Wednesday 31 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 16.2

"Renesmee isn't like those other children.  They were frozen, but she grows so much every day..."
Then Edward whispered into my hair.  "It's not the kind of crime they hold a trial for, love." he said quietly.  "Aro's seen Irina's thoughts.  They come to destroy, not to be reasoned with."




Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 16.2

I pictured Irina poised on the cliff, watching.  What had she seen?  A vampire and a werewolf who were best friends.  I'd been focusing on that image, one that would obviously explain her reaction.  But that was not all that she'd seen.
She'd also seen a child.  An exquisitely beautiful child, showing off in the falling snow, clearly more than human...
Irina... the orphaned sisters... Carlisle had said that losing their mother to the Volturi's justice had made Tanya, Kate, and Irina purists when it came to the law.

Just half a minute ago, Jasper had said the words himself: Not even when they were hunting the immortal children... The immortal children - the unmentionable bane, the appalling taboo...




Interveiw With An Author: Katie M John (Beautiful Freaks)

HAPPY BOOK LAUNCH DAY TO BEAUTIFUL FREAKS  BY KATIE M JOHN

Purchase from amazon UK or amazon.com

The Blurb:


"Fans of Tim Burton will love this book! It's totally, darkly delicious."       (The Murder House)


From the Amazon bestselling writer of 'The Knight Trilogy' comes the stand alone novel fans have been waiting for. 'Beautiful Freaks' is a decadent tapestry of all things fairytale, dark and murderous.

Between these pages you will find yourself transported back in time to the high Gothic, Victorian London. 

The year is 1899 and both the century and the Queen are dying.

As the London populace is gripped by a terrifying series of  paranormal murders, eighteen year old Kaspian Blackthorne finds himself on a decadent journey of self discovery.

Victorian London is a place where appearance is everything, but sometimes appearances can be deceiving.

Behind the grand houses, carriages and silks, London is a dark labyrinth of sorrow and violence. Amongst the gambling dens, dancehalls, and brothels you'll find Number 7, known to its members as Eve's; the most exclusive club in London, 
made infamous for its 'Palace of Beautiful Freaks'.

Each exhibit has a history, each their own unique  story. 


There's only one rule at Eve's ... strictly no touching. 

This book reads like a collection of short stories, interwoven with the main thread of a murder mystery.  We meet Kaspian Blackthorne, as he enters adulthood, and finds his life completely changed from the sheltered life he's known thus far.  Part of the reason for that change is Evangeline, the woman who haunts his every thought.  Along the way, we meet and get to know the acts who perform at The Palace of Beautiful Freaks.  And each of them has their own horrific story to tell....

I love the imagery and ambiance of Beautiful Freaks.  It's even got a bit of steampunkiness thrown in!  By the end of the book, you're not sure who, exactly, is the 'bad guy'.   You can decide for yourself. 

Meet Katie M John:
My PhotoVia her Amazon page: Writer of the Amazon Best Selling YA series, The Knight Trilogy, Katie is married to a handsome giant and mummy to a mud-puddle fairy. She likes to write whilst drinking tea and eating jaffa cakes. Most of the time she lives in a fairytale world but other than that she is completely and utterly normal.
Katie's debut YA fairtytale series, 'The Knight Trilogy' has become an international best-seller in several chart categories, Contemporary Fantasy, Myths and Legends, Paranormal Romance. It has also been an Amazon No 1. Best-selling Fairytale.
Her work is a blend of rich imagery and fast paced action. Before writing full length novels, Katie wrote poetry, her works being published in several anthology publications.

Katie loves hanging out on Twitter and you can follow her @KnightTrilogy. She loves connecting with readers and fellow writers so stop by and give her a wave.
You can find out more about Katie and her Knight Trilogy series at the official website http://www.theknighttrilogy.com/ and http://www.beautifulfreakskatiemjohn.com/


I had a chance to ask Katie a few questions, so grab a cup of tea and join us:


 What inspired you to write your first book?

I have always been a romantic. My teenage walls were plastered with pre-raphaelite paintings and I spent many hours of my youth just sort of floating about (yep, I was an odd, geeky child) When I was given the window of opportunity for some time out (I was on maternity leave with my first daughter) I seized the time to FINALLY get down to writing the story I'd been carrying around with me for the previous ten years. I was very fortunate that both babies have been very good and slept a lot, meaning lots of time for writing.

