Steampunk cogomascope

I do like to get a bit of steampunk in my craft projects, so my article offering this month for Craft Stamper is a Cogomascope.

Whats that? I hear you cry, well it's a twirling whirling, actually working cog card - all easily made with foamboard and craft knife.

You can read how to do it in the April 2010 issue of the magazine. The cool Tim Holtz cogs and Vintaj brass embellishments all came from The Altered Element, which has got some new exciting steampunk style things coming to the shop soon ;) can't wait!

You can tell I've been busy!!!

I've been so busy since Christmas I've had no time to blog! How shocking. I shall now try to remedy that with one huge post, jam pack full of the exciting things I've been doing...

First up on the Jewellery front...I've now had 3 front covers for Making Jewellery Magazine ;) Two more since Christmas, including the current issue, March which showcases my Polymer Clay Tulip Tiles. These are really, really sweet, and bound to make you feel like spring is on the way...

I've also got a full on steampunk article in Aprils issue of Craft Stamper coming up, with details of how to make a working cogamascope, using the stunning new stamps from Ink and the Dog

Talking of spring I was hoping to get to Spring CHS international today and say Hi to Tim Holtz and other fab crafty people, but when I woke up there was snow everywhere - at least a foot deep! Hopefully it'll clear by tomorrow or tuesday and I can pop down then instead...

I'm also halfway through my new book "Steampunk Jewelry" (or Steampunk Jewellery for those
in England...) which I'm writing for North light books. It's going to be fantastic - I'm very excited...

I also went down to Oxford history of Science Museum to the Steampunk Exibition at last. We had a great day out in full costume with all the other "mannequins" who had volunteered to be Steampunk statues for the day.

It was lots of fun and the science museum is absolutely incredible...full of beautiful artefacts like orrories. The Steampunk exhibition was certainly perfectly suited to the museum, although it's overall portrayal of the Steampunk genre was a very narrow one, I felt.

I finished the gorgeous Tudor wedding gown I'd been working on over Christmas too... It looked absolutely stunning, and the bride was thrilled. It is entirely silk, with the most exquisite silk brocade front panel and petticoat opening. I hand embroidered the top edge with Elizabethan goldwork, including real pearls and garnets too.

It's very much "The Tudors" rather than historically acurate Tudor. The sleeves are completely separate, the strapless bodice is fully boned and comes over the hip, the skirt is held in correct sillhoutte by a farthingale and petticoat.

I've also been very busy on the teaching and workshop front - I've been creating replicas of my exquisite original late victorian corsets for "Foundations Revealed" including patterns and step by step instructions on how to re-create them yourself.

Although they are both from roughly the same date they are so different, the first (in gold) is just one fabric layer, with exquisite shaping and godets - it's a factory made Charles Bayer corset. The second is a gorgeous corded corset, very similar to Symingtons "pretty housemaid" I had lots of fun working out how they were originally made as you can see on the site...

I taught workshops all through January and February too, including one for some wonderful Swiss girls who came over to Nottingham to learn corsetry, I also had visitors from Ireland and Wales in the studio in January, and what a fun, well travelled group of students they were...

I will soon be announcing details of a super exclusive special Steampunk Jewellery Workshop - so watch this space ;0

Making Jewellery Issue9

These polymer clay pendants were inspired by Donna Katos techniques in "surface Design" I combined a few of them, added my own twists and voila! They shine like stained glass - and could be just perfect for Christmas presents...

If you'd like to learn the details of how to make them, using normal polymer clay and liquid clay, they are featured in this months Making Jewellery Magazine

Mmmmmm, must put "more polymer clay" on my Christmas list...

Craft Stamper

Januarys issue of Craft Stamper is now in the shops with a lovely steampunk/altered art pocket watch project from Yours Truly. It's a little bit Mad Hatter, a little bit Rococo and all Steampunk!

Here's a little sneak preview of the main project - if you want to see more you'll just have to look in this most excellent magazine!

I have another awesome steampunk project in the magazine next year so watch out for that one too!

Making Jewellery Issue 8

My projects for this months Making Jewellery Magazine are a sweet origami star necklace made from christmas wrapping paper, and a special polymer clay Christmas bauble bracelet with a huge sparkly crystal and Vintaj wrapped clasp - you know how much I love my polymer clay!

