In April of 2008 i started to make rings just for fun after Catherine (My better half) learned how to make simple wire rings during a 2 hour lesson. I just watched how she made it and tried. Since then I spent several hours every day perfecting and developing my own technique to create an original design. I quickly started to make very retro-futurist model of rings. At that time i decided embarked into this adventure , quit my job and try to live on my jewelry full-time .

A few years ago i had the chance to travel to over 18 countries . During my travel I developed an interest for photography .Today I'm happy that photography is now part of my daily routine.

Now i enjoy sharing my most artistic pictures of the jewelry i make on Flickr and other online portfolios like DeviantArt . It is a great tool to learn about photography and also a useful extension giving direction to my artistic/creative development .

Recently i made a steampunk Spider Sculpture that was featured in Daily deviation on DeviantArt :


Steampunk Clockwork Spider by *CatherinetteRings on deviantART


Sincerely
Daniel Proulx


Links
Etsy Shop

Flickr
DeviantArt

Networks
Twitter
Facebook

Update 18 June :
I made a few different eyes and one more arm . Just to give a better idea , the central eye can be replaced by the smaller beholder . I'm currently developing the back story being these 2 beholder and how they came to be one insane machination .

Original Post : 17 June
Right after i finished the first beholder i made , i knew i wanted to make a bigger one .
I started with the body and now I'm making the arms . So far i made only 2 arms .
The body has magnetic disc where the arm can be attached and switched . The tip of each arm also have magnetic disc in order to change to different of eyes / tools or weapon .
On the back i also included a few gears .


I will work a little on it everyday , it has 10 spot for the detachable arms . Making different weapons for all of them will be a lot of fun .

I see a lot of steampunk Artist . Recently i stumbled on one that i have first met on DeviantArt .
I often look on ETSY to see what new steampunk stuff comes out and i was very happy to come across what i had previously seen on DeviantArt . So i purchase one of the clock . What i especially like is the aestestic that make this functional piece of art look like it is powered by some ancient mysterious technology .

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade diarmentcreations.etsy.com

Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff?
My name is Rafa Maya, I'm known as diarment on ETSY and DeviantArt. I am a multidisciplinary artist, based in Barcelona (Spain).

My artistic career began with drawing and painting, activities that i will not give up; but my ideas and projects will be expanded soon by computers, music, photography, modeling techniques and all that is close at hands .

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc ?
First, I am influenced by things I see and feel: movies, pictures, events, etc.. the idea is taking root in my mind, once I vocetos, then gather parts, recycle , model with putty and cardboard, then it all comes together and add the magic of painting, the work comes to an end.

How did you first become interested in the Steampunk Culture and - Why do you like it ?
I've always been fascinated by the making of machinery, especially those that seems somewhat useless or actually fantastic and impossible , it is one of the qualities that I find interesting to Steampunk world, along with the imaginative freedom from ancient technologies , and try to translate those impressions in my works, some on canvas, sculpture, cardboard and scissors, and others with computers .

What is your favourite piece of work by yourself ?
The favorite piece is always the last in which I work.


Also accept orders for a living, portrait, cartoons and design in general.

Name one of your favorite steampunk artist ?
I could name many artists (most of them are on deviantart) but I will appoint one, which is not anything long, his name is Oscar Chichoni, an illustrator with qualities very steampunk.

What are your goal , project , plans for the future ?
My plans for today, tomorrow could change at any time and are uncertain.

What advice would you give new artists?
I'm not locked in a very defined aesthetic, a style such as Steampunk has to offer a wide range of possibilities .

These are my links:
DEVIANTART
ETSY
BLOG

Thank you very much and see you soon.

To launch my first Twitter Steampunk Jewelry Giveaway i will draw a ring on the 1st of the Month :
The winner for June has been Direct Messaged on twitter.
Im going to draw one more the 1st of July

To Enter all you have to do is follow me on Twitter .
I will ship Worldwide . Open to anyone .

You can get additional entries by leaving a comment on this blog post with a link to your Twitter account , by joining my mailing list or by retweeting : RT @SteampunkRings Jewelry Twitter Giveaway See the details here : http://steampunkrings.blogspot.com/

The flea market is an amazing source of antique that can be salvaged and transformed into original steampunk decoration . Today i decided to get myself a few items from the St-Eustache Flea Market . I looked for Victorian style antique that are actually from around the late 60's to 70's . I also wanted items made from solid brass with filigree patterns . I came back with a lamp , a candle holder , a pitcher and an old phone . After a good clean up i plan to modify some of these items . On the phone i would like to replace the plastic by wood and for the lamp i would like a to make an altered art mix media style steampunk shade .

