Top 100 Craft Tutorials of 2009

I just found out that my Felt Christmas Ornaments were included in the Top 100 Craft Tutorials of 2009. View the original post at the long thread. This is great news and also very encouraging. My goal for 2010 is for my blog to become a destination for fun crafty tutorials. I'm working on at least 6 new Cute Tutes at the moment and plan to unveil at least one every month. Stay tuned!

DC Universe Classics - Deadshot

This week's DC Universe Classics review will be on one of the Wave 9 action figure, Deadshot.

Deadshot is probably one of the coolest of the B list Batman rogues and Im glad that Mattel decided to give us this action figure as the DC Direct version just didn't cut it. 

Deadshot's sculpt is similar to most of the standard body parts we've seen on other DCUC action figures with some slight modifications to individualize this toy from the others. 

Deadshot's weapons are included as part of the sculpt on each arm.  The paint job is very good aswell with not perfect but fairly clean paint lines.   

Since Deadshots weapons are attached to his arms, Mattel saw no need to give us any additional accessories for this character (other than the standard CnC piece of Chemo).  It would have been nice if they loaded up Deadshot with weapons as they did with Deathstroke from wave three but what are you gonna do? 

Articulation is standard compared to the majority of Mattel's DCUC action figures.  All the right joint in all the right places.  If it works, why mess with it?  No complaints in this department. 

Overall Deadshot is a welcome addition to the DC Universe Classics collection.  Especially for Batman fans.  We can always use more Batman rogues for our collection (hint hint Mattel.  give us more - Ra's Al Ghul, Poison Ivy etc..). 

Sculpt/Design - 8.5, Paint - 8.5, Accesories - 0, Articulation - 9, Fun - 7

 

Deadshot is part of the not so widely released DC Universe Classics Wave 9 set.  Unfortunately, a lot of people found it very hard to get their hands on figures from this set.  Always turn to your friends at eBay if you can't find these awesome action figures.  Chances are, someone has bought them all up from your local Wal-Mart and is selling them there.  Since wave 11 and 12 are the main focus of buyers right now, you'll probably get a reasonable deal on these wave 9 figures. 

To find Mattel's DC Universe Classics Deadshot on eBay, click here

Be sure to check back to Action Toy Review for more news, previews and reviews of Mattel's DC Universe Classics action figures.  Or better yet, become an Action Toy Review Loyal Minion (see left side menu).  

Day 155: Woody Allen

Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, comedian, writer, musician, and playwright. Allen's distinctive films, which run the gamut from dramas to screwball sex comedies, have made him a notable American director. He is also distinguished by his rapid rate of production and his very large body of work.

Allen writes and directs his movies and has also acted in the majority of them. For inspiration, Allen draws heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema, among a wealth of other fields of interest.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Woody Allen paper toy!

Find out what's the next toy by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Day 154: Space Invaders (Video Game)

Space Invaders​ is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by Midway.

Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and features two-dimensional graphics. Though simple by today's standards, it was one of the forerunners of modern video gaming and helped expand the video game industry from a novelty to a global industry. Following its release, the game caused a temporary shortage of 100-yen coins in Japan, and by 2007 had earned Taito US$500 million in revenue. Guinness World Records ranks it the top arcade game.

Download the PDF files here (part 1) and here (part 2) to make your own Space Invaders toys!

Find out what's the next toy by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Day 153: The Spirit (Will Eisner)

The Spirit (Denny Colt) is a crime-fighting fictional character created by writer-artist Will Eisner. He first appeared in Spirit Section #1 (June 2 1940), a seven-page insert into American Sunday-newspaper comics sections. He currently appears in comic books published by DC Comics.

The Spirit chronicles the adventures of a masked vigilante who fights crime with the blessing of the city's police commissioner Dolan, an old friend. The stories range through a wide variety of styles, from straightforward crime drama and noir to lighthearted adventure, from mystery and horror to comedy and love stories, often with hybrid elements that twisted genre and expectations.

The film adaptation The Spirit, written and directed by Frank Miller, was released in theaters by Lionsgate on December 25, 2008.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Spirit!

Find out what's the next toy by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

PLUSH!!!!

Welcome to a new RAMPAGE blog posting!!! I hope this finds you all well, and surrounded by mounds of RAMPAGE toys and other such awesomeness!!!

Anyway, after being in the works for ages, the RAMPAGE plush series is in production and out for sale. These cute, cuddly, fuzzy (and ankle-biting) fellahs are up for sale at Monster Art and Clothing (<--click for more info) in Ballard, Seattle. They will also be up for grabs on the new RAMPAGE TOYS Etsy page (http://rampagetoys.etsy.com/). Bear with me while I get things up there, and do feel free to contact me if you need a cuddly companion immediately!

