The Butterfly Ball

Here is a delicate little butterfly all dressed up.  She has on her party dress and is going to "The Butterfly Ball". The dress is a heart shape filled with steam punk gears, cogs, wheels, vintage watch movement pieces, a dial, and more.

When my daughter was young and watched Sesame Street, I always ran to the TV when they aired the song "The Butterfly Ball".

Later I learned that "The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast" is a concept album by Roger Glover and subsequent live rock opera appearing in 1974 and 1975 respectively, based on the children's book of the same title.

If you want to hear this marvelous song go to : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sn1UqbbbqQ

Queen of Steampunk

I just have to show off this piece.  How it came out of my mind, I don't know.  It is far more elaborate and even more steampunk than I usually create; but, I thought it was interesting enough that I sent it off to Stampington's Magazines to see if they wanted to put it in one of their issues.  They did!  It appeared in the Fall issue of Jewelry Affaire on page 13.  I was just tickled pink!  I would love to know what you think of it, too.

Ring in the New

I've always loved rings and my newest fascination is steampunk rings.  I fell completely in love with Steampunk Jewelry the very first time I ran across it on the Internet and had begun to look for old watches, nuts, bolts, and broken clocks before the day was over.  Here I am less than two years later, still completely hooked.  

This is not my original design.  It is so simple it may have originated with several steampunk jewelers.  It's just a watch movement mounted on a ring base and accented with Swarovski Crystals.  So Simple, so Sweet, so Steampunk!

Early Work

This is another of the very first pieces I created.  I love it still and often look at it and wish I had kept it.  The front is a battered, metal, watch dial I purchased and the gear from an old wind-up clock I found.  The D-rings were purchased to tie ribbons together on greeting cards.  The reverse is an old cardboard milk bottle top, sent by a friend, also for use on a card.  But, this was one of my best pieces. It's amazing what one can do when the creative process is hot and the hands just have to make something, anything!   

Starting out the New Year Steampunk Style

I  had been a dedicated card maker for many years, but in March 2010 I stumbled on my first piece of chunky, industrial, found object, jewelry.  It was love at first sight.  I knew immediately that this was something I wanted to create.  After all I had boxes of broken watches, old jewelry, beads, charms, and gemstones, etc.  I soon made made my first piece out of an old earring, the chain from another necklace, a watch dial, a Tim Holtz game spinner, and a tiny silver charm. Since then I've made hundreds of pieces, but never lost interest in this great diversion.  

Also I've learned this genre of jewelry is called STEAMPUNK.  I love it not only because of the great, diverse elements that can be incorporated into each piece but because it's origins are in a "time that never was".  Out of the works of such great minds as Orson Welles, Jules Verne, and Phillip Pullman come fantastical    blimps, airships, weapons, and adornments.  Each inspired by a "time" when electricity was unknown and steam power ran the world; when adventure was there for the taking - to soar and glide far above the limits of mind and time.