Another Belt Tool-Kit

I should probably start investigating some other sources for old tools. The antique shop I like hitting is fantastic, but tend to have only so many tools in the price range I'm willing to spend (and think I can re-sell). The really awesome tiny monkey-wrench will not be making an appearance, as my roomie decided to buy it off of me before I could use it for anything. But I did finish this for an event I'm running with some friends.



It turned out fun. Though I may want to rough up the wood vial a little bit. So that it matches the rest of the piece. Also managed to wound another finger while working on it. Which was less good.

There is a giant wrench and another monkey wrench style thing that should be making appearances before too long. I do love working with this type of thing. If anyone knows a decent source for inexpensive old (at least looking) tools, let me know!

Video Interview

Technically a little old, but it popped back up and figured it would be amusing to have here.

WoW Engineer's Goggles

Per special request, I have created engineering goggles from World of Warcraft. The normal version in the game are rather over the top size was, so I pulled them back to a slightly more normal goggle look, while maintaining a lot of the distinctive ridiculous qualities. They make me smile.


These will not be showing up in my shop, as they are specifically for someone. At the same time, I do like trying interesting things, so if anyone else has a specific sort of goggles they want, I'll be around!

Leather Plague Doctor Mask

The idea has been lurking in the back of my head for a while now. Waiting for me to finally give in and build this particular mask. I attempted to win an alchemy bid for it, but that didn't work out, though the person was quite nice about it. It still seemed worth doing as a fun project. My bruised hand is less a fan of the project, since I ended up hand punching and hand stitching the entire thing. And I didn't make it out of a particularly thin leather...

For those not really familiar with plague doctor masks, they came into being as a result of the plague. There was a common belief that birds spread the plague. Many people think the bird beak shape was to help draw the plague out of the victim onto the plague doctor outfit. The red lenses were to protect the wearer from evil. The beak was typically stuffed with herbs to protect them from the miasma that was believed to carry the plague.

The rest of the outfit adds to the creepiness, with a wide brimmed hat, a long black coat, and a wooden cane. I really, really want to build a hat now too... though I'm not sure I have a proper piece for the brim. I will have to look...

Now, on to progress pictures! I started with the beak piece. Once I had that stitched together, I cut out a piece that would be at plenty big for a face and then cut an upside down T into it to slot in the nose.


Then I went to bed, actually. But the next relevant step was to actually attach the nose to the main mask. I left the large extra pieces in place, so that I had plenty of room to work. Once I actually had all three sides attached, then I trimmed down the extra bits around the nose.

From there, it was an easy step to cut the eye-holes, measures to fit the laser-cut lenses that I have on hand.


I cut a lighter black leather to work as a cover for the lenses. Circles with a hole in the center. It gave it a rough look, but I rather like the whole thing having a rough look. Here is a close up shot of it.


It actually looks better from a distance, though.


Once I was happy with that, I set the other lens. Which didn't work on the first go through. I got more then halfway through before pulling it off and cutting a new piece and re-attaching it.


I trimmed down the shape a little more, finalizing the shape a bit more.



The last touch was to cut slits for the straps, then to stitch them into place and attach the buckle.


It really does beg to have the hat added.... but I still think it is totally awesome.

Ladies Leather & Lace Gauntlet

Received my second piece of tatting from the fantastic TotusMel Tats in the mail today. If you haven't had a chance before, stop reading and go look at her stuff. Very lovely.

Anyway, I had ordered a small piece she listed, thinking it would be fun to play with. It was larger then I was thinking (possibly because I need a ruler on hand to have any sense of such things.) This wasn't a huge problem or anything, just caused a shifting of my original plans. Which is likely a good thing. As my original plan would still have me sitting at my cutting mat growling and cursing. Instead, I have actually finished a piece. When I should have been writing... but that's ok, there's always sleep time to make up for not having enough free time. Heh.


I wanted to go with a mixture of leather and metal to accent the tatting, because that seems to be one of my fascinations these days. Below is a picture. Little bit rough. As I am attempting to take the picture and model it at the same time. Without having holes punched to really hold it in place properly... I will have to borrow someone to get official pictures taken.


I think it has a nice unique feel to it, something that you aren't going to find anywhere else. I set everything with antiqued brass rivets and added some brass saddle buckles to hold it on. The red leather is a very thin and soft suede from a pillow case I have been slowly cannibalizing. The black strap is from the scrap bin and most of the rest of it is currently someone's new set of goggles. I did a lot of the shaping on the red piece as I went along. Tried it both on my hand and on my roomies smaller hand and it fits slightly differently, but the placement of the straps actually worked for both of us, which was a pleasant little surprise.

Anyway, I am supposed to be writing. Shhhh.

Steam-rings

Catherinette Rings is hosting a contest to win a fabulous steampunk ring. Click the picture below to check out some of her rings. They are amazingly cool.

You can also check out my favorite ring from her shop. The color combination on that particular piece is fabulous. I might also have a weakness for opals.

I've actually been interested in these since I first saw them. The sort of hose-styling on the rings gives them an amazingly interesting unique texture, and the variations through out the shop in center-pieces really gives them a surprising array of subtle look variations.

Another point in favor of this shop is membership in the Etsy Steam Team. Which continues to be an incredible group of artists producing the coolest steampunk gear on the web.

Needlebinding and Ivory Carving

My friend recently discovered needlebinding while working on a persona for a fun local group. Well, local to her, not quite so local to me. Anyway. My help was drafted for the creating of a needle for her to use. Originally I was just going to do one out of wood, but I've been looking for an excuse to play with carving ivory, as I have not tried it before. Mostly inspired by the leavings of mammoth ivory that you can find on eBay fairly often. I continue to have a deep love of odd bits of stuff for inspiring creations. It also helps that my friend is big on mammoth's anyway, so this was obviously the most awesome version possible of the needle.

Here are the two side of the finished product. Learned a lot about how to work with the material and only nicked myself once. Which is pretty good considering the level of exhausted I am today. It's a little odd in that it was a semi-wedge shaped piece, so it isn't quite even, but I think it will work. And hey, for a first attempt, I think it looks pretty good.