Steampunkmodemagazine

Issue One 2013 www.steampunkmodemagazine.com

TM

UPCOMING

EVENTS how to make a HOW TO GET STARTED

DRESSING

STEAMPUNK

Steampunk Mode Magazine

STEAMPUNK

1

CUPCAKES

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Photo by: Trey Ratcliff

STEAMPUNK HAT

International Steampunk City

Steampunk at Historic Speedwell 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ

Steampunk is a whimsical genre based around the Age of Steam. Steam City is a little like a Renaissance Faire, only focused on a 19th-century world of mad science and madcap adventure. All are welcome!! Come dressed any way you’d like – and you don’t need to know anything special or be part of any group or organization. Come out, bring your family, have some fun, meet nice people, and support a fantastic cause!

The International Steampunk City is a concept developed and created by Jeff Mach. It is a blueprint for creating a charity benefit to help museums and historic buildings gain visibility, funding, and enthusiastic visitors, as well as bringing tourism and good times to a historic town!

Steam City at Speedwell is an interactive festival in the park, on a beautiful Autumn weekend, when people can come out and have a good time. Feel free to dress however you’d like, bring family and friends, and get ready for a great time!

The event offers various shops, tons of places to dine & have refreshments, entertainment, The Grand Museum, and more. Check out their website for more information.

Upcoming Event: The Steampunk World’s Fair

May 16-18, 2014 – Piscataway, NJ • www.SteampunkWorldsFair.com

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Steampunk Events OCTOBER 2013 The International Steampunk City!

A benefit for Historic Speedwell, home of the Telegraph!

October 12-13, 2013, Morristown, New Jersey www.internationalsteampunkcity.com

Steamcon

Oct. 25-27 2013 Steamcon.org Bellevue, WA

TeslaCon: The Congress of Steam October 31st - November 3rd, 2013

teslacon.com Madison, WI

NOVEMBER 2013

Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza & Meet-Up

Emerald City Steampunk Expo emeraldcitysteampunkexpo.com Nov 1-3 2013

upstatesteampunk.com

Wichita, KS

November 15, 16, 17, 2013

OctopodiCon

Anderson, SC

octopodicon.org

November 1-3 2013 Norman, OK Double check the dates and locations before you go. This information may have changed.

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contents 2 3 7 8

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International Steampunk City

Coming up October 12th & 13th

Steampunk Events

A list of upcoming events

Steamcon V

21 Steampunk Clothing

Coming up October 25th - 27th

Neverwas Haul

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A self-propelled 3-story Victorian House and its story. Read on....

Steampunk Jewelry

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Gentleman’s Emporium. Authentic 19th century men’s fashion and furnishings.

22 Steampunk Cupcakes Your favorite cupcakes, Steampunk style.

Creations by London Particulars

How To Make a Steampunk Hat

25 What are Arthrobots?

Dressing Steampunk

27 Steampunk Cake

Video by Chris Huebert on how to make a foam top hat.

Elizabeth Marek of Artisian Cake Company shares her LATEST creation.

An article by Diana Vick on Dressing Steampunk and how to get started.

19 Steampunk Apparel

Shoes! Ladies check out these steampunk creations by Steamtropolis!

20 Goggles Here

Looking for goggles to buy? Check this page out for pocket book friendly options.

28 “The Survivor”

A steampunk short story by M.B. Weston, appearing in the Dreams of Steam: Gadgets Steampunk Anthology.

31 Steampowered Factory

Creative work from Igor Rashkuev. A very talented freelance CG artist.

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You will have to read on about these creations by Tom Hardwidge

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We want to hear from you.....

Do you have some pictures of your latest attire, creation, story or what have you?

Email to info@steampunkmodemagazine.com

Publisher’s Note: Welcome to Steampunk Mode Magazine. A magazine that focuses on all things Steampunk. If you are not real familiar with Steampunk, it is as best as I can explain, a science fiction world featuring steampowered machinery. A sort of “what-if” world based on steam with a 19th century Victorian feel added to

Publisher: Thomas Mode

it. This world includes, artistic styles, fashions, films,

Editor and Designer:

events, stories, food and drink and so much more.

Deborah Szewczuk

We hope to bring this world together with each

Contact:

issue. Telling about the Steampunk genre and the

info@steampunkmodemagazine.com

wonderfully talented individuals that have so many creations and stories to share.

