Steampunk- JEWELRY Style 001-021_14286.indd 1 9/4/09 6:55:16 PM 001-021_14286.indd 1 9/5/09 12:11:09 PM ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::11 Steampunk- JEWELRY Style Victorian, Fantasy, and Mechanical necklaces, bracelets, and earrings JeAn CAmpbell 001-021_14286.indd 3 9/4/09 6:55:33 PM 001-021_C53229.indd 3 9/22/09 10:21:15 AM JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy (221)_E09-AC53229 ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::22 (221)_E09-AC53229 ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::33 CoNTeNTS 34 Captured Time Ring 38 Sidebar: Modding 6 Foreword by Paul Di Filippo 40 Rubies in Time Bracelet 9 Introduction 43 Sidebar: The Community 10 Maker’s Workshop 18 Basic Jewelry-Making Techniques 44 Love’s Labour’s Lost Ensemble 48 Sidebar: Topping It Off 50 Gearrings projects and sides 22 53 Sidebar: About Lolita 22 Filigree Gears Necklace 54 Minerva’s Folly Cuff 26 Sidebar: Steampunk Roots 58 Sidebar: Dressing Up 28 The Anachronist Necklace 60 Portal Explorers Necklace 32 Sidebar: Sci-Fi Origins 64 Sidebar: Gear 4 001-021_14286.indd 4 9/4/09 6:55:36 PM 001-021_14286.indd 4 9/5/09 12:11:10 PM ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::44 66 Time Traveler’s Necklace 124 Tempus Fugit Pendant 70 Sidebar: 2-D Steampunk 128 Sidebar: Goggles Galore 72 White Star Line Necklace 130 Admiral’s Secret Cuff 76 Sidebar: Steampunk Sound gallery of 134 78 Steam Voyageur Necklace steampunk designs 83 Sidebar: Steampunk on Stage 84 Machinery in Motion Necklace 142 List of Artists 88 Sidebar: At the Movies 143 Credits 144 Supplies 90 Horological Faery Gadget Necklace 94 Sidebar: Steampunk Animated 96 Airship Captain’s Ring 100 Sidebar: The Spirit of Play 102 Dirigible Aviatrix Necklace These pages: Handmade Steampunk Unisex and Diverse Vintage Neo-Victorian Jewelry 107 Sidebar: Green Steam Ricky Wolbrom, EDM Designs 108 Voluminating Exhalator Bracelet 112 Sidebar: Choosing Materials 114 Chronos #8 Necklace 118 Sidebar: Steampunk Sculpture 120 Tick Tock Drop Earrings 123 Sidebar: Steampunk Couture 001-021_14286.indd 5 9/4/09 6:55:50 PM 001-021_14286.indd 5 9/5/09 12:11:10 PM JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::44 ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::55 Foreword Anachronistic Futures of Elegant Tech Surely you’ve heard the saying, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” The exploding cultural wavefront known as Steampunk might very well adopt as its motto, “It’s never too late to live splendidly like a Victorian.” But, of course, just as no sane adult seeks to replicate exactly all the cramped and shortsighted parameters of childhood, so no thoughtful creator or lifestyle adopter seeks to authentically inhabit the constricted and narrow-minded conditions of 150 years ago. Steampunk takes the best of this seminal historical mother lode and mixes it up with postmodern influences that range from attitude to materials. We Steampunks are bricoleurs, with one foot set firmly in the Victorian era and the other solidly planted in the twenty-first century, yoking the elegance and brio of the past with the ineluctable concerns and visions of the future. “Steam” plus “punk.” That’s the ticket! The type of antique things and techniques the Steampunk artist or recreationist instinc- tively seeks and utilizes are those objects and technics for which the current period offers only inferior or ugly or distasteful counterparts. Cast-iron and wood instead of aluminum. Silk and linen instead of polyester. Brass and glass and rubber instead of plastic. Welding instead of superglue. Rivets instead of injection molding. Leather belts and buckles instead of Velcro. Decoration instead of utilitarianism. Irony and humor instead of severity and starkness. The Steampunk artisan always favors rich, beautiful materials and painstaking artisanal methods that hark back to a less recondite and less machine-mediated technology, when natural resources emerged transmogrified but still recognizable from the workshop and factory. And, most important, Steampunk cultivates a DIY ethos, in line with the fabled music from which half its name derives. The Victorian and Edwardian era represented the last period in which broad expertise and knowledge were obtainable by the average person, even if self- taught. It was a time when every woman could be her own jungle explorer, every man his own 6 steampunk-style jewelry 001-021_14286.indd 6 9/4/09 6:55:51 PM 001-021_C53229.indd 6 9/22/09 10:21:28 AM ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy (221)_E09-AC53229 ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::66 aetheric scientist, given the urge and talent. Steampunks are makers and doers, not passive consumers and mere audience members—as this book well demonstrates! The key allure and goal of Steampunk is to fashion and inhabit a world where the awe and romance inspired by humanity’s pursuit of scientific knowledge is reflected in our tools, furniture, architecture, literature, art, and fashions. The mode is both a celebration of the past and of what might yet be, a witty commentary on things lost and paths not taken. All of my foregoing philosophy is made manifest in the pages of this book much more vividly and emphatically than my mere words can convey. With a clear and informed and passionate vision of what Steampunk means, Jean Campbell has assembled a guild of talented jewelry makers who echo her goals and abilities. In lucid, revelatory chapters, they share the secrets of their hard-earned, joyous accomplish- ments, providing endless inspiration to lucky readers intent on entering the exciting world of Steampunk craftsmanship. Cinch the straps of your aerostatic harness, dog the ports of your bathyscaphe, engage the drill bit of your subterranean burrower. You’re in for a stimulating ride! — Paul Di Filippo author, The Steampunk Trilogy Providence, Rhode Island 001-021_14286.indd 7 9/7/09 2:59:23 PM 001-021_14286.indd 7 9/5/09 12:11:10 PM JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::66 ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::77 Steampunk Ring Daniel Proulx, Catherinette Rings 001-021_C53229.indd 8 9/22/09 10:23:28 AM 001-021_14286.indd 8 9/5/09 12:11:10 PM ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy (221)_E09-AC53229 ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::88 Introduction “Steampunk...What’s that?!” That question is a common reaction from people new to the name of this style trend— one that’s been around for more than twenty years, since the term was first coined in 1987. Generally, Steampunk is a fashion, design, and popular-culture phenomenon that combines romance and technology. Among its many influences are futurism, time travel, and the Victorian Age. These seemingly disparate facets combine into a resulting look that might be called “Mad Max Meets Jane Austen.” Signature Steampunk jewelry design pairs mechanically based found objects with Victorian- influenced filigree, charms, chain, and sumptuous beads to create one-of-a-kind pieces. Brass and copper are usually the metals of choice, and each piece often holds some kind of meaning —it tells a story, evokes a memory, eulogizes a historical figure or object, or simply evokes a hearty chortle. The look is romantic but not fussy; edgy but not angry; futuristic but not cold. For Steampunk-Style Jewelry I’ve gathered together twenty pieces that embody the heart and soul of this trend. You don’t need to be a master metalsmith to make these projects. A curiosity to learn, an explorer’s spirit for shopping, and the willingness to pick up the occasional hand or small power tool are all you really need. There’s a design for just about any wardrobe. Show off your punk side with Minerva’s Folly Cuff on page 54. Or firmly announce your (perhaps newfound) dedication to Steampunk by showing off the Dirigible Aviatrix Necklace on page 102 or the Horological Faery Gadget Neck- lace on page 90. Make a nod to Steam while wearing the Voluminating Exhalator Bracelet on page 108 or the Tempus Fugit Pendant on page 124. The thirteen talented project designers featured in this book show you how to make their pieces through clear step-by-step instructions and illustrations. If you need to learn or relearn a specific technique to finish your project, you’ll find them all described in the Maker’s Workshop on page 10. Because many of the projects heavily utilize found objects, I’ve provided tips and resources on how and where to shop for them on page 144. There’s plenty of inspiration in the sidebars showcasing the practitioners who have influenced and have been influenced by Steampunk. In the final section of the book, you’ll find a gallery of Steampunk jewelry designs from some of this community’s finest, hopefully to inspire you to do a little Steampunking of your own. I hope you enjoy making the projects in this book and savor the truly innovative work of the Steampunk Ring artists featured throughout. May Steampunk-Style Jewelry serve as a steam-driven vessel for Daniel Proulx, Catherinette Rings your imagination, bringing you to the uncharted ports and unknown harbors of your creativity. 9 001-021_14286.indd 9 9/4/09 6:56:19 PM 001-021_14286.indd 9 9/5/09 12:11:10 PM JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::88 ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::99 Maker’s WoRkshoP The supplies and techniques you need to create Fabric is used in some Steampunk-style jewelry are pretty basic. Nearly all the Steampunk jewelry. It pieces in this book are made with items you may already contributes to the costume-y have on hand or can easily find on trips to your local effect, but also adds a bit of bead shop, hardware store, or junk shop. A few hand softness and romance. Minerva’s tools are usually all you need to get the job done. Folly Cuff (see page 54) employs D. stretchy tulle, a netted fabric you might see on a wedding dress or tutu. Materials Thread (D) is used to string beads and stitch fabric. Beads (A) are my favorite part of any jewelry project. I recommend a strong braided beading thread like They are versatile, plentiful, and easy to find. In this book, 6-pound FireLine, especially when the thread comes beads serve as ornament to many of the designs. You’ll into contact with metal. find beads made of crystal, fire-polished glass, fresh- Filigree (E) is historically an intricate type of metal jewelry water pearl, porcelain, stone, metal, and vintage glass. design. Thin wires are soldered together to make curvy, A. Chain (B) is a key component in Steampunk style jewelry. interlocking shapes. The filigree in the projects in this Its manufactured quality lends an instant Industrial book is stamped brass with delicate Art Nouveau-style Revolution vibe. Shop for both plain and fancy versions designs. This type of filigree comes in a wide variety of and make sure the links are wide enough to accept a shapes, from simple bars to butterflies. It can be found at jump ring or wrapped loop. most bead shops. Eyelets (C) are two-part brass findings. They lend a smooth metal lining to a hole in metal or leather. Think lacing holes on a pair of Converse All Stars. Collage artists often use these for connecting papers and boards, so you can usually find them at scrapbooking stores. B. To set eyelets you need an eyelet setting tool, hammer, and block (see page 16). E. C. 10 steampunk-style jewelry 001-021_14286.indd 10 9/4/09 6:56:35 PM 001-021_14286.indd 10 9/5/09 12:11:10 PM ((RRAAYY))Text JJoobb::0088--1144228866 TTIITTLLEE::CCPPII--SStteeaammppuunnhh SSttyyllee JJeewweellrryy ##117755 DDttpp::4488 PPaaggee::1100