Geek Crafts

I stumbled across these awesome Resin bottle caps by Heidi of Digknity on the Rae Gun Ramblings blog, where she has kindly posted some free printables and a tutorial to help you make your own – which quite clearly calls for a round of drinks in her honour (hey, we need the bottle tops to craft with…).

Now, my personal favourite are the Potter ones, but that’s Not to say I don’t have a soft spot for a bit of Battle Royale USA too. Both Heidi and Marissa (the blogger behind Rae Gun Ramblings) are both massive book nerds, so it’s well worth digging through their sites to find some of the brilliance on offer.

• Heidi’s Etsy – Digknity
• Resin bottle tops tutorial & printables on Rae Gun Ramblings

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You’ll have to forgive me for posting about Doctor Who twice in a row, but I was unable to control my excitement when I came across this jewelry.

Anyone who knows me well, knows I really love hand stamped jewelry. Whether it’s hand stamped leather, or hand stamped metal, I think it’s one of the prettiest and simplest pieces of jewelry a girl can own. However, I hadn’t ever searched for hand stamped fandom jewelry. When I clicked search on Etsy at this time, I had no idea I could never go back.

I immediately was drawn to the work done at Chasing at Starlight on Etsy. The fonts for the many different items (I’m a font harlot), along with all the jewelry for my many different fandoms (Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Sherlock), made me completely geek out.

All of them are so beautifully made! They’ve made my list for my next geek jewelry purchase!

• Chasing at Starlight on Etsy
• Doctor Who Crafts on Geek Crafts

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Voldemort’s been defeated. Muggles are no longer tormented by wizards. There’s not many openings for experienced Death Eaters in the wizarding world today. What’s an unemployed DE to do? Since they weren’t qualified for unemployment benefits and the training they had previously was rather specialized, there weren’t too many options open.

Some were lucky. Word along Diagon Alley is that Lucius Malfoy became the new Spokes-wizard for one of the top hair care product companies. Some were not so lucky. Two of them, however, were rather crafty (pun intended) in their search for new careers and opened up a lovely craft shop on Etsy named Death Eaters Delights.  Owned by Dixiebell and Qui, they’ve put their passion for magic into crafty magic and have created some lovely items.

Dixiebell has recreated the text books from the Harry Potter Series as keepsake boxesto store your precious mementos and currently has several in stock.

It seems, that with so much extra time, the pair have discovered Muggle television and so Qui has recreated the Kitty Riley I <3 Sherlock buttons that are seen in the third episode of season 2 on BBC’s Sherlock series.

They offer other items as well ranging from pillows to masks and wands. So, please, stop by, browse, shop. Support your local Death Eater!

• Death Eaters Delights
• text books from the Harry Potter Series as keepsake boxes
• Kitty Riley I <3 Sherlock buttons

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• Hedwig Cake

The blog Cake Wrecks took a break from their usual posting of grief-and-trauma-in-fondant-form to post some pretty amazing cakes with birds.  You’ll find several geek-themed cakes in this collection, but I had to post this adorable homage to Hedwig. I can’t imagine cutting into this masterpiece: the detail in the chocolate wand, the academic disciplines written along the book spines, Hedwig’s sweet, loving little face… all sorts of squee.

Sadly, I can’t say very much about the contents of the cake since the original submission appears to come from a Dutch website, and my Dutch is limited to the understanding that mayonnaise is superior to ketchup when it comes to the ultimate french fry condiment.  I may have seen something about marzipan in here, but that was never really a mystery. If any Dutch friends are reading this blog and can help with translation in the comments, that would be super mooi.

Language difficulties aside, I thought this taart was entirely too geweldig not to share!

• Post on Cake Wrecks
• Original Image on De leukste Taarten

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While I haven’t really done any cross-stitching since about the age of eight, I can appreciate it as an arts-and-craft-form. Done properly and on an interesting subject, and it can be pretty damn impressive. (My mother once re-created this iconic La Dame aux Camelias Mucha poster with spectacular results. Just wish I had a photo to show you!) Anyway, tangent aside, I have found some awesome cross-stitch patterns on The Crafty Companion’s Etsy shop. She creates and sells patterns on an array of geek themes from Doctor Who to Game of Thrones, Firefly to Harry Potter. Very cute, not to mention reasonably priced. ($3 per pattern seems like a good deal to me!)

• The Crafty Companion’s Etsy shop

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Twas knitting before Christmas, when all through the castle
Not a creature was stirring, not even a thestral.
The stockings were hung in the Great Hall with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The professors were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of butterbeers danced in their heads.
And Dumbledore dreaming of knitted socks,
And Hagrid of having cakes as hard as a rock.

When out on the staircase there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Past Filch and Mrs Norris who ran mad as hatters
To find that Professor Staarkatt had yarn and a pattern.

Fresh off the needles in various colors
Each pair just what the head of houses would order.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But miniature house scarfs to hang from your ears!

Burgundy and gold or green and silver
Other house color combinations so familiar
All it takes is needles in size zero
And a bit of perle cotton for your rows

“Now Hufflepuff! now, Gryffindor! Ravenclaw and Slytherin!
A wonderful way to finish your Hogwarts gift giving!
To the top of the towers! to the ends of the hall!
Now knit a pair! Knit two pair! Knit them for all!

As she posted the pattern, Professor Staarkatt did shout
“Make sure there’s a pair for McGonagall and Sprout!”
But I heard her exclaim, ‘ere she apparated out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all and just knit through the night!”

• Staarkatt’s Blog

• Hogwart’s Miniature House Scarf Earrings

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