Saturday Steam 7/7/12

Natasha sent over a link to the latest Prada men's wear collection, of all things, but you're about to see why!

Awwww yeeeeah. And yes, that's Gary Oldman. (!!)

Mee-YOW. Fffft. Ffft. 

And that's Willem Dafoe! (The other two guys are actors, too, but I don't recognize them.) [Update: Jamie Bell & Garret Hedlund]

Gentlemen of the world, would you kindly start dressing more like this? And then pose broodingly in the corners of dark English libraries while offering me a spot of Earl Gray in a fine British accent? :D

Getting back to the clothes, though, there's some really interesting stuff happening with the pocket accessories - I need to find a bigger photo so I can get a closer look. I think they're fancy stick pins, plus there's a cool chunky pen in there. Lovely.


Next, how wild is this mechanical switch plate Jess D. found?

 "Planetary Gear Light Switch Plate," $39.95

It took me a moment to realize the gears actually function; you turn the top knob to flip the switch!

Green Tree Jewelry over on Etsy has lots of different styles of plates, too. I'm especially digging this one:

"Radical Double Rack and Pinion Light Switch Plate," $49.95

...but you've got to click over and see the rest of their crazy contraptions. They're all so, so cool. (Plus Green Tree makes those nifty kinetic gear pendants I featured a while back. Lots o' goodies!)

Check out what I found over on BoingBoing - a nixie tube chess set!

Seriously, is there anything nixie tubes can't make more awesome? (Making my own nixie tube clock has been on my craft bucket list for *years* now. Why can't they offer a class on that at my local craft store? Forget sewing a pillow: TEACH ME WIRING, DANG IT!)

(Ahem.)


Any Golden Compass fans out there? 'Cuz you guys are going to LOVE what Beth S. found:

THIS, my friends, is a needle-felted Panserbjorne Armored Ice Bear, complete with his own custom armor. I am in awe. Seriously. How do you stab fibers with a bunch of needles and get...this?

Just look how life-like his face is!

Click on over to StevIt on Etsy to see more pictures, or, if you have a spare $1,800 handy, to buy me a Happy Summer present. No gift wrapping necessary, even.


And finally, for a fascinating read check out this Wired article about a brilliant young woman - described as "a real-life incarnation of Steampunk" - who wants to reinvent the power grid using compressed air. It sounds like something straight out of a steampunk fantasy novel, and Danielle Fong - the woman in question - sounds like the heroine who leapt from its pages:

"Danielle Fong was 12 years old when her mother decided she should go to college. Danielle’s teachers didn’t agree. Though an aptitude test put her above 99 percent of students who had already graduated from high school, her teachers said the move to college would ruin her education. But her mother sent her anyway."

That's just the opening paragraph. Like I said: fascinating, and well worth the read.


Have something steamy to share? Then hit me up in the comments, on Facebook, or via e-mail!