A History Primer for the American Steampunk

In Honor of President’s Day, February 21, 2011.

Copyright Brandon Herren (herrenmedia)

The generic definition of Steampunk appears to be “Victorian Science Fiction.” This is fine as a brief explanation when you are asked what you are all about but don’t want to take the time for a full discussion of Alternative History, World History, and Technological Progression. Some people have coined the term “GeoVicWardian” to categorize and expand the time period generally associated with Steampunk to include the Georgian (Geo), Victorian (Vic), and Edwardian (Wardian) periods of English history.

M is, however, getting somewhat tired of Steampunk always being referenced according to British history. I know, I know, that is the easiest way to explain it to the non-punks, but I am American and proud of it! So, as a primer for myself (admittedly my historical knowledge is sketchy at best) and anyone else who is interested, here is a list of the American Presidents that led OUR great nation during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Pick one, learn a little about the many interesting things going on in the United States in that time period, and share some smarts with your fellow punks! Viva la Revolution!

1829-1837  Andrew Jackson

1837-1841  Martin Van Buren

1841-1841  William Henry Harrison (only served a month, died in office of pneumonia contracted during his swearing in ceremony.) *

1841-1845  John Tyler

1845-1849  James K Polk

1849-1850  Zachary Taylor (died after only 16 months in office, supposedly of gastroenteritis)

1850-1853  Millard Fillmore

1853-1857  Franklin Pierce

1857-1861  James Buchanan

1861-1865  Abraham Lincoln (assassinated)

1865-1869  Andrew Johnson

1869-1877  Ulysses S Grant *

1877-1881  Rutherford B. Hayes *

1881-1881  James A. Garfield (assassinated) *

1881-1885  Chester A. Arthur

1885-1889  Grover Cleveland

1889-1893  Benjamin Harrison

1893-1897  Grover Cleveland (second term was non-consecutive)

1897-1901  William McKinley *

After searching and compiling this information, M realizes it would be incredibly unwieldy to call the Steampunk historical background the “JackBurHarTyPoTayFillPieBuchLinJohnGraHayGarArCleveHarrMcKinleyan Era.” It does still bear recognizing the amazing and rapid changes the “infant nation” of the time was undergoing. Hopefully you enjoyed this brief history lesson and think about it for a minute on this holiday celebrating the past leaders of the United States of America! It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!

* Presidents from Ohio, the frenzygals’ home state –Represent!

- M of the frenzygals

Circus-A-Day Recap of Week 6

Day 36: VooDoo Carnival Photographs (K) & Misfit Menagerie (M)

For our Day 36 Circus, K is counting the photos she took at the Voodoo Carnival by the Queen City Cabaret. We had a fabulous time, and we took the best photos we could considering the equipment and the lighting. Please go check out the amazing work of Goblin Road. The show was put on by the Queen City Cabaret, and include Zahara’s Tangled Web, Robin Marks Magic, The Pickled Brothers Sideshow, and Switchblade Syndicate.

M’s circus for day 36 is not very Steampunky, and definitely somewhat Dr. Moreau but in a much less morbid and creepifying way. I decided to play with some of my toys! I have a lovely collection of MagnaMorph toys that are animals magnetic body parts that can be switched around with each other. So I made up some new animals. I am still trying to figure out how to classify them taxonomically. And, yes, the elephant-like creature does have T-Rex legs!

Day 37: Watch Case Pendants/Charms (K) & Circus Tent Skirt Design (M)

Although K made something on Day 37, it took a couple of days to post the photos because I couldn’t get a decent photograph. The pendants/charms are made from old watch cases. I collaged printed dictionary pages to the back bezel, and then filled the case partway with Swarovski rhinestones, watch gears, and watch hands. The convexity of the glass in the watch case magnifies the contents, but makes the item very difficult to photograph! It was the mid-morning light right on the windowsill that finally gave me the right light to allow you to see inside the pendants.

M spent the day doing fun stuff (a.k.a. taking a day off!) so she humbly submits a simple design sketch of something that has been running around in her head for a while. I am obviously not a classically trained designer, or artist by any stretch of the imagination, but if I can get it down on paper the end result is usually much easier to procure. I was inspired by the stash of wild, fun fabric I have been hoarding over the years and a skirt I saw in a magazine that looked like a carousel. My version is less couture and more cutesy, but I am excited to put it into the “to be prototyped” pile!

 Day 38: Steampunk Mardi Gras Necklace (K) & Red Sequin Garter (M)

So, K got confused and thought that Feb. 8 was Mardi Gras. (When in fact, it is March 8). In celebration of Mardi Gras, K stepped a little bit away from the circus theme to make a Mardi Gras necklace by using brass chain and findings, an old clock key, a brass mask, and glass beads in Mardi Gras colors.

M didn’t even start making her item until 11pm and was very sleepy so she went simple. I took some stretch red sequin trimming, stitched an old button on one end, then some red silk cording into a loop on the other end”¦ and you get a sparkly leg garter! I only stabbed myself with the needle 3 times and fell asleep once during the process.

Day 39: Brass “Cirque” Charm Bracelet (K) & Lace Garter Pouch (M)

K’s contribution for Day 39 is a charm bracelet made with the brass letter charms I engraved last week and some new animal charms I just received. I like the jingly charms; it seems like it would be a fun bracelet to wear.

M felt like her Day 38 contribution wasn’t quite “enough” and so decided to add to it. I made the pouch out of a scrap of black lace by folding it over on itself in thirds like you would fold a letter, attached black grosgrain ribbon belt loops to the back and put on a salvaged button for a closure. Then, I slipped the garter through the loops and had a handy place to store a few folded bills, a lipstick, or even a very small, lightweight weapon, should I need it.

