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Well Fed Buff: Dalaran "Apple" Pie
Ever since the first days of WoW, mages have been conjuring up food items out of thin air for the general public. One of the offhand questions I'm asked every now and again is what, exactly, all that conjured food tastes like? I never really had an answer, because I assumed that the answer was "whatever that food happened to be called." Mana strudel? It tastes like strudel. Mana biscuits? They taste like biscuits. The only difference between mana strudel and regular strudel was the ingredients -- the rest was pretty much the same. Which is why, when I ran across this incredibly odd recipe, I was immediately reminded of Azeroth's mages. It was also why I immediately had to create it for myself, and test it out on my family. This apple pie passed with flying colors, and it's so easy to make, you'd swear it was magic. The ingredients list is relatively short for this particular concoction ... oh, and the apples? You can leave those out entirely, we won't be needing them. You heard me. Let's head to the kitchen and conjure up some Dalaran "apple" pie, shall we?
Delicately divine WoW-themed clay creations by Euphyley
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. When I laid eyes on the sculpture shown above, I was immediately impressed with the attention to detail in the lovely reproduction of the Ashes of Al'ar. Sure, I've tried my hand at crafting various things with clay over the years, but I've never done anything quite that technical. It turns out Euphyley, the sculptor who submitted the image above, has a whole host of gorgeous clay crafts she's created over the years. From reproductions of mounts and pets to WoW-themed keychains and more, Euphyley's got a talent for small-scale sculpture that has to be seen to be believed. And when presented with an opportunity to interview her, how could I resist? Check out the gallery for more of Euphyley's work, and read on for some words from Euphyley herself.
Icy Veins opens final voting for annual Christmas Card Contest
Icy Veins, home of some of the most popular and up to date class and raid guides, has opened up the final round of voting for their annual Christmas Card Contest. The contest asked for the best original WoW-themed Christmas Cards that readers could come up with, and did readers ever deliver -- out of a staggering 159 entries, 20 were chosen to move on to the final round for voting. Winners of the contest will receive some amazing prize packages from J!NX, TypeFrag, Curse, Ask Mr. Robot and Blizzard. But that's enough about the prizes. What's really cool are the cards themselves, a stunning array of artwork, screenshots, and even some real-life photography thrown in for good measure. From wryly funny to incredibly sweet, the wide variety makes the ultimate winner pretty much anyone's guess. To check out the entries and vote, take a look at the official thread on Icy Veins. Voting ends on December 25, so don't dawdle if you'd like your vote to count. Congratulations in advance to the winners!
Well Fed Buff: Dalaran Applesauce
You think I have a thing for apples, do you? It's autumn, people -- pick 'em while the pickin's good. Because you know what goes great with a meal of Half a Lovely Apple ... With Bacon but before Mini Candied Apples? A heaping serving of spicy, fragrant Dalaran Applesauce. The win to this encounter is the magical item we equip, the Dalaran Apple Bowl -- otherwise known as your slow cooker. It makes simmering fresh, homemade applesauce so magically simple that you'll find yourself grabbing a bag of honeycrisp apples every time you go to the store. Seriously, you do next to nothing, and the achievements just roll in. And the smell, oh, the smell ... Your whole house will smell like fresh-baked apple pie. In fact, we prefer to eat our Dalaran Applesauce hot like apple pie filling from tiny ramekins, although it's delicious in its more traditional chilled form as well.
Well Fed Buff: Delicious Chocolate Cake
Delicious Chocolate Cake has an infamous history in WoW. Back in The Burning Crusade, this recipe dropped randomly as a prize in the goody bag you got for completing the cooking dailies in Shattrath. It had a pretty low drop rate, so cooking completionists would often try agonizingly every day for months to earn the recipe. I got it myself right toward the end of the expansion, which made me very happy until I learned that it was also available from the far-simpler Northrend cooking dailies. Oh well. In real life, I have not been a particular fan of chocolate cake. Typical chocolate cake is usually too dry or too sweet for me, and given a choice, I almost always prefer a yellow cake or carrot cake. Then I found this recipe. It's original name was "Million Dollar Chocolate Cake" and I discovered it years ago on a cooking blog that has long since disappeared into the aether. This is hands down the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten. The recipe is a bit involved, but take my word, it is worth it.
