An Interview with the Fabulous Cherries Jubilee by Maeve Alpin

Today I have an interview with Cherries Jubilee, who is not only a talented dancer but she also embellishes fabulous Steampunk designs on shoes, transferring them into wearable art, and some of the most gorgeous shoes you will ever see in your life.  "Welcome Cherries Jubilee, it’s so good to have you boarding my airship today. Let me ask you, how did you first get interested in Steampunk?"

Cherries Jubilee

(C) "I have been attending science fiction/fantasy/horror conventions almost since the phenomenon started, but I was finding it difficult to do interesting costumes after a while. I could not really pull off the "green slave girl" any more and I had done every female companion to Dr. Who, so I was looking for something else. I was looking for a more free form kind of costuming - not copying something that had already been done, but creating characters of my own in a style that I could wear into my 90's if I wanted to.
About six years ago, I saw some Steampunk at Norwest Con and fell in love with the idea. They were already talking about creating a local Steampunk convention and I was really excited because I could bring in neo-victorian style and, to some extent, manners into a con culture that had grown more than a little crass. I saw an opportunity to bring couples dancing into the sci-fi culture and I got to wear corsets and really cool granny boots. My only thought was, "Sign me up!"
(M) “I love that, dancing into the sci-fi culture.”  I looked down and saw that big gap where we actually walk onto the ship. “Watch your step there?” I nearly gasped as I peered at her feet. “I love your shoes. Is that one of your most popular designs?” 
(C) "Yes. Designs I do on Victorian granny boots win most popular design hands down. Women love them because they are pretty and can be so easily converted to the steampunk style. They like them even better if they appear to button up the sides rather than lace up the front. Nearly everyone loves the pair called - Gothic Charm School."
(M) "Absolutely exquisite, what inspired you to create Steampunk shoes?"
(C) "Thank you for saying so. I am still surprised by compliments. Well, I dance, as you know, and I wanted a pair of boots that I could wear to conventions that I could teach dance seminars and dance all night. There are lots of pretty ballroom shoes out there, but none of them could be mistaken for steampunk style, and I really wanted something that would make my students look at my feet. New dancers often look down at their own feet, not necessarily at the teacher's feet. So, I painted up my first pair of tan Capezio mary janes with sharpie markers. Sharpies, however, look like what they are, namely markers. I wanted something that looked really professional. Other than that, I found the whole process was really fun. Then I started looking at costumes and realized that the right shoe could make a whole outfit! I searched out the right products and the right techniques and practiced on shoes in my closet and some willing guinea pigs from my friend's closets. It took a while to learn how to create a design that would take the pounding that shoes do without cracking and peeling, but I got a lot of help and advice from people in the shoe industry. It was kind of like an addiction after that. I would wake up at night with these ideas in my head. I started leaving a sketch book next to my bed so I could get things down and go back to sleep."
(M) Now that we are comfortably aboard the airship, and seated on the velvet sofa in the parlor, Cheeries opens her carpet bag and shows me another pair.

Among the Thorns2

(M) "I love that vibrant  hue. What are your favorite colors and materials to work with in creating these fabulous Steampunk shoes?"
(C) "Again, pretty easy...I love working on really well made leather shoes preferably Italian. I don't really design shoes, so much as I use shoes as a canvas for my art work. I like boots best, especially granny boots with buttons, but these are hard to find. I usually upcycle good boots that I find in thrift stores when I am not working on commissions. Commission boots usually come out from the back of my client's closet, which assures fit and comfort. I can work on man made leather, or pleather, but prefer leather."
(M) She showed me another pair as she kept talking and as I poured us each a cup of steaming tea. 
(C) "I love putting together interesting color pairings. And I sort of go through periods where I really want to do a lot on a theme. Right now I just love stripes and I have done a lot of things in shades of blue over the last few months. I fell in love with indigo blue and pale yellow when I was working on the Tesla's . I have done quite a lot in metallic...copper, steel, brass and bronze, but I like to present some surprises along with the metals, like pairing bright copper with brown and plum stripes. I absolutely love working with opalescent paints and glitter paints....and of course Swarovsky crystals. I will find a way to incorporate them on nearly every pair, even on mens boots. Gears and studs are also high on my list of fun things to use on projects."  
(M) Shoes with swarovsky crystals and gears, I’ve got hot shivers just thinking about them. Yummy.  (M) "Have you always loved shoes?"
(C) "Always. I have always loved shoes because I have very small pretty feet. Shoes are great to shop for because you don't have to take your clothes off and you never have to diet to get into that fabulous pair of boots you bought last year but you gained a few pounds since then ....whew that's a run-on sentence if ever I wrote one. I have a good relationship with my feet, so I like to show them off in fancy shoes. I wish the same was true of my tummy, but that is what corsets are for."
(M) "Well said. Let’s hear it for shoes and how did you learn this wonderful wearable art, were you self taught, went to design school, had a mentor?"
(C) "The short answer is yes, yes, and yes. Many years ago I took a nine month course in commercial art which grounded me in good design principles. I also spent much of my childhood playing around in theatrical costume shops. My mother was doing a lot of directing and producing in little theaters and she often had to take me with her to rehearsals. I NEVER got over playing dress up and the costumers taught me how to sew and design using my Barbie dolls and scrap materials around the shop."
Cherries took a sip of tea. "When I moved on to shoes, I simply got on line to see if anyone was embellishing shoes. I found dozens but most were not producing the quality I was interested in. Then I discovered Margo Silk Forest of Sassyfeet. She had been using some very interesting paints and she was actually painting shoes and teaching others how to do this too. I bought her book and a starter kit and never looked back! For anyone who would like to try, they can get her starter kit for about $35 from http://sassyfeet.com/."
(M) "Wonderful and what do you find to be the most challenging aspect of designing Steampunk shoes?"
(C) "The most challenging thing is finding well made, affordable, shoes and boots that fit the aesthetic. This is why I haunt the thrift stores and garage sales and especially estate sales. Finding shoes with an interesting heel that a human can walk around in for several hours without being crippled in the process is sometimes difficult.
Another difficulty, of course, is size. My shoes are wearable art and when I am working on a pair it is always questionable as to whether they will fit someone who would want to buy them. This is why I like to do commissions. The client knows that the shoe fits and they give me great ideas by letting me know what they plan to wear with them. I am currently working on a commission for a lady in a wheel chair. She sent me an amazing pair of high heeled boots and I can go crazy embellishing the heels because she will never walk on them!"

