More inspirations

I’m glad I chose inspirations as this week’s theme on my most recent Sunday Sundries post because I feel like doing so has reminded me all week of people I know personally, along with so much music and other art, that have inspired me throughout my life. There’s a lot in the world I’m shutting out right now, or trying to, but I never want to be closed off from what inspires me.

Yesterday, while running a multitude of errands, I needed to go to Michael’s to look for something jewelry-related. They didn’t have it, but I did find something else that made me happy. Pictured are inexpensive, plastic steampunk-style buttons. I don’t need them as buttons and can probably clip off the backs of those that have them. I want them to use in art collages on canvas. This has been an idea that’s percolated for a couple of years after I found a Southwestern artist on Instagram whose work I admired. I shared her stuff with Lynne, and at that point, the two of us began talking about and gathering little items and objects for possible multimedia future projects.

Here, for example, are some smaller charms that I began buying as I found them.

Let me tell you, these things were relatively expensive compared to the buttons. The cost alone made me hesitate to get started without a clear vision. I wanted the chance to experiment without feeling like I’d wasted money.

After I bought the buttons, I came home with steampunk on my mind, set the buttons in front of me, and opened this coloring book. I’m not sure what it is about steampunk design, costume, and art that intrigues me. I don’t believe I’ve ever watched any of the movies or TV shows that I think it’s been used in (with the exception of one episode of “Gilmore Girls”).

Here’s what I colored.

Below are containers with more of the items I’ve accumulated through the years with an eye toward this project, some from Lynne and some from my mother-in-law from her craft supplies.***

These are reproduction vintage papers Debby gave me either for a birthday or Christmas one year. I’d like to find a way to use them, too, in this project.

***An entire section of this post vanished when it was published. I mentioned how Lynne and I have through the years gone antiquing and thrifting, sometimes together, sometimes solo. I used the fun of those times not between two friends in the Neverending Saga, but with a couple doing that as they’re falling in love. Their shared enthusiasm leads them to new people, to gifts they give to each other, as part of the stories they imagine, and on spontaneous adventures.