Well Fed Buff: Herb baked egg
Ah, the herb-baked egg! Yet another mainstay of the leveling WoW cook, and it's not a bad way to work on leveling your cooking skills in real life, either. Tasty, simple, and it looks good, too. This recipe is great for a lazy day's breakfast, or in my case, dinner on a night when I really didn't want to do a whole lot. It's basically eggs and bacon in a cute little dish, baked in the oven instead of fried in a pan. It's got plenty of protein, and is quite filling despite the tiny dish means of delivery.
Get crafty with these faction crest cross-stitch patterns
If you're a WoW-player who cross-stitches -- or you're looking to pick up a new hobby -- crafter SweetestSpot has created cross-stitch patterns for the alliance and horde logos. Cross-stitch WoW creations aren't something we've come across before -- but while cross-stitching may sound like something your grandmother does, we can confirm that these stitched crests would make a fantastic addition to any gaming lair. If you're interested, the patterns are available for sale on Etsy for alliance and horde -- though you'll have to pick up the supplies to make them on your own. Each pattern results in a finished product that's about 6" square, with the alliance pattern using 4 colors of floss and the horde pattern using 7 colors. Not that crafty? SweetestSpot's originals -- alliance and horde -- are up on Ebay, both mounted for hanging on a 7.5" embroidery hoop. Have any cool WoW crafts of your own? Drop us a line and you may be our next featured WarCraft!
This epic crafted Frostsaber has ridden off with our hearts
This amazingly detailed frostsaber was created by art student Brittany Zerkle, who's been making plush toys since she was a kid -- and, more recently, selling them on her Etsy shop. But this handmade version of the Swift Frostsaber -- 14 inches long from nose to tail and 5 inches tall at the shoulders -- was definitely a labor of love. Zerkle started working on it last July, drawing sketches and making some of the small parts, but put the project on hold because she didn't feel she had the skill to pull it off. When she picked up the frostsaber project again, she says it took three days to complete. "Which means from the moment I woke up until it was time for bed, I was working on it and only taking a break to eat, go to the bathroom, and wait for paint to dry," she explains. "The last night, I pulled an all nighter out of excitement, finished it, and photographed it. Then I crashed and slept about 12 hours." We've had gaming binges like that before, but can't say that the results were nearly as nice. Read on for more photos and an in-depth look at how this craft cat came into being!
These WoW-themed soaps will keep your non-virtual body clean
Too often gamers get a bad rap for being unwashed masses, more concerned with getting to the next level than with hygiene. But we don't see why that has to be the case, especially not with these gaming-themed soaps from British soapmaker Soapasaurus. So far there are four game-centric soaps on offer: the lemon verbena For the Alliance! soap, the spicy For the Horde! soap, the tropical Health Bar soap, and the minty Mana Bar soap. Though some of these sound good enough to eat (especially this cupcake-scented My Little Pony themed soap), remember that soap is for getting clean, not eating. If you need a bit of extra gaming flair in your life, these soaps cost £5 a bar (that's about $7.50) and will deliver to UK addresses for £2 or internationally for £5 (again, about $7.50). And if you're a crafty sort who's interested in geeky soaps with a slightly lower price tag, we do have some DIY instructions for making your own healthstone or Halaa token in soap form.
Young Welsh player achieves Stood in the Fire every night
Ten-year-old Connor of Wrexham, Wales, has adored World of Warcraft ever since he began watching his mother Emma play during The Burning Crusade. Today, Connor plays a worgen frost mage and has even raided the first three bosses of the Terrace of Endless Spring with his mom's guild. "We have always encouraged him because it helps with his literacy skills," she says. So when it came time to find out Connor what he wanted on his bedroom wall when the family moved to a new home, the young fan was adamant: Deathwing, and plenty of it. Thanks to the talents of family friend and local artist Rachel West (more of her other art at faceART), that's exactly what Connor got. %Gallery-192971% "He loves his pet battles and enjoys looking at older raid content," Emma reports. "All the people in the guild are lovely with him and have helped various times so he can see content of the game." Still, his family seems content to let him get Stood in the Fire every night when he goes to bed ... That's one boy you can truly describe with a "well done, young man, well done."
