Post Halloween Sale and Pumpkin Sharing!

First - use the code SUGARCRASH to save 20% in the shop today!

But also - my pumpkin! I carved a Batman pumpkin for Rei this year, because she dressed as the most adorable Batman ever and needed a matching gourd (obviously...)

One side:

The other side (not my best work, but whatevs):

The best part? It's hard to photograph, but you can see it a bit here: the pumpkin casts a batsignal on the wall behind it!!

Why So Serious - Eowyn LOLs

These two funnies make me laugh out loud (seriously) every time. I thought the geek girls out there might want to see them together.

go to the Virtual Shackles page to see more hilarity. Go. Srsly. Now.

Happy Tuesday, internet friends.

Spambot Emo Poetry

I don't know what mailing list sold my personal email address (curse you, whomever you are) but lately I've been getting scads of emails telling me all about how I can make my penis three times larger while winning a million dollars playing online poker. I just mark them as spam and move on. About three weeks ago, however, everything changed. I started getting spam emails that, at first glance (providing of course that the glance-er is legally blind), looked a bit like a real email. They were mostly just a jumble of words, plopped into a message by a bot somewhere. But then, the bot gained self awareness, realized the meaninglessness of its existence, and began sending me terrible free form haiku-esque poetry. Don't believe me? I have screencaps.

Well, all I can say is it's a damn sight better than the swill I wrote in high school.

Why So Serious: Star Wars PSA

Just watch.

Freaks Unite.

Have you ever been a nerd? Maybe a little bit of an underdog? A little too school for cool?

I have. Big time. I was smart and bookish in the early years, and then I was smart and bookish and fat, and then I was smart, bookish, fat, and a punky band nerd. And then I was all that, but at fashion school. And then I was all that, and a gamer and obsessive knitter, and at a totally different stage of my life than the people I was at university with. I'm not exactly fan club material. But you know what? Screw 'em. I've found my niche and I'm happy here.

Check out this video of some seriously sweet cosplayers, set to Pink's 'Raise Your Glass.' Remember that your people; the ones that think the things you do are awesome and that you are awesome for doing them; are out there waiting for your bad self to come rock on with them.

Why So Serious: Female Armor Sucks

I'll let this video speak for itself, because Rei is in the process of stealing my slippers.

Why So Serious: Girl Talk

I love this video. It makes me laugh every time. If you know anything about the Mario Bros. or Zelda games, I think you'll like it too.

I don't know about you but I feel like I need to laugh more these days, and grouch less.

Everything Old Shop Update: Stitch Markers!

I'm really sad that these are going to the shop, and not to my knitting basket. They are all stitch markers for knitters (crocheters - I know you need love too, but as I'm not much of a crochet artist, I don't really know what you need in the way of stitch markers :( leave me a comment if you have suggestions OK?). They won't snag your knitting or scratch your needles, they are durable and sturdy, and they're so pretty! I hope you like them.

Large Size, for almost any project:

 

Medium Sized, which fit up to a 10 1/2 needle but are fantastic for even the little needles:

Teeny tiny, for sock knitters:

And, my very favourite, upcycled keyboard numbers, for the gamer or computer lover (or lace knitters - these are extremely light and won't weigh down your project or make your circular cables sag and bounce around):

Go have a look! I try to keep the prices as reasonable as possible, which is nice for you!

Why So Serious: Star Wars

Simon Pegg.
Nick Frost.
Star Wars Mini Remake.
That is all.

Happy Friday, fellow crafters.

Why So Serious: More Nerd Love

I know it's not specifically a funny thing, but these perfect little music videos bring a smile to my face. They're funny, clever, and the music is good. My little sister and Ms. Lee Radigan were friends growing up, and trust me, Amy has nerd cred going back to the early years.

And you know what? I really, REALLY like her songs. I recommend picking up her singles on iTunes if you like adorable, sweet sounding songs with wonderfully geeky themes. Save Me Mario in particular gets happily stuck in my head for days on end.

Perler Pixels

I've still got a cool tutorial for you, I promise, but this last weekend was nuts, and I'm tired, so I'll show you a cute project instead. OK? I'll be back up to speed soon.

I took my own advice - A week or two ago I linked to a tutorial for some adorable Super Mario coasters. Shortly afterwards, Jake decided it would be OK if I made him coasters for his birthday. He's been begging for geeky home decor for so long.

