Steampunk Christmas Candles

I saw this tutorial for decorated candles at Halloween, but I only just got around to trying it:
http://sewforsoul.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/halloween-diy-printed-candles.html

I did follow the directions from the tutorial for three of my Christmas candles, but I also tried using rubber stamps directly on the tissue paper for two candles and they worked just as well.

The candles I used were a $10 set from Ikea.



These are the two that were made from rubber stamp designs:



Free clip art found online:






My husband's original artwork, printed onto white tissue paper:

Featured Teapot Racer: Lucy Deux

This is "Lucy Deux"



I was excited when the Hamilton family showed up with a teapot racer at the Renninger's Steampunk Industrial Show in Mount Dora. They are very memorable as the only people to build a teapot racer while sitting next to the registration table, just before a race. They hadn't even owned a remote controlled vehicle when they first stopped by the registration table that day, but went out and bought one, so they could compete. The resulting racer was "Last Minute Lucy".



This year, they came prepared to race with this cute fairy themed racer and fairy jars that flashed different colors, as judges' bribes.



Jeff Hamilton does the driving, but it's easy to see that this is a project that involves the whole family.



The Hamiltons received full marks for showmanship and the quality of the judges' bribes, but lost a couple points on negotiating the hazards of the obstacle course.

Featured Teapot Racer: Astor Burner

"Astor Burner" was built and driven by Tristan Van Cise. This young man was present at the very first Splendid Teapot Race, to watch his mother race, but this was his first time with a vehicle of his own.



Judges' bribes don't have to be physical things. They can be poems, compliments, songs, dances, or jokes. Tristan gave the judges the gift of laughter.



The judges' bribe joke:

"One day the Engineer pulled into the station. He went into the station and when he came out the train was gone! He turned to a train yard worker, where did the train go? The worker didn't know. The engineer asked several other people getting angrier and angrier that he couldn't find the train. Walked around another train that had pulled in while he was inside the station and there was his train. It had been there all along and he got STEAMED over nothing."



His bribe received the maximum possible points from both judges.





Winner of the "Most Splendid First Time Contestant" ribbon.

Featured Teapot Racer: Kabootle

This was Rocky Sawyer's entry in Splendid Teapot Races on Oct. 21, 2017 at Renninger's Steampunk Industrial Show in Mount Dora, Florida. The little man inside the teapot, driving, is Kit and his racer is called Kabootle. The judges were so impressed by this design, that Rocky won the "Most Splendid Design" ribbon. 

His score may have been helped by the presentation of the bribes, as much as the bribes themselves, as he fished around in his sporran for the small bars of scented soaps.






Besides competing in the teapot races, Rocky also contributed his Alice in Wonderland themed obstacle course.



The clever design and amusing bribe could not help Kabootle on the race course, where it turned out to be woefully underpowered. Rocky did get full marks for showmanship, though.


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Featured Teapot Racer: The Mermaid's Tear

What do you do when you've built a beautiful teapot racer, only to discover that it doesn't have the power to make it through the obstacle course? You cheat.

Leann Drury arrived at Renninger's Steampunk Industrial Show with a plan to win the "Most Dastardly Driver" ribbon, the prize for most entertaining cheat. Her racer has a mermaid and ocean theme, so she came up with an alternate method of powering it, that fit perfect with that theme, a small, plastic fishing rod.

Between the creativity of the way she cheated, delicious cupcakes for the judges, and Leann's ability to entertain the crowd, she had no trouble winning her desired prize.


How to cheat with forethought and style:

The Steampunk Invasion of St. Augustine

Saturday, November 11, we joined the Cowford Steampunk Society and the Tampa Bay Steampunk Society for an outing to see the "Dressing Downton" exhibit at the Lightner Museum.







There was a very talented silhouette artist, just inside the front door of the Lightner museum.
This is my silhouette:



One of the other ladies from our group had her's done, as well:































Group pictures by the City Gate:









Because of Veterans Day, there was free admission to the Castillo de San Marcos, the old Spanish fort, so we went there after the group pictures.

















The Columbia Restaurant for dinner: