Week 17, from inside the machine

Factors working against me: I intended to make a tiny top hat using a spool and a scrap of faux leather. However, when I had sewn this far (see picture). . .

. . . I realized that the edges weren't going to meet.  I really should have figured it out earlier, since I'd been stretching the "leather" to get it to sit right on the spool. So I decided that wasn't going to work and tried glue. Which didn't work either. At this point I was frustrated and discouraged, and I knew I had at most two hours left to work before my dad came home and wanted to watch Buffy with me. So rather than messing about with different types of glue I decided to make something else entirely.

Factors working for me: Right then, my mom called, and we discussed ideas for quick Steampunk Things while I dug though my crafting kit. We agreed jewelry was fastest and easiest (she suggested more cookies, but I never bought replacement ingredients, so that would have been an adventure in improvisation and inedibility). I wanted to do something a little different than what I'd made before, and while considering my options (earrings, necklace, pin. . . not a ring because I didn't have my ring blanks) I came across some chains and remembered a discussion we had at one of the Sacramento Steampunk Society meetings about necklaces with antique keys for pendants.
Results: I knew I wanted to do something chain-heavy, and I didn't want to bite the style of the person who gave me the idea. As I was choosing chains I considered that most of the multi-chain necklaces I've seen have a similar look to them. In order to avoid that I decided to make a choker. Then I attached the key asymmetrically. It still needed something, so I used the leftover bits of chain to attach some pieces from a clock I took apart, and the very last of the chain I used to support the key at its original angle, despite the rest of the stuff weighing it down.

I've worn it almost constantly since its completion, so I think this is one I'm going to keep.

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.