Dollieh Sanctuary

Well, there's no reason I shouldn't go Steam Punk with my 1/6 scale Holmes, Watson, and a lucky girl who gets to play Elizabeth. So I'm looking for design ideas for their stuff, clothes, accessories, something to keep them and their stuff in. I have vague ideas of the concept but I feel I might be missing in some of the exact details that would put it over the top. Color schemes? Everything coal powered? Everything metal looking?

There are tons of images online (Steampunk Fashion) being a good search. There are some incredible costumers and gadget-makers out there -- most of them are for full-sized people, but it's the inspirational images that may give you ideas.

There are also a lot of Victorian-era fashion patterns (including for guys) out there for 11 1/2 inch fashion dolls (adaption required for good fits, but you know that...).

Civil war props (check action figure kitbashing sites) are good for basic gear. Things like beads, buttons, wire, recycled plastic packaging, bits and pieces of things salvaged from broken this or thats...

The general style of Stuff appears to favor an Ornate Victorian Aesthetic, with lots of detailing -- gears, patterns, brass, wood, wires and exposed pipes, etc., coupled with crystal, brocade and velvet cushions. Start with Victorian and mix in Goth, Science Fiction, and Jules Verne.

Have fun! looking forward to seeing what you come up with....

Adele Scortino has an excellent article on Steampunk this month in her Costuming and Trim Newsletter. It is free to download, but you have to register.
http://www.costumesandtrim.com/newsletter.html

Exposed pipes and gears helps a lot. That directs me in what to look for to start building the case from.

*But where to look for reasonable cogs, gears, and stuff, even if I have to paint them metallic.

Dead antique watches are a great place to start for gears. A couple of jewelry crafters I know approached a jewelry store that handles watch repairs, and bought a bagful of bits and parts.

DollyKim wrote:Exposed pipes and gears helps a lot. That directs me in what to look for to start building the case from.

*But where to look for reasonable cogs, gears, and stuff, even if I have to paint them metallic.

Ebay tends to have listings for lots of gears and watch making supplies and such, but I've noticed the prices skyrocketing in the past couple of years. I have found at Hobby Lobby in the scrap booking supplies a package of decorative gears. they're they same set of gears in 3 different shades. Not bad, but mostly decorative.

If you find a good supply of tiny gears let me know, I've been looking for some to make jewelry and such with. I've not bought any off of ebay myself because I can't bring myself to spend $20+ for less than an ounce of gears.

May I subject thrift stores and the garage sale season is starting up too. You could easily find old watches to take gears from.

I have a package of the three colors of gears, found mine at Michaels for a reasonable price near the stamping supplies. They have a few other things from that maker too.

My thoughts are to cutting paper or poster board gears and painting them or using those metal stamping sheets. Being my Holmes and Watson are 1/6 I'd want stuff to look in scale to them. I wonder if there's someone out there who could make them out of wood. I'm just not at that place, yet.

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If you buy an old pocketwatch that doesn't work for the parts, let me know! I'll probably buy the case from you. T___T I'm notorious for collecting old antique stuff that doesn't work.