Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Mailbag Show & Tell: Lembas Land, Shield Maiden Ariel, & Baby Steampunk Cuteness!

Time for more of my favorite crafts & cosplays from the Epbot Facebook page and Fans of Epbot!

I'm calling this batch The Things Geeks Do For Their Geeklings, since today's goodies are all inspired by The Next Generation, and we have some seriously crafty parental units among us.

Starting with Christina H. and her stellar 8-year-old Rey:

  They turned her wheelchair into Rey's speeder! AAA!

Just look at that smile, and tell me your day isn't better.


Then there's Sara, who transformed her little geeklings' Candy Land board game into something above and beyond, then there and back again:


 Lembas Land, you guys! LEMBAS LAND. This... this is amazing. And I love the LEGO minifig stand-ins. Head over to Sara's blog to download your own to print.

Next we've got the fantastic foam flinger Jessica, who made her son's Five Nights At Freddy's mask completely out of craft foam:

WHICH IS AMAZEBALLS. Seriously, heat-forming craft foam like that takes skill!

Here's Landon's whole costume, along with a reference from the game:


While I've got you here, Jessica, could you ask Landon if Five Nights is too scary for a couple of thirty-something pansies? Because I'm trying to convince John to play. :D


Oh! And here's another incredible foam costume I can't believe I haven't shown you guys yet:


 
  Shield Maiden Ariel!


Ariel, aka Darth Maryn, is the daughter of Robyn & Bill, who went all out on these details - again, using almost entirely craft foam! Even her shoes are armored, and check out these bracers:

They have dingle-hoppers on them! [Kermit flail] EEEE! 

Plus did you notice the tentacle sword up there? So good. And I'm not just saying that because this whole family is totally awesome in real life, even though I've met them, and they are. :D


Let's see, how do you follow Shield Maiden Ariel? 

With Steampunk Cinderella, of course: 

...and her airship pilot!!

::swoon::
 
Wait, wait, one more:

 You know how I love things that are both dapper and lethally cute? (I mean, doesn't everyone?)

BEHOLD:


That THUNK you just heard was me hitting the floor. I am dead from teh cute.

Let's end with one more craft, because I love it so much you must see it now:

Pencil wands! GENIUS! Start counting the hours now, Tracy, 'til these show up at Wizarding World.


Some close-ups, because these really are some of the loveliest DIY wands I've seen:

I'm all about those metallics, and the bead toppers!
Tracy, I'm guessing you used hot glue, beads, and metallic paint, but I'd still love some process pics and tips, if you ever decide to post a tutorial!


Right, hope the rest of you enjoyed seeing what your fellow FOEs are up to! As always, if you'd like to share your own projects or costumes, plunk 'em down over on the Epbot Facebook page. Or share with the rest of the class over on Fans of Epbot, the closed group fan page. (I always ask permission before featuring anything here from FOE, so no worries there.) Or both!

20 comments:

  1. If you can't handle jump scares, DO NOT play Five Nights. I only managed to play one day of the game, and that in a brightly-lit room full of people. I have to stick with watching videos of people playing it on YouTube because I just can't. D:

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    1. I swear we were terrified playing it as a couple of thirty-somethings, and I had nightmares about the damn things coming out of the closet, but kids seem to absolutely love it!

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  2. Ariel with an Ursula-tentacle sword is about the most awesome thing I've seen all year.

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  3. I think I also died from cute overdose...

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  4. Wowwww, those pencil wands are amazeballs! I'd love to see a tutorial as well! Steampunk Cinderella and her pilot are adorable! I saw Beauty and the Beast and immediately started a Pinterest board with BATB art and pics, which means I've got princesses galore in my recommended pins. Love it.

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  5. Yes, please, on the tutorial for the pencil wands!! I know kids of all ages that NEED those!!

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  6. I need a pencil wand NEED I tell you. sigh.

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  7. Oh yes, seconding the request for a tutorial on the pencil wands, those are gorgeous!
    And wow, all the costumes are so great. I'm not good at costumes myself, so I'm always impressed at the ideas people come up with and execute!

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  8. Now I need to borrow some kids and start brainstorming for outfit ideas. I am continually astonished at the impressive costume ideas! The tentacle sword, Rey's ship, steampunk Cinderella and her pilot and that adorable tricked-out explorer baby - all fabulous!

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  9. So, I'm reasonably active on the page, but you still managed to find everything I managed to miss!!

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  10. Wow! Amazing talent out there! Let's hear it for these awesome parents! I'll add my vote to the "I want a wand tutorial" crowd. :)
    -Zippy

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  11. So, if you and John want to take a little road trip (okay, a big road trip) at the beginning of May, you should check out the Steampunk World's Fair. This will be my first year going and I'm SO EXCITED! The festival takes over two hotels in NJ with steampunk awesomeness for a weekend. Author Gail Carriger will be there.

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    1. risforrose, I think I just figured out what I'm doing in May! :)
      Do you know of any other Steampunk fairs? Maybe closer to the Pacific?

      --Piper P from Washington State

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    2. Piper P, I think there's one in Michigan that my cousins told me about. (Google says there are two: Steam Dream Expo and Motor City Steam Con). Actually, the best way I've found to find these types of events is to Google the name of the state you want to go to plus "steampunk convention".

      Or if you are on the facespace, there are probably ways to search there.

      Delete
  12. I have a 10 & 8 year old FNAF addicts in my house (they have costumes, have made fanfilms and fan computer games plus more plush than I can count) and have tried the game. I don't find it too scary (it's more about startling you than scaring you) but find the stress of it all too much. I made it through the first two nights and had enough. Having said that the theories about who the characters are and how they were created are stuff of nightmares.

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  13. FNAF is different for everyone. Generally speaking, if you don't like jumpscares and stressful situations, you might not like the game.

    HOWEVER... I am a 29-year-old wuss who absolutely despises jumpscares and I'm still over-the-top, unhealthily obsessed with FNAF. Seriously. My husband and I own everything from socks to plushies to Funko toys to lunchboxes. It's a biiiig thing in this household.

    I think, for me, the story and the design override my hatred for cheap scares. The concept is interesting (evil Chuck E. Cheese!) and the backstory is wild - plus the characters are so creepy-cute, you can't help but love them (and, while you're playing, really hate them). The gameplay mechanics are very unique and add so much to an already unsettling environment. It's just so creative and Scott Cawthon - the developer - is an evil genius in many, many ways.

    My Expert Opinion is that you guys should give it a try! Even if you don't like it, you can say you gave it a shot - and I, personally, would love to see how far you get. I'm already geeking out over the blog post that could be. :D

    And I still don't know how kids play it without getting scared. It's one of life's eternal mysteries.

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  14. Thanks a bunch! I'll be taking these to the Animanics next month.

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  15. I am a grown-ass male professional scientist and I did not know how much I needed to write exclusively with pencil wands until this day.

    Jen, I know there's no real precedent but any chance Tracy can do a guest post to show us how to make them?? Ot you can do one that's inspired by?

    Please! x

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