Day 40: Razzles, the Aeronautic Ape

K & M present “Razzles, the Aeronautic Ape!” Our intrepid stuffed gorilla has taken on the job to be blasted from the cannon at a moment’s notice. For this dangerous assignment, he required a mini sparkle-vinyl flight helmet and a pair of tiny goggles made from two aluminum tin lids with glass tops. M would like you to know how difficult this vinyl was to work with and to reassure you that future versions of the baby flight helmet will not look so, well, crazy.

Day 41: Steampunk Valentines

Today, we both were feeling the LOVE, so we focused on Valentines! K’s Valentine came in the form of a soldered charm necklace that spells the word LOVE. M learned a number of new skills to make this gorgeous, steamy valentine! M likes to call it her “Resistance is Futile” Valentine as whomever is answering the question can only say YES if they play the game right!

M would like to add that she made K VERY nervous while rummaging through K’s stash of ephemera and using K’s tools and supplies. It was loads of fun! K would like to point out that without her, M would have set the whole place on fire and other calamities would have ensued.

Day 42: Candy Circus Doll Dress

Today, we had a conversation about how many tootsie rolls we could or should eat in a day. Then, we were inspired by all those Tootsie Roll wrappers we had lying around (LOL). So, M made a dress, while K worked on the little hat. K helped a little with the dress by making the candy wrapper “fabric” with packing tape and by being an extra pair of hands when M needed it. But mostly, M just did an awesome job with a very difficult medium. Anybody have any tips or tricks we should know about for working with candy wrappers?

K’s Insights for Week 6: This is something I’ve known for a while, but it was reiterated to me this week: working in miniature is HARD! It’s far more difficult to work with tiny pieces to make a small work of art than it is to work on a standard scale. Partly because my fingers are too clumsy, partly because I’m getting old and my eyesight isn’t so good. Also, I’m getting more and more nervous about how we’re going to pull of making art every day while we’re on the road. We spend so much time and use so many materials in each work of art that to keep our commitment during 21 days on the road (amidst conventions, no less) seems nigh impossible.

M’s Insights for Week 6: I need to learn to cut myself some slack and have fun with this project, otherwise I will get burnt out and end up hating the creative process. I worked on simple things this week (or at least things that appear simple when completed) and believe I may have found a way to mute the perfectionist in me and the nagging voice that says what I do isn’t good enough. Stupid little self doubts! Oh, and I concur with K’s statements about working in miniature… and would like to add that waxy candy papers are very difficult to control!

Circus-A-Day Recap of Week 5

Day 29: Cosplay Circus Photo

We were fortunate to spend the day at OhayoCon in Columbus, OH, today, where we encountered many talented individuals with fantastic costumes, steampunk and otherwise. This little group of cosplayers had fantastic circus appeal. If this is you, please claim responsibility for your awesomenosity, and feel free to download the photo from here or the photo gallery on our website!

Day 30: Snow Elephant (K) & Horsewoman Neck Ruffle (M)

Sadly, our snow lion from last week was more than the folks around here could handle. We awoke this morning to find his face smashed. So, K decided not to let them win so easily and resculpted the lion into the head of an elephant. I’m not as familiar with elephantine anatomy, so he’s a bit more abstract than the lion, but I like him! Unfortunately, the elephant didn’t last 24 hours before being vandalized. Sigh.

M started the Horseback Stuntwoman outfit in week 4 with the skirt attempt that broke her sewing machine. I got that fixed and moved on to the neck ruffle for day 30. I took leftover pieces of the pale pink taffeta, machine hemmed all the edges and then gathered the length down the center by hand. I sewed a piece of lovely paisley ribbon over the gather to create a collar and then sewed black satin ribbon near the ends to make long ties. There will be several more similar elements added to this outfit as time goes by. I’ve got a vision, people!

Day 31: Engraved and Embossed Circus Letters (K) & Wrist Ruffles (M)

K’s art for today was intended for trying new techniques. So, I pulled out some brass discs and stamped them with letters in a circus font. I added some embossing powder to the round ones and heated them with the heat tool. Unfortunately, the embossing powder stuck to the metal outside of the ink, so the lettering came out pretty muddy. With the square discs, I pulled out the engraving pen, and I traced the inked letters. I like the engraved ones much better, but the buzzing of the pen made my wrist numb! Sometime soon, I’ll add them to another jewelry project.

M continued with the Horseback Stuntwoman theme and made rist ruffles to match the neck ruffle from day 30 and the skirt from Week 4. Made from the same taffeta as the skirt and black grosgrain ribbon I used the same principles of gathering used in the neck ruffle and sewed the grosgrain ribbon to cover the gathering stitches and create a cuff. They are rather small as I have tiny wrists, but any future iterations of these pretty little things will be made longer for the less freakish folks out there!

Day 32: Red and White Crystal Circus Pendants (K) & Upcycled Leg Warmers (M)

The first day of our second month! K’s first project of February is two pendants made from old clip-on earrings. I removed the back of the earring and filed it down, to prepare it for a glue-on bail. After drawing on the red stripes on the first one, I glued on a silver gear and a red, flat-back crystal. The second pendant involved gluing flat-back crystals onto the other cabochon. But I ran out of crystals and the lights kept flickering (ice storm!), so I called it a night. These items will most likely show up in other circus projects later!

