Etsy Tuesday: Bioshock

Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I'm in the process of getting together a DIY, but I thought I would put an Etsy Tuesday together, as well. It's been a while since I've done this.

So many people are talking about Bioshock: Infinite (still) that it's making me ridiculously jealous. I really want to play the game but, being a graduate student, I'm too poor to buy it. (See this post for my hints for gaming on a budget). In order to quell this sadness, I decided to look at pretty Bioshock things on Etsy. I just can't actually buy any of it this time.

The best part about these Bioshock pieces is (naturally) that they are all steampunky! You know how I love steampunk, and you know how I love video games--it's perfect!

I was originally thinking that I would keep to Bioshock and Bioshock 2, but then I saw this little Songbird locket necklace. I love the minimalist Songbird portrait (I know, I know--I love minimalist anything). It's sold by Jen in the shop Captured My Soul. These lockets are currently buy three, get the fourth free.

$17.00 USD

Also really excellent are these plasmid rings. I really like the scrollwork of the rings themselves, plus I've always liked the art depicting the plasmids. These two plasmids pictured are some I relied heavily upon. They're sold at the Land of Rapture shop, by Keeley N.

$8.00 USD

Also exciting is this sheet of fifteen plasmid stickers! Yay! I would put these around my desktop monitor. They're sold at the So Sticky shop.

$5.00 USD

Speaking of minimalist things (as I was in the first entry), I love this print. It's sold in by Captain's Print Co. I love the colors, I love the simplicity, and I love the design! As usual, check out the shop for more awesome prints!

$18.00 USD

And, finally, isn't this Songbird plushie just adorable? I've seen some truly artistic versions of Songbird plushes on the internet these past few weeks, but this looks just as good AND looks a little more squishable than the others. I love his button eyes.

$75.00 USD

Whelp, that's it from me today! I'm waiting for the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club to start (you can tune in here), and then after that I am going to finish up my DIY (which I will post on Thursday). I'm also brainstorming for another blog post on video games--this time, the best video game weapons. Any suggestions? Leave them in the comments!

Etsy Tuesday: Decals

That beauty that you see here is HAL. Why HAL? Well, I already have GLaDOS (my tablet) and Skynet (my laptop). She's (yes, she) not quite complete yet--I have a new fan, video card, and power supply coming later this week--but she's all prettied up on the outside and ready to share. You probably recognize those vinyl decals from last week's Legend of Zelda Etsy Tuesday, and all I have to say is how happy they make me. Yes, yes, I know it's not important--functionality determines whether or not a computer is good. But in a few days HAL will be a god among computers, and will obviously be The Whole Package. Thanks to pretty Zelda art.

Thanks again to the Decal Ninja shop for making me so pleased with a purchase!

I've always toyed with putting decals on my laptop, but ultimately decided against it (what, with the fact that I use it mostly in a "professional" capacity. Professional is in quotes because I'm a grad student). Now that I have decals on my HAL, though, I'm really hankering for one for Skynet. So here are some decals I'd consider for my laptop. 

This Etsy Tuesday is a little hurried because I have 98,000 things to do in the next it-seems-like-forever-but-is-really-just-finals week. Instead of skimping on the goods, though, I'll mostly shut up and let you enjoy the awesome geekery.

1) Sold by My Geekery, found at this link. 

$5.00 USD

2) Sold by Perfectly Aligned*, found at this link. 

$5.00 USD

3) I also love Perfectly Aligned's Smaug decal.

$3.00 USD

*Perfectly Aligned has decals that fit on either side of the tracking pad, which is probably more useful for the girl who is trying to be discretely geeky at work!

4) Sold by ECK Designs, found at this link.

$6.50 USD

4) Sold by DisaDesigns, found at this link.

$5.00 USD

5) Also by DisaDesigns, this is ADORABLE.

$6.75 USD

Of course, all of these shops have plenty of different designs, so shop around! You know I love to. 

