Tag Archives: Strange + Wonderful

Tiny Snow Globe Inspired Christmas Keycaps: For Typing Your Gift List

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The Dwarf Factory Artisanta 2023 Christmas Artisan Keycaps are a set of three keycaps inspired by classic Christmas archetypes. Available in gingerbread man, gingerbread house, and nutcracker varieties, each $49 keycap has a chimney base with a solid resin “snow globe” on top and is sure to bring some holiday cheer to your otherwise cheerless keyboard.

The festive keys are compatible with Cherry MX switches and clones but are not compatible with my laptop keyboard. A shame, although they probably would shatter the screen whenever I closed the computer, so it’s probably for the best. The last thing I want is to have to ask Santa for a new computer because he’s been stingy lately on account of all my bad behavior.

Did I mention the snow accents in each globe are glow-in-the-dark? Because they are! That’s fun, glowing in the dark is always value-add as far as I’m concerned. Especially when it comes to being able to find the toilet in the middle of the night. Note to self: if you see keycaps glowing, you’re in the wrong room, do NOT pee in there.

Eye of Sauron Christmas Tree Topper: You Cannot Hide. It Sees You.

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The brainchild of Redditor ancienteuphoria, this Eye of Sauron Christmas tree topper is the perfect decoration for terrifying your children into being good for the remainder of the year. Remember, kids, Sauron is always watching! Be good, or he’ll feed you to his orcs.

The topper features an illuminated Eye of Sauron atop the pinnacle of Barad-dûr Tower, which projects a moving, fiery sky onto the ceiling above. Honestly, I feel like the color scheme really works for the Christmas season. It’s like a roaring fire but on your ceiling. Just be sure to close the curtains before turning it on or neighbors will call the fire department.

My Christmas tree topper? It’s a dog angel my wife bought from a rescue organization to remember one of our dogs who passed. She was a good dog. The dogs we have now? Little monsters. They would totally fit right in with Sauron’s army, because there’s no question they would destroy the entirety of Middle Earth just for a treat.

[via Reddit]

Arcade Cabinets Chiseled from Marble

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Available from artist Harold Sangouard (aka Harow), ARCADIA Arcade Cabinets are custom-made gaming cabinets with finishes chiseled from Calacatta marble. The photos here are just AI renders, but allegedly, Harold and team will chisel you a real one starting at least $100,000 and with a year lead time. Or maybe he’ll just take your money and run. At least, that’s what I would do.

If you had to pick an arcade game to be made in marble, what would you choose? That’s a tough call. I’d say my first choice would probably be Joust. Runners up include Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. You know what, I’ll take all three. I just can’t have them upstairs or they will rip through the floor and crash into the kitchen.

Could you imagine an arcade where all the machines are made of marble? I doubt it would just cost a quarter to play them. They’d probably all take $100 bills, and I do not have that kind of money. The only kind of money I have jingles when I walk.

 

 

 

 

[via The Awesomer]

The Hydraulic Press Impaler 10,000,000

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Because there’s no limit to the fun and destruction that can be generated with a hydraulic press, Finnish workshop owner Lauri Vuohensilta of the Hydraulic Press Channel created a custom tool for his press called the Impaler 10,000,000. The Impaler features a pointed cone-shaped pressing head, which is received below by a negative space of the same shape for MAXIMUM IMPALEMENT. Honestly, I’m getting nervous just looking at it.

Lauri described the impaler’s action as a three-part process: first, the spiking, then some traditional crushing action, and finally, extrusion. In the video, he impales a variety of objects, including a bunch of fruit with googly eyes, crayons, candles, books, toys, and other household objects. I’d pop some popcorn and watch it on the big screen if I were you.

Did I ask for a hydraulic press for Christmas? Of course I did. Will I get one? Not a chance. My wife knows me far too well to think that me and a hydraulic press is a combination that could end in anything but absolute disaster. Which is why I need you to get me one and say it’s from Santa.

Dark Lord Sauron Headphones Stand: The One Stand

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Inspired by the look of Sauron’s helmet in the Lord of the Rings movies, Etsy seller SlantedDesigns has created this headphone stand in the likeness of the dark lord. The 3D-printed head can hold up to two pairs of headphones (one between the three front spikes and middle two, and one between the two middle and rear spikes) and is available in a variety of colors and finishes to compliment your existing LOTR home decor.

Is this the headphone stand for you? Well, it is the ONE stand. I’m not sure everyone is ready to wield all that power, though. At least not anybody I know; they’d all do a terrible job at ruling. Most can’t even keep their houses clean; imagine them trying to govern all of Middle Earth!

Now all I need is an Eye of Sauron Playstation controller stand, and my Lord of the Rings gaming accessory holder collection will be complete. Does somebody already make one of those? I wouldn’t be surprised. About anything, really, except waking up in the morning actually feeling rested.