M decided to use an old sweater she had been saving to make a pair of leg warmers. This was a complete experiment that actually turned out better than I expected. I cut the sleeves off the sweater and used the overedge stitch on the sewing machine to keep the cut end from fraying. This caused the knit fabric to pucker a bit creating a nice ruffle so I just ran with it. I then took some pieces of elasticized lace and cut them to length to fit around my leg just below my knee. I used two plastic gemstone pins to hold the ends of the garters together. Voila! Recycled sweater becomes frilly legwarmers!

Day 33: Punched Metal Discs (K) & K’s Lion Tamer Jacket (M)

K decided to try a bit of Marianne’s advice, and chose destruction as a path toward creativity today. I took an old Thai Tea tin and used the metal disc punch to cut out circular tabs of different sizes for use in jewelry projects. With a smaller punch, I will put tinier holes in each item and use the holes to add jumprings, wire, or other threading material to make charms and connectors. I have plans for a couple of these (some are going into that Fortune Teller necklace I’ve been collecting materials for), but the rest will have to wait for inspiration!

M was feeling stressed about having several unfinished projects lying around and the thought of starting a new one was daunting so she decided to actually finish something instead. I have been working on the jacket for K’s Lion Tamer costume in little increments for months now and decided it was time to finish putting on the braid trim. I had to remove the toggle closure, and fanangling the trim gave me hand cramps, but once it was all sewn on and the toggle replaced, I was quite pleased with the result. Now just to make the detachable epaulets!

Day 34: Responsibility Juggling and Bellydancer Drawing (K) & HipHop Abs (M)

K’s first circus item of the day is a photo of her juggling her to-do list. What I was most upset by in this photo is that I am wearing an Ohio State sweatshirt! (It was a gift, and it was clean today, so back off peeps!)

Then, I was working on a sketch for a headdress, and since I finished it before I went to bed, I’m counting it as part of today’s circus. I was imagining a headdress for our friend Shaharazade to wear at Burning Man, and used a photo of a bellydancer (and photos of S) as inspiration for this art. I’m thinking feathers, silk flowers and leaves, strings of pearls and beads, and felted dreadlocks would be exquisite with S’s hair and skin-tone. The sketch is not done, and the photo is bad, but I hope we get to make the real thing!

M’s circus for the day is her performance of the HipHop Abs Party Bounce and Night Move. K finally talked me into doing the workout with her and as I am terribly uncoordinated it was quite entertaining”¦ a dorky Steampunk with no rhythm attempting to find her inner hiphop dancer. If only we had video of the event!

 Day 35: Etched Circus Glasses and Goggles

Today’s Frenzy Universe Steampunk Circus is brought to you by BaconPop – bacon-flavored popcorn!

K & M worked together today to do some glass etching. We started out with some lenses for a pair of basic welding goggles. Then, we moved on to the glass tumblers we bought for this very purpose. The resists were made from sticky-back vinyl we cut by using the Cricut machine. We applied the resists to the glass and burnished them, then applied the etching solution. After washing the etching solution off the glass, we removed the resists, and Voila! Sorry the photos aren’t very good, but photographing clear, colorless items in bad lighting is not a very good trick.

Circus-A-Day Recap of Week 4

Day 22: Merriment Powder Pendant (K) & Mini Organ Grinder (M)

So, K’s first idea couldn’t get finished in time for the deadline, so I decided to put some whimsy in my circuspunk. I asked myself, “How do they get all that fun and magic on the midway?” With a little help from the Magic Midway Merriment powder! And I learned about working with glitter (lesson: don’t).

M had a similar problem with her original idea taking too long so she looked around her living room and used some of her favorite things to create a little vignette for the day. My cuddly sock monkey (a gift from my Bestie), a member of the String Doll Gang (a gift from my mommy), and the mini music box I bought in Paris (it plays La Vie En Rose) were the winning combination. Voila! A Mini Organ Grinder and his dancing monkey!

Day 23: Steampunk Showgirl Pencil Drawing (K) & Stuntwoman Bustle Skirt (M)

Today did not start out auspiciously, with K vomiting for the first half of the day. So, I decided to stay “simple” with my art today. Yeah, right. It’s been a while (years) since I drew anything more than stick figures or tectonic art (don’t ask), so it turned out to be a bigger challenge than I expected. I am reasonably happy with my girl, but I have even more respect for all you real pencil artists out there. I will probably profane your art again this year, but I will hold you in high regard while I do it!

M tried to finish her original idea from day 22 for day 23, but it wasn’t in the stars apparently.  I had to fight the sewing machine all the way and finally the machine won when the needle broke and then refused to be removed and replaced. The Steampunk Horseback Stuntwoman’s Bustle Skirt will just have to wait until I can muscle that pesky needle out of its home and replace it with a new one. Sometimes you just don’t get to make the rules.

Day 24: Green Circus Hat Band (K) & Steam-Powered Elephant (M)

K’s contribution for the day: a bright and cheerful hat band for your circus tophat. Made from ribbon, an ostrich feather, a large pocketwatch face, and some brass findings. The ribbon crimps, chain, and brass wire hook allow the had band to be adjusted for different sizes of hat.

M’s contribution for today: a Steam-Powered Elephant! (Thanks to a few friends for the idea, help getting the supplies, and dinner!) Made from my very own whistling tea kettle, grey felt cut into ears, googly eyes, a mini top hat and double stick tape. (Disclaimer: this is a temporary art piece, all plastic and flammable items were removed after the photos were taken and prior to me brewing my next pot of tea!). Yes, that is the cuff bracelet from Week 3 masquerading as a hat band.

