Gwydion's Portfolio

Something I made a long time ago, and almost forgot about-...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:58:48 -0400

Something I made a long time ago, and almost forgot about- it’s a nested set of platonic shapes made of modular origami parts. I found the instructions for making a set of 5 interlocked tetrahedra, and wanted to see if I could use the same techniques to make other shapes. The pictures don’t make it obvious, but there’s a tetrahedron, octahedron, and cube underneath the dodecahedron and icosahedron.

A friend made an offhand comment on facebook about wanting to...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:43:00 -0400

A friend made an offhand comment on facebook about wanting to hit somebody with a boffer pizza… which I took as a challenge. the standard colors of duck tape make it look a little cartoonish, but I think I’m ok with that! I thought about cutting it into slices and having them held together with velcro, but I think the whole pizza looks better aesthetically. Maybe next time. :-)

New Item for my Etsy store (Gwydion’s Forest - I...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:18:00 -0400

New Item for my Etsy store (Gwydion’s Forest - I don’t think i’ve posted the link here in a while) Sort of the same principle as the boffer bottles, it’s 2 jagged halves held together with velcro to keep them secure even while being thrown. The different kinds of Duck tape out there lend themselves well to being used for different types of eggs; I’m hoping I’ve got them listed in time to be part of someone’s Easter Basket too!

More origami! More anatomically correct than my unicorns, but...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:27:12 -0500

More origami! More anatomically correct than my unicorns, but then I’ve always liked the idea that unicorns were more than simply horses with horns, they were their own distinct species. Pegasus was a logical next step in my growing collection of mythological origami designs… getting closer to writing that book, maybe. I am kinda torn (haha- paper art, get it?) about some of the methods I use… I’d like to be more of an origami purist, and make everything from one piece of paper with no cutting, but the end result of this, my fairies, and even my dragons and dolphins appeal to me more than my OCD. I count myself lucky that way… but maybe a little lazy, too!

This is a design I actually came up with years ago, but forgot...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:19:10 -0500

This is a design I actually came up with years ago, but forgot about. Halfway through making an origami dragon body, I noticed that the way the unfinished claws stuck out was rather sphinxlike, and after playing around with the other points I was able to make a basic face in profile. Not the best proportions, I wish the head sat a little farther back, but I’m pleased enough with the overall effect to share it! I may go back and refine it some day… there are plenty of other more accurate and detailed sphinx models out there, of course, made my far more talented artists than I… but this is mine, and I like making it!

Been working on new origami designs in my spare time at work....

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:11:25 -0500

Been working on new origami designs in my spare time at work. it’s a sad thing when the highlight of my shift is getting put on hold, but I have gotten to look forward to it! After spending days combing the internet for a good origami turtle design, I couldn’t find one I liked that was the right mix of free standing and simple to make. After a lot of trial and error, I think I got something I can be proud of! And I love being able to say I designed it myself!

Screwing around with some foam and duck tape scraps for a...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 03:16:41 -0500

Screwing around with some foam and duck tape scraps for a cosplay idea… 3 fingered gloves that are easy on and off but still moderately articulated so you can fish in a pocket or feed yourself without completely removing them. Not bad for a first try, but I think I need to score the foam at the joints a little to make it more flexible, and make rounded “pockets” at the end to cover the fingertips better. The wrist does have a velcro strap on it to keep it secure, but I think I need to extend the foam back up the arm a little bit.

This is am application of the 5-pointed folding star I’ve...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 03:08:48 -0500

This is am application of the 5-pointed folding star I’ve been working on, to use as a business card. i like that I can have a logo and a name on the front for easy identification, and then all of the underside legs are a contrasting color, with the contact info listed there. I’ve been having trouble getting the parts to line up just right to make it look more seamless when closed, but I’m attributing that to human error and doing this mockup in MS Paint, where I’m limited by pixel size. Next I’ll see if I can get some sort of vector graphic done, so I can try laser cutting or even 3-d printing batches of these.

finally got around to posting stuff more regularly again in my...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:09:38 -0500

finally got around to posting stuff more regularly again in my etsy store, and found the time to make up a new design! Eventually, I think I’d like to make an origami version of the Chinese Zodiac, but I have yet to find/come up with an origami snake design I like.

I’ve been threatening to make this for years, based solely...

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:22:19 -0500

I’ve been threatening to make this for years, based solely on the strength of the pun.

Ever since the movie “Deliverance”, few musical instruments have inspired such fear as the dreaded Banjo. Guitarists have their “axe”, Drummers can give you the beating of a lifetime, but only the banjo makes you paddle faster with dread!
Constructed of layered fabric backed foam rubber, open cell “couch” foam and duck tape around a sealed fiberglass core, this “dueling banjo” will allow your bard or minstrel character to lay down some serious music appreciation. In the honored tradition of Quick Draw McGraw’s “El Kabong” and every rock star to ever smash a guitar on stage, this weapon will let you wail on your audience figuratively AND Literally! It measures 13” wide and 40” long, and is approximately 4” thick, and should meet the combat requirements of most Live Action Roleplay groups.

Just finished up a custom order, my largest folding star to...

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 21:54:04 -0500

Just finished up a custom order, my largest folding star to date! it opens up to 3’ wide, and has eye screws staggered on it so it can be used to hang ornaments! IUt was a fun challenge, and proof that my formula sheet works! I should be able to make a folding star any size!

Since my previous boffer book sold within about 6 hours of...

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 01:30:28 -0500

Since my previous boffer book sold within about 6 hours of putting it up for sale, I made a new one! I got a little more ambitious, wanting to see if I could make a version of the necronomicon from Army of Darkness- I intentionally put wrinkles in the duck tape as I made the cover, and I think it came out pretty well! it was a lot of fun to make, now I’m thinking I’ll do a couple smaller versions of other books… maybe river song’s tardis journal, or tom riddle’s diary.

Here’s a study I’m doing for a new triple word tower...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:21:48 -0500

Here’s a study I’m doing for a new triple word tower deisign… it’s a sort of work in progress, I tried a few new things when making this. First, I’m using words of different lengths, which makes for some really interesting and complicated negative space. secondly, I’m designing it with an additive-process 3d printer in mind, so I’m trying to shape each letter without any “overhangs” that would try to force the printer to build on dead air. Lastly, I’m trying a different font design, an adapted version of the “legend of zelda” text that’s on the title screen/box art for most of the games. While technically functional, I’m not completely happy with the result, I think I should have made each of the letters blockier for more support; I might be able to send this to a service like shapeways, however, to see if they’re able to do anything with it.

I have so much fun making boffer weapons and props; there are so...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:50:00 -0500

I have so much fun making boffer weapons and props; there are so many different styles and challenges to put together! This was a challenge I did for a friend who went to UtopiaCon… she wanted to be a violent red riding hood, and needed a bloody baseball bat to complete her ensemble- note the fur-lined basket! This was a pretty simple build, but I like the effect of the wood-pattern contact paper to make it look like an authentic louisville slugger! The contact paper isn’t terribly durable, but it is the best compromise for wooden style boffers I’ve found. (Hey, Duck Tape people, why don’t more places carry woodgrain duck tape?)

(I really need a dedicated photo studio… or at least a wall I can picture stuff against regularly. I’m tired of my washing machine being in all my backdrops!)

For our 3rd anniversary, I made my fiancee a boffer version of...

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 13:30:00 -0400

For our 3rd anniversary, I made my fiancee a boffer version of the Slayer’s Scythe from the Buffy TV series. We had just finished watching all the episodes on Netflix, and I wanted her to have something badass to go along with my Master Sword and Hylian Shield. It’s made of the same foam and duck tape I use for my other boffer weapons, and has the same reinforced fiberglass core.

Help me get a 3d printer!

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:24:00 -0400

Hello Tumblr!

I know this is a tacky thing to do, but I am REALLY excited about the posibilities this would open up for me! Instructables is hosting a contest sponsored by the CEO of Wired magazine for a 3d design, and the winner gets a Replicator 2 3D printer. I have so many things I want to make, and my own rapid prototyper would be a huge asset!

I’m looking for any and everyone who’s willing to go to http://www.instructables.com/contest/chrisanderson/?show=ENTRIES, set up a free account if you don’t already have one, and vote for my “Three interwoven words” sculpture. I need all the help I can get!

*Edit: 10/27* I didn’t win, but thanks to everyone who looked and voted for me! I’ve got another project coming up soon that I’ll ask for some help publicizing, but that’ll be the last time I impose on my followers!

Finally! new stuff to post! I’ve been making word towers...

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:57:00 -0400

Finally! new stuff to post! I’ve been making word towers for a while that are based on a square cross section, with words that are oriented vertically and 90 degrees from each other. I’d had in idea that the concept might work with a hexagonal cross section for 3 words, but wasn’t sure how to go about making that idea solid. After lots of tinkering in Google Sketchup (and a lot of manual font design) I was able to get a workable prototype that I could transfer to pepakura designer, and generate a cardstock mockup. this mockup isn’t nearly as clean or stable as I’d like, (some of the supports around the “BMS” top tier are really too thin to be practical) but it does show proof of concept, and some really lovely abstract shapes. With a little more refining, I’m hoping I can carve one out of wood, or even milled on a cnc or 3d printed!

Digging through some old pictures, found this- a spice rack I...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:34:03 -0500

Digging through some old pictures, found this- a spice rack I made (with a fair amount of help from my dad) for a now-ex girlfriend, back in about 2004. there are hooks underneath for the hanging and drying of herbs, and the doors have shelves on the inside, as well as the main shelf attached to the back. the shelves are even adjustable to accommodate bottles of varying heights.

Recently, there was a Lego Brick Factor challenge near my home,...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:38:53 -0500

Recently, there was a Lego Brick Factor challenge near my home, where the company holds an open contest to see who the new “master builder” for an opening discovery center will be. I was able to participate, and was one of 40 people out of 171 to make it to the 2nd round. sadly, I didn’t make it to the final 12, but I’m hoping there will be more opportunities for assistant builders when the center gets closer to opening in May. In the weeks leading up to the event, however, I was encouraged to practice my building skills, so I set myself some challenges. I tested myself to see if I could build a sphere (at least half of one, with the amount of bricks I had) a lifesize human hand, and an original word tower design. (“Play well” is what the term Lego originated from in Danish)

Found some more pictures of lego sculptures that I made when I...

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:12:40 -0500

Found some more pictures of lego sculptures that I made when I was about 15 or 16, I think. Wish I’d been a better photographer back then! The drawings are copies I made from Nintendo Power Magazine, which turned out to be a great way to practice different styles of art, and had a lot to do with all the drawing and art I did in high school. The lego models were another sort of challenge, seeing how detailed I could get in 3-d when I only had 2-d models to work with (this was before the Nintendo 64 came out, of course!) There were more, I had lego versions of the Michael Keaton movie Batmobile, Samus from Metroid, Solar Jetman, even the vehicle from Blaster Master (aka “S.O.P.H.I.A.”).