Custom Order Passage Pendant for Moe

Custom Order Passage Pendant for Moe, originally uploaded by Sojourn Curiosities.

Sarah of Sojourn Curiosities has a series of passage pendants made from keys, beads coppers wire, gears, beads

Steamers

The steampunk phenomenon is a fun and seductive. My famous airship pilot Antoinette Zapp has illustrated her travels with many a steam punky item in the etsy treasury graphic novel A. Zapp Expeditions.
My son Eric says that steampunk evolved from goth and maybe emo movements. Rooted in the revival of the steam driven industrial revolution and the 19th century fiction of Jules Vernes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley, Wikipedia adds Mark Twain to the mix and I like to consider Ambrose Beirce who wrote a small collection of mid 19th century sci fi and later there was L Frank Baum). It is seen in today role playing games, costumes, literature,film, fashion and accessories.
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S.S. Mathilda, originally uploaded by ClockworkCrow.

Clockworkcrow"s airship Mathilde

Mad Max aside, the artisanry that represents the movement is beautiful. Brass, copper recycled material. Indie steampunksmiths on etsy are many:
Clockwork Crow, whos work takes up my fantasy jewery box says: "I think steampunk culture did come in part from goth culture. More like a thinking person's goth. (I may be biased here)
A lot of fashion and culture is retro. In times of uncertainly we look to an imagined past for comfort. I think that, in part, is why the steampunk aesthetic coalesced in the last few years. The components have been there a long time. Love of Fiction and fantasy, an appreciation for technology, and of course dressing up. (cosplay)
I just heard of steampunk, perhaps 3 or 4 years ago. I looked at my decorating style (Sherlock Holmes meets a mad scientist and his exotic, eastern lover), and my closet (long skirts, corsets, and, yes an opera hat), and my books, and my tinkering, and I said Eureka! That is what I am doing! Her popular work is shiny and amazing. Please visit her store where each piece has a story to tell."
Etsier, slvrlily whose marvelous collection of photographs puts in mind a large arched hall festooned with delecate clockworks. I especially enjoy this but go to her shop for the full effect.
Fellow Mainer, http://www.sojourncuriosities.etsy.com one of the first people I met on etsy and from etsy in person, works with wired and found pieces. She explains the Steampunk allure thus:
"It fascinated me to discover steampunk! As a nostalgic magpie, personally and artistically, it was a natural avenue for me to explore with my jewelry work.
What really speaks to me about steampunk, as a style, is it's melding of Victorian softness with the practical, historic aspect of antique hardware. Another Maine jeweler, JunqueRevival specializes in recreating found objects into victorian fantasy masterpiecespieces. She grew up in the world of antique dealing and art seems to be a steampunker by nature.
Antoinette adds other etsy steam punk artists of note are:
19moons
Galeriedeilluminata
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_1&listing_id=15478186

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8965562@N02/1247327536/

In the 21st century, the basic steam driven mechanics and the romance of Victorian times is a marvelous escape. Its simple physics and stylish flow is something people can wrap there heads around easily. The tick tock of hand tooled springs and gears is accessable and certainly a symbol of off the grid empowerment... alternative energy if you will. The general public has the ability to run under their own steam so to speak. Steam punkers can bask in the comfort of having the ability to go back to the steam age, should they have to. The ideal of the movement is at once anarchistic and communal.
For further steampunk expeditions and research, Clockwork Crow recommends http://steampunkworkshop.com/ or conduct a search for the steamteam on etsy.

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day...Contest Winner

Arg me beauties!Here we have it-We be hoisting the Jolly Roger with Drumsticks at SuzeesJubileez ( Aye ye heard me right Fat Eddy the ragin' undead drummer be the winner by a whales tooth) Heres a picture of the lot of scurvy buccaneers that were feasting to his honor on talk like a pirates eve. Here be the drummer now sporting a captains hat. Ahoy there be a sunny lot of fancy fingered lassies who share in the booty!

Port Periwinkle Freethinkers Press- Celebrity Visits Spicy Scarlett's by the Bay
Hector Charles was delighted to join the noted multi talented artist and free lance columnist, Martha Horman, partaking of the ultimate chocolate therapy- Queen of Sheba chocolate cake yesterday. Hector was amazed to find such a celebrity so far off the beaten track, but soon found that Martha is driven by a joi de vivre that manifests itself in day trips and adventures. Today she was foraging for vintage pieces at our own “Violet’s Magic Portal” and at "A and A Zapp's" purveyors of esoteric artifacts. No Doubt Martha has an exciting new project afoot. Martha runs several shops on etsy, CabArray where she has magnificent and very original jewelry, MarthaHorman where she sells her other other works of art as well as art by the late Jessie Fuchs and AuntMartha a vintage shop. Hector lost track of time as Martha told him about her projects and her experiences as an antique dealer and artist. Martha filled him in on her column and allow him to publish this bit about Mungo Mango’s Immortals (Mungo has ties to the area).
The gossip according to Martha Horman:“Fat Eddie will probably leave first. Let's face it, the man has talent and personality and, even though he may deny it, has been approached by several different people in the entertainment world. There were two movie directors who wanted him in films, although that might not come to much because of a fight they had over him one night at the local "in place to be". (It was not the place to be that night; it was crawling with cops and paparazzi. Fat Eddie had to sneak out the back door to avoid them.) The agent for another band has been trailing him around offering top billing and bucks and unlimited ladies of the evening. Then there's a certain well known enterprise, which shall go nameless here but has two theme parks, one in California and one in Orlando, has talked to him about developing a ride based on his special talents. If he accepted that he would have to travel to publicize the project and there would be tons of endorsements spinning off of that, not to mention the action toys. Rumors are going about that there is also a unknown lady in the background who wants him to quit show biz altogether. Fat Eddie refuses to confirm or deny that which leads me to believe that there is some truth to the rumors. Who she is is a mystery but one source says she is a red-head from Montana that Fat Eddie knew when he was a teenager. If that's true, she might be the gal who was accused, a few years back, of shooting a neighbor's goat when it trampled her zucchini garden. It is a fact that Fat Eddie stood by her and paid for her lawyer. No, I just can't see Fat Eddie sticking around with so many reasons to go.”
Through other sources, Hector learned that several etsy artisans had thought about the bands break up and they were ensured a 15% discount at SuzeesJubileez for sharing there theories over the past month and a half. Winners of the pool, as selected by a band of local pirates ( ARGH) were AdroitJewelers and Folkarttree who have yet to decide what they want. The pirates liked SageMoonstone and threebridgessewingco theories as well and insisted that they be mentioned this may garnish them an extra 5% off at SuzeesJubileez. The discounts are time limited. Suzee plans to applaud every one who participated in the contest by blogging them up more fully at a future date.

Avast may a fair wind steer ye day.

port periwinkle group shot

port periwinkle group shot, originally uploaded by suzeesjubileez.

I found an old pine buffet and am converting it into Spicey Scarlett's. A popular restaurant and watering hole in Port Perwinkle. Some of Port Periwinkles most famous inhabitants Alphonso and Antoinette Zapp and their vivacious niece Ambrosia can be seen at the gathering.

Karaoke Party at Spicy Scarlett's by the Bay

Spicy Scarlett's is Edna's favorite establishment and karaoke is her favorite pastime. So for her birthday, she planned a karaoke bash there. I plan to build Spicy Scarlett's using an old cabinet and recycled bits and pieces. Currently I'm working on figures and an eclectic mix of furniture for this fun little club.