Steampunk Basics I

What is Steampunk?

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, sometimes called Retro-Future. Steampunk crafts are inspired from the steam-powered era, specifically machinery. Designs reflect the perspective of people living in the 19^th century including inventions, fashion, culture and more. Popular embellishments can range from hinges, keys, and zippers to feathers and beadwork.

Think of it this way: Imagine you were to take apart a clock. Now pull everything out and use the bits as embellishments – even the springs.

Take a look at this clean and simple Steampunk card that I most recently made for the Simply Steampunk challenge (monochromatic).

This card was made to be monochromatic. Therefore, I stayed within the brown family for colors. I started with a mustardy brown. The chocolate layer is watermarked with a compass stamp from Jim Holtz’s Travel Blueprint stamp set. I inked all of the edges with Memento Rich Cocoa ink. On the top layer, I stamped a from the same Jim Holtz Blueprint stamp set. Next, I added a few gears from Jim Holtz idea-ology Sprocket Gears embellishment set. Finally, I added the metal photo frame highlighting the top of the camera. The frame is from Momenta. 

Now, it’s time add some color and bling. The first thing I needed was a pop of color. I chose the brightest blue I could find to jump off of the page. I used a Happy Birthday sentiment stamp that had a classic feel. Keeping to the same shade of blue, I added a flower and sequins. Now, I needed to mix up my metals. I added three silver dragonflies, a gold sun, and a silver clip since the gears were all a bronze color. The sentiment, sun, and dragonflies are all popped up off the page. (Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it easy to scan.) All of these extra embellishments were leftovers from past projects just waiting to be used.

Are you ready to embrace Steampunk?

If not, Steampunk Basics II will be out soon. Stay tuned!