Royal Steamline The Blog | Inspiration for Brides & Grooms

These natural, handmade perfumes and lip embellishments are perfect for the curious bride. Lovely photography. Gorgeous packaging. Brilliant idea. View more items at the For Strange Women Etsy shop.

{Oils & Balms}

{Absinthe Lips}

{Rosewood Lip Balm}

Ciao!

We have returned from our Italian adventure and are ready to get into the spirit of the season by spotlighting the work of Rob Sacchetto at ZombiePortraits.com. In the summer of 2008, I learned about Rob and his work and instantly wanted to give Aerin a zombified portrait of us for a wedding present. Granted, at the time, I had no idea how popular an idea this was. So while it’s not the most original wedding gift, I still feel that for people like us, it was a perfect present. Check out the Zombie Portraits Flickr set for hundreds of examples of Rob’s work.

As for our portrait, my favorite part is that you can tell we’ve been kissing…and swapping more than just spit…

{Zombie Steamline}

Happy Halloween, everyone.

… J

We’re on the countdown to Halloween season, but you don’t have to wait for Fall to start celebrating. Here’s an ode to some of our favorite body parts on Etsy…

From top left:

1. Industrial Heart Pendant by Monster Kookies
2. Skeletie by Toybreaker
3. Heart Tie Tack by Tilly Bloom
4. Brain in a Jar by Your Organ Grinder
5. Tin Woodsman’s Heart badge by Cici’s Stash
6. Crochet Oxygenated Blood Cells by Concertina Pieces
7. Tell Tale Invitation by Royal Steamline
8. Anatomical Brain Placemats by Girls Can Tell

This week’s Etsy find comes from Locket2You. The Portland-based husband and wife team make charming wearable art from vintage lockets. My favorites are the vintage illustration collages that feature curious oddities such as avian paratroopers, elephants carrying umbrellas and an octopus tea party. With such a range of designs to choose from, these lockets would make great bridal party gifts or work well into a centerpiece or table decoration.

{Octopus' Tea Party}

{Rainy Day Elephant Locket}

{Horse Fly Locket}

Peter Atwood is an artist you’ve probably never heard of. But if you appreciate fine, handcrafted tools and knives, you have to check out his stuff.

{You little prybaby...}

But why are we posting Peter’s work on Royal Steamline? Because of one of Atwood’s latest creations called the Ringtool. It’s simply ingenious: the world’s smallest hex wrench and, with it’s attachment, a handy screwdriver.

{Ringtool - Dont worry, it comes in other colors too. This was just the best photo I could find.}

What could be a more perfect gift for the steampunk groom-to-be? Can’t you just see this on the hand of some airship mechanic? (And I’m sure they’re worn by all of the wrenchenfolk.)

Click here to see the steel ring in its natural color (with its screwdriver attachment as well), not to mention buy one for a paltry $45. For handcrafted jewelry (that’s also extremely practical), that’s a steal…

… J

I know I’m late to the game, but, holy cats: Sillof. This guy’s an artist and an artisan; he produces (generally for fun, not profit, mind you) handcrafted action-figure versions of many familiar heroes and villains (Star Wars, Marvel, Dune, even Terry Gilliam characters). Not only is his aesthetic sense spot on, he even explains his design inspiration, choices, and production technique.

Indeed, many of his creations re-imagine famous characters transplanted to clockwork realms. He requests that blogs do not link to his images, so unfortunately we can’t show you photos of his steampunk Spider-Man or Lord Vader or “Man of Iron” with actual steam emerging from his engines.

Just go here to begin your journey.

… J

OK, so we’re on a vintage book kick. What’s not to love about the craftsmanship that went into creating those ornate hardback covers? Even if I am allergic to the dust and mold they often carry… Today’s Etsy find is a perfect gift for the bibliophile or writer. Handcrafted out of archival and antique materials, this tiny book is filled with blank pages for you to fill. You can find this and other book treasures at The Black Spot Books.

{Grifter scrap leather journal necklace}

{Perfect for carrying your secret notes}

I love this idea featured on Craft. It appeals to my inner secret agent and makes use of all the old books I’ve been collecting for their covers. This clever case could be used to store all sorts of secret stuff…

{I spy}

Find all the details How to Turn a Book Into a Top-Secret Camera Case at Photojo. And if you don’t happen to have any extra old books sitting around, eBay is a great resource to pick some up for decoration or craft.

… A

As much as I find it to be a sweet sentiment, engraving wedding rings has always been an odd concept to me. If I’m wearing the ring, how am I supposed to read the inscription? So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon these custom guitar picks while searching for a wedding gift for J last year. You can customize the wording (usually around 20 characters) and font (limited) and make it all your own. It’s functional art that keeps on giving: Not only will he always have a pick on hand, but now he’ll never forget our anniversary.

And don’t just think this is a one-way gift to the guys. Women rock, too…

{Custom sterling silver guitar pick}

{Hand-stamped guitar pick necklace}

Find it here:

1. Custom guitar pick by Lisa’s Pieces
   
2. Guitar pick necklace by J2 Jewelery

Here’s a miniature post for one of my favorite curiosities: miniature replicas.

{Message in a bottle}

{Micro-miniature book on parasols}

{Handmade miniature "vampire killer's kit"}

Find these miniatures here:

1. Message in a bottle letter service by Miniature Rhino
2. Micro-miniature book on parasols by Bo Press
3. Handmade miniature vampire killer’s kit by Pjjammer