Breakfast Topic: Do you WoW-craft?
Some people are just driven by the need to make things, whether it's art, writing, or any other kind of craft. World of Warcraft certainly seems to have a wealth of crafty types, who use their skills and expertise to do everything from making shoes to sewing adorable plushies to truly amazing cosplay. But while there are plenty of crafty players, not everyone has the talent or inclination. So tell us, do you World of Warcraft craft? If so, what's your craft of choice and why? And, for those of us with neither crafting inclination or talent, well, we can always enjoy the work of others -- or just enjoy playing the game!
This crochet worgen will growl its way into your heart
World of Warcraft's worgen aren't always friendly, but in the case of this crochet worgen we can confirm cuddliness. WoW player Venuz created this little guy for a WoW craft swap and we've got to say he looks true to in-game worgen, if on a more diminutive scale. Venuz has been crocheting for about 20 years now -- it's her favorite hobby outside of WoW -- and created the pattern for this worgen from scratch. So what's next on the crafting agenda? Venuz says she'd like to make an attempt at a crochet orc. We have a full-sized image of this crafty creation after the break or you can check out Venuz's gallery on Imgur.
The quest of a lifetime
Here at WoW Insider we're suckers for a sweet story. And this is definitely a sweet story, with a very Warcraft theme. The MK over at Khalanil wanted to make a warcraft-themed proposal, and so got to work, heading over to an unofficial WoW blog by the name of World of Warcraft Papercrafts. Amongst other things, Khalanil found an origami treasure chest, as pictured in the header image above. He also managed to lay his hands on some quest background images, the Morpheus font, and some other WoW assets, that enabled him to put together what must be the sweetest questline we've ever seen. He created three quests, one to find an afternoon tea spot for Lor'themar Theron, the completion of which opened up a quest to eliminate dwarves at a local tea-room, and finally, Clara was sent out to scout a high-price eatery for Trade Prince Gallywix. Completing the final quest granted Clara a Legendary item, which was concealed in the box we saw at the start. WoW Insider particularly enjoyed the stats on this item: +100 Love, +100 Happiness, and, just for good measure, +10 Melee Damage! You never know when you might need it. Do head over to Khalanil to read the full post! [Thanks for the tip, Alex!]
Blizzard calls for Christmas craft
The snappily titled Blizzard Entertainment 2012 Dessert and Holiday Art Program is here! Blizzard put a call out on Facebook this morning for Blizzard-themed desserts and holiday cards, featuring art or craft inspired by Diablo, Starcraft or Warcraft. Successful submissions will be featured in Blizzard's facebook gallery, so get your crafting hat on and get creative! If you're looking for some World of Warcraft related inspiration you can check out WoW Insider's World of WarCrafts for some ideas on art, craft, and cake! To enter the competition, simply head over to the battle.net page and fill out the forms.
Breakfast Topic: Do you buy real-life WoW goodies?
Everybody likes stuff. It almost goes without saying that WoW players like WoW stuff. Some of us, however, like WoW stuff a little more than others. Ever witnessed someone really loading up somewhere like the Blizzard Store or Jinx? Heaven help their credit cards -- they seem powerless to resist every last murloc, T-shirt, and hearthstone key ring. I guess it all depends how open you are about your gaming hobby; even in 2012, some folks still feel a need to be discreet about their gaming hobby. Still, those people are probably handily offset by all the enthusiastic crafters out there. Anybody remember World of WarCrafts? My office is in my house and I don't even wear shoes unless I'm headed out for errands, but even I would spring for the hot little WoW heels shown above. That's not even getting into the head-spinning variety of WoW-themed goodies you can make yourself. (All thumbs? We can show you how!) Do you wear your love for World of Warcraft literally on your sleeve? Do you limit yourself to the odd T-shirt or hoodie, or do you let your gaming flag fly on your car bumper, at your desk, or throughout the house? Would you ever spring for a big-ticket item like a reproduction Doomhammer?
Whimsical and sweet Warcraft fan art by Meebles
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page. You know, while I love seeing ridiculously complicated and detailed Warcraft fan art, there's something to be said about understated art. There's a certain charm and sweetness that comes with simplicity, and while a lot of Warcraft is understandably brutal -- we are talking about Warcraft, after all -- there's a whimsical undertone to the franchise that adds a different level of appeal to it. And when one forgoes the detailed and raw, one is left with the simple charm and whimsy that Warcraft is notorious for. Today's artist takes a totally different look at Warcraft and reflects it in artwork that is infused with that natural charm and whimsy, without losing the essence of Warcraft itself. Druid Meebles of the guild House of Arathor from the Argent Dawn server (US-A) has been creating artwork for as long as she can remember, playing World of Warcraft on and off since the days of vanilla. Her artwork is infused with light and frothy charm, a far cry from the dark battles against the Destroyer and the Twilight Cult. It's a breath of fresh air, and Meebles was happy to chat with us about both her art and Warcraft, as well. %Gallery-150696%
Fabulous custom Warcraft shoes by Rhonda Vandeputte
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page. I am pretty much the last girl on earth that you'd see squealing over a pair of shoes. However, today's submission hit all the right buttons when it arrived in my mailbox. Nice heels? Check. Open toe? Check. Covered in panels of Warcraft comics? Check. ... say what? I did the biggest double take in the world when I realized these are actually pieces and panels of the official Warcraft comics, artfully applied to a pair of shoes. As a comic collector, I can safely say this is probably the coolest use for old comics that I've seen to date. Rhonda Vandeputte has been creating all kinds of crafting projects for a very long time, and her experience definitely shows here. From the carefully chosen panels to the flawless application, these shoes aren't so much footwear as they are fully functional and wearable art. Rhonda was happy to send in pictures of the process in the gallery below and happy to chat about the creation of this fabulous footwork as well. %Gallery-149945%
Kicking off March with Warcraft-themed cakes
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page. I have a love/hate relationship with Warcraft cake submissions. On the one hand, I love seeing the creativity put forth and the stylish efforts of confectionary art. On the other, they make me want to bake things, and while I enjoy baking things, I don't eat sweets often enough to warrant making a full-sized cake! Oh sure, I could ask my Dad to devour it, but even he has his limits as far as cake consumption goes. ... not to mention that cake submissions make me kind of hungry, especially when they look as tasty as the cake pictured above. Sara Bryant posted this cake on Reddit a while back and then decided to submit it to us as well. But that's not all we've got for you today. We've also got a couple of sets of perfectly adorable cake toppers, including one from a name you've heard on the site before. Check out the gallery, and meet us after the break for more goodies! %Gallery-31459%
Eye-catching, fantastic fan art by Ginny Higerd
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page. Bet that header image got your attention, didn't it? It certainly got mine when it appeared in my mailbox! From the details on the armor to the expression on the face, you can't really help but stare and admire. Ginny Higerd, otherwise known as Tsunomi on the Elune server (A-US), has been doing artwork for a very long time, and her Warcraft fan art is the stuff dreams are made of -- well, my dreams of being pretty good at that whole drawing thing, anyway. But art like that also takes a lot of hard work, and Ginny's certainly no stranger to it. What's more remarkable than Ginny's work itself is that you can see the natural progression of skill with each piece that she draws, from early-day scribbles to full-out masterpieces like the image above. Ginny was kind enough to send in a submission for World of WarCrafts -- and heck, with skills like that, how could I not interview her about her methods? %Gallery-148080%
Graphic and bold hunter pet designs by Melissa
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page. Most of the time, when you see a piece of Warcraft fan art, it's either depicting a character from Warcraft lore or the character that the artist plays. Sometimes it's a depiction of a moment in Warcraft history, and others, it's just a chance to draw some really fancy armor. You'll rarely see simple landscapes, but you'll see pictures of characters in those landscapes. And you'll see pictures of hunters and their pets, but rarely will you see pictures of the pets all by themselves. But for Melissa Bozarth, hunter pets are just far too appealing not to draw. And draw she does, creating intricate, vectored art of dozens of beloved pets from the Warcraft hunter's stable. We've featured Melissa's artwork before with a Corehound piece she created back in early 2010. Melissa's been happily creating plenty of artwork since then and decided to share both her work and her experiences with us. %Gallery-147285%
