Interview and Giveaway with Professor Raven!

As today's Artist Spotlight I thought we would feature an amazing voice for the Steampunk genre. Meet Emily, a.k.a Professor Raven! I always get the most interesting Steampunk tweets, posts and features from this chick! Not only does she REALLY know her Steampunk, but she is also a very creative artist and jewelry creator on Etsy!

Welcome the blog! Tell me a little bit about yourself.  I'm Emily, or Professor Raven. I am an Air Force Vet, IT professional by day and steampunk/mom by night. I've lived all over the Western US, until the AF thought I needed to be in the SE, but that's where I met my wonderful husband and had our two rotten Apprentices. Guess we're here for a bit...

Dang girlfriend...that's pretty sweet. So what with traveling all over the place, where and what was your first experience with Steampunk? I honestly don't remember! It's been a few years since I really became enamored with the genre, but it's creativitiy and versatility are what keep me coming back. Well, that and the brass!

True dat...I don't think you can find any fans more creative and slightly eccentric than Steampunk fans...so do you live the Steampunk lifestyle or participate in other aspects of the genre?  So far, I've delved as deeply as I can given my limited time. Besides helping to craft the genre by way of my wares, I read steampunk books, blog, talk to authors and the movers/shakers of this community. I will be vending at S.T.E.A.M.Fest Atlanta this April (squeeeeee) and am currently working with Matt Delman and the staff of Doctor Fantastique's World of Wonders. Very excited!

Wow that's awesome! I'm going to the World Steam Expo in May and am practically passing out just thinking about it! And Doctor Fantastique's is amazing! Definitely a go-to website for all things Steampunk! So what do you think of the genre...as in, do you think Steampunk is here to stay or will fade away with time? Steampunk is definitely here to stay. Sooner or later, popular opinion will move onto the next big thing, and what's left will be the true enthusiasts, folks like Abernathy Park, Airship Embassy, Michael Vaillancourt, Daylina Miller, Doctor Fantastique, Cherie Priest, Clockwork Couture, among many others, will ensure that the steampunk world never fades into the dust of obscurity!

Agreed! I feel like it's slowly gaining steam...(sorry...I couldn't help the puns...) and getting fans. Even Justin Bieber...though I was not a fan of his Steampunk "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" video...bleh...anyway's, let's talk a little bit about your Etsy shop. What kind of things do you make and what materials do you use most often? Most often I use "repurposed" vintage costume jewelry, used clothing, and vintage machinery as much as I can. What I can't find, I make molds so that I can reproduce it later!

Fantastic! I just love trolling garage sales and thrift shops looking for cool vintage pieces to "upcycle". What (other than the obvious) makes your work "Steampunk"? Other than the obvious, of course, is a feel of creating new from old, making do with what you have, taking an older or nonfunctioning item and giving it new life as something else.


That's definitely a huge theme in Steampunk. I love how your work encompasses more than just the aesthetic factors of the genre...:) love it! So how long does it usually take to make a piece? Depends entirely on how intricate it is. If it's made of handcast resin pieces, anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days. But I have a really comfy workspace, with my heating pad, coffee, my dogs, and either Adult Swim or Netflix!

Ha...Time flies when watching Family Guy lol . What's the best story you have about your work (an interesting client, some crazy-impossible piece that you finally finished, etc)? I can't think of any! The town I live in is so tight, they refuse to accept anything that hasn't happened there... I've lost count of the times I've had to try to explain "steampunk" when someone asks what I do!

Feel free to send em' my way! The whole reason I thought up Let's Get Steamy was to introduce the genre to people who just stare at you and scratch their heads when you say things like "dirigibles and aether". Is there anything else you want to talk about before you have to run? All of my pieces are original, and most of them are my ideas. But some of the best ideas have come from my six-year-old son! He's just as enthusiastic as I am, more creative, and not bound by what things are supposed to be like! Look for steampunk artwork of his coming to the shop soon!

Awweeee! Isn't he a cutie pants! I look forward to seeing what the two of them come up with!  I will definitely continue stalking them both so I can get a heads up about the new events and happenings in the world of Steampunk and all of you followers should as well!So that was Professor Raven everyone! She is offering up a super cute Octopus/Nautilus Brooch :) It's totally adorable and a definite conversation piece for any avid Steampunker! To enter just fill out the Rafflecopter below! Check it out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is part of Let's Get Steamy. Commenting on it will give you an entry into the Let's Get Steamy Grand Prize Giveaway which will include more of Emily's amazing work...One of my favorite pieces actually so you should check back in tomorrow for a GPG update!

