Praise for Designers

by D'Arsie Manzella


I thought I'd give a big "You're fantastic" to all the talented designers who create art jewelry! Besides constantly producing new and innovative arrangements, you are skilled in multiple techniques and are able to form a style all your own with your creations. I am in awe of your patience and devotion to making the world a more beautiful and meaningful place through personal adornment. When you use handmade beads and components - well that is just the cherry on top!

All this appreciation for jewelry designers has been brought about as I sit at my shipping table (notice I didn't say beading table) and struggle with color, wire, and placement to exercise my skill at jewelry design. My muscles are aching! I am a bead designer by trade but in joining this group I have been inspired~

Here are some of my resulting efforts...


Antique copper findings, beads and crazy cool dyed agate found at Michael's. I know there are no art beads here, but wait! There's more...



Here I start incorporating my art beads! A variation on the same theme featuring beautiful enameled rounds from GardanneBeads and rings filled with antique glass seed beads that I found long ago in an excellent thrift store score.

I'm so excited to be able to use some ceramic sparklers made by our very own MaryAnn Carroll!
I love the way they look like small pools of ocean with a drop of sunshine underneath. The white wire was an experiment, I'm totally in love with it! So fresh...


And something earthy made for myself. I cut out the leather, scratched the lines in with my triangular file and rubbed it all with olive oil which darkened all the exposed leather underneath.
I completely winged these, as I've not done a lot with leather before.
A trip to the local fabric shop had me digging in a giant bin like an overeager prairie dog to find all the pretty leather scraps. I was thinking of the Call to Create challenge for this month when I worked on these. The song inspiration is the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts".

Since it is such a thought provoking challenge, I think I will be making more than one piece within the theme.


Have a fantastic spring day!

Steampunk Survival to an Apocalyptic Anachronism

Pollution is part of both reality and the steampunk culture .The use of recycled materials in the fabrication of Steampunk Artisan items helps our environment . Steampunk is about Converting otherwise unattractive and useless material to create timeless piece of art.Combined with an imaginative story or purpose these steampunk items are given a second life.

Why Apocalypse is associated with the steampunk culture ? Simply , if you combine an Era powered by coal with a rapid evolution of technology , you can only imagine the negative impact it would have on the environment and society .

Unfortunately , I cant imagine an apocalyptic world without war , how much pollution would create legions of coal powered war machines and how much polution would be generated by the factories that makes them .

Ironically The war could be to have control over coal in order to fuel the factories that makes those war machines. By the way what's the price of coal today ?

To survive in that world you need a few extra gears .
Before going out into the wild and heavily industrialized quarter you will need to wear a good gas mask .

''Gasp! Who knew steam engines were capable of producing such foul and wretched air? Give me a horse any day.'' say's Tom Banwell. This for sure will make you look cool .

Steampunk gas mask in natural brown

With all this coal burning the threat of a fire is inevitable. No airship should leave without a highly qualified team of firefighters , especially when leaving on a long journey to a foreign planet .

Leather Steampunk Firemaster's helmet

Then comes the question on how to defend yourself against the villains and machines that lurks in every dark alley. Fortunately Rayguns are also associated with steampunk. The primitive clockwork technology mixed with advanced science found in rayguns contribute in creating an anachronism inherent in the steampunk culture.

Rayguns offer protection with powerful limiteless effects . They can heat , disentegrate , paralize or can even be used as blowtorch .

Rayguns by Tom Banwell

Steampunk Spiderbot ( Lamp Original Art )
by RiverOtterWidget.etsy.com

With all this polution you also need to wear a good pair of Google especially if your going to venture at high altitude or on a coal powered airship . The ultimate protection against the eye iritation by toxic fume & the wind .

Leather Steampunk Helmet

My own twist to the steampunk Era

In my Previous Entry : The composition of the default dimension , i described the basic of my Steampunk rings and the theory on the perception of reality influenced by Quantum Science and my love for fantasy worlds .

In order the correct the apocalyptic crisis of the Steampunk Era a mad scientist on his path to building a time travel machines accidentally discovers dimensional travel . A long forgotten science that may be the cause of anomalies in the world he lives in. Ultimately leading him to create the Unusual , Esoterically engineered and wearable form of apparatus that enhance the Metaphysical control over matter . These rings granted what we describe as magical effects .
Giving control over the elements and helping to communicate with creatures from other dimensions .

He had good intentions but his plans were stolen and the scientist mysteriously disappeared. However before he was gone , hundreds of his rings where hidden at different locations .
Because he could travel thought time he had carefully place them so that they could be found
by those he had chosen . But we will see that nothing ever happens has planned .... to be continued .

Green Fire Agate : This ring opened a portal to an alien dimension full of horrible creatures .
The stone was extracted from the remains of a mysterious Meteorite .
After the Meteorite fell several reported sight of strange alien creatures .

Alien Demon eye ring : The eyes of a demon were hard like stones and easy to set into the ring . It's amazing what you can see through the eye of a demon .

Moonstone Ring : This mysterious stone has a glowing aura that will light your path in the darkest place . It will also grant you vision of the future .

Steampunk Artisan Team :
Etsy Steamteam

Steampunk Definition :
Wikipedia

Steampunk Forums :
Brass Google