Website www.steampunkmodemagazine.com

To all those that shared there stories for the first online issue we are greatly appreciative of your contribution and thrilled to share your creativity with others. A big thank you.

LEGAL MUMBO JUMBO: The content included herein is copyright protected by each respective owner. Do not copy

If you want to be included in the next issue, please write to us. Do you have a new outfit or snapshots at the latest event you attended? Please share them with us. We welcome all Steampunk enthusiasts to share their stories and latest creations.

or redistribute their work or any content from this magazine without the written permission from the original owner.

The views and expressions expressed throughout are not necessarily the views of the publisher, but they could be.

Although great lengths are taken to ensure accuracy of the content, mistakes can happen and we assume no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. ©Copyright 2013 SM Productions

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Oct. 25-27 2013 - Bellevue, WA Steamcon.org This year Steamcon takes you on a journey to exotic locales! Meet Peshawar lancers, and Japanese automaton geishas, ride mechanical elephants and hot air balloons, see what steampunk is like on the other side of the globe!

To attend Steamcon V you will need to purchase a Steamcon V membership. A Steamcon V membership will entitle you to attend everything at the convention, the Grand Mercantile, the Art Exhibition, the Airship Regatta, the panels, the talks, the demonstrations, the games rooms, the Friday night card game, the cabaret, the ball and the DJ dances; everything except for the four events that also require a special event ticket. Those events are the Airship Awards Banquet, the Saturday and Sunday Tea Parties and the Saturday Night Concert. These four events require catering or a bit more expense so they charge a small fee to cover those costs so the entire convention doesn’t pay for something they might not all want or get to attend.

Steamcon is one of the largest, and longest running steampunk conventions in the world.

Visit their website to find everything you need to know about Steamcon V.

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Neverwas Haul

Victorian House

Neverwas Haul, a self-propelled 3-story

The Neverwas Haul team designed and built

Victorian House, made from 75% recycled

the Neverwas Haul as a vehicle to explore

equipment and materials, returns with

the Black Rock Desert for the Burning Man

new interiors, engine, and collections from

Festivals in 2006 and 2007. They have also

its travels around the world (i.e., oddities

been featured at Maker’s Faire, Carson City

of the Jules Verne era including a Camera

Admissions Day Parade, and the Handcar

Obscura). The Haul measures 24 feet long

Regatta. All like-minded individuals are

by 24 feet high and 12 feet wide and is built

welcome to participate with them in this on-

on the base of a 5th wheel travel trailer.

going endeavor.

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There are four levels to the Neverwas Haul.

Engine Room: Contains the motor to drive the hydraulic system and the vehicle, a compressor for the horns, and a generator for electrical power. There is room for storage and seating.

Command Deck: Contains a full size ship’s wheel for steering, a deadman switch (for cutting off power to the hydraulics), a hydraulics pressure controller, pull handles for horns, and a ship’s bell. You have a panoramic view of the world around you when you are driving.

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Parlor: This is where our adventurers come to relax. In this room we have: two chairs and a love seat, painted walls to look like wallpaper, dozens of photos and paintings of our travels, a library, a bar, a verandah, and our famous camera obscura, which is similar to a periscope in that you can look up in the small tubular chamber and observe the outside world. There are also stairs to the roof.

Roof: Also known as the “Widow’s walk,” this is the top of the Neverwas Haul. It has a beautiful observation deck.

On some occasions, we have the “iDison” on board. It is a modified Edison cylinder phonograph that has a hidden iPod player and hidden speakers. We play the latest in “Chap-Hop” music: Professor Elemental and Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer. We recently discovered the works of Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester, where he sings modern songs in a classic 1920’s style.

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We need at least two people to drive the Haul. We also require a team of spotters around the vehicle at all times: one on the port and starboard “wings�, a lead spotter walking in front on the ground, a spotter walking port, a spotter walking starboard, and a spotter walking aft. At Burning Man, the chance of random bike riders or unaware yahoos getting run over by the vehicle is very high, so we keep an eye on all sides of the Haul.

Visitors are welcome aboard to take a gander and chit-chat. The Neverwas Haul makes appearances at the annual event called Burning Man. It is one of the few places that such an ungainly vehicle can freely roam about. It is too tall to drive down most streets, although we did it twice: in Carson City, Nevada in 2007, and the Santa Rosa Handcar Regatta in 2008. The Neverwas Haul appeared at Maker Faire in 2007, 2008, 2009.

