Sunday, June 18, 2017

Mailbag Show & Tell: Labyrinth Bots, Fairy Crowns, & Super Wonder Wombs!

It's time to dip into my Folder of Awesome Reader Stuff again! This is where I try to save all my favorites of your project photos shared on the Epbot Facebook page, or over on Fans of Epbot if I get permission. So let's check out a little of what your fellow readers have been up to!


First, the Labyrinth/Epbot mashup my heart always wanted:


Look closely; Kristi O. turned them all into bots! AAA! How cute is Ludo with rivets? And I am MELTING over Ambrosius' antennae ears. MELTING.

Even though you shared this ages ago, Kristi, I really DID need it this week. Thank you.

(P.S. Kristi doesn't have an art store yet, but sooooon.)

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Here's a brilliant idea from my friend Melanie for displaying all the little toys you can't find a spot for:
 

 She put them in these stackable glass blocks from Michael's! It's like "Where's Waldo" in real life, right? So fun to look at. (I spy a Doozer!)

Mel has four so far on her desk:


These would be perfect lined up like a backsplash. Ooh, or stacked to make a low divider?

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Shanon L. made the most STUNNING fairy flower crown:

Isn't it gorgeous?

Then she goes and makes it sound almost easy:

"So it's actually a metal laser cut mask, and I used a metal saw to cut the bottom half off under the eyes. Then I did a wash of gold over it, added flowers and stuff and tadaa!"  
TADAA INDEED.

I've seen these metal masks in costume and craft shops before for just a few dollars, or there are tons on Amazon around the $10 mark. There are so many cool designs, I'm seriously tempted to try this sometime!

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Sophie B. is a big Welcome to Night Vale fan, so when she found a decorative microphone at the thrift shop she knew EXACTLY what to do:


 Loooove the tentacles on the bottom. Also, I feel like maybe I should listen to this show sometime. (Yes? No?)

Sophie is planning to give her bathroom a complete Night Vale makeover - here's a progress shot of her corner shelves so far:

I bet those little rocks mean something. I bet you Night Vale-ians could tell me. :)

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WARNING: If you don't like large plastic insects, then scroll quickly past this next one.

****


Allyson B. turned big plastic bugs into high-end wall art, and it is SO COOL:


She used this tutorial from The Gathered Home, only instead of Liquid Gold Leaf Allyson used spray paint, to make it a little easier. Don't they look great? Perfect for a Victorian parlor vibe, maybe next to some botanical prints?

Then Kat P. shared *her* version, which used a thrift store frame and some velvet wrapped around foam core:

Kat just aged her plastic bug with a little black paint, which looks a lot more realistic. (And freaked John right out when he spotted it over my shoulder. Ha!) I bet this would look awesome with paper butterflies mounted inside, too, if that's more your speed.

***

And finally, behold! The Wonder Womb army continues to grow!


Susan R. really *did* make an army:

I assume someone has a medically specific reason for the red "arm." :D

[Update: Aha! Susan reports a friend had an ovary removed, so she modeled that one after C3PO's red arm. YES.]

And I'm loving these SUPER variations by Melissa U:
 
 Super Womb and Bat Womb! Yes!



I have lots more (you guys are COMPLETELY distracting with your awesomeness online) so I'll try to remember to do these a little more often. In fact, you can remind me by sharing your OWN stuff. Cosplay, crafts, how you display your toys, a cute outfit-of-the-day - I want to see it all! Share your pics on Facebook or tag me on Instagram, so I can shower you with virtual high-fives!

19 comments:

  1. Welcome to Night Vale fan here!

    The little rocks are meant to represent a Bloodstone Circle, which is created using an in-universe... thing called bloodstones (manufactured by City Council), every house is supposed to have at least one, and is where the citizens perform whatever ritual(s) they desire.

    As far as listening to the podcast goes: I, being a big fan, say YES. However, whether or not you'll like it depends on how you feel about weird stuff. Welcome to Night Vale is pretty much the very definition of weird. Anyways, here are some things to know before going in: the protagonist and narrator is an openly gay man, you'll discover new music/artists via the Weather (yes, really), some of the residents are literally monsters (some are angels too), there is now over 100 episodes and just about every conspiracy theory has made the little town its home.

