New Take on the Old Block -- Steampunk Lego Inventions

While having lunch and using the greatest curiosity finder ever, StumbleUpon, I came upon some inventive creations made from Legos: a robot that solves Rubik's Cubes, a dog that fetches a ball (a Lego ball?), and many more.

When I shared this discovery with a friend of mine, he mentioned that Steampunk Legos would be pretty cool, too.
I knew it had been done, but I had to look up some of my favorite steampunk Lego sites again, just because of the sheer creativity people put into their pieces.
To my surprise, I had not shared these wonders with my readers here, which I knew I must remedy at once!

Many of these images hail from an article about steampunk Legos on WebUrbanist. The vehicle in the first photo was created by V&A Steamworks, the company whose special effects made the movies "Independence Day" and "Underworld" so spectacularly seamy.  Here is a link to V&A's public Flickr photo site.

  HMAS Lord Vladek - more photos on Flickr

For anyone interested in creating their own Lego/Bionicle masterpieces, check out the 700-member Steampunk Lego group on Flickr; they have discussions on building, where to find parts, and also run contests to choose the best of the best.  Or you might simply view Flickr's steampunk Lego collection for inspiration and enjoyment.

A dedicated Lego site which has a steampunk section is "The Brothers Brick."  It seems to have a good amount of posting activity into the year 2010. There, you can even find a Lego glossary!

Jamie Spencer's Dardenbahst

I believe these works of art deserve a place in the annals of steampunk despite the mismatch between the Lego world of plastic and the Steampunk world of brass and steam, or perhaps because of it.   Enjoy!

~ DS

Magnificent Maggi Massimo -- Hard Country

All I have been able to say about this next discovery is, "WOW," over and over again.
Though reported elsewhere, I believe that my coverage of this phenomenon is more detailed than some, and I definitely have more pictures of individual pieces!

"Okay, okay, but what IS it," you ask?
A phenomenon called "Hard Country."

Sooo.  What is that?  It is a design created by Maggi Massimo of Italy that has a very definite steampunk aura about it, because "country" and Victorian era items often share similar rustic materials, colors, and design.

Above is the MM website's photo of one version of a wine serving area.  Other items I found fascinatingly steampunky and possibly useful include a dry goods dispenser with plenty of metal, a couple of innovative light fixtures, a beer keg bar, a computer desk, a wine bottle opener, and much much more.

How much do these items cost?
My question, exactly!!!  Apparently these designer items are only available though exclusive boutiques, and the prices and sellers are thus closely guarded secrets.

I checked several dozen promising places online, and at each one I was redirected to either the Maggi Massimo web site form which asked me oodles of questions as to who I was and what my interest was in the pieces, or to a collection of veritable "re-tweets" of a single Blogger article drooling about MM.  There seems to be not one price or list of shops to be had without seemingly passing a security check ( a "how much of our stuff will you sell" check), or at least filling out a form and hoping someone got back to you.  Grr.


At the very least, I think these pieces have some definite steampunk/yesteryear aura to them, and seem to be of high quality.

Architectural Expo Site with MM photos and links
Maggi Mossimo Home Page


The up side?  The massive alcohol bar and wine fridge combo comes with the booze glasses in sets of 6.  Woo!  Enjoy.

~ DS

Pearl and Hematite Bead Noir Dangle Earrings

The cold and dreary winter weather has brought me to a place where nuances of noir appeal to me.  Hence, I created these earrings to reflect that notion.

The ear wires are pure Sterling silver, and the pearls are high-quality glass faux pearls.  Round, lustrous hematite beads accent the warmth of the pearls, which balance out the darkness of the whole.

I love these and will probably make myself a pair in addition to this pair, which is for sale in my ArtFire studio.

~DS

SeeThe Future... From the Past

I have so many ideas and pieces in the works for this wondrous New Year, that I hardly know where to begin.

Perhaps... in the past!

That seems sad and ironic, doesn't it?

My reasoning is this:  people LOVED a few of my designs enough to buy them again and again, and even request custom-made pieces of similar designs.   These things SOLD.  A big benefit for someone who is trying to do just that!

So.  I have posted many of said pieces on ArtFire for all to see, and for me to ponder and possibly recreate this year.  Many have been featured here in my blog, but many more have not.

One reason I am sharing this innocuous tidbit of information is that ArtFire provides a little button that says "Request Similar Item" at the bottom of every Gallery listing photo; if you should see something there which you would like to own, it is quite likely that I can make a duplicate or something very close in design.  Please feel free to communicate your idea to me.

DreamSteam's Wondrous Blast from the Past Gallery 

 









I do enjoy making new and experimental designs, but the popular ones do help fund my work.  I, too, like the Steampunk Sun pendant line, so expect to see more of those for sale.  

Now.  Go forth and find something that I may make for you!  :)

~ DS

Bourbon Decanter Label Necklace

  Bourbon Bottle Marker Necklace

Ahh bourbon. The drink of kings and Saint Bernard rescue dogs of legend.

Here we have an elegant tribute in brass to this particular nectar, with a nod to the world of Steampunk for good measure.  I think that vintage bottle markers have a place in jewelry, and so I have ventured to make a necklace from a quality replica of one.

The chain itself is 24" long in circumference, and the pendant adds 5 1/2" to the total.

The beads are of clear crackle glass, which sparkles in any light to draw attention to this unique necklace, and to the wearer! 

I think this necklace is interesting, and I hope that someone else feels the same, enough to purchase it.  Cheers!   =)

~ DS

The Great Handcar Regatta of 2009

 For those of us who were unable to attend this fantastic event, stay and savor the reports from:

The 2nd Annual 2009 Great West End Railroad Square Handcar Regatta
and Exposition of Mechanical and Artistic Wonders!

The extravagant attractions available to visitors included shows (more steampunkish bands than you could shake a gear at), vendors (food, clothing, stuffed monkeys), sideshows/curiosities (marionettes with fangs, dancing poodles), and of course the rail race itself.

Here is a video of some of the days' festive events.  Video 

The event creators said that this year's attendance tripled the first years', including thousands of spectators and 22 race entries. One main attraction at the regatta was the a Victorian home on wheels, the Neverwas Haul.

Her vital statistics:    Neverwas Haul, a self-propelled 3-story Victorian House, made from 75% recycled equipment and materials, returns with new interiors, operating system, and collections from its travels around the world (i.e., oddities of the Jules Verne era including a Camera Obscura, described below). The Haul measures 24 feet long by 24 feet high and 12 feet wide and is built on the base of a 5th wheel travel trailer.   The name also indicates the team who created the house and several other Steampunk vehicles, as well as a merchant on Etsy.

Interested in participating in this year's event?  Downtown Santa Rosa says that registration is open for the 2010 Handcar Regatta on the Facebook page for the Regatta.

  ~ DS