Girl Genius Steampunk Webcomic

April 30, 2023May 31, 2023 Lutin

Girl Genius is a webcomic started in 2002 written by Phil and Kaja Foglio and colored by Cheyenne Wright about a world of steampunk mad scientists that build amazing robots. Girl Genius has greatly influenced our art and writing and we recommend you read it. You can read it for free online, or buy physical copies. The authors write a new page every other day, so if you get to the end, make sure to look back to find new pages.

Trilobite fossil — Trilobites are the Heterodyne family sigil (the Heterodyne family plays a central role in the story) which is a fitting symbol of the old and mysterious family.

What we like most about the main character Agatha Clay is that she is really smart and hilarious. She builds lots of cool inventions that do amazing things, and since she thinks differently than the other characters, her dialog is really funny. Our favorite quote is, “But I want to do math now!” Some of our favorite inventions that she had made are a coffee machine that makes coffee so perfect it makes people go mad, a deer robot that looks really pretty but has a bunch of different types of weapons, little circular robots that can make other robots, and a weaponized wagon army controlled by an pipe organ. The fact she is also very dangerous just adds to the fun!

Steampunk Web Comic Girl Genius- Agatha Clay

The artwork is fantastic and really brings to life the rich world of Steampunk Europa. What is most impressive is the attention to detail, for example, there are sometimes little monsters on the page, and you have to look carefully to notice them. Also, the steampunk robots look like they can actually work! There are also lots of scenes that are happening in the background, so look carefully, otherwise, you might miss some information! In the beginning, it is black and white, but most of the story is in lots of colors.

Each location is rich in details and lets the reader explore a steampunk world like no other. Our favorites are a huge underwater city buzzing with lots of steampunk submarines and Mechanicsburg, the home of the Heterodyne family which is packed with danger, mystery and dominated by the powerful Heterodyne castle.

The plots take unexpected and fun detours but everything is intertwined, all the characters are somehow connected to each other, and there are no loose ends. The dialogue is hilarious and rich, for example:

Violetta, “So, when can we be sure it is done and we haven’t doomed the Earth?”

Agatha, “Oh once the containment limit returns to normal. As for not dooming the Earth- well- that is more a lifelong goal, really. But so far so good.”

And another example of witty dialogue after Franz, a cyborg dragon defeats Humongulus, a huge robot, in battle:

Franz: What? you are not mad?

Humongulus: Humongulus angry? Never! You have used guile! Tactics! Awareness of the landscape! Humongulus is impressed!

Franz: Good ’cause with those arms you could punch me into next week.

Humongulus: You know the very sole of Humongulus.

And it is not just us who thinks Girl Genius is great, it has gotten multiple Hugo awards!

The best part of the world is the crazy robots and monsters. There are lots of weird monsters that just live alongside everyone else, and crazy robots are an everyday sight. The robots and monsters are central to the story and some are main characters who act and think very differently than humans which adds to the realism.

Girl Genius comic — Our favorite little clank

This is a picture of a little clank (robot) that the main character made. Girl Genius is in a steampunk world and has cool robot illustrations. We were so inspired by Girl Genus’s cute and cool-looking robots, we spent two years designing and building our own working steampunk robot Number Five !

Kid-made Dog Robot Number Five — Number five

Senecio Stellata (Cineraria) Flowers

April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

Gardening season has started and we want to talk about one of our favorite flowers, Senecio Stellata (Cineraria).

Senecio Stellata (Cineraria)

When we moved into our home it already had flowers growing everywhere, though we did not know how much until the next Spring, when the whole yard came to life. Cineraria was by far the dominant species but we also have a variety of other local species to help our local bee population. We have several hives maintained by our neighbors including this one.

Senecio Stellata (Cineraria)

Cineraria grows out of every bit of bare soil in our yard – even in cracks in the cement walkways just like weeds!

Senecio Stellata (Cineraria) San Francisco, CA

The cineraria flowers range in color from a deep purple to an almost white blue and grow up to 4 feet tall! The leaves can get almost as big as your hand and are bright, cheerful green.

Senecio Stellata (Cineraria) San Francisco, CA

They grow in large clumps creating a sea of flowers when in full bloom! The seeds look like little pompoms and blow all over the yard. Sadly, they wilt really quickly if you cut the flowers, so we do not recommend making bouquets out of them, otherwise you will find flower petals and seeds everywhere.