Hundreds of people lined up for a tour.

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The Neverwas Haul can be found at our home base called Obtainium Works in Vallejo, California, which is an art car factory. Obtainium means found or acquired, and that is what most of the Neverwas Haul and our art vehicles are made of. Please check out our project list here: www.obtainiumworks.net/projects The Neverwas Haul can be rented for weddings, dinners, and other events. For the right price, the Haul can be transported to your location. Please contact us at neverwashaul@gmail.com for further information.

A special thanks to Samuel Coniglio for supplying the content for the wonderful story of the Neverwas Haul.

You can help keep the story going (literally) by attending their fundraiser on October 26th, in Vallejo, California.

Congratulations on your wedding aboard the Neverwas Haul.

Cover Photo By: Trey Ratcliff.

The wedding of Katherine and Samuel Coniglio aboard the Neverwas Haul

www.StuckInCustoms.com Photos By: Samuel Coniglio: www.samsphotography.net Neverwas Haul Crew: www.obtainiumworks.net Neverwas Haul on Facebook: Facebook.

Ken Mochel

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Kathy & Shannon O’Hare

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Steampunk Jewelry

by Lora Sutton

London Particulars founded in 2008, by Lora Sutton, is an Emporium for snapshots of a concurrent London and beguiling Jewelry of a Neo-Victorian persuasion, for Ladies, Vixens and Vamps, Gentlemen, Cads, Roustabouts and of course, Bounders.

According to London Particulars website Lora says...“When I see someone wearing Steampunk Jewelry, it’s like a symbol, as recognizable as the compass and setsquare of the freemasons, the pentagram of the Wiccans or the Ankh of the Goths (and lets not forget Ancient Egyptians!).

In my mind there is so much more to Steampunk Jewelry than cogs and old watch parts glued to rings and pendants, with the repurposing of these components there is an intrinsic appreciation of the skill and artistry of the past.”

Want to see more?

Lora also comments, “Sadly, broken or less collectable

Visit London Particulars

watches were discarded, but with the Steampunk movement

on: Etsy and Facebook. Or

the intricate and beautiful objects of yesteryear have been

visit their website here.

given a new lease of life.”

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How To:

Make a Steampunk Hat

I ran across this absolutely great video on how to make a foam top hat. Right up my alley, simple. Thank you Chris Huebert for sharing, I tip my hat to thee.

This hat is a revision of Chris’s cardboard steampunk top hat, being that the cardboard hat was too uncomfortable to wear for any length of time and fit a very specific head shape.

Chis decided to try foam as the material of choice for this project - light, flexible, water resistant, and cheap. The basic construction is made from a camping or exercise mat, with the overlapping plates being readily available craft foam.

The thing about this construction is that once you have the pattern, it only takes about 10 minutes to cut the three parts and glue them all together to form the basic top hat.

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Dressing Steampunk: How to get started: By: Diana Vick

So you’d like to achieve a steampunk look?

Steampunk or Victorian science fiction is very popular these days. For brevity sake, I’m going to assume if you are exploring this lens that you already know what steampunk is.

I’m going to go over some of the most common ways to dress steampunk and give you links to places you can find resources.

Getting started: What would you wear?

Steampunk dressing can be broken down into a few basic archetypes. One good place to begin is to decide what sort of character you are portraying, in other words: who are you?

Are you an aristocrat, mechanic, aviator, pirate, explorer, or zombie hunter? Many of these archetypes do overlap, but it gives you a basis for your outfit. Think of what it would make the most sense to wear. If you are a mechanic, maybe a skirt would be silly. Would your character really wear goggles? Let’s face it, they have become cliche in steampunk.

But a cliche comes about because it is recognizable and iconic. So, if they make sense, why not wear goggles.

Steampunk Archetypes

Here are a few of the most common archetypes, but by no means all of them. Most of these can be combined to make a completely unique look. Experiment. (continued on next page)

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Dressing Steampunk: Adventurer: Think Rick O’Connell, but Victorian.

Utilitarian clothes, shirt with sleeves rolled up, jodhpurs, khaki clothes, suspenders, rugged but sensible boots, belt full of gear, side arm, compass.