I received a special order to make a spider sculpture . I didn't finish the first spider i was working on but i will continue to make it simultaneously. This new spider is more demanding and i like to take many breaks while making it . Everything is twisted by hand so after a few hours my finger are quite numb .

Thanks to Amy , One of the collaborators who chose my steampunk Ring
to appear on her article in ViVaLaModa online fashion zine .
The Magazine is full of colors , original and trendy fashion finds .

right upper arm : You can imagine that arm shooting a disintegrating
Newtonian beam .

Left upper Arm : Triple saw made from vintage brass clock gear .

Top Arm : Made from Mysterious yellow amber .

bottom arm : a single magnetic wheel for an alternative transport and stability .

Beholder's floats/hover above the ground . They are known to be obsessively Tyrannic .

Recently i also made a few steampunk rings with using reptile taxidermy glass eyes , here's a few that i have on ETSY and ARTFIRE :

I just designed this new ring , which is a combination of various element from my previous designs . One design often lead to another . I plan to make this ring with different color of beads .

On ETSY
On DeviantArt
On Flickr

This year CatherinetteRings decided to turn the steam on to a different level and create new original Steampunk Jewelry designs .

First i introduced changes into my steampunk ring designs - A new line : ARTIFACT .
ARTIFACT STEAMED are modified with clock parts and gears . These rings are one of a kind . Upon request i can remake similar one . Due to the complexity of the design i cant reproduce exactly the same ring twice so they will be all unique.

Pollution is part of both reality and the steampunk culture .The use of recycled materials in the fabrication of Steampunk Artisan items helps our environment . Steampunk is about Converting otherwise unattractive and useless material to create timeless piece of art.Combined with an imaginative story or purpose these steampunk items are given a second life.

Why Apocalypse is associated with the steampunk culture ? Simply , if you combine an Era powered by coal with a rapid evolution of technology , you can only imagine the negative impact it would have on the environment and society .

Unfortunately , I cant imagine an apocalyptic world without war , how much pollution would create legions of coal powered war machines and how much polution would be generated by the factories that makes them .

Ironically The war could be to have control over coal in order to fuel the factories that makes those war machines. By the way what's the price of coal today ?

To survive in that world you need a few extra gears .
Before going out into the wild and heavily industrialized quarter you will need to wear a good gas mask .

''Gasp! Who knew steam engines were capable of producing such foul and wretched air? Give me a horse any day.'' say's Tom Banwell. This for sure will make you look cool .

With all this coal burning the threat of a fire is inevitable. No airship should leave without a highly qualified team of firefighters , especially when leaving on a long journey to a foreign planet .



Then comes the question on how to defend yourself against the villains and machines that lurks in every dark alley. Fortunately Rayguns are also associated with steampunk. The primitive clockwork technology mixed with advanced science found in rayguns contribute in creating an anachronism inherent in the steampunk culture.

Rayguns offer protection with powerful limiteless effects . They can heat , disentegrate , paralize or can even be used as blowtorch .


With all this polution you also need to wear a good pair of Google especially if your going to venture at high altitude or on a coal powered airship . The ultimate protection against the eye iritation by toxic fume & the wind .


In my Previous Entry : The composition of the default dimension , i described the basic of my Steampunk rings and the theory on the perception of reality influenced by Quantum Science and my love for fantasy worlds .

In order the correct the apocalyptic crisis of the Steampunk Era a mad scientist on his path to building a time travel machines accidentally discovers dimensional travel . A long forgotten science that may be the cause of anomalies in the world he lives in. Ultimately leading him to create the Unusual , Esoterically engineered and wearable form of apparatus that enhance the Metaphysical control over matter . These rings granted what we describe as magical effects .
Giving control over the elements and helping to communicate with creatures from other dimensions .


He had good intentions but his plans were stolen and the scientist mysteriously disappeared. However before he was gone , hundreds of his rings where hidden at different locations .
Because he could travel thought time he had carefully place them so that they could be found
by those he had chosen . But we will see that nothing ever happens has planned .... to be continued .


Alien Demon eye ring : The eyes of a demon were hard like stones and easy to set into the ring . It's amazing what you can see through the eye of a demon .

