Challenge - Steampunk

The theme for this month's challenge at The Art Bead Scene is Steampunk. I was pretty excited when it was announced as it combines my two styles perfectly. I have always vacillated between a Victorian/antique influence and the modernist movement that began in the 1930s. I have never felt the need to choose one style and focus solely on that. I would be bored in minutes. When I first heard about Steampunk earlier this year I was struck by how perfectly my two styles could now work together and it would be cool and trendy, not just odd and mismatched. (It's funny how odd and mismatched can become commonplace when just a year ago I would have thought it strange:)

Anyhoo, my entry for this month has a lot going on, as you can see. I envisioned astronomical maps with lines and circles crossing the pages... celestial bodies joined by lines of light... the possibility of time travel - first going back, then coming forward only to decide that the past is where it's at. I wanted to make a piece that looked both ancient and modern but, most importantly, is completely wearable.

I first selected four of my own porcelain pieces that I felt worked together harmoniously and fit within the Steampunk theme. Two of which were made from molds I made from Victorian pieces, another features a fly relief and the focal, modernist piece was handbuilt in two pieces.

Adding handforged copper rings and "dart" links gave the piece that feeling of navigation I was looking for (does that make any sense to anyone other than me?) and from there it was just a matter of bringing in some natural stone (gray fossil for the truly ancient look and some lovely chrysocolla) and my favorite Czech glass beads (they have that antique/religious feel I love so much). Oh, and I almost forgot my favorite little touch - a small antique mother of pearl button. :)

If you would like to see a breakdown of the components I used in the making of this necklace please check out this photo on Flickr. :)