What obstacles did you encounter going the self-published route VS the traditional route?
With the trad route I got totally stonewalled by the catch 22 situation that previously unpublished writers are often either not invited to submit work to agents / publishers. I sent out over 50 packs to traditional agents and by the time six months of 'we love the idea but there's no market' rejection letters, I decided to go off and build a profile for myself. I sort of fell into indie publishing on a spontaneous whim - it was the best whim I've had. Clearly there is a market for my work and as an indie publisher I get a much greater slice of the profits from the sales. Going indie has allowed me complete autonomy over my work and allowed me the freedom to experiment and submit to all kinds of different projects. I love the close bond between indie writer and fanbase - it's personal and dedicated fans and supporters become really good friends. The frustration is the marketing budget - it's very much 'slowly, slowly catchy monkey' in the indie route - despite a few high profile cases.

When you write, which comes first: The character development or the idea for the novel?
For me, my work is always character driven. I'm a people watcher. I find humans completely fascinating. Vices, loves, passions, decisions etc. I have a love of Shakespeare for this very reason - he really understood the human condition. I think this is what I'm on a quest to explore in my own writing. I also 'live' with my characters whilst I'm writing their story. The best way to describe it is like being haunted.

Beautiful Freaks is almost like an anthology of short stories,  which character's story was the first to present itself to you? 
Kaspian's tale / character came to me first. He literally presented himself and then refused to leave. The story within a story that I love the most is Seraphina. It's a little bit whacky - but her character is so powerful.

If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why? Hmm, really difficult. I get asked this question a lot and I always end up answering it differently depending on what mood I'm in and where I'm at. At the moment with NaNoWriMo looming and that I am going to be playing / reworking Shakespeare's Hamlet - it would have to be Shakespeare. It links back to the previous idea about character. However if I could have two, I'd quite like to have dinner with Amanda Hocking and discover how she really made a $1 million being an indie writer lol.

 What book are you reading now? 
I'm not. I'm too busy planning for NaNoWriMo but my next TBR pile book is Book 4 of The Game of Thrones series - which is totally brilliant.

What's your next project? 
Next project is 'When Sorrows Come' - my NaNoWriMo piece based very loosely on Shakespeare's Hamlet and my own experiences of having a parent with severe mental health issues. It's not a fantasy novel - it's very real. I'm totally excited about it. I warn you now, it's going to be a complete heartbreaker. I don't write happy lol!



Thank you, Katie, for dropping by today, to talk about Beautiful Freaks.  I look forward to reading When Sorrows Come - it sounds like a very personal project for you. 

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 16.2

"I barely heard the confirmation of my fears.  I didn't need it.  I already knew.
"The Volturi," Alice moaned.
"All of them," Edward groaned at the same time.
"Why?" Alice whispered to herself.  "How?"
"When?" Edward whispered.
"When?" Jasper repeated in a voice like splintering ice.
Alice's eyes didn't even blink, but it was as if a veil covered them; they became perfectly blank.  Only her mouth held on to the expression of horror.
"Not long," she and Edward said together.... "They are all coming - Aro, Caius, Marcus, every member of the guard, even the wives." ~ Bella, Alice, Edward and Jasper, chpt 28

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 15.2

"I had never seen a vampire drop anything by accident. Ever." ~ Bella chpt 28




Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 15.2

"Jacob was more a child than Renesmee was, sometimes." ~ Bella, chpt 27

I can't decide - is this pic creepy, or not?

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 15.2

"The present itself was not overtly threatening.  Extravagant, yes, almost frightening in that very extravagance   The threat was in the parting line of Aro's congratulatory note, written in black ink on a square of heavy, plain white paper in Aro's own hand:



I so look forward to seeing the new
Mrs. Cullen in person.

The gift was presented in an ornately carved, ancient wooden bow inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ornamented with a rainbow of gemstones.

