June 17

Crochet Creature Connection

Roxy Craft Crochet CreaturesJust as geek crafts can be found in the strangest of place, so too can geeky crafters.

The last place you might think of looking for one would be in the U.S. Army. However, that is precisely where the creator of these two charming, crocheted fellows can be found.

Made from Roxycraft patterns (that seem to be out-of-print, sadly), these little guys were stitched up by my brother-in-law when he was stationed in the Middle East last year.

When you craft gifts for a friend or loved one, you can’t help but keep them in mind as you work on the project: will they like the color? Will it fit right? Will they get the in-joke I incorporated? Will it go straight to the Goodwill box?

So, I like to think that stitching these — as well as the other creatures he made for his family — helped give him a sort of quiet connection to the people he loved back home.  It makes these plushies all the more special to know that he was thinking of us when he was half a world away.

Not to mention, they’re friggin’ awesome! I still can’t get over the dragon’s wings. Or it’s little toes…

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June 16

Creeper Ssssssewing Pattern

Creeper Sewing PatternThere is no more iconic image from the game of Minecraft than the Creeper.  The Creeper is a nasty creature that explodes when it gets near to you, but not before you panic from hearing the distinctive hiss that heralds your destruction.  When I happened upon this Creeper Sewing Pattern by arixystix on Etsy I got shivers.  It is as perfect a replica as you could get in real life, and I have been looking over my shoulder ever since.  If you have some skills with a sewing machine, this little monster could be yours.

June 16

501st Cloud City Garrison at the Starlight Parade

I got to see the 501st Cloud City Garrison marching at the Starlight Parade here in Portland the other week, which was really cool! They were definitely a crowd favorite. I spotted a couple of Darth Vaders, a regular Leia, a slave Leia, a Luke Skywalker in flight suit, light sabers galore, and many, many stormtroopers. One of many Cloud City Starlight videos is right here (filmed by GERUNDITE).

June 15

Wonder Woman Cake


There is nothing about this Wonder Woman cake I don’t love! The fondant crown is amazing, and the lasso between the layers is perfect. Even the flavors are right up my alley: “the bottom is lemon with raspberry cream cheese frosting and the top is marble vanilla chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting”. RCKFELLA made this gorgeous cake for her friend’s mother’s birthday. And it’s completely from scratch! I think I know what I want for my birthday!

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June 15

READER SUBMISSION: Amigurumi Bacteriophage

e-coli killer Never heard of a bacteriophage? That makes two of us. Rachael Penzo wants to change all of that! Calling them “the coolest thing in the entire universe”, she explained that bacteriophage is, in fact, a virus that attacks bacteria, e-coli in particular. She made this adorable “Teeto” (T2 is a type of bacteriophage) to pay homage to these little e-coli killers, and sent me several pictures of her Amigurumi Bacteriophage from her photobucket account.

Sadly, Rachael doesn’t have them on a blog, so this picture will have to suffice. He’s a cute little “bug” isn’t he?

EDIT: Ask and ye shall receive! Rachael decided to feature TeeToo here on Craftster, so you can read more about him and see more photos! She also mentions that this little guy will be featured in the Science Museum‘s Stitched Science display in Central London.

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June 14

Tutorial Tuesday! Rocket Knuckle Duster Ring!

I dunno, there’s something about this Rocket Knuckle Duster Ring that makes me feel all warm and childish. Maybe it’s the cartoon-outlines, the playful shade of red, or just the fact that it’s a goddam ROCKET!! … I just can’t put my finger on it, but I know I LOVE it!

Creator, blogger, and Craftster user made this sculpey creation for a co-worker, and kindly posted a step-by-step-tutorial over on his blog! Thanks Purkey, you rock!

I only ever work in fabric, but this tutorial is so clear and well explained I really think I might try this for myself… who wouldn’t want MASSIVE rocket jewellery?