We’re having a Cyber Monday sale over on our ArtFire shop!

Most of us are familiar with Black Friday, I gather – the crazy shopping day after Thanksgiving in preparation for the commercialism of the winter holidays!  You may or may be aware that the online version of this crazy day of sales is called “Cyber Monday.”  Amazing what folks come up with to push consumption, huh? 

Okay, I’m not anti-capitalist.  Promise.  To prove it, use this coupon code when you order from our ArtFire shop from now through Monday, and get 20% off your entire order!

HERE’S THE CODE!         CYBERMONDAY

We’re feeling generous – we’re kind of wacky that way.  You just may find an extra little something packaged up with your order. 

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Not shopping for yourself?  Hoping for the best when opening your own presents this year?

Put us on your AMAZON WISH LIST!  You know your friends and loved ones like to be pointed in the right direction – help them out.

This button is located in the price box on the upper right side of each listing page.  Simple as that!

We have lots of fun (and lots of kits) in store for December!  If you don’t already have us on your feed reader, might want to consider it – you want to miss a bit of this.

kbyenow.

I said in a post some time ago, I was busy sewing some clothes. well here’s the result!

This is my boyfriends jacket. It’s made with a black wool fabric and metal buttons.

And this is my jacket. It’s made from the same wool fabric as the other jacket and has the same type of metal buttons. I was inspired by some victorian jackets. It has two buttons on the back also but you can’t see them well in the picture.

And this is the better photo I have of the spats. I made the skirt also but it isn’t finished yet, and a triangle scarf is also in my plans but I’m still spinning the wool for it.

The goggles were made by my boyfriend, they are just great.

Peacock Feather BUTTERFLY Pure Luxury Handmade Dupioni Bridal Silk Clutch

Available at my Etsy shop:
Magic Laboratory of Fashion
All designs are © Tatiana Agapcheva, please do not copy my work.

Inmates of the Northern Sector Reformatory were not allowed access to the news. If you were deemed dangerous enough to be in that particular Personal Reform Center you were considered removed from society entirely. Although everyone had a way around that particular rule. Some would have friends tie notes to trained messanger rats. Some would have friends use signal systems using lights and smoke. Eli Waters had a better way. Eli’s friends did everything different. They figured it was their birthrite. Eli would have a very special friend read the news papers and transmit his vision into Eli’s dreams. It was a great system for the most part, but Eli hated waiting for Manny to turn the pages.

Last night’s dreams had been particularly interesting.

Om ni gillade halsbandet i förrförra inlägget så behöver ni bara söka på “steampunk” för att hitta tusentals andra vackra skapelser. Det roliga med Etzy är att alla saker är handgjorda och unika. Eller så klickar ni bara här, så ser ni dom direkt.

Om Steampunk från Wiki:

Steampunk, ångpunk, (ordet utvecklat ur cyberpunk) en typ av science fiction och estetik som grundar sig på ångmaskiner, luftballonger, mekaniska matematikmaskiner och annan teknik från industriella revolutionen, men före andra industriella revolutionen. Karaktäristiskt för steampunk är teman och material som synlig mekanik, kugghjul och mässing. Mikroelektronik och förbränningsmotorer är ovanliga. Steampunk utspelar sig vanligtvis i en viktoriansk miljö men genren har förgrenat sig och inkluderar nu alla tänkbara tidåldrar och historiska miljöer t.ex. medeltiden, bronsåldern och antiken.

Några exempel från etzy:

Jag skulle gilla om världen såg ut som i Machinarium!

Because of the popularity of steampunk with people in the goth, punk, cybergoth, Industrial, gamer, and geek subcultures, there is a growing movement towards establishing steampunk as a culture and lifestyle. The most immediate form of steampunk subculture is the community of fans surrounding the genre. Some move beyond this, adopting a “steampunk aesthetic” through fashion, home decor, and music.

Tips på sidor att titta på om du vill läsa mera är:

• Nittonde stolen (som skrivit ett inlägg om det)
• Steam Fashion (blogg)
• Brassgoogles (blogg med bilder på steampunk tårtor etc. Tack för tipset Emelie)
• Steampunkopedia
• Steam-con
• Æther Emporiums flickr

BLUE ROSE Wedding or Special Occasions Felted Bolero

Available at my Etsy shop:
Magic Laboratory of Fashion
All designs are © Tatiana Agapcheva, please do not copy my work.

Hehe. I love this pre-scheduling posts thing. I’m actually nowhere near a computer today, but I decided to post this anyway for your reading pleasure.