Marketing jargon aside - here it is: the first run of the RAMPAGE plush line - fresh off the sewing machine!!!! We've got Choco-chip, B-Scotty, Cupcake and Jellyo (who you'll be introduced to in an upcoming post - I know, you were worried).


Above: my wonderful RAMPAGE assistant, hard at work on the Singer! Making toys is FUN!!!

Also, don't forget t get you RAMPAGE TOYS t-shirt! You can send me a blank shirt to screen print, or put in an oder for a size and prefered color.

Just e-mail rampage.toys@yahoo.com !!!!!

Day 152: Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. One of his most famous work is "The Raven." It is a poem telling a story of a man's mourning and loss. Other works include "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Poe!

Find out what's the next toy by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

DC Universe Classics - Parademon

Todays review will be on another DC Universe Classics action figure from Wave 8.  This time I will take a closer look at the classic variant of Parademon. 

This version of Parademon is the classic version as oppose to the Red and Yellow Super Powers Variant. 

Parademon's sculpt is comprised of a number of original body part and some really cool detail

A great head sculpt as usual.

As mentioned in recent reviews, Mattel is really stepping things up in the paint department.  We are seeing less and less sloppy paint jobs which each new DCUC wave that gets released.  My Parademon's paint job is very good.  There were some minor areas of green paint on the skin around his nose but nothing too noticeable.  I guess my only complaint is they used some red shading over the yellow boots for highlighting.  Mattel has used this color combo before and I've never been a big fan.  That being said, the red shading is very faint and not too obvious. 

Outside of the Giganta CnC piece, Parademon comes with a couple of cool weapon accessories.  A big cool drill gun that he needs both hands to hold and the other is a yellow hand gun.

Parademon's joints are basically the same as what you would normally get on your standard DCUC action figure.  One small difference is the hip joints are ball joints which all for more movement and reduces the need for thigh joints. 

Overall Parademon is a good addtion to the DC Universe Classics collection.  With more and more New Gods/Apokolips characters coming out in upcoming waves, you'll need at least one Parademon to fill your collection.  Your Superman will need someone to pound on.

Sculpt/Design - 9, Paint - 8, Accessories - 8, Articulation - 9, Fun - 9

Classic Parademon seems to be the harder one to find as oppose to the Super Powers variant.  I am a huge fan of eBay to get these action figures if you cannot find them at your local toy store. 

To find Mattel's DC Universe Classics Parademon on eBay, click here.

Thats it for my DCUC Parademon review.  Be sure to check back with Action Toy Review for more news and reviews on your favorite action figure toy line. 

Day 151: Moshi Monsters (Katsuma)

Moshi Monsters is an online game site where you can adopt a virtual pet monster. The monsters have to be fed and tickled. You can also buy clothes and other items for the monster. Players earn credits called "Rox", by solving puzzles and simple games. These puzzles test skills such as basic maths, spatial awareness, logic, counting, anagrams and vocabulary.

The website is run by the British company Mind Candy and is designed for children aged 7-12. It has been described as Tamagotchi meets Facebook. The site opened in November 2007 and by early 2009 it had over 1.5 million players.

There are six types of monster you can adopt: Poppet, Furi, Luvli, Katsuma, Diavlo, Zommer.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Moshi Monster!

Find out what's the next toy by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Orange Zugan (Available)

Orange Zugan (Touma x Super7) by PlayImaginative



Availability: Available

Price: £25 (GBP)

Description: Exclusive Orange Zugan by Touma x Super7. One of Touma's Mephist Fiesta set figure. ~8" tall.



Any questions please email me :)

Day 149 & 150: Jay & Silent Bob

Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively, in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, a fictional universe created and used in most films, comics and television by Kevin Smith, which began in the film Clerks.

Download the PDF of Jay and Silent Bob and make your own toys!

Find out what's the next toy by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Valentine Owl Softie Giveaway

Giveaway is now closed. Congrats Adrienne!
You are the winner of this darling owl!

Here is the winning comment picked randomly by random.org.

Adrienne's Whimsies said...

SOOOOOOO Cute!!! You always have the best toys!

Yes another giveaway and I just had one last month. This time its for a sweet Valentine Owl softie. She certainly will make someones Valentines Day special. Once again please leave a comment and email address below to qualify. Just for kicks and giggles I thought it might be fun for entries to add a silly/corny Valentine poem as your comment if you so desire. A winner will be chosen randomly on February 7. Thanks for playing!

Eco-green IWG Rocket (Available)

Eco-green IWG Rocket by Rocket World



Availability: Available

Price: £40 (GBP)

Description: 19" tall IWG rocket ship. Windowed hatch door can be opened and a switchable red cabin light (by twisting the antenna). Comes with black-ops Affonso the Rhino, human bones and machine gun accessories. Brand new.

