January 10

Grandpa Makes Death Star Fire Pit for His Grandkids for Christmas

fire pit

I may have bronchitis and laryngitis so I can’t verbally speak, but I’ve the internet to be able to talk to all of you! First up this morning, this awesome Death Star fire pit was made by a 84-year-old metalworker, on request, for his grandkids for Christmas. The pit was made by welding together two defective propane tank ends and then cutting out the excess metal to create the iconic space station.

It was originally posted over at Reddit by Bandia5309. And if you need any more proof as to how awesome this grandpa is, check THIS out: he is selling them on Etsy now! You can get your very own fully operational Death Star fire pit for only $1,600 from Farmington, NM. This custom designed back yard fire pit is hand drawn and cut from steel globes measuring either 30 or 37 1/2 inches in diameter (buyer’s choice).

Jennifer’s grandpa ROCKS!

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January 5

Geek Out With Free Hand Embroidery Patterns and Tutorials

ParanoidHandEmbroideryQuote

This year, don’t just let your geek flag fly. Hand embroider that geek flag with your favorite quote or character.

If you enjoy the Dresden Files, you’ll love this free hand embroidery pattern designed by Jennifer from Sew Hooked. Check out her blog and Craftsy store for more original pattern designs.

 

SherlockEmbroideryPattern

I’m totally Sher-locked myself, so this next free hand embroidery pattern by Jordan F (username: dozmuffinxc), as found on FandomStiches.com is something I’m definitely going to try.

HandEmbroideryandPatternMakingTutorial

The only thing is, I look at these fun patterns and can’t help but wonder, how do you make a quote or line drawing into an embroidery pattern. I did a little digging and found this awesome tutorial on making your own hand embroidery design from Angel and Amy on their blog Tada! Creations.

CrayonTintingTutorial

And then I found another tutorial on color tinting your embroidery using crayons and an iron. The technique is so easy, but the impact of the final product packs a real wallop. I found this tutorial on Urban Threads, and it’s got great step-by-step instructions with pictures.

Links of Interest

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January 4

Jewelry for Band Geeks

Clarinet key earrings-140848-BOA by Hangups in KC

Any Band Geeks out there? My husband played trumpet in his high school marching band, and continued as a member of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band. Now my daughter is following suit, playing his horn in her school marching band. Over the past 20+ years, I have attended and cheered at many a band performance, and developed a definite soft spot for those musical type geeks.

So I am pleased to toot the horn (couldn’t resist the pun) of a local Kansas City duo who is making some pretty cool things out of retired band instruments. Hangups in KC has created the Band of Angels Retired Instrument Jewelry Collection, crafting unique handmade items such as clarinet key earrings (pictured above), guitar string bracelets, and a necklace from repurposed violin wood.

These ladies are passionate about their craft and their commitment to using repurposed materials. I love their brand vision and message, and that they are giving new life to retired band instruments in a unique way. And bonus –  they give 30% of every sale from the collection to Band of Angels, a non-profit that collects used music instruments and makes them available to kids in need so they can join band and orchestra programs. Nurturing future generations of band geeks is something I can get behind!

For Christmas, I gave my daughter one of Hangups’ ornaments made from a retired trumpet mouthpiece. She thought it was pretty cool, then when she heard it helped other kids get started in band, it became an even more meaningful keepsake. Band mom win!

Trumpet ornament by Hangups in KC

Are you a Band Geek? What instrument did/do you play?

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December 30

Free Printable advice for the New Year

KeepCalmandLetItGo

Everyone’s getting ready for 2015 and polishing up those usual new year’s resolutions.  I thought I’d share a free printable from A Geek in Glasses to help get your new year off to a great start!

More Interesting Stuff to Check Out:

And check out more of my favorite geek-tastic, fun, and inspirational quotes on Etsy!

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December 28

Hobbit Craft: Sting Plush

Sting plush by Choly Knight

A group of 15 of us descended upon a local dine-and-watch movie theater last weekend for the latest (and last) installment of the Hobbit movie trilogy. Definitely epic eye candy – I mean, Legolas dashing up that crumbling tower?  Forget about it!

Bilbo’s trusty blade Sting made an appearance in the film, and served him well. If you would like a decidedly less pointy version with a high cute factor to brandish about, check out Choly Knight’s plushie pattern.

I agree with Choly about what makes this project unique: “the real kicker is the bit of satin stitching I did in glow-in-the-dark thread to simulate Sting’s ability to glow blue when orcs are near.” She says the glow-in-the-dark effect makes it great for pillow fights – which makes me want to make it even more, just to test out!

Have you seen the Battle of the Five Armies yet? What did you think? We did enjoy it, but my husband didn’t think the story merited three full movies.

 

Links of Interest:

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