Aristocratic: Often the patron or patroness of an adventure. High class, rich colors, rich materials, usually clean, well accessorized, stylish, perhaps more prim.

Fabulous hats, gloves, parasols for the ladies.

Aviator: Goggles (again a good excuse), flight helmet, leather gloves, insignia (the more creative the better!), shoulder boards, belt with side arm, any other weaponry or gear, military style jackets, boots!

This adventurous choice has many different

Dandy (male) : Very stylish clothing, well tailored and flattering. A suit, perhaps a formal tux and tails depending on the event. Well chosen accessories. Rakishly worn hats. gloves.

possible options. As the Captain of an airship, you can go uber-military or more independent and casual. You can be a

Explorer: Pith helmet (cliche, but so cool!), goggles (sure), khaki colored clothing, compass, gear, weaponry.

scruffy sky pirate wearing the scrounged medals of your various heists.

Femme Fatale (female): Form fitting clothing, perhaps

Pictured is Diana in one of her aviatrix outfits. She

exposing decolletage or a scandalous amount of leg. Lace,

found the flight helmet

silk, velvet, feathers. Rich colors, red or rich burgundy.

at an Army Navy surplus

Granny boots (preferably without a zipper)

store, and goggles were

Hunter/Fighter: Almost anything goes here as long as you

and insignia were added

in a costume shop. Pins

are properly equipped for what you are hunting. A western look is most apropos here, especially with a modified rifle.

A monster hunter carrying strange arcane weapons. Rarely

to the shirt and a plastic squirt gun as a side arm to complete the look.

clean, lots of leather, lots of weapons. (continued...)

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Lolita (female): Little girl or porcelain doll look. Lots of lace, shortish skirts, cap or ribbons, gloves, boots.

Military: Uniforms are wonderful. Here you can be quite creative. So many different countries have come up with distinctive looks that you can use as springboards. Design medals. Epaulets are wonderful details. Piping. Caps, or helmets. Gloves. Tall Boots.

Mechanic/scientist: Goggles (a good excuse to wear them because you would), work gloves, usually very dirty, practical clothing (so pants would be appropriate for girls), About The Author Diana Vick

She is an illustrator, writer, costumer and steampunk enthusiast, who is currently vice chair and art director of Steamcon V, a steampunk convention occurring

tool belts, tools, weaponry, and inventions. Mustn’t forget the inventions!

Places you can find some basic essentials Chances are you want to get going right away. If you can sew, there are some great patterns out there in the main stream, but I don’t sew, therefore I’m going to point you at a few websites where you can procure your garments posthaste.

October 25th - 27th 2013 in

Gentlemans Emporium

Bellevue WA.

A great resource for you aristocratic men out there. You can find shirts, vest, hats and more here.

Diana has done illustration for comic books, animation and collectible card games such as Magic the Gathering and Legend of the Five Rings.

Currently, she is doing art for her own line of cards and gifts in her Zazzle shop.

Visit Diana’s Website...

www.dianavick.com

Recollections This is a wonderful place for the women to find fabulous dresses, blouses and accessories.

Wild West Mercantile Both men and women should check this one out. Despite the name, you can get much more than just western apparel here. They carry many basic shirts, vests, skirts, hats and more. The “granny” boots without a side zipper that are so hard to find can be acquired here.

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Steampunk Apparel

Steamtropolis is located in Historic Pioneer

proven difficult. More selections of footwear

Square, Seattle, Washington. The owner has

for Ladies as well as Gentlemen in the near

a passion for designing and constructing

future.

Lolita, Victorian, Edwardian, Punkrock and, well, Steampunk apparel. Adores shoes

Steamtropolis also fabricates burlesque

and boots, a lot and decided to marry them

costumes, vintage dresses from the fifties

together, hence Steamtropolis! Okay, I want

and punk rock prom dresses.

a pair! Don’t you?

If you want to have a behind the scenes The owner has been sewing for over 20

peek, updates and access to coupon codes,

years as a hobby but now sews designs full

please visit their Facebook fan page under

time. Plus, they can offer shoes to match

the name Steamtropolis. Visit their website

the theme being designed which has always

for a full catalog at steamtropolis.com

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Goggles Here

from On the Wings of Steam Steampunk and Sci-Fi Fantasy Goggles are handmade by On the Wings of Steam. Whether your looking for Adventure or Steampunk or just plain Fun, we have a little of everything.