The necklace was simple - gold woven into a thick rope of a chain, almost scaled, like a smooth snake that would curl around the throat.  One jewel hung suspended from the rope: a white diamond the size of a golf ball." ~ Bella, chpt 27


Monday 29 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 14.2

"Alice and Rosalie usually began our day with a fashion show.  Renesmee never wore the same clothes twice, party because she outgrew her clothes almost immediately and partly because Alice and Rosalie were trying to create a baby album that appeared to span years rather than weeks." ~ Bella, chpt 27

Really bad photoshop - LOL

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 14.2

"So this was really different.  I was amazing now - to them and to myself.  It was like I had been born to be a vampire.  The idea made me want to laugh, but it also made me want to sing.  I had found my true place in the world, the place I fit, The place I shined." ~ Bella, chpt 26


Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 14.2

I took a deep breath." Emmett, how do you feel about a little bet?"
He was on his feet at once. "Awesome.  Bring it."
I bit my lip for a second.  He was just so huge.
"Unless you're too afraid...?" Emmett suggested.
I squared my shoulders.  "You.  Me.  Arm-wrestling.  Dining room table.  Now." ~ Bella and Emmett, chpt 26


Kick his butt, Bella!

Sunday 28 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 13.2

"Her name is Renesmee.  Like Renée and Esme, put together.  No variations."  I struggled to calm myself without the deep breath this time.  "Do you want to hear her middle name?"
"Sure."
"Carlie.  With a C.  Like Carlisle and Charlie put together." ~ Bella and Charlie, chpt 26

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 13.2

He touched one finger to Renesmee's pink cheek.  "She sure looks a lot like you."
I kept my expression casual, though I felt anything but.  "More like Edward, I think."  I hesitated, and then added, "She has your curls." ~ Charlie and Bella, chpt 26





Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 13.2

""WOO!" Emmett suddenly boomed in his deep bass.  "Go Gators!"

Charlie recovered, then looked at Emmett over his shoulder.  "Florida winning?"

"Just scored the first touchdown,"  Emmett confirmed.  He shot a look in my direction, wagging his eyebrows like a villain in a vaudeville.  "'Bout time somebody scored around here." ~ Emmett and Charlie, chpt 25


Mad Musings on The Girl In The Steel Corset, by Kady Cross



The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, #1)
Book blurb:
In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on--even if it seems no one believes her.



This book had a bonus story called 'The Strange Case of Finley Jayne', which was originally published as an e-short story, at the FRONT of the main novel.  Which was a good thing, because it introduces us to Finley, the main character, and how unusual she is.  It also introduces us to the unreal, steampunk world of 1897 Victorian England.  Also add the twist of a Frankenstein-ian horror - and that's a lot to pack into a short story!

The main story begins right where the short one leaves off.  We are re-acquainted with our heroine, Finley, and the steampunk is kicked up a notch. It's a world where many of our modern conveniences exist in the form of clockwork inventions.  Very soon we meet Griff and his motley crew of associates, who are each unique in their own way. Together, they try to solve the mystery of why the city's automatons seem to be turning on humans, and seem to be developing artificial intelligence.  Could it be the mysterious and infamous Machinist behind it all?

I was totally drawn into this world created by Kady Cross.  So much so that I had to keep reminding myself that NO, Victorian times did not have velocycles (ie motorcycles), or computers, or earpieces!  In this story, it seemed to fit!!  I was inspired by all the devices I read about to help create my own steampunk outfit (which shall remain a work-in-progress)  At the the same time YES, Victorian England did have different classes, and mixing was frowned upon by a society that had nothing better to do than gossip incessantly.  We see that kind of interaction between many of the characters in this book, most especially our Finley.

If there was one disappointment with the story, it would have to be with the actual 'steel corset' and the costume on the cover.  While there was a couple of scenes where the corset was actually mentioned (and very well described once) It really doesn't play too much of a role in the story!  And although Finley does get a chance to wear such a fancy dress, it's certainly not described as a red dress.....  which made me sad.... I think the dress on the cover was changed only for the reason that red is a more eye-catching color....

I don't think that this issue will be a problem, however, for Book #2 'The Girl In The Clockwork Collar'.  Just reading the jacket cover, it seems that said 'clockwork collar' will indeed be a main part of the story...  So I look forward to reading it as well...



I've read a few different kinds of stories that are labeled 'steampunk', most of which could barely be called that, only because there are a few devices but the actual story doesn't revolve around it.  This story, however, you are fully immersed in it.  There is no doubt that this is a steampunk story.  It makes me wonder:  What is steampunk to you? Is it flying machines, and strange devices that look vaguely familiar to our own time's technology?  Is it Victorian-esque?  Is it just the addition of a few unusual pieces that maybe 'could've' existed in that time? Is it more modern than that?  For me, when I think of Steampunk, The Girl In The Steel Corset is exactly the sort of world I imagine.

