May 4

Handmade Geekcrafts Contest this week!

My hometown weekly, the Portland Mercury, is sponsoring a new handmade geekcraft project contest (with a nice shoutout to geekcrafts.com, thank you very much!) over at their site this week – email in a photo of your favorite handmade project extraordinaire, and you could win a copy of World of Geekcraft, a POW! ZAP! Magnets kit, and lots of glory. The deadline is Friday, May 6, and all the details are in the post.

Jacob Schraer says:

Like Mr. Miyagi, the projects within will help you take your unassuming fingers, made nimble from countless hours at the keyboard, and apply their surprising skills to sewing, cutting, and gluing.

Susan was kind enough to provide us with a complimentary copy of the book and a craft kit for the Blogtowner who can come up with the best homemade Geekcraft.

Please provide us with a picture of your craft, preferably with a copy of a current newspaper prominently displayed next to it, and email it to arts@portlandmercury.com with GEEKCRAFT CONTEST in the subject line. Your creations will then be judged based on skill, radness, and overall geek cred.

I would love it if a Geekcrafts.com reader snags the prize! My deepest thanks to everyone who’s had kind words for the book and Shayne’s, Renee’s, and my contributions. Can’t wait to see some killer geekcraft project entries!

PS: Don’t forget to enter the Geekcrafts.com book giveaway this week if you’d like a double chance to win a copy of the book, too…

Category: Books, Craft, Geek | Comments Off on Handmade Geekcrafts Contest this week!
May 3

Tutorial Tuesday! DOUBLE FEATURE!! Monsties and “World of Geekcraft” excerpt

I’m just getting crochet-envy now! Check out these adorable Amigurumi mini-monsters (or Monsties, if you will) Created by crocheting blogger and fellow English person EssHaych AKA Sarah from Essex…. I went to university in Essex… small world… anyhow….

You’ll have to know something about crochet (unlike me) but she’s offering the pattern for how to make these cute little critters for free over on her blog! She’s also put together a bright, clear photo tutorial to help you make those pesky legs.

These are just adorable. If I lived in a Studio Ghibli Film I would completely have a little group of them following me around everywhere I go…

World of Geekcraft by Susan BealSTOP THE PRESS!!

I got a second one for you! being that this is the Week of the World of Geekcraft (for all you wonderful people on the WorldWideWeb watching these words … uh oh.. I fell into an alliteration hole) I feel it’s my duty to point you towards the book excerpt that was featured on the Craftzine Blog yesterday.

In their celebration of the launch of the book, Craftzine are giving away a free tutorial from the book for how to craft your own “Pow!”  “Zap!” comic book fridge magnets.

Now while you’re passing the fridge, you can remind yourself that you are not a domestic Goddess, you are a domestic Superhero (key difference? superheroes can eat chocolate cheesecake… goddesses can’t they’re incorporeal! … hah! in your FACE goddesses!)

 

 

 

Category: Books, Comics, Craft, Geek, Girly, Toys | 1 Comment on Tutorial Tuesday! DOUBLE FEATURE!! Monsties and “World of Geekcraft” excerpt
May 2

World of Geekcraft

Today is an exciting day at Geek Crafts! Our own Susan Beal, who blogs here every Wednesday, has a new book being released this week. The fittingly titled  World of Geekcraft is making its debut appearances for the Official Blog Tour both here at Geek Crafts and over at  Craft!

World of Geekcraft by Susan Beal

In addition to doing an incredible job with coordinating and designing this amazing book, Susan also was able to contribute several of her own projects. Of her contributions, my favorite is the Star Wars Terrariums. I believe when Susan told me she was making these I replied with a hearty, “Hell, yeah, I can’t wait to see those!” Here they are for you to see:

World of Geekcraft - Star Wars Terrariums by Susan Beal

Our Renee contributed an awesome essay called The Resurgence of Atari and Nintendo.

World of Geekcraft - The Resurgence of Atari and Nintendo by Renee Pickup

Here’s an excerpt:

A big part of the renewed popularity of Atari and NES games lies within the breakthrough idea that it’s actually cool to be geeky. The word “geek” has transitioned from describing someone wearing a pocket protector to someone who is hip, in the know, and totally capable of keeping up with technology. With new video game consoles, cell phones, and computers coming out faster than most people can keep up with, being a geek has its advantages. As loads of average Joes jump on the geek-chic bandwagon, it seems the hardcore geeks feel the need to separate themselves; perhaps wearing an old Atari logo is a way of saying, “Yeah, I was here first.”

And I was lucky enough to contribute a fuse bead portrait of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Doing these portraits is a long process and I like to do them row by row. Here you can witness Buffy gradually showing her face:

World of Geek Craft - Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Shayne Rioux

Over 10,000 beads later, I had a complete portrait:

World of Geekcraft - Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Shayne Rioux

I know 10,000 beads seems like a lot of work – and it is! – but it’s totally worth it to see the finished product.

Krys and I headed out today and spotted World of Geekcraft in its natural habitat, Barnes & Noble:

World of Geekcraft in the Wild

If your local bookstore doesn’t have World of Geekcraft yet, you can buy it online at:

After poring through the whole book, I’ve decided my absolute favorite project is Garth Johnson’s Planet Commemorative Plates. I’m totally going to make these for my husband’s computer lab.

World of Geekcraft - Planet Commemorative Plates by Garth Johnson

Continue following The Blog Book as it makes tracks to the following websites:

Also visit the official site for the book – worldofgeekcraft.com.

And last but not least, we have a copy of World of Geekcraft to give away to one lucky reader!

Leave a comment telling us your favorite geeky thing by midnight, Friday, May 6th, and we’ll pick a winner at random.

Category: Craft, Geek | 75 Comments on World of Geekcraft