stolen labware

parure du cou maintenon

2010-04-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

i was looking for reproduction art nouveau jewelry and I found this website selling gorgeous pieces. they just happen to not be reproductions, but the genuine article...
the jump will take you to this (not art nouveau but still lovely) pendant that i've become fascinated by.
so...i haven't found what i'm looking for, but this site is great for reference. and in case i ever have a few grand i need to get rid of, i know where to get some trinkets...

drinking horn

2009-09-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Last war I bought a gigantic cow horn to turn into a drinking horn. The polyurethane coating is drying, so I guess it'd be ok to start posting pictures of this weeks long process.

After sanding it a bit, I started by burning designs into it with my leather brander. Horns are basically giant fingernails, so it smells like burning hair, but it doesn't last.
Rose de Neige is my SCA name (as well as my middle name). It's french for rose of the snow. It's a family name.

Then I traced this drawing onto it and used a Dremel engraving tool and this thing:
Yes, that is a dental tool/needle hybrid. Put away your iphones, because this is the new HEIGHT of technology! The stabby-scrapey-thingama...thing. I believe that's the technical term.

...Moving on.
After a few hours of anal retentivity, covering up now permanent mistakes and developing a new appreciation for professional scrimshaw artists. (Yes, those are hand carved images on pocket knives, making anything I do look like graffitti scratched into a public bathroom stall with a safety pin).
There was a lot of india ink involved, this sooty aspect having since been cleaned up with sand paper and elbow grease.

More photos of the final product later. When it's done dripping shellac.

school and such

2009-08-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

I GOT INTO FIDM BITCHES.
.
.
.
.
and i'm really excited.
♥

Evil-Punk

2009-07-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

So at my friend Gail's birthday party, she and I were talking about how wholesome Steampunk costumes tend to be and how it's not considered Steampunk without goggles.
So we decided to be evil Steampunks, who don't dress primarily in brown *shocking!* or wear goggles *appalling!*
Somehow we're going to keep this Steampunk instead of....Bitchgoth?

Anyway, I'm not sure if Gail has remembered, but I've started with a small step of my own:
What's more evil than a sinister eyepatch? Genocide? Tax evasion? I don't think so. Nothing says menacing like a villain who may have been in a brutal eye gouging battle, or vicious childhood accident. EVIL glaucoma perhaps?
Buttons!

Me, first thing in the morning. Menacing, no?

I've evened out the edges a bit since these photos were taken. I might replace the drawing, because it matches the eye that ISN'T covered... That's what I get for trying to get shit done at 2 am.
It's made of leather, paper saturated in Prismacolor ink and one lens I personally battered into the appropriate shape.

to oregon! {again}

2009-07-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'll be setting off for Oregon tomorrow, for the second time this summer, the first time to visit Josh with Margot in the adorable {albeit kind of boring town when you don't have money for plays and Josh has finals} town of Ashland.
This time I'm going to war! And I'm not driving!!! The only thing that could make it better would be having the whole crew up. And having more money to spend. And maybe for time and supplies to make more garb....Whatever. War is War.

In preparation I've made a sort of Greek dress, aiming for the CREATIVE aspect of the SCA and not necessarily strict ANACHRONISM. It's made of millions of yards of muslin. I braided strips of muslin together to make a long rope to bind the whole thing together. The rope is completely detached, so it can be tied however I want. It looks like a more sophisticated version of Ariel's impromptu sail dress in The Little Mermaid...Which was about as sophisticated as the dildo shaped spire on the castle featured on the original vhs of that movie, but whatever. Here's a sketch:

After the greek dress i set to work on my linen tunic and under tunic set, based off a Viking dress a friend of mine made.
Unlike my friend, I didn't actually have a pattern, so starting with the under tunic I sort of made one up.
I took a pattern from the unfortunate brides' maid outfit my mother made me for my sister's wedding. It was an ugly two piece thing with optional jacket. The kind of thing they'd only actually SELL in those old lady catalogs under 'church wear', alongside your very own pastel Little House on the Prarie nightgown and circus tent sized mumu.
So i lined up the waist line on the skirt and top and cut it out in off white linen and sewed the whole thing together. The part where the sleeves meet the body are a little puffy, cause I had to use the jacket sleeves and I decided to improvise.
After adjusting everything to {more or less} the way I wanted it, I croceted some black hemp and sewed it around the cuffs, ending in swirls. I keep telling myself I'm going to do more down the sides after I grow some patience and Vicky Beckham take a vow of poverty.

