Lest I've been neglecting my steampunky side during these countdown weeks to launch (4 weeks! EEEEEEE!), I wanted to feature something I've been seeing a lot of lately: tentacles! Octopi! Squidilicious cephalopods! Creepy-crawly slimy works of boneless art. I honestly have no idea why these things got lumped into the steampunk genre, but highly suspect is has something to do with H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu or Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. In any case, it's a short hop from bowler hats and goggles to squirmy suckers.
As far as art and artists, I think Ursula Vernon does it best (click here), but the best art is the type you can wear and 'punking out is ALL the rage nowadays. You can accentuate yourself with buckles, bangles, baubles, t-shirts, and hair clips and hats--squiddy goodness is everywhere (if you know where to look!)
This awesome hair clip brought to you by Steampunk Couture.
But, personally, I have been on a home-decorating kick lately and have been ALL about finding things to spice up the house, shopping locally and in easy-to-find places. Some of my favorite "ooh" and "ahh" places to gaze with wishful thinking are HomeGoods and Anthropologie. Here are some beauties I've discovered, slithery silver goodies that look like that could just wriggle across the table and offer up a platter of crudités:
Actually, the big pod reminded me of Shaun Tan's THE LOST THING while the candle holders were just cool.
Like your wall art to reach out and grab someone? I'm a big fan of these vinyl wall art decals that could spice up a bathroom or curl around a closet, and Art Akimbo has a fabulous piece on its etsy shop that I could only dream of hanging over the mantle (with maybe a top hat secured near its base):
Then there is what to serve at your next Steampunk High Tea: I vote tentacular cupcakes! You can try these recipes from Martha Stewart or The Cupcake Blog, but I have my own fun with fondant tentacles back during the Creepy Cake n Bake contest:
Help meeeeeeeeeeeee!
Can I say it? I'm hooked!
