Week 30, "teacup"

We had a teacup contest at the Sacramento Steampunk Society's picnic, which I wanted to enter.  I found an old plastic mug in my room which was made for paper inserts which were kind of like mini coloring book pages.  So I cut a piece of paper to the right size and started designing an appropriate scene.  Since the theme of the picnic was Lovecraftian I included some tentacles, but on a cute octopus and some kind of squid having an underwater tea party.  I gave them both steamy accessories, and their tea is actually time, which is of course poured from a bottle.  They also have a plate of the undersea equivalent of teacakes or finger sandwiches, urchins and starfish.  The squid is gesturing emphatically with a spoon which is unfortunately invisible behind the rim of the mug, while the octopus giggles.  I think they might be courting.  Most of the color was done with Sharpies, although I did use gel pens here and there.  It did take me more like two weeks, though, so this is a FAILURE.

I drew his moustache and monocle before I looked at actual reference photos of squid and realized that their eyes are much further down than that.  But I liked the way it looked, so I kept it anyway.

Week 28, vacuum-formed keys and gears

I don't remember if painting them was supposed to be part of the Thing too, but it seems like it should have been.  Therefore, for your viewing pleasure:

However, these were not photographed until the next Thursday, which makes this a FAILURE. . . I think?

Week 22 quick post

I was going to make a corset belt, but got lazy.  So I got out my button maker instead to make button earrings with the Sacramento Steampunk Society logo.  Still not done, so no pictures.

Week 20 quick post

This week ended with the Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition, so what with scurrying to get ready for that I didn't have much time for doing a Thing of the Week.  I ended up making it at the convention.  My brother wore a moose hat to the convention, so I made a little bowler hat for the moose to wear.  It was made of air-drying clay, with a pin on the bottom to attach it to the plush moose head.  However, the clay didn't dry quickly enough so the pin broke off when he tried to pin it on.  I also have no photos and am unlikely to get any, as my brother took it home with him.

Week 18 quick post

Results:  It was meant to be a cloche, but for some reason several people said "pith helmet".

Week 13, back to routine

Factors working against me: I actually have a semi-good excuse for losing track of what day it was this time!  We took Jimmy and Jessica back to Berkeley on Monday, and since everyone had the day off from school and work I thought it was still the weekend. Speaking of Jessica, one of the things eating up my time last week and this Sunday was that I made her a Christmas present. Here she is wearing the earrings I made for her:

 

She's in the marching band and full of school spirit, so I made hers blue and gold. I packed all my stuff that day, too, thinking I'd be going to my dad's house, but that didn't happen until Thursday. And everything stayed packed.
Factors working for me: Having made all these Christmas earrings, I'd been thinking I ought to do some to sell. So it wasn't hard to decide what to make this week.
Results:  FAILURE. I simply started too late. They're actually almost done, all that's left to do is a little paint.

Week 9, there wasn't much time

Factors working against me:  I really only had Saturday to work because I was up until 5:00 Christmas morning finishing the last of the 17 presents I was making for my nine cousins, their four spouses, my mom, my aunt, my grandpa, and one extra because I miscounted (which ended up going to a family on the receiving end of the 12 days of Christmas).  Here are the few I managed to photograph:

My lovely cousin Sarah wearing her earrings.

My lovely cousin-in-law (is that a word?) Nicole wearing her earrings.

My lovely aunt Rebecca with her earrings (which I need to convert to clips).

These earrings belong to my lovely cousin Crystal.  They also need to be converted to clips and mailed back to her.

My lovely (if somewhat blurry) cousin Melody with her earrings.

My lovely mother (who I photographed from much too close and at an unflattering angle, for which I apologize) with her dragon ornament.  I also made her matching baby dragon earrings.

The extra ornament which ended up being left on a porch (I wrapped it pretty first) as the 9th day of Christmas' ding-dong dash gift.  I made 9 ornaments, thinking I would give them to my 9 cousins, then had the bright idea of giving the girls similar earrings instead.
Factors working for me: I had thought sufficiently far ahead to make sure I packed some extra jewelry-making supplies so that I would be able to make a Steampunk Thing.  Also, we each received mini sewing kits in our stockings, so I didn't even have to ask to borrow a needle and thread.
Results: FAILURE.  Considering I started about 11:45 Saturday night, I actually made some pretty good progress.  I started to make a choker by sewing findings onto a fancy ribbon, but as it is still claspless I cannot claim to have completed the Thing within the week.  I would photograph it, but I am still separated from a lot of stuff post vacation (I went to my dad's house, my luggage went to my mom's).  Which also makes it difficult to complete all this stuff I'm behind on.

Week 8, left it 'til late

Factors working against me:  In the middle of this week I had to catch a plane to the East Coast to visit my cousins in South Carolina.  So: 1. Packing for two weeks of winter outside California (luckily my mom gave me some hand-me-down Cuddl Duds to wear under my insufficiently warm warm clothing).  2. Travel time.  There is no way they'd let me pack many of my craft supplies in my carry-on, much less work with them on the plane.  3.  I was trying to get everyone's Christmas presents done ASAP, preferably in time for Christmas and without spoiling the secret.  4.  I spent most of the week hanging out with my family.  And, um, reading Twilight.  Because my mom got me started on it on the plane (it's all her fault, I swear!).
Factors working for me:  I already knew what I wanted to make.  And, um, that's about it.
Results:  FAILURE.  The Thing was begun at one minute to midnight Saturday (South Carolina time) and abandoned shortly thereafter because the felt I bought for it didn't work out.  So I have bought some polarfleece instead which looks like it will work better but I still don't have much to show.

Week 6, cake mix

Factors working against me: I lost track of the days, not realizing how late in the week it was getting until Thursday (which I thought was Friday), then slept through most of the following day.
Factors working for me: Friday night, when I realized I still had a day to work and might actually be able to finish, I no longer felt it wouldn't make much difference if I put it off and got to work.  Thank goodness, because I would have had to implement a truly horrific punishment if I didn't START my Thing of the Week until the next week (hopefully I'll never actually be lazy enough to do that).
Results: FAILURE.  But I made a good start.  I'm still going to have to step it up if I don't want to be a month behind after the holidays.  This is a design I came up with a while ago for a wood bangle bracelet.  However, not having a key to the woodshop, or any wood of my own to work with, I'm making it out of a margarine tub.  This is what it looks like so far:

  (In case you were wondering, the cake is a lie.  I only put that as the title because it was suggested by RhymeZone.)

Week 3, woe is me

Factors working against me: 1. My own apathy.  I kept putting it off.  2. I was unexpectedly dragged along to a play Saturday night.  3.  When it came to a choice between working on my Steampunk Thing or sleeping, I chose to sleep.
Factors working for me: My parents finally decided to turn on the heat, so at least I didn't freeze this week.
Results: FAILURE.  As of Saturday midnight, this week's Thing of the Week was unfinished.

I think I ought to institute a punishment for every hour past the deadline (something that doesn't take too much time away from the next week's Thing).  Any suggestions?