Geek of the Week - Dean Velez

Hello Everyone,
Let me introduce you to my newest Geek of the Week – Dean Velez. He is an artist who makes incredible posters in 3-D. Sadly in my photos here you can only get the 2-D effect but they’re still amazing even without the 3-D glasses needed.

So, check out his shop on Etsy and here is his interview:

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been creating art?

My name is Dean Velez I currently live in Atlanta...I've had the Luxury of living in NY, NJ, FL and CA...and I'm originally from the Bronx.I've been creating artwork since I could hold a crayon...and being paid for it since the age of 18. Most of my work is in Motion Graphics and animation for television. I also teach Motion Graphics and Design part time at 2 colleges in Atlanta. I just recently started creating pieces that you can actually hang up.

2. Do you create for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)

All my artwork is created for me...so I guess that definitely falls into the "GEEK" category. Hmmm...Zombies, Comic Books, Monsters, Heroes, Villains, Sci-Fi, B-Movies, Pulp Fiction...these all fit the things I like.I figure if I create things that I love there might be others who relate to this stuff as well.

3. What was the first “geekey” item you ever made?

When I was 15 I used to paint SciFi images onto Denim Jackets, and sell them to my friends.

4. What inspires you?

Mainly I'm inspired by a good story...Heroes and Villains...Good vs Evil. After reading or seeing a good movie I am always driven to create something.

5. Where can we find your work(website, shows, blogs, etc.)
Posters for sale http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6195659
Posters in progress http://www.flickr.com/photos/29665694@N07/
Motion Graphics and Animation portfoliohttp://motiongraphicslab.com/motion-graphics-production.html

6. Anything else you'd like to share?

Yes...the 3D posters really are cool...I wish I was able to show the 3D effect on the internet!


Dean at work in his Home Office

Geeks - It's a Good Thing

I've been a fan of Martha Stewart for a long time now. I was just joking with Ric the other day that my goal in life was to be the Martha Stewart of the Geek world and low and behold doesn't Martha go and have a blog contest just for me. :)

If you visit her blog and leave a comment she will then pick some of the bloggers and check out their blogs and feature them on her site. So any of you other bloggers out there, go link up!

Here is Martha's Blog:
Http://www.themarthablog.com/

Blog on!

Geek of the Week - GirlCalledRic

I’m very excited to bring you my 2nd “Geek of the Week” (by the way when I write “Geek of the Week” I hear it in my head being announced in the same voice that did “Pigs in Space” - “Geek of the Week!” – you can hear it now to can’t you!).

This weeks Geeky Crafter is Ric – also known as girlcalledric. I’ve been in love with her dolls for quite some time now and was thrilled when she agreed to let me interview her.

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been crafting?

I'm Ric, and I'm a girl. You don't meet too many girls called Ric. I'm from Connecticut, which isn't very exciting at all; and I've been crafting since I could string a licorice whip through Froot Loops. I think without crafts, I would have been a very hyper-active child.

2. Do you craft for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)

Sci-fi, most definitely. I've always been kind of into sci-fi, but recently I stepped outside myself and said, "Oh, I guess I'm a nerd." Then, I sat back and accepted it. I've been known to make math and binary things for friends and myself occasionally.

3. What was the first “geekey” craft you ever made?

I've thought about this question for awhile. I want to say "styrofoam ball diorama of the solar system in third grade," but who hasn't had to do that? So, I think I'm going to have to say that I hand-painted a ton of t-shirts when I was in high school. They all had favorite comic book characters on them. This was more than necessary because comic book character t-shirts were not readily available in girly sizes at the time.

4. What inspires you to craft?

Things I appreciate and things that others appreciate. I get so stoked when I'm making an object that I love, or when I'm making a custom order and I know the customer will be over the moon about it. I wish I could say it ran deeper than that, but I guess I just like making people happy. There are so many terrible things in the world, but if I can brighten someone's day for just a little while, then I've done my job.

5. Where can we find your crafts (website, shows, blogs, etc?)

My Etsy shop gets updated the most: girlcalledric.etsy.com
My blog, not so much. It has to get reworked soon: girlcalledric.blogspot.com

6. Anything else you'd like to share?

Wow, that's a lot of pressure. Listen up, geeks, it's about time we openly shunned proper adulthood. Pursue happiness instead. I think that's a good message.

Geek of the Week - Geek Central Station

This is a new feature article I'm starting, my "Geek of the Week!" Each week I'll be interviewing a new geek that I think is fabulous and I know you'll love them as well.

To start the series I'd like to introduce you to Sammi from Geek Central Station. She makes the most amazing chrochet figures! I love all the details she adds to her work and of course I love that she makes geeky things (the little evil Uhura is my favorite!).

So, let me introduce you to Sammi...

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been crafting? My name is Sammi, I'm from New York originally (but currently stuck in Texas) and I've pretty much been crafting since I was little. My mom was a big crafty person too, so I've just been around that kind of influence all of my life. As far as specifics go, though, I have been crocheting less than a year.

2. Do you craft for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…) I would say generally fantasy/sci-fi. Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are my two favorite things to craft, although gaming and TV come in a close second.

3. What was the first “geekey” craft you ever made? Well the first truly geeky thing I think I ever made was a Jedi robe for the "The Phantom Menace", followed by a Hobbit cloak for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. I didn't start crocheting until a few years later, though I did specifically teach myself so that I could make miniature characters from my favorite movies.

4. What inspires you to craft? I think it's a lot of different influences. At first just my favorite TV shows and movies inspired me, and I started crafting as a way to show how much I enjoy the work these people do. So I guess that these little dudes are a sort of tribute to the geeky things I love. At the same time, though, it's fun to come at these kind of traditional crafts (crochet, knit, cross stitch, etc.) and put a new spin on them. I love when people take something that is so cliche and trite and look at it in a completely new and different way.

5. Where can we find your crafts (website, shows, blogs, etc.) Right now I have my website: geekcentralstation.blogspot.com and my flickr flickr.com/photos/geekcentralstation/. I'm not in any art museums or anything,

6. Anything else you'd like to share? Craft on, geeky people! There can never be enough geeky crafts out there--just you wait, and we'll conquer the world some day.

Thanks again,

Sammi

Handmade Arcade

I haven't had a chance to mention it yet, but very exciting news. I found out last week that I made it into the Handmade Arcade show for this upcoming November! It's a huge 2 day show in Pittsburgh and I'll be there with my good friend Fruitcake. We're going to make it a crafty roadtrip. Think Thelma and Louise do craft shows!

Fruitcake has some fabulous vintage inspired items infused with some edgy whimsy (how's that for a description)! Here are a few of her domino cuffs just to give you a little taste of her fruity goodness!

Be sure to tune in over the next couple months and find out how our roadtrip plans are going but if any of you are in or around the Pittsburgh, PA area we'd love to see you at Handmade Arcade!

Mary Engelbreit's Home Comanion Magazine - The Etsy Ad

This is it, the ME - Home Companion ad with my spoon necklace in it!

Award Winning Spoon

Have any of you been to the Woodstock Fair in Woodstock, Ct? Well, my family has been going to it every September for about 15 or so years now. It's one of our fall traditions. We go, eat a ton of food we shouldn't (the giant donuts were the best this year), see all the animals (the bunnies are my favorite), watch a few cooking demonstrations, play a little bingo and just enjoy the day.

Last year my Niece and I decided to enter a few items in the contests. It was so much more fun to go looking through all the buildings full of things like 500 pound pumpkins and handmade quilts when you actually have something of your own there. So, this year we did it again. My Niece entered 3 drawings and won 3 2nd place ribbons for them. I entered 2 photographs of my cat and 1 spoon necklace. I won a 1st and 2nd place ribbon for the 2 photographs and a 1st place ribbon for the necklace! Yeah!

I guess I can now call myself an "award winning" jewelry designer. :) Okay, that may be a bit of a stretch but it sure would sound good on a resume don't you think? :)