For the blue over tunic, I traced the undertunic and cut that out, this time, tracing sleeves from a jacket I actually like. I'm trying to get everything to fit just right, but it's going pretty well.

I also threw together a sort of girl gladiator cropped leather bodice with matching belt. I'm going with a sort of wildling thing to match my mohawk this year.

When I return, legitimate photos will be taken instead of these poorly scanned, murky sketches. Lora and I will be doing a studio shoot so I can start compiling something of a portfolio.

shoes!

2009-06-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

So after finding some really cute stamped leather and making a sort of faux Greek dress, I thought I would try my hand at making some simple sandals. I finally finished a couple of days ago and here they are:

I started with sketches (naturally) and settling on which direction I would go in. Laying the leather against my heel and Achilles Tendon and tracing the cut i would make. I cut and sewed the heel pieces for each foot then {several weeks later, when I quit being so lazy...} sewed them to thick, THICK pieces of leather, modeled after the outline of my feet. I put nice, smooth leather in between for aesthetics. The soles were the thickest my leather guy had and my wrist was pretty sore after cutting and punch them with my heavy duty scissors and my star wheel.
After my wrist was healed by watching cartoons, I measured, cut and punched the side straps and flip-floppy toe separator bit and sewed them in as I went along {with the same thick cotton twine, that i coated liberally with bees' wax}.

Then I filled the spaces between layers of leather with the Tandy Leather Factory Tanner's Bond Leathercraft Cement (c), like really dry, chewy eclairs.
I smoothed the glue out by squeezing the leather, so it would be even, wiped away anything that squeezed out, and left them to dry with clothes pins around the edges {which is why there are slightly dented parts that will *hopefully* fade away} and a couple of books stacked on top, with a paper towel to keep them unglue-ified.

Eventually, when I get back out to civilization and a Joann's, I'm going to replace the yarn with a nice, thick red ribbon.
I'm also going to exfoliate and moisturize my feet, 'cause...damn.

"I kissed his mustache and thought of you"

2009-05-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago Kersey had an especially epic night at the Pomona Fox theater in Southern California. The rest of us already know that Kersey is a spirited and enthusiastic dancer. Now she's had the opportunity to warm the cockles of Eugene Hutz's heart.

Last night, Diana, Lora, Joanna, Vivian, Gail, Brian and I got together to have a belated Eurovision party. Lately I've become completely enthralled with Eurovision, after seeing Verka Serduchka's 2007 performance of Danzing. The Ukraine was scandelized by the fact that they were being represented by a drag queen in what the whole of Europe considers a very prestigious competition. The joke's on them. She scored second place.

In case disco headdresses arn't your thing, check Switzerland's 2007 entry by DJ Bobo (Vampires Are Alive), an epic balland worthy of Dance Dance Revolution.

With this level of camp usually only seen during Halloween in the Castro, I was out of my skin with excitement for Eurovision 2009. I was not dissapointed.

The night started with Greece. How that man jumps so high in those tight, tight white pants or inexplicably rips his shirt, I'll never know.

Here's Portugal. If I could wake every morning with this adorable woman singing to me that would be grand. Though the Super Nintento Mario World visuals might send me into involuntary convulsions if left on too long.

When Diana first told me about Azerbaijan I told her she couldn't just make up countries for fun (three cheers for public school!). And though I still don't know where it is, what it's people are like, and is far from being always on my mind, I do know that Azerbaijan has a fondness for ice skating outfits, gold chaps, acrobats and Carnival Cruise uniforms.

Oh Finland, Finland, Finland. Rap techno? Really?

If Shakira's hips don't lie, Turkey might have a few skeletons in the closet. However, I did quite like the bouncing bondaged boy in the flowing green skirt.

I really expected more from Germany. Even with Alex C., a throwback to Cab Calloway and an appearance from Dita Von Teese, they fell short. I would, however, like to keep those USO dancers around as cigarette girls for my next party.

I never knew Moldova was hiding a long lost Sailor Scout, but I'm very glad she's been found, alive and safe, with thighs that could kick through a concrete wall.

Armenia brought it old school. As you know anything actually considered 'old' in Europe is about 500 years older than what Americans old. This is what I imagine Lysa Arryn wears when she hurls people out of the Moon Door to their frozen shreiking deaths. If only Lysa Arryn could do it with back up dancers.