Senecio Stellata (Cineraria) San Francisco, CA

Cineraria, like our native species, does not require a lot of water or fertilizer but does need some special care. The most important thing, if you want to grow native wildflowers in your yard, is not to rip out the plants when they stop blooming but let them reseed. This does make the yard look less formal and more natural for most of the year but in Spring you will be rewarded. In the Bay Area, Cineraria can grow year-round so after it seeds you can trim it down and it may bloom again next year!

Senecio Stellata (Cineraria) San Francisco, CA

Weeding is essential as grass and other weeds will crowd out Cineraria early in the season but with care and patients your yard can become a sea of flowers like ours!

Happy growing!

Ku’ia Estate Chocolate in Maui

April 23, 2023April 23, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

When we visited Maui this year, we found an awesome chocolate plantation, Ku’ia Estate Chocolate. They grow delicious world-class cacao trees (where chocolate comes from) on land that was made useless due to sugar plantations. When the land was used to grow sugar it was stripped bare of trees, the crop was never rotated and tons of chemicals were dumped on it turning the once lush land into a desert. You are read more about Maui’s effort to restore the land here.

Kula Estate Chocolate in Maui

This is what the chocolate farm looks like from above. It is located in Maui on a plot of land that is reserved for agriculture. It looks like an oasis in the desert created by the sugar plantation. Ku’ia Estate Chocolate needed to replant the tropical forest that was once there to block the wind and the hot sun (cacao trees love the shade). They also had to do a lot of work to get nutrients back into the soil making sure to use organic farming methods.

The chocolate starts its life as a tiny flower. They are very delicate so the wind blockers are extra important to ensure that the flower doesn’t get blown off the tree. Since they are so tiny, the only insect that can pollinate the cacao plant is the chocolate midge.

The flowers turn into cacao pods. They are ready to harvest when they turn a darker color and get a lot bigger. You harvest them all year round but the biggest harvests are between May and July, and between October and March, after the rainy season.

These are the Cacao trees. The pods grow on the trunks and thicker branches of the trees because they are very heavy. The trees are currently pretty young because Ku’ia Estate Chocolate hasn’t been around for a very long time.

After the cacao beans are harvested and prepared, they are put through a series of machines to create all the different chocolate creations. Ku’ia Estate Chocolate grows their banana leaves to use for the preparation process, so they are very self-sufficient. They also don’t take away any of the natural flavors of the cacao beans, so the chocolate is more nutritious and has a complex flavor. They also do shipping so you don’t have to go all the way to Maui to get their chocolate.

They have created a whole bunch of unique flavors that they sell in their store, for example, orange mango guava, lemongrass, and calamansi lime, you are sure to find a flavor that you love.

They grow the fruit that they use for their flavors on site and it is very fresh.

Ku’ia Estate Chocolate after only three years of selling has won the 2021 Cocoa of Excellence Gold Award for the Asia Pacific region and the 2022 Good Food Award. They give all of the profits that they make to local Hawaiian non-profits.

There are also tours of their plantation (which we highly recommend) that teach you about the process of making chocolate. The tours end with a chocolate sampling deep in the cacao forest.

Steampunk Jewelry

February 12, 2023April 30, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

Where technology and beauty meet, our steampunk jewelry embraces the genius within! This collection of steampunk jewelry is fit for all steampunk-loving monsters. We were inspired by some of the cool steampunk gadgets in the books and movies that we have read/watched. Here are all of the books and movies that we were inspired by: Girl Genius, Secrets in the Mist, Howl’s Moving Castle, Clockwork Fairytales, Map to Everywhere, and Castle in the Sky.

DIY steampunk brooch — *Circle of Power* Brooch

The Circle of Power brooch lights up to illuminate the center gemstone. It is two inches in diameter and has a magnetic attachment. To make this, we glued a Mancala gem on a gear and put it in a metal bottle cap. We then secured fairy lights around it and attached a lightweight battery to power them. You can easily turn on and off the fairy lights, and it is easy to replace the battery. The brooch is attached by very strong magnets, so you don’t have to poke holes in the thing that you are attaching it to.

The Gears of Time choker is about six inches long and attached with a clasp. To make this, we sewed gears onto a normal black choker making sure they looked as if the meshed together and could work. To add depth and complexity we stacked gears on top of one another and used hot glue to secure them. We wanted the choker to fit tightly so it appear that you were peering into the inner workings of a robot.