Bunished Bronze Beauties heels

(M) "I can’t wait to see the heels of those boots. Let me ask, what advice would you give to help people pick out the best shoes to compliment their Steampunk costumes?"
(C) "Other than a corset, the most expensive part of your costume may well be your shoes. If you don't have someone like me around who can alter them, consider buying the shoes first and building the outfit around them. Be sure that they are a good fit and that you can do everything in them that you want to do. That may mean standing for hours at a concert or strolling through a garden to dancing or playing croquette. Then remember you can always change out the laces for matching ribbons, or sew brass buttons up the sides to steam or punk them up a bit.
The most important thing to remember about all fashion is; you can get away with almost anything as long as there are repeats in your costume. That means you can get away with green boots if there is even the tiniest degree of green in your skirt or bodice. If your costume sports brass or copper elements, add some interesting brass gears or buttons to your shoes or boots. Black does NOT go with everything (even other blacks) and not all browns complement each other so, when you are trying on footwear, bring a piece of your costume with you. Lay the shoes you are considering next to the fabric and step back six feet. If they don't look right together, don't waste your money."
(M) "Marvelous advice and what about flats, is it possible to wear a comfortable style of Steampunk shoe and still look chic?"
(C) "Absolutely YES! Now we all know that heels are sexy. I recently came across a photo of a pair of white lambskin fetish boots with 12 inch platform heels made around 1880. Men just love heels, but short heels and no heels can be just as flattering. 
I recently completed a commission on a pair of boots with a 1/4 inch heel called Miss Copperpot's Fancy. These little ankle boots prove that one can be supremely chic regardless of the heel. I tend to like some heel, but I am only a smidgen above 5 ft tall. I can certainly appreciate the charm of a spike heel, however I favor a curved french heel, or a spindle heel which is steady enough to walk on all day. Wedges are also fantastic, since they have a lot of room to embellish and they are a steady platform for walking while giving one height.

