Makerspaces: Aotearoa New Zealand: July 2016

Sunday, 31 July 2016

This Week in Making: Water Bikes, Paper Chess, and Flying Cars

This past week we contemplated riding our bikes on water, marveled at a paper quilled chess set, and got amped thinking about flying cars.

Read more on MAKE

The post This Week in Making: Water Bikes, Paper Chess, and Flying Cars appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2argIm8
via IFTTT

Saturday, 30 July 2016

Weekend Watch: B2Builds Dives into Electronics and Woodworking

Woodworking and electronics, automatons and camera sliders. Ben Brandt's YouTube channel offers lots of cool projects.

Read more on MAKE

The post Weekend Watch: B2Builds Dives into Electronics and Woodworking appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2aGjmWB
via IFTTT

Friday, 29 July 2016

How to Hack a Talking Chewbacca Mask

John Park replaces the fixed audio chip on his Chewie mask with a programmable one. Hilarity ensues.

Read more on MAKE

The post How to Hack a Talking Chewbacca Mask appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2a5VKNt
via IFTTT

This Weekend: Tune in on Twitch for Our Maker Faire Detroit Adventure!

There's lots to look forward to at this weekend's Maker Faire Detroit... even if you can't make it out to Detroit.

Read more on MAKE

The post This Weekend: Tune in on Twitch for Our Maker Faire Detroit Adventure! appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2azSUzJ
via IFTTT

Techno Music Goes Analog with Graham Gunning’s Rube Goldberg-Style Vinyl Contraptions

Utilizing an array of ingenious techniques, Graham Dunning masterfully creates entire musical compositions on a single revolving turntable.

Read more on MAKE

The post Techno Music Goes Analog with Graham Gunning’s Rube Goldberg-Style Vinyl Contraptions appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2ajksYZ
via IFTTT

This Exceptionally Fancy Cabinet Is Made from Shop Scraps

Neil McKinlay made this small – but quite fancy – cabinet as a proof of concept for a bigger piece he was planning on making.

Read more on MAKE

The post This Exceptionally Fancy Cabinet Is Made from Shop Scraps appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2a9oX5u
via IFTTT

Thursday, 28 July 2016

Making a Quilled Paper Chess Set with Light-Up Board

This gorgeous chess set and board are almost entirely quilled paper.

Read more on MAKE

The post Making a Quilled Paper Chess Set with Light-Up Board appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2aBoKKI
via IFTTT

Get Some Projects Curated by Bill Nye in Your Mailbox!

Bill Nye is curating the next box of goodies coming from Maker Box. "To make, experiment, and observe is to be a scientist[...]" A hint?

Read more on MAKE

The post Get Some Projects Curated by Bill Nye in Your Mailbox! appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2axFHr6
via IFTTT

Where Do Giant Robots, Modified Lawnmowers, Adaptive Art Tools, and Thereminists Go?

Maker Faire Detroit comes to town this weekend at The Henry Ford Museum. Come meet hundreds of makers, including MegaBots creators, a thereminist, a gang of lawnmowers, and an artistic accessibility hacker.

Read more on MAKE

The post Where Do Giant Robots, Modified Lawnmowers, Adaptive Art Tools, and Thereminists Go? appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2af6Q3W
via IFTTT

Laura Kampf Builds a Bike You Can Ride on Water

Have you taken your bike for a ride on a river... and lost it when it sank? Here's a bike-powered watercraft to avoid such things!

Read more on MAKE

The post Laura Kampf Builds a Bike You Can Ride on Water appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2ak3SFX
via IFTTT

5 Mods That Make Virtual Reality More Real

It's the little things that can ruin the fantasy of virtual reality, but here are a few mods to make the experience feel more real.

Read more on MAKE

The post 5 Mods That Make Virtual Reality More Real appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2adqXdN
via IFTTT

LEDs and MIDIs: Check Out the STEAM-Inspired Music of Holograph

"It's not only a musical project, but a union between different arts and sciences, where the sound meets design, electronics, and computer science"

Read more on MAKE

The post LEDs and MIDIs: Check Out the STEAM-Inspired Music of Holograph appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2a1VlM5
via IFTTT

Crocheted Drink Coasters Stack Up as a Veggie Sandwich

Pros of having a crocheted sandwich: Doesn't get moldy, is very cute. Cons of having a crocheted sandwich: Can't eat and we are very hungry.