Puzzle Box: Push My Button

February 12, 2023February 13, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

After building a number of dovetail puzzle boxes the HipMonsters sister team set out to make their own unique design. We explored many designs and drew influence from creations like this one on YouTube. The sisters wanted something that looked deceptively simple and easy to make. Thus was born Push My Button!

Please note, this material is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

Here is Push My Button from a side view. The sides are made from a several of 1/4 wooden square dowels. These are our goto material for many of our designs.

The top, sides and bottom are made from 1/8 inch plywood.

Here is a view of a corner. We purposely made it look slapped together to confuse people. The lopsided look makes it appear that the sides of bottom can be slipped off- which cannot be done.

But the key to opening Push My Button to to press the correct button… but which one? We added spacers between some of the dowels and aligned them irregularly to make harder to tell which one is the key.

When we give it as a gift we usually leave earings or chocolate inside to reward the reciever once them uncover the trick.

Happy creating!

The Making of George the Mummy

February 11, 2023February 15, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

We wanted to give people a scare on Halloween and was inspired by a visit to Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum so we set out to make our own mummy, George the mummy (he got too curious).

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

For the mummy, we used:

A roll of burlap fabric
Lots of brown shipping paper
Chicken wire
Aluminum fense wire
5 1/4×1/4X 5 Wood
Twine
nuts and bolts.

We needed it to be pretty light so we didn’t use a lot of wood and padded the skeleton with lots of shipping paper. We had been storing the shipping paper for years and had bags of it in a closet for just such a project. It is perfect because it looks like old dried skin!

We wanted George to be flexible so we could place him through out the house and even take him on car trips.

This is one of the joints that we made. George is fully articulate but not powered like our robots.

We cut small pieces of the wood off to make it more rounded then sanded the edges to get a clean joint. Since these joints would not be seen we used only rough grade sandpaper.

We drilled holes in the joints so that we could put them together. To drill the holes we clamped the two pieces together to assure the holes would align.

We used a rubber washer between the two pieces so George would not be too wobbly. After screwing the bolts down we crimped end to make sure they would not come undone after George was finished.

We used chicken wire to start making the shape of the head. The chicken wire was so sharp so we had to be extra careful not to cut ourselves. Best to let a parent do this part. One trick we used was to warp the end pieces in duck tape to make them less pocky.

We molded the head into shape. We recomend wearing thick gardening gloves because the chicken wire is very sharp.

We wrapped it in paper to make it less sharp and because the paper looks like dry skin. The paper alos helps makes the linbs more circlular.

The head fully wrapped in paper.

We secured the paper by tightly wrapping it in twine. we used twine because it is strong, but also because it is the same color as the paper, so if a little shows it would blend in with the paper.

We wrapped it up in burlap after we finished securing the paper. We did several layers so it wouldn’t come off and towards the end split the burlap into multiple strips

After the head was done it was on to the rest of the body. The wooden skeleton we made as simple ae possible and used bolts and bolts with crimp washers to make sure it would not come loose after the wrapping for completed.

Now assemble the skeleton and wrap the body in the same fashion as the head. Wrapping the hands and feet proved to be very hard, and we ended up not making wooden fingers, we just wrapped the arm and secured the ends.

Here is the completed skeleton fully covered in paper and tied together with twine. We needed to remove the final wrapping from the head in order to better integrate it to the body. Also, we tried using left over hand from out Hand of Glory project but in the end, they did not look as real as we want.

Now you can see George out of the workshop! We originally tried to make him be able to stand up on his own, but that would mean either making the body weirdly small or making the feet gigantic. We ended up attaching him to a lamp post instead.

In this photo, George is sitting on a stationary bicycle. This shows off how George’s limbs can move and that he can be detached from the lamppost. It also shows that George is about the same size as a normal human, which makes him more realistic and creepy.

In this video, George is taking down Christmas decorations with Number Three, showing off how well he stands and how much he enjoys wearing hats. He is also sturdy enough to hold Christmas tree ornaments without his arm bending.

Wooden Toy- Alligator

February 4, 2023February 16, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

We decided to make a special present for our teachers at school. One of the teachers really loved alligators.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

So we set out to make one out of wood. First we cut the wood into the rough shape of the toy.

Using a drill press to create a wooden toy alligator

Next drilled the wood that we cut. We cut lots of little pieces so the tail could move and each needed a hole drilled.