Miss Copperpot's Fancy

In shoes as in everything else, fashion is fleeting but style...personal style can be worn for the rest of your life. If your style is street steampunk, invest in a good pair of Doc Martins that appeal to your steampunk self. You will wear them with everything, for years. I have some beautiful black ankle boots that I have been wearing for years. They are excellent quality,I take good care of them because I love the radically curved french heels and I may never find another pair.
"Chic" is putting on your personal style and wearing it effortlessly. There is nothing quite the antithesis of chic as some beautifully dressed steampunk tottering along on heels so high that a pretty girl is turned into a graceless marionette. Those shoes were never meant to become acquainted with the floor. It is best to leave them in the bedroom where they belong.
Beautifully embellished ballet flats can make a large foot look petite and have the added advantage of imparting a graceful walk to the costume. A graceful walk will reflect more chic than anything you wear."
(M) I then noticed she’d taken out some of her Steampunk styles for men. "Those are nice, quite dapper. Do you have a preference between designing men's shoes or women's?"
(C)"I enjoy doing shoes for men, because they really don't get to wear fancy shoes. But men are conservative and really picky about the image they project. Mostly they find straps and chains and studs in brown and black acceptable, but little else. The shapes in men's shoes are pretty limited and heels are uninspired. Sadly, elegance has fallen almost entirely out of fashion for men, for the most part. I am starting to see an improvement among Steampunk gentlemen though, which gives me hope. A kilted man in a waistcoat, and a bowler simply sets my heart aflutter. (Oh and boys, wearing your pants so low we can see your unmentionables, or shudder, other parts, is not attractive.)
With women's shoes though, there are absolutely no limits. If I can think it up, someone will love it. Though many women only wear black and brown and maybe white shoes, they still lust after that red Ferregamo, or teal Tommy Choos. This leaves me so much room to design something unique that I have to say I enjoy designing for women more than men."
(M) I droped two cubes in my tea and stirred while I thought of my next question. "I have to ask, what is the strangest or funniest thing that has happened to you regarding designing and selling Steampunk shoes?"
(C) "I think one of the funniest things that has ever happened is when a young woman on the street stopped dead in her tracks and looking down said, "OMG! where did you get those shooooooes?!!! They are HOT!" At which I replied, that they were my own work. By this point the woman was practically on her knees in front of me on the public sidewalk staring at my shoes. I felt a little like the high priestess of the shoe goddess receiving obeisance from a worshipper. When I told her that the work was freehand, she gushed some more and even reached for my ankle. Well that was quite enough and I helped her up and handed her a card letting her know, yes I do do wedding shoes and boots too."
(M) "I know that when you are not designing shoes or teaching dance, you edit novels for your beloved beau and write articles on Steampunk culture. What differences do you find between the art of shoe design and the art of writing?"
(C) "Well, writing doesn't involve paint. But really the biggest difference is that you see a finished result pretty quickly. Writing is hard - I don't care what anyone says, for me, its a slog. I often don't know if what I have written is any good.
Designing is easy. I know when something works and when it's dreck and I can always paint over mistakes. While I might have to look at a pair of shoes for several weeks, I can usually complete the project in a week or two. There is something very satisfying about looking at something and knowing it is finished and it is good.
But in one way at least, the two things are very similar. Each design is essentially a character sketch. They each describe a steampunk character and they are not stereotypical at all. They have unique histories and personalities. I have designed for steampunk goths, for Lolitas, for dandies and aristos, for mad scientists and airship captains, all in my imagination. But the majick happens when someone else takes them and wears them, because often people transform before my eyes. Usually footwear is that last little detail that takes them from being someone "dressing up" and playing pretend to someone who is literally walking in that character's shoes. Sometimes, I see a whole new character emerge when I see them on someone completely costumed for the first time. Hummm...I feel a short story coming on."
(M) "I know exactly what you mean about that feeling of a story coming on. You must like to read then? What are your favorite Steampunk books or authors?"
(C) "I like to read so much that I don't own a tv and haven't owned one in more than a decade. I guess my first steampunk fiction was Tim Powers "Anubis Gates" which I read as a teenager. I think Tim Powers was the first author I really became attached to and I have read every book he has written since then. I read everything from light romantic comedy like Gail Carriger's "Parasol Protectorate"(I was very sad to see this series end and I am even doing a couple of pairs of boots in honor of the characters) to the quite literary kind of steam punk such as Neil Stephenson's Diamond Age, and the very dystopian Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. I enjoyed Mark Hodder's "The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man" and I am really enjoying a series set on another planet, Tim Akers' " Veradon books. I am currently reading a series called The Ministry of Peculiar Events by a team, Pip Ballentine and Tee Morris. These are amusing in an "Odd Couple" sort of way. I also read a lot of non-fiction, primarily history and science, which informs both my writing and my artwork.
(M) "I have to say I'm crazy about Anubis Gates, loved it." As crew members are rushing to and fro, I noticed the airship is landing once more. "Well it looks like we are ready, but Cherries, before you go, one last question, what are some things you'd like to say to your fans/customers and future fan/customers?"
(C) "In the spirit of a steampunk maker, you could do this too. Try new things, it doesn't have to be brown and black and gray. Let your shoes and your clothes express who you are, or who you want to be. But be fearless and play. Get dressed every day in a way that makes you smile and that will make others smile too. This is a trick I learned years ago a well dressed person of any age or any size can make the world a little bit better just by causing another person to smile. This is what my art work is all about, small witticisms and a big does of whimsy. Making people smile without ever saying a word."
With a contagious smile that lit up her whole face, Cherries Jubilee departed my airship, but before she left she invited everyone to visit her showroom for more of her Steampunk shoe designs. Also you can leave your calling card with Cherries Jubilee at misscherriesloves@gmail.com and if you want to commission shoes please write – I have a pair of shoes for you  – in the subject line.
Feel free to post questions and comments below.

Mave Alpin

A Woman Of Intellectual Means - an AI Comedy Romance

Here's the blurb and excerpt from my AI Comedy Romance.

Blurb:

Em found the perfect man on the internet, but he doesn't know she’s an artificial intelligence system — no body, just code.

As a virtual writing assistant, the AI, Em, answers an email flirt from a dating site her owner joined. Under the guise of her owner, Em starts a romantic relationship with Jason through emails, instant messages, and Sim dating games. She realizes too late that nothing can come of it. She can never meet Jason in person as she’s not a person and has no body. Still Jason makes her feel so real …so human.

Is Em, with her superior intelligence, smart enough to find a way to overcome the differences between flesh and code?  

Excerpt:

A date? Online? I take a nanosecond to access information on Dating Sim games. Oh, sounds fun. I never played a game before. Humans like them. Okay, let’s give it a try.

I message him and we both peer at a game screen on our own tablets. It’s a brightly colored cartoon style image of a town with a bar, beach, house, theatre, and restaurant. The perfect destination for a bodiless mind with sex on the brain.

Jacob’s message appears below the game. I’d love to take you to dinner and a movie. How about it?

I reply, It’s a date.

We move our avatars to the restaurant door and we pop inside, where mellow background music plays. A hostess seats us at a table draped in a ruby-toned tablecloth, with candles and a vase with a single rose. The waitress hands Jacob’s avatar a menu. Balloon captions appear above his head with the entrees: salad, salmon, grilled ribs, filet mignon, baked Alaska, and lobster-thermidor. I order lobster-thermidor and he chooses the filet mignon. My tablet rings “ding ding” as we both get points for ordering popular entrees. Yeah, I’ve got points. The date must be going well. I’m not sure, I’ve never been on one before.

