A Sampling of Steampunk Watches

A Google search for the term "steampunk watch" brings up 773,000 results. I perused several pages of these results to find a few unique watches to share with you. Some are for sale, and some are not; some may be either, depending on your location and resourcefulness. Regardless, here they are!

 Cabestan Winch Tourbillion watch

This beauty has 1352 components driven by a 450 link chain and nickel silver drums.

Cost: $275,000—$400,000.  http://www.cabestan.ch/wtv.html

Entropy Calibrator with Quartz Movement

Made in England by Master Tinkersmiths
Built Using the Fine Pewter and Quartz Movement
Techy, Industrial or Post-Apocalyptic
Adjustable for Perfect Fit
Stylish Protective Lid and Dial-Style Watch Face

Cost: $289.http://www.strongblade.com/prod/sbag-sp-watch.html

Haruo Suekichi

Mr Suekichi has a workshop in Aomori, on he main island of Hokkaido.
He makes all of the watches by hand, and says he has made over 8,000 of them.Photos of his work can be found all over the web. Some sources say that the artist no longer sells new pieces, but others say that they are for sale but you can only buy them in Japan.
An interview with Suekichi. --http://pingmag.jp/2008/09/26/haruo-suekichi-the-steampunk-watchmaker/

 Alexander Hi Tek ladies watch

Cost:170 euros.  www.alexanderhitek.com/steampunk-watches.html

To further show the variety of unique pieces out there, here is a link to a large collection of watch photos gathered by Steampunklab.com: http://www.steampunklab.com/watches/11
Their label:  "Steampunk watches, including all manner of clocks and other such timekeeping devices."

I hope you have enjoyed this small sampling of steampunk wristwear.   If you want more, just type the aforementioned phrase into Google search, and have at it.  =)

~DS

Steampunk Wedding Cakes!

A special day should have an unforgettable cake.  What could be more unforgettable than a steampunk-inspired tower of frosted goodness?!

For those concerned that convention dictates the cake must bow to tradition and not rock the boat, I say "nay"!  As one blogger said, "weddings now reflect the couple, themes can be anything you like, and cakes can be personal and EDIBLE."  Wonderful!  It is the couple's day, they should make it fun for them.

Three cakes in particular got the most attention on the web, and rightly so.  They are completely edible, and reportedly were very delicious.
So.  Here are a few photos to spark your creativity, or at least to make you drool:

 

Created by Mike's Amazing Cakes in Seattle Washington

This particular cake has the most photographs online of any steampunk cake I saw.  Their site is worth a look; they ship all over the USA.   All of their cakes are indeed original and amazing, and the flavors they offer sound scrumptious!

The above giant and detailed confection also has a fair share of mention on the internet.  Amanda at Venus Cakes in the UK created it.  Sadly, they only deliver locally!  A link to her blog entry about this cake: Steampunk Wedding Cake

And here we have the last of the three cakes I will mention here today. (Credit was not given where I found the photo.)  

I hope this entry has inspired some ideas for your next cake!  Weddings not required; perhaps an upcoming anniversary or a birthday would give occasion to stretch those steampunk-minded brain cells and decorating talents.  Yum!

Wrap Up That Laptop in Steampunkish Glory

Don't have the time, supplies, or aptitude to mod your laptop to steampunk-ishness, but want that look?  Never fear!  Someone has created a decorative protective stick-on computer cover to help.

From the site: "GelaSkins are removable vinyl skins for protecting and customizing your portable devices.  They feature photo-quality graphics ranging from fine art prints to contemporary urban images designed by our growing family of artists from around the world.  GelaSkins protect your Laptop with a durable anti-scratch, anti-UV coating.   The removable skins are thin enough that they won't interfere with any other accessories (ie. other cases, bags, peripherals, etc.).   With patented adhesive technology by 3M, GelaSkins remove cleanly when you want to remove them or switch them for another design."

This item will set you back $29.95, but at this time Amazon offers to ship it for free.

Who could ask for anything more?

My Facebook Page

Hello all!

Just a little note to mention that I have now ventured into the world of Facebook.  I have to admit that it is so confusing to me that I much prefer Blogger, but I wanted to try to reach even more people and find new steampunk things to investigate and post here!

This blog will always be my medium of choice for posting anything new, but if you want to follow me on Facebook, too ...  DreamSteam on Facebook

There you go.  Anyway.  I have been working on a couple of new necklaces.  One involves a copper filigree butterfly, and the other will be made of brass and a lovely, small brass keyhole plate (!).  Both will be unusual, as usual.

Thank you for continuing to read my ramblings here.

~ DS

Necklace of the Duchess

Right before the reception, the duchess donned her favorite pearl and filigree necklace. She loved how the pendant accentuated her best features by trailing down her decollete assertively, but ever so gently....

 Another step in my journey into the world of elegant noir, this piece is my favorite of all the necklaces I have made so far. 

I listed the construction time as six hours; this may seem excessive to some, but each time I start a new piece, it takes a while to get the look I want!

I rearranged various components a few times to see where they looked the best, and tried many different colors and types of beads and pearls as well.   

Wiring the little tiny pearls and beads by hand took the lion's share of the six hours of assembly time, as I am still perfecting my beading techniques, and since every type of wire has different properties (thickness, strength, pliability, etc.), do-overs happen! 

In the end, I think this necklace is exactly what I wanted it to be, and more.  The Duchess Necklace is, of course,  for sale in my ArtFire shop.

Thank you for reading about my creative process.  ;-)

~DS