The world of Steampunk is beginning to emerge into the mainstream from the various, underground circles where it has long been a well-kept secret.

Steampunk fashion is now appearing on the catwalks and beginning to catch the eye of the media and it will be interesting to see if the whole movement will evolve or whether its followers will forsake it once it hits the high street.

There is so much to Steampunk, from the classic books of Jules Verne and HG Wells to the “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” Graphic Novels of Alan Moore, art, role playing games, clothes, but for me its Steampunk Jewelry that I love the most.

I have been making my own Jewelry for quite some time and have always been interested in vintage pieces, the remnants of yesteryear. So when I saw that there was a whole new way to reappropriate the past and give it a modern context, via Jewelry – I was in heaven!

As a main component, I’ll buy old watches and timepieces anywhere I can find them but the bulk of my material has come via the Internet. Over the past year the cost has been increasing as sellers realize that there is a market for vintage watches (broken at that) and instead of listing “Watches for repair or parts” they are now rebranding them as “Steampunk” and upping the prices.

I love to take these old timepieces apart and discover the treasures they contain.

A lot of the time, you find plastic workings from modern watches, but often when you find a watch that was made pre-sixties, you will find tiny rubies that are used as bearings because they are so resilient.

When you look at the workings of these old watches you can only marvel at the craftsmanship that has gone into making them. It is little wonder that all these intricate pieces have inspired another art form, Horological Collage, which uses watch parts to create pictures. This translates beautifully into Steampunk Art and some of my favourite pieces utilise this technique.

Once I have an abundant supply of vintage watch parts to fashion into Steampunk Jewelry, it’s simply a question of finding the best way to reappropriate the cogs and movements and it’s never long before inspiration strikes.

I love the fact that I’m giving something so skilfully made, which was sadly discarded as junk, a new life.

Surely that is the ultimate form of upcycling!

By: Lora Sutton

About the Author:

Lora Sutton
Steampunk Jewelry Maker and Artist
http://www.steampunkjewelry.ffxoh.com

Glass Block Flower Vase

For this purpose a 12″ x 12″ pre-drilled glass block of any color with one edge completely removed, will be required. Use two types of flowers, one of a shade contrasting the one of the glass block, and one similar to the glass block. For instance, if you use a purple glass block, you can use a combination of deep purple tulips and pink roses for your flower arrangement. Use a few stems, not too many, as you do not want an overflowing vase. Make your flower arrangement, with the use of appropriate fillers and foliage. This glass block craft makes a wonderful centerpiece for your dining table. You can use paper or silk flowers if the flowers of your choice are not easily available. This also helps create the exact desired arrangement. For a stronger effect, wrap a contrasting bow around the glass block. Another way of using a glass block as a vase is to drill 3 holes at equal distances from each other, and place single stems of the same flower in each hole. It makes a simple yet delightful craft item.

Glass Block Christmas Decoration

Use a pre-drilled 8″ x 8″ glass block for this purpose. You may also use a solid glass block, and drill a small hole into the center of one of its edges. Push in a string of Christmas lights, so that they are placed in a circular fashion inside the glass block. It needn’t be exactly circular. Leave the plug outside. Use a thick ribbon, in a color of your choice, and wrap a bow around the glass block. When lit, this glass block craft makes one of the best Christmas decorations or Christmas gifts. Further enhance this glass block, by eliminating the bow and sticking a picture of Santa on the surface. When illuminated, it will definitely add to the Christmas spirit.

Glass Block Masterpiece

Create a scene of your choice on the glass block, by using stain glass paints. Clean the block of dust. Use a black, gold or silver outline tube, meant specifically for glass painting surfaces. Fill it in with colors suiting the scene or the painting. Your stained glass painting could be as simple as a single flower in the center of the block, to an entire scene, perhaps of a desert with travelers on camels. You can also cut out figures from craft paper and stick them on the glass block. Furthermore, add some accessories such as a ribbon, or other 3-dimensional objects to give it a more realistic and authentic effect. On the other hand, cut out the figures from chart paper, and trace just the outline on the glass block. Once the outline dries, with a brush, run a shade of color outside the outline to highlight it further. Again, wrap it with a bow that matches the colors of the paints you have used, and your glass block craft is complete. If the glass blocks aren’t clear, and have a pattern on them, highlight this pattern by streaking just the pattern lines with a golden paint (not necessarily glass paint), or any other color of your choice. When placed against light, the highlights stand out and make it an excellent piece of decor.

