And by bulk, we mean bulk.

Every time you come into The I.D.E.A. Store, you never know what you'll find. There are some items though we almost always have, and plenty of at that. 

• Cardboard Tubing
• Bubble Wrap
• Foam (some of it shown above)
• CDs and Cases
• and so, so much more...  

       New Materials

 

We have an ever changing stock of supplies and one-of-a-kind items! We also have a number of interesting bulk materials!

Steampunk: An Introduction   

Wait, what...?

 

Imagine the Victorian era. Imagine the styles of
that time and the technologies used. Now, imagine that same style, but merged with elements from sci-fi and fantasy. That's "Steampunk", on a very basic level. Steampunk is a genre based on what might have been had steam power continued to be used as the main power source (hence the "steam" in Steampunk). This term began circulating in the 1980s, yet can still be found today.  

 

Some Other Descriptions  

 

Having a difficult time picturing this? If you've seen movies like "Golden Compass", "League

of Extraordinary Gentleman", "Wild, Wild West" or the most recent "Sherlock Holmes", then you've actually seen Steampunk style, without even realizing it.. 

 

Steampunk can be applied to many mediums, ranging from literature to fashion. Steampunk also can be found within art. Steampunk typically uses Earth-tones in it's designs. Common materials used are wood, brass, copper, valves, gauges, lenses, and so on.  

 

More to come next week in: Steampunk Part 2!  

We will also be at the Krannert OUTSIDE at the University Of Illinois Research Park as their Community Partner and as part of their "Green" Theme on July 29th!  That starts at 6 pm!  And, we will be at the Champaign and Urbana Libraries as well as at the Market at the Square in the next couple of months!