DIY Steampunk Medals

Make your own steampunk medal! A perfect, easy addition to any Halloween costume! Materials & Tools Needed:

• Medal Ribbon (any length you desire)
• Bicycle Gear (from a cassette)
• Pocketwatch part (preferably one of the cover pieces which are more ornamental)
• Pin
• Safety pin
• EE3000 or 5000 glue
• Needle & Thread (if you prefer to hand sew) or Sewing Machine (which I'd suggest)
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Cut ribbon for the medal.
2. Place your bike gear in the middle of your ribbon.
3. Grab your pocketwatch part (the piece I used is the cover which you can detach by removing the hinge pin which attaches the cover to the rest of the watch).
4. Glue a pin to the back of your pocketwatch part with EE3000 or 5000 (or another kind of glue that fuses to metal).
5. Fold your ribbon (lining up the 2 ends evenly).
6. Fold over the top of your ribbon (toward the back side of your medal ribbon). Place your safety pin inside the fold.
7. Sew (by either hand stitching or machine sewing) along your fold. Be sure to stitch and back stitch if you are using a sewing machine.
8. Cut off the excess thread.
9. Pin your pocketwatch part to the front of your ribbon.

You're finished! Wear with pride!

Gearing Up for Indie Emporium!

Indie Emporium is 10 days away and I am so excited for it this year! In addition to having a booth at the show, I am showcasing some of my more hardcore Steampunk jewelry pieces alongside my mom's fantastical Steampunk top hats, berets, & bowlers!  It is not an event to miss! (The fashion show takes place on Sat. Sept. 29th at 8:00pm--space fills up quickly so get there early). I've been working like a mad scientist in his lab so much lately that I have neglected my blog a bit. So here are some things I've been cooking up--Gearrings Galore!

I've made so many earrings I will not even be able to put them all out at the same time! Unless I get extra creative with my display (which may just happen in 10 days). I've been on a button-kick lately. Pearl buttons lend a daintiness and femininity to harsh metals--one of the reasons I use them so often in my jewelry. A main staple of my gearrings are clothing snaps--you can see them in the earrings in the above collage on the left. My favorite pair I've recently made is pictured on the left (in the middle). A new development is my use of black buttons which I think add just a touch a dark romance.I've been asked to make more cameo necklaces and here are 2 of the latest! I've nestled them in pocket watches and paired each cameo with a background of book print. Gents, now don't go thinking that I forgot about you--I have some extra special men's Steampunk pieces this year. I have a line of Steampunked bow ties. And of course, man-bling like necklaces, leather cuffs, and jacket pins. There will also be a male model in the fashion show--donning a top hat, pocket watch, cuff, and steampunk medal (pictured below).And I'll also have something for you explorers and adventurers--compasses!

Phew! Well, back to my cluttered workshop table. Hope to see you at Indie Emporium and I really hope you come by for the fashion show!