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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/electric_cupcakes.html
Several years ago, my then science department head and former 9th grade science teacher was retiring. Bob Webster brought me many useful and entertaining ideas. He had our whole department making wikis to share information in the early 00's. Through him, I learned more about computer repair, web design, programming and electricity. He helped me to cultivate a positive environment encouraging kids to work with and understand concepts that many find intimidating. So what to bring to his party? Electric Cupcakes, of course!
The cupcakes themselves were a standard, dairy free affair, with rice milk substituted for cow milk and margarine for butter. The frosting was also made without butter, and tinted with food coloring. On top I coated them all with a neutral white frosting. Next came the fun part - schematic symbols. Looking around, I found a good set of example symbols in the Chaney 33 in 1 Electronics Kit workbook.
It was a fun project, and a few people at the party noticed the symbols on the cupcakes. Taking pictures of them at the time and sharing them in the MAKE Flickr pool helped create a record of these geeky perishables from days gone by. Designs like this would be neat to try with the Makerbot and its' Frostruder attachment.
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Digg this!March 7 2010, 1:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/scientific_cookie_round-ups.html
I didn't know such a thing as scientific cookies existed, or even that a round-up (or two) were needed to show off all the flavors and possibilities that creative people have come up with. But now I realize I was living in the plain white flour and possibly moldy pantries of mundane cookiedom. Why make a star sugar cookie when you can make a sugar cookie atom?
Luckily, Ms. Humble of Not So Humble Pie is blogging about all the geeky baked goodies she can find, and she's gathered them up in two (so far) round-ups. Of course our inspired cooking pals over at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories are included!
Science Cookie Round Up 1
Science Cookie Round Up 2
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Digg this!March 5 2010, 7:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/guitar_slide_from_glass_bottle.html
We've discussed numerous methods for making a cup from a glass bottle, but I don't recall seeing anyone use the neck before. Brookelynn from CRAFT has us covered, though, with this guitar slide made from a wine bottle:
One interesting historical example of upcycled crafting is the bottleneck guitar- or as it is now widely known, slide guitar. The unique resonant sound of slide guitar was originally formed by playing with a glass bottleneck over one finger and running the slide up and down the strings. While the materials for making slides have evolved, bottles are still a popular choice of material. We were given one, and as it has been used over the years, the piece has developed some lovely scratches that give the glass beautiful character. Slideplayer.com has two great ideas for making your own, including a "Burning Twine" method that sounds really cool (and drunkenly dangerous).
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Digg this!March 4 2010, 7:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/craft_weekly_recap_43.html
February 28 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/maker_business_jenny_harts_crafting.html
Illustration (by Alicia Traveria) for "The Many Arms of Promotion," by Jenny Hart, Venuszine.
Our pal, Jenny Hart, of Austin's Sublime Stitching, has a monthly column called "Crafting a Business with Jenny Hart" over on Venuszine. There's a lot of information here that's applicable to any type of crafting/maker business.
It seems to me that somewhere between working average day jobs and having your own successful business, there would be a scary transition. How did you handle that? Any tips for crafty women who would like to do the same but who don't have the courage?
You bet it was scary. Lost sleep, constant worrying, and seemingly endless work at two jobs: my day job and my dream job. It still is scary. But the scary part is different now. Attempts at making bigger strides, having more demand than resources to meet those demands, managing money wisely, and trying to find financial backing and business people in the industry who get the DIY movement (psst ... they don't) to possibly partner with. I've often felt very much like running a successful business is discovering the emperor has no clothes. Only, you're king at your own company, which means you're the one feeling naked.
From: Starting a small business is all about being innovative and savvy and learning from mistakes
What professional advisers should a small-business person hook up with at the beginning?
Every business will eventually need a lawyer and an accountant, but small businesses can often do without either for a while. A lot will depend on the kind of business you're running. If you need to incorporate right off the bat or have copyright, trademark, and/or patent concerns, then you'll want a lawyer right away. Even small service firms are wise to have a lawyer available for assistance with wording contracts, partnership agreements, and so on, though you can get a long way on the advice of books, small-business resource centers (many states have government-funded programs to help entrepreneurs with basic contract templates and such), and the occasional e-mail or phone call to a lawyer just to make sure your T's are crossed and your I's dotted. As for accounting help, if you're like us and start out as a partnership (the equivalent of an LLP in the U.S.), you can probably get away with just having a bookkeeper (which is a lot cheaper than an accountant), but if and when you incorporate, you'll need an accountant for sure.