To smooth the edges we used a wood plane. Then we sanded each piece with fine grain sandpaper. For the details on the head we made rough cuts using an alligator saw then sanded repeated to get the shape we wanted.

A handcrafted wooden toy alligator We laid out the final design before threading the wire through the holes we drilled.

Threading a pipecleaner through pieces of wood for a handcrafted wooden toy alligator

Here we are threading the wire though the holes. We used pipe cleaners to get a snug fit. This will make the toy alligator flexible but will also hold its shape well.

Here is the completed alligator! We named him Claude after the alligator in the San Francisco Academy of Sciences.

Steampunk Contraption Model Beta

February 3, 2023February 16, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

The Hip Monsters team decided to make something that interests people when they walk into the room. Inspired by Girl Genius. and this SteamPunk creation, we made a mysterious steampunk device that only we know the use of.

Handmade steampunk device — Our amazing steampunk device.

This is our steampunk creation. It has two light bulbs, a pressure gauge, and some metal pipes. The light bulbs’ brightness is adjustable.

This is the side view of our device. You can see that on the side of the creation, there is a silver metal box. That controls the brightness of the lightbulbs.

On the back, you can see that there is a wire going from the silver box away from the device. that is where you plug in the device to the outlet. From the front it is barely noticeable, you can only see it from certain angles.

Potion Cabinet

January 2, 2023February 16, 2023 LutinLeave a comment

With all the potion-making we have been doing recently, we found that we needed a place to put our potion supplies on the go, so we made a potion cabinet fit for the experts of potion-making. Professor Slughorn’s portable potions kit was the main inspiration for this creation.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

Getting started on a DIY wood working project, a DIY wooden cabinet. — Getting started

We used the following supplies; a hammer, a saw, four 90-degree angle clamps, black paint, blue paint, mahogany-colored wood stain,

Clamping corners. DIY wooden cabinet. — Using clamps to get a tight fit

The core of the cabinet is the frames. These carry the weight of the bottles and hold the cabinet’s shape. To make the frames, we cut the beams into 12 inches and glued them together, using the 90-degree angle clamps for making a strong right angle.

DIY wooden cabinet making progress. — Getting the pieces ready for assembling.

All the sides and frames are ready for assembly. All pieces need to be cut out before you start assembling to make sure that you don’t forget a piece.

Assembling our DIY wooden cabinet. — Gluing the pieces together.

We ran a bead of glue on all the edges of the frames. We made sure to only put a little glue to prevent sliding.

Clamping our DIY wooden cabinet together. — Clamping the cabinet together.

Then we use clamps to firmly secure the sides to the frame.

Strengthening our DIY wooden cabinet. — Hammering in nails for support.

Once we were sure the glue had dried we went on to the next steps. For added strength, we put in a few thin nails on the bottom and sides.

DIY wooden cabinet is taking shape! — Measuring the box for the shelf.

We measured for the interior shelf after we put the cabinet together to make sure we have a snug fit.

Our DIY wooden cabinet now has a shelf. — Cutting the corners of the shelf.

Next we cut out slots on all the corners so the shelf following the outside of the line then sanded to fit the cabinet.

Our DIY wooden box can be transported. — Attaching the handle to the top.

Finally, we added a handle on top to make transportation easier. Since the outside plywood was thin to make the cabinet light, we added an extra piece of wood underneath to secure the handle. we used thin screws so we don’t split the extra piece of wood.

DIY wooden cabinet — The fully assembled cabinet.

Here is the assembled cabinet ready for staining and painting. We are looking for a vintage look so we need to do multiple layers and light distressing.

We used this video for Our Up Cycled Life to help us get started.

Staining our DIY wooden cabinet. — Staining the cabinet.

We stained the cabinet and left it outside to dry. The shelf and front were stained separately to make sure that we got the stain in all the nooks and crannies.

Making our DIY wooden cabinet's wood look distressed. — Adding wax circles on the top of the cabinet.

We used candles to make wax circles around the cabinet. We do this because when we paint it, the paint on the wax would peel off, creating a distressed look.

Painting our DIY wooden cabinet. — Painting the cabinet.

Giving our DIY wooden cabinet a vintage look. — Sanding some of the paint off.

Then, we mixed the black paint and the blue paint, creating a dark blue, and painted the cabinet. We used dark blue because when black paint gets old, it looks like dark blue.

