Coming Soon - Clockwork Con!!!

After a reasonably successful weekend at the Emerald City Steampunk Expo in Wichita, Kansas last weekend my next stop will be Clockwork Con in Austin, Texas over the weekend of January 20-22, 2012.

Clockwork Con looks like it is going to be a LOT of fun! They have a great guest lineup including Airship Isabella, Delerium of Grandeur, Emperor Justinian, the lovely and talented author O.M. Grey, the ever fun Mr. Saturday and Sixpence, and Cracked Monocle. And their musical lineup is just as awesome! They have Master Bones Jangle and the VooDoo Island Cannibals with their own brand of pirate music, The robotic trio Steam Powered Giraffe, and the always wonderful and fun Marquis of Vaudeville!




There will be vendors a-plenty (myself included), panels on a wide variety of steampunk topics, A Dinner Event of Aether and Steam, a concert and vaudeville show, and a gadgeteer festival where Steampunks can show off their greatest creations!  In addition, word is that there may well be more S.C.A.R.S. versus The Order action!

So if you are a steampunk and can get to Austin, Texas over the 4th weekend of January 2012 (yes, January has 5 weekends next year!) then come on in and stay for a while!

The Mechanical Grave

The year is 1895. Steam-powered ships fly through the air. Clockwork robots have replaced servants. And a grisly murder has taken place in the dark night of New York City. Called to the scene of the ritualistic murder of a young woman, newly appointed police commissioner Teddy Roosevelt discovers Detective Wayne and his police officers power usurped by two special investigators appointed by the White House: Occultist Edgar Allan Poe, a clockwork automaton housing the soul of the literary legend, and Mrs. Emma Entwistle, a dangerous assassin with a unique connection to the other world. When they elicit information from the demon Neshrew, a much darker and more dangerous plot of world domination is uncovered.

The Mechanical Grave is a short film directed by Jon Keeyes. The production company, Wolfclan Productions, says about The Mechanical Grave that it is "a darkly fascinating Sci-Fi /Steampunk short film designed as a TV Pilot that will initially become a six part Mini-Series, and ultimately, become an Episodic Series for multiple seasons." (Wolfclan Productions)

My goggles

A month or so back I got the opportunity to be a part of a this project and boy was it a fun night!  My friend Deborah Gerard of Time Traveler Outfitters designed and created the beautiful costumes.  She invited me to join her on the second night of shooting to play one of the minions of the demon Neshrew. I also contributed a couple of the costume accessories, including the goggles seen on the top hat worn by Mrs. Entwistle, the monocle worn by the giant, and bits on several of the minions (check out the wrist piece on the right wrist of Lucian Menkent, below)

Giant, wearing my monocle

Toby Lawhon

Other minions were played by friends and aquaintances from the Texas steampunk community, including Toby Lawhon (lead singer of Dallas area band Marquis of Vaudeville), members of the Airships Isabella and Nocturne, and members of the Celestial Rogues.

Capt Whitaker, ASI

Lazuli Delacru, ASI

 .

Lucian Menkent, Celestial Rogues

      

Thaddeus Vale, ASI

Amelia and Audra, ASI

 So check out the short teaser trailer and let us hope they get the full length trailer AND the short film out soon!!!

This just breaks my heart!!!

A fellow steampunk artisan and etsy seller, AutumnSteam, had 75 of her pendants STOLEN while packing up at Faerieworlds in Eugene, Oregon this past weekend!  What kind of sick person does something like this???? The pendants were displayed on red velvet in vintage picture frames and were taken while the booth was being packed up and the van retrieved.

If you live anywhere in the Eugene area please help her keep an eye out for her missing pieces at flea markets, pawn shops, even on etsy or ebay!   You can check out her blog here for details on what was stolen. Please, if you see anything that looks like any of her missing work, let her know right away! This is one of the worst things that can happen to an artist and I wish I could do more to help!

The Infernal Device

Steampunk (as well as Fantasy, Horror and Gothic, among others) artist, illustrator and sculptor Myke Amend (who does amazing work, by the way) is working with Steve Brook (maker of incredible steampunk guitars) and Todd Cahill (Steam Machine Sculptor) to build an incredible machine for an art competition in September.

A sketch of what the Device might look like

The Infernal Device will be a large piece of steampunk art powered completely by alternative energy, including wind and solar power.  They are primarily using re-purposed materials (90% of the device will be made of re-purposed parts), primarily in the style of the late 1800's. They are searching high and low through junkyards, farm fields, old garages .... for suitable items. They are gladly taking donations of anything you might find that you'd love to see used but won't be using yourself but they are also seeking help in purchasing some of the items they want.

