Author: MarjeeC

Carcassone T-shirt embroidery

With yet another holiday season behind us, it is nice to reflect on some of the quality time spent with family and friends. I was fortunate enough to have my wonderful in-laws visit us from Milawaukee for a few days around the New Year’s holiday. One of our favorite things to do together is play the game Carcassonne. If you are not familiar with Carcassonne, it is a tile-based German-style board game that has been lauded, by some, as one of the best-designed board games out there. So fun, you guys.

Today’s craft comes by way of Laura Hatrich’s embroidery of one of the Carcassonne tiles on a T-shirt for her husband. You can see the side-by-side comparison of the embroidery and tile in the image.  Really smart use of the various thread colors to bring out the detail in the tile! I have no doubt Laura’s husband incited envy among Carcassonne lovers wherever he went!

Winters in Durotar

I suspect winters in Durotar are about as mild as the one I’ve been experiencing in the DC area lately. It has been positively tropical, which is a little wonderful and a little weird for a Chicago native such as myself. In truth, the only bad thing about the warm weather is the fact that I can’t floss cute hats, like the one submitted by Moxley on Craftster.

The logo on this hat is perfect and must have been a real how-do-you-do to have knit so deftly. My troll mage would luuurve the cute lil’ pom on the top, matching her hair to perfection.  Excellent work, Moxley!

FOR THE HORDE!

Party like it’s x = [(2^3) + 80(5^2) + (36/9)]

Now that the warm, innocent glow of Christmas is behind us, it is time to look forward to the biggest party night of the year. If you are looking for a way to serve your guests fermented debauchery in a manner befitting a cultivated, tasteful geek, look no further than the laser-etched glassware over on Non Scientific Labware. Pour in the bubbly and toast your lab partners: “May all your reactions be positive, your equations be balanced, and all of your frictions of 2011 dissipate in the new year.”

The shop has a glass type suitable to your preferred poison: champagne, wine, tumblers,  shot glasses, and even a set of test tubes that were featured in the June trend-spotting section of  Food & Wine Magazine.

Have a fun, safe New Year’s Eve everyone.!

Steampunk Advent Calendar

As crackling fires and bowls of eggnog begin to fill our chilly nights, I wanted to share this stunning advent calendar created by mixed-media artist Amy Rozeboom. Rozeboom got the calendar itself from a local hobby shop, and the design elements come from Alpha Stamps, where Ms. Rozeboom is a member of the design team.

Most of the gears come from Tim Holtz and the papers are part of the Graphics 45 Steampunk Debutante line (I think I drooled a little bit on my keyboard when I checked that website out, I have a thing for paper). I’m excited to try something similar for Christmas 2012.

I’m torn as to what my favorite square is. I love the numbers in 21, the paper on 10, and the gears on number 8. Of course, the entire piece works together beautifully and I always admire people who can work in mixed-media this way. If this appeals to you, be sure to check out Amy’s website and Flickr photo stream. She’s got some really breath-taking stuff up there.

What do you think, readers? Got a favorite square?

Warm and fuzzy guts

Do you remember high school biology? Your lab partner was a little shy… and a lot adorable? The two of you acted bravely as you stole glances and awkwardly prodded at some poor little critter splayed out on the dissecting pan ?

Yeah, I don’t remember that either.  My lab partner was a creepy spaz (yes, you–Brian), and I still have the suspicion that more than one starfish stomach ended up inside of  his nose. >>shudder<<

Fortunately, Emily Stoneking can takes those macabre memories and make them warm and fuzzy with her AKnitomy knitted dissections.

Let’s forget, for a moment, how faithfully the organs are placed inside of the rat and freak out about Stoneking’s use of varying fibers and gauges to bring to life (or, uh, death) the different organs and tissues:  from the diaphanous, pinned-back skin to the ropey little tail.
Be sure to check out her other critters. Frogs, fetal pigs, earthworms, human brains, and an (oh my) Easter Bunny await. A lovely, caring homage to all the poor little critters who gave their lives for our awkward, adolescent memories.

 

Left 4 Dead Health Pack earrings

 

I like to think of myself as a helpful person.  I bring a net positive to most situations.

Left4Dead Healthpacks

Except…
There is a specific circumstance during which, I have found, I am downright useless:

Zombie Apocalypses
Gentle reader, should there be a zombie apocalypse, you do not want me anywhere near you. I’ll be worthless.

I will stumble around with my pistols, clumsily shooting at your butt, and thrash about in Boomer Bile. And if you get hurt, oh goodness, if  you were to get hurt, I will have already used up my healthpack. By accident. When I was trying to equip a flashlight.
That is what brings us here, kids. I am loving these ‘lil Left 4 Dead polymer clay earrings. Hand sculpted, painted, and glazed, the earrings are mounted on pure silver fish-hooks. They are small and light-weight as well, so you can wear them comfortably. More importantly, you can wear them and dream that you are the kind of person that always has a spare healthpack with them and they’ll stay on, even if you’re carrying a flashlight. Everyone’s butts are safe!

Apocalypse, interrupted. You are a hero, Kristina Tuck.

There is a lot more video game inspired jewelry where these guys came from, so be sure to check out Ms. Tuck’s Etsy page.