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Computer Board coffee table blends the past with the future with charm and dignified elegance
We're not furniture experts by any means, but we're pretty sure your great Aunt Dottie's not going to be a fan of this one. The Computer Board Table is made from two tables, plus the modems, computers, and miscellaneous electronic goodies that make up its guts. The results of the project are quite beautiful. Hit the source for more photos.
Handmade Daft Punk helmet produces some stunning photo ops
The man you see above you, Harrison Krix from Volpin Props, spent the last year and a half making the Daft Punk helmet he's wearing in the shot. Now, maybe that sounds like a crazy way to spend your spare time -- but then again, the photo opportunities seem to be killer for this guy these days. Hit the source links for many, many photos of its creation. Video below.
Capacitors and diodes lovingly tooled together to form a fantastical necklace and earring set
Here's the thing: we never really got into dramatic jewelry. We're just not wired that way. Still, we can appreciate the craftsmanship, the beauty, and the geeky elegance of this necklace and earring set, which is composed of ninety-eight capacitors and diodes woven with wire and jump rings. Check the time lapse video below of its construction.
Pentax Kameraman puppets are perfect for shooting WTF faces
We don't know how seriously you take yourself as a photographer. But painting a face on your lens cap and dangling a hand-made, ¥2,914 (about $32) Osu! Kameraman puppet from your camera's tripod mount isn't going to earn you much respect. Especially when your telephoto lens is dialed up to maximum, perv. Perfect though, if you're only hoping to capture faces twisted into a scowl. Entire collection on display after the break.
iLove the iMac iLamp
Happy New Year, everybody! It's 2010, and that means we're all riding around in flying cars, shooting laser guns at each other, and we all have robot servants to do all of our work for us. Oh wait, that didn't work out as planned, did it? At least we've got this awesome lamp, which was made from the old iMac G4 (which was actually nicknamed the "iLamp") that had the monitor moving around on a swivel. The bottom base case has been turned into the shade, but the arm is still there, ready to position the light wherever you want it to go. Pretty sweet. Unfortunately, if you want one of your own, you'll have to hurry: as of this writing, there's only one left for sale on this Etsy page, and that one will set you back $75. But if you've got an old iMac sitting around and a little electric know-how, it shouldn't be too hard to rig one together yourself. Or you could just get your robot servant to do it for you!
Guitar picks crafted from old circuit boards spark binary solo revolution
As the great Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement would say: 0, 001, 001! Come on sucker, lick my battery! We're no experts on translating binary rock 'n roll into modern day English (or Russian, for that matter), but we're guessing that the boys from New Zealand would most certainly approve of a guitar pick crafted from recycled motherboards. Etsy member TheBlueKraken seems capable of churning these guys (and many other wares) out in almost any hue of PCB, and at just $7 or $8 apiece, they're hardly a rip off. In fact, we'd wager that these are pretty much the most awesome stocking stuffers of all time. Boogie, boogie, boogie, robo boogie, all after the break.
Biegert & Funk QLOCKTWO gets an English version, our sincerest admiration
This is exactly what we need: a clock that politely dispenses with the math (no matter how simple) in favor of words. Biegert & Funk handmake this one, called the QLOCKTWO, with both German and English language faces -- and there lots of color options. The price is a stunningly uncheap €1099 (about $1600), so get to saving your dollars and cents. There's a video showing off the QLOCKTWO after the break, but you'd better speak German -- or do what we did, and mute it and listen to AC / DC while you watch it.
Falling in love all over again with the Mac Classic iPhone case
For those of us who are old enough to remember it, the classic "smiling Mac" was the face that first made us fall in love with a boxy little beige computer. Now Colorado designer vanMourik on Etsy.com has created a felt iPhone case that brings back that first love...Available for only US$25, the Mac Classic iPhone case [link to Etsy] is a handmade work of art. While it's cute enough to grace the purse of a fashionista, it's also cool enough to be found in the cluttered laptop case of any Mac geek. There's even a embroidered Apple rainbow logo!If some enterprising developer could create an iPhone app to go along with the case that would play the startup beep of the original Mac when the iPhone is removed from it, that would bring tears to the eyes of legions of Mac faithful. Well done, vanMourik![Thanks for the tip, Seth. Via iPhoneSavior]
Ned Kelly thumb drive for the bushranger in your life
Bushrangers were Australia's answer to English highwaymen and Ned Kelly was perhaps the most celebrated of them all. Known for his homemade armor and helmet -- here represented by the USB plug -- Kelly has now been truly immortalised by the art of memory stick modding. Fair enough, woodworking isn't a terribly precise art and we could just as easily claim this to be a Hristo Botev (who?) USB drive, but we have to commend the considerable effort required to put this baby together. On the other hand, there are snazzier alternatives out there, which look great even without you explaining the mythology behind their design.[Via Boing Boing]
DIY semi-functional keyboard pants destined for the geek catwalk
Did you ever spot a really boss concept and think, "Hey! I could totally cobble this into reality"? No? Well, Zach did. He saw a concept pair of pants with a functioning keyboard, and proceeded to make his very own. Essentially, he chopped a keyboard in half, then used a laser cutter and some good old fashioned sewing to get the keys into the trousers. Because the board had been cut in half, only the left side of it still functions, but, as you'll see from the video after the break, that's good enough for a game of Tetris. Hit the read link for more detailed instructions if you want to make your own.[Via Hack-a-Day]
Fan-made Draenei Barbie
Reader Amanda S sent us this picture of a Draenei Barbie (that is a Draenei, right? Not a Night Elf? Oh yeah -- check the hooves) she says she and a friend made when they were bored. It's not the most involved craft we've ever seen, but it looks pretty good and it's an interesting idea: make Warcraft characters out of existing dolls, rather than completely from scratch. GI Joe would probably be perfect for putting together a figure of the new King Wrynn. But we do like the dress and the shoulders -- nice job. Whenever Blizzard figures out how to do player housing, we can put her in a dream house as well.Got a WoW-related craft that you'd like to share? We'd love to see it -- send us a tip through the tipline and we'll check it out.
Custom WoW plushies look adorable
Debbie sent us a note about these plushies that she made, and as you can see, they look pretty awesome. The funny part, however, is that she doesn't know anything about World of Warcraft -- her mom's friend asked her to make a Troll Priestess, and since she makes these dolls on commission (prices start at $60 plus shipping and handling), people have asked her to do a Troll Shaman as well, and she's currently working on a Draenei Paladin. Very cool.You'd probably have to negotiate with her if you wanted something custom made, since these are definitely not coming off of a factory line. But even if you're willing to pay the money for a doll like this, they do look cool. We don't know what it is about Shamans and their little totems that seems to make them perfect for plushie form, but there must be something there. Somehow, we're not sure a plushie Warrior would cause the same fascination. But hey -- be sure to prove us wrong. If you catch any great WoW crafts around the net that we haven't seen yet, drop us a tip.
Handmade tile necklaces feature WoW sayings
Reader Randy N. sent a link to these tile necklaces along to us, and they look awesome. They're made by a husband/wife team in New Mexico, and they're made from Scrabble tiles (the back apparently still has the letter on it) coated in a glassy glaze, with an assortment of colors and sayings. Very nice -- could be just the thing for someone who's a fan of Warcraft and handmade jewelry in your life.They're $9.99 apiece with free shipping, which is not too bad. And if that's too much and you want to try making them yourself, they've even got a tutorial on how it's done right there on the site. We do have one issue, though -- these pretty pendants and cute crafts are fine for the ladies and all, but what about us dudes? Maybe we can get some "pwned" or "woot" cufflinks?
A WoW gift bag for Valentine's Day
How great is this? Reader angrypanda a.k.a. Joshua links us to this update on his Livejournal, in which he shows off the awesome set of gifts his wife got him for Valentine's Day. It's a romantic gift basket, with everything, from the chocolates to the Linen Bag itself, marked out with WoW-style tooltips. Everything looks authentic, too -- there's a Bag of Candies, Dark Desire (looks like the hit rating bonus got nerfed for the RL version, though), and even a Moonberry Juice. And there's a "Jox (Horde) Shou" handmade craft in there, too -- those are their character names, Jox and Lykishou.Joshua says he and his wife have been married nearly 15 years, and they weren't planning to do much this year (or so he thought -- here's hoping they had a very nice dinner and movie later that evening). Very awesome. Because the Livejournal seems to be hidden behind a content filter of some kind, we've put all of Joshua's pics in a gallery below so you can see everything all in one place. What a terrific Valentine's Day gift.%Gallery-44901%
Apple t-shirt quilt available on eBay
I don't know how comfy a quilt made out of t-shirts would be, but maybe the fact that they're all Apple t-shirts will help. That's exactly what this quilt is made out of -- it's up over on eBay right now, and while the price is only around $36 at the time of this writing, it's probably gone up since then. There are about 20 t-shirts in the quilt total, and they look like they range from the late '90s (there's a bondi blue iMac on there, I believe) up to the Tiger release (at least those are all the ones I recognize). And they do seem like official store t-shirts, which means whoever made the quilt probably is or knows an Apple employee.If you can get over the fact that someone probably once wore your quilt, it might be a nice Apple-themed bedspread to grab. I've been looking for a good quilt lately, and while this is a little too patched together for my interests, maybe Apple is missing something here. What would an Ive-designed quilt end up looking like?
World of WarCrafts: Voidwalker plush
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.This week, instead of showing you how to make something, I want to focus on something that someone else has created.My main is a human warlock (yeah, Alliance here) and as such I have a soft spot for all things blueberry. So when I happened across this über cute plush voidwalker by seller Glowgoyle on Etsy, I instantly fell in love. I happened to forward the link to my husband who later surprised me with it as a gift.Now it sits proudly on my desk amongst my other toys and assorted WoWCrafts. The plushie itself is very well-made and is about 15 inches tall. The crafter was awesome enough to include a stand and the final coup de grâce is that the eyes glow in the dark.There's a possibility that Glowgoyle might make more in the future so definitely keep an eye on her Etsy shop.
Blood Elf tank and Murloc hair bow, as seen on Etsy
Alice Taylor has quite the eye for scoping out awesome gaming crafts, and just recently, she did a nice roundup (and another post) that had two great handmade WoW items in it. First up was this great-looking Sin'dorei (that's Blood Elf, in case you're not up on your Thalassian) tank top -- it was originally a T-shirt that the maker, smarmyclothes, turned into a tank top with some industrious cutting and stiching. Looks great -- at $52, the price is a little steep, but then again, this is a one-of-a-kind handmade item, so you get what you pay for.And second was this Murky hair bow -- to tell the truth, I have no idea what a hair bow does (it must tie hair back or something, right?), but I am a huge Murky fan, or at least a fan of /punting the little guy, so any article of clothing with him on it, no matter what it's for, gets my approval. The bows are two for $11, and it looks like there's only one in stock, so SugarPopRibbons is probably making them to order. But I'm sure if you're patient, you can get your hands (or hair, I guess) on one.Seen any other great WoW crafts, on Etsy or anywhere else? Let us know!
World of WarCrafts: Halaa Battle Token soap
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.Let's face it, PVP can definitely have an adverse affect on one's physical approachability. Have you ever had the unfortunate opportunity to smell a hardcore PVPer? Do yourself and your fellow raid members a favor and practice some good hygiene with this Halaa Battle Token soap. Here is what you will need: Opaque Glycerin Soap Bars Soap Dye Soap Fragrance Carving Tools Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions. %Gallery-28458%
Real-life, handmade Tabard
I was amazed by the Scarlet Crusade T-shirt tabard (and, you know, for wearability in public, it still kind of wins -- I still think my "custom tabard as t-shirt" business idea is a great one), but this is awesome, too -- Ammana of Dying Breed on my own home server of Cenarius-A was encouraged by her friend to send us this one, and we thank her for it -- she handcrafted a real-life, wearable version of her guild's tabard (you can click the picture above to see a bigger version of it). The crest is apparently hand-embroidered. She says she also made the dress and circlet herself, and the belt was crafted by a friend.Very cool. Now all she need is those Pauldrons and that big axe and she's ready for some adventuring! I'm actually surprised by how well the tabard works in real-life. In game, it's kind of the least interesting thing on your character -- it's there for decoration, but the real show comes from your shoulders and helm. But when it's just the tabard, it's a much cooler piece of apparel. Not quite enough to start a new fashion trend, I think, but it does look good.
Real-life Mooncloth Bag (and Horde earrings)
Yup, it's a real-life Mooncloth Bag. SpikeHeadDesign over on Etsy has turned the 16-slotter's icon into an actual, real-life bag. Instead of actual Mooncloth, though (there are no real Moonwells on Earth, unfortunately), it's made of corduroy, cotton, a few buttons and velcro, and some kind of lace on the side (though I know my Shaman would never actually use something with lace on it, so they must all be different). Looks terrific, anyway, and it should for that price: $180.00. Still, for a handmade, one-of-a-kind bag, can't go wrong. The creator says that Netherweave is next, and it'll be exciting when we get to "Gigantique."Alice Taylor of the great Wonderland blog has also been dutifully keeping up with WoW stuff on Etsy: she found these great Horde earrings that have unfortunately sold out (though this other design is still available). Could be the perfect gift for the jewelry-adorned WoW player in your life.Thanks, Jaynnie!