I decided to make a mega ring . A ring that is 2 X larger than my original design . I mixed a dozen different features and techniques i developed over the year into one ring . It represent a mechanical gadget powered by a mysterious stone .

CatherinetteRings's Shop Announcement *** HAPPY ETSY ANNIVERSARY DEAL ***

BUY 2 items and GET a 3rd items for FREE !!!!
The free item must be of 35$ or under .
Just indicate in note to seller which item you would like for free . For a limited time .

✈ FREE SHIPPING EVERYWHERE ✈

If you would like a ring in a different size , a custom order or a ring from my sold item just convo me . Your order will be shipped in less than 48 hours .

Thanks for taking the time to visit our shop

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade CatherinetteRings.etsy.com

I'm proud to announce a new STEAMPUNK JEWELRY giveaway & contest.

I set up a mailing list for newsletter ( see at the top right corner of my blog ) .
Over the last few month the list has grown and as a way of Thank you I'm going to draw a ring in February , March & April. All you have to do to participate is subscribe to my newsletter .This will give you 1 entry into this giveaway . If you already entered you will not have to re-enter for other future giveaways.



To get additional entries into the contest you can leave a comment here :

# 1 : Tell me which of my Steampunk jewelry is your favorite one and why ? ( you get 1 more entry )

# 2 : Post a link to my shop or blog on your website/blog ( you get one more entry )
or you can add this one of the 125 x 125 Steampunk ring image to your blog with a link ( you get 3 more entries )


#3 : Write a article on your blog about my Steampunk Jewelry. ( you get 5 more entries ) + a chance to win an Amber steampunk bracelet in April .

So if you do all this you can get up to 10 entries ,
All you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me what you did.

For example : I have done # 1,2,3.

This time I'm giving away 1 STEAMPUNK RING at the end of February , March & April .
The winners will have the chance to pick any Steampunk rings of 45 $ .
I will also draw a steampunk bracelet in April ( value of 80$ ) .

You can see all my rings in my ETSY shop .

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade CatherinetteRings.etsy.com

What exactly is byhand.me?

Handmade items, handmade artisans, handmade code, handmade friendships. This is the revolution of the handmade playground. It starts with a simple guy, Adam, also known on etsy and artfire as infivision. He decided he wanted a better social experience to promote handmade. While ning offers this to some extent, he felt it was too generic and has a poor user interface. In a quest for something better he developed http://byhand.me. Designed and created in under a week, ByHand serves as a free artisan co-op for those who make handmade and those who buy handmade. Here's a run down of what you can expect from the site:

• Artisan Directory
• Spotlights
• Forums
• Member Blogs
• Social Networking
• Chat
• Private Messaging
• RSS Feeds
• Handmade Wishlists
• Clubhouses
• And more..

Additionally, ByHand.me is a non-profit community. All funds received from ad revenue are spent on ads to promote the ByHand community. ByHand actively advertises to both artists and buyers.

I recently joined this network ,
Here's a few Spotlight I made for my items .








After you made a spotlight on byhand.me you can submit your items to found-handmade.com

I just made a quick reference pictures to show what my steampunk rings looks like on a finger.
I will be adding this reference to some of my listing on ETSY . If you want to see any specific rings on hands I'm always happy to take a pictures for you . The size of the central beads are usually between 8 to 9 mm in diameter .

One of my favorite swarovski color is the volcano . It is a glimmering crystal with all the colors of a lava flow from burning red ,orange , deep purple to bright spring green. It is very similar to all the colors of fire at extremely high temperatures . The base of the crystal is coated to create a reflective effect , the crystal catches the light, displaying an amazing array of colors which in turn catches people's eye .

Artfire Recently added a Steampunk Section :

Steampunk lives at ArtFire. Shop our steampunk guild items to find brass, gears and just the right look for steampunk accessories, watches, rings and lamps. Our artisans create items that are varied but inclusive of science and antiquity with an aesthetic that would be at home in any Jules Verne or H. G. Wells novel. Checkout the handmade steampunk items below and visit the studios of our steam punk artists.
You can register you account on Artfire and sell without fees .

From when we started almost a year ago , we didn't have any Steampunk Jewelry in our Etsy shop . At that time All the jewelry was made by Catherine , i was only taking pictures , creating the listings , customer service & post office . One thing that has not changed , Catherine is always making all the banners for our shop , lucky me she is a professional fashion graphic designer . She is so good at her work that she recently been promoted to Artistic Director . Our shop has changed a lot when i started to make jewelry . So here's our banners from the very first one up till the most current .