From: Knowing how and when to hire a good adviser
You can read all of her columns to date here.
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In the Market:
Ultimate Embroidery Kit $30.00
Have you learned how to embroider yet? This kit will teach you how to get started even if you've never held a needle and thread. Unique, quality supplies all in one tidy package that will have you set for stitching not just one, but hundreds of possible projects. Even better: your kit will be lovingly hand-assembled for you in Austin, Texas.
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February 26 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/craft_weekly_recap_42.html
February 21 2010, 9:38pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/more_on_signwriting.html
In response to my "Lost Knowledge" column on sign painting (aka signwriting), one of our readers, peterman921, himself a signwriter from Southern, Oregon, sent us links to some YouTube videos of the craft. The one above is by Alicia Jennings, aka monkeysign123 on YouTube, a big rig 'striper and signwriter from the Great Northwest. This video of her painting on glass, viewed from the opposite side, so perfectly captures my childhood experience of seeing a signwriter at work while getting my hair cut, as recounted in my piece.
Monkeysign123's YouTube Channel
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February 18 2010, 1:30am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/sriracha_embroidery.html
This really belongs on CRAFT, in fact, in was on CRAFT, posted by the inimitable Brookelynn Morris, but also being addicted to this stuff (and knowing many geeks who also have the habit), I couldn't resist posting it here. A friend of mine, a real ethnic food connoisseur, turned me on to Sriracha hot sauce decades ago. He spoke about it in such rhapsodic tones, I just had to try some. Endless bottles of it have since rotated through my cupboard ever since. They must put crack in it or something, because soon, you're putting it on everything, for an instant party in your mouth, a very spicey party in your mouth.
Brookelynn writes:
One of my flickr contacts, christ(ine), posted this perfectly rendered sriracha embroidery. This is the only hot sauce in my house, and its sweetspicy is addictive. In fact, it has an almost cult-like following. I'm not surprised one bit that she felt compelled to stitch this up, but I am shocked at how well she created the complicated characters. and details. Art imitates life, and in this case, craft imitates food.
Sriracha Embroidery
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February 17 2010, 11:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/craft_weekly_recap_41.html
February 14 2010, 9:12pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/soft_circuit_hoodie_warms_illuminat.html
To help keep her dog Tucker warm and visible at night, Hack Pittsburgh member Val made him this awesome light-up dog hoodie. After fashioning a hoodie for him using her leet sewing skills, complete with a silk-screened skull for decoration, she added a light-detection circuit that turns on a set of LEDs when it gets dark out, ensuing that he will remain visible at all times. She had originally planned to use a Lilypad to control the LEDs, but after some experimentation determined that it would be too big to fit on the small dog. Excellent work! She has a short write-up on her website, and a walk-through of the process on her Flickr set.
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Digg this!February 13 2010, 3:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/recycled_bicycle_parts_by_julienjab.html
February 11 2010, 10:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/craft_weekly_recap_40.html
February 7 2010, 4:29pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/egg_ocarina.html
There has been no shortage of food-based instruments around here, however I particularly like this one that Youtube user heita3 made from an egg shell. It's a good reminder that pretty much any old thing can be made into a fun project! [Thanks, Nancy!]
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February 5 2010, 3:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/brewing_open_source_mate_soda.html
Over at Hack Pittsburgh, we are running an experiment to try and brew an open-source version of the highly caffeinated Club Mate soda drink. The first version uses Chai Mate tea mix, cane sugar, and caffeine powder, but already we have suggestions to improve the next batch.
It's actually pretty easy to make soda, even if you don't have fancy equipment like a soda keg and CO2 tank. If you are interested in trying it out, Becky has you covered with the DIY soda episode of the CRAFT Video. Already have a favorite recipe? Share it with us in the comments!