Here's my version!

 

They look great, and they're holding up to all the abuse Rei can dish out. She killed our last set of coasters, so durability is imperative.

Netflix is Reading my Mind!

I think everyone's favourite (only?) instant view video rental store knows me a little too well. It used to just think I like independent films, or anime. Get a load of this:

I don't know whether to laugh and start watching the things it recommends, or booby trap my underwear drawers and financial documents folders before it gets in there too.

Why So Serious: MMOPRG Love

So, if you didn't already think I was a little, well... odd - I think you should know that Jake and I met online. Playing Everquest 2. It was nearly-instant nerd love, once he realized I really was a girl and not a guy with a female avatar.

I was a nubile half elf monk with a sassy attitude and a punk rock hairdo. He was an overpowered warlock wood elf with a penchant for purple robes. We met in a cursed castle. We bonded while killing manta rays for a rare drop quest item. I first heard his voice when we set up group chat so we could better coordinate to kill a rogue gnome and his pet eyeball. It was love at first click.

No, I'm not making this up.

Therefore, this made me laugh. And you; you're laughing with me, not at me, right? Right???

Here's the best part: I turned out to be a chubby, fashion school drop out, extreme introvert who can't stop knitting. He turned out to be a skinny nerd with a slightly receding hairline (sorry hon, but... well...). And it was still love. And it still is. And it's gonna stay that way.

Links - Pixel Power

Ah 8 bit gaming. Geeks who remember the 80's are waxing nostalgic all over the internet about the good old days. The days when your favourite game characters consisted of about 20 pixels, could be piloted with 5 buttons or less, and went boop... boop... boop when they walked. Geek craft is thriving. Conveniently, the square pixel lends itself well to crafting: cross stitch, quilting, crochet, perler beads, knitting and so many other crafts are built on square(ish) blocks.





Here are my favourite pixelated craft tutorial treasures.

Get the links after the jump...

Links - Matryoshka Madness

I've been reunited with my precious computer in time to share some Wednesday links!!

Russian nesting dolls - Matryoshka - have become a superduper huge design trend. They're popping up everywhere! Apparently you can throw Matryoshka dolls instead of grenades in Call of Duty: Black Ops. I'm not a big FPS fan, but... well... a trend is a trend.

Stacking - super cute right?

I am particularly intrigued by Stacking, a delightfully fun XBox Arcade puzzle game that features some of the coolest art I've seen in a video game.

In honour of this wonderfully creative merger of arts, crafts, and gaming. I thought I'd share my collection of  Matryoshka related crafty linkery!

Get the links after the jump!

New: Why So Serious?

I've been noticing a LOT more blog traffic lately (Thanks! Hi everyone! Nice to meet you!) so I thought some more frequent posting might be nice. The internet is my happy place and there are so many things to LOL at - I thought I'd share the ones that had me in stitches (also known as running to the bathroom trying desperately not to pee myself) once a week. Welcome to Why So Serious!

This one, courtesy of SMBC, goes out to all of you who, like me, have an arts degree.




I love art history more than all the things, but my degree isn't exactly helping me rake in the dough. At least I can laugh at myself, right? Right?

Creeepy

I am immensely pleased with this year's pumpkin carving. J and I agreed - the creepiest video game related thing of all time with the possible exception of Pyramid Head has to be Limbo (on XBox Live Arcade). I mean... good God.

So, of course, It needed to be a pumpkin. What do you think?

As usual, I am immensely pleased with myself.

Foxy Baby

We wanted R to have a nerdy costume for her first Halloween, but I didn't want to spend hours on an outfit for a kid who doesn't even have teeth to chew her trick-or-treating stash. I also wanted a costume warm and simple enough that she could wear it over her clothes in the car seat and stroller this winter. We though and we thought and we thought and we thought and I browsed the interwebs profusely. Nothing. Then, in a moment of inspiration, I looked to the top left corner of my browser window. FIREFOX FTW!

Here she is, my little Firefox (sans fire, of course, because people get all het up about flammable kids' costumes, and I'm no rabble rouser).

I used a New Look baby sleeper pattern, with a hood and tail of my own design. The globe is just appliquéd felt stuffed with polyfil.