Artist Spotlight: Marelle from Hopscotch Couture!

For the second Artist spotlight, we're going couture! Steampunk Couture to be exact! Introducing Marelle from Hopscotch Couture on Etsy! She's flirty, she's fashionable, she's absolutely fabulous and I am so pleased to be featuring her and all that she creates here on the blog. Marelle has done custom work for several celebrities and has been featured in Style magazine, Vogue for the People/U-Closet, Talk of the Town, Allure Gallery, Weekender, Bergen Performing Arts Center, Janice Charach Gallery, Kirby Center of Performing Arts, and The Forwardian magazine, just to name a few. She will be talking about her line, her work, and the fabulous life of a Steampunk Couture creator in general! Welcome to Andra's Marelle! 

Hi everyone! Ok, so here we go....My name is Marelle, in French it means hopscotch, hence Hopscotch Couture, the name of my shop on Etsy.  My line is also referred to as La Marelle Couture.  Born in the wrong era, I have always been drawn to vintage and especially Victorian things.  As a child not only did I paint and create things but I also loved to sit at my father's work bench and take things apart, (clocks, radios, what ever he would let me dismantle).  

 My art has evolved over the years but the style has always been described as Vintage/Modern.  I love giving modern style and couture flare to previously loved items.  I will use any interesting vintage item that catches my eye.  You could say I have been making steampunk items long before I ever heard of the term.  I would say I do live the lifestyle in a feminine steampunk way, from my wardrobe to my decor.  I love it and I know it is not a trend it is a style that will continue to evolve as the years go by.   I like to say my work is true Steampunk, meaning every piece that goes into my accessory line is made from genuine vintage materials, not made to look old, but, is in fact the real McCoy.  

 I live in the North East and over the years have formed some wonderful connections to get my supplies from.  My favorite item to use at this time are what I call legs or feet.  I find them on old silverware trays, jewelry boxes and I even broke some off of a very old cappuccino machine, fabulous gams.   The craziest piece I have yet to finish, is a purse that actually walks on her fabulous vintage gams, (legs).  As soon as I have completed this piece I will be taking my gal, on a leash, shopping all around Time Square.   In case your wondering, yes I am serious.  Think Beauty and the Beast when the furniture and items came alive and you get the idea behind my gal. She is large, brass and bold and definitely not for sale.  No this gal is all mine and going to stay with my personal collection. All my purses are given names and numbers, this one will have a very special name and number, that is for sure.  When the day come, this Spring, I will post my shopping NYC stroll on U-Tube and show off my gal and her fabulous gams with great pride.


Omigod! That sounds absolutely amazing! Kind of science-fictiony...but totally sweet! How many of us would love it if our purses could walk around behind us instead of us having to lug them everywhere! lol. I will definitely be waiting to see what your girl looks like! Too bad she won't be for sale because I'm positive that people would just eat them up! What do you guys think? Would you want Beauty and the Beast-style handbags following you around carrying your cell phone, lipgloss, etc? lol! Marelle also has started to create Steampunk Bridal-wear. They are absolutely gorgeous and whimsical pieces that are sure to be talked about for years to come. Check them out in slide-show form here.

Marelle has generously donated over THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of her jewelry to give away on the blog...Crazy right??!? But I'm not going to argue with her because these pieces are truly unique, creative, and nothing at ALL like you will find anywhere else. One piece will be going towards the Grand Prize Giveaway...I won't tell you now what it is, but I will give you a hint...it is a necklace, it has gold and jewels on it, and it's probably one of the most creative Steampunk necklaces I've seen. All of Marelle's pieces are unique and original, but this one takes the cake. But enough about that...you guys want to know what is up for grabs today right? Right...take a look!

