Empress Bat's Journal: June 2014

Steampunk-Goth DIY supplies on the cheap

Still on my Steampunk meets Goth jewellery creating theme of last week, which you can read about here, I decided to look around the house, the grocery store, and the hardware store to see what could be used to create original Steampunk-Goth pieces without costing a heap of cash, and without being mass produced jewellery components.

'Found items' from the house

To start with, anyone who knows me knows that I am into technology and work daily with computers, so it won't be a surprise to know I have quite a stash of old memory cards, old phones, wires and assorted computer bits and pieces including circuit boards lying around the house. These have been piled together and are ready for me to create with. Not only is this recycling it is also a cheap supply of jewellery components, as otherwise all these bits would have ended up in landfill!

Hardware Store

Oh my I have found Aladdin's cave! Here for purchase I find cheap copper wire, washers, nuts and bolts, soft metal tubing, industrial strength glue, and all manner of things that I can turn to good use for minimal cost!

My favourite find is these elbow shaped copper capillary joins that were in the plumbing section. (they are small and will be good to thread necklaces through as a kind of pendant bail)

Grocery Store

At the grocery store where I was purchasing potatoes to go with the salmon I am cooking for my husband tonight, I found these beer bottle caps. They are an antique gold tone, were super cheap for a massive bag, and I can think of heaps of ways I can use them to make jewellery!

Very happy with my stash, I can't wait to see what I can create with it! Stay tuned to future blog posts to see my creations.

What bargain finds do you have for your jewellery making?

______________________________________________________________________________

About Me: I work full time, I am also studying for a therapist qualification in Naturopathy specialising in Herbalism, I have a small craft 'business', I am co-admin of an auction page on facebook to help other small hobby businesses, i maintain my own 'store' facebook page, I blog at least once a week and I maintain a facebook page created to support small home businesses and hobby sellers

Steampunk musings

I just watched the last ever episode of WAREHOUSE 13, the steampunk, sci fi, fantasy, crime solving, adventure series from America. I was most vexed when I found out the show was no longer going to be made.

As well as the entertaining plots, the humourous dialogue, and the quasi historical artefacts, I really liked the steam punk feel of the show. The modern technology meets scrolls and filigree of Victorian bronze art... love it!

Steampunk is basically a fantasy sub culture of an alternate industrial revolution, where Victoriana with its flounces and fantasy art meets technology.

Two Steampunk artists and makers of jewellery I admire are Sassy Steampunk and Mad Scientist Designs. I own several of Sassy Steampunk's creations and have just ordered a steampunk bracelet cuff from Mad Scientist Designs.

Both these talented ladies own etsy stores and sell not only their one of a kind steampunk creations but steampunk supplies to DIY steampunk accessories!

Anyway I started thinking about steampunk jewellery offered on ebay, and how some of it seems to lack the grand flourishes of the style, seems to be not really understanding the origins of the art form and seems really rather cobbled together rubbish, although it features many a fuse or transistor. So I have been working on my own pieces.

I think I may venture more into creating steampunk designs as I am really enjoying the geeky creativity it inspires!

Below are some of the pendants I have made, they are a bit Goth meets Streampunk, and not solely steampunk.

Steampunk owl pendant

Steampunk absinthe faery pendant

Steampunk-Goth cameo pendant

Have you seen my Steampunk Meets Goth Pinterest board?

Follow Eliza's board SteamPunk Meets Goth on Pinterest.

__________________________________________________________________________

Blogs to follow

I enjoy reading blogs its like having a huge amount of free magazines and autobiographies to read. I learn, laugh, cry, along with the blogger.

Some of my favourite blogs at the moment are as follows:

Minerva Levinston: a digital artist. using a variety of media combined with digital edits to create some amazing images. She has free downloadables for people to print and use in their art journals and scrapbooks. Like me she is participating in the Documented Life Project, and that is where i discovered her blog. Like me she loves her coffee!! A very creative person with an interesting blog, please follow her blog you won't regret it.

This is CorpGoth: I really enjoy this blog as this lady works and is a Goth, like me she is in the big bad world of professional work places, and can find a happy medium between her self expression and her job. She posts some great pix of her fashion and she provides a glimpse into her life. Fun and interesting read.

Confessions of an Australian Goth: This lady blogs about her fashion style, her pets, her life. She is another great creative person who shows the world that us Goths are creative, good people!

More Nail Polish: this blogger lives in Canberra, she has the most amazing finger nails I have ever seen! She blogs about nail polish (obviously) and she does the most artistic manicures that have to be seen to be believed! She also reviews nail polish and publishes DIY so you can also try out the manicure styles she uses. I find her blog posts informative and entertaining, and the manicures are amazing!

Deep Midnight Perfume OIls: this lovely talented lady creates the most divine fragrances and sells them on etsy. She has a blog where she interviews other artists, helps to promote the work of others, and also talks about her perfume inspiration.

Do you have favourite blogs I should read? Please let me know by putting the links in the comments!