Steampunk What! Just what is the hype all about?

This is one of those subjects I just can not get off my mind no matter what I have tried. Have you ever felt like you are reborn and lived many past lives in which sometimes things just come naturally to you and or you are drawn to them as if they had a part in your past? This is exactly that for me and while I still have yet to share in my crafty ways of what I can produce on my own from my recollections, I continue to sketch out ideas in mind of what I would like to create one day.

I have blogged about Steampunk (Speculative Science Fiction) previously as well as it seems for me to just keep coming up in everything I do and see. I have yet to share anything I have created in my past as many of the things created I had given as gifts and or donated to charitable causes. Never thinking my muses version of art at that time might become as popular as it is quickly becoming in this day and age.

I found that it was a period back in the early 1900's that was a literary genre, where authors wrote speculative stories about what could have occurred if the information revolution had happened a century earlier in the middle of the Victorian era (Often England), my favorite of all the eras in time.

Now to take you further into the incredible journey of exactly what is this thing many all now refer to as Steampunk I thought it would be great to show you through books and or movies you may remember. Nothing brought more insight to me to this era until I looked into this whole steamy thing that's got me so worked up just like those steam engine machines back in their day than when I remembered Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. IMHO (in my humble opinion) probably the most defining steam machine movies ever to be made, and more than likely the first literary author to start this whole Steamy thing in the first place. However other authors did follow in Verne's foot steps like H.G. Wells who wrote "The Time Machine" and who was known along with Verne's as "The Father's of Science Fiction". Adding to the list of inventors of machinery from that time period is Charles Babbage "The Father of the Computer", no it was not Bill Gates, it was Mr. Babbage who originated the concept of a programmable computer called the Analytical engine. Later other authors like Mark Twain and Mary Shelly added their own technological science fiction to the shelves of many libraries.

Long before it was even called Steampunk in the 1950's Disney came out with a number of movies that captured the essence of this style. In fact the term "Steampunk" did not come about until 1987 when it was used as a tongue in cheek variant of cyberpunk.

In my search for for additional movies and or content to list and or write about I found a blog for all to enjoy. It to can also give great insight to this past time and give you some inspiring eye candy for your own muse. http://bit.ly/16X1Wl


Additionally here is a video that could have saved me allot of typing LOL



Steam Machines, Steam Airplanes, Steam Ships, Steam Vessels & Heat Engines, whatever you refer to them as, they are now in this era referred to as Steampunk (see also Dieselpunk and or Retro-futurism) and its taking off into the art world like a virus and I certainly caught it bad. I hope you do to after reading this blog post from me.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did gathering the information to post it for you. Look for my next post on Steampunk materials to use in your art and where you can purchase some online for your own Steampunk art.

Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

NEW Printable Michael's Crafts Coupon & Others

Enjoy 50% off any one regular priced item* at your local Michael's stores. Coupon valid thru Saturday, July 18, 2009.

Also there are coupons from AC Moore, Joann's Hobby Lobby
Printable Michael's, AC Moore, Joann's, and other crafts coupons

~hugs~
Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

Amazing Mosaic Artist Breaks Records

I am in awe over this amazing artist Saimir Strati, who makes mosaics from something you nor I may ever have thought to use. I think this man is seriously talented and his ability to think outside the box has certainly shown strong through his art.

Can you guess what material this man uses? This incredible artist makes the most awesome mosaics. I have never myself seen anything like what this man can do. It's absolutely stunning, and certainly a shock when you see what he makes his art from. Such precision skill and allot of patience I'm sure.

He has other mosaics as well you should look through.

Enjoy!

Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

How to Make a Paper Mache Whale Wall Hanging | Ultimate Paper Mache

How to Make a Paper Mache Whale Wall Hanging Ultimate Paper Mache

This is an intermediate project using Paper Mache, however one could use Air Dry paper clay, polymer clay and or even cold porcelain clay which is also an air drying clay. Its also a great way to create an armature for then covering with polymer clay you need to bake in your oven. I can see a miniature version of this for a wall in a scene, and or as wearable art like a broach, focal charm, keychain, or one of those things you hang from the rear view mirror of your car even.

Enjoy!!!

Cre8ively Yours

Andrea "Cre8"

Blog Secrets

Blog Secrets and It's All Free!!!!