Amazing right? Vintage jewelry hardware and gold lace combine to make one large kick ass steampunk work of art. The perfect piece to complete any Airship Pirate Captain's outfit, create the best Zena Warrior Princess look, or to accessorize your Victorian Socialite so that they will be the talk of the town wherever they go. But you know the best part about this piece? It has a secret compartment! That's right! A freaking secret compartment. Fans of Steampunk will appreciate the gadgety nature of this amazing contraption. Able to hold any amount of things from makeup to small automatons, this is an absolutely amazing expression of the Steampunk genre. Worth over 100$, this might be the chance of a lifetime for those of us not able to spend tons of money on our hobbies. If you are going to start collecting or costuming you definitely MUST have a piece like this. I'll show you a close-up of the "secret-compartment" part...it is the royal crest and definitely stands out. 

SO! Do you want to start your Steampunk collection with a HUGE bang/Conversation piece? Well just enter in the rafflecopter below and you can gain your chance to win! You can come back and tweet once a day fro the duration of Let's Get Steamy for additional entries. Also remember, for every comment left on the blog during Let's Get Steamy, you gain an entry into the Grand Prize Giveaway which includes a mystery necklace from Marelle's line also worth over 100$. 

a Rafflecopter giveawayThanks for checking out Marelle and the blog today! Remember there is also a giveaway of a custom made Steampunk Hat from Ester at Once Upon A Bustle going on. You could get all the accessories you need to create your very own Steam persona! Or at least a very cool Halloween costume! Good Luck! P.S. Commenting on this post counts towards the Grand Prize Giveaway for Let's Get Steamy!

Artist Interview: Esther from Once Upon a Bustle!

Hey you guys!
Today is the first of my Artist Spotlights! I have found a few absolutely fantastic artists/jewelers/costume designers from around the web who all specialize in Steampunk fashion and accessories! I figured I would get an insiders perspective of these artists...what makes them tick so to speak, and what got them involved in Steampunk in the first place!

So I am so excited to introduce you to Esther! She runs the site Once Upon a Bustle on Etsy. She is also an amazing artist/creator/designer/what-have-you of all things steampunk fashion! I am absolutely floored by how awesome her work is. I have her here on the blog today talking about her pieces, her life, and the power of steampunk! If you guys are lucky (and you stick around until tomorrow) you will be able to win a CUSTOM MADE hat of her personal design!

Hi Esther! Thanks so much for coming on the blog today! I am in total awe of your amazing ability to create amazing Steampunk pieces! I've seen your work, but now I wanna know a little about the woman behind the needle and thread! Tell me a little bit about yourself.

My name is Esther Skandunas and I am a Theatrical Costume Designer.  By day I am a Costume Shop Manager/Technician for one of the Community Colleges here in San Diego, CA.  At night, I create custom handmade items for my Etsy shop “OnceUponABustle”.  I began my professional career at the age of 17 by getting hired at the San Diego Old Globe Theatre as a seamstress…about two weeks after graduating high school!  Prior to landing my first real job, I had been creating and sewing for the majority of my childhood. 

My mother taught me how to use the sewing machine when I was around 5 years old.  I can remember rummaging through all of her scraps of fabrics and trims.  I would pick out these little pieces of fabric and to my best ability, I would make little outfits for my Barbie dolls.  Most of those little outfits looked like squares with little holes for my dolls arms, and trimmed with lots of little lace scraps…but in my mind when I would make those little scrap clothes, those little squares turned into the most beautiful ball gowns, and the most fashionable items that my Barbie’s would ever get to wear  :o)

As I grew, my interest in clothing grew as well.  I remember that all I could think about was clothes.  In Junior high I began learning how to make clothes for myself.  My mother and I would head to the fabric store and pick out some patterns and fabric…the first clothing item I made for myself was a pair of shorts made out of Holly Hobby fabric….I wore those shorts all of the time!!

In high school I began making nearly all of my clothes.  I was fortunate then because my high school offered classes in fashion design and production through a Regional Occupational Program (R.O.P.).  I was in that classroom during every free moment I had.  I even took the class during the summer….I just couldn’t get enough.  There were days when I would get home from high school and I would immediately get back on the sewing machine at home and sew until midnight….creating my outfit for the next day of school  :o)

I believe that sewing and creating is in my blood….possibly literally.  My great grandmother’s mother was a seamstress in the late 1800s.  It has been told to me that she made clothing for all of her children as well as for people outside of the family.  She in turn taught my great grandmother, who in turn taught my grandmother, then my mother….and now…here I am!!!  I actually have my great grandmother’s sewing machine, it is my most prized possession :o)

Wow! You have already done so much at such a young age! And I love that it's something that you can trace back. It kind of makes it...I don't know...Fate or something :) So how did you come across the quirky and odd genre of Steampunk? What was your first experience with it?