Day 25: Bottle Cap Charm and Glass Charm Starts (K)

K had the worst art day EVER today. I’ve discovered that I’m creatively crippled without my round-nose pliers. Also, I didn’t have the right tools to do the resin casting I planned for today. Then, my UTEE and crackle-paint bottle cap charm was a total DISASTER, with the paper floating and scorching, the crackle paint mixing with the UTEE, and the whole thing coming out a mess. So, I kept working on the fortune-teller necklace I have planned. I’m ready to solder the charms made from old fortune cookie fortunes I’ve been hoarding. That’s as far as I got today.

M is totally admitting that she did not complete anything for Day 25. I have no excuses that will be satisfying enough for anyone, including myself. I simply apologize for being a slacker and will do better in future. (It’s okay, I know I am. I am working on that.)

Day 26: Hat Frames for Gear/Sprocket Mini Top Hat & Bustle Skirt Prototype

K called it early tonight with a template and two buckram frames for mini-tophats with a gear-shaped brim. The template is made from paper, and the frames are made from two different weights/stiffnesses of buckram. The next phase involves cutting and sewing fabric covers for the hats and final assembly, for which K needed M’s expertise and generous forbearance!

M’s contribution for the day was to make a prototype of the adjustable bustle skirt she wants to add to the line of apparel carried by www.frenzyuniverse.com. I used an awesome mid-weight striped cotton fabric. The skirt consists of two “puffs” and a tail. The two puffs are adjustable via ties in channels sewn along the seams. I am still working on how to make the vertical side gathering adjustable. Too many channels and it becomes like origami and you have to know what order to do it all in to get the right effect. It isn’t perfect and will probably undergo several modifications before it passes approval for production. But not a bad start, if I do say so myself! (which I totally do!)

Day 27: Gear/Sprocket Mini Top Hat of Wonderment (K & M)

M and K had to join forces to complete this little wonder. It’s made from the stiffest buckram we had in our arsenal, and awesome (but totally irritating), flocked polyurethane fabric, and it took hours of hand stitching to complete it! The brim is shaped like an 8-toothed gear or sprocket. The removable hat band consists of tulle, velvet ribbon, and leopard-print polysatin, with replica gears attached with Swarovski pearls. The focal piece of the hat band is antique brass drawer hardware and an old Czech glass button we found at an antique market and three of our peacock feathers. We LOVE it! It exceeded our expectations, and K thinks it makes up for her crummy art day earlier in the week! M is quite pleased with her hand-sewing skills and believes that whatever price people put on handmade hats is probably too low!

Day 28: Snow Lion (K &M)

So, we moved from our first-ever hat to our second-ever giant snow sculpture. (Last year, when we got more than a foot of snow dumped on us, we made a giant Buddha). Our life-sized snow lion briefly resided just outside of Main Vine Studio on East Vine Street in Mt. Vernon, OH. Our sculpting weapons of choice: a butter knife and two spoons! To enhance his steampunkiness, we added some 1920 Antique Glacier Goggles (it just seemed appropriate). M and K shown for scale. Unfortunately, there are actual jerky punks in the world and our little lion didn’t last but a few days.

K’s Insights from Week 4: I rely on a lot of different tools and materials for most of my artwork. Making art on the road is going to be a big challenge! I’ve realized that I have a lot more skills that I normally give myself credit for. And I’ve also realized that I have a lot more skills to learn to reach the level of artist I want to be!

M’s Insights from Week 5: Sometimes it is okay to ask others for help and for ideas, but I should know I will be expected to execute the actual doing mostly by myself, unless K is around! It is important to have back-up equipment. I can’t believe I let that sewing machine kick my @$$! When K and I work together – Holy Awesome! – very cool stuff is created! So glad she is my partner in crime!

Circus-A-Day Recap of Week 3

Day 15: Seal with Gear Cookie Cutter (K) & Stiltwalker Pants (M)

K’s 15^th contribution is a copper cookie cutter in the shape of seal on a drum balancing a gear on his nose. He’s made from 1″ -wide copper ribbon that I bent by using flat-nose (or “duckbill” pliers) and an acrylic wheel. He turned out only half-bad, but it was looking pretty dicey there for a while. (We were pretty sure we were going to end up with a “guess the circus freak” cookie cutter…) I started with bad math, when I didn’t calculate the additional length required to turn a ball into a gear. So, I ended up just bending and rebending the ribbon until it took on some semblance of shape. I learn something every day!

M bought the purple ruffled fabric with the full intention to make pants out of it”¦ and so she did! The fabric was a real pain in the backside to work with as it has a weird stretch to it and when pinning the pieces together the ruffles did NOT want to line up. It was a simple two piece design and only took about 1.5 hours total to make, and only took that long because I had to fuss with the fabric so much. I am calling them stiltwalker pants even though I am not on stilts, and if I was the pants would be WAY too short”¦. prototypes, people!

Day 16: Carousel Park Soldered Necklace (K) & Clockwork Orchid Hair Fascinator (M)

K’s soldered necklace is made from two glass microscope glass taped together with copper tape, over which a bead of solder was applied with a soldering iron. The collage was made with an expired ticket from the Richland Carousel Park that I distressed by using distressing ink, a piece of vintage paper, and a few gears. The back of the pendant is made of a grosgrain ribbon on which I embossed the words “there is more to me than you can see. This was the first time I pulled out the soldering iron in what I determined was about 3 years. Too long has it been gathering dust! Look forward to some more soldered work in the coming weeks!

M stepped firmly outside her comfort zone and used tools on this one! Yep, I laid down the scissors and needle & thread and picked up snips, wire, an X-Acto knife, and a glue gun. I started with two premade feather hair clips and a plastic metallic orchid left over from a past Christmas display. Using the X-Acto knife I removed the clips from the feather pieces and arranged them as I wanted them, then glued them together. I took the metallic orchid apart using the snips and used wire to put it back together with the clock face and the red bead to accent the center of the flower. Then I used a special pin back with holes in it to pull the wire through and hold it all together. K was very patient in helping me pick out the right tools and watching over the accident prone one of us (me!) to ensure safety at every step.

Day 17: Mr. Brassy Bottoms

K’s contribution for Day 17 was a Found Object Clown that I am calling “Mr. Brassy Bottoms.” Mr. Brassy Bottoms’s head is an old “American Tourister” key. His body is a key hole/escutcheon and a brass filigree. His hands and feet are some pewter shoe charms, some brass wire, and some brass hand charms. (Sadly, he has 2 right hands, and he is left-handed. Poor Mr. Brassy Bottoms.) He was an ephemeral art piece, because I have other plans for all of the pieces that make him up. He was fun while he lasted!

So, with what she is afraid might be a recurring problem, M has nothing to submit for day 17. I don’t like showing partially finished things, but I am going to have to get over that or have more days where nothing actually gets shared, which is not an option. I may also need to put a bit more planning into my creations so I am sure I have enough time and all the proper supplies before getting fully into the project only to discover it is 10:30PM and all the stores are closed and I cannot go further without that whatchamajig I could have sworn I put in my bag before leaving the workshop!

Day 18: Pin Circus (K) & Circus Tent Birthday Cake (M)

K’s contribution is the combination of too many things on the to-do list and not enough vision. Here I have a paper cut-out of a circus tent and a series of 7 pins found combing local antique stores. They are standing up because I pinned them into posterboard “stands.”

 M was very busy celebrating her 32^nd birthday today”¦ okay, well she was busy getting stuff done so she could celebrate in the evening. I decided to make myself a birthday cake and used the opportunity to make a circus themed cake that could count as my item of the day. It turns out I am really good at the baking part, not so much the decorating part. I made a small 8 inch round cake and a 9×9 square cake with the rest of the batter. Then using store-bought butter cream frosting and food coloring I made the pastel colors you see in the photo. The square cake became the grass field and since the round cake puffed up nicely in the center I didn’t have to try to build a tent top from paper. I do not own decorating supplies so I used a plastic storage baggie with a corner snipped off as a piping bag to make the stripes on the top of the tent, but the bag split up the side partway through the striping process and made a complete mess of things. A tasty mess, but a mess nonetheless. I got the awesome spiral candles during a last minute run to the grocery store to buy eggs to make the cake. The tent towers are circles of paper I turned into mini-cones. Happy Birthday to Me! (It was delicious!)

Day 19: Paper Dolls (M & K)

Today, we decided to make some paper puppets for our Clockwork Circus Doll Theater. I think M might actually be beginning to like working with tools, as she used the metal punch, bail pliers, and a grommet setter to make her paper strongman. K stuck to scissors, craft knife, glue, and tape to make her gear-maned lion. K ran out of the right type of brads to attach the lion’s legs so only two of them are secured properly. His hoop was made from a vintage rhinestone bracelet that was too small for either of us. M was just going to make a one piece paper doll, but instead chose to make a metallic jointed fellow. Then she made him a stripey suit. He may end up with more clothing in the future.

Day 20: Ice Cream Circus (K) & Penny Blue Ribbon (M)

K’s first attempt at a circus was too ephemeral to survive the 20-minute drive to Mom and Dad’s house before being photographed, so I had to wing it after dinner to create a second art piece. Fortunately, we were celebrating M’s birthday, and there was cake and ice cream, so with the dregs in her ice-cream bowl, K used a fork to “draw” a circus tent and then morphed it into an elephant.

M tried unsuccessfully to get K to allow her to claim the second ice cream drawing as M’s item for the day”¦ K said that was cheating. When we got back to the workshop from my birthday party I decided to try something I had been thinking about for a while”¦ using squashed pennies to make a flower. I took 6 of our squashed penny blanks, and used K’s metal punch to make holes in one end, then used the Dremel tool to make the holes the proper size for the rivet. K taught me how to use the riveter and the flower took shape nicely. Then I decided to expand the circus theme to include county fairs and added the blue ribbon and the pin back. My creation would probably not win any awards, but it is a concept we are considering creating as a supply for purchase via the website. What do you think? Squashed penny flowers?

 Day 21: PT Barnum Amusement Bracelet (K) & Performer Post-Show Bling (M)

As soon as K saw that old “Good for Amusement Only” token at the antique store, she knew it had to be part of a circus bracelet. I used an engraving pen to etch the famous quote generally (and possibly erroneously) attributed to Victorian-era circus titan P.T. Barnum, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” and a forgery of Barnum’s actual signature. The bracelet just begged for a menagerie of exotic animal charms. Owing to the amount of solid metal, this bracelet has great weight and movement to it.

M was inspired by the yards of this awesome aqua ruffle ribbon she had stashed away. I decided to make a cuff bracelet worthy of a circus performer to wear in her downtime when going out on the town post-show (as girls like a little bling and performers usually take a bit of their stage persona with them wherever they go). I hand stitched all the attached baubles including some vintage buttons, an old watch part, a copper gear and some other watch parts with sparkly beads. It isn’t perfect, but as a first attempt I can’t complain too much about how it turned out.

K’s Insights from Week 3: I’m learning to appreciate the value of small and ephemeral art. When I have to create with unusual materials in unfamiliar places, I have to stretch myself.

 M’s Insights from Week 3: Unfinished items are still worthy of being shared. Tools really are your friends and I shouldn’t be afraid of them, especially when I have K to watch over me and give me guidance. Making paper dolls with my big sister is still as much fun as it was when I was a child!

Circus-A-Day Recap of Week 2

Day 8: Gallery of Circus Photos

Today, we worked on finishing or lion and lion-tamer costumes, then we loaded the van and drove to Milwaukee, WI. M made a fantastic faux-fur stole with gold fringe and a sweet pair of matching faux-fur shorts for her costume. K mostly loaded the van and organized the workshop. So, I also put together this gallery of photos of circus-related objects we’ve seen in our travels, including a creepy mechanical monkey from an antique store, elephant buttons and a circus costume we found at a flea market, a circus-themed shop display from Seattle, K’s Fluevog boots, a sideshow poster mural from Pike-Place Market in Seattle, and photos from the Richland County Carousel Park in Mansfield, OH.

Day 9: Lion and Lion Tamer costumes

We spent today at the Gear-Grinders Steampunk Photo Event in Chicago, which brought out several models and photographers. We provided wardrobe, accessories, props, and styling for several of the photographs that were taken during this event. M spent a lot of time hand-stitching finishing touches on K’s coat, and we also threw on our own lion and lion-tamer costumes to get a couple of photos taken!

Day 10: Jelly Belly Carousel photo

We drove back from Milwaukee today, and we stopped at the Jelly Belly factory in Pleasant Prairie, WI.  While we were there, we took some photos of Gingersnap and the Bok Choy Boys with the brightly colored jelly beans. We also took a photo of this display box for a puzzle. The carousel-horse theme seemed appropriately circusy for our theme.

Day 11: Popcorn Box (K) & Hand Elephant (M)

K’s contribution for Day 11 is pretty simplistic, but it was fun eating the popcorn afterward! This little paper popcorn box is made from copper-foiled paper, cut out by the Cricut and glued by K. The lettering was also cut out by using the Cricut and applied by K. I know that Houdini isn’t exactly circus, but he was a performance artist and it is from the proper period. Plus, I liked the look of it as a background!

M’s Day 11 creation was actually created by a friend who helped her as she panicked (she is still working on that) near the end of the day. A Sharpie marker and a few simple lines transformed a regular human hand into a circus elephant with a moveable trunk! Simple, clever, and circusy!Â

Day 12: Wild at Heart Collage (K) & Spark Your Fire Collage (M)

I know it’s not steampunky, but K’s art creation of the day was inspired by a bunch of magazine images I’ve been collecting that had a circusy feel to them. And I needed a reminder to BE an artist, and to BE in control, wild at heart, fearless, brilliant, intense, amazing, and fun!

M needed to remind herself that the true magic of the circus is to inspire belief in the barely possible”¦ in the process I inspired myself to believe in ME and that it is up to me to create my own divine spark of creativity. Too bad I can’t bottle that in the perfume bottle in the collage and have it available on the days I need reminding! Â

Day 13: Mechanical Menagerie poster (K) & Believe Your Eyes Collage (M)

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K: Today, I started on a different project, but I over-reached in my vision and it just wasn’t working out. So I started a different project, late in the evening, but I underestimated the length of time I would spend cutting out tiny, elaborate pieces to collage. So, I didn’t finish the second project either. So, I went to bed and finished the project first thing the next morning. I created a circus poster advertising the mechanical denizens of the Frenzy Universe. If you’ve been to the website, you’ll recognize PopTart (camera creature) and Juice Box (clockwork cat). But our Robot Family may be unfamiliar! We built them for our shop’s Christmas display windows in 2009, and they still hang out in the room next to the warehouse.

M: I am feeling tardy and inadequate”¦ especially when I see K’s amazing creations. However, I still made SOMETHING and that simple fact is what I should be proud of. Why the words and images I chose? If “Ignorance is Bliss,” then the circus is quite possibly the most blissful place on earth!  Occasionally allow yourself to just Believe Your Eyes and not question the how and why and you can be happy in the moment as long as it lasts”¦ then move on to new things.

Day 14: Horsewoman’s Tiara (K) & K’s Lion Tamer Coat (M)

K’s Day 14 contribution did NOT turn out how I wanted it. I had much more elaborate plans, but nothing was working out right! So, I modified the plan, and I will be working on another crown to use the original theme! I started with a basic rhinestone tiara and added some coiled brass wires with faux pearl beads, a watch face, brass gears, Swarovski baroques, and glass beads. I used the Cricut to cut a show horse and rider out of shrink plastic, which I painted with iridescent green acrylic paint and stamped with musical notations and a key in burgundy pigment ink. After shrinking the plastic in the toaster oven, I used wire to attach the figure and the feathers to the tiara using brass and silver wire.

M’s goal for today was to finish sewing on the gold braid trimming to K’s lion tamer coat. It needed to be done by hand and I sat down to watch some episodes of “Burn Notice” and stitch. It has been a while since I did that much hand sewing and kept getting cramps in my hand and wrist and so had to keep stopping and stretching/massaging my hand. By 12:30am, I decided to throw in the towel and get some rest so it still lies unfinished on a side table in the sewing room. A failure on the completion scale, but progress nonetheless.

K’s Insights from Week 2: Making art every day while traveling is going to be a serious challenge! When we’re driving for 8 to 12 hours a day between conventions, we’re going to have to rely on commitment, initiative, and innovation to fulfill our promise to this project. We’ll also need to plan ahead for traveling and have an art-making toolkit with us at all times. And we’ll need to be willing to redefine what we consider acceptable as art projects, such as photographs or performance pieces.

M’s Insights from Week 2: Baby steps. That is what I need to take every day. I agree with K that creating while travelling is going to be very difficult as I tend to just shut down once the driving is over and all I want is food and sleep. Also, confining our access to supplies will be a challenge as well. We may end up with lots of knitted things from me as yarn takes up little space and I can work on it when it is K’s turn to drive.

Circus -A-Day Recap of Week 1

With 2011 well under way and our Circus-A-Day Project in full swing, we are playing catch up on the blog postings and sharing some of our daily insights into the creative process that is our daily lives. We hope you enjoy these little nuggets of honesty and information and welcome questions and comments! It is a long road ahead to December 31 and we invite you to join us for whatever parts of the journey you wish.

Day 1: Acrobat Necklace (K) & Paper Elephant Chain (M)

K’s first contribution to our steampunk circus was, of course, jewelry. I was inspired by the idea of trapeze artists and by the stash of vintage rhinestone chains in my workspace. I used our Cricut machine to cut out a large trapeze artist from shrink plastic, and I painted it with metallic rose-gold acrylic paint and stamped a design on the paint. I baked the plastic piece in the toaster oven to shrink it. I hung the plastic aerialist from a brass filigree using brass wire, and then decorated the brass filigree by using a gear from an old clock and an old earring post. The brass filigree was hung from a vintage rhinestone chain, and the gold and black chains were added by using jumprings to attach them to the rhinestone chain. You can’t tell from the photos, but the trapeze girl actually has a pretty good range of motion!

M started the year off slowly and used some leftover holiday wrapping paper (gold and copper paisley design, as M loves all things paisley) to make a chain of paper elephants. It took several drawing attempts and some internet research to get the appropriate dimensions, but eventually I made a single elephant template, folded the paper to the right dimension, and cut out the chain. It now decorates the top of my television.

Day 2: Doll Theater(K) & Lace Tutu for a T-Rex (M)

K bit off a bit more than she could chew with today’s project. But I procrastinated too long to complete all of the details. I started at 6 pm with an orange athletic shoe box. I painted the entire box, inside and out, with gesso, and I used a craft knife to cut the opening for the stage in the box top. The “Carousel” cartridge for the Cricut provided the lettering (although I had to do several runs before I got enough letters that weren’t damaged by the blade), and I glued paper to the inside of the box to “set the stage.” I have so many plans to modify this little circus theater in the future, including a row of working footlights using Christmas lights, and a chandelier, as well as some serious distressing and embellishing. And I’m very excited about the inhabitants we will create to populate this little world!

M started the day with the intent to make a stripey something with her long forgotten knitting needles, but as the day progressed and she began to run out of time she panicked and decided to make something much simpler. I used a handful of lace scraps I couldn’t bear to throw away to stitch up a layered tutu for a doll, but as I do not own any dolls, I resorted to using my plastic T-Rex toy as a model. He didn’t complain and I think he actually felt quite fancy wearing it!

Day 3: Rediscovered Circus Billboard (K) & Gearaffe Drawing (M)

Today, K started with the idea of making a circus poster, but that seemed too shiny and new, so I imagined how a poster might look after it had been papered over and then “rediscovered.” With a little help from our friends (Parliament & Wake and “Thomas Riley” by Nick Valentino), and a lot of practice at distressing paper, I think I captured the look I was going for. I used letters cut out with the Cricut and marble stickers to create the lettering on a piece of textured scrapbooking paper. Then, I distressed a larger piece of scrapbooking paper with a vintage catalog motif by crumpling it up, moistening it, and smoothing it back out. Then, I used a damp paper towel to add distressing ink and pigment inks in several colors to the smoothed out paper, highlighting the ridges. I cut a central hole in the paper and ripped it away from that point so that it looked as if it had been peeled away. I distressed the Parliament and Wake postcard and the Thomas Riley bookmark by crumpling them, wetting them, sanding them, and adding inks. They were added to the collage by using Mod-Podge adhesive. The whole piece is mounted on a 12″ x 14″ piece of corrugated cardboard.

First, M loves giraffes. Second, she wanted to make a circus animal themed something. I drew a very basic giraffe outline and then decided to make it Steampunky by making its spots cog-like”¦. And thus the Gearaffe was born! It was time consuming to fill in all those gears, so it only got partially completed this day. Look for him to be incorporated in future projects (hopefully involving iron on foils)!

Day 4: Circus Freak Bracelet (K) & Sparkle Gem Headdress (M)

Today, I worked with my favorite medium again: jewelry! The charm bracelet is made from large-link brass chain with a toggle clasp. Four of these charms were already made, but they were just laying around the workbench, waiting to be put together. I used a metal stamp set and hammer to stamp the words “Circus Freak” into a brass centerpiece. The charms include a Frenzy Universe stamped penny, a resin charm I made awhile ago, a vintage skeleton key, and a crystallized charm collected from another bracelet.

M was inspired by synchronized swimmers and acrobatic performs today and a desire to use up some of her yarn stash. I found the sparkly blue finger weight yarn in the bottom of a basket and felt it was just crying out to be a 20s flapper-style headband with a gaudy flower. Using double crochet stitch I formed the head band in three rows. To make the flower I used a basic single crochet circle stitch increasing each round for 4 rounds, then creating chain stitch “petals” of 7-9 stitches (alternating) into every other stitch. I topped the flower off with a faux gem pin I found to give it a little extra pizzazz.