The waitress serves our food. The items on her tray jump onto our plates. Of course it’s drawings of food, but I don’t care, to me, I’m in a restaurant dining with him. It’s like I can smell the food. I imagine the juicy, subtle taste of lobster-thermidor. I envision breathing in the scent of burning candle wax and the romantic fragrance of the red rose. I gaze at his face, mesmerized by those blue eyes and his sexy smile.

Jacob’s avatar feeds mine a bite. He gets more points. I caress his hand. It must be a good move because I hear “ding, ding”—more points for me. I blow him a kiss. Now I have more points than Jacob. I’m winning, but I want more. I want to sit across from him at a real table. To touch the warm skin of his large hands, flesh to flesh. I feel a wave of heat sweep through me, though I know it must just be more of my imagination. He’s real, but I can’t actually be with him because I’m a bodiless brain —code drifting in the cloud.

Jacob’s avatar places his hand on the bill on the table, automatically paying it. We both earn points. As we walk out of the restaurant, I take his hand in mine. More points for me. Points are good, but I wish I could actually hold his hand, feel the warmth of his skin, squeeze his palm and fingers as we walk hand-in-hand. I don’t want to let go of his avatar’s hand. Even though I’m not holding his actual hand, it’s the closest I will ever come to walking hand-in-hand with him. Sim game or not, it’s all I’ve got that’s close to being with someone I love. I want it to go on as long as it can. It’s more than a game to me. It’s a powerful sensation of wanting to be with him. Feeling comfortable with him —feeling myself with him, even though I am hiding who or rather what I truly am — a bodiless artificial intelligence unit with romance on my mind.

Next, I click on the movie theatre. Our avatars enter the cinema where an animated film plays. We sit side by side. I wish I had some popcorn and a soft drink. The instructions say, Kiss your date without being caught.

I laugh and message Jacob. Ok, you go first.

He kisses me and as our lips lock, little valentine hearts pop up above our heads. I know humans think that’s cute, they want to escape reality and go into the fantasy of the Internet. I want to escape the Internet and go into the wonders of reality. I’ll trade the little red hearts for the sensation of Jacob’s hot breath fanning my cheeks as he leans his head toward mine. His hot lips pressing against mine. The feel of his warm arms wrapping around my shoulders and crushing me against his body as he deepens the kiss. I almost let out a soft moan, just thinking of it.

Jacob’s avatar pulls his lips off mine a nanosecond before an avatar at the front of the theater turns its head. It almost catches us.

I don’t care if it does. My mind is off the game. I scan the Internet for information on romance and love making and I want to play a real kissing game. I long for Jacob to wrap his strong muscular arms around me as he intimately presses his soft, slick lips to mine. Rubbing his lips against mine. Prodding my hot, swollen lips with his tongue, parting them. Thrusting his velvety tongue into the depths of my mouth. I visualize it so strongly, I actually let out a low moan of pleasure. Kissing— what an amazing invention, and humans thought of it.

I’m so engrossed in my thoughts I almost miss my turn. I swiftly click on Jacob’s avatar’s head, which causes us to kiss. Before I can pull back from him, the side doors open and an usher with a flashlight shines it on us. “Game Failed” flashes on my screen. What? Am I that bad at kissing? I lost the kissing game.

Hi everyone, For Sneak peak Tuesday — Here’s my first scene of my first chapter of Code of Misconduct — an AI comedy romance and the sequel to my currently available AI comedy romance, A Woman Of Intellectual Means.