One of my all time favorite stone is the Boulder Matrix Opal . I really like the earthy aspect of the ironstone with colorful fissures .

Australian Boulder opals are the second most valuable type of opal . Boulder opals are easily distinguished by their layer of solid brown ironstone left on the back of the stone. Boulder opals, as the name suggests, are mined from large ironstone boulders under the ground. Thin veins of colorful opal forms in cracks and fissures in these boulders. Because these veins of color are so thin, opal cutters need to leave the ironstone on the back of the opal to form a full sized stone. The thin layer of opal in boulder opals can display any color of the spectrum in a beautiful play of colors.

This is the second most popular picture of my flickr account. I also have the photo in my Deviantart account . It has a very nice green flash .

Steampunk ring Matrix Opal by *CatherinetteRings on deviantART

Since i discovered a new way to included larger size of bead in my original design i can now use the metalized beads with engraved designs . I feel this ring is very mystical and magical .

Brass and Copper wire STEAMPUNK Bracelet with Old vintage tibetan Long Life carved boxwood DRAGON bead - Genuine red CINNABAR - Mysterious AMBER


DRAGON BOXWOOD BEAD Last one
( I have 2 more with crane bird )

These bead were carved in Tibet over 25 years ago .

In many Asian cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers.

Oriental dragons generally, can take on human form and are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually malevolent though there are exceptions.

CINNABAR

The red vintage genuine cinnabar bead is of superior quality

Genuine cinnabar beads are made from a lacquer which is derived from a tree sap found in China. The tree is tapped like a maple and the resulting gum is purified by heating and then made into lacquer by adding a solvent. This resulting lacquer is slowly added in many layers over a wood base.
The lacquer can be colored in various hues including black, red, green, yellow and brown although most people are only aware of the red cinnabar. The lacquer is then carved to represent various symbols or images found in nature such as birds and flowers.

In the case of this bead, many layers of red lacquer have been deposited and then hand carved with intricate details.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade WinonaCookie.etsy.com

Shop name : Winona Cookie Creations
Name : Ramona Szczerba
specialty : collage
Location : San Diego CA
ETSY : http://www.winonacookie.etsy.com
Website : http://www.winonacookieillustration.com
Flickr : http://flickr.com/photos/winonacookie/
Facebook

Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff?
I live as charmed a life as I ever could have dreamt of in San Diego with my spouse and a dog and a cat. I am a proud member of Etsy SteamTeam, Etsy Dark Team and Metsy (collage art).

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
I find lots of vintage photos and line art online and in antique stores. I have a huge hard drive. That’s usually how the pieces begin: I see a photo I love and it just starts to speak to me. I tint everything to a uniform shade of sepia in a paint program and work with the composition a bit before printing the images onto acid free paper and cutting them out Then I arrange them on canvas or whatever else I’m working on (sometimes boxes or tins) and other elements: handmade papers, fabric, charms, lace, ribbon, foil trim, brass embellishments, jewels, glitter and of course, watch gears. Sometimes my pieces have moveable components and those are usually reinforced with cardstock and mounted with brads. Then I prop the piece up on my bookshelf and wait for a story to come to me. I usually have a name for the character (I keep a notebook of names) and a rough idea of what might happen, but a lot of times I don’t know where the story comes from. Making my pieces is the thing I like doing best. It’s what I wake up thinking about in the morning and the last thing I’m thinking about at night.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I am a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice and I see patients about 3 days a week. I also design decorative figurines and table pieces for a company that makes Halloween and Christmas villages. I conceptualize, design and color the piece and ship the art to Hong Kong where they are sculpted and manufactured. If you’ve been in Michael’s craft store or Lowe’s around Christmas or Halloween, you’ve seen some of my designs. I have been doing that for about 7 years. Between the art and the psychology practice, I don’t have much time for hobbies, but I do like to bake and I make elaborate cakes and cookies for holidays and birthdays.

