Tag Archives: Strange + Wonderful

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

Posted on by

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.

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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]