The Ukraine really wanted this one. Badly. Between a matching set of illicit space trojans sent to Earth to be the disco slaves of Charo, reincarnated as a sex gymnast stripper when she's done playing in her hamster wheel and ready for her drum solo I'm kind of surprised they didn't.

Who knew Zac Efron and Daniel Radcliffe had a lovechild? Alexander Rybak, of Norway won the whole thing this year with a song called fairytale. I'm sure, for weeks, the song will be stuck in my head as i daydream about his back up dancers do leap frogging push ups in an homage to the disembodied head from Spirited Away.

2009-04-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

Last night and today i spent some time making an under tunic for war, to be paired with an over tunic/dress. It's a sort of bastardized viking dress inspired by one my friend made, though with some notable differences.
I made the undertunic by combining the patterns for a shirt/skirt combination that, as presented are pretty hideous, but as an under tunic, serve my purposes rather well. "Why adapt a random pattern," you are undoubtedly asking yourself? Because I'm cheap and can assume I know better, even when that's obviously bullshit. But in this case it's worked out. So far.
I did the under tunic first, as I intend to base the dress off of the finished under tunic, and the under tunic, after all will be UNDER the dress. Any major flaws will be covered if need be.

Both are linen, the under tunic being a sort of off white, the over tunic being a sort of navy/prussian blue.

something old, something new, something kinky and something drunk

2009-04-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

This week I spent a lot of time with Robin and Brandon, it being their spring break after not really seeing anyone for the entire week before.

Thursday we had nothing to do, and, bored as hell starting making phone calls. That afternoon was the first San Rafael Farmers' Market of the year and, as per Farmers' tradition there was a small shindig at The Basement, next to Blue Lotus/Bloodlines {formerly Area 51} on 2nd street.
Despite having not regularly attending Basement functions for months we decided to go, Dan in tow, because it's always been a pretty welcoming place if the company's good.
We were a little hesitant to bring Dan, because the Basement can be a pretty kinky place.
Going in through the street level side door is a hallway with doors leading to small back rooms. Through the first door on the left is a small kitchenette followed by a living room with old couches, books, posters, sharpie drawings on the walls, rpg's and so on.
This leads to the final back room.
This last room is equipped with a low bed in the corner; a couple of sturdy wooden chairs; several yards of soft, silken Japanese bondage ropes; two large black toolboxes, neither of which containing anything you could find at Yardbird's....that I know of anyway; and walls covered in leather, latex, rubber and steel 'toys,' one of them being the device affectionately referred to as "the rascal," which resides in it's opened plastic package like a mounted big mouth bass. There's also a TV and an X-Box.

But if Ted is the kinkiest guy I've ever met, he's also the sweetest. He'll hold your hair when you vomit {or, in my case, grab some latex gloves and a damp sponge after you've tried to dash to the bushes, but only made it to the deck at a friend's birthday party}. He'll listen as you rant about your problems and when you're done he'll tell you about the organic vegetable garden he hopes to plant out back.
He treats everyone equally, in that anyone is attractive as a potential partner, and, failing that, a friend.

Everything went well. Bizarrely well, in fact. Gatherings at the basement range from festive summer parties to four kids playing video games with Ted offering drinks between running in and out of the next room where he'll flog some chick you've never met, while she's tied to a support beam, wearing only panties, with the door open {because she gets turned on by 'humiliation play,' and Ted is, if anything, accommodating}. Once you get past the partial nudity and squeals of ecstasy, those nights are pretty boring.
This time the party was lively and after our long absence we were greeted like rock stars. People we never see, whose names I hardly remember talked about how good it was to see us. A girl I've never actually talked to told me about how cool she thinks I am. From there it was all jokes, laughter and flirtations.

Wednesday, Lora, Diana, Robin and I swapped tid bits about the latest drama, with Byron caught in the eye of our gossip storm, inspiring this little drawing.

Thursday, after BITCHIN' fajitas, Robin, Brandon, Diana and I were kind of down because of some goings on that we couldn't change. We hung around the Aroma Cafe, because heard something was happening at Nate's house later, because some guys from our sister ship, the Merrilee,* were in town.
Diana said she didn't "want to wait around for someone else's party while two of our friends destroy each other." We agreed, but didn't have any other ideas, so we wound up going anyway and it put us all in a much better mood and we went to bed that night happier.