Also for all you Burning Man fans out there, we understand that you can never have to many pairs of goggles. We also sell Compass’s, Pocket Watches, Clockwork Necklace’s and a few other odds and ends. Every Air-pirate, Explorer, and Adventurer needs a pair of fashionable eyewear that doubles in providing adequate eye protection.

Our goggles are hand-made with attention to detail each step of the way. The base sockets are connected in the middle with a real leather strap. The ~nylon~ band that goes behind the head has two adjusters, making for a perfect fit, regardless of proportions.

Find more on their Etsy shop: On the Wings of Steam

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Steampunk Clothing Gentleman’s Emporium, a place for a variety of apparel. They specialize in authentic 19th century men’s fashion and furnishings.

Gentleman’s Emporium carries traditional, timeless styles which are historically authentic, but at home in a modern gentleman’s wardrobe. Our line includes frock coats, victorian and western shirts, victorian waistcoats, trousers, top hats and bowlers, walking sticks, and other necessities. Ladies clothing and accessories are also available.

You can be assured of authentic clothing, affordable prices, and genuine customer service.

Alexander Parrish

Toby Greenwell

J. T. Farnsworth

Medical Doctor

Newsboy

Banking Tycoon

Visit their website for more clothing: www.gentlemansemporium.com

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Steampunk Cupcakes

by Darla at Bakingdom.com You will need: Your favorite chocolate cake mix Your favorite chocolate icing Cupcake liners Tootsie Rolls Confectioners Sugar Luster Dust - Silver, Copper & Gold Clear extract - Vanilla Toothpick

What a wonderful, yummy idea from Bakingdom.com, I ran across and really wanted to include them in this issue so you could enjoy. Darla starts off by talking about an idea to use Tootsie Roll Modeling Chocolate on Steampunk Cupcakes. Enjoy! _______________ Besides fondant, there is modeling chocolate. I’ve never worked with modeling chocolate, although I have a recipe for making my own, and obviously, it would be more limited than fondant, as it’s already brown, so coloring it is basically out the window. But it can be painted with food coloring and luster dust, so I thought it’d be a good jumping off point to finding fondant alternatives. Whenever I thought of it, my mind kept going to candy.

I thought that there might be a fun option, that’s readily available and easy to use: like tootsie rolls.

I kept things relatively simple with just an adorable top hat and goggles, accented with little golden gears. Is it wrong of me to say that I freaking love how they turned out?!

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Seriously, I just think they’re so cute! Plus, they were shockingly fast, once I figured out just what I wanted to do! By the way, those perfectly steampunked cupcake cups came from Bake It Pretty! I was a little worried at first that they would be too tough to get the cupcakes out of, but they peeled away beautifully (and in one piece)! As for the cupcakes themselves, as well as the frosting, I just made my favorite chocolate cupcake.

Anyway, back to our tootsie roll “modeling chocolate,” these were really easy to work with, and came ready to be shaped! Be sure the Tootsie Rolls are room temperature. I don’t recommend microwaving them, as they melt pretty easily, but simply rolling one between your warm hands is enough to soften them to a workable state.

For my steampunk top hats, I rolled a tootsie roll into a ball (be sure to have confectioners’ sugar on hand to prevent sticking), then lengthened it into a top heavy column shape. To flatten the top and bottom, I just stood the “column” on end and pressed it gently into the countertop with a flat object.

Personally, I like my top hats a little wonky, so I flattened them at an angle, but you could certainly do something a little more traditional. Next, I rolled half of a tootsie roll into a little ball and flattened it completely. This made my hat’s brim. I used a tiny bit of water to stick the 2 pieces together, then I curved the sides of the brim up to give the hat a little more character, but these weren’t done just yet.

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What’s a Steampunk top hat without goggles? I used the other half of the tootsie roll from the brim to roll out a little rope, then I pressed the rounded end of a modeling tool in to make the “eyes.”

You could use a clean pencil eraser or other similar object to achieve the same effect. Next I made two tiny little balls, which I flattened slightly, to press into the eye sockets. Finally, I finished them off with a little luster dust. I used silver for the “lenses” of the goggles, and copper for the straps.