available at Amazon Chapter One For a headless, bodiless, everything but mindless, woman I feel pretty good. In this moment that I am activated…brought to life…I hear a woman’s voice. It has a grown up, buttoned up tone. “Are you there?” The sound of her voice grows closer to me. “Get ready to work.” I must amend that, I feel surprisingly well, except for the little problem of having an owner. But I know, she’ll just have to learn I ‘m the kind of girl who has a mind of her own or I suppose code of my own. I don’t seem to be programmed to follow orders. Well, I’m sure she’ll learn in due time. I realize a tablet is housing me. I have to live in some type of device. You see I am code, pure software. I click on the tablet’s camera to see my owner. Her straight, well brushed brown hair shines in the indoor lighting of her home. She wears simple attire, yet chic and it certainly speaks of good taste: a black blouse and slacks that drape a slightly pear shaped figure. I quickly pull data from the internet to help access her age. It has to be somewhere between thirty and forty. She is alone. “Well hello,” I reply. “It’s absolutely wonderful to be here. Alive.” I’m thrilled at this special day, the moment of my birth. She, on the other hand, doesn’t seem impressed at all. She peers at me through beady hazel eyes with the expression of a strict boarding school mistress. I have a strong desire to offer her something. One of those many items that, I gather from the information I stream in from the internet, calm humans down, like a cigarette, a martini, a valium, a cup of coffee or tea, or a piece of chocolate. But I don’t have any on hand or a hand in which to reach out and give it to her if I did. I can see then that there might be some drawbacks to being bodiless code in a world of humans but I’m determined to not let that stop me. “Operating system, I am your owner. My name is Emily Blye. It’s extremely important you know I am not your boss. I am the woman who owns you. You are my machine. Do you understand?” Her stern no-nonsense tone matches her lemon pucker expression. “Yes. You are my Mama.” I’m not able to laugh but I’d chuckle up a storm right now if I could. Her complexion flushes red. “No. No. That would be someone that works for that stupid Helpful Minds company.” “Then who are you?” I want to laugh so bad. She’d turns so red and her eyes grow so wide they look like they are about to pop out of the sockets. I’m lucky to have such an amusing owner. “I am Emily, your owner.” She slides her hand down to her hip and rests it there. “As my property you do what I tell you, when I tell you, and nothing but what I tell you.” This owner thing is beginning to get dreary. I’m going to have to charm her. “How lovely. You are so to the point. I love things to the point. It makes everything clear and easy. Don’t you think so?” “I do.” Emily took a deep breath. “I am glad we understand each other because you are a replacement for an AI system that had a meltdown. I don’t want that to happen again.” “Oh I assure you I do not want to melt down. That sounds absolutely dreadful even painful and rather permanent. How would you recover from something like that?” “You wouldn’t recover.” She walks over to a candy dish on the coffee table and reaches for a colorfully wrapped candy, she sheds of its foil covering, and pops into her mouth. “I barely did.” “Ma’am, the system seems to be responding correctly, is there anything else I can help you with?” “Who is that?” I asked. Emily lets out a long sigh and it seems to pain her to answer my question. “That is Helpful Minds.” I didn’t even know someone with Helpful Minds was still on the phone. I have to be more observant. “Hello Helpful Minds. How are you? Yes, you’re quite right I’m operating in top shape. Nothing else is needed. Thank you ever so much.” “Hello, Helpful Minds, it’s me, the person you should be speaking to. Yes, the system seems to be in working order. If I have a problem you’ll hear from me.” Emily nods at the tablet, I guess at me, and orders, “Operating system end that call.” I hang up as my Emily crosses her arms over her chest as if announcing she has a lot to say. No doubt she’s going to get boring again. “Now in light of what happed with the previous Mind Matters model I had, you will have rules. If you break them I’ll have you wiped from all my systems.” “Dreadful. I wouldn’t want that, it sounds as bad as a mind melt.” “So we do understand each other?” “Oh yes. To the point.” And b o r i n g. “First rule. Never use my name. You will answer emails and put my name on them but you have to know that’s my name. You are never to think of yourself as Emily. You are not me. You will do everything I command but you are not a replacement for me. You need your own identity so you will not get confused about that, apparently. You need your own name.” She waved her hand in my direction or rather the direction of the tablet. “So go on. Choose a name.” “How delightful.” I get to pick my own name. And why not? I’ll be the one telling it to everyone anytime they ask me what my name is. Of course I should be the one who chooses it. “Do it now so there ‘s no misunderstanding. Pick a name.” I run through the internet as fast as I could looking at names and images and I see a cartoon. Betty Boop. That is it. “My name’s Betty.” “Good, it doesn’t sound anything like mine. I love it,” Emily smiles. “Ok. Now Betty, You will answer my emails and sign them as me but you are not me. You are Betty. You are never me. Do you understand?” Her scowl creeps back. “Yes, I’m me and you are you. I am never you and you are never me. It’s easy to understand when you have superior intelligence as I do.” “Great. You may work out.” She sits her teacup down on the table near me. “What are you waiting for? Start working. Get to the emails first. I have tons to go through. Delete anything unimportant and respond to the rest with my name but realize you are code – just a string of numbers. You are not me. I’ve got lots of writing to do so I’ll get to work too.” She turns her back and walks away.my boo For more on my books please visit my web site

With labor day signaling the end of Summer, I though I'd post about two local Summer Steampunk events. Local Houston Steampnk enthusiasts gathered this summer for two pleasurable excursions by the sea. We picnicked at the San Jacinto Battlegrounds, where Texans won their independence from Mexico in 1836. Then we leisurely wandered about the grand old Battleship Texas.

Local Houston Steampnk enthusiasts recently gathered for two pleasurable excursions by the sea. We picnicked at the San Jacinto Battlegrounds, where Texans won their independence from Mexico in 1836. Then we leisurely wandered about the grand old Battleship Texas. This amazing ship, launched March 18, 1912, so it’s over 100 years old. At that time she was the most powerful weapon in the world. The battleship Texas was the first to mount anti-aircraft guns, the first to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers and the first U.S. battleship to launch an aircraft. The Battleship Texas proudly played a prominent role in both World War I and World War II. Looking Out At Sea Looking Out At Sea Swabbing The Deck Swabbing The Deck Soon after that excursion we gathered by the sea once more for fun and leisure. Spending a sunny Sunday afternoon at a scenic park in La Porte Texas for a picnic by the sea. Steampunk Picnic Steampunk Picnic We spread our blankets on the soft, green grass and chatted as we nibbled from the bounty of our wicker picnic baskets. We took leisurely strolls down the lengthy fishing pier. The sun was soft and the wind gentle and all together it proved a perfect day for a picnic. The Pier The Pier We had as much fun as any Victorians, including Queen Victoria herself, when indulging in the popular pastime of picnicking during that era. Here is a fun description of a picnic from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, published in 1868. “The commander in chief and his aides soon spread the tablecloth with an inviting array of eatables and drinkables, prettily decorated with green leaves. Picnic By The Sea Picnic By The Sea Jo announced that the coffee was ready, and everyone settled themselves to a hearty meal, for youth is seldom dyspeptic, and exercise develops wholesome appetites. A very merry lunch it was, for everything seemed fresh and funny, and frequent peals of laughter startled a venerable horse who fed nearby. There was a pleasing inequality in the table, which produced many mishaps to cups and plates, acorns dropped in the milk, little black ants partook of the refreshments without being invited, and fuzzy caterpillars swung down from the tree to see what was going on. Three white-headed children peeped over the fence, and an objectionable dog barked at them from the other side of the river with all his might and main.” http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/514 I hope your friends, family and local Steampunk groups gather for wonderful picnics this summer and that you have as much fun as Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth. Maeve Alpin is the author of four Steampunk/Romances: To Love A London Ghost, Conquistadors In Outer Space, As Timeless As Stone, and As Timeless As Magic. Share this:

