Surlyramics; Scents n’ Science

I stayed up last night going through the Geekcraft archives. 224 pages, lots of coffee and a hugely increased level of nerd on my Pinterest later, and I am in shock (okay, there is a small chance it’s actually a caffeine overdose). There is no Surly Amy on Geekcraft.

This is a tragedy, and one I intend to rectify right now.

Surly-ramics started off with our gal Amy making necklaces for herself that proved to be so popular with her friends and colleagues that they would buy them right off her neck. She set up an Etsy store selling her jewellery, enlisted hubby Surly-Johnny for help crafting, and expanded her range to also include bangles, earrings and cuff-links.

Amy is a blogger over at the Mad Art Lab ran by Skepchic, so it’s to be expected that she finds inspiration in science and nature; you’ll find her shop packed with maths humour, scientific symbols and even the occasional Tardis for you Whovians. Her latest range is ‘Surly Scents’ – to which you can add drops of the essential oils that come with your purchase (or your own perfume if you prefer). When you wear them, your body heat warms the ceramic so that the smell dissipates around you.

Surly-Ramics donates to a number of animal charities, so if you purchase from them you get to feel beautiful on the inside as well as looking beautifully accessorised on the outside. Double whammy!

Now what are you hanging around here for? Go check out the amazingness:

Ceramic E.T. Planter

E.T. ceramic planterWe know E.T.’s alien chums were interstellar botanists, and that the little cutie can revive dead plants… now that’s the kind of garden assistance I need.

This ceramic ET planter was made from a vintage mould by Terra Bella Pottery on Etsy, and is (clearly) adorable. The detail in the casting is really crisp, and the glaze brings out his expression perfectly.  I love the idea of giving him all sorts of different flowery hair-dos…

Admittedly, January isn’t a great time for gardening (at least not here in the UK), but you could always use him to display cut flowers, or grow house-plants, before moving him outside in the spring.

ET Planter

Terra Bella Pottey on Etsy

 

Star Wars Stormtrooper Mug

stormtrooper mugBe an undercover office geek with this sleek, striking mug featuring Star Wars’ iconic Stormtrooper mask.

Handmade by Etsy’s LennyMud, this mug shows your geek stripes without completely compromising your “professional” alter-ego. (Because you know your boss will ask you to fix the computers if she suspects that you may be remotely nerdy.)

For those of you working in more fun-loving places, LennyMud also has numerous colorful beverage-toting options, from a cheery Wonder Woman to his-and-hers Frankenstein’s monster and bride mugs.

Geek Crafts at the State Fair

I went to the Oregon State Fair last weekend and got to see some pretty rad geek crafts there! In the Legos competition, this magnificent Yoda took a second prize.

In the 4-H Hall, this woodburned Twilight plaque won a Blue Award.

The 4-H Ceramics competition spotlighted some gorgeously intricate dragons — both of them took Blue Awards, too.

And I loved these 4-H science-fair projects — the illustrated poster explaining the recycled rocket and the self-starting electric motor were both awesome!

The Oregon State Fair runs through Labor Day — if you’re nearby, don’t miss it! And if you’ve seen (or made!) any other geek crafts at your state fair, I’d love to hear about them too…

UPDATE: Thanks to zebuladesign for sharing her flickr photos of geek crafts at the Michigan State Fair with us!

Gollum cake:

action figures in the Children’s Collections competition:

a gnome in the Children’s Drawings competition:

Super Mario Ceramic Tea Set

Super Mario Ceramic Tea Set
Topgeargorilla is showing off the Super Mario Tea Set he made about 3 years ago in a high school ceramics class. It includes a mushroom teapot, a bomb-omb sugar holder, and a star spoon. He says he’s not happy about the whole thing, but I think it looks great!