Monday, April 30, 2012

Art Smiles 4/30/12


Some of my favorite art finds this week:


Just look at this adorable Wall-E art. LOOK AT IT.



I actually fell in love with this next one a few years ago, but I recently rediscovered it again on DeviantArt:


The airships! The colors! THE AIRSHIPS!
I would *love* to have a giant print of this in my house, but sadly I don't think Jennifer has ever made one available. (If I'm wrong, someone please let me know!)
[Update: Prints are now available for sale here.]

 I'm digging all the great art nouveau/geek mash-ups lately, and this has got to be one of the best I've seen:


(From what I can tell this print isn't available, either. Sad panda is sad.)



 Sillof is an artist who makes Star Wars toy mods which re-imagine the characters in styles like steampunk or retro sci-fi. And they. are. AWESOME.


Rand-2000, Dark Vanquisher, & Princess Lura from Sillof's "Serial Wars" series.

I desperately want to see these characters cosplayed.


Remember the "historical Disney princesses" series that went viral last year? It was the one that put each princess in a more historically accurate dress. Well, check out one of the latest additions: Tiana from Princess and the Frog!


Isn't she fabulous? Now, go gawk at the rest of the series here, and just TRY to resist buying them all when you realize the 4x6 prints are only $4 each. ONLY $4, YOU GUYS.


And speaking of affordable amazingness, check out "Droidettes" by Robin Kaplan, aka the Gorgonist:


Robin has a whole series of girls in scifi dresses - which I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before - and they're only $7 each for a 5x7 print.

I'm also quite partial to the Doctor Who one:



And finally, feast yer eyes on this fabulous Alice poster:

(Click for full size)

By Dave Perillo, who has a bunch of prints (though sadly not this one) on sale here for $10. (And yes, I already bought the Ghostbusters one. OF COURSE.)


Hmm. I actually didn't intend for this post to be a Disney/Star Wars love-fest, but it kind of worked out that way, didn't it? Hehe. Whoops. Next time I'll try to mix it up a bit more. :)


Seen some amazing geeky/girly art lately? Link to your favs in the comments!


Saturday, April 28, 2012

Saturday Steam 4/28/12

A roundup of my best steampunk finds this week: 


First, Marilyn sent over this photo of her favorite costume from WonderCon:

Marilyn tells me this lovely lady made the entire outfit herself, with only a little help from her dad cutting out the wood blades for her wings. Isn't she gorgeous? I'm also digging the bronze and gold ruffles she added on her skirt.


I know it's way too early for Halloween stuff, but check out the crazy cool mechanical spider Amanda H.'s father made for her!


Amanda says, "My mom is very big into Halloween, and last year my dad made beaded spiders as gifts for me and my siblings.  Since I had recently explained 'Steampunk' to them ... my dad decided to try his hand at a steampunked spider.  This was the result."
 
Wow, go Amanda's dad!! I love the wrapping on the spider's body, and can't you just see that back piece spinning to release a wire web?



Here's something I stumbled across while following a Pinterest rabbit trail:
Look at these awesome glass bottles. LOOK AT THEM. Wouldn't they be perfect for an alchemist/mad scientist-themed bar? (Or on top of my  'cabinet of wonders'?) I'm especially loving the one on the left for its rocket-ship curves and tripod legs. 

The bottles are hand blown by artist Dyland Kehde Roelofs, and cost between $65 and $110 on his website. He's only making 50 of each, though, so if you want to buy me one you'll have to get on that soon. ;)



I was browsing through SuperPunch's archives last week, and stumbled across the most amazing Jules Verne-inspired art piece:
 

Now, here's where your mind's going to get a little bit blown: this entire scene is built inside this little box:


It also has sound, light, and motion effects! Check it out:



After I found this I spent a good hour or two on artist Nemo Gould's (yes, his name is really Nemo) website gawking at all his crazy awesome robots and moving dioramas and other wondrous contraptions. Most of his pieces have an accompanying video, and I highly recommend watching them to get the full experience.


And finally, Ellen McClain, aka the voice of Portal's GLADoS, recently posted a few photos from Momocon in Atlanta, and LOOKIE:


THAT, my friends, is the most amazing steampunk Portal gun I have ever seen. Just look at the gorgeous wood grain!


For the record, I have no idea how Duncan here built this, but I'd reeeeally like to know. I also think he should be wearing a Victorian-style lab coat with an Aperture logo embroidered on the chest. Just sayin'. (Hint hint, Duncan!) (And a huge thanks to Katie F. for the link!)




So...seen something steamy lately? Link to the goodness in the comments!

--------------------------------------------


5/4 UPDATE: Duncan has spoken! And he says, "Thanks for bloggin' me! The short answer to how I made it is: I work with wood and metal for a living so I have fancy tools. Anyway, I just had to send you a pic where I look less derpy."


Duncan, I'm not sure I could actually define "derpy," but I think we can all agree you look less it here. I would offer a wolf whistle, but I don't think John would approve. So...er... never mind.

Duncan also sent another kickin' photo of the gun:




Yup. Kickin'.  

Oh, and I did a little Googling, and it turns out you can see more of Duncan's work at his website here. I even recognized one of his pieces from Dragon*Con's Steampunk Exhibition last year, and when I went to link to that post just now, I realized I have pictures of Duncan in it! So, yeah - small world. :)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Flog Me!

I love Felicia Day. Not only is she funny and smart and freaking adorable, she also has major geek cred. In short, she gives us geek girls a good name.


Anyway, Felicia's latest project is a weekly Youtube show called The Flog, and believe me when I say you guys are going to love it. In each 7 - 10 minute episode Felicia shares her favorite links and games from around the 'web, goes out for a "skill set" section to try a new activity (like blacksmithing), and then answers a question from the audience. It's kind of like a TV talk show, only custom made for geek girls!


Told you you're gonna love it. 


Anyway, check out the first episode below, and then head over to The Flog's Youtube page to catch up on the rest!





Saturday, April 21, 2012

The Search for a Steampunk Prom Dress

Sarafina writes,

"I'm a 17 year old girl who reads both your blogs. I'm sort of home-schooled (i.e. taking community college classes rather than high school), and this year the high school/home school dance is steampunk themed.

"... I totally don't have the funds for some crazy awesome custom made dress from Etsy (sadness), and the same goes for a leather corset, so the point of this rather rambling email is to ask you if you have any ideas for a steampunk prom dress that you would be willing to share. I have access to thrift stores in the bay area, and if it turns out well I'll share pictures. Thank you!"


I actually already responded to Sarafina's e-mail, but then I decided to go back and add visual aids to my thrift store shopping advice, which I think makes it more useful. Then I might have gotten a little carried away... so I figured I'd make the whole thing a post in the hopes that it might help someone else out there looking for a more formal steampunk look.

Keep in mind that I am in no way an expert on steampunk fashion, and I'm also the farthest thing you'll find from a steampunk purist. So please think of this advice as merely "guidelines" for the complete novice, and remember that steampunk is all about personalization, and you should always strive to make your outfit your own.

So with those caveats, here goes:


I'd start by looking for a vintage bridesmaid dress that you could modify or add to. Look for solid color jewel tones like a rich red, purple, blue, emerald, etc. (Although black is always classic, too.) Ruffles and full skirts are ideal.

(All images via Ebay. All of these dresses are pre-owned, and averaged between $20 and $30)

Then look for a second full skirt in a complementary color, and pin up the dress to show the skirt underneath. (Or put the skirt on top - whichever works.)

Example:



You could also pair a blouse with full skirts instead of a dress, so keep an eye out for peasant-look blouses or high-necked Victorian ones.

(Again, all images via Ebay's pre-owned clothing auctions.)

Example:

via

(Also note the layered/pinned skirts.)

If your skirts are short, then consider wearing some fun patterned tights: stripes are classic, as are fishnets and scrolly patterns.



Since a corset really does add a lot to the look, you might try DIY'ing an under corset/waist cincher like I did for my own steampunk costume:

(More pics & details here.)

All you need is a little vinyl, grommets, & shoe laces or ribbon to lace it up. Total cost is less than $10 - and the best part: no sewing required! Add the under corset on top of a good ruffly dress, and that's half your outfit right there.



Another alternative to a corset is a good vest buttoned snugly, or an extra wide leather belt.

via

A nicely fitted jacket can also work wonders:


(Look for rich fabrics like this to keep it formal.)

Steampunk is mostly about the accessories, so once you have your foundation pieces grab lots of leather belts (or one extra wide one) from the thrift store, and play with layering them low on your hips. Hang things like pouches and little bottles and old keys off them for extra detail - but don't go overboard. Keep it a little more formal by sticking with two or three items, tops.



Also look for pocket watches (cheap ones are everywhere these days - you can get them on ebay for less than $5) which you can wear as a necklace or on your waist. If you're wearing a high-necked blouse, look for some fun jewelry or a lace handkerchief to pin at the neckline:


A little top hat or a pair of goggles is ideal for headwear, and fortunately the little hats aren't too hard or expensive to make. (There are tons of tutorials and free patterns out there - just google "tiny hat tutorial.") Feathers look great on hats or by themselves in your hair, too.


 via





For your feet, leather granny shoes with low heels are perfect, or find some slim fitting boots.