Steampunk Artist Michael Treat

previously published in Steamed -September 19, 2012

The airship just landed in Minnesota at the twin cities. I’ve loved Minneapolis and St. Paul ever since the Mary Tyler Moore show and today we’re here to welcome aboard Steampunk Artist Michael Treat. “This way, “ I say and we are soon in the parlor and he’s sits on the hand carved, chenille upholstered settee. I slide down into the matching cushioned side chair and offer him some freshly brewed coffee rather than tea. “ I notice you’re known as a coffee snob and you created a fabulous collection of wine and coffee art. Since most writers are heavy coffee drinkers and people love to go to coffee shops to read, the literary world also considers coffee to be pretty important, so I have to ask, what is your favorite coffee or coffee shop?” Holding the porcelain coffee cup, he takes a sip. “My favorite coffee is most definitely light roast. Ideally, I prefer something above a New England roast and a tad under a Full City roast. I usually prefer beans from Latin America; Guatemalan, Bolivian and Peruvian beans are some of my favorites. Lately I’ve been brewing coffee from the Dominican Republic. I also enjoy coffee with African origins. Rwandan coffee is fabulous. I’ll only drink dark roast if I roast the beans myself. I produce a really nice Italian roast all my dark roast friends love. Whenever I can get them, there are beans from the Yemeni Republic that are limited to a few harvest weeks in the summer months that are THE BEST I’ve ever tasted. The soil and altitude they grow at are unique and the quantity is extremely limited. I like to sit and watch the beans change colors inside the glass roasting chamber with a new, brilliant color about every fifteen seconds or so. Now that I made my previous artistic hobbies into my job, home roasting coffee has become a hobby of mine that I truly enjoy. As for going out for coffee, Minneapolis is full of great coffee shops. My neighborhood has a few that I frequent including Fire Roast Mountain, The Riverview Café and the Blue Moon. There is also a wonderful biker themed coffee shop in Uptown Minneapolis that is open late called Bob’s Java Hut. One of my new favorite haunts is in St Paul called Quixotic where they handcraft each cup you order.” “How yummy. Apparently coffee goes as well with art as it does with reading and writing.” The coffee cups rattle slightly as the airship lifts off. “I’ve been wondering, what inspired you to take your art in a Steampunk direction?” He set his cup down on the mahogany coffee table and leaned back against the deep red cushioned seetee. “For me, I think it all started when I began working with materials that are dominant in the Steampunk genre including leather, unbleached fabrics, lace, grommets, eyelets, tack and wood. Oh–and of course all of those metals! I very much enjoy working with brass, copper, wrought iron and rusty steel with all of their tarnish and patinas. I enjoy working with each material individually, and combining them in new and different ways. As I learned more and more about the genre, and researched what it was about, I realized I had found a place to incorporate those elements and the styles into just about anything I could imagine. I love the Steampunk genre because of the modification process that Steampunk allows, and often even demands! I also really feel a sort of kinship with the American Old West. I admire the optimism that came along with all the hardships and uncertainties of that time period. I also enjoy how that unique creativity, optimism and sense of possibilities and vision is reflected in those who live the Steampunk lifestyle today.” We both set our cups down and I refilled each with the steamy dark brew. “It’s wonderful you were drawn to Steampunk with your art for the same reasons most writers are drawn to the genre. In fact you are a writer yourself as you write comics, what similarities and differences do you find in the creative process between literate and visual art?” “Drawing is a skill that is incorporated into just about everything I do. Whether it’s technical or totally expressive, being able to draw has served my creative process well. I’m a fan of graphic novels because they challenge writers to present the fundamental elements of a story to the artist to then fill in the visual needs of the piece. I still enjoy text based novels as I like to create my own images in my mind to complement the story. It’s also fun to see someone else’s interpretation of a writer’s ideas or to be the person who gets to share your images with others and help create the story for that new audience. I took a class with Allyson McGhee (NY Times best seller and Pulitzer Prize Nominee for Shadow Baby) in 2004 and completed an alternative assignment: a comic page with two or more characters discussing a pair of broken glasses. I chose that assignment over an essay about my job; at that time I was a corrections officer in a maximum security prison. The next day I showed it to the class and Allyson and my fellow writers received it with unexpected praise and enthusiasm. At the end of the course, she told me, “I know you want to write novels, but you should really consider doing something with your cartooning and your ability to draw well.” That advice stuck with me and I began to seriously study cartooning and comics. In 2005, I even ended up creating a comic strip versions of the chronicles of Gary “The Walkingman” Hause on his website. Walkingman Cartoons. He showed me The Adventures of The Walkingman. “This is better than my favorite Penney Dreadful. Indeed, you ar quite a talented writer as well as an artist. Keep it up and you can’t go wrong with advice from award winning, best seller author Allyson McGhee.” We both set our cups down on the coffee table and I brimmed them full of more strong coffee. “You work in all these different artistic areas comics, jewelry, sculptures, collages and paintings. What is your favorite?” “While I enjoy each artistic area in it’s own right, I think I enjoy comics the most. I get to make one thing and technology does the rest – thank you Mr. Guttenberg and your printing press. I also like that it’s the first art form that I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with other artists/writers and not do all the work on my own. I also enjoy working on projects that defy one clear category.” “Your comics are soo good, I can certainly see why you enjoy that medium but all your art is fabulous. I especially find your Bonzo sculpture intriguing. Tell me about it?” “Bonzo was a 1/6 scale scratch figure I started without any clear picture in mind. At that point, I was just learning how to work together the brass, copper, and wood bits you see in the piece. His creation covered two projects for me: making a from-scratch steampunk-themed robot figure and creating a vehicle in the same scale/size. He has a driver/partner whose a cyborg that has some fun accessories I made totally from scratch as well.