A useful resource to help you do everything and anything with your blogger blog. Also beautiful backgrounds and blog templates.
Check them out you won't be sorry that you did. Awesome graphics for your blogs. The Cutest Blog On The Block is exactly what you can have thanks to these cool folks.

Enjoy!!!

Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

Twitter Backgrounds handPicked from DeviantArt

Great Graphics Artist Cheth Studios. Awesome backgrounds for twitter and you can use them on your desktop as well. Better if optomized from within an imagine manipulation program like Photo Shop, Corel Paint, Etc.. Beautiful and most creative high quality FREE backgrounds.


Twitter Backgrounds handPicked from DeviantArt cheth Studios

Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

FireWorks - In Case You Missed Them

My 4th of July Celebration...Short but sweet!

I had to work, but I was able to go outside for a few moments just in time to catch the very end of a nice little fireworks display put on by my rich neighbors. I did not have money to burn this year but figuring they did it was nice to live near them so this could be seen. I did miss a much larger light show before I was able to head on outside. I appreciate the small glimpse of pretties I did see :)

Have a Look...




Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

Making Your Own Parrot Toys - Video

I saw this and had to post it. For one YouTube is performing some maintenance now and so I was unable to successfully add this video to my play list. Its certainly worth watching for anyone who is owns pets. Its a craft and I know of a few people of make allot of money with their hobby as well as save allot of money being able to make great toys for their fine feathered friends. This lady knows her stuff about parrots and their toys, I felt she is certainly worth a listen.

Now I own a beautiful parrot Chico. This is my Chico. Just like the parrot in the background of the following video he is a Quaker and very intelligent. He loves chewing on a nylon strap I have on his cage to secure the door so he does not escape since he knows how to undo the latch on his cage and open the door. I would allow him his own choice of escape had I not had cats and curious large doggies around. I have one of those more desired metal rings that you spin a little loop either open or closed and its needed to fasten the door that holds his water dish from being tossed off the cage as he knows how to do. I was happy to happen upon this video and I now know of a few containers and some beads I can use to make a nice toy or two for him to help keep him busy.

Anyone who knows birds knows some of them can go through toys at an alarming rate. Weather your a bird owners or if you have friends with birds you can make some great gifts, so enjoy!



If the video above does not play please try this link below.

YouTube - making your own parrot toys

Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

NEW COOL SOCIAL NETWORKING CRAFT SITE

This website puts a whole new spin on crafts DIY (Do It Yourself) on the internet, mixing it up with a social networking style that allows the users to add their own profiles, create lists of the things they wish to create and share their own craft project how to instructions and what they themselves can create with those made by other user/members. Best of all this site is 100% FREE!!! Right now there is just under 12 thousand crafts and just under 21 thousand members. You can see the ratio of members who post their own how to crafts to those who joined to see them are about half right now. I hope to see this site make it better in the near future.

So I thought this was a great site to write about tonight and hope that my followers all go and take a look. Join and if you do....look me up. The link here is to my personal profile on Cut Out + Keep.

Cut Out + Keep User » Cre8

Cre8ively Yours
Andrea "Cre8"

Wire Rings - Wire Wrapped Wearables

I wanted to blog about wire wrapping jewelry because no one taught me how to do it, and I never really even looked at anyone else's work to see what could be done, I just picked up some wire and one of my handmade polymer clay beads and started to create something that each time with each bead I made something so creative that I have already decided this is a niche for me I need to focus more on.

I love polymer clay, and I love jewelry, so why not incorporate the two and use them to the best of my abilities. The ring shown here in the image is the 1st one of its kind made by me. It already has a new home with a new owner who wears it well. Its just ordinary 20 gauge copper wire I purchased at Wal-Mart in the plumbing/hardware section. It was under $3 for about 8 Yards of it. The ring itself as shown took little less than 1 foot of wire.

Additionally I just had to test to see how a ring would turn out using my polymer clay beads and the result is a beautiful and a stunning piece to wear just about anywhere. I went out to eat at our favorite neighborhood pizza restaurant and hubby could not wait to bring attention to it so that others could take notice of it. I love having a very sportive hubby to help show off my creativity. He has been enjoying the clay with me the last few weekends I have had off and I will soon be posting pictures of his wonderful first time creations.