N.B. This is a large item so shipping is going to be higher than usual.



Any questions please email me :)

Vintage Cleabus (Available)

Cleabus by Wheaty Wheat



Availability: Available

Price: £10 (GBP)

Description: One of the characters from Christopher Lee' Urbanites and this is the Octane3 exclusive vintage edition. Cleabus and his radish, ~3" tall. Brand new, comes with radish accessory.





Any questions please email me :)

Easter Sneak Peek

I think Easter is becoming my second favorite holiday right after Christmas. I love the pastels and all the cute critters associated with the holiday. Ducks and baby ducklings have been at the top of my list for new critters to make. These little darlings will be available next month as a limited edition. I'm also working on an Easter tutorial featuring bunnies and mushrooms I can't wait to share.

Sugar Sugar Candy Boutique

If you looking for a place in the Twin Cities to fill your sweet tooth Sugar Sugar is it! This old timey sugar shack is a sophisticated candy shop with all sorts of sweet treats. Some of my favorites are the artisan confections from around the world. The shop also carries old favorites and some of the best chocolate I've tasted. The owner is just as sweet and shes crafty too! Catch them on facebook for their latest candy arrival. I'm looking forward to the Easter candy this Spring!

T & C

- Goods sold are not refundable and exchangeable. (Please check upon payment)
- All goods are brand new unless otherwise stated.
- Goods are sold on a first come first serve basis.

- Goods' measurements are estimated.
- All amounts are stated in SGD.

- Wrapping services are available. Charges varies with size.

- Buyers who back out will be blacklisted.

- A minimum amount of 30 SGD is needed for meetup and 60SGD for home delivery.

- Postage shall be paid by the buyer.

- I will not be liable for any lost or damaged goods for postage transfer.

- Charges will be imposed for change of venue or time at last minute.

- Latecomers will be fined. (1 SGD for every 10minutes)

- Timing will be for seller's convenience and meetup places are stated below.

- Preferred meetup places will be:

~ NEL (Hougang to Harbourfront)

~ NSL (Bishan to Dhoby Ghaut)

~ EWL (Dover to City Hall)

~ Also available on Circle Line

- Any reproduction of pictures must be acknowledge by me.
- I reserves the rights to alter the regulations at all times.
*SMRT MAP

New Embroidery Machine

I've been dying to get an embroidery machine for quite awhile now and I finally took the plunge last month because I was given a nice discount. $500 bucks off and 20% off the software...SCORE! The machine is quite sophisticated and a little fussy so I decided to give it a fitting Swedish name, so I call him Bjorn. ;) There is a lot of software to learn but within a few months I'll be cranking out my own illustrations as embroidered art. Just imagine the possibilities.. cross stitched covered buttons and patches to name just a few. Heres my first sample that Pam from the Viking sewing gallery helped me finish.

DC Universe Classics - Gentleman Ghost

Seems that i've fell behind on my DC Universe Classics reviews.  With wave 11 now out and some wave 12 figure showing up on eBay, I guess its time I start catching up on my reviews of wave 8 to 10 reviews.  So today's review will be Gentleman Ghost from wave 8.  First, if you missed my DC Universe Classics 2009 Year in Review post, be sure to check it out. 

I had a hell of a time getting my hands on Gentleman Ghost (at a reasonable cost).  For the most part, Gentleman Ghosts sculpt has many similar parts as The Joker from DCUC Wave 10 with the exception of the head (or lack of), top hat and cape. 

One of the cool features on Gentleman Ghost is the transparent plastic parts used to create this action figure.  Specifically the cape and the lower legs below the knees. 

For the most part, as far as paint goes, Gentleman Ghost is completely white, but not totally.  Again, the white paint is merged with the transparent body parts and cape to give him cool a supernatural effect. 

Gentleman Ghost comes with a good amount of accessories.  He comes with an old fashion white pistol and a white cane.   GG also comes with the head and hips of the Collect and Connect Giganta figure as well as a miniature figure of "The Atom".  (See my review on Giganta for more). 

For the most part, Gentleman Ghost has most of the standard joints you would find on your typical DC Universe Classics action figure with the exception of a joint at the waist and obviously since he has no head, he is also lacking a neck joint.  All joint were in decent working order out of the box. 

Overall, Gentleman Ghost is a cool action figure and a good villan to add to your DC Universe Classics action figure collection. 

Sculpt/Design - 9, Paint - 8, Accessories - 8, Articulation - 8, Fun - 8.5

I had a heck of a time getting my hands on Gentleman Ghost.  It seems there was a shortage of this action figure.  Even on eBay, i find it very hard to find him but eBay is still your best bet at this point in the game.

To find DC Universe Classics Gentleman Ghost on eBay, click here.