Saturday 27 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 12.2

Charlie frowned. "You gonna make me a grandpa so young?"
Edward smiled. "Carlisle is a grandfather, too."
Charlie shot an incredulous glance at Carlisle, still standing by the front door; he looked like Zeus' younger, better looking brother." ~ Charlie and Edward, chpt 25

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 12.2

"Jeeze, Bells.  You didn't used to be so melodramatic.  Is that a vampire thing?" ~ Jacob, chpt 25

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 12.2

"Say it straight, Jacob.  I don't have the patience for this."
"I didn't tell him anything about you, Bella.  Not really.  I told him about me.  Well, show is probably a better verb."
"He phased in front of Charlie," Edward hissed.
I whispered, "You what?"

"He's brave. Brave as you are.  Didn't pass out or throw up or anything.  I gotta say, I was impressed.  You should've seen the look on his face when I started taking my clothes off..."  ~ Bella, Jacob, and Edward, chpt 25

Friday 26 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 11.2

I said to Renesmee.  "You'll like the cottage.  It's magic."  I look up at Esme.  "Thank you, Esme.  So much  It's absolutely perfect."

Before Esme could respond, Emmett was laughing again -  it wasn't silent this time.

"So It's still standing?" he managed to get out between his snickers."I would've thought you two had knocked it to rubble by now.  What were you doing last night?  Discussing the National Debt?"  He howled with laughter. ~ Bella and Emmett, chpt 25


Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 11.2

 "Renesmee was very real and vital in my life, it was still difficult to think of myself as a mother.  I suppose anyone would feel the same, though, without nine months to get used to the idea.  And with a child that changed by the hour." ~ Bella chpt 25


Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 11.2

"There's a tremendous amount of time left over when you don't have to sleep.  It makes balancing your... interests quite easy.  There's a reason why I'm the best musician in the family, why - besides Carlisle - I've read the most books, studied the most sciences, become fluent in the most languages... Emmett would have you believe that I'm a know-it-all because of the mind reading, but the truth is that I've just had a lot of free time."  Edward, to Bella, chpt 24


Thursday 25 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 10.2

"This second honeymoon wasn't like my first..."


 My fav fan art manip ;) 

I was never going to get tired, and neither was he. We didn't have to catch our breath or rest or eat or even use the bathroom; we had no more mundane human needs.  He has the most beautiful, perfect body in the world and I had him all to myself and it didn't feel like I was ever going to find a point where I would think, Now I've had enough for one day.  I was always going to want more.  And the day was never going to end.  So, in such a situation, how did we ever stop?
It didn't bother me that I had no answer ~ Bella and Edward, chpt 24  


Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 10.2

"I'm sure you're dying to see the closet.  Or, at least I'll tell Alice that you were, to make her feel good."

"Should I be afraid?"

"Terrified."


"We're going to tell Alice that I ran right to the clothes," I whispered, twisting my fingers into his hair and pulling my face closer to his.  "We're going to tell her I spent hours in there playing dress-up.  We're going to lie. ~ Edward and Bella, chpt 24

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 10.2

"You're giving me a house for my birthday?" I whispered.

"Us," Edward corrected. ~ Bella and Edward , chpt 24


Wednesday 24 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 9.2

"Are you ready to open your present?" Alice sang.

"Presents," Edward corrected, and he pulled another key - this one longer and silver with a less gaudy blue bow - from his pocket...

"Mine first", Alice said, and then stuck her tongue out, foreseeing his answer.

"Mine is closer."...

"I know - I'll play you for it," Alice suggested.  "Rock, paper, scissors."
Jacob chuckled and Edward sighed.

"Why don't you just tell me who wins?" Edward said wryly.

Alice beamed.  "I do.  Excellent." ~ Alice and Edward, chpt 24

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 9.2

"Alice skipped into the room ahead of everyone else, her hand stretched out in front of her and impatience making a nearly visible aura around her.  In her palm was an everyday brass key with an oversized pink satin bow tied around it.
She held the key out for me, and I automatically gripped Renesmee more securely in my right arm so that I could open my left.  Alice dropped the key into it
"Happy Birthday!" she squealed.
I rolled my eyes.  "No one starts counting on the actual day of birth," I reminded her.  "Your first birthday is at the year mark, Alice."
Her grin turned smug.  "We're not celebrating your vampire birthday.  Yet.  It's September thirteenth, Bella.  Happy nineteenth birthday!" ~ Bella and Alice , chpt 23

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 9.2

"What if I didn't have to be a newborn?  Not in the crazed killing-machine sense, anyway.  What if I could fit right in with the Cullen's from my first day?  What if we didn't have to hide out somewhere remote for a year while I 'grew up'?  What if, like Carlisle, I never killed a single person?  What if I could be a good vampire right away?
I could see Charlie..."

Hiyaaa Pops......


Tuesday 23 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 8.2



"Run away while you still can," I threatened.
"C'mon, Bells!  Nessie likes me too", he insisted.
I froze.  My breathing stopped.  Behind me, I heard the lack of sound that was their anxious reaction.
"What.... did you call her?"
Jacob took a step further back, managing to look sheepish.
"Well," he mumbled, "that name you came up with is kind of a mouthful and - "
"You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster?" I screeched.
And then I lunged for his throat. ~ Bella and Jacob, chpt 22







Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 8.2

I puzzled over it, watching him stare at my daughter.  Staring at her like... like he was a blind man seeing the sun for the very first time.
"NO!" I gasped.
Jasper's teeth came together and Edward's arms wrapped around my chest like constricting boas.  Jacob had Renesmee out of my arms in the same second, and I did not try to hold on to her.  Because I felt it coming - the snap that they'd all been waiting for.
"Rose,' I said through my teeth, very slowly and precisely.  "Take Renesmee."...
"Edward, I don't want to hurt you, so please let go of me."
He hesitated.
"Go stand in front of Renesmee," I suggested.
He deliberated, and then let me go.
I leaned into my hunting crouch and took two slow steps forward toward Jacob.
"You didn't," I snarled at him
He backed away, palms up, trying to reason with me  "You know it's not something I can control."
...
"How dare you imprint on my baby" ~Bella, Edward and Jacob, chpt 22




Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 8.2

"But how does she do that?"...
"How do I hear thoughts?  How does Alice see the future?" Edward asked rhetorically, and then shrugged.  "She's gifted."
"It's an interesting twist." Carlisle said to Edward.  "like she's doing the exact opposite of what you can."
...
"I remember you, too," I told her quietly. ~ Bella, Edward, Carlisle, and Renesmee, chpt 22



Monday 22 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 7.2

"Someone very small was leaning forward out of Rosalie's arms, peering around Jacob.  Immediately, she had my absolute attention, my every thought, the way nothing else had owned them since the moment I opened my eyes."
...
And then the child in Rosalie's arms struggling and reaching all this time while her expression got more and more irritated, let out a high, ringing wail....
...
"See?" Rosalie told him.  "She just wants Bella."
"She wants me?" I whispered.
Renesmee's eyes - my eyes - stared impatiently at me.
Edward darted back to my side.  He put his hands lightly on my arms and urged me forward.
"She's been waiting for you for almost three days," he told me" ~ Bella, Rosalie, and Edward, chpt 22

Renesmee


Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 7.2



"But what was Jacob doing?  Why would he offer himself as a test to protect Renesmee?
It didn't make sense to me.  Even if our friendship has survived...
And as my eyes met Jacob's now, I thought that maybe it had.  He still looked like my best friend.  But he wasn't the one that had changed.  What did I look like to him?

Then he smiled his familiar smile, the smile of a kindred spirit, and I knew our friendship was intact....

 "I gotta say it, Bells.  You're a freak show." ~ Bella and Jacob, chpt 22



My Step-By-Step Tutorial for Turning a Nerf Gun STEAMPUNK-Y


Here's what I used to turn a Nerf gun into a really cool Steampunk style gun.  I made it from an idea I saw on Pinterest (yes, those crafts actually DO turn out sometimes!)  Why did I make it?  Well, first it was for our local Comicon, and second.... Halloween :) 

Step 1: Assemble supplies.  Look around your house and go to hardware stores and automotive stores and even the steampunk section of the Halloween store for great ideas!  Remember, anything that looks brass/copper/bronze, Victorian, or glass will probably work.  The goal is to make it look like something from 1899.  Adding dials, watch parts, or flexi piping would be good too (but I didn't want to over-do it, so I'll save those for another project)

 This is 1 Nerf handgun, gorilla glue, small pen LED flashlight, antique hammered bronze spray paint  (make sure it's for plastics) + black acrylic paint, appliance fuses, copper plumbing joints, plumbing clamps,  tube fuses, decorative furniture tacks, and (not pictured because I forgot!) a bag of assorted gears and cogs from a Halloween store.

