After taking a great surface design class, I find myself drawn to new methods of altering fabric. I love seeing this method of gel glue batik, a process in which the resist (usually hot wax) is replaced with kids’ blue gel glue from the school supply aisle. Jennifer of Swallowfield got this lovely resulting design […]
No, they don’t call themselves that. “Bamboobender” is my hackish take on “sandbender,” which many of you folks will probably recognize as a term coined by arch-cyberpunk William Gibson in his novel Idoru. Very roughly, a “sandbender” is a craftsperson who makes a living by carefully hand-crafting ornate enclosures for mass-produced electronics. We don’t see a lot of that, at least in the first world (although mass-produced after-market “custom” enclosures and enclosure-decorations are common), probably because our personal electronics are still pretty ephemeral to us: we all know we’re probably going to be sporting a new phone and/or MP3 player next year. This example, however, comes from Cameroon, where, I presume, the device turnover rate is a lot lower. It’s the work of teacher and wordworker Lekuama Ketuafor, whose runs a sole-proprietorship cottage industry called Bamboo Magic. [via AfriGadget]
Jersey hackerspace FUBAR Labs created a challenge: a program a day. Starting this Monday, March 1st, FUBAR Labs members will be kicking off March Madness, an open challenge to all hackerspaces! One program, everyday. Any platform, any language. Our members have been itching for March to come so they can challenge themselves, many of us […]
Mattresses are big, bulky, and hard to recycle. If you don’t have space/use for your otherwise-fine mattress, try hacking it into a couch! This tutorial will go through cutting through the different parts of the mattress and making new coverings for the pieces. More: 101: Upholstery
I’m swooning over these awesome postcard gardens from PostCarden. They arrive ready to open, plant and grow and come in three distinct styles (allotment, city or botanical). The stop-motion video shows the entire process, and you can see pictures of each PostCarden on their web site gallery. [via Benevolent Postcard Society]
When recently faced with the dauntingly tedious task of assembling my first-ever batch of electronics kits, I was lucky enough to have the ever-helpful eye of seasoned kit-maker Becky Stern close by. While observing my one-man assembly ‘process’, Becky advised a more efficient, modular assembly line technique using intermediary storage vessels better known as “plastic cups”. Streamlining the process left me with plenty of time to cook up some some unusually fancy title/motion graphics for the above-seen video.
For more info + related links, head over to –
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/collins_lab_kit-making.html
Instructables user dilg writes: Merino wool is an excellent material for cool weather outdoor wear because it is lightweight, moisture-wicking, and still holds its insulating properties when wet. Unlike other wools, Merino isn’t “scratchy” on the skin and is relatively hard-wearing if knit properly, withstanding even washing machine treatment. This Instructable illustrates how to add […]
