Craftzine.com blog: Blogs We Love: Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

Blogs We Love: Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

This week we Craft bloggers are sharing with you our favorite blogs (besides Craft and Make, of course!). I caught up with Lenore Edman from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories to talk about her philosophies on creativity and what she does at EMSL. She runs her blog and small business with her husband, Windell Oskay, where together they post new and fun DIY projects ranging from racing toothbrush robots to edible googly eyes.

Lenore is an inspiring creator. She writes:

Most people who make things tend to specialize in a certain area, whether it be electronics, yarn, paper or food. Whether you call something shop or home ec. doesn't really change that at the root, you're learning a set of skills for creating things. I'm a liberal arts kind of Jane-of-all-trades: I can do a little of everything, and I apply it all everywhere, but I don't have any specifically marketable skills. I'm not afraid of fitting a fabric cover to a plywood frame or of putting electronics in a plush toy. I think translation stages are cute, and I love vintage packaging materials. I adore bearings and am not afraid to pack them with grease. The most important thing for me is to have someone to brainstorm with and to not be afraid of any ideas, no matter how far fetched or ridiculous they may seem.

Lenore and Windell publish online how-to guides for their projects, and believe very strongly in sharing what they love:

What I do is mash up a bunch of different making techniques to implement ideas. I'm incredibly lucky in that my techniques mesh well with and complement my partner's techniques. We get to combine more methods than most makers. And what we do that sets us aside from most people who make things is to write up what we do and share it with everyone else. It takes more time to make [projects] when you're dedicated to documenting the process; so why do it? What I really love is finding out that someone else benefited from the information I've put out there. It is incredibly satisfying to find out that a project I wrote up inspired someone to try something new. Because that is what it is all about: not being afraid to try something new, whether it be with food, sewing, electronics, or whatever it is that makes you happy.

Lenore comes from a family with a strong do-it-yourself tradition, and was always encouraged to experiment throughout her childhood. Innovation comes from necessity -- Lenore learned to maintain her bike for when she couldn't afford a car. She and Windell want to propagate the confidence to experiment with new techniques to get your ideas out there. Their projects and kits available at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories are an inspiration to anyone skirting the maker/crafter line. - Link.

Related:

Blogs We Love: A Ervilha cor de Rosa - Link.
Blogs We Love: Oh Joy! - Link.
Blogs We Love: Knick Knacks & Ric Rac - Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Jan 31, 2008 02:00 PM
General, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comments

Newest comments listed first.

Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to CRAFT free. CRAFT Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now

Welcome to the CRAFT Blog! Your daily source for craft projects and inspiration.

CRAFT: Features & More

CRAFT Newsletter

Sign up for our bi-weekly CRAFT newsletter that covers popular topics from the blog! You can also see the archive of past newsletters here. - Link.

CRAFT: The First Year Box Set

In this special limited re-release, all 4 Volumes of Craft's first year are combined in a Special Edition Boxed Collector's Set. Box slip case is included in this set. - Link.

Natalie Zee Drieu. Natalie Zee Drieu
Senior Editor

Jenny Ryan
Community Marketing Manager

Michelle Kempner
Tech Craftologist

Suggest a Site!

Arwen O'Reilly
Staff Editor

Becky Stern
Craft Technologist

Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor, Makezine.com

Why advertise on CRAFT?
Read what folks are saying about us!

Click here to advertise on CRAFT!

Current Podcast

Chloe Dao's Design Studio Tour - CRAFT Video Podcast MP4 Video | QT Video | HD | Subscribe in iTunes I always like looking behind the scenes to find out how a designer, crafter, or artist works. With this CRAFT Video Podcast, we go behind the scenes with... More...