The bauble project didn't photograph particularly well in the magazine - the original bracelet and my own photograph is much brighter in colour and sparkle!

I chose lovely bronze and gold steampunk colours with dark reds and purples and flashes of pale mint green - a colour combination I love!

Oh and if you missed my cover project last month with the art silver and polymer clay spacers, combined with purple and turquoise swarovski crystals, then Making Jewellery have thoughtfully provided it as this months on-line tutorial! check it out .

How to put a busk in a corset

This is something that confuses a lot of costume makers wanting to have a go at corsetry for the first time.

Whether you're a Goth, just getting into Steampunk or a hardcore historical re-enactor or just love live roleplay, a corset is a useful thing to own, and if you've made it yourself-even better! There are loads of good patterns out there, truly victorian, reconstructing history, past patterns, mantua maker and laughing moon all publish corsetry patterns from an assortment of eras... but don't forget to make a mock up version first - you can't ever expect a bought pattern to just fit perfectly!

Anyway, to accompany my articles for Your wardrobe Unlocked and Foundations Revealed on corset and bustle making, I thought it might be useful to go over the basics ;0 One of my articles is about re-creating the corset shown on the left, moddelled beautifully by Rhona. It's a factory made corset from 1898 (ish) created by a company called Charles Bayer Corsets ltd. It's a gorgeous pattern with a very pretty engraved busk.

step 1 lay out yourfront pattern pieces with the right sides upward, place the busk the right way round on top of these pieces, with the double hook at the bottom and the studs facing up. Separate the busk and put the side with studs and it's corresponding fabric panel to one side....Cut a facing the width of one side of your busk plus 2cm seam allowance, it should be as tall as your corset center front.

step2 place the busk on the pattern piece and mark in the seam allowance, either side of the loops.

step 3 pin the facing, right sides together along the center front edge and mark with pins the gaps for the busk loops. sew along this seam, stopping and starting at each gap, leaving an opening for the busk to poke through. Stitch backwards to secure the thread at the beginning and end of each little section...

step 4 iron the seam open

step5 iron seam closed, folding the seam allowance inside.
Insert the loop side of the busk through the holes, iron the raw facing edge in to neaten.

step 6 with a zipper foot sew very closely all the way round the busk to hold it in place.

step7 cut another facing for the stud side of the busk. place it right sides together with the front fabric piece and sew all the way down the seam.

step 8 iron the seam open and then closed as before.

step9 place the two piece together as they will be when completed and mark where the busk loops cross over.

step10 using a small awl make holes in the fabric by separating the fibres (don't cut holes or the fabric will tear) just gently tease apart - use a knitting needle
too if necessary.

step 11 insert the studs from behind one at a time. If you try to make all the holes in one go, the first will close up by the time you get to the last.

step 12 sew closely round the busk as before....

My First Cover Project!

I'm very excited as today sees my first magazine project to make a full cover! Making Jewellery Issue 7.

It's a very fabulous 5 strand victorian necklace with swarovski crystals and pearls. The article shows you how to make the gorgeous spacers from silver metal and polymer clays. Obviously there is a little steampunkiness in there - the pattern I emboss on the turquoise clay is teeny cogs and gears, subtle but steamy!

I've also got another article in that issue, a write up of the fabulous Helen Cox's Polymer Clay Play Days I wrote about earlier in the year. The dates for 2010 are already up on the website and places are selling fast!

As if that wasn't all enough! In a fabulous double whammy, the first article I've written for "Craft Stamper" is also out now.
You can just see the pendants on the top left hand corner of the front cover. Two front covers! As you can tell, I am inordinately excited about this...

There's more pretty steampunk in this project too, the polymer clay is stamped with cogs and overlaid with delicious rose millfiori (from the lovely Marcia) theres some on line content too for tags and cards made with corset stamps and stuff.... I'm going to do more articles for Craft St
amper too - the editor Katy is just so lovely!

These pendants are also going on sale soon in my Etsy shop soon, so do mark it as a favourite in your etsy list!