There are some pretty cool and geeky Instructables this week. Enjoy:
- Butter! (And Buttermilk) – Mmmm, real butter is so good, and it’s really easy to make. I just have one suggestion though: Do it while your watching TV or socializing (cause it takes forever).
- The Laser Monocle! – Sweet! Borg costume here I come! Or maybe steampunk.
- Sweet Potato Fries! – Oh sweet! I love sweet potato fries, and now I can change up the recipe to be either savory or sweet (just trade the salt for sugar and the pepper for cinnamon, or something to that effect). Plus they’re oven baked which is good cause I don’t like the idea of wasting all that oil.
- Secret Knock Detector – Oh man, talk about uber cool. Whoever came up with this was a genious. And this thing actually works too. Too bad I don’t have a secret hideout – yet.
- A Monster Business Card Holder – Kawaii! So Cute! >.< This fuzzy little business card holder is really cute and perfect for a creative business person. And the girl who made this Instructable has a cute blog (ALittleStranger.com) too including a new Instructable each week. (If only I had time I’d like to do that too.)
- Chainmaille Hacky Sack – I never was very good at hacky sack, but the balls are really fun. (Hmmm, I wonder if I can make one out of pop tabs. My coworkers have been gathering pop tabs to help me make a chainmaille tunic.)

human oddity

Das aus meiner Sicht Wichtigste zuerst:

Die Anthologie mit dem Arbeitstitel Steampunk, in der ich auch mit einer Geschichte vertreten bin, wird nächstes Jahr im Arcanum Fantasy Verlag erscheinen. Soll heißen: Herausgeber und Verlag haben die Verhandlungen abgeschlossen. Geplanter Erscheinungstermin ist Juni 2010. Der Titel des Buches steht noch nicht fest, wird aber sicher bald bekanntgegeben.

Die Saga der Drachenschwerter

Besonders freue ich mich allerdings auch auf die “Saga der Drachenschwerter”, die auf Mythen aufbaut, mit denen ich selbst weniger vertraut bin. Schon das Cover macht allerdings Lust auf mehr.
Mit dem Wunderwaldverlag hat auch diese Anthologie eine schöne Heimat gefunden. Während sich das Manuskript aktuell im Verlagslektorat befindet, empfehlen die Herausgeber Janine Höcker und Gerd Scherm, sich einmal auf den schön gestalteten und informativen Blogseiten zur Saga umzuschauen.

Das “Spukhaus” hatte ich euch ja schon vorgestellt. Hier warten die Herausgeber und Autoren  jeden Tag auf die druckfrischen Exemplare, damit es endlich, wie der Buchtitel sagt, “zu verkaufen” ist! Solange vertreiben sie sich die Zeit mit dem Planen der Lesungstermine. Im neuen Jahr wird es deutschlandweit richtig rund gehen, damit das “Spukhaus” bald in aller Munde ist.

Inzwischen ist auch das Lektorat für die zweite Kurzkrimi-Sammlung der S.E.K. Mordlust abgeschlossen. Die Antho wird diesmal starke regionale Bezüge beinhalten. Der Wurdack-Verlag ist derzeit dabei, die Texte zur Druckreife zu bringen. Titel und Erscheinungstermin stehen aber noch nicht fest.

Eng mit dem Wurdack-Verlag zusammen hängt auch die Anthologie “Das ist unser Ernst”. Aufgrund strenger Geheimhaltung haben bisher sicher nur sehr wenige von diesem interessanten Projekt erfahren, daher im Folgenden ein bisschen Aufklärung:

Dieses als Überraschung, Dankeschön und zum Jubiläum im Geschichtenweberuntergrund gestartete Projekt ist seit dem BuCon 2009 fertiggestellt und wird gerade gedruckt.
Zweiundzwanzig Autoren, darunter Preisträger und Nominierte des Deutschen Phantastikpreis und des Deutschen SF-Preis, haben sich an diesem außergewöhnlichen Buch beteiligt.
In amüsanten und mit Insiderwissen garnierten Geschichten lassen die Autoren ihren Lieblingsverleger Ernst Wurdack nun einmal persönlich in ihren geschaffenen Welten agieren und beleuchten dabei auch bisher Ungeschriebenes. Eine geschickt gewobene Rahmenhandlung komplettiert die phantastische Geschichtenkette der besonderen Art.
Ein Lesespaß insbesondere für alle Geschichtenweber, Storyolympioniken, Autoren, Herausgeber, Verleger und neugierige Leser.

Ich danke den Herausgebern der Edition Geschichtenweber für ihre umfangreichen Informationen.

I am currently putting BWH on hold while some mental processes sort themselves out in relation to that storyline.