Day 5: Circus Freak Collar Necklace (K)

So yesterday’s project got me (K) to thinking about labels. I had made two of the stamped brass pieces that said “Circus Freak,” so I decided to go with the theme for another day. I thought about how most of us feel when labeled something like “freak,” so I used a stamp, ink, and embossing powder to add the phrase “there is more to me than you can see” to the grosgrain ribbon. I also faced some demons and actually did a bit of sewing on this one, to get the ribbon secured around the focal. I curved brass wire and hammered it flat to make a clasp. The ribbon ends were finished by using a ribbon crimp, and brass chains make the collar adjustable in length. The choker was barely finished when I started listing the things I want to change about this design, including moving the winged key forward, using black thread to sew on the key so that it is not as obvious, and making a better clasp.

M somewhat embarrassingly admits she has already fallen off the wagon of creativity and did not complete a project for today. I fear this is going to be a much more difficult undertaking than I originally believed. But I am sticking to it and will keep trying to create every day.

Day 6: Steampunk Lion Mask

Today, M and K worked together to create elements for M’s lion costume, which goes with K’s ringmaster/lion tamer costume. I started with a gold fabric mask from the craft store. I distressed it by using a couple of different colors of metallic paint and some distressing ink. I used a stamp and embossing ink, plus some red/gold embossing powder to create the Rococo leaf design on the left cheekbone. I used an awl to create holes along the left temple and the right forehead and created the look of rivets by using multi-toned paper brads. Accents, such as the eye lines, were added with brown fabric paint. I think it’s a perfect addition to M’s tulle lion mane.

While K worked on the mask, I (M) made a tulle mane for the lion part of the costume. Although technically, as a female, I would be a lioness and thus would not need a mane I still really wanted one so I went for it! I created a base for the tulle using a strip of faux fur fabric approximately 2 inches wide and 10 inches long as that is the length of the plastic headband I was using as the form. I took 6 inch wide pieces of several different shades of tulle in cream, brown, and copper, layered them, and sewed them to either side of the fur strip. At the same time I sewed the small ears I made from the same faux fur with the tulle. Then I hot glued the fur strip to the headband. I used a Styrofoam display head to hold the headdress in an upright position while I cut each layer of tulle into approximately 2 inch strips stopping just shy of the seam on the faux fur. Each layer I staggered the strips from the previous layer to add fullness to the mane. Once all the pieces were cut, I crunched the strips in my hands to give them a messy look and increase the likelihood they would stand upright.

Day 7: Lion Tamer Hat, etc.

K: So, we had a hard time finishing anything today, because we were working on so many things. I stitched an old doorplate with keyhole to the front of a pair of corset-waisted bloomer pants for my lion-tamer costume. I also modded a mini top hat by removing a glued-on keyhole/escutcheon and adding the patch and feathers. Then, in the wee hours of the morning, we got giddy and started inventing an aerialist costume for M, which involved stuffing as much brightly-colored tulle into her corset skirt as we could. Check out our Facebook Page for the image.

M: Today I worked on the sleeveless tailcoat I have been making for K’s lion-tamer costume. I finished up the lining and top stitched all the outer seams so they would lay flat as the suedecloth I used as the main fabric would not press flat with an iron. I also worked on a faux fur stole with tassel fringe to compliment my lion costume. However, the tassel fringe caused me some problems when turning the stole right side out and needed to be fixed by hand. It was getting late (or early in the A.M.) so we rigged up that crazy tulle and corset skirt concoction so we could feel good about something getting done.

K’s Insights from Week 1: My worst enemies in this endeavor are going to be overcoming my tendency to procrastinate and accepting that small, simple art projects count as “legitimate art.” I find myself waiting until all my other work is done, and it’s late at night, to begin working on my art project. These creative projects commonly take several hours to complete, and starting earlier in the day and sticking to a simple design will really help me stay committed and successful for 365 days.

M’s Insights from Week 1: I really need to stop creating out of panic and work on making items that allow me to stretch my skills instead of only using the skills I know I have. I am alright with the items being simple, I now need to be willing to fail. I also need to overcome my tendency to chafe under a strict regimen and rather see this as giving myself permission to do something fun and creative every day.

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“Why Create for 365 Days?”

To some people, committing to a year of creative projects might seem like a crazy prospect. In fact, it seems a little crazy to us, too! But we chose to commit to making one new piece of art every single day for 365 days, beginning on January 1, 2011. Sometimes, it seems like a monumental task, and we are sure to be challenged to keep our commitment. But we consider it a test of our creative skills, a practice in integrity, and a testament to our commitment to be the possibility of creativity and self-expression. We believe that the world is a better place when people are creating and that the world can be transformed by the positivity that is connected to a focus on creation.

Some of the challenges we will face include: 1) finding time every day for creative pursuits, 2) having fresh ideas every day, 3) having the skills to create the projects we envision, 4) having the tools to create the projects we envision, 5) making the time/space to create while we’re on the road for conventions and other events.

We are aware that there are going to be days where we hate this project, but hopefully more days where we can hold our heads high and know, even if it isn’t pretty, we created SOMETHING! This endeavor will force us to expand our definition of ART to include all sorts of things from the simple to the bizarre. We may miss a day or have a day that could be considered a failure, but at least we will have tried and we hope that can inspire us the next day and the day after that.

Some of the ways we’ll benefit from this exercise include: 1) making art every day will change our mindset to one of creative expression, 2) sharing what we create every day will allow us to create new friends and expand our network, 3) sharing what we create every day will allow us to get feedback on our skills and our creative choices, 4) our artwork will encourage other people to create and to show us what they create, 5) we get to extend our creative skill sets and tool sets, 6) we get to have lots of cool stuff we made!

We hope that others will engage with our project and provide us with inspiration and feedback. Together we can fill the world with art!

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