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Digg this!February 5 2010, 12:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/diy_watch_winder.html
Mechanical watch enthusiast Jake Bordens wrote in to share his latest project, the Arduino Watch Winder. Wanting to keep his watches on display, he needed a solution that could automatically wind them so their time would be accurate. The (expensive) commercial device that he had worked well when he only had one watch, however it couldn't support winding two watches at different rates. Instead of purchasing a more complicated model, he decided to take matters into his own hands, and used an Arduino, Ardumoto motor driver shield, and RTC module to run the winding motors independently. It's a bit of an obscure problem, but a nice hack, and it could come in handy if you have a task that needs to be repeated each day at a specific time. Full source code and explanation is available at his site.
In the Maker Shed:
Make: Arduino
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Digg this!February 2 2010, 8:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/waldemeyer_outfits_imogen_heaps_twi.html
Waldemeyer writes...
Imogen Heap wears Twitter dress at the Grammys... Say hello to our new creation: after video dresses and laser dresses here is one that connects Imogen to her fans directly via Twitter. When Imogen walked the red carpet to collect her Grammy, fans could send messages and photographs directly to her dress. The messages scrolled across the collar while the images were displayed on her Fendi handbag. How does it work? The Fendi bag contains an iPod Touch that receives the messages (thanks to Memo Akten for programming this). It displays the pictures and passes the text on to a flexible LED display in the collar.
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Digg this!February 1 2010, 10:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/cooking_sous_vide_the_diy_way.html
Cooking Sous Vide the DIY Way @ Popular Science...
Everyone's talking about sous vide, the scientific cooking method that's making its way from the lab to the home kitchen. The Sous Vide Supreme, which just hit stores, is the first turnkey sous vide setup for home cooks. But we DIY kitchen nerds haven't been idly waiting for an off-the-shelf solution: We cobbled together our own sous vide setups years ago. It can be done by piecing together a few readily available components -- or even, for more intrepid tinkerers, by soldering together some less readily available ones. Here's how.
Great timing! I was just reading the
classic Instructable on this as well!
Beef Ribs Cooked En Sous Vide - 135 F for 48 Hours.
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Digg this!January 29 2010, 10:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/asteroids_the_edible_kind.html
Asteroids (the edible kind) @ Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. Lenore writes -
For this project we had originally intended to follow one of the instruction sets to make our own DIY cookie cutters-- there are a number of good methods posted online. Amongst others, you can make them from metal shim, from copper strip, from a baking pan, or from a kit.
But, since we actually don't plan to make these on a regular basis, we ended up just cutting out the shapes (one by one) with a hobby knife. This is a clean method, but it is slow and takes patience. A sharp and fresh blade helps.
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Digg this!January 28 2010, 10:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/craft_weekly_recap_38.html
January 24 2010, 7:52pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/open_thread_whats_the_best_stuff_fo.html
I'm going to try out posting little "open threads" on various helpful topics, we'll see how it goes: As winter approaches it might be time to protect your shoes - What's the best spray, substance, product and/or DIY solution for black suede to protect against water and stains? I'm sure many folks have sprays, products and homebrew solutions they've had success with - post them up in the comments!
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Digg this!January 19 2010, 10:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/craft_weekly_recap_37.html
January 17 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/craft_weekly_recap_36.html
January 10 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/craft_meets_tech_at_mit.html
In this week's CRAFT Video, come with me to the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There I met with e-textiles pioneer Leah Buechley and students from her research group called "High-Low Tech," which Leah describes as "blends" of technology with traditional crafts to make new toolkits for creativity and learning. I had so much fun checking out the amazingly brilliant and fun projects by Hannah Perner-Wilson, Emily Lovell, David Mellis, and Bonifaz Kaufmann, I had a hard time leaving!
Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, watch it on YouTube, Vimeo, Blip, or download the m4v video.
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Digg this!January 8 2010, 2:11pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/wooden_textiles.html
Check out Elisa Strozyk's awesome pixelated textiles made with castoff wooden veneering.
The wooden textile intends to look at the new ways wood can be manipulated from its hard physical property to a fluid form when combined with fabric. Providing flexibility to wood allows us to connect with it in new ways. Utilizing wood veneers once considered waste and re-purposing them through hand and laser cut isosceles, she is able to leverage the hard properties of wood and give them a fluid framework to create an innovative textile. Her process gives the textile strength and flexibility.
