Category: Computers

Well, hello there!

Hello! I’m Coral, another new Geek Crafts blogger! I’m an engineer-turned-web librarian living in Anchorage, Alaska with three birds, a chinchilla, and my very geeky husband. Obviously, I’m a computer geek and a fan of science fiction/fantasy literature: it’s almost required for my job, right? I’m also into tabletop roleplaying games—Shadowrun was my first love, but I’ve enjoyed everything from Exalted to Call of Cthulhu and Dungeons & Dragons—and an ever-shifting array of fandoms. While I’m not a computer gamer, I’m married to one, so some of my crafts have followed that theme. See also: weighted companion cube! (I used plastic canvas and yarn, as well as some deceptively heavy filling.)

As for my craft habits, I have a deep and abiding love of oldey timey craft styles reapplied in funny, geeky, and snarky ways. I love geeky (and subversive) cross-stitch, especially, though I’ve been known to knit on a loom, to home brew beer and soda, to cook up a storm, and to attempt inadvisable things with a hot glue gun. Learning to crochet is definitely on my to-do list, because there are so many excellent patterns out there!

To the left, you can see a QR code cross stitch I did (the first and last ever). It actually resolves to text—a quote I particularly like.


Anyway, I plan to bring the library love, along with my love of SCIENCE!, internet memes, bird nerdery, good speculative fiction, terrible vampire novels, caffeine, RPGs, and bicycles to share with you every Wednesday. If you want to know what I’m up to on a daily basis, you can find me on my personal blog (mostly library stuff, with some craft content), on Twitter, or Google Plus. (If you add me on G+, drop me a note to tell me you belong in my craft and/or geek circles! :))

Bonus points if you get the ::1 joke. ;) If not, I explained it here.

Friday Roundup: Minecraft!

Today is the day.  I can hardly believe that Minecraft is not a full game yet, but it’s true.  Today Mojang AB, the creators of Minecraft, will be releasing the official Minecraft 1.0 version live at MineCon in Las Vegas.  I wish I could be there.  However, since I can’t be there, lets look at some truly awesome Minecraft inspired crafts.

To start things off, take a look at this Creeper Purse by Blindmoon on Etsy.  Now you can look stylish and still send everyone around you into PTSD induced seizures.

Creeper Purse

*****

Or how about this absolutely adorable Minecraft Chicken made out of Fimo Clay.  StarPhoenixx from Etsy makes tons of cute clay figurines but this chicken made me squeak.

Clay Minecraft Chicken Mob

*****

The cake doesn’t have to be a lie with this Plush Minecraft Cake by EeeBeeDee on Etsy.

Minecraft Cake Plush

*****

We all know how much I love coffee cozies.  I can’t get enough of the things, yet strangely I don’t use them on my actual coffee.  Either way, you have to love this Creeper Coffee Cozy by LilacsLovables on Etsy.  She calls it a “Mug Cozy” but I don’t think you can even USE mugs for anything other than coffee…right?

Creeper Coffee Cozy

*****

How are you supposed to dig around in your mines without the proper tools?  Well, diamonds are expensive, so how about these Perler Bead Diamond Magnets by GumballNinja on Etsy?

Perler Bead Diamond Toolset

*****

Have you ever looked at your tissue paper dispenser and thought to yourself, “What am I doing with my life?”.  Me too.  You can solve that problem by pimping out your dispenser with a cool Minecraft Grass Cube Tissue Box Cover!  But where could you get one?  How about from sockmonkeyfun on Etsy?

Grass Cube Tissue Cover

*****

I bet that, like me, you don’t have any friends.  What?  You do have friends…can you share?  No….right then.  Well, since you have SO MANY FRIENDS, I suppose you must collect them.  Why not add one more to the list, you friend hog.  This Minecraft Pet Wolf Statue, by DandelionBlow on Etsy, won’t ever pick you last for dodge ball…again.

Minecraft Pet Wolf Statue

*****

Since you  have so many friends, why don’t you marry one?  All you need is a diamond ring like this Minecraft Inspired “Diamond” Ring by tinybackpack on Etsy.

Minecraft "Diamond" Ring

*****

Alright.  As usual, I have saved the best for last.  This Minecraft Plush Pig is Adorable.  I love it.  I want to own it.  ClosetMonsterstoys on Etsy make all kinds of awesome pop culture plushies, but this pig is just too awesome for words.

Minecraft Plush Pig

*****

That’s it for this week.  I’m off to patiently refresh the Minecraft page until the full version is released.

HUGE Mario Quilt!!

This is one of those craft projects that just smacks you across the face with it’s awesomeness…

This shiny shiny amazing Mario quilt was made by rush green … a very very shiny new Craftster member. What an introduction to the crafting community!… as a sewer I doth my cap to you!

 

 


GLaDOS cosplay

I mentioned in a recent post that my daughter is very in to Gir these days. She’s also very in to the video game Portal – Portal 2 to be specific. If she sees any expanse of flat white wall, she remarks, “that would be a good place for a portal.” Very observant and strategic, my last-born.

So again, in honor of her, I bring you another Halloween costume idea. Via GeeksAreSexy.net, here’s an interesting manga/anime-esque interpretation of GLaDOS.

Portal GLaDOS cosplay

Per Wikipedia, GLaDOS is “short for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, a fictional artificially intelligent computer system in Valve Software’s Half-Life video game series and the main antagonist in the video games Portal and Portal 2...She is responsible for testing and maintenance in Aperture Science research facility in both video games.” Some call her “a narcissist, passive-aggressive, sinister, and witty. She has been considered one of the greatest video game characters ever created, particularly from 2000 to 2009.” “A number of websites and magazines listed her as one of the greatest video game villains including IGN, which ranked her the all-time greatest.”

Here’s what GLaDOS really looks like in the game, as well as a shot of the voice actress Ellen McLain. (via ThePlayVault.com).

Portal GLaDOS and voice actress Ellen McLain

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Reader Submission: Vocaloid Magnet Cosplay

I’m going to admit right now that I’m not cool enough to be aware of Vocaloid, and if you are similarly clueless I suggest you go educate yourself.

Sherry from miccostumes.com upcycled an old wedding dress to make a Vocaloid Magnet costume.

If you’re sat there behind your computer monitor going “OMG Squueeeeee =^.^= <3 <3 <3 Vocaloid!!!! <3” then you’re in luck, as Sherry has shared a how-to here.