Sexy Steampunk

This is yet another project from me that started with a club at Crafty Bunch. This last week we got papers from the Kaisercraft Miss Empire line and I got the idea of making a corset in my head. It didn't go away and so I combined the papers with a papier-mâché torso and this is the result. It was difficult at times but I love how it turned out so it was well worth it. 

I added a skirt of sorts to my original corset idea because I wanted to make it a complete piece. The pieces of ribbon have a die cut gear and one of my favourite finds glued to the bottom.

Punched scalloped circles formed the basis for decorative rosettes on the corset. Oh and the finish on the corset was achieved using a coating of glossy decoupage glue. I had used the glue to stick the strips that make up the corset to the torso but the paper was too dull for the look I wanted, I wanted the idea of a shiny fabric like satin. I had already painted the torso with Ivory emulsion because I wanted a dull finish for that.

The lacing at the back of the corset is actually a piece of the printed strip from the bottom of the paper. The lace around the top and bottom is ideal for hiding the messy edges.

I decided that I wanted to give her a piece of jewellery and since the little copper 'gears' were something that I had been hoarding in my jewellery supplies for years it seemed appropriate to team then with glass seed beads. This was actually one of the hardest parts of the entire make and in order to get it to sit properly I have glued the 'gears' to the torso. I also added an extra 'flower' to the back of the necklace to cover up the fastenings. By the way those 'gears' are actually spring washers, I am informed, but they work beautifully at this scale.

In this view you can see the strips that form the corset and the piece I fitted over the top to form the basque front. The corset was treated to a coat of pewter gilding wax to emphasis the gloss.

She needed a hat to finish the look and so I made one using more die cut gears and love the look. It needed decoration so it got a band of the ribbon I used for the skirt and a bow at the back, finished with another 'gear', the flowers at the front are punched scalloped circles again. I sprayed them with perfect pearls spray and once they were glued together added a liquid pearls centre.

She is on a stand made from a wooden cotton reel. This has been wrapped with a piece of paper and trimmed with the laces I used on the corset. The final touch was another die cut gear and some more 'flowers'. This time I inked the gear with Distress Ink, stamped over it with Archival ink and then added a coat of rock candy distress crackle paint.

I hope you like her because I do.

Happy crafting