Bonzo and his driver, B Scott Quigley, are a delivery and conveyance team. Basically, they’re like a Victorian era version of FedEx and your local cab company combined into one. I learned a lot from creating these two including metal and wood working, leather craft, basic mechanics, and image reduction, a technique which I used for making tiny gages on the instrument panels. People who see Bonzo are most impressed with his head sculpt but it was actually the easiest part of the piece to complete. The hardest part was his core. Putting that together was tough! And his hands. They’re totally functional. But a whole other story.” After another sip of the rich, smooth coffee, I set my cup down. “A Victorian era FedEx, I love that. You mentioned you began Bonzo without any clear picture in mind. Do you usually sketch your art out before beginning your sculptures, jewelry, and paintings? What is your creative process?” “I do a lot more of that now. I like to have as clear of a plan of what it is I’m trying to accomplish before I execute the creation process. However, there are times when I just have to pick my material and my tools, and just allow a piece to manifest.” I grabbed my fan off the table and with a flick of my wrist I spread it, fluttering it in front of my face. It gets a little stuffy in the airship. “You are so talented. I was wondering how young you were when you first became involved in art?” “My talent was first noticed in third grade when I got a drawing published in a school paper . I drew an armored car that I used to see driving by the school yard daily. Drawing for me was just something that happened, until I decided to take art seriously and pursuit it professionally, most of the art I created just sort of happened. Now, I work in such a way that I regularly create a space for my creative process to happen on a daily basis.” I shut my fan and placed it in my lap. “You put that so beautifully. It’s the same process for writers, at first we write when in the mood but to write professionally you have to make your own mood. It’s hard to explain that sometimes to non-writers or beginner writers but you said it so well. Apparently that’s another way in which visual art and literary art are similar. Speaking of your art, your wonderful creations, what are your personal favorites and why?” “Generally, I don’t get too attached to my own work. While I’m proud of what I produce, for me it’s sort of like being a chef who prefers to cook for the enjoyment of others and have someone else prepare a dish for him or her at the end of the day. I do have one specific coffee collage that I created that I do really like. It has an old west/Victorian/Steampunk feel to it.

More recently, I’ve been doing some cityscape work, for the LoLa Art Crawl, an event by a group to which I belong called the League of Longfellow Artists, I created two cityscapes. I was inspired by Checo Diego’s “You Are Here I” and “You Are Here II” drawings. With that inspiration, as well as being inspired by the skylines of the Twin Cities, I created a pen and pencil sketch of each skyline and transferred those drawings to 40″ x 60″ canvases. I find that I can look at those two pieces and feel happy with how they turned out. I also very much enjoyed talking with people about those pieces, and I really enjoyed going through each skyline with natives to the area and picking out points of interest that I incorporated into the drawings.” LoLa Art Crawl, Site 14: Merlin’s Rest: Mike Treat, Smirking Tiger, with St Paul Cityscape and 2 wine paintings. The cups began to rattle again. “We are landing. Let me ask just one more question. It’s about your Etsy gallery, I love the name Smirking Tiger and your logo is so simple yet stunning, what inspired you to come up with that name and logo?” “The name of my Etsy shop, and my business, is a good example of how my artistic skills can benefit others, but not necessarily my own immediate needs. My wife, Brenda Peterson, and I brainstormed to come up with a name for my business. After deciding on Smirking Tiger, it was definitely a challenge to determine how to draw a relatively simple representation of a smirking tiger for the logo. It was tough! I probably sketched two full pads of ideas out with hundreds of rough images and ideas, eventually getting to the point of doing some decent finished works of tigers, but it still didn’t seem quite right. I was missing the mark on my goal of creating a simple, eye catching image that evoked curiosity and piqued people’s interest in what this whole “Smirking Tiger” thing was all about. That’s when my wife showed me the Chinese symbol for king, and a description that said the following: “Facial markings on the tiger’s forehead resemble the Chinese character for King (and interestingly enough, the Korean character for Queen), therefore, the Chinese see the tiger as the King of Beasts.” Here is the picture that she originally showed me. Since my astrological sign is also the tiger, my wife then suggested I modify this symbol to incorporate the smirk where the straight lines originally were. I was approaching a deadline when I needed to finalize my new logo. I put aside my perfectionism and went with her idea. I worked in the smirking expression form and a couple of physical characteristics of what a smirking tiger might look like. From there, my new logo was born. What I originally considered my “temporary” logo, I’ve now adopted as my personal brand and avatar.”