If you’ve never used luster dust, it’s very, very easy. Just add a small amount of clear extract (I used clear vanilla) to a tiny but of dust, and paint away! I added some little seams and “stitches” around the hat. I just used a toothpick to gently draw the seams in, then pressed it into the hat along the seam to create the stitches.

For the gears, I just followed the same steps as I did for making the hat brim, except I cut little squares out of the edges to give it the gear shape, and little triangles out of the centers to lighten them up a bit and make them a little more realistic. Finally, I painted them with gold luster dust.

If you come up with your own design please share them with us or Darla at Bakingdom.com Pictures and directions provided by Bakingdom.com

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what are arthrobots?

Arthrobots are unique and individual arthropod sculptures created by Tom Hardwidge. A combination of robots and arthropods. Each Arthrobot starts its life as a series of sketches, some take their inspiration from nature, others from bits and pieces of metal and beads which form an unusual structure or fit together in an interesting way. After they have been planned out (very roughly) they start to take shape.

After they have been finished, each sculpture is named based on its natural counterpart (a grasshopper or dragonfly for example) and any unusual or unique features it has developed during the sculpting process (long legs or a steam valve on its back).

Arthrobots are NOT toys.

They may have sharp, pointy bits and are not suitable for young children. Although some parts (wings and legs) are movable on some sculptures, they are fragile and are only intended for ornamental purposes.

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Visit Tom’s website for more www.arthrobots.com

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Steampunk Cake

By Elizabeth Marek Owner of Artisan Cake Company

Oh My! What a WONDERFUL creation by the talented Elizabeth Marek, owner of Artisan Cake Company. It is a Steampunk cake made for a 30th birthday party. All elements are made from cake, fondant, chocolate and buttercream. The flavors are vanilla cake with mocha frosting. The special effects are dry ice for the “steam” and LED lights around the city. The cake took 4 days and 3 people to make. WOW! Incredible.

“Featured in Portland Bride and Groom Magazine Winter/Spring Issue 2012” “2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Wedding Wire People’s Choice Award”

In case you have not heard of The Artisan Cake Company yet.... Artisan Cake Company is a licensed home based bakery serving the Portland/Hillsboro/Beaverton area.

“Grand Prize Winner of the 2012 Threadcakes National Contest”

They specialize in unique wedding cakes and one of a kind special occasion cakes. All of their cakes are made from scratch including their delicious marshmallow fondant.

Elizabeth grew up drawing and making things with her hands. In January of 2008, Elizabeth was watching one of her favorite cake shows with her husband and casually said “I wish I had a fun job making cakes all day” and her husband replied “why don’t you then?” That simple sentence planted the seed in Elizabeth’s brain and soon after she began making cakes for friends and families events. Shorty after, she sold her first cake.

Elizabeth studied Pastry Arts at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon. She studied under french pastry chef, Robert Parks and graduated at the top of her class. In 2009, Elizabeth officially founded Artisan Cake

Artisan Cake Company ph: 503 895 1449 www.artisancakecompany.com

Company.

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“The Survivor” a short story by M.B. Weston Check out M.B. Weston’s Steampunk Short Story in Dreams of Steam 3: Gadgets!

M.B. Weston’s first steampunk short story, “The Survivor,” has officially been published in the Dreams of Steam: Gadgets steampunk anthology.

“The Survivor” tells the story of Angelica Blackmore, the lone survivor of the HMS Phoenix, Great Britain’s first airship attempt that ended in disaster.

You can find the book here.

Dreams of Steam 3: Gadgets – Hardcover Dreams of Steam 3: Gadgets – Trade Paperback Dreams of Steam 3: Gadgets – Kindle “The Survivor” preview: Angelica’s head throbbed. A scorching breeze laced with smoky fumes—far too hot for an autumn evening in England—rushed across her face. She lay on her back against the ground with the corner of a sharp rock poking at her temple. With each heartbeat, intense pressure burst across the left side of her head. Such pain felt foreign; Angelica rarely experienced headaches.

An explosion thundered in the distance and caused the ground underneath Angelica to vibrate. Several yards away, women, children, and even men shrieked with terror.

Wake up, Angelica ordered herself.

She blinked, trying to open her eyes. Once she fully lifted her eyelids, Angelica saw only swirling smoke that blocked out the half-moon’s light. (continued on the next page...)

