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• book shelfAttention beaders!Are you readyfor Steampunk?Ever heard of Steampunk? It’s a popculture movement that combinesromance and technology withinfluences from the Victorian era andfuturistic writers of the 19th century.Think Robert Downey Junior in theSherlock Holmes movie! Influencingfashion, film, interior design andnow beading and jewellery making,Steampunk is being celebrated bybeader and author, Jean Campbell,in her wonderful book, Steampunk-Style Jewelry: A Maker’s Collection ofVictorian, Fantasy, and MechanicalDesigns.“Mad Max Meets Jane Austen”is how Jean likes to describe theaesthetic. Steampunks often makeor modify everyday objects to fit theirneo Victorian vision. This could meanmaking a wood and brass cabinet fora PC or a mock ray gun suitable foran adventure with Jules Verne. Type‘Steampunk’ into etsy.com and you’llcome up with more than 60,000 hits.Handmade crafts suit the style.Jean Campbell, designer, authorand founding editor of Beadworkmagazine, came across Steampunkjewellery produced by Melanie Brooksof Earthenwood Studios in the USAa few years ago and proposed aSteampunk project as part of a largerbook proposal.“The publisher liked that projectso much that they decided to make awhole book on the theme,” says Jean.“It didn’t take long to get my fingersinto the Steampunk community; theyare very tightly knit and very willing toshare and support each other.”Jean “adores” Steampunkbecause of its accessibility. “OverallSteampunk pieces can be done with‘cold’ techniques like stringing, gluing,hammering, and wirework. In general,Steampunk is born from a very do-ityourselfplace (think mad scientist ina Nikola Tesla-style laboratory!), sothere’s lots of room for experimentationand play,” she explains.Away from the laboratory, Jean canbe found teaching beading classesthroughout the USA and has yetanother book hitting the shelves, thisone called Creating Glamorous Jewelrywith Swarovski Elements. “This onecontains 25 of my original designs - allintermediate to advanced bead weavingprojects influenced by Hollywoodglamour pusses of the 1940s, 50s and60s,” she says. “It’s a complete 180degrees from Steampunk, but that’s“In general,Steampunk isborn from a verydo-it-yourselfplace, so there’slots of room forexperimentationand play”what makes my job fun!”Living and working in the USA as acornerstone of the beading community(she is a ‘Create Your Style CrystallizedElements Ambassador’ for Swarovskiand writes a popular weekly blog onBeading Daily), Jean is in the perfectposition to gauge current trends in thebeading world: “All I can say is metalmetal metal! Maybe it’s about thecathartic act of hammering away thoseeconomic frustrations?” •@ Visitwww.jeancampbellink.comwww.beadingdaily.comwww.earthenwoodstudio.comAbove: Jean Campbell, her new book andsome of her own beaded creations.128 spotlight.com.au