As promised, some of my personal favourites from Aethercon Auckland. Photos courtesy of the fine folks at Directive Photography and Darkroom Photography!
You really can’t go wrong with jet pack wings (here’s hoping she doesn’t pull an Icarus), a tentacle face mask and an assortment of weaponry. Don’t even get me started on that girl with the gun on her shoe!
Hello my little dumplings!
Every time I visit I feel I must apologise for my long absence. Therefore, please accept my sincerest apologies.
2013 shall forever be known to me as “the year everything happened at once”. I’m preparing for Aethercon Steampunk Convention, a burlesque show, a family wedding, and doing Sunday markets all at the same time! Do people realise the year will continue after June? Spread things out a little!
Anyway, rant over. Here’s what I’ve been making lately, they’ll make their debut at Aethercon.
Reversible obi style belts: comfort, versatility and badass style all in one sweet package. Ranging from $55 – $65 these flattering belts define your waist in all kinds of good ways. They’re all handmade by me, and there lot’s more styles yet to come!
Summer has hit New Zealand, and between BBQ’s, beaches and bands I’ve managed to take Cog & Compass to some local markets!
Aside from the bounty of fantastic food, my favourite thing about markets is getting to meet you. I love getting to know my customers, new and old, as well as meeting some cool and crazy fellow stall holders. (Thanks random hat seller dude who let me borrow his mirror!)
My sister helps man the stall, feeds me many cupcakes and makes these adorable wine charms using vintage scrabble tiles! They’re $15 for a box of 8 (your choice of letters), that’s pretty sweet value and they make great gifts.
The next market you ask? Coatesville Market on Sunday March 3rd. Be there. I always have special market prices on everything, and I’d love to meet you!
Can’t wait to get your hands on some handmade treasures? I have a Felt store under construction, in the meantime contact me on the Cog & Compass Facebook page.
One day I’ll get around to shooting fancy pictures of my costumes, until then, I give you candid wedding snapshots!
I designed this gown for the Victorian wedding of two very dear friends. While the day itself was incredibly hot, nothing beats swanning around a historic house in a glam gown.
I call this the Victorian Garden Gown, due to the colour scheme and embroidery. Partly chosen because I love green, and partly because I’m trying to work through my growing stash of fabric!
For the bodice and skirt (complete with pleated dust ruffle) I chose an olive green taffeta, contrasted with embroidered black silk panels. The bustle is textured green organza with a few black faux flowers peeking from its folds.
Gowns like this remind me why I love Victorian fashion – nothing feels more feminine than the swish of full skirts!
I absolutely adore this book art by Kaspen! Created as promotional pieces for Anagram Bookstore, these works are real page turners (tehehe).
Such a clever fellow…
I’m really excited about the new digital format for Nocturne Magazine! We’ve been working on some excellent interviews and articles I know you’ll love, as well as some truly lush photoshoots.
“Nocturne Magazine presents the finest collections of obscurities for purveyors of the enigmatic!
For those who desperately crave some kind of authenticity. For those dissatisfied by the banality of consumerist culture. The Nocturne Guild, with its unorthodox band of investigators, unearths arcane knowledge, images of the sublime and the surreal, curiosities and the forbidden.
Religion has not given us the answers we seek; science has left us wanting.
Perhaps it is within the Arts that we will find a deeper connection? Perhaps through an exploration of the mythical, the taboo and the obscure, we can awake in ourselves that which slumbers?Perhaps we can suspend disbelief and become curious again…”
While the new, revamped, and extra intriguing Nocturne issue five has yet to be released, the digital edition of issue three is available to view for free, and issue four is only $10 NZD on the Nocturne website!
As you many have guessed ( because you’re oh-so-very clever … or you read the title of the post ), I’ve just started burlesque classes!
Aside from generally feeling a bit silly and uncoordinated, the first class brought before me a great hurdle – the creation of a name. Not that big a deal at first. Not a big deal at all.
Until you realise that your name will be the first thing people hear when you walk on stage.
The first thing they judge you by.
The thing that will show them that you’re clever, witty, cute or sultry. Or completely unimaginative.
So all in all, actually quite a big deal.
I need a name that suits me. That says I’m witty, cute, and (hopefully) sexy in a steampunky, librarian kinda way. I need your help.
Below is a poll with my current burlesque name options. Vote away! If you think they’re all rubbish, suggest one of your own! Save me from being a nameless nobody, a titleless tease!
While you decide on a proper name for this steamtrain sweetheart, I’ll be donning some heels and practicing my strut. Or eating cookies. Probably eating cookies.
This is one of the early sketches from when I was designing my signature Cog & Compass Beetle Belt!
Showing the detachable tails as part of a fishtail skirt, I was playing with the formality of tails and their appropriation into a feminine garment.
(You can also see a tailcoat and waist cincher developing).
As you well know, I later developed the tails independent of the skirt. Introducing a classic waistcoat shape with the mitred front and a corsetry influence in the shaped waist panels lead to an elegant and versatile garment, bringing formal masculine styling into a shapely feminine design!
Photo by Richard Leonard. Wardrobe by Cog & Compass. MUA Pearl DuNasement.
Photo by Richard Leonard. Wardrobe by Cog & Compass. MUA Pearl DuNasement.
This design is now my undeniable favourite! You can see more photos of my gorgeous Beetle Belts on the Cog & Compass Facebook page, or visit the Etsy store to order your own custom version.
The internet is a fantastic thing. It opens our minds, broadens our horizons, and introduces us to things we never imagined.
But there is one thing that really really gets my kettle whistling – people who post images of brilliant artworks and don’t credit them!
Now this doesn’t bug me because I’m some kind of APA loving reference Nazi. I just think it would be wonderful if people could follow that awesome picture you posted back to it’s awesome origins. Most artists I know need and deserve all the promotion they can get!
There’s also a selfish side to this pet peeve. I so often see an amazing image and think “I’d really like to see more by that artist”. But I can’t. Because I have no way of knowing who they are…
Cue intense frustration.
unnamed, the lonely squid wandered through cyberspace for all eternity….
So in the spirit of identifying the works of unnamed artists, could any of you fine fellows enlighten me as to the origin of the fantastic steampunk octopus above?
And please, my fellow bloggers and art afficiandos, next time you find an image that’s neat enough to repost, give a little kudos to the artist!
It’s true, everyone does need a steampunk minigun. Especially me.
Luckily my Everpatient Husband has discovered he’s extremely clever with powertools. He’s been down in his mancave making this little baby. Obviously she’s not finished yet, but when she is, those rogues and Kraken better beware !
Metal plating.
Electric motor to rotate the barrels.
Handle placement.
James holding the gun in place next to my cyborg armour.
He’s even made a wee youtube video showing the engine powering the rotating barrels.
In theoretical steampunk land the minigun runs off the Blue Aether Power Generator Everpatient James has already made me, in real life it has it’s own little motor. ( Writing “little motor” lead to a whole lot of specifics being thrown at me, to which I responded with a blank, slightly confused expression).
While James finishes this project off, my job is to formulate a snappy and misleading name for the finished product. You know, something endearing like ‘Sweet Delilah’, ‘Doomcandy’ or ‘The Pretty Persuader’… any suggestions?
