Dirigible Baby Mobile

So yeah. We have a sixth person living at our house these days.

My parents visited us after Rory was born and after spending two weeks here with us they decided, it's official--we need a bigger house. Actually their visit here was very pleasant. They managed the tight space here extraordinarily well, I think it probably helped that they were coming from spending the last nine months in a small apartment in China! But still, with four little boys, we're pushed to the seams of this little house.

Luckily thus far, the baby doesn't take up too much room. We've got his little cradle in the master bedroom with us. Of course that meant we had to deck it out (baby style) to go in the steampunk bedroom.

So I made him a little airship and hot air balloon baby mobile! 
 

We first saw this idea on Epbot and actually bought ornaments way back on clearance two Christmastime's ago.  At that point we thought we might put them in the attic toy loft, but that never happened, and then we had a baby and he needed a dirigible baby mobile.   

Jeremy had the idea to make little stuff n' fluff clouds.  I think they make it that much better.  It's so adorable it makes be smile every time I see it. 

My mother is horrified that I have Christmas ornaments hanging over the baby's head, but really--where's her sense of adventure?!

I hope Rory likes steampunk too, because Daddy's got some Halloween costume ideas that involve carrying a baby.  Yes I'm serious--you'll just have to wait and see:-)

Wooden Wall Map (pt 1)

Jeremy and I loved these wooden wall maps I found on Pinterest.

Found here.

Found here.   Jeremy says he likes how they look like they were up on the wall of a captain's cabin or something.

We had an old map printed up, and attached it with spray adhesive to our three boards.

Jeremy sliced the map with an xacto knife (as we did some deep breathing!) and then we commenced with distressing. 

More progress coming later.

Gypsy Lanterns

 The newest addition to our steampunk bedroom makeover is a number of glass lanterns.  I had seen these lanterns at Pier 1 and thought they looked like like great lanterns that should be hanging from a gypsy wagon. 

We went pack to pick some out when it was Mothers' Day so they were all on sale--so I got them all. . .

They look awesome with the lights out. 

I have a number of more things that we've put up recently.  I think we're winding down on the extent of the steampunking we plan on doing to our room at this point. 

I've got a new camera on the way in the mail.  (Money I was given for Christmas and one of the designated uses for our tax-return this year.)  So some time soon when the last touches are put together, I'll be posting pictures of the room as a whole.   

Pinterest Project Steampunk Edition

This Steampunk bedroom accessory came from and idea I saw on Pinterest.  Just roll out clay.  Press a lace doily in it, cut out a circle and lay it in a bowl to dry in a bowl shape. 

 I knew that with the Sherlock Holmes movie bit about "Achk! Lace doilies!"  in Watson's future home (and Jeremy's own misgivings about my lace pillows) that I had to do this project. 

I used the leftover clay from the bird clock and painted it gold. 

It makes a nice little catch-all bowl for a side table, but I haven't decided if it should be for Jeremy or me. . . thanks again Pinterest

Old and New Steampunk

I finished some projects for Jeremy's dresser. Some things old and some things new.

We decided to refinish my grandmother's telephone. I've always thought we might do this.  We spray painted it with a metallic hammered metallic finish paint.I like the look of it right now, but I don't know if it is "finished" yet.

I wanted to make Jeremy a hat stand of some sort to display his bowler hat.  So I bought this styrofoam head--it's really kind of weird.  I wanted to spray paint it, but aerosol eats styrofoam.  Luckily Jeremy knew a trick that if you coat the whole thing in mod podge it will seal the foam and you can paint it.  I did a good couple of coats, but still had a few areas that melted a bit.

This is the underside that I didn't coat and you can see how the paint that seeped under ate away the foam. 

Then I put it on a decorative board, decked it in some goggles, and perched the bowler on top. 

The hat stand and telephone are sitting on Jeremy's dresser, next to the bird automaton clock. 

I like that most of these accessories that we are putting in our steampunk bedroom are functional.  It's a bedroom--not a museum.  Yes, we will be hanging art on the walls and there can be some purely decorative elements, but it also needs to be functional and livable, and I think we are finding that balance.

Steampunk Bedroom Week

I hit a point this week where a lot of things have come together in our Steampunk bedroom makeover. (I feel like I need a graphic for this SBM! But I'm too busy on the makeover to make a snazzy graphic for it.)

We completed the faux headboard. I used a 4x6 piece of foam-core and Mod-Podged on torn pieces of craft paper.

It gives a really fun textured finish.  The tutorial I saw this on a long time ago called it a faux leather look.  I don't know if it looks like leather, but it looks really visually interesting and gives it depth, which we needed for this project since it is actually flat. 

You can see we just nailed it to the wall.  It got pretty warped from the Mod Podge, so nailing was a good option.  I'd thought of doing a border of brass tacks around the edge, but seeing it now, I'm not sure how well that would actually turn out. 

The quilt is still in progress, but we will definitely need pillows for the bed.  I picked up the two of these lace pillows at a thrift store for a total of $5.  The lace on the larger one is a bit dingy, so I will definitely need to wash and maybe  try and sun-bleach them?  (Or will that yellow them?)

Jeremy wasn't so sure about the lace.  So the first thing I did was show him a hideously ugly 90's-style lace pillow for comparison.  He agreed that the ones I had chosen were much more classy and attractive--that's what let me get them out of the store and into our car. 

The second step is to acquire or make the rest of the pillows for the bed, because I don't want just a bunch of lacy pillows and bedding.  This is steampunk.  One of my favorite things about steampunk is the layering.  The layering of old and new.  The layering of materials, and metals.  So I have a few ideas for other pillows.  My plan is to have different sizes and materials that mesh really well en masse, especially in front of the faux headboard.   I'm thinking leather, and burlap, and canvas, along with the cotton lace pillows.  If it works out in person as cool as it is in my head then it will be perfectly executed steampunk. . . 

