CONTEST: Win a PAX Prime 2010 3-Day Prize Package (and banana*)

Knitted Steel is hosting its first ever contest with fabulous prizes!

Did you miss out on getting your 3-Day pass for PAX Prime? Here's your second chance. And with it comes other cool stuff!

One Grand Prize Winner will receive:
- One 3-Day PAX Prime 2010 pass for September 3-5 in Seattle, WA
- One Knitted Steel badge lanyard in PAX Prime colors
- One Knitted Steel hackey sack (you'll need something to do while standing in line), also in PAX Prime colors

One Glorious Runner Up will receive:
- One banana*

So how do you win? That's where it gets a little tricky. This isn't a contest for scalpers; there must be some reason you deserve to get this prize. I want you to tell me why, in your most creative way. It can be through video, poetry, short form fiction, interpretive dance, paintings, sculptures, photography, ANYTHING you can imagine with some restrictions:
- All written entries must be 1000 words or less
- Must be SFW. No naughty bits, excessive bad language, etc.
- All entries must convey, in some manner, why you deserve this pass more than anyone else
- Don't injure anyone or anything. I will not be responsible for your hospital bills.
- You must be at least 13 years old to enter. If you're under 13 and reading this, where are your parents?!
- You must follow Wheaton's Law 

DEADLINE: All entries must be received no later than midnight Pacific Time on Friday, August 20th. An esteemed panel of judges will decide the Grand Prize Winner and Glorious Runner Up soon after, and announcements will be made no later than August 27th. Entries will be judged according to creativity, originality and the weather**.

E-mail your entries (or links to them) to jules @ knittedsteel . net by the deadline to be eligible. 

By entering, you give me permission to post your entries online for the whole world to see. Your private info will not be sold to third parties. Any entries not following the restrictions listed above will be automatically disqualified and probably made fun of.

* Banana will vary from the one pictured above because I just ate it. One Glorious Runner Up's banana may be real, paper, or even maille. It's a surprise!
** Entries cannot be held responsible for Seattle's unpredictable weather patterns and will thus be awarded equal points.

Update: PAX Saturday Badges are SOLD OUT!

Child's Play 2010 - I Need Your input!

Every year, Child's Play Charity puts on a glamorous dinner and auction to raise money for their cause. It is a wonderful program run by wonderful people, and supported worldwide. I like to go to the dinner every year and bid on the silent auction items, and in 2008 I donated two maille shirts to be auctioned. The shirts were a group effort by the Penny Arcade community - built and funded by great people. I'd like to take on a similar but much smaller project this year.

My inspiration comes from this - The Megaman II Project.

I want to do something like it, but on a much smaller scale. A series of wall hangings roughly the size of MegaMan in the lower left corner. Each one would have a video game sprite, logo, object, or otherwise memorable and game/pop culture-related icon.

So you all, as gamers and nerd culture enthusiasts, I ask you this: If I were to make a series of these, roughly 6"x6", what would you like to see? What would you hang in your home/office? Triforce? 1-up Mushroom? Pac Man? Let me know by commenting on this post. I'll take the top ideas and make them a reality this fall.

Cheers!

I Had Some Spare Rings

So I made a pretty thing! This is made entirely of 16g 1/4" aluminum rings, mostly in 2-in-1 pattern. I built it to fit my lovely model Andi, so I would say it's a small-medium size.

It is completed and for sale! I thought I would offer it up to my lovely readers before putting it on Etsy for a bigger audience. The price is $135 + $5 shipping, but if one of you buys it before July 17th, I'll knock $10 off and the shipping is free!

That's right.

If you buy this by July 17th, the total cost is $125.

After that it will be on Etsy for full price. And speaking of Etsy, I have another negligee top there for the large-XL size ladies out there, seen below.

Perfect for this wonderful summer heat we're getting here. Happy shopping!

That's a Wrap

PAX Prime commissions are officially closed. Email me if you would still like something custom made (I'm always taking more orders!), but you likely won't receive it until after Labor Day weekend.

There is a slim chance I'll have extra lanyards for sale at PAX, but the color and pattern options will be limited. Closer to that weekend I will set up meeting times and places for people to come get their lanyards as well as people interested in picking up the spares. At PAX East I was near the Info Booth, by the queue room and it seemed to work really well. I'll try to find a similar spot at Prime.

Restocking Supplies + A Few Fave Sites

I just ordered materials for the current batch. The next order will be on July 10th, and hopefully TRL has restocked their aluminum supply by then. There is one commission I wasn't able to buy the supplies for, but I am also still waiting on an order of custom anodized scales. Fingers crossed they come in soon!

I also put in some orders for gift bags and boxes from one of my fave supply sites, GemsOnDisplay.com. Fellow crafters and jewelry makers, I highly recommend the site for displays and sales accessories. Their service is fast and awesome, and their products are top notch.

I can easily say the same thing to Moo.com for my minicards. They have excellent photo quality printing and a really simple, readable layout. I never had fun ordering cards before I went to Moo, and I'm not yet taking full advantage of Moo's ability to customize cards.

Next up I need to order some swag for PAX Prime through PureButtons.com. A year or two ago they became the unofficial sponsor of the PAX Button Exchange, and now they give discounts to Enforcers and attendees. Out of an order of 100 there may be one dud button if you're unlucky. This year I want to get some compact Knitted Steel mirrors for my awesome customers but I don't have a solid design yet. Maybe I'll come up with three and make a poll here? Yeah, I will let you decide.

These sites give my business that extra little funky flair that I like to include with every order, and that extra touch of class and professionalism in my photography. I could do it without them, but that would be boring! I highly recommend all three of these sites, should you ever want/need what they have to offer.

Cheers. <3

Friendly Reminder

If you would like a custom lanyard for PAX Prime, the deadline is July 10th. Let me repeat that in large, friendly letters:

THE DEADLINE FOR LANYARD ORDERS IS

JULY 10TH

Get your order in NOW! You don't have to pay until PAX, but you won't get a lanyard unless you order in time. No exceptions. If I have leftover materials and spare time, I may make extra lanyards for sale in colors and patterns of my choosing. If I were you, I wouldn't wait to find out.

A quick note on policy

From here on out, all orders requiring standard shipping (a padded envelope via USPS) will carry an extra $3 charge to cover postage and materials. I haven't been very stringent on this until now but I am trying to keep a tighter book with more standardized costs. Larger orders that require other shipment options will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Anyone who is has already paid for their item is square. I am not looking for past reimbursements. :)

Cheers!