In other news, I've been playing Mass Effect on HAL and I'm pretty sure I'm legitimately addicted. I found myself playing last night without making the conscious decision to open the game and start it. And then I realized I'd been playing for an HOUR AND A HALF. This is all when I shouldn't have even turned on HAL, let alone started playing games. 

Etsy Tuesday: The Legend of Zelda

The purchase that inspired today's Etsy Tuesday isn't from Etsy, but the website certainly has a  lot of amazing Legend of Zelda-inspired pieces. Earlier today (after my paycheck was direct-deposited), I bought a Small Key necklace from Fangamer. Here's a picture. They also have a Boss Key necklace, which I also wanted, but I wanted the antique finish and they were out of stock. Here's a picture of what I purchased:

$17.00 USD

I was introduced to Fangamer by Kaitlin Stewart, who runs the PwnLove instagram account. She's on a quest to wear a geek-inspired outfit every day for a year, ad has already made it this far! As well as showing her outfits for the day, Kaitlin also shows a lot of cool geek-clothing and accessories that you can buy! (So do it, like I did).

Anyway, on to Etsy!

The first piece isn't available right now, but you can pre-order it for May. I actually had a difficult time choosing which of the magical arrows I should feature--the site has all three available in necklace form, and a variety as earrings. I went with the light arrows, though. They're the ones you can't save Hyrule without, after all. They look exactly like they do in the game, which makes my little geek heart squeal with glee. The shop, MachtaNest, also has a cure Heart Piece necklace. From what I can tell, most of the pieces are constructed with polymer clay, which allows them to sustain the look of the game.

$13.00 USD 

The next piece is a necklace that features all three spiritual stones from Ocarina of Time, as well as the Triforce. I like the construction of the necklace, as well as the theme. TheUniqueVTBoutique sells mostly Zelda-themed jewelry, all of which are really cool. They also have a set of spiritual stone earrings, which I also JUST. LOVE.

$40.00 USD

I think that these Rupee Pouches are just extremely adorable. Personally, I think they would be excellent for keeping polyhedral dice in, and also excellent at making all your gamer buddies jealous. They're sold by the shop RedDragonPropDesign, which focuses on cosplay props (so, really cool).

$23.00 USD

I also just bought this The Legend of Zelda bumper sticker, to put on the side of my new desktop. I'm really excited, mostly because I didn't like the case, with its touch of orange (I bought the gaming computer off of someone else, so it wasn't 100% what I wanted, but it was probably a quarter of what I would have cost me to construct it myself). (And, by construct it myself, I unabashedly mean make my boyfriend build it for me). But this complements the orange, while making it something I enjoy! So, yay!

$4.00 USD

After clicking around the DecalNinja shop, I also bought this to go with it.

$5.00 USD

I will have the coolest desktop tower in the land.

As usual, I cannot resist something to put my alcohol in, especially if that something is blue. So, of course, I love these Hylian wine glasses. Most excellent. I also have difficulty resisting etched glass, so here we are. The Illuminated Lion shop is currently celebrating its 1000th sale, with 15% off all orders in April. So...here I go. buying more things. Of course. I was not made to be a poor grad student. (What, it comes in TARDIS?)

$30.00 USD

Finally, Peregrine Studios sells rings inscribed with the songs from Ocarina of Time. I have nothing to say to that but SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.

$59.99 USD

Speaking of The Legend of Zelda, I'm going to marathon play* Ocarina of Time, with daily updates here and live Tweeting. Depending on how long it takes me to play OoT, I will tackle Majora's Mask, as well. So keep an eye out for this spectacular event starting when the semester ends (Roughly, May 14th)!

*By marathon play, I mean spending all my free time playing. Not skipping work or bed. I wish I could, but I just spent tons of money making this Etsy Tuesday, so...

Etsy Tuesday: Books!