This is where you come in. Check out their kickstarter page for more information on the device and how to contribute.  They have great rewards for everyone who contributes, even if you only give $1!  So stop on over before 7pm this Monday, May 23rd, and help them to make this project a reality!


You can find out more about the device and Myke at these sites:


The Infernal Device

The Infernal Device's Facebook Page

Myke Amend's Live Journal

Myke's Facebook Page

Etta Diem (Myke's etsy shop)

Myke's Deviant Art Page

Some Ghouls Wander by Mistake

I'm Baaaaaaack.........................

It really has been a long time since I posted, wow!

Since my last post I moved to Texas! Yes, Texas. I have been here for almost 2 years now and am enjoying the change of scenery.  I have been active in the steampunk community here in Texas and have been to several convenetions and have even sold at a couple. 

 



Me with Abney Park at A-Kon 21

Last June I took my daughter to A-Kon as she loves anime. I was lucky enough to get to see Abney Park again!  I got to pose with the entire band this time and I gifted them with my Clockyard sculpture which was inspired by the song "Clockyard" on their Aether Shanties album. Check out their video for the song "End of Days" and you will even see it in the background!

Clockyard Sculpture





In January I was a vendor at Clockwork Wonderland, a one night mini-convention in Dallas. I did well there and had a lot of fun. 

Sunday at WWW Con

In March I went to Wild Wild West Con in Tucson with my friend Deborah Gerard of Time Traveler Oufitters. I sold one of my badge holders and did a trade for another. And I got to see Abney Park in concert once again!



My booth at Oklahoma Steampunk Expo

Then in April I had a booth at the Oklahoma Steampunk Exposition. I did very well there and sold a number of items, including my steampunk chess set! I got to hang out with friends I have made over the last year and generally had a really good time.



At the end of April I went to Aetherfest in San Antonio. That was a great event with lots of fun things to do and a great location. The St. Anthony hotel is Victorian in style and made a great site for this event. And on Saturday morning a number of the attendees, myself included, walked to the Alamo and posed for a picture in front of the mission.

Steampunks at the Alamo!



And the winner is.....

The winner of my recent name the necklace contest is Rain Pope, or rainfeather13 as she is known on etsy. Her shop on etsy is Rain's (Obsessive) Stitchery. Rain describes herself as "A happy kitchen witch in Nashville that does sewing, machine embroidery and other fun needlecrafts with her cat. Incorporating designs from many spiritual traditions, her products are designed toward the purpose of "bringing the common and sacred into agreement" and include kitchen towels, altar cloths, tarot bags and eclectic ornamental pieces."

Rain (and her husband) suggested the name Tonantzin. Tonantzin was the Aztec goddess of the harvest. Given my mother's love for gardening, both flowers and vegetables, I really liked this choice of name for the necklace I made using a part of one of my mother's favorite pair of earrings. A very fitting tribute to my mother, I thought (see my post below concerning my mother).



I am lucky enough to own not one but two of Rain's lovely pieces, both given to me as Christmas/Yule gifts last year. One of them features her fire goddess, as seen here.









Her tarot bags are beautiful. Done on silk, each has a lovely design embroidered onto the front. My favorite is this one which she has covered with gorgeous, brightly colored Celtic beasties.



In addition to her machine embroidery, Rain also makes beautiful hand-painted eggs. She uses bright colors and they look as if they were made of stained glass.


For a visual treat, please do stop by her shop and take a look around!

Contest

I have been a terrible blogger and not posted anything new in months. I am finally over my creative dry spell, however, and have been making and listing new things for close to a month. My latest creations come from a pair of earrings that were my mothers. I made two necklaces using each earring as a focal. I will be listing one necklace and the other will be the prize in my contest.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a name for this necklace:

The focal is made of polymer clay, glass and carnelian beads and wire. The beads used in the necklace are: agate, black glass, amber, turquoise, jasper, unakite, carnelian, serpentine, and green glass.


The prize uses the matching polymer clay, glass, carnelian and wire piece. It is strung with black glass, orange glass, yellow turquoise, serpentine, carnelian, ceramic, and wooden beads. Both necklaces measure 22" in length and the focal is just shy of 3" in length.

If you would like a chance to win the second necklace, please type your name for the first piece in the comments section for this post. I will choose the winning name on Wednesday, May 13 and will post it here on my blog and will let the winner know via email or etsy convo.

Thanks for entering and good luck!!!