We lightly sanded the painted wood, showing the stain underneath. We can repeat this process to get the aged look that we desired. Here is a view of the completed potion cabinet with the vintage finish.

Here is a view with the case close for safe transportation!

DIY wooden cabinet with the door. — The door closed.

Here is the completed potion cabinet with a vintage finish.

Happy crafting!

The Making of Number Three

September 18, 2022May 31, 2023 Lutin

The Making of Number 3

We saw the need for a new robot for halloween, so we made one. This is our steampunk squirrel powered robot Number 3. We wanted it to be as big as a kid to help with our Halloween decorations. Our other robots were small and not easy to see. Our plan was for a big robot with lights and room to grow as we came up with new ideas.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

Getting started on steampunk inspired robot — Getting started

These are some of the parts that we used. We gathered most of it from unused parts from other projects. This project ended up being a great way to recycle old parts and scapes and it made it look even more steam-punky.

Odd and ends for the steampunk inspired robot — Scrape parts

We used PVC pipes for the skeleton of our robot because its strong and lightweight. Also we had fitting from remodeling that would attach to the pipes and let us hangs details. The pipes are standard so if we did need to buy anything it would be easy.

Completed steampunk inspired robot — Completed Robot

The image to the right is the completed robot. The starting images ended up not as good as we expected so the final image was the best to show how the tubing was used. First, we cut the pipes to the right size using one of us to figure out lengths arms, legs and spine. Then we assembled it and added feet to keep it stable as we worked. The feet were harder than expected to get the right balance and weight. We used concrete bolts with extra washers as needed.

Then we assembled the PVC pipes and painted it with two coats. The first was sliver; the second was bronze. Next, we used an old security camera mount and attached a plastic jar on the neck. We added a toy squirrel inside and a few parts that looked like little controls for it. We named the squirrel Professor Brookenhoff.

For a fake engine core we used an old battery powered lantern connected to an old water bottle.

Building the gear box for the steampunk inspired robot — Assembling the gear box

Now we started on the fake control box. To make is steampunk we used gears and only a few wires. Then we assembled the gears to control the robot. We used old wood as a base and stain and distressed it by hitting it with a hammer.

After that, we drilled a bunch of holes on the back and put thin, long bolts through them to create a framework for the gears. Before we assembled it we laid out the gears on the table in the pattern we wanted then transferred the gears to the rig. You must remember to lay out the gears in the opposite way you want them in the rig.

Gear box side view for steampunk inspired robot — Side view of the gear box

Here is a view of gears completed with the control boxes on each side.

The gears took the most time and ended up being a lot harder than we imagined. It was difficult to screw the tiny nuts into place to give it a 3d look. Also, the bolts proved to be sharp. We attached some gears to the side of the control boxes so it would look like they actually controlled the gears.

Close up of the gear box to the steampunk inspired robot — Close up of the gear box

Then we attached a box to run the wirer through. We had a plan on the gears, engine, wire, pistons that we made before we started work that was our best attempt at design an honest working robot. The things we added is what Number 3 would have needed if it was real.

Side view of the gear box for the steampunk inspired robot — Side view

We then added a second box next to the gears for attaching the control wires.

Close up of the gear box for the steampunk inspired robot — Close up

Here is a close up of the gears. Getting a 3-D design is important to make it look real. Each gear needs two bolts. One on top and one on the bottom. Make sure they are tightly screwed together.

Back view of the steampunk inspired robot — Back view

Now we focused on putting on details that would make it look like Number 3 could move. Since it was supposed to be steam powered we used four left over pistons. We attached pneumatic tubing to the pistons then attached the other end to the engine. The idea is the power from the engine would create steam, and Professor Brookenhoff would give commands to the gears which would send the steam to the right piston to make it move. The idea of the head came from Carmichael from The Umbrella Academy.

Feet for the steampunk inspired robot — Close up of the feet

As we added more details to Number 3, we also needed to add more heavy things to the feet for stability.

Close up of the head of the steampunk inspired robot — Close up of the head

A close up of Professor Brookenhoff piloting Number 3.

Close up of the chest of the steampunk inspired robot — Close up of the chest

A close up of the tubing from the engine to the joints.

Side view of steampunk inspired robot — Side View

Number 3 from side view. Here you can see the hands which also ended up being hard to make. Finally we made the hands out of wires and springs so it can hold things.

Front view of steampunk inspired robot — Front View

Here is the final completed robot.