Steampunk-ing it

Some of the items on my desk for WOYWW drew inquiries from new readers, mainly the Gears and Electronic Bits.

As anyone who's read anything about me knows...
I.Like.Steampunk.
The Art, The Costumes, The Books... I love it all.
I 'harvest' things we can use in Steampunk-y ways for Art, Family Costumes & Props and Decorating the house. Everyone under this roof is addicted, er ah... involved with Steampunk. You should see the LEGO creations and drawing the kids make! lol
Some of the projects I've used Gears 'n' Bits in:

Warning to Time Travelers

Alice in Mixed Media Wonderland

Portal #1

My husband and I are attending the Canadian Nations Steampunk Exhibition at the end of April, though the kids would dearly like to come it'll be just the 2 of us as our 'Honeymoon Trip' (we married in September). So I've been slowly working away making things and tweaking the things we already have, we'll need 3 days worth of costuming sh-tuff.
Then an opportunity came up last weekend:
A Steampunk Photo Shoot, with the wonderfully talented Photographer Robert Allard.
That upped the time on several things I'd planned to leave making til the end...
Like our Weapons.

These are the ones I managed to get finished (tweaked and painted) in time for the Photoshoot:

No before shot (sorry).
Laser Gun.
Gears from Adhesive Tape Runner.

Ray Gun (Before):

Ray Gun (After) #1:
Gears from Adhesive Tape RunnerRay Gun (After) #2:
Gears from Adhesive Tape Runner
Nerf 'Maveric' Gun (Before):Nerf 'N-Series' Nightscope Gun (After):
Also added Adhesive Runner Gears to this.
There is some bad-chat about how 'easy' it is to modify a Nerf Gun and how unoriginal it is in Steampunk Circles. It's not that easy. Plus when your doing Steampunk with kids... adding glass, flimsy wood or even heavy wood to modify a gun, isn't always the best idea. Nerf Guns are built tough and can take the beating a child will (unfortunately) give it. Not to fond of them 'borrowing' our thinner, brittler plastic ones. To kids it's not just a pretty prop, it's still a Toy.
And hey! How many 'Real' Guns out there look the same or very similar to other guns?
Cap Gun (Before)Cap Gun (After)
All the Cap Guns done:Plastic Grenades made a little more 'metal':
The Family Badge!
We are B.B.L.A.D.E
Black Bunny League of
Acclaimed Demon Exterminators
At Your Service.
The Black Bunny is our beloved family pet Hope, who we would not dare bring on our Vampire/Werewolf hunting expeditions, she might become snack food. ;O)
This is one of the pictures from the Photoshoot.
Some of the rest of them are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/conradalardus/sets/72157626085679003/with/5499722421
and many more in Robert's Photostream.
He is a wonderfully talented photographer, it was amazing how relaxed and easy the photo shoot was. The boys had a blast.
I cannot express how highly I would recommend him!
These are a few pictures we took when we got home.
I'm hoping to make fold-out style badge portfolios (think police or FBI style) with the Family Badge on one side, picture and description of the person's job/rank on the other.

Greg:
Pilot and Fearless Leader.
Master of the Daylight Torch!
Sarah:
Lady Doctor, Healer & General Medic.
Creator of the Anti-Vampire Injection that keeps Arthur from turning completely.
Arthur:
Weapons and Tactical.
Part Vampire, the Anti-Vampire Injection keeps him partly Human.
Robert:
Inventor
Always creating new Things, Weapons & increasing the Ships capabilities.
William:
Weapons and Tactical
True Master with the Wooden Stakes!
Thomas:
Ships Mechanic (with attitude)
Perfect for the Job: Little fingers get into all those hard to reach areas!