, we had 44 entries! I am so glad I wasn’t the judge because there were so many amazing ensembles. Also, thank you to Donna at Clockwork Couture for sponsoring the contest.
The five finalists will each receive a tiara (because I’m all about tiaras, lol). The grand prize winner wins a $150 gift certificate to Clockwork couture. All winners, please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail so you can get your prize. The winner will be announced tomorrow.
The finalists and winner were chosen by our esteemed guest judge Gail Carriger. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to judge our contest.
The finalists are (in no particular order):
OM Grey’s “Gothic Steampunk Lolita” ensemble:
Marissa’s photoshopped creation:
Sangu’s Steampunk Outfit:
Mithril Designs’ “Absinthe Afternoon”:
and VBunny’s “Black and White Tea”:
Thank you again to everyone who entered, stay tuned for the winner!
Today let’s give a big Steampunkapalooza welcome to Edanna of EJP Creations, makers of fabulous clockhand jewelry, including my favorite–tiaras. She will also be giving away a beautiful pair of earrings.
Recently, I was at an event that was attended by a horde of Steampunkians. My heart swelled with pride at the diversity, and enthusiasm emanating from it’s handsomely coiffed participants. There were brisk airship captains, elegantly refined Victorian ladies, dapper aristocratic gentlemen, cog-encrusted machinists, noir neo-Victorian mavens, burlesque carnival consorts, rakish goggle-donning scientists, and adventurers aplenty. Upon looking over this entire crowd the only thought that kept running through my head was, “THIS… this was the future I had always dreamed of. And if we can’t have zeppelins taking us to work each day, or adventures under the sea in great diesel-powered mechanized tubs then, by god, we shall make our own reality. Our groupthink will force it to happen, and we shall live as if this existence spans our entire globe!” I make my accessories for a clear and selfish reason. In adorning the coif of that elegant lady, or ornamenting the lapel of that mad scientist , my accessories help to flush out their character and accompany them on their next adventure. Fostering that reality into being by contributing a little of my vision for the world with a tangible, wearable bobble.
Distressed imperial elegance is the main thrust of my current designs. Apocalyptic chic, one might say, containing all the grandeur of toppled gilded empires, of their opulent treasures covered in dust and rubble. Encased for eons in their forgotten tombs only to be unearthed millennia later, shined up, and repurposed by a mad scientist of a woman wielding a hammer, and a pair of pliers. Using design elements from a bygone time, giving them a modern, urban spin. EJPcreations specializes in tiaras, chokers, earrings, necklaces, fascinators, and hair combs with a noir, and gothic flair. Creating body adornments with a hint of vampire elegance, a dash of Steampunk bravado, and plenty of Neo-Victorian sensibilities. Perfect for prowling the streets, haunting the clubs, or adding an aristocratic air to any outfit.
I have been creating unique and obscure items my entire life. Anything my little mind could dream up was instantly put on paper so I could work out the puzzle of making it a reality. Coming from a very creative family, this notion of making artwork in any form has been ingrained in me since birth. As an adult, this has primarily taken the form of wearable art, but I also enjoy creating other kinds of functional and mixed media creations as well. Contained in my artistic arsenal is an AA degree in Visual Presentation, a BFA in Crafts and Metalsmithing, and a BA in Anthropology with a focus in Japanese Urban culture and Primatology (specifically prosimians). In some amazingly mystic and extremely bizarre way all these studies have funneled into the work I produce today.
~*~*~*~
Thank you so much, Edanna, for visiting us. We really appreciate it. One lucky poster will get a pair of these earrings, which can be converted into clip-ons. I have a pair just like them and they go with everything from jeans to corsets to little black dresses. All you have to do for a chance to win is post a comment.
To get an extra entry, you can join EJP Creation’s Facebook Group and/or the Steamed! facebook group. Please let us know in your posts so we can give you your entry. If you already are a memeber let us know and you’ll still get the entry.
Blogging/posting/tweeting about this post and/or Steampunkapalooza also gets you another entry. Please let us know where and please don’t spam. For a final extra entry, you can subscribe to our blog. If you already are a subscriber, let us know so you get credit, too.
Contest ends Tuesday, April 20th at 11:59 pm PST and the winner will be announced on Thursday, April 22nd when YA rockstar Scott Westerfeld comes to visit. John from Steampunk Tales swings by on Monday, April 19th. Hang onto your fishnets when the Smutketeers join us Tuesday April 20th. Artist Simply Willow will be our guest on Wednesday, April 21st as Steampunkapalooza continues all April long.
I’m going to close with a really pretty tiara, because I can, lol.
First, can you tell us a little about yourself and your latest steampunk creation?
So what’s next for you?
STEAMED! 