A Working Gingerbread Instant Camera with a Candy Glass Lens

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The brainchild of Polish photographer Dmitri Tcherbadji, this is a Fujifilm instax SQUARE SQ1 camera that he covered with gingerbread and added a lens made out of candy glass. Could he have actually constructed an entire functional camera out of gingerbread? Don’t be ridiculous. Only Santa’s elves have the skill and dexterity to do that.

According to Dmitri, “the images are very soft, lack contrast, and show lots of other distortions. Still, cranking them out of a piece of bread and sugar never ceases to feel exciting (and a little hilarious). There’s certainly room for improvement. I’ve learned a lot building this, and I will be learning more as I attempt to expose a few more packs of film before breaking it into pieces later with friends.”

He’s going to break and eat the camera when he’s done with it! I mean I was hoping he would, but you never know – some people are wasteful. Me? I eat things. The five-second rule? It’s never been a rule to me!

[via PetaPixel via TechEBlog]

Artist Crafts Entire McDonald’s Out Of Felt: McPlushies

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Felt artist Lucy Sparrow went and constructed an entire McDonald’s restaurant out of felt, complete with a menu board, food items, a drink machine, seating, and wall art. Wow. Would I try to eat the fries? Of course, I’d try to eat the fries; I am a terrible decision-maker, aren’t I?

The McHappiness store was recently on display at the SCOPE Art Show in Miami Beach, Florida, and undoubtedly brought much McHappiness to everyone who got to see it. I only wonder if Lucy’s ice cream machine was out-of-order or not. The last time the ice cream machine at my local McDonald’s wasn’t out-of-order? Late 2018, and I go regularly.

I wonder just how many hours Lucy worked on crafting the store because I imagine it was quite a few. I mean Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this is way crazier than Rome. I mean, at least in my opinion. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a change.org petition to start to make the McRib a permanent menu item.

A hat tip to Rusty of Rusty’s Electric Dreams for the heads up.

Cooler Master Orb X Immersive PC Gaming Pod Looks Straight out of TRON

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Designed and built by computer hardware manufacturer Cooler Master, the Orb X is an immersive gaming pod designed with luxury and comfort in mind. It kind of reminds me of Darth Vader’s meditation chamber, but with less wondering what the heck he does in there for hours at a time.

The Orb X can accommodate up to three 27″ monitors for maximum peripheral viewing and includes built-in power, audio, and lighting systems, as well as a traditional desk surface. It features a premium leather “ergonomic recliner” with fully adjustable head and lumbar support. But does it have seat cooling capabilities? Because I get sweaty when I’m gaming.

The pod’s dome lowers over the user’s head once they’re in place, so you know that they mean business. If the dome is down, do not disturb — that’s going to be my motto. And the dome is never not going to be down, just to be clear. I’m going to live in this thing; all it needs now is a mini-fridge and microwave.

[via Gizmodo]

Brisket Flavored Candy Canes: Meaty Goodness

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Because nothing quite says Merry Christmas like meat-flavored candy canes (wait, that can’t be right), Archie McPhee has added yet another unusual flavor to its line of unusual candy canes, this time with brisket-flavored sugar sticks. Yum! And by ‘Yum!’ I mean ‘Yum?’

A box of six canes will set you back $6.95. Not into brisket? No worries, Archie McPhee also sells hot dog and pizza-flavored candy canes for those looking for a less traditional holiday meal this year. My typical Christmas Eve meal? The cookies we were supposed to be leaving out for Santa. To my credit, though, I do leave the carrots for his reindeer untouched.

Whatever the flavor, I’m just going to sharpen the end into a point to poke my brother in the leg under the dinner table. It’s a Christmas Eve tradition. Then we get in a huge fight, and there aren’t any presents underneath the tree from Santa the next morning, the end.

A Minimalist Wall-Hanging Christmas Tree

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Does a traditional Christmas tree just not fit in with your design motif? Already have everything exactly where you want it and simply can’t spare any room for some bulky Christmas spirit? Well, the brand Aqestyerly has you (and your wall) covered with this minimalist wall-hanging Christmas tree (affiliate link). Cool, but where do all the presents go?

The tree measures approximately 40″ x 44″ when closely assembled and includes some fake greenery to attach to the wall, along with ornaments to hang from the branches. I imagine some busy business executive who just doesn’t have time for Christmas finding this hung in his modern penthouse apartment by his decorator while he sips fine scotch and bah-humbugs his way through the holidays.

Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer a real Christmas tree. The bigger, the better too, that way there’s maximum room underneath for presents. Granted, I was absolutely terrible this year, and Santa shouldn’t deliver me anything but a stockingful of coal to the side of the head, but a boy can dream. Mostly about Santa confusing my house with somebody who isn’t on his naughty list.

[via DudeIWantThat]