Friday, Nate hosted a BBQ. When we got there, Scott and Chad where shitfaced and we ran around shooting each other with Nerf guns. Scott and Chad wanted more Nerf guns, so they serenaded Gail in hopes that she would take them to target. She wouldn't relent, but eventually Paul did. An hour later they returned with two Nerf katanas, two Nerf tommy guns and one semi-automatic, tripod mounted Nerf machine gun, with two reloadable plastic Nerf bullet belts. The unholy, foam rubber spitting mother of pre-pubescent faux artillery. The sun set over a scene of grown adults, filled with beer, tequila and tri-tip chasing each other with over priced, plastic weapons of terrifying, imaginary destruction. God bless America.

* Our sister ship in that at WAR** we're privateers and the Merrilee is made up of some friends of ours

**WAR is an SCA*** event, which takes place across the country at different times of the year, lasting anywhere from three days to three weeks. If you've ever been disappointed by a Renn Faire, WAR is what you were hoping for. It's overnight, there are parties every night, the merchants are better, everyone is in garb, the garb is cooler, no one speaks in a lame fake accent, it's cheaper. It's just all around BETTER.

*** Society for Creative Anachronism.

planishpere

2009-03-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my dad gave me this old movie theater lens. In middle school we studied light refraction, so i brought in the lens for a few days. Eventually someone chipped it, so I brought it home.
Several years later I dug it out to incorporate into my steampunk costume.
I remembered making planispheres in the 6th grade and I thought it would go well with the lens.
After making a leather case, I found instructions for a planisphere here, shrank it to the correct size, printed it, traced it, inked it and colored it in.

A planisphere is kind of like a compass that uses the location of the stars instead of the planet's polarity. This one can only be used in the northern hemisphere.

To use it, one aligns the date with the time of night. Where the line between north and south intersects the perforated circle on the chart is where the zenith {the point in the sky directly above you} should appear.
From there, one may decipher the positions of the constellations pictured and determine North, South, East, West, et cetera.

Because of the size, I had to pick and choose the constellations pictured and exclude others. Also, there may not be exactly 365 days and December is a little funny looking.

2009-03-31T17:13:00.001-07:00

This was taken at photo shoot in {http://flickr.com/photos/koreyluna/}. I'm wearing my second steampunk{ish} costume, which was far better than the first {what can a girl do with only 5 days notice?}, though it didn't hit the target as well as the third {a couple of months is MUCH better}. Unfortunately, the only thing I made in this photo is the neckalce. Nonetheless, I'm still quite fond of the costume.

This was just before the San Francisco Edwardian Ball. I am the parade float on the left, followed by Weston, Diana, Lora, Robin and Brandon, with Kiba in front. As far as my costume is concerned, I made everything you see except for the purse, necklace and gauzy undershirt. The ostrich and peacock feathers are made up in a total of four pieces, arranged and sewn on combs and clips.

Here we are at Steampunk day at the Dickens Faire last December. From left to right we have Scott {steampunk, though in his wedding coat, as opposed to his usual steampunk ghostbuster regalia}, Winter, Brandon, Robin, Illana, Lora and I. My costume is a bit unorganized, as I had just finished sewing my costume and put it on LITERALLY in the car on the way there. Here, I made the black skirt, bodice/bib skirt/vest, bustle and various knic knacs.
I feel I should also mention that the black skirt is the same from Edwardian Ball photo. On the inside front, I installed three drawstrings to make it adjustable and change the look around. When there's no hoop skirt it has the slightest train, which, though attractive, is incredible annoying when people step on it. Here's a better photo of my costume looking better. Again, with Robin and Brandon. This one features the bithin' gators they gave me, as well as my goggles. Because, after all, it's not steampunk unless it has goggles. Nikola Tesla himelf could return from the dead riding a brass dirigible, sprinkling the masses with superfluous gears, while Edison stomps about in Dr. Arliss Loveless' giant mechanical spider, destroying everything made or invented after 1890 and the whole thing wouldn't be steampunk without at least one pair of goggles tossed in somewhere.

entry one/steampunk gauntlet

2009-03-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

So, this is my first entry, and though I feel I should I guess I don't have much to say at the moment. I created this blog at the suggestion of a friend, to keep track of my adventures in crafting and to see what other people are creating out there.

I suppose this would be a good time for some photos:

this was my second leather project. I made it to go with my steampunk costume.

I got the vials at the Container Store. Since these photos were taken, i filled them with a mixture of sugar, potassium nitrate {which, when melted together, make smoke bombs} and copper carbonate {which lends a nice teal color and burns green}. The proportions arn't perfect and it burns a little weird, but I haven't exactly needed to burn it.The vials on the inside are secured with little leather loopies like the ones on the outside.