[via yatzer]
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Digg this!January 7 2010, 3:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/oscilloscope_merit_badge.html
Celebrate your mastery of oscilloscopes in style with an awesome oscilloscope merit badge, made by Becky Stern.
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Digg this!January 4 2010, 12:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/craft_weekly_recap_35.html
January 3 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/felt_control_panel.html
I'm working on a felt electronics control panel. It has two knobs and four pushbuttons. I first needle felt a little cylinder, then bore out a channel in which to fit a standard button or knob. They're delightfully fuzzy, yet firm to the touch. See more at my Flickr.
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Big Fluff Pi vs. Music-Industrial Complex
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Digg this!December 29 2009, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/paper_stars_for_christmas_lights.html
Recently, Ben Light, of BLight Design, did a workshop at the Museum of Art and Design in NYC on turning manila envelopes into stars to decorate holiday light strings. He has the star pattern and pics (as well as pics of the event) in his Flickr sets.
Building Star Light Minis
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December 16 2009, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/nerdiest_hall-decking_ever.html
Lenore, of Evil Mad Scientist Labs, has a brief piece on their site about holiday decorating using vintage electronic components. I've always been as fascinated by the aesthetics of electronics parts as I am by their functionally. They do make great jewelry, junkbot art, wine charms, charm-charms... and (who'd a thunk it?) Christmas tree ornaments.
Deck the halls with fine components
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December 13 2009, 11:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/craft_weekly_recap_32.html
December 13 2009, 9:04pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/wearable_tech_gift_guide_on_craft.html
December 4 2009, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/vintage_book_hardware_blog.html
Closure is a blog, by jeweler Joycelyn Merchant, about the restoration, reconstruction, and replication of vintage book clasps, hinges, and other hardware. And although it has not been updated since April, there's tons of cool photos and good info already there. [via Propnomicon]
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Digg this!December 4 2009, 10:50am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/keepon_bento_box.html
We know that people fall in love with their robots, and that's a fine thing, and we know the Keepon is particularly designed to create emotional bonds. But Keepon meatballs? Keepon broccoli? Hey, whatever floats your boat. I DO love the art of Bento, ever since I edited the Bento Box piece for our Best of Instructables book. One of these days, I'll get around to trying my hand at it.
Keepon Bento
In the Maker Shed:
The Best of Instructables Volume I The Instructables staff, the editors of MAKE, and the Instructables community itself put together this collection of the best food, home and garden, technology, science, and crafts how-to's from the site. The Best of Instructables includes full-color photographs, complete step-by-step instructions, and tips, tricks, and build techniques you won't find anywhere else. Over 300 pages!
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November 29 2009, 9:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/motorsports_carving_who_knew.html
There are woodcarvers, and then there's Gary Tatman, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. Gary explains his incredible work on Hemmings Auto Blog:
You're correct in your assumptions- these carvings start out as a block. I use the Internet motorsports archives to obtain enough photos of the project car for detailed areas such as interiors, engine compartments, suspensions etc. Once all data and photos are assembled, a ratio has to be determined for scaling (in reference to actual body size). Then all areas can be measured and used in the ratio to determine the actual size of the pieces. Once this is accomplished, the design needs to be drawn on the block, for references while shaping takes place.
Fast Wood
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November 23 2009, 8:31pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/lightbulb_terraria.html
November 23 2009, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/craft_weekly_recap_31.html
November 15 2009, 7:43pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/craft_weekly_recap_30.html
November 8 2009, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/craft_weekly_recap_29.html
November 1 2009, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/make_robot_parts_with_papier-mache.html
What do you do if you don't have a vacuum former, and need to make a part for your robot body? Well, Vadim Ryazanov over at lets make robots has a simple solution: make them with papier-mâché! By using paper and a 1:1 mixture of wood glue and water, he was able to make a hemispherical shell for an upcoming project. Great idea!
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Digg this!October 26 2009, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/weekly_craft_recap_1.html
October 25 2009, 5:00pm | More »