By: bavarsheiam

About the Author:

http://stainedglassdecoration.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-stained-glass.html

Drilling a hole in a glass bottle is great craft idea. With a hole in one side of a glass bottle, you can hang glass bottles on the wall, insert items into a seemingly closed bottle and create designs on the side of your bottle in order to make candle holders, lamps or other craft projects. If you have some old glass bottles lying around, you can drill holes in them with a little practice and the right tools. It’s possible, although very difficult, to drill a hole in a glass bottle without a drill or a diamond drill bit. You will need to follow several safety precautions, as working with glass can be dangerous. Follow these steps to learn how to drill a hole in a glass bottle for crafts.

Step 1

Mark the area you would like to drill with a Sharpie. Draw a small dot on the outside of thr glass bottle to show where you are going to drill.

Step 2 Wear safety gear. Before drilling, put on goggles, rubber gloves and a long-sleeved shirt. Even when using a diamond bit, there is a possibility that the glass bottle will break. Even if the bottle doesn’t break, it is likely that shards of glass will fly towards your face. Step 3 Slowly drill a hole in the side of the bottle. You should use a drill or Dremel tool with a diamond bit. Using a diamond bit will prevent the glass bottle from shattering. Drill very slowly to prevent breakage as much as possible. Step 4 Wet the hole while drilling. Every few seconds, use a spray bottle to spray small amounts of water onto the hole. This way the shards of glass will not fly around as easily, and the bottle is less likely to break. The temperature of the drill bit will stay low if you spray water on the bottle frequently. Remove excess glass around the bottle with a damp cloth. Step 5 Polish the drilled hole using silicon carbide sandpaper. If the hole looks particularly rough, rub silicon carbide sandpaper around it to smooth out any rough edges. Go very slowly and carefully. Do not take the goggles or protective gloves off until you have finished sanding the bottle.

Tools:MAKITA 18v Battery, HITACHI Battery.   



By: vincent

About the Author:

The drill bit market has several types of drill bits available to choose from ranging from low cost to very expensive. The cost again depends upon the type of material being used to the type of coating being used and most importantly the use of the drill bit like what type of drilling material being used and what kind of hole we need.

The low cost most inexpensive drill is the regular steel bit which is mostly used in drilling holes in wood. The other types of drill bit are the high speed steel and the titanium coated drill bits. Next in the line which is more expensive but tougher are the carbide tipped and the cobalt bits. Both of these are very expensive but extremely hard anddurable.

The types of drill bits have been designed for various uses. Let us talk about the twist drill which is used for drill holes into wood, plastic or light metal. Brad Point bit and spade bit are also used for wood but they vary based on the diameter of the hole being drilled.

Another kind of bit which is very common is the installer bit which is used for installing phone wires, TV wires and other cable wires. This is specifically designed so that the wire can be pulled through the hole in the bit.

For drilling holes in copper, brass and aluminum the step bit is used.For drilling holes in glass or tiles the glass bit is used. Masons use a masonry drill which is fixed in front of a rotary hammer or a regular hammer drills.

A power drill is what you will need for your small work around the house. These power drills can help bore the drill a hole into almost any material within the home say wood or glass or even special stained glass. What you need is the perfect drill bit set for your needs.

A drill bit set containing steel, spiral bits is not very expensive and is almost enough for drilling needs at home. However, they cannot drill into concrete or metal as they require special drill bits. These drill bit sets have drill bits ranging from size eight millimeters to thirty two millimeters. Now if you need to have some concrete or masonry work done then you need the tungsten carbide drill sets as they have the required strength to drill holes through concrete. Mind you, they may be expensive than the regular steel bits.

In the light of the above information you would be able to have the desired drill bit and this will you select the bit most suited for your needs. As a matter of precaution always try to ask the manufactures or read the material which comes with the drill for the drill bits best suited for the drill you have bought.



By: Amit Kheterpal

About the Author:

Amit comes from an engineering background and writes about diamond drill bit for glass and their use in the industry. He has a website which is dedicated to the diamond drill bits