Hmm…that is a tough question.  I love history so much, and I especially LOVE the 1800s and the industrial revolution.  The inventions, thoughts, the handcrafted items and the quality and details of those items are so inspiring.  I am so in awe of that era….that diving into Steampunk was just the next natural step.  My first true experience with the world of Steampunk was a few years ago.  The college that I work for decided to put a Steampunk spin on the William Shakespeare’s play, “The Tempest”.  That was the moment when I realized that this was it!!  This is what I had been looking for.  I needed Steampunk!!

Do you live the Steampunk lifestyle or participate in other aspects of the genre? (books, movies, etc?)

This is not an easy answer…My every thought has to do with Steampunk.  All of my creations revolve around Steampunk and the Victorian Era….but yet if you were to see me walking on the street on an average day, you wouldn’t see a person that you would think “oh….wow, that person is so Steampunk!”  I look like an average person.  I probably look like someone that would not have a clue as to what Steampunk is …gosh…I hope that isn’t bad!  I do, however, have my moments of obvious Steampunk-ism.  I attend Steampunk events where I am completely punked out.  I also am a Victorian reenactor to where I attend events in full Victorian Bustle dresses that I make for myself.  My husband and his parents even get involved in these events.

Ha! I feel the same way! I feel like people seeing me walk down the street would think I'm a dumb blonde/sorority girl type...little do they know I am obsessed with all things clockwork! Not to mention paranormal or anything mixing Steam and Supernatural! Let's just say people like us defy all known stereotypes and social boxes :) So...do you think Steampunk is here to stay or will fade away with time?

Steampunk has been around for so long...  I honestly do not think that it will fade with time.  I think that it will actually get stronger.  Sure, it may fade from what is thought of as the current trend in the general public’s point of view, but I honestly believe that the people that truly love, think and create Steampunk will never fade.

Agreed. It's so different from so much out there that I feel like people just have to love the originality and creativity of it all! And speaking of creative...I want to know all about your work! Tell me a little bit about what you make...you know...what materials do you use in your jewelry, clothing, etc?

The clothing that I create, I try to use fabrics and prints that are replicas of the Victorian Era.  The majority of my clothing items are finished with real antique buttons or buckles from the 1800s-1930s.  My accessories are created using new and antique metal components, trims, buttons, etc…

What (other than the obvious) makes your work "Steampunk"?

All of my items are one of a kind creations.  I believe in the art of hand crafting.  I believe in thinking about every little detail, every stitch, and every component to a piece.  These are qualities that are not looked at anymore in our mass produced world of today.  So though most of my creations may be obviously Steampunk to anyone that looks at them …it is the process that is not seen…the internal process that goes in to each of my items…that is where the true Steampunk aspect is. 

How long does it usually take to make a piece?

I honestly can’t answer this question.  Since each item I create is one of a kind, the time to create a piece varies from one item to the next.

That's legit...I guess there's a wide variety between all that you do. You do clothing, jewelery, hats...I honestly can't get over the fact that you've made such wonderful things! So tell me...what's the best story you have about your work (an interesting client, some crazy-impossible piece that you finally finished, etc)?

My Etsy shop has only been open for almost 2 years now.  During this time I created some very interesting costumes for some very interesting and exciting projects and clients.  I created a costume for The Bloody Best Project…it was a Jack the Ripper costume which was worn by Kane Hodder.  I also created a vest for the Hollywood Wax Museum.  Most recently I created a Victorian Warlock costume for an Independent film.  Some of my women’s mini Victorian hats have been in photo a few photo shoots, and even worn by some people in the entertainment industry.  I have had such an exciting beginning, and I honestly can’t wait to see what opportunities the future has in store for me  :o)

That is so exciting! I can't wait to see what more you can come up with and believe me, you will have an order from me in the near future. I'm attending the World Steam Expo in Dearborn in May and you are absolutely fantastic! Thanks again for coming on the blog! 

So everyone! Once again that was the amazing Esther! Do you see all the fantasm that she has created? How can you not want to win something custom made by a creative genius like her??? Well stop back tomorrow and you will be able to find out what amazement she will be making just for you! Thanks for stopping by and make sure to check out the rest of the Let's Get Steamy posts this week!