Read more on MAKE

The post Crocheted Drink Coasters Stack Up as a Veggie Sandwich appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2a6Jmbk
via IFTTT

Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Make a Simple Gaming Leaf for Your Dining Room Table

Build a flat-screen-equipped gaming leaf for your dining room table.

Read more on MAKE

The post Make a Simple Gaming Leaf for Your Dining Room Table appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2aaVFo1
via IFTTT

Why We Decided to Make Devices for People with Disabilities

While other technology advances, assistive technology lags behind. We decided to make assistive devices; here are some things we considered.

Read more on MAKE

The post Why We Decided to Make Devices for People with Disabilities appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2agOH3c
via IFTTT

Crayola v Generic: Melting Crayons for Science

Sometimes you can satisfy your scientific curiosity with a couple of boxes of crayons, some heat, and a little time.

Read more on MAKE

The post Crayola v Generic: Melting Crayons for Science appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/29ZkbMj
via IFTTT

PAGES TO PROJECTS: Color Tamer Face Drawing

In a place where colors ran wild, there lived a girl who was wilder still. Her name was Swatch, and she was a color tamer. She was small, but she was not afraid.

by Rebecca Dunn

Open Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color by Julia Denos (public library) and experience a stampede of color. Young Swatch is a collector. Like most kids who are passionate about collecting, they try the best they can to accumulate as much of their desired object as possible. But unlike most kids, Swatch collects colors. She’s a color tamer who enthusiastically plucks, nets, tames, and traps an array of every color she comes across. When she calls out their name “Bravest Green,” “Just Laid Blue,” and “Rumble-Tumble Pink” the colors come to her and she bottles them up to be added to the rainbow of colors already captured.

But one day, instead of calling out the name of “Yellowest Yellow,” a coveted shade, she asks the color instead of calling it to her. “Yellowest yellow…would you like to climb into this jar?” The shade politely declines. Instead of plucking it up nonetheless, Swatch leaves it be, and something spectacular happens.

Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color is not only visually stunning, but the story stars a strong, courageous female character–we can never ever have enough strong female characters in books for young children–and demonstrates what happens when we let go and allow creativity to flourish.

Color Tamer Face Drawing

Throughout the story, Swatch seems to always have paint on her face (as a true color tamer should!) and since face painting isn’t necessarily the most realistic option for most libraries, adapt this concept into a Swatch-style face drawing sessions with washable markers. Kids will be able to explore coloring on a canvas they’re very familiar with, their own faces!

MATERIALS

Mirrors
Washable markers in a variety of colors
Baby wipes

To start, have mirrors set up so kids can easily see themselves: hand mirrors, cosmetic mirrors–whatever works best for the size and age of your storytime group. A dollar store near you will have a variety of inexpensive options if you don’t already have mirrors on hand. After reading Swatch, prompt children to be their own color tamers and have fun drawing on their very own faces. There will be shock, laughter, and maybe even a bit of apprehension from the audience when you explain their post-storytime project, but it will surely be one they’ll enjoy and remember. Prompt them to draw designs or a favorite animal or whatever seems to spark their interest that day. There is no wrong or right when it comes to color taming.

Keep baby wipes on hand for easy, breezy color removal afterwards if the kids or their caregiver don’t want to leave the library with a rainbow forehead. If you’re nervous about kids drawing on faces, try making this Color Tamer Mask instead. If you do happen to try this out, be sure to have a camera on hand to capture the wide-grinning smiles.

For similar ideas, be sure to check out Read Sing Play’s hilarious baby storytime where she prompts caregivers to draw eyebrows and mustaches on their children’s faces in Eyebrows, Mustaches, Oh My!. For more Swatch specific activities, coloring sheets, an interview with author Julia Denos, and behind the scenes making of the book, hop on over to All The Wonders.

This post was adapted for Library as Incubator Project from a post featured on Sturdy for Common Things in May 2016.

Want More?

If you’ve been inspired by Rebecca’s projects or have used her storytime plans at your library, we’d love to hear about it! Share your experience in the comments or on social media!

For more activities and art projects check out the Pages to Projects Pinterst board.
Don’t miss previous Pages to Projects blog posts!
You can connect with Rebecca on Twitter @rebeccazdunn

Rebecca Zarazan Dunn is a children’s librarian and a 2013 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. When she’s not having fun at the library or wrangling her own kiddos, she can be found at her blog home, Sturdy for Common Things.

from Library as Incubator Project http://ift.tt/2aJSfJx
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/2aeio4t

It Took 4 Years to Build This Detailed, Posable Terminator Replica

This Terminator T800 replica is life-sized, posable, and meticulously crafted. It took creator Jamie Staff 4 years to complete.

Read more on MAKE

The post It Took 4 Years to Build This Detailed, Posable Terminator Replica appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2ab4Qtw
via IFTTT

Tuesday, 26 July 2016

Launching and Flying Foam RC Rocket Gliders

Check out these impressive remote-controlled rocket gliders made from foam board.

Read more on MAKE

The post Launching and Flying Foam RC Rocket Gliders appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2acHil5
via IFTTT

Join the World Maker Faire Street Team and Earn Free Tickets!

Join the Maker Faire street team for free tickets to World Maker Faire in New York!

Read more on MAKE

The post Join the World Maker Faire Street Team and Earn Free Tickets! appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2anKJ82
via IFTTT

Crochet a Wonder Woman Inspired Coaster Set

You can crochet a simple star inspired by Wonder Woman and the bold lines and colors of old comics.

Read more on MAKE

The post Crochet a Wonder Woman Inspired Coaster Set appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2atD5sy
via IFTTT

Our Journey in Building a Glove-Controlled Robotic Gripper

Graham and Sam worked together to create a robotic gripper controlled with a glove and strong enough to hold household items.

Read more on MAKE

The post Our Journey in Building a Glove-Controlled Robotic Gripper appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2aqApNZ
via IFTTT

Featuring: Hannah Brown

We love book arts here at the Incubator, including the subtle work of bookbinders, whose art interacts with the content of the book itself. Today, Hannah Brown, an independent bookbinder in the UK, shares her work, her artistic process, and a vision for a lending library of bookbinding tools that is a brilliant take on the library-as-incubator! Enjoy– Erinn

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Library as incubator Project (LAIP): Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Hannah Brown (HB): I did a degree in Three-Dimensional Crafts at Brighton University, graduating in 2004 with a first class honours. My degree taught me how to work in a wide range of materials including wood, metal, ceramics and plastics; many of the skills I learnt I still use now in my bookbinding work. It was once I graduated from Brighton University that I took up an evening class in bookbinding and was completely taken by the craft and never looked back!

I was introduced to many other bookbinders after becoming a member of both The Society of Bookbinders and Designer Bookbinders, both UK-based bookbinding societies. Through these societies I continued my bookbinding learning by going to as many courses and classes as I could find. There are so many stages to binding a book and skills to learn you can never know too much!

LAIP: What are you working on right now that you’re excited about?

HB: Designer Bookbinders is one of the foremost societies devoted to the craft of fine bookbinding. Founded over fifty years ago it has helped to establish the reputation of British bookbinding worldwide. Designer Bookbinders currently organises two bookbinding competitions. The first is an annual competition, the aims of which have always been to encourage professionals, amateurs and students to produce originally designed and well bound books, and to give them the opportunity to exhibit their technical and artistic skills. I was very pleased to win The Mansfield Medal for the best book in the competition on three occasions in 2008, 2011, and 2014.

DB also runs an international competition every four years, which is happening this year with the theme, “Myths, Heroes and Legends.” The binder is permitted to choose their own text block based on the theme, which must be bound from scratch to their own design and specifications. At present I am working on my entry for this – the text block I have chosen to work on is a 1909 Hodder and Stoughton publication of The Fables of Aesop. The deadline is the end of September, but I now have a design for the book and have started sewing up the sections, so I am excited about my progression with that over the coming weeks. I have a lot to do, as I’ve set myself the task of creating some three-dimensional pieces to go with the binding!

LAIP: How do you see your work interacting with narrative or story? What does working in books allow you to do that you can’t pull off with other media?

HB: Each of the books I bind has a narrative or story running through them. I rarely work with blank books, so my work directly interacts with the content. Each of the bindings I produce is designed specifically to work with the subject matter of the text block – the design chosen to illustrate the content as effectively as possible.

Butterflies and Moths

The great thing about bookbinding is the three-dimensional nature of the craft; it is not just about creating a two-dimensional work on paper. The book as a whole is a three-dimensional object and has to do its job as a book as well as looking attractive. There are so many steps to the binding process and parts of the book on which to express ideas that the scope for the design is huge. There is of course the cover design, but as well as that the endpapers, book edges, box/container, and the headbands all contribute to the final object.

The great thing about bookbinding is the three-dimensional nature of the craft…The book as a whole has to do its job as a book as well as looking attractive.

LAIP: How have libraries informed your creative work? Tell us about the first library you remember playing a part in your artistic development.

HB: The first library that played an integral part in my artistic development was the art library where I did my degree at Brighton University called St Peters House. They had a wonderful art book selection on the top floor that helped inform much of my degree show work. I specifically remember stumbling across a book of origami that I used a lot and I still love doing origami today.

I also worked at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London for seven and a half years as a mount-making technician. Within the V&A is the National Art Library and I was lucky to have been given the opportunity to look at many books for the collections during my time there. My work involves a lot of embroidery work on leather and I was shown a wonderful selection of embroidered books from the collection which was a great inspiration.

LAIP: Can you describe a particular library-incubated project for us? How did that project develop?

HB: The origami book that I stumbled across in Brighton has inspired many projects over the years. I love the fact that origami is a step-by-step process and the illustrations and diagrammatical nature of the book appealed to me – in fact my wedding invitations were origami bi-planes taken from one of the origami templates!

I have on occasion made “complete books” where I have produced the content as well as the binding, one example of which stems from this origami book. I decided to make a book that illustrated the step-by step instructions of how to make an origami butterfly. Each page had a step in the folding process illustrated on it with the mirroring page showing the pattern of the folded lines on the origami square as the process continues.

LAIP: As an artist, what would your ideal library be like? What kinds of stuff would you be able to check out, and what could you do there?

HB: Actually as a maker, specifically a bookbinder, it is necessary to have so many different pieces of kit for all of the different stages! For me, if libraries were able to lend bookbinding-related tools that would be wonderful!

For me as a maker, if libraries were able to lend bookbinding-related tools that would be wonderful!

One specific example of this would be handle-letters for tooling titles onto book covers and boxes. If you can imagine how many fonts and sizes there are out there with each set of brass handle-letters to make up a complete alphabet costing a few hundred pounds, it is just not feasible to have a broad selection of these in my personal collection. So, as a binder you are restricted to using what you already have (which might not quite work with the design aesthetic or the text block), to title the book in some other way or hope a friend might have what you are looking for!

Hannah Brown is a self-employed bookbinder working from her home studio in West London. She makes bespoke fine bookbindings books to commission using a variety of skills including: leather work, embroidery, metalwork and carpentry. She’s passionate about her craft and wants her bindings to be appreciated for their relation to the content of the book inside whilst creating a tactile object to be handled and used. I am continually stimulated by the environment around me and find myself continually thinking ahead to my next binding.

Connect with Hannah online: Twitter: @han_made_net | Tumblr: http://ift.tt/2aHjJiW | Website: www.han-made.net

from Library as Incubator Project http://ift.tt/29WK3bM
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/2aHjep6

5 Things I Learned from Making a Fire Breathing Tire Sculpture

I didn't know what I wanted to create for my local Maker Faire, but I knew I wanted it to make a big impression... with fire!

Read more on MAKE

The post 5 Things I Learned from Making a Fire Breathing Tire Sculpture appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2a6zpMY
via IFTTT

Monday, 25 July 2016

Build a Simple Hydroponic Vase

Get your feet wet in hydroponics with this simple laser-cut, self-watering vase.

Read more on MAKE

The post Build a Simple Hydroponic Vase appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2alwf8V
via IFTTT

Podcast on Pokemon Go

Here is our podcast on the subject starring myself, Beth (circulation/tech services) and Suzanne (reference/YA) As we keep playing, we start to learn the finer details behind the Pokemon Go phenomenon and explain it for non-users or the curious. On a side note: I am now level 19 :)

from LIBRARY AS MAKERSPACE http://ift.tt/2abbyug
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/2abbPgD