So we finally got the steampunk lamps mounted on the wall as well.  They had to wait until we had the headboard up to decide where to put them. 

I realized that the last time I wrote about the lamps may have come across a bit confusing.   I was just talking about the cost.  I bought my two lamps off e-bay.  I was able to get the first one for $66.99 (I got a bit impatient about never getting one) and was able to get the second for $50.  Both of those prices included shipping.  I was trying to not go over $50 Because my original goal was to buy them at $40 each--but that just wasn't going to happen.  I was outbid on quite a few lamps before being able to get these for the prices I did.  But the good news is there are lots of them.  If you are looking for something similar, there was usually from 2-6 lamps up for auction each week.  Just search for "scissor arm lamp".

I really wanted these lamps as two of the main structural features for our steampunk bedroom.  Their utility and "gadgetiness" just make them perfect.  And they really are great bedside lamps because they scissor closed  and then you can swing them to the side against the wall so they are totally out of the way.  And I love sitting in bed to read and being able to put the light exactly where I want it. 

More progress to come later this week. . .

Fast as Cold Molasses

If I didn't actually have anything to do all day, I might progress faster on my projects for our steampunk bedroom makeover. But, in fact, I do have quite a few other responsibilities that take away from my "fun project" time.

I've made progress on my quilt that will lend a bohemian feel to lighten up the steampunk a little bit.  I bought a large flat sheet from the thrift store for my backing fabric.  I fancied it up a bit with some scraps from the quilt top, but I'll show that when the whole quilt is completed.

I quilted it just on my regular sewing machine.  I chalked parallel lines down the back then sewed these wavy overlapping lines down the back.  It works for me.  If the quilt top was a masterpiece then I'd probably want the quilting to be a masterpiece as well, but since the top is a fun, imperfect, made-by-me top then it's fine that that is the level of quilting on it as well.

Next up. . . binding.  I hear binding is everyone's favorite part of quilting.  (Not!)

The second project that is mid-progress is a faux headboard.  We don't have room for a real headboard.  this is a 4 foot by 6 foot piece of foam core poster board.  ($6 with a 40% off coupon.)  We are putting a fun faux finish on it to give it some old character, then we'll just tack it up on the wall.

The last bit of progress on the room is less a project, more "purchase with a vision":
  

We got the second wall lamp for the bedroom, another vintage scissor arm lamp off of e-bay.  I like it a lot.  (And the size of it is more what I had originally in mind than the other one.)

 

And of course, we outfitted both lamps with steampunk style Edison bulbs. 

So the progress progresses, though slowly.  My mom is coming to visit in a month.  Maybe I'll set that as my goal for completion.  (If not then maybe I'll complete it by the time she leaves with her help.)

Steampunk Lamp

I got a package--through ebay.  Yippee!

It's a lamp for our steampunk bedroom makeover. (The shade is way bigger than I thought it would be.)

Short.

Longer.

Longest.

(Actually it can even go longer than this picture, but "Almost Longest" wouldn't make a very good caption.)

Oh, I love it!  But I don't love that it cost twice the price of what I wanted to spend.  And I don't like that there is no contemporary example of one of these scissor arm lamps for under $160.  Umm. . . it's a lamp.  It's doesn't even have a pole--you just screw it into the wall--so what costs $160 about it?  So I'm going vintage and buying used on ebay.  (I still want one more--"his" and "hers".) 

But here's my real question: Should I leave it like it is or rewire it with a different lamp shade on it?  I've collected a few examples on my Steampunk Home Pinterest board. My favorite is the $425 example--but that's totally not happening.  The thing is that if I'm buying the lamps separately then they may not be very matchy--so is that a good thing in a steampunk room, or should I alter the shade so I can do them both the same?

I'd love input. 

Steampunk Bedroom: Bird Clock

My first project for our Steampunk Bedroom Redecorating was a bird clock in a birdcage. Bird cages are just really cool looking, but it felt silly to just hang an empty bird cage in our room. I decided it needed to hold something to give it purpose, and I came up with the idea of a clock on a swing like a bird.

I used Crayola Model Magic to form the bird parts around the shape of the clock. I added the metal feathers into the clay at the edges of the wing and tail, and painted the dry clay brassy. The tassels are something I bought to add to my bustle skirt a long time ago, but didn't, so I added them to the birdcage instead. I made the swing with wood scraps and a wire coat hanger.

At the midpoint of the execution of this project I was about to throw the whole thing out the window as a bad idea manifesting itself as a kindergartner art project. But I stuck with it and am very pleased with it in the end. It turned out like the vision I had in my head, so that's as much as I can ask for any project I embark on.

I like how it is like an automaton bird. The functioning clock gives it a purpose, and almost makes it seem like the bird is really a "live" clockwork animal.

Steamy News

We've started decorating for SteamPatrick's Day around here.  We just love the LEGO minifigures (I won't mention how many we already have from series 6) and we particularity like finding ones that are a little bit steamy.  We traded the pith helmet and the hairdo of the scientist and the explorer, and I think it was an improvement for both of them.  

It just so happens that Jeremy and my anniversary of knowing each other, marriage anniversary, and St. Valentine's Day all fall within the same week.  We decided to institute a week-long Festival of Love and call it Lovanzuanukah.

So for my Lovanzuanukah present Jeremy gave me permission to redecorate our bedroom.  Eight years with the same bedspread was long enough, we're ready for something fresh and fun, and a little bit steampunk.       

After a shopping spree I came home with this metal switch plate, and put it up as the first accessory in our soon-to-be steampunk bedroom.  I also painted the switch metallic.  There's more where that came from so stay tuned for the great Steampunk bedroom makeover!  (I'm really excited about it.)