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June 28

Maker Faire KC 2015

Photos from Maker Faire Kansas City 2015

Have you been to a Maker Faire? A celebration of things people make themselves, Maker Faires are organized by MAKE Magazine, and started in San Mateo, California in 2006. Now these events take place across the country. My hometown, Kansas City, happens to be one of the “featured” Faires, where more than 200 makers participate. I have shared Faires in the past, in 2011 and 2012, so I figured it was time for an update.

Above is a montage of photos I took – here are the highlights, starting in the upper left corner, and working around clockwise:

  1. 3D printers were big again, as they have been at each Faire I’ve attended. These were some 3D-printed TARDISes and Star Trek Lego figures.
  2. Some more examples of 3D printed items – these were very ornate vases by Sage Kaneko.
  3. A chainmail demonstration by Michael of Amanda Lynn Chainmaille Creations.
  4. The Artifex 2 desktop 3D printer – it printed in the usual hard plastic filament, but also wood and a flexible “NinjaFlex” thermoplastic elastomer.
  5. Eco Elvis performed – he was all shook up about the effects of acid rain.
  6. The Flipbookits were a cool find in the Maker Store – it’s a DIY kit to make your own motorized flipbook, designed by kinetic artists.
  7. Artists from Dare to Dabble were on hand to help attendees create gelli prints with acrylic paints, brayers, stamps and stencils.
  8. I made my own glycerin soap with Feto Soap! It smells like cinnamon and I chose a cute little gnome as the “prize” in the center.
  9. There were speakers scheduled throughout the day, discussing all sorts of interesting make-y type topics. The one I heard was about the use of hydraulics in Hollywood.
  10. Many booths encouraged attendees, particularly kids, to try their hand at a variety of tasks. This booth by Leela Village School for Purposeful Play offered a DIY playground with robots made from found materials. (P.S. Did you know “Leela” means “divine play” in Sanskrit?)
  11. A steampunk dirigible
  12. There was a table for Raspberry Pi Geek magazine – we got my husband one of these little credit card-sized computers for his birthday this year, so I was sure to pick up one of their sample magazines.

There was so much to see, and scrolling through the Instagram feed for #MakerFaireKC, I can see I missed quite a bit! Be sure to allow a few hours at least if a Maker Faire hits your area, if not a whole day!

What have been your favorite things to see at a Maker Faire? Share with us in the comments below!

Links of Interest:

 

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June 21

30 Days of Nerdy Hair

Lagertha nerdy hair by Liz Tailor

Ever look in the mirror and wonder, “How can I make my hair nerdier?” Liz Tailor did, so she started a series of posts called, “30 Days of Nerdy Hair.”

“One day I was reading Shape magazine (a rather non-nerdy publication) and I read about a 30 day hair challenge where the author of the article tried a new hairstyle every day for 30 days,” she writes. “And I thought to myself, ‘Liz, you are terrible at doing your own hair! You should try this.’ And of course I had to find a nerdy way to do it!! So 30 Days of Nerdy Hair was born.”

Since back in 2012, she has been taking cues from movies, tv shows, video game characters and music videos, and recreating hairstyles herself at home. Inspiration has come from such varied sources as “Tomb Raider,” “Indiana Jones,” “Saved by the Bell,” Secretary Barbie, “Game of Thrones,” “Once Upon a Time,” and “Star Trek,” just to name a few. Featured above is Lagertha from the TV show, “Vikings.”

She’s currently in the middle of a new series of posts so be sure to hop over and check it out!

Whose nerdy hair do you admire and covet? Share in the comments below!

Links of Interest:

 

Category: Geek, Girly, Movies, TV | Comments Off on 30 Days of Nerdy Hair
January 11

#NerdsCraftItBetter Swap Closing Soon!

Nerds Craft It Better swap logo

A heads up that Rae McIntosh of Rae’s Making It is hosting a “Nerds Craft It Better” swap, with signups ending January 15th. At last report, 161 people are participating, making it quite the geek crafty party!

I’ve seen some of the Instagram posts coming in with the #NerdsCraftItBetter hashtag, and it’s been interesting seeing all the different fandoms. Quite a few of the classics, like Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter, but also some new-to-me book series, so I’m looking forward to seeing the finished projects.

I’m signed up, though I admit to feeling a bit intimidated. Even with all my years of geekery and crafting, this is my first swap! I am looking to challenge myself crafting-wise this year, so I thought this was a good first step.

Have you participated in a craft swap? How did it go for you?

Links of Interest:

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October 19

Scott Pilgrim craft: Ramona Flowers hammer

Ramona Flowers hammer by Mia Moore

At the cons I have attended, I see a ton of creative cosplay (people dressed up in costumes representing characters from books, movies, TV, manga, etc.). I can pretty safely guarantee I’ll see a variety of fandoms represented – almost always Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who. I always enjoy seeing other characters, however, and recognizing their references. Makes me feel a little self-righteous in my geekhood.

That’s why I was tickled to recently find this tutorial on a Ramona Flowers cosplay, from the graphic novel series, video game and movie, Scott Pilgrim. We have enjoyed watching the movie several times at our house, and my daughter has read the books. Mia did a great job breaking down the steps to creating the iconic hammer in her tutorial, right down to the bell on the end of the handle – great attention to detail! She also gives tips on how she was able to travel by plane with the hammer!

Be sure to check out other examples of Mia’s cosplay wizardry – such as Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, Fiona from Adventure Time, and Female Engineer from Team Fortress 2.

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September 19

Pattern: Bat’leth Scarf

If you looked at that title and shook your head, you need more crafty Klingon’s in your life.  Over at The Giving Flower a design for a Bat’leth scarf is up for any enterprising knitter.

k_gintar_batleth

As the designer describes:  “Feeling a bit agressive? Need to let your inner Klingon free? Then this is just the scarf for you. It can be used in battle or just worn around your neck to keep you or your favorite Klingon warrior warm. With the silk and merino content and the holes formed by the grips, it flows gently around any Klingon or non-Klingon neck and won‘t get too warm. It also can come in handy in case a Klingon battle ensues. Don‘t be caught empty handed this winter!”

If that’s not a call to winter  battle. We all know the colder season is approaching for some of us. And its time for it to taste defeat.

Category: Craft, Geek, Sci-Fi, TV | 2 Comments on Pattern: Bat’leth Scarf
September 14

Find Geeky Fabrics at Spoonflower

Doctor Who headband by Costume Wrangler

Have you heard of Spoonflower? It’s a company/site that allows you to create print-on-demand fabric, wallpaper and giftwrap. Which makes it a geekcrafter’s dream, both for designers and general crafty folk. You can upload your own designs to print on fabric and such, or browse the thousands of patterns created by others. There are a bounty of categories, including Geek, and pretty much every fandom you can think of is represented, including Doctor Who (see also Whovian), Star Trek, Firefly, Sherlock, and Hobbit. I’m personally eyeing this swirly Doctor Who fabric by Risarocksit to make a skirt in the near future. (I actually took a skirt making class, just so I could use this fabric!)

I recently met a geekcrafter who uses Spoonflower to print her designs and then creates items to sell in her Etsy shop – Elinor Parker, aka The Costume Wrangler. I purchased a cool Doctor Who headband (pictured above) from her at a local craft fair, which features her custom design of TARDISes spinning in the cosmos.

Have you created anything with Spoonflower fabric? Or purchased anything made from custom-designed fabric? Link us up in the Comments section below!

 

Category: Craft, Geek, Girly | 7 Comments on Find Geeky Fabrics at Spoonflower