Greetings.

Just a note to let you know that I will be posting regularly again in the New Year.

For now, very busy getting ready for Steamcon in Seattle - Oct 26 - 28, 2012 http://www.steamcon.org/concrete5/index.php

I will be showing lots of new designs: several new styles of SteamPunk earrings, a new "Time" group and a very exciting group of "SteamPunk Sweetheart Rings!"

New airship brooches too, like this one - Goodrington Forward Lift airship brooch (also now on my website - www.AllPropellersSpin.com ).

Thanks for visiting - hope to see more of you in the New Year.

Mark Eliot Schwabe, SteamSmith

Wedding Ring Update

My SteamPunk Wedding Ring turned out to be a great success.

Thanks in part to a number of you, it did win the competition!  It was declared the best design of an item that might be found at a SteamPunk wedding (from those submitted) - by the Etsy SteamTeam.  Thanks to all who voted for it.

It turnes out that it WILL be at a wedding (SteamPunk?) - it was purchased by a gentleman in the midwest who presented it to his girlfriend, and ... she said YES!  No word yet on the wedding date.

You may have noticed it has been a while since I last posted here (understatement).  I fear that my postings will get scarce again for the rest of this year, but starting this January I will get back to regular posting.

Please come back to visit then, as there will be much to report!

Your humble servent,
Mark Eliot Schwabe, SteamSmith

SteamPunk Wedding Ring

The Etsy SteamTeam is having a contest - who can make the best handcrafted SteamPunk object that might be found at a wedding.

I couldn't resist the obvious - THE WEDDING RING!

So here is my entry.  Although only Etsy SteamTeam members my enter the contest, ANYONE can vote.
I will include voting instructions in another post.

Wonderful Feature about SteamSmith

There is wonderful and rather lengthy feature about 

"Steampunk Maker Extrordinaire Mark Eliot Schwabe" on 

London Particulars blog, "SteamPunk Jewelry". 

The feature includes many very kind words about me and my work from these folks. 

Thanks Lora!

click here to go to feature

the Making of Warrior Princess Nancy Aline sculpture

This sculpture was quite a project.  

I photographed much of the work as I went along.  

Those photographs are posted on my Facebook Fan page - in three parts.

Click on links to see the creation of this sculpture.

The beginning: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=143977&id=257236418945&ref=pb

Continuing work: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=163608&id=257236418945&ref=pb

Final work: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=166448&id=257236418945&ref=pb 

more info about Warrior Princess here

NewIndustries Ltd, part 1 (continued from December 5, 2009 below): Light Passenger Airship

Fast and light,  the latest edition to NewIndustries fleet of Airships is a real beauty.   Designed to carry   a small complement of passengers and crew, and to get them to their destination quickly the LP I is a glorious example of why NewIndustries is the world leader in Airship construction.

There are those who cry “foul”, suggesting that the essential mechanical components of this vessel are not of this world, but instead, from a galaxy far, far away.  Not the first time that critics of NewIndustries have suggested an unwholesome interstellar alliance involving the industry giant.

available for sale here

Featured Again

My Top Hat cuff links have been featured in yet another Etsy Treasury.  This time, Etsy artist PeachyDesigns has included them in her collection showing the various ways Etsy artists use 

Top Hats in their work.

Take a look!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c106d8378348eefd265ab42/top-hats

available for sale here

Airship featured on GREAT blog

Just a quick note to let you know that one of my Airship brooches is NOW featured on Totus Mel's blog.  She has great taste.  If you are not a regular visitor there, you should be!

Mark/SteamSmith

PS- AllPropellersSpin

http://totusmelswunderkammer.blogspot.com/

Anime Boston

The Princess and I had a great time at Anime Boston!

We look forward to your next chance to meet folks and vend.
In addition, I will be demonstrating "Traditional Jewelry Making Techniques applied to SteamPunk jewelry."

May 1 - the New England SteamPunk Festival at the Charles River Museum of Industry; hope to see you there!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waltham-MA/Steampunk-Festival/234046964955

SteamPunk definition

Lots of folks ask me, "Just what is SteamPunk."

Much has been said and written on the subject, and there are many opinions.

Here my definition of SteamPunk:

"Steampunk is a retrofuturist fantasy genre celebrating the Victorian Era and objects from that era (machines, fashion, etc).

The genre also permits the introduction of objects and persons from other times into the victorian era."

It may help, if you imagine the fictional works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, to be FACT.

The genre finds expression in all forms of art, including: literature, film, music, sculpture, painting, graphic art, fashion and jewelry design, among others.

My 2 cents.