(via Ebay's pre-owned auctions)

Failing that, you can also wear regular heels and make simple felt spats to fit over them (look online for patterns/ideas) to give them a more Victorian look.

For a purse, look for a pretty embroidered or satin evening bag, or make a drawstring pouch out of a nice fabric and hang it from your belt. Because this is a prom, I'd leave the steampunk weaponry at home this time, so icks-nay on the modded Nerf guns and rocket packs and such. (Save those for your next convention.)



And, most importantly: HAVE FUN WITH IT! Remember to put a little "punk" in your steampunk: a bright color here, a crazy accessory there. Spend some time online looking at steampunk outfits for inspiration; that will be your best resource. (DeviantArt and Flickr are great for this.) You'll start to see how other people have pieced everything together, and once you break down all the layers you'll see it's not quite so daunting.



Ok, guys, so tell me: what'd I miss? Add your advice (and links to pictures) in the comments!

Friday, April 20, 2012

A Lightbulb Moment

In my last craft roundup I mentioned that I wanted to find something small to display inside an empty lightbulb - and that was all the inspiration reader and artist Caroline B. needed! Check it out:


Caroline knit this tiny fish sculpture, and then used a bit of wire to carefully display it inside the bulb. GENIUS. Especially since the bulb looks like a floating bubble!

Love this so much. Even the simple wooden base is perfect.

I'm trying to convince Caroline to put these in her Etsy store (she's concerned about shipping them, which is understandable), but in the meantime you can see more of her projects (tiny felt teddy bear, anyone?) over at her blog, Uniqart.


UPDATE: After all our positive peer pressure, Caroline has decided to hold a drawing to give away this cutie over on her blog! Just pop over here and leave a comment to enter - and good luck!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

In a Word: AWESOME

After my Word Art tutorial a few weeks ago a few of you sent in your own Wordle and Tagxedo creations. And for some reason I'm rather partial to these two:


Made by Trisha F.


Made by Ginni B.

Helloooo, new office art!


Then Isabella A. went and drew me these two pictures:

Epbot Who?

You guys, my 'bot does cosplay better than I do. SO NOT FAIR. But I love it. (Especially the Dalek one. *squee!*)


Plus, I was just about to post this when John returned from our P.O. box bearing gifts! Check it out: Jordan sent me the original of her baby Epbot sketch!

(I'd like to point out that envelopes can really never have too many stickers. Fortunately, most of you seem to instinctively know this, and act accordingly.)

(And please excuse the crappy iPhone photo)


Needless to say, this kind of thing makes me grin like an absolute idiot, so thanks for making my week, ladies!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Zoo Cuties

Here are more of my favorite shots from our day trip to the Virginia Zoo. I made sure to bookend it with the two cutest types of animals there, too, so don't miss the end:



Did you know some people have Fennec foxes as pets? And they can get along with house cats? Just sayin'. (JOHN.)


(I used to think meerkats were cute, until I looked at this one after looking at those Fennec foxes. Now, not so much.)

Apparently this zoo is also home to a rare two-headed kangaroo:

:D

And speaking of accidentally funny photo perspectives:

CHOMP.



Boo'tiful PLUMAGE.


Here's my personal zoo crew, hamming it up for the camera:

That's my folks on the right, and my grandmother in the chair. John is the one who suggested they all point and laugh, and then failed to realize no one else was doing it.

We chased this butterfly for several minutes, waiting for it to land. When it did, it only stopped for less than a second, so I'm *amazed* this shot turned out.


Now I'm going to show you something pretty, and then I'm going to show you some nightmare fuel. Ready?

Ok, here's the prettiness:

Fix this image in your mind.


And now....


NIGHTMARE FUEL:



[Pyscho shower music]


(That's his inner eyelid; his actual eye is red - but still manages to look less evil than this.)


This guy was hanging out near an observation window, waving at people:

The sun was directly behind us, but I did my best with the reflection on the glass:


And now: big kitties!!



Those shots were all taken through glass, too; I just managed to block the glare with my own reflection.

I saved the best for last, though, so hang on to your socks, cute fans.

After hanging out in front of the red panda habitat for ages looking for the elusive little fella, we finally spotted him directly over our heads, fast asleep in a tree branch that stretched across the path:

At this point I made everyone stand around with me for nearly 20 minutes while I camped out underneath him, waiting for him to wake up.

Eventually, he did. Sort of. Just enough to yawn and reposition, which gave me this:

OMIGOSH LOOK AT THAT LITTLE TONGUE.

And, finally, if you think you can stand it, check out the cutest picture I have ever taken in my whole entire life:
SQUEEEEE....!!

[falling out of chair]

[collapsing from cuteness]