In its stead, I am investigating a steampunk ‘universe’ where the histories diverged around the time of the Unification of Italy / American Civil War (or war between the states, depending on your preference). The timeline has broadly moved on to roughly the 1930’s. It is a time of social divides and financial unrest (who knew that our futures markets were based on efforts by a bankrupt confederacy to sell cotton not yet grown to raise funds for the war?), and into the middle of this, down streets made dark by soot, walks our hero.

Coal fired noir….

Ofjädrade vagnar gåvo ofta anledning till missöden. Påven välter 1488. (Ur Uppfinningarna, ett uppslagsverk från 1920-talet.)

Fast ibland är det ju just detta som är själva behållningen av att göra saker. Det är en av anledningarna till att jag ger ut fanzines — det ger mig anledning att läsa på om roliga saker. Just nu har jag till exempel börjat att lite smått göra verklighet av min idé att göra ett temanummer om steampunk. Med anledning av det har jag börjat läsa på lite om 1800-talsteknologi och tagit fram den fantastiska boken 100 år i ord och bild som är skriven 1899 och blickar bakåt på de senaste 100 årens utveckling. Det är fascinerande, så pass intressant att jag började skissa lite på en steampunkhistoria som skulle utspela sig i ett alternativt Sverige. Fast då dyker alla andra luckor i mina kunskaper upp och gör sig påminda — så jag känner igen mig en smula i det här inlägget från fantasybloggen om hur lång tid man kan behöva läsa på för att skriva ett enda stycke eller två.

Jag vet inte om det blir något av min steampunk-berättelse, men fanzinet ska nog bli av. Förr eller senare. Om jag inte fastnar för mycket i efterforskningarna.

Jag gillar hur som helst den fantastiska optimismen och de fina skildringarna av de oerhörda framstegen. Jag har lärt mig att den stora lokomotivtävlingen som anordnades av engelska parlamentet 1829 faktiskt vanns av svensken John Ericson med hans lok The Novelty, men att han avstod priset till det något långsammare men tekniskt överlägsna The Rocket som konstruerats av George Stephenson. Sverige var lite efter, men på vissa fronter visade man framfötterna. 1897 hade Sverige störst järnvägsnät räknat per invånare i hela Europa, och i världen hade bara USA fler kilometer järnväg per person än vi.

Jag har också läst om det misslyckade jättefartyget Great Eastern som sjösattes 1857 och råkade ut för alla möjliga missöden. Under första resan föll kaptenen överbord och drunknade och fartyget gick på grund, förutom att den krängde mer än man förväntat sig och passagerare skadades av möbler som for omkring. Under en av de senare resorna bröts skovlarna i hjulen sönder och rodret gick sönder så att en kunnig passagerare var tvungen att rycka in och konstruera ett nödroder. Det gick heller aldrig att fylla den enorma passagerarkapaciteten.

Ett litet smakprov av stilen, och av 1800-talets framsteg:

Ännu för ett femtiotal år dedan var det en affär på tio till tolf dagar att göra en tur från Stockholm till Malmö med diligens, den tidens snabbaste och bekvämaste befordringsmedel till lands. Ej nog med långsamheten, äfven kostnaderna för en sådan färd förefalla oss rent af orimliga, i det att en diligensplats för detta samma afstånd, som vi nu kunna tillryggalägga på 14-15 timmar bekvämt sofvande i en kupé nätan som hemma hos oss själfva och för en kostnad af cirka 30 kronor, den tiden betingade bortåt 100 kr., oberäknadt lefnadskostnaderna under den långa resan, hvilken naturligtvis äfven satte den resandes fysik på kraftprof, som kanske skulle knäcka eller åtminstone afskräcka till och med ganska härdade nutidsturister.

Ibland tycker jag att jag kan unna mig lyxen att fastna i efterforskningar och läsande. Jag har en ganska hög stapel böcker i fönstret i sovrummet, som är tänkt som bakgrundsläsning för att skriva huvudartikeln och kanske ett par recensioner i steampunkfanzinet. Det är trevligt.

Fast ibland är det frustrerande att de resultat jag kan visa upp och det jag kan säga att jag har gjort är så litet.

(Som igår, när det tog mig över en timme att skriva en fotnot till ett inlägg på min fysikblogg, som jag fick någon annan att skriva för att jag inte tyckte att jag hade tid… Sen blev förstås fotnoten det bästa av allthop tycker jag nog, för den tillför information och säger något mer än det alla andra redan sagt: kolla här, och läs om hur mycket energi det egentligen är fråga om i partikelkollisionerna i LHC. )

Aber das ist doch bloss Konversation. Hier ist Geek-Steampunk-Galore!