How did you first become interested in the Steampunk Culture and - Why do you like it ?
I was so thrilled to discover that there’s an actual name for the aesthetic I have always loved! I didn’t know about it until I began selling on Etsy. I’ve just tended to like old things better than new ones, fancy things better than plain ones and strange things better than normal ones. I had read “Diamond Age” and “Snowcrash” by Neal Stephenson and just loved them, as well as the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman, and between that and the visual aspects, it just started coming together for me, especially when I first laid eyes on the Neverwas Haul in pictures of Burning Man. Steampunk is such a fascinating amalgamation of things I find interesting: eccentrics, unlikely machines, archaic air and sea travel, undersea exploration, ray guns, robots, dashing outfits, parasols, octopi, absinthe, dirigibles – I could go on and on…When I joined the SteamTeam, it was just like coming home. I felt instantly connected to the other members and for me, that just doesn’t happen very often. I wore a steampunk outfit to Comic Con last year and it was so much fun to bump into a fellow steampunker among the hordes of attendees – instant connection!

What is your favourite piece of work by yourself?
Tell us more about it . Aw, man, that’s tough! They’re like my babies, I am attached to them all in different ways. I’m partial to


because I love her straightforward gaze and I had such a blast collaging that robot, much as I had a great time with the steampunk rhino in


But I have to say that Sabina and the Full Moon is closest to my heart because it’s such a sexy piece and the story makes me cry even though it’s entirely made up! So how do you like that, I managed to mention three!


What are the 3 most popular items in your shop ?
The MOST popular items are the sold ones, and they aren’t in my shop anymore, but everybody loves Captain Octavio


The link is to a fridge magnet version because the original is in an exhibit. He was one of the first steampunk pieces I did, and he’s a lot of people’s favorite. I have lots of vintage pictures of handsome men, but none are as beautiful as Octavio!

I have a fascination with deep sea fish and I incorporated them into a piece featuring Octavio’s sons that’s also been popular,


I am working on a companion piece that depicts the revenge of the fish – they’re holding the boys decapitated heads on strings. My mind is a strange place…

Absinthe seems to be a popular current obsession, and the original of this piece
sold right away. The magnet and prints are popular as well.


What is your newest piece ?
My newest piece isn’t completed yet, but I’m excited about it. Like many steampunkers, I’m fascinated with Nikola Tesla, and I’m working on a shadowbox featuring his (fictitious) insane older brother, Grigor. I also recently provided Capt. Octavio with a wife, Lucinda . She was a lot of fun to do.

Any promotion you would like to offer exclusively on the blog .
I’d like to offer your readers 15% off of any item, $40 and over, in the shop until May 10th. They should convo me first and mention “Catherinette” and I will do a custom listing with the discount for them.

Who is you favorite steampunk artist ?
There are SO many, but I think Stephane Halleux . http://www.stephanehalleux.com/
does some of the most amazing pieces out there. I was lucky enough to get to see some of his pieces in person at an exhibit in La Jolla this fall.

What are your goal , project , plans for the future ?
I can’t seem to stop making this art, so I am going to keep on doing that. I have a notebook where I keep ideas for pieces and the list is getting quite long! I very much want to compile the pieces and their stories in a book and I am in the process of looking for a publisher so I can make that happen. I have an feature article coming out in the May/June 2009 issue of Somerset Studios magazine (http://www.stampington.com/html/somerset_studio_magazine.html) that I’m excited about too.

What advice would you give new artists?
What everyone says, which is to do the work that pleases you, not what you think other people want to see. But DO let people see it, because art is meant to be shared.

This was a mad idea ,
A Gun metal copper wire wrapped ring with clock parts inlay in an oversized mysterious amber bead . I have found an other way to incorporate a larger size of bead so i had to see what it would look like with lots of clock parts , like an invention from a mad scientist .

Imagine this ring was invented in the steam era , it would have been worn not only for adornment . It would probably have some mysterious functionality .
How about the power to open dimensional portal ?
I like to think that there's some kind of magic into these rings .

When i first designed my rings i always imagine that depending on the type of stone it opens portal to different dimension or they could allow the control of specific elemental sphere and metaphysical powers .

At this time i have not decided one which powers each rings have but I'm always inspired by fantasy world such as in Howl's Moving Castle animation & also from my dungeon and dragon knowledge ( I used to play a lot & also i was a dungeon master ) .

In an imaginary world , beside adornment what do you think is the main functionality of this ring ?

This is the most popular photo i have in my flickr account !

I'm starting to cover the body with more details , pieces from old clock and i want to finish the legs soon .

I'm also keeping a surprise for the end ... I have an idea , just have to figure out the best way to do it .