Vampire Ashes

I won't always post listings of my items in my blog (it is too much work!) but on occasion I will. I like to share things I have made as well as promoting myself for free! Can't blame a girl! Here is the write up for my newest creation in "Mina's Apothecary" on Etsy! It won't let me post a link to my shop so you will just have to look me up. :[ Username: minasapothecary



"I have met a few vampires during my travels and have lived. Sometimes they have become my friends (or the closest thing to a friend that a vampire can be to a human) and sometimes they have become my opposition. A woman needs to know how to defend herself in my line of work and that is exactly what I did. Afterwards, I collected the ashes of the vampire and collected them into bottles and vials. Vampire ashes could prove useful someday...

Vampire ashes are meant to be consumed. That is how you bring the power into you. It infects your mind and body and brings some of the power of the Vampire into you. The limit of power depends on you, your body and your mind. The effects are only temporary. Be warned....may cause bloodlust, an allergy to sunlight, insanity and even death.



The "Vampire Ashes" come in a rectangle shaped glass bottle that measures approximately 4 1/2 inches across, 2 1/2 inches tall and 1 3/4 inches wide. Corked and sealed shut with epoxy and sealing wax.

Please read my shop policies before purchasing anything from my shop. Please also note that this is for entertainment purposes only and I cannot legally guarantee any outcome concerning it. DO NOT CONSUME.

The contents are actual ashes from the old Lincoln stove in my home. Contains the ashes of birch, pine and various herbs.

Feel free to contact me with any comments, questions and/or concerns if you so feel inclined.

Tschüss!
~Wilhelmina Ophelia Kaiser~"

Making a new skirt!

I can barely sew. I took a sewing class in high school and got the best grade in the class but once it was over I never took up sewing again. The class was for basics anyway so I only made a pair of pajama pants, little draw string bags and a small simple dress for my baby sister. I am now in the SCA and am getting into Steampunk so I want to start sewing again. Problem is I don't have patterns, can't make anything fancy and I need some assistance!

Not being able to sew is the main reason all the parts of my Steampunk outfit are from the thrift store and pulled together. I don't think it looks bad but it could be better...much better.

Last Chrononaut (I''ll blog on this event soon but for now just check the site! http://chrononautclub.com/) I ripped the hip of my plain black skirt. DISPAIR! My Mom offered to help me make another simple skirt to wear to the H.M.S ball coming up this weekend and I was happy to accept! She found a material that is actually pretty ugly in our spare cloth that we tend to collect. It works for my costume but I would probably never wear it for anything but Steampunk stuff. It works for my persona though! Dark with bloody looking roses! YAY!

Even when I had my part time job at Target I could barely afford to get my SCA clothes made. Steampunk stuff is even more expensive! I need to build up some skills asap!

Here is the material and my old skirt. I'll post another blog once the skirt actually gets finished!

One eyed Mina and her Monogoggle

My Steampunk persona tends to wear an eyepatch to cover her right eye. I didn't know what sort of story to make up as to WHY until recently. I just knew that I loved the idea of a missing or deformed eye. Covering it makes people wonder and adds a sense of mystery. I really liked that. My friend told me I should say I cover the eye because it "sees things" such as ghosts and other entities that most people don't see. That fits my persona seeing as she is a Steam Powered Witch. I want to get white out contacts to wear for goth events and also on ONE eye for when I don't wear a patch for Steampunk events.

Anyway...my friend helped me make a monogoggle for my eye recently! I love it although it is a little bright for my dark persona. I plan on making different types as I get funds and time. I am excited about the potential these monogoggles will have!

They are made using a colored lens, plastic gardeners goggles, spray paint, leather for the straps,jewelers lens and some metal bit from Home Depot that I can never remember the name of. XD

Steampunk Mask Part TWO!

Tonight David and I spent the evening making masks for the H.M.S. Ball on 10 December 2011. I wrote about it already briefly in a previous blog that you should check out!

David and I didn't have a whole lot to work with (we didn't know what we wanted to do in the first place and so just worked with what we have) but we found ways to make what we have work. Both of our masks still need a lot of work but we are working hard at getting them done for the ball!

Also, Frenzy Universe on Facebook is having a contest this week for best Steampunk mask! David and I are both entering our masks and hope to win! I would probably cry if I won! :]

Here are some more pictures and such of the progress!





















YAY! I am excited to get them done hopefully tomorrow!

Mina's Apothecary

"Welcome to Mina's Apothecary!
I am Wilhelmina Ophelia Kaiser but you may call me simply Mina. I am the owner of this shoppe of curious goods that I have collected during my travels. I do hope you stay a while, have a cup of tea and try not to spill the arsenic...the last fellow to visit was a bit clumsy.

You will find potions, bones, baneful herbs, jewelry and more here. I hope you find exactly what you're looking for..."

After years of selling on etsy under "TheWellAndSpindle" I decided to take a new path. I still run and make things for TWAS (for short) but wanted to make other things that did not fit the theme of my other shop. So therefore I started "Mina's Apothecary" on 29 November 2011. So recent! It has been doing wonderfully well which makes me want to continuously create new things for the shop.

Most of what I have been making are dark fantasy items but I hope soon to find a way to create Steampunk goodies as well.

Here are a few things that have sold recently in my shop:








To visit my store look up username "MinasApothecary" on etsy or visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/minaspothecary

Steampunk Mask

I am currently working on a Steampunk inspired mask for the H.M.S Ball (Holiday Masquerade Steampunk) on 10 December 2011. I don't have many supplies so I am working with what I can from home.

The ideas that I currently have are just doing the base coat of brass/gold (I can't remember which it was) over the black mask and then either:
A.Just gluing gears and cogs to the front in a appealing manner.
B.Hanging chain from the nose to the side like a tribal dancer in some ways and then having a vial of something hanging off the side.
C.Having chain fall over my cheeks from under the mask with gears attached to the bottoms. I was thinking it would make a Steampunk Cleopatra look of sorts.

If I had lace I would have just surrounded the mask, sprayed it copper or brass and left it. I can be lazy sometimes. Here is the beginning stages of the mask. The mask I got in a kids mask making kit on clearance at Target and never used it.

STAGE ONE. LOOK AT IT!




STAGE TWO. GET SOME PAINT! Mine was old paint I got on clearance quite a while ago from the craft store.



STAGE THREE. SPRAY THAT PAINT BABY!





STAGE FOUR! Um...well...I'm not quite sure yet. I'll just have to post another blog when I get the work done! I have so much to do in so little time! EEP!

Other Personas

Besides being Mina Kaiser when I am living the Steampunk fantasy life I am also my normal self (Karina Young) and also my SCA self. My SCA persona is a Norsewoman named Katla Hase. Her story as well as Mina's are not developed much as of yet. I hope their personas will grow on their own as time passes.

Katla's Histor:

My father is Havard Njordsson of Oslo, Norway. His own father was a Christian and when father was a grown man he rededicated himself to the Gods of his mother and changed his name. He found a special connection with the god Njord as he loved to be in the water and was an expert sailor. His mother Swanhilde had been a spaewife until she decided she had seen enough of battle for a time and married a Christian man who told her of peace and forgiveness. She still believed in the old ways despite the preachings of peace from her husband. Although she had turned away from the duties of a spaewife she still was filled with the fiery blood of her proud warrior people and did not believe in the idea of peace as much as she longed for it. Eventually, after the premature death of her husband she went back to being an elder spaewife and a teacher of the Gods.

I am part of the House of the Raven's Call. An SCA household in the Kingdom of Caid in the Barony of Calafia.



That is all for now. I am sure you will see both personal blogs from Karina and mention of Katla sometime in the future.