Destruction

I spent yesterday (and plan on spending today) taking apart a vintage 1950's typewriter and a very old sewing machine. It's the best!

My whole bedroom (because where else would you disassemble vintage finds?) smells like metal and mustiness. There are pieces everywhere. It's heaven.

Steampunk Innovations

So I was contacted by this man named Bruce Rosenbaum who is a big steampunk kind of guy. He's looking for entries into a new steampunk design competition (http://www.steampuffin.com/) and wondered if I'd be interested in "stretching" a little to create an entry.

The problem is that most of what I do is "form," meaning my art just looks steampunk/Victorian. It's not "function," meaning the infusion of modern technology into it. I've been trying and trying to come up with an idea, but it's been next to impossible. Keyboards, laptops, cell phone covers, stoves, etc. have all already been done. I don't know how I can meet this challenge.

All the same, it's been fun to think about something new, and it's inspired me to maybe try a few more steampunk-looking art pieces.

If you have any suggestions, let me know, and I'll share my progress with my new steampunk ventures as they happen.

New Purchases

I'm going to make some new robots. I'm thinking lots of color. More fine details. Better stories.

Here's two new canisters I bought to get me started.

Hopefully, finished pictures will follow before too long.

The Art of the Robot

Sarah Niileksela pointed out to me that the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka is having an exhibit on "The Art of the Robot" this summer, so I emailed them links to my sites and . . . they're going to include two of my pieces. I am so excited! Here's what they chose:

I'm a little surprised about the wall hanging, but I'm just so excited! Thank you a hundred times over to Sarah!

Bleck.

Today's one of those days. I just spent ten minutes cleaning up Banana Cream Pie yogart off the kitchen rug and surrounding wood floors. I hate Banana Cream Pie.

I have a headache, and I feel like I should be doing something productive. Like folding the three loads of laundry waiting in laundry baskets. Or sorting the winter clothes from the spring clothes in my boys' closets. Or even unpacking from our weekend trip to Oklahoma.

Instead, I sit, doing nothing. That doesn't bode well for creative endeavors today. No robots or necklaces. It's just that kind of day.

Art in the Park is Creeping Up on Me

I just realized that Art in the Park (my first craft show this year) is just three weeks away. Man, I need to work on building up my personal jewelry stock and get a few more robots finished!

I think my faithful sister is just accompanying me this year and not selling anything. This saddens me because she's the one who got me into the whole underground world of craft fairs. At least--for some unfathomable reason--she has agreed to continue to come and keep me company, along with playing Boggle and travel Scrabble. Woo-woo!

I'm hoping this is the year for the robots. Tell your friends, and come see me on May 2nd at South Park in Lawrence, KS.

Juliette

Falling in love is what little Juliette is all about. She's young and pretty and irresistable with her big gold eyes and shiny bobble head. Today, she's decked out in her Sunday best, with her fanciest shoes and her nicest floral body. It's almost as if she knew that today was THE day . . . the day that you would come into her life and whisk her away, riding off into the sunset together (so to speak).

Is today indeed that day? Have you fallen in love? If so, don't be afraid. Juliette is the perfect bot to love--quiet, beautiful, and full of storage space for your secret treasures. So love away. Isn't there a sunset you need to find?

(Made completely from recycled materials. Head moves/bobbles and opens, body opens for storage.)

Accomplished Nothing

So the long weekend did nothing for my robots. I got busy with my family and didn't even visit my workshop downstairs. Now the question is robot repair or more jewelry? Hmmm.

Robot Repair

I went to WearHaus today and switched out some robots. Some of the ones I took back are in need of some head repair (the price of being in a retail store, I suppose). So I'm hoping this long weekend will be the perfect impetus for robot repair. Then I can load brand new robots to Etsy . . . and I can get a much needed jewelry break. Pictures to follow . . .