The Victorians were, after all, the true inventors of the Valentine’s Day card. The custom reached it’s zenith in the 1870s and 80s sometime after British postal rates were standardized. Often unabashedly flowery and sentimental, Victorian valentines were also pieces of artwork, and took quite a lot of effort and skill to conceive. Golden Age Valentine techniques and how-to links from puzzle purses to love knots are lovingly outlined here at: http://home.kendra.com/victorianrituals/Victor/val.htm

A quick Google shopping search reveals that many fine craftsmen have already come up with some novel creations, such as this unique collage by SenecaPondCrafts on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/65219762/steampunk-valentine-whimsical-junque?ref=v1_other_1. I also discovered some replicas for sale of the moving, “mechanical” type cards so popular in the late nineteenth century. To really get an idea of how these cards worked, you might also want to check out this demonstration.

Lastly, I think it is quite necessary to share this comical short film, circa the year 1900:

The Old Maid’s Valentine (1900)

Have a happy, ooey-gooey, Valentines Day!

If the subgenre is unfamiliar, the basics are explained on the blog, or here at: http://www.ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/dieselpunk_articles-3.php

At this point in the process, we’re looking on a rolling basis for short fiction, poetry, artwork, news stories, reviews- all of course, with a hefty serving of punk on the side. And who better to understand and sympathize with our mission than the steampunk community, so talented and gutsy?

Submissions can be sent to miss_abiotic@yahoo.com or christinedanse@gmail.com.

That said- have a happy, muculent holiday season, everyone!

Check it out!

Sci-fi and fantasy blog Tor.com is taking another stab at Steampunk after their fantastic Steampunk Month series last year, which you might want to check out!

There’s not much up yet, but the fabulous Ay-Leen the Peacemaker has a beautiful essay on the Ao Dai, which made my inner costume nerd giddy with joy, and there’s an interview with the author of the Steampunk Bible which talks about some of the issues we like here – race, class, sustainability, consumerism, and the like.

They’re promising other exciting things like comics and giveaways to come, so keep an eye on it for the next couple of weeks!

Via Curbly.

It’s a 12-meter-high mechanical elephant, made of 45 tons of reclaimed wood and steel. It can carry almost 50 passengers at a time. There’s more pictures (and the original article) over at Inhabitat.

If any of you follow the cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, rest assured that the clusterf*ck that was the Last Airbender movie is being remedied by a new mini-series, featuring a girl waterbending Avatar and a STEAMPUNK INSPIRED CITY, called “The Legend of Korra.”

*geeky spazzy excitement*

I am possibly the only person thrilled about this, but I thought I’d share it just in case.

Here’s my favorite:

“Steampunks will find their reaction, rebellion and resolution spanning the spectrum of motivational reasons. Perhaps it’s the desire to learn more, do more and be more, or the need to break free of internal or external imposed limitations, or an inherent revulsion at the excess materialism clothed in a complete lack of style in a commerce-driven society.

Our group resolutions, our common acts of rebellion, take the form of corsets and top hats, of artisanship and intellectualism, of re-creation and re-imagining.”

Go read the whole thing!

Flight history photographs from GD Falksen, featuring all manner of zeppelins, balloons, and dangerous-looking contraptions. (Also from Mr. Falksen, The Zouaves, who all wear the most excellent pants.)

Octopi as interior decor from The Steampunk Home.

Some lovely costumes at Dragon Con, also featuring octopi.

Victorian Photocollage at the Metropolitan Museum Art in NYC.

Trains, temples, and a super-cute monkey from Voyages Extraordinaries, this time in Kyoto.

Epic Victorian workshop photos from Brass Goggles.

Not eye candy, but also worth your while…

Natural fabric dye from Libby at Steampunk Workshop, explaining how to turn random things in your kitchen into beautiful fabric dye.

Black Hills by Dan Simmons reviewed by our friend Ay-leen at Beyond Victoriana.

Dru Pagliassotti, who’s been mentioned here before for her posts on Steampunk politics/ideology, has had several interesting posts up lately on minimalism – its nature and its purpose. It’s not specifically steampunk, but has me wondering how the two concepts might interact, and might be of interest to some.