Queens Bohemian Rhapsody “gespielt” von alten Scannern und Laufwerken.

I was thinking about what a Steampunk Thanksgiving would look like. So I came up with the following menu. This is not what we’re having for Thanksgiving (I’ll be at my sister in law’s) but it sounds interesting, don’t you think? Think dinner by candlelight, great music, fun placemats, clock-part napkin rings…Could you imagine a steampunk cornucopia as the centerpiece? Anything you would add?

So what will you have for Thanksgiving dinner?

Exclaim!’s December issue features its annual Year In Review in which each contributor writes about one release “that excited them most this year.”

David Ryshpan, contributor to the magazine’s Destination Out section, chose Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records).

“Vancouver-born, Brooklyn-based Argue has expanded the big band vocabulary,” he writes. “A protégé of masters Bob Brookmeyer and Maria Schneider, he bridges the gaps between new classical, indie rock and jazz. Argue’s masterful use of mutes and woodwind doubles, his harmonic sophistication, attention to form, and a secret weapon in guitarist Sebastian Noelle, place Infernal Machines at the forefront of 21st century jazz.”

Paris, 1899.

Toute l’industrie est boostée par l’utilisation de l’ether, force dangereuse mais aussi prodigieuse qui permet toutes les folies steampunk de ce livre. On utilise machines volantes à tout va et les domestiques sont des automates.

Margo, jeune comédienne, décide d’enquêter sur la mort d’une ancienne maîtresse, Aurélie Couturier, sur le point de se marier. La presse parle de suicide, mais Margot n’y croit pas, surtout après avoir rendu visite à son père, un riche banquier qui semble intimidé par deux hommes à la mine patibulaire.

Elle va mener l’enquête avec son frère, Théo, psychiatre progressiste et trouver le secret de cette famille et les relations à l’opium et à une vieille expédition qui a mal tourné et qui a été étouffée. L’éther n’est bien sûr pas innocent, c’est d’ailleurs le sujet d’étude de Théo et le sujet de grandes perplexités…

Le tout se passe sur fond d’exposition universelle, grandiose, comme il se doit!

Alors vu comme ça, ça pourrait paraître bien, et d’ailleurs peut-être l’aimerez-vous, mais ce qui m’a gênée dans ma lecture, c’est le ton grandiloquent utilisé par les deux auteurs, ton qui m’a fait presque buter dans l’avancée de l’histoire que j’aurais trouvée certainement très bien racontée autrement… (l’histoire est racontée en alternance par Margot et par son frère)

J’ai découvert ce roman lors de ma quête de romans steampunk (que vous pourrez redécouvrir ici) et j’avais plutôt décidé de ne pas en parler. Mais là je m’y remet à cause du Challenge de GeishaNellie et de l’envie que j’avais de promouvoir ce genre en particulier, même si du coup ce n’est pas le meilleur livre pour ça!! Mais je sais qu’il existe par ici des fans de Fabrice Colin…

C’est pas grave, vous pouvez toujours relire mon billet sur Homonculus que pour le coup j’avais beaucoup aimé!!

I don’t wear much steam punk attire, but I appreciate the genre immensely.  The cogs, the brass, the steam, the flying ships.  Think H.G. Wells and his amazing time machine.  Did you know he was one of the first people to own a bicycle?  It was a new contraption back in his day.  Paeoti Pomeray of Nymphetamine has created a new steam punk ensemble, which it is my pleasure to show you today.  I must gush a bit over the *hat* – love it!  You don’t need to wear goggles or the typical monocle – it’s part of the hat.  And again, the skirt features that wonderful bustle that Paeoti does so well – oval layers of tiered fabric and rosettes surround your hips so lusciously.  (And big plus in my book – it needed *no* adjustment! We must have the same size hips.)  I’m also wearing the choker that Paeoti made to complement the dress, with its lovely spiderwebs of lace, ribbon, and metal.  And you can’t see them because they didn’t make the final cut in the photographs, but I’m wearing Grim Bros. awesome Vapor Vanity Luxury Steampunk Heels.  I’ve shown them to you before – they are the most amazing shoes *evah*.

And because this is a steampunk outfit, I did something I rarely do. I went “on location.”  This photo was taken at Tesla Isle inside one of the vehicles run by the titular Tesla coil, shown behind me.

Happy hunting, gathering, shopping, lovin’ (^ ^), *mwah*!

Details:

Dress with Gloves; Hat; Choker – Nymphetamine - Torrid’s Penchant

Skin – LAQ - Lacie – 03 Milky Glow hairbase

Hair- Decoy - Zoey – Espresso

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the photo contest. I let the tot (the kid in the goggles in the last contest post) pick her personal favorite…

…and the winner is…

(drumroll please)

The “SteamCon Hussies” from SteamCon in Seattle, (Lolitas Deborah, Elizabeth, and Marie-Claude) as entered by Deborah Schneider.

Congratulations!

Deborah, as the one who entered the photo, you’re the one who gets the prize! Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!

She’s sexy, naughty, flirty cool. A little steampunk (or is that steamy?) a bit goth doll a bit kick butt and ask questions later! She’s breathtaking and mysterious.

You ladies know who you are ! and so do they

Paoeti has absolutely out done her self this time ! If you missed her last releases just scroll down my blog BUT do not miss this one ! Let me introduce you to ……

Torrid’s Penchant

the newest addition to the Penchant Line that Paeoti is so well known for, and its tres sheik !  It has beautiful lace detailing, the most GORGEOUS unique top hat.

Paoeti has set for sale the hat and the necklace separately for this item as well!

A MUST See for all you NYMPHETAMINE Fans!

Torrid’s Penchant will also be a featured release in a HUGE upcoming Fashion Show so stay tuned in for more information on that !

Now, go get this gown !!

Photo by Chad Batka for The New York Times

On Wednesday, November 25th, composer/conductor Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band, Secret Society, will make their first-ever appearance at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club.

The 18-piece ensemble, which released its highly regarded debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records), in May, will play two sets, beginning at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. For this performance, Argue and the band will welcome special guest drummer Kendrick Scott (Terence Blanchard, Jimmy Greene, Gretchen Parlato).

“Kendrick last played with Secret Society in November 2006 at the Bowery Poetry Club,” Argue explains, “and it’s a thrill to welcome him back into the fold. I’m a huge fan of his playing—he’s both highly inventive and sublimely grooving, and he’s an amazing listener. I’ve written a lot of music since he last played with us and I’m very excited to hear what Kendrick will bring to that material.”

He adds, “I’m pleased our first performance at a marquee NYC jazz club happens to be at the one that’s been open-minded enough to host performances by groups like Anthony Braxton’s 12+1tet and the Cecil Taylor Big Band.”

Here are several links to Steampunk inspired fashion and gadgets.

(Mostly for personal reference.)

Steampunk at Dragon*Con

Clockwork Couture

Topsy Turvy Design

Steampunk Workshop

Steampunk Instructables

Gentleman’s Emporium

Gypsy Moon

Louise Black Designs

Lara Corsets

Truly Victorian

Jaborwhalky Productions

Penny Dreadfully Steampunk

SteamCon

SalonCon

Steampunk electronic consumer goods are almost inevitable. One of the most charming things about the narrative is when we get an image of the protagonist using some gizmo or gadget to vanquish the enemies or solve a mysterious puzzle. An idea to be brought up in Steampunk It Up will be the transcendence of the genre as it allows for different themes, time periods, and conceptions of futuristic technologies than just the classical Victorian imagery of the genre. Many narratives and visual art presentations have amusingly blended the antiquarian and the futuristic. As we look at these particular consumer electronic goods, we can see a sort of small step away from the Victorian. It’s no mere cake decorated in a theme: now one is actually taking the technology, in this case a rather advanced piece (the laptop) and forcing it’s visual representation to an anachronistic place, but assuredly using it in the modern way. How retro-futuristic of one. It seems like not too many true steampunk laptops exist out there, but check out some of these crazy things (are they actually pleasant to use, or is the highly designed concept not good for its general interface?):

• Intricately designed quintessential steampunk laptop, the clawed feet are sensible (for ventilation) and awesome. (Here’s a video of it in action!) Apparently it was made by someone who goes by Datamancer.
• This laptop comes with a Morse key.
• Interesting transition from laptop into portable typewriter.
• Beyond laptops, we need a steampunk laptop stand.
• And a laptop skin to go with it. (and look at that clown!)
• I don’t know enough about whatever this is to be able to identify it, but it looks weird and interesting.

In the old days, belts weren’t for holding pants up; they were for holding your sidearm and ammo. To hold pants up, men of all classes used suspenders like these Y-back ones. Worn on the jacket layer over your favorite shirt and trousers, these suspenders come in brown, black, and tintable white.

(some) Modify/Copy/NO TRANS.
50-C.

Well, this is truly unique. A steampunk haunted house, which was apparently open from Oct. 28th to Oct 31st in Abrons Art Center located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Those crazy artsy New Yorkers, what’ll they think of next?

It’s creep, cool, a extremely well done. Check it out: