Saturday, November 27, 2010

Don't Be Surprised When... edition 1

When wandering the earth dressed in Steampunk Don't Be Suprised when:

-people in public tell you they "love your outfit" but you suspect they are really wondering what the hell you are dressed up like that for.  Most common at the gas station.

-the "normals" ask to take your picture... but get weirded out when you want to take theirs back.

-you feel faint because you're in a corset and haven't taken care of water and nutrition for the day; been there, done that, felt like both a "real Victorian lady" and an "asshole."

- you are in the same under-bust corset and you notice no one, and I mean no one, is making eye contact

- any clear space in your home suddenly starts to look like a combination of a Santa's workshop, a mad scientist's lab, and a seamstress' shop.

- any clear space outside of your home is suddenly covered with "drying parts"

- if you like men you start to really like them in military uniform, but only of wars at least 50 years ago

- if you like women you really start to think the old "school mar'm" look is extra hot.

- when gathering in groups you are asked "what are you"?  Or better yet "Are you civil war reenacters?" because everyone knows they had brass laser guns during the civil war.

- you spend a small fortune shopping for steampunk clothes, toys to modify, paint, plumbing parts, glues, and decorations when all you went to the store for was milk and socks.




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Friday, November 26, 2010

If you like what you see here please Follow

If you like this blog, please click on FOLLOW.  It's a short process and the support will be very helpful to me.

Also please check out and follow my fictional blog about the life and times of Miss Anne Thrope at http://worldandtimedomination.blogspot.com/ 

I'm trying to get 100 follows on each blog by the new year so a little copy and paste action would be great too!
-Jocelyn a.k.a Anne Thrope

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Don't Make this Mistake: Edition 2

When making prop weapons Don't Make this Mistake
(in my humble opinion)


-Don't buy glue, paint or any version thereof without reading what materials they are meant for working with.

-Don't forget to read the directions of all products or you may get a nasty suprise.  Different versions of the same type of glues, for example, require being held steadily in place for a varying amount of time.  Be prepared with clamps if needed!  Some glues tell you to use a SMALL amount for a reason-Don't Ignore The Instructions

-Don't forget basic safety or you had better have your health insurance card ready.  Some mistakes can be painful, some actually wounding, and some even deadly.  Don't fuck around with safety.

-Don't paint before gluing.  If you glue two painted surfaces together you are gluing paint to paint, not object to object.... glue has a stronger bond to the paint then the paint does to the object so everything will fall apart, usually at the most inconvenient moment.

-Don't cover the orange thingy at the tip of the gun if you plan to use a modified toy gun in public.  It's illegal and rumor has it you can get shot by a cop.

-Don't forget you'll be carrying this prop around with you.  Think about a holster, case, strap, or some other way to keep your prop weapon with you and still have your hands free if that's important.  Keep weight in mind if you'll have to have this item with you for a certain period of time.

-Don't make it dangerous -duh-  make sure there are no sharp edges or pointy points.  These are PRETEND weapons, no one wants to get stabbed by your ray gun

-Don't get upset if things don't work the way you pictured.  A mistake can lead to the most creatively rendered parts of your prop.

stay safe and HAVE FUN!!!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

A museum to visit..

The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation


Telephone: (781) 893-5410





Steampunk: Form and Function

An Exhibition of Innovation, Invention and Gadgetry



            At The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation’s new exhibit Steampunk, Form & Function, and an Exhibition of Innovation, Invention and Gadgetry sponsored by Steampuffinmodern
technology meets the Victorian era.

Steampunk, Form & Function is open now through May 11th, 2010.  Admission is $5 for the general public and $3 for seniors\students; admission is free for children under six.   The Museum is located at 154 Moody Street in
Waltham, MA 02453.  For more information
visit http://www.crmi.org or call 617 893
5410.


I ALSO RECOMMEND THAT YOU VISIT AND SIGN INTO www.thesteampunkempire.com I'ts like facebook for steampunks!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Don't make this mistake: Edition 1

When creating a backstory and alterego, Don't Make This Mistake
(in my humble opinion)

- Don't be so specific that you can't change your mind about things; be broad so you can go back and fill in the details later.

- Don't limit yourself to the Victorian era or culture.  There's a lot more out there that I had NO idea was "ok" when I first started getting involved in Steampunk.

- Don't make your name sound like a stripper by accident (yah, I know, the irony fills the page)

- Don't bite someone else's story unless they agree you can play in their sandbox.  If your persona is going to be fit into someone else's larger story, I reccomend you still have your own charecter to slip into.

- Don't take your story or yourself too seriously or you'll lose the opportunity for a lot of fun.

-Don't set yourself up for prop or costume problems.  If you plan to cosplay don't create a back-story that requiers things you are not 100% you can either get or make.  You may want to get the items this backstory will need first.

-Don't forget details of your back-story and don't forget to play your part at a function (like I forget to do alllll the time!)

-Don't forget to decide what year you are from or what year it is for you know... what I mean is are you a time traveler and if so when are you from or are you still in year X and somehow just don't notice the futuristic things around you?

-Don't take my word on anything, try for yourself and have fun!

Safety: lesson 1

I recently asked some of my favorite "makers" for some advice on safety.  Most were either off on their way to some far away event of at the E.R. getting stitches, but of the remaining I got these bits of wisdom.  Obviously this does no represent all you need to know and stay safe but here goes for what it's worth.

From one Daniel Holzman-Tweed we get:
1: make sure you have proper ventilation
2: think things through to their conclusion

From Gypsy we get:
1:Keep acetate or other glue remover VERY close by
2: Never underestimate the power of a good corset

From myself, Jocelyn S. AKA Miss Anne Thrope a few obvious ones I learned the hard way:
1: Hot things are hot, whatch yourself around hot glue, soldering iron and recently sawed metal
2: Wear safety glasses when you cut anything.  And your regular glasses don't qualify
3: Under no circumstances do you put your crafting little fingers in your mouth, for example to sooth a burn because darn it, you probably have some nasty chemicals on them!
4.  Super Glue MELTS non-natural fabrics.  Melts, as in hot.  As in burns so don't ever superglue anything that you are wearing and wear appropriate gloves if purposely using this property as a crafting technique.

So that's lesson 1.  More to come on safety and also crafting clues.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Halloween

I had an idea to write a bit about Halloween as celebrated by the Victorians.  But DAMN am I lazy.  So here's some links!!!

Victorian Halloween
http://thecompletevictorian.com/halloween.html

Halloween throughout the world
http://www.novareinna.com/festive/world.html

Edwardian Halloween in the U.S. (3rd Paragraph in U.S. Section)
http://www.scarepros.com/History_Of_Halloween.html


You are very welcome for my 10 minutes on Google!!!

Miss Anne Thrope
A.K.A. Jocelyn Stengel-Ahern

Sunday, October 10, 2010

A Simple Explanation of Streampunk or What I Tell My Friends When They Ask What the Heck I'm Doing Every Weekend

Why Steampunk?

Why not?  What I mean by that, is “WHY NOT” is what Steampunk is all about.  The basic concept for Steampunk started with the Victorian aesthetic and science fiction based on the power source of that time period, steam.  From there it has grown and now includes pretty much all times and places in human history!  If you can imagine it, you can do it.  In my own opinion, anything that uses a primary power source of any given time and place in history (real or made up) to make a science fiction character qualifies as Steampunk!

Steampunk is all about DIY (Do It Yourself).  Costuming, creating a character to embody, modifications of toy “weapons” and anything else that goes into cosplay (costume play) are a big part of the Steampunks’ life.  Many of us also focus on creating art, fiction, and “inventions” that fit with our own chosen time and place.  The very idea of DIY is also a big part of Steampunk… most of us have characters that have to make, cobble, or even “borrow” the technology that is the science fiction part of our accoutrements, so we make our own items in real life and in the life of our alter-egos.

Steampunk is not LARPING but it is living art.  Many of us get dressed up as our alter egos for events ranging from conventions to picnics to parties and more.  We have been known to “invade” a town by simply showing up in large numbers and making a day of it.  Steampunk gatherings are often during the day on weekends, substance free, and open to all ages.  People who participate range from infant to elderly but are mostly late teens to early 40’s.  Involvement is also a great reason to learn more about anything that interests you… I have found myself looking up the history of batteries, what an Indian Sari is made from, what glues are best used on certain materials, Newsies, and so much, much more!If you like Cosplay, history, sci-fi, art, literature, science, and getting to know  intelligent and funny people, take a look online at the many Steampunk references available and see if  you may just want to get involved.

Thanks for reading this!
-Jocelyn Stengel-Ahern -
AKA Miss Anne  Thrope