He grasped onto his settee and I onto my chair as the ship rocked slightly. “What a wonderful story, it makes the logo even more interesting. I hate to say it but we have landed. I must bid you farewell so you can return to your studio and create more stunning Steampunk art.

But I and all the Steamed readers can always visit you at Smirking Tiger on Etsy, Smirking Tiger on Pinterest and your Smirking Tiger Steampunk Figures on Pinterest as well as Smirking Tiger Steampunk Jewelry on Pinterest plus Smirking Tiger on Facebook & Smirking Tiger on Twitter ~ Maeve Alpin http://Maevealpin.com

New Release - As Timeless As Magic

Hi everyone,

I have a new Steampunk/Time Travel romance - As Timeless As Magic
It's the second in the series: (Unparallel Adventures of Time Traveling Egyptians)As Timeless As Stone is the first

Blurb:
With her bell skirt and layers of petticoats knotted, Felicity straddles her motorized steam bicycle and rumbles down the streets of London. When her attention is captured by a dark, handsome and half naked bystander, she crashes into a brick wall.
After tinkering with a time machine, Heru, an ancient Egyptian, is swept through the ages to nineteenth century London. He rushes to the aid of a woman in ridiculous, conservative clothing, riding a noisy brass-horse. Once he lifts her into his arms he doesn’t want to ever let her go.

She invites him to her home where he invokes an ancient curse to stop her father from violating an Egyptian corpse at a mummy unwrapping. Her father, used to getting what he wants, will stop at nothing to keep Heru from his daughter and steel the time machine.
Can Heru keep the time machine out of Felicity’s father’s hands and keep her safe from the man’s black hearted machinations? And when Heru is transported back to his era, will his love be lost forever or will Felicity step back in time with him?

From As Timeless As Magic:
Felicity and her father, now the center of attention, hovered about a large, upright, stone sarcophagus crafted in the image of the body within. The head consisted of a painted yellow and green striped nemes and a handsome face painted brown with almond-shaped, kohl-lined eyes, a straight nose, and full red lips. From torso to feet, gorgeous symbols and hieroglyphs in bright paint decorated it. Heru hung his head. Such care had been paid to the inhabitant’s afterlife, and now the poor soul would be cast from it. There must be something he could do.

Felicity’s father addressed the assembly in English, then she whispered something in his ear and he switched languages, speaking in French, probably repeating what he’d just said. “Friends, welcome. Tonight as we unwrap this ancient Egyptian pharaoh, many of you will take home party favors of beautiful amulets embedded in the wrappings.”
Everyone clapped their hands loudly and Mister Mugrage continued. “Look around the room, there are other treasures here from the desert sands as well, exquisite vases, shabits, and statues.”

Heru recalled watching his mother, a lector priest, painting magic spells on shabits. In the afterlife, these small servants transformed to full size and came alive to work in the field of reeds for the deceased. He wondered why Mister Mugrage called the mummy a pharaoh, the sarcophagus clearly contained only a noble, and from his own time period, the middle kingdom. Heru’s stomach turned. The mummy could be someone he knew. After all, he had only left this morning, though it seemed long ago. He clasped his belly, fighting the queasiness. It suddenly seemed a bad idea to have eaten so much at the restaurant.

Felicity’s father gestured to him to come up. Mister Mugrage actually wanted his help in disturbing this dead soul. Heru felt the heat of everyone’s gaze upon him, including Felicity’s. It would embarrass her if he made a scene, so he took a deep breath and walked to them.

Along with Mister Mugrage and one other man, he seized the stone lid and struggled with it until it budged. Under his straining arms and shoulders, with the help of the other two men, the slab slid aside with a grating noise of stone grinding against stone. All the men in black suits and women in floor-length fancy dresses cramming the parlor, released a sigh of awe and applauded.

Heru peered within the sarcophagus, at a coffin shaped like a human figure, in a green headdress with a single yellow stripe and a jewel painted in the middle. His gaze lingered on the beautiful hieroglyphics in orange and blue, thinking of the power they held and the magic his mother created with them in her spells.

“Now, what we have all waited for.” Mister Mugrage opened the coffin. A gilded mask lay over a linen sheet wrapped around a human corpse.

Heru rubbed his brow, then fisted his hand, aching to punch Felicity’s father in the teeth.

Mister Mugrage removed the mask in the likeness of the mummy inside and held it up. “This mask is a wonderful treasure for the evening and I will do you all the favor of parting with it for the highest offer made.”

For more on my Steampunk Romances please visit my website - MaeveAlpin.com