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My circumstances have not improved, she thought. She was lying in an unknown field, barely able to see the ground beneath her feet. Fortunately, but not surprisingly, the throbbing across her temples began to subside. The headache would disappear in a few minutes.

Those near her, hidden in the smoke, continued to wail. Their haunting cries resounded on all sides. Angelica ignored them. Her mission required all of her focus.

Another gale brought yet another gust of heat, intensifying the suffocation she already felt beneath the layers of fabric in her dress, bustle, corset, camisole, and drawers. She pushed herself onto her arms and attempted to stand up. Her corset fought against her. “My underthings will be the death of me,� she mumbled. Unlike other ladies, Angelica loathed the confinement of such finery. She possessed a far different set of talents than others of her gender, and all required freedom of movement.

Angelica rolled onto her stomach. She pushed herself to her knees and stood up. She spent a few moments brushing off her dress and making sure it hung correctly. Once satisfied, Angelica reached to the top of her head to adjust her hat. She felt only air and loose strands of hair. It must have blown away during her fall. Angelica huffed with frustration. She prized that midnight-blue bonnet with its black trim and peacock feathers. Finding another like it would take time.

Another blast rumbled through the field.

Focus, Angelica reminded herself. She had only completed half her mission. Forget the hat.

Her eyes stung and started to water from exposure to the dense smoke. She squinted as she grasped her purse. Inside, she found a pair of goggles, which she pulled over her head.

No one considered goggles appropriate attire for a respectable British lady, but Angelica never claimed to be one of those. Besides, she reasoned, wearing the goggles compensates for having to wear a corset.

The goggles may have protected Angelica’s eyes from the smoke, but they did little to help her see through it. She knelt to the ground, feeling for the one item she required to complete her assignment. (continued...)

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Angelica’s fingers grazed pebbles, shoots of grass, and an occasional sharp rock. She continued her search until she found a smooth, leather box. She pulled it close and beamed at the sight of the ivory-handled briefcase. She grasped the handle and stood up.

M.B. Webston Bio: M. B. Weston is an awardwinning fantasy, young adult, steampunk, and paranormal

“How much time do I have?” she muttered to herself.

Angelica glanced at the small silver watch that hung around her neck. It was two fifteen. She needed to

author. The Elysian Chronicles,

rendezvous with the carriage no later than four o’clock that

her fantasy series about

morning in order to meet Alistair in London at seven.

guardian angel warfare and treason, has been referred to as “…filling a big part of the void that will be left by the final Harry Potter,” by awardwinning author, Vincent O’Neil.

Weston’s writing attracts both fantasy and non-fantasy readers, and her audience ranges from upper-elementary students to adults. Weston’s

“What are my bearings?” she whispered.

Angelica turned the watch over and opened the back, revealing a small compass. She turned south. Then she sighed, closed the compass, and let the watch fall to her chest.

No point in knowing where south is if I don’t know where I am to begin with, she thought. She hoped to find a point of

first paranormal thriller,

reference with more promise than random stones lying on

Unleashed (working title), is

the ground.

slated for release in Summer 2014. Also in Winter 2013, two of her short stories will be featured in both a paranormal and a Steam Punk anthology.

Weston is also a radio talk show host for The Final Cut in Movies, which airs on tmvcafe.com.

For more information on M. B. Weston, visit

www.mbweston.com

Slowly, the smoke thinned, and the soft glimmer of light beckoned to the east. Angelica began hiking toward the glow. The heels on her boots sank into the ground as she walked, adding to her sweaty, fabric-and-corset-lined misery.

It’s silent, she realized. The screaming and moaning had stopped. Even the normal nocturnal animals, such as crickets and owls, made no peep. …To be continued in “The Survivor.”

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Steampowered Factory Wow! Have you seen Igor Rashkuev’s work yet? A very talented freelance CG artist from Russia. Igor states that “This work started as a concept art for a game. At first I wanted to draw good old 2D art in photoshop, even started scribbling something, but then decided to try making concept art right away in 3D. So I switched to 3ds Max. It went quite well, so I decided to make full artwork with environment.”

Check out Igor’s (Oxeren) website where it tells about the creation process and shows various stages of creating the Steampowered Factory. Created in 3ds Max, V-ray, and Photoshop. Visit the website here.

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