I've been marathoning the Lizzie Bennet Diaries all day. I haven't watched the show before, but I am loving it! So this week's Etsy Tuesday is about themed on classic (or quasi-classic) books!

The first classic book I ever read was Dracula (which you might not count as a classic, but I do). I was one dark fourth grader. Of course, a fair amount of the book went over my head, but I still enjoyed it the first time I read it. Thus, my first pick for this week's Etsy Tuesday--a Dracula book purse! I love book purses, and this one come from the aptly named BookPurses store. I really like the handles, and the cover is awesome.

$46.00 USD

This little necklace is cute, and priced really reasonably. Considering the success of Sherlock, I know a lot of you out there would be interested in a Sherlock Holmes book-cover necklace. It's a nice, simple little piece that I would love to own. It's sold in the The Gothic Geekery store, which has other options in books, as well.

$18.00 USD

Something that I like the idea of if the alteration of books (see the book purse above). I try not to think to much about what happened to the pages and the stories, though. It hurts my heart a bit. But the products are really, really cool. This iPhone charging dock is really cool, and I enjoy the color scheme. I'm not sure it was actually a copy of The Tale of Two Cities (I remember it being much shorter), but that might be better. I means that a book wasn't gored. The piece is sold at the Uncommon and Nice shop.

$47.00 USD

This last piece is a Peter Pan print on an aged page from the book. I have seen a lot of artwork on book pages in my travels on Etsy, but I think this is my favorite. It's simple, but it still looks classy. You can also still read the text, which is important to me. The Circle Wall Art shop had a lot of other really great prints and decals.

$21.21 USD

See you all later this week! I'm doing a review of the barcade I visited for my 25th birthday party, and maybe showing you all what i have in my Etsy shop so far--if I finish these crafts in time!

Etsy Tuesday: Rayguns!

   I've always considered rayguns to be the official Geekphoria mascot. They're all kinds of geeky--present in the subculture from the days of classic sci-fi to modern-day steampunk. Also, I used them in one of my first DIYs--the Dry-Erase Calendar. This same calendar is hanging on the wall next to me. And still on November--at least, until I find a replacement frame that has glass instead of plastic. It's really difficult to get dry erase marker off of cheap plastic after a month.

   Also, the fellowship application I'm working on is frustrating me to no end, so I'd really just like to vaporize it. Thus, the choice of the theme today is also cathartic. Fun story: I recently found out that the word "cathartic" can also mean something that acts as a laxative. So think of it in its more common usage as an emotional laxative.

   Now that I've been sufficiently awkward, it's time to move onto the goods.

   The first is a print from the shop Art of the Page. I think this particular raygun piece gives off more of a steampunk vibe--it looks like a book page upon which someone drew plans for a raygun. Fun fact: the artist also has several "Gentleman Dalek" prints, which are completely awesome. Check it out, there's tons of other great (Doctor Who) artwork for more-than-reasonable prices. 

$12.25 USD

   I went through a phase a couple of years back where I was constantly buying belt buckles. I got them from Hot Topic, Spencers, and the Internet, and they're all sorts of geekiness. I have a Jack Skellington head, a classic Nintendo Controller, and no fewer than three Batman buckles. This next belt buckle makes me want to add to the collection again. Though all the belts that go with the buckles have kind of died. I could always incorporate it into a steampunk cosplay, though. It's sold by the shop reganflegan. 

$19.00 USD

   These salt and pepper shakers are a little pricier than what I normally feature on Etsy Tuesday, but I'm pretty much in love with them. They're simple, classic, and adorable. I would love to have them in my apartment. Maybe someday I will be at the income level where I can spend this much on salt and pepper shakers (I don't even have salt and pepper shakers now). They're sold in the shop PocketSquid.

$120.00 USD

   This tote bag screams classic sci-fi, and I love the rayguns and spaceships. Also, I'm pretty sure that the little robot wants to be my best friend (or would, if it weren't a drawing). The piece is a nice, every-day tote that looks like it would do a good job carrying all of my books. It's sold in the shop theboldbanana, a name which I find ridiculously entertaining. They also sell a cute t-shirt featuring a narwhal and a unicorn. Hello, adorable. 

$12.00 USD

   After I found this ring, I went through PNWHandmade's shop (as I usually do) and found three things that I NEEDEDRIGHTAWAY. Here, though, is the original ring (as it is the only one that fits in this theme), but trust me when I say you definitely need to check this shop out. 

$15.95 USD

   The last piece is also jewelry--a cute little golden charm on a leather cord. As usual, I love the small, understated pieces. The LostApostle store is also definitely worth a browse (there's an adorable octopus necklace that reminds me of the little squid from Finding Nemo). 

$38.00 USD

   I am currently working on a DIY, getting some products into the Geekphoria Etsy store and, of course, the Ghostbusters edition of Gamer Drama. The boyfriend will be off visiting friends this weekend, so I'm hoping that means that I will be very productive (though I also have to write a paper. Bah.). 

-A

Etsy Tuesday: Batman

My boyfriend and I have spent the day watching the Batman movies (well, except for the Adam West movie). Of course, we're not all the way through yet, but we're having lots of fun.

So, of course, I had to make this Etsy Tuesday all about the Bat.

I found this Sterling Silver Bat Signal Necklace  earlier today, thanks to a post on The Mary Sue. It's a small, subtle piece, and I like it a lot. I think I am going to get it for my sister for her graduation. Or her birthday. One of the two. It's made by and sold in the 'niquegeek shop, which has a lot of awesome silver jewelry.

$19.99 USD

This Batman necklace, on the other hand, will be mine. All mine. I love the flair and the "cute" quality. It's definitely batman and bad-ass, but also has a nice girly touch (but not too girly). It's sold in the figure8knits shop, which also has a cool lasercut Nightwing necklace.

$12.00 USD

Stepping away from jewelry, I really just want to cuddle this amigurumi Batman forever. The Hina Palitah shop also has an adorable amigurumi Cthulu.

$37.50 USD 

I'm always crazy about laptop decals, but I've never bought one. I have a Toshiba, and I think that the logo would be too intrusive. However, I would love to put this baby on my laptop. The shop, InShiningArmor, has a lot of other cool designs that come in decals and t-shirts.

$10.00 USD

Finally, I would totally put this poster up in my office. And be forever unashamed about it. The print is has a nice retro vibe, and I love the simple color scheme. The shop, posterexplosion, is full of awesome modern and retro prints. 

$18.00 USD

That's it for Etsy Tuesday this week! I've got to get back to writing an application for a summer fellowship. Fingers crossed that I get it, and I'll see you later this week.

Etsy Tuesday: Prints

Hey everyone! Today's Etsy Tuesday is inspired by the prints I bought from CaptainLaserBeam last week! I purchased two of her cult classics art nouveau prints, and can't wait to receive them! I'm going to frame them next to each other and put them up...somewhere. Not sure yet. It depends on where I decide to put the Lord of the Rings trilogy posters that I just framed the other day. 

Here are the prints I bought:

I went with gown!Lili instead of dark!Lili so that the print "goes" better with this Sarah print:

Both Labyrinth and Legend were huge influences during my formative geek years, and I can't wait to have these preciouses in my clutches!

Anyway, thusly inspired, today's Etsy Tuesday is all prints!

I found this first print through Jen Yates's Epbot blog. Like most geeks who grew up during the 90s, I'm a big Harry Potter fan. Adam Rabalais, owner of the shop named after him, has a movie poster for each of the Harry Potter books (so, in other words, only one poster for Deathly Hallows). I chose to feature the Deathly Hallows poster because the quote gives me the feels. Also, feast your eyes on the Chamber of Secrets poster.

24x36in, $45.00 USD

27x40in, $50.00 USD

There are a lot of other geeky prints there (Batman, Firefly, etc), so I'd wholeheartedly suggest that you take a look at the shop. Mr. Rabalais offers deals when you order more than one product, so you should snatch these posters up. I know that I, for one, am going to order a few after my next payday.

Speaking of Batman, I'm really a fan of minimalist designs based on Bats. That's why this piece caught my eye (and will probably most definitely be purchased. I have a pretty good idea of where to put it).

11x17 in, $19.00

The print is from the shop Harshness (its owner goes by the same alias), which also has some pretty cool Game of Thrones, X-Men, and Avengers prints. I especially covet the AT-AT print, and the LoTR locations prints.

11x17 in, $19.00 USD

11x17 in, $19.00 USD

I'm starting to think that I'm really drawn to minimalist posters. The art in the following prints is definitely not minimalist, but the monochromatic coloring really makes it look cool. These Avengers prints are sold at the shop FashionArtStudio, run by Terry Minucci. This shop also runs a multiple-quantities discount.

11.5x16.5 in, $50.00 USD

They come in other colors, as well.

Also, look at the Andy Warhol-esque Batman print. Awesome.

11.5x16.5 in, $19.00

That's all for today! I'm currently switching off between homework and playing The Walking Dead video game. I'm really enjoying the game--the homework, not so much. I'll let you all know my final opinion in an edition of Gamer Drama. Speaking of Gamer Drama, either a Gamer Drama or a post on gaming on a budget will be up by the end of this week. See you all then!

Etsy Tuesday: Firefly/Serenity

This week's subject for Etsy Tuesday is in honor of the puppy my parents adopted this weekend:

This is Zoe! (I know the picture kind of sucks--my mom took it). Mom and Dad were asking for puppy names, but they didn't want anything geeky. I managed to slip in Zoe, though, for Zoe Washburne of Firefly fame. Isn't she cute?

For anyone who's interested and in the Chicagoland area, Zoe has three sisters who are also available for adoption: Paige, Rene, and Milynne.

Anyway, on to what you're really here for--Etsy Tuesday!

I really like the leatherwork on this first piece--I think it's beautiful. The contrast between the main background, the lettering, and the background for the lettering is just the perfect amount. It's also one of the most badass geek flasks I've ever seen. But really, the first thing that caught my eye was the craftmanship. This is sold in the shop GrimmSister, which sells a lot of other leatherwork.

$45.00 USD

I don't typically like these Euro-style stickers, but this one makes my inner geek giggle with joy. Maybe it's the appropriateness of putting "shiny" on a car? Maybe it's because non-geeks won't get the reference and think 'well, it would be shinier if you washed it." Either way, this is cool. AND inexpensive. It's sold in the shop NalaSerenity, owned by Kimber McDermott.

$4.00 USD

This pendant is nice and understated. I particularly like that it is bronze, and not another metal. It's the same Serenity symbols as the flask above, but I like the hand-smashed (for lack of a better word--I don't know much about metal work and I like the word smash) imprint of the letters on the circles. This is sold at the store Piece of Shine, run by Cindy Pope.

$30.00 USD

I also like this Wash quote bracelet from the same store.

$35.00 USD

Finally, here's a Shepherd Book print that I like--mostly because I find that the expression on the drawing's face matches the quote perfectly. There is a print for most of the other characters as well (though I didn't notice Zoe or Wash), as well as a print of the group. I'd suggest checking it out, since it also has The Dark Tower and Marvel prints. The shop is Bensmind, run by Ben Smith. They also have multiple-purchase discounts--2 for $30, 3 for $45, and 5 for $75.

$19.99 USD

Well, tomorrow I promise I will put up my review of NBC's new tv show Revolution. I was going to put it up today, but then I realized it was Tuesday--and Tuesdays traditions cannot change. I also have a tube-top tutorial that I hope to get up by Saturday. You might get three posts in a week--craaazy.