Step 2: Tape up the areas you don't want to spray paint.  I used green painters tape to cover the silvery parts of my gun, and used an exacto knife to do the detail cutting-away.  The goal was to paint everything that is bright orange, and leave everything else.


I kept the green trigger covered too - wasn't worth the effort to tape that up, and I wanted to the gun to still function as a Nerf gun at the end of it all, so I didn't want to clog it up with paint.

Step 3: Spray paint.  In a well ventilated area, using thin layers.  I think I used about 5 layers, myself.  When it's dry, remove the tape

I didn't worry about the little bits that bled under the tape - I figured it just looks like the 'steel metal' was corroded a bit :)

Step 4: Make it look used, or antiqued.  I drybrushed the black paint over the entire gun to make it look less shiny and new, and added more character and detail to the paint.  I also drybrushed some of the accessories I was adding onto the gun as well, like the copper pipe and the metal ends of the fuses. 

Maybe it's just me, but I thought the green trigger now looked kind of like tarnished copper  (plus I love green, so I left it)

Step 5: Glue on accessories.  I covered up the 'Nerf" symbol with the flashlight, glued one fuse to the very front for a laser effect, added the clamps to the pipes and turned them into 'vents' on the top, and glued the little rods onto the side for a sort of gauge effect (one person thought they might be the 'bullets' too - that's another option I hadn't thought of)  For finishing touches, I glued on the assorted gears in layers, and everywhere there was a screw or little hole on the gun I filled with a decorative tack (first I had to snip off the 'tack' part with wire cutters, so I was left with just the 'head')

Be sure whatever glue you get is good for both metal and plastic bits - the gorilla glue worked fantastic!!

Here's the other side....

And VOILA!  One steampunk gun!  Next challenge.... making a holster for it.... I went to Goodwill, and found a few different leather belts and pretty much just joined them together, wrapping them around themselves, and fashioned a temporary holster from them.  I wasn't 100% happy with it, but it works for now.  I'll be keeping my eyes open for ideas to make a better one... 

Here's the hubs (who's dressed as TRON) and I all ready to go to Comicon - obviously, the rest of my costume needs work! (PS I decorated the hat too :)


So I think the next thing I'll try to make(besides a better holster system) is a BIG gun!  I have one of those Nerf rapid fire guns that sits on a tri-pod.... wouldn't that be cool to make for the hubs?  If I could talk him into being my steampunk sidekick, that is...     

Show me or tell me about your steampunk creations!

















Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 7.2

"I would probably never be able to do anything interesting or special like Edward, Alice, and Jasper could do.  Maybe I would just love Edward more than anyone in the history of the world had ever loved anyone else.
I could live with that." ~Bella chpt 21


Sunday 21 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 6.2

"Let's go hunt some stinking herbivores." ~ Bella, chpt 21


Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 6.2

"Hmmm," Edward said.  I looked up to see him leaning causally against a tree trunk, watching me with a thoughtful look on his face.
"I guess I could have done that better."  I was covered in dirt, my hair knotted, my dress bloodstained and hanging in tatters.  Edward didn't come home from hunting trips looking like this.
"You did perfectly fine," He assured me.  "It's just that ... it was much more difficult for me to watch than it should have been."
I raised my eyebrows, confused.
"It goes against the grain." he explained, "letting you wrestle with lions.  I was having an anxiety attack the whole time."
"Silly."
"I know.  Old habits die hard.  I like the improvements to your dress, though."
~Edward and Bella, chpt 21


Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 6.2

"How did you do that?"  he demanded.
...
"Run away?  I held my breath."
 ...
"What else could I do?" his attitude confused me - what did he want to have happened?  "It might have been someone I know!"
He startled me, suddenly breaking into a spasm of loud laughter, throwing his head back and letting the sound echo off the trees.
"Why are you laughing at me?" ~ Edward and Bella, chpt 21


Saturday 20 October 2012

Breaking Dawn Quotes: Day 5.2

"Don't think about it," He suggested as he lifted is hands off my face and took a step back.  "Just follow your instincts." ~ Edward, chpt 21