Steampunk Jewelry Article

Yes it's that time again! This is my latest offering in Making Jewellery Magazine. A very pretty pin, though I say so myself, It also made it onto the cover!! (Top right hand side) however I must admit it is not clockwork (I did not create the title - before any irate emails come my way...) although it uses assorted steampunk-style cogs and gears.

It also namechecks the adorable Clockwork Girls of Caledon, foremost of whom is of course dear Cornelia Rothschild who inspired the clockwork hearts collection of my steampunk jewellery.
I've been making like mad for the first UK steampunk convention, at which I am to have a stall. A ghastly cold has stopped me going to the studio for a few days so I've just had to sit on the sofa with pets and a whole pile of beads and wire. Hubby has been most tolerant of the house becoming my studio for a bit and has even suggested we get in a curry tonight to cheer me up! Hurrah!

Victorian Vintage Necklace how to...

Yes it's another lovely project by me, in Making Jewellery.

This one features a gorgeous vintage watch face, and while I always hate it when I can't get hold of the focal bits in a project-I thought this one was worth it.

Especially as I have taken a mould of the watch face and so can recreate it in artclay silver should anyone desire one.

I was also really touched to be included as one of Vintaj's inspirational designers on their blogsite, I love brass filligree and use it loads - though perhaps not quite in the way they expect ;0 But I certainly used it in this project, and I'm really pleased to see it becoming more available in the UK.

Steampunk Article in Making Jewellery

Hurah! It's out at last, the lovely 2nd issue of Making Jewellery - featuring a project, by me, of a steampunk watch and also a mini article (also by me, suprise suprise) on the rise of steampunk...

The articles came out really well, and the magazine is really modern and exciting - lots of good articles and hopefully lots more to come!

Easter weekend Polymer clay extravaganza!

Just had a great time playing with clay and creating my entries for the bead and button magazine "bead dreams" competition. I'm really please with the objects d'art but it's the first time i've entered anything for competition so we'll see...

I used kato clay liquid medium on some pieces, which is awsome, by far the most transparent liquid clay on the market, really good viscosity too, no air bubbles and a wonderful smooth finish, as you can see by the piece on the right. I shall definitely be using it again! Donna Kato's new book The art of polymer clay surface techniques...is awsome as well, very inspirational for those serious about clay!

New Article in Beads & Beyond

I was pleased to see my latest article looking very pretty in the April edition of Beads & Beyond. It was a commission to promote the "Egyptian Treasures" competition in the magazine, the prize is a trip to the Tutankhamen Exhibition at the O2 center in London.

The gorgeous artifacts are well worth a visit, although I've been told they don't actually have the original king Tut sarcophagus in the exhibition...I was fortunate enough to see it at the Cairo Museum whilst on honeymoon and it was deemed just too priceless to be allowed out of Egypt!

The article is called"Egyptian Treasures: Jewellery set inspired by the scarabs and gems of Egypt", and uses polymer clay as well as some gorgeous beads from my stash! I took molds from some of the smaller sculpty scarabs I made ages ago, and made them up to look like pure burnished gold, adding a bunny in faux-jade as a centre piece. The rabbit, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, means 'no'. Any excuse for bunnies :)

Black Meringue

Wow! What a super magazine...

Just received a copy of Black Meringue through the post this morning. For those not in the know this is a new "alternative" wedding magazine. It oozes style from every page, beautifully photographed and laid up, while covering everything individual and unusual; from Bollywood style ceremonies to Burlesque, Gothic and Disney. The spring issue even has an article on unusual acts you can hire as entertainment...

Obviously they wanted to use photographs of some of the gorgeous gowns from Bridal Originals which look fabulous in the mix of unusual and extravagant outfits. This bustle gown and opera cape was made for one of my lovely brides last year and is one of the featured outfits in the magazine.

It's so nice to see truly unusual and original wedding ideas being given their own glossy at last!

Tiara Making disk

Hurah! at last the tiara disk is available... It seems ages since I first started work on this, but the finished product has made the wait worthwhile. I'm so pleased with the clarity of the instructions and easy to read page design, clear and simple.

It's available from rainbowdisks and has loads of gorgeous things on it, both tiaras and jewellery. I've tried to design something for everyone and the finished pieces are now available to buy on my website for those who don't fancy having a go at making them.