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Book Review: Steampunkery by Christi Friesen

February 12, 2010 by Stefanie Girard

OK you may be asking yourself why is this book review of Steampunkery in the Recycled Crafts section? I’ll tell you. One of the cool aspects of the Steampunk  style is the reuse and recycling of old elements in new ways. It’s one of my favorite parts about the Steampunk style, other than the “industrial” style it incorporates. Such as the case with all the really cool tiny gears and bits used in making the projects in this book. Christi writes in such a fun way it is such a joy to read her excellent directions along with the great photos. A lot of the projects incorporate a real or fictitious character that expresses so much emotion and cuteness you will love making these designs.  Grab a copy of the book  Steampunkery for wonderful tutorials or if you are just in need of all those recycled little watch parts and things to use in your own creations pop on over to her site CFOriginals to load up! Looking for Steampunk supplies? Check out these steampunk papers, embellishment and stamps.

To see one of the projects from the book I had an opportunity to make in a class with Christi at CHA and the finished necklace tutorial pop on over here. It also includes a bit of a recycled soda can punched into a cute set of wings.

From the Publisher:

 

“A project book for all skill levels. Step-by-step pictures combined with detailed and humorous instructions keep the pace quick and the excitement level high. Steampunk look combines a Victorian-era sense of romance with a clockwork mechanical-ness. This book adapts those characteristics to polymer clay creations and offers projects that are sophisticated yet playful, challenging without being difficult. This eighth book by well-known author/artist Christi Friesen is her best yet!”

[tags]Steampunkery mixed-media book review[/tags]

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Comments

  1. Linda Lanese says

    February 12, 2010 at 7:30 pm

    ? this, very clever!

Have you read?

Recycled Paper Cylinder Face Art – A Colorful Win for All Ages

I recently stumbled across this super creative project on Instructables – “Face With Recycled Paper Cylinders” – and I had to share it with you all because it’s just the kind of craft that checks all my favorite boxes: recycled materials, hands-on creativity, and fun for literally any age.

The idea is simple but genius—roll strips of recycled paper (think junk mail, old magazines, leftover printer paper) into cylinders, then arrange and glue them to form a unique abstract face. You can make it funky, realistic, Picasso-inspired—whatever your mood or style dictates!

What I really love is the blend of eco-conscious crafting with true artistic expression. This isn’t just another kids’ project—it’s something you could easily do with a group of little ones, a classroom full of teens, or even as an adult art therapy or weekend wind-down activity. It’s super relaxing and surprisingly satisfying seeing all those paper rolls come together to form something new and expressive.

The tutorial itself is easy to follow, with plenty of visuals to guide you along the way. You don’t need any fancy materials—just glue, paper, scissors, and a board or piece of cardboard to serve as your canvas.

I also appreciate how this project leaves so much room for personalization. Want to make it into a full face? Go for it. Prefer to focus on a single eye or mouth? Totally works. You can even play with color schemes by choosing papers with a certain palette, or painting over them once they’re rolled.

In short: this is a total keeper for anyone who loves crafting with purpose. It’s the kind of project that sparks creativity while gently reinforcing the idea that beautiful things can come from what we usually throw away.

Highly recommend giving it a go—solo or with a group. And if you try it, tag me or drop a pic—I’d love to see your recycled masterpiece!

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