    In addition to Night Vale, the masterminds behind the podcast have also created three other podcasts: Alice Isn't Dead (a new trucker searching for her wife); Within the Wires (an inmate at a mental institute receives "relaxation" cassettes as part of her "treatment"); and the Orbiting Human Circus of the Air (a Parisian janitor dreams of joining a circus radio show broadcasted out of the Eiffel Tower).

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    1. How have I only just noticed my microphone is up here?! Yes the stones are a bloodstone circle. They're real bloodstones (also known as heliotrope) that I found at one of those spiritual shops that sell crystals, candles, etc. When I saw them, I knew what I had to do!

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  2. I collected enough of the MLP blind bags that I put them into a shadow box to hang on the wall. Since the box is black, the bright colors really pop and it makes a great piece of art as well as showcasing them in a unique way. I did two more using other toy knick knacks to create a "grown up" fandom corner. Never thought about the glass blocks, though.

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  3. It was pretty awesome to open up Epbot today and see my Labyrinth bots! I'm glad that they helped you out! Labyrinth is a movie I turn to when I need cheering up, so I'm really glad that I was able to use the movie (and my art) to cheer someone else up in return!

    I don't have an art store currently but I am hoping to open one in the future! Right now I'm in the middle of drawing (you guessed it) Labyrinth characters in the hopes that sometime in the future I can turn them into charms and keychains. When I do I'll be sure to share the link with you!

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    1. I love when talented people appreciate one of my favorite movies. Truly a pleasure to see your work. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for sale!

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    2. Thank you! I wish I knew more people around me who love the movie as much as I do, but at least I can share the movie with people on Epbot/Friends of Epbot! I have a vacation coming up and I'm hoping I can use the time to try and finalize some of the designs I have! I'm really excited to see how the final charms turn out, but I'm trying to take it slow to make sure I don't make any mistakes!

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  4. Very definitely listen to Welcome To Nightvale. Yes.

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  5. The best description of Night Vale I ever heard was 'What would happen if Stephen King and Neil Gaiman created a town then left them to their own devices for a hundred years.'

    It starts out quite kooky, almost a satire of the horror movie tropes, but the world and the story they've created is utterly magnificent. Put it this way - one minute the 'Faceless Old Woman who Secretly Lives in Your House' is apologising for setting fire to your fridge, the next, we're being told that 'Love isn't a fact. It's a hunch, at first, then a series of decisions. A whole lifetime of decisions. That's love.'

    Do not, however, make my mistake and listen to it at work. A colleague you barely know WILL walk past the moment Hiram McDaniel's green head is screaming about bathing humans in his unending flames. That's a hard thing to explain ('see, I'm listening to this podcast, and that's one of the heads of a five headed dragon, and uh, he's running for mayor of this town and...')

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  6. Kristi O! Wow, that Labyrinth piece is magic!

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  7. My Womb army started because I posted your tutorial as a potential project and a friend contacted me to see if I could make one for her - she had just had one of her ovaries removed and wanted a physical reminder that she is still super for it. So if you look closely on the red arm, it's patterned like C3-PO's :) - Susan R (Also EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! I'm on epbot?!?!?! this is too cool!)

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    1. Probably didn't recognize me with my red arm!

      I have to admit, I laughed. Well played.

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  8. Nightvale? Yes! NPR radio broadcasts meet Twilight Zone. On acid.

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  9. I want to make my own Wonder Womb. It's on the list!

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  10. Welcome to Nightvale is like... the most zen horror ever. It's almost Lovecraftian, but... well, zen. Calm and chill and just really soothing. The Weather is fun; generally whatever indie musician popped by that day.

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  11. So many awesome goodies! People are amazing.

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  12. Oooh, is anyone else now imagining a real backsplash made with figures? Ours would probably be mini figs!

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  13. I teared up a little over the Epbot-style Labyrinth art. So stinkin' cute!! And, that fairy crown is A-MAZING! What an awesome idea. That gal's got some real vision!

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  14. So, thanks to this post, I started listening to Welcome to Night Vale and I have absolutely fallen in love with the podcast! Once again, Jen has expanded my ever growing collections of fandoms by introducing me to thinks and ideas and art and pretties.

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  15. I couldn't find stackable glass blocks, so I bought a decorative lantern at Hobby Lobby for my small toys. Thanks for the inspiration!

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