Metrix Create:Space

Holiday Card Makeshop Dec. 10th, 2-4

Are you looking for an activity that distracts you (or your child) for a couple of hours, is fun and lets you get something AWESOME at the end that you’ve created? Look no further! I will be leading a Holiday Card makeshop this coming Saturday, December 10, from 2-4. Only $25!!!

Never been to a makeshop? The idea is simple. Metrix provides the materials and tools, you bring your computer and your brain and I will be there for two hours to help guide you on how to use Inkscape to cut paper for your cards! This is not the in-depth workshop that I normally lead on Inkscape. The point of this is to be creative, and let me help you out if you get stuck. Make as many cards as you have time for!

This is great for the whole family! Start your kids early on lasers! Make up to Grandma for all those missing thank-you notes with something handmade!

Call Metrix to sign up!

12:01 am • 6 December 2011 by allisonatmetrix • view comments

Concept Art

This blog has seen a lot of interviews with people working on really neat electronics, coding, building, and DIY projects. It’s the sort of thing that Metrix was created and is now known for. But those aren’t the only things that happen here! I recently got the chance to talk with Ryan DeMita, a video game concept artist who sometimes uses Metrix as an office for working on his artwork. As someone who has been playing video games for years, concept art is something that I’ve always really enjoyed looking at; it was really neat to finally meet someone who makes it for a living!

1:08 am • 4 December 2011 by allisonatmetrix • view comments

Intro to Arduino Workshop: Make everyone green with envy

Feel that a regular holiday card this season just isn’t going to cut it? Make a re-programmable board that displays whatever holiday cheer message you give it. Bonus: Program it remotely to show the appropriate messages of well-wishing at all other special occasions.

Feel that all the time you have to spend with your family this holiday season is taking you away from your social media? Make holiday lights that respond to Twitter feeds.

Determined to beat your neighbors in the holiday house decorating contest? Make a multi-blink pattern, GPS timed lighting display that will be the envy of your whole block, and maybe even the next block over.

All of this is possible with just one tiny microcontroller board: Arduino!

Come to the Intro to Arduino Workshop, this Thursday, December 1 to learn how an Arduino board works and how you can program it for your exciting holiday projects. We will be going over the basics of the board, how to talk to it with your computer, and how to interface it with hardware. All you need to bring to the workshop is yourself and your computer. We’ll provide the Arduino boards and electronics.

What: Intro to Arduino Workshop

When: Thursday, December 1, 7-9PM

Where: Metrix Create: Space

Why: Because you want to make everyone jealous

How: Call or come in to sign up

Cost: $60 [includes instruction time, Arduino board, and electronics components]

7:16 pm • 26 November 2011 by plamena-at-metrix • view comments

Intro to Electronics: Make Awesome Gifts Edition

Diamonds are so last year. This holiday season give your loved ones real bling and impress them with your electronics know-how. You can make unique, fun, cost-effective gifts and the skills you need for that are just a workshop away.

Come to the Intro to Electronics Workshop this Tuesday, November 29. You will learn basic electronics theory through building circuits and experimenting with common electronics components. You will get a kit of parts that includes everything you need for the workshop as well as to get started on your very own holiday gift projects.

What: Intro to Electronics Workshop

When: Tuesday, November 29, 7-9PM

Where: Metrix Create: Space

Why: Because you want your gifts to be way cooler than everyone else’s

How: To sign up, call or drop in.

Cost: $50 [includes instruction time and all materials]

5:21 pm • 26 November 2011 by plamena-at-metrix • view comments

Making your winter holiday gifts?

Looking for some inspiration?

Ken Inoue has been making wonderful presents for his loved ones this year using Inkscape, the laser cutter and some aluminum stock from Online Metals in Ballard. He’s been nice enough to share the files to this smart and simple Tea Warmer on Thingiverse.

We love to see people make awesome things and share them with others. From the beginning at Metrix Create:Space, we have offered a Thingiverse Discount. If you share with the world, we share with you. Get up to 40% off your laser cut and 3D printed parts by becoming a Member today!

The best time of the year for making something special for your friends and family is right now, what will you make?

6:00 am • 19 November 2011 by mattw-at-metrix • view comments

This Sunday: The College of Lockpicking!

You can pick your friends.

You can pick your beer.
But can you pick… a Lock?

Join us on Sunday, November 20th, from 2-4pm, as we embark on an ancient mechanical adventure to explore the inner workings of a modern lock, first developed by the Mesopotamians and Egyptians over 4000 years ago. Led by lockpickers Eric Michaud and Jamie Schwettmann, this workshop will cover - soup to nuts - everything you need to know about how common locks work… and how to pick them open.

Whether you’re a complete novice curious to find out what pin-tumbler really means, a homeowner protecting your family’s treasures, or a veteran lockpicker with questions about advanced locks and techniques, this event is for you! With 2 solid hours of history, mechanical diagrams (“lock pr0n”), and hands-on lockpicking instruction… first we’ll open your minds, and then we’ll open some locks!

To properly learn this ancient art, you’ll need the proper tools. By registering for a ticket with a lockpick set, this guarantees you a seat at the workshop, and reserves - all for you - a brand-new 10-piece custom lockpick set by Southern Specialties, hand-picked by Eric and Jamie to maximize utility for beginners and locksport enthusiasts alike, and offered for only $30.

If you already have some picks you’re itching to practice with, you can bring them along, and your workshop cost is only $50!

BONUS: Metrix members get $10 off a ticket! (Visit the Metrix member mailing list to get the discount code)

4:48 pm • 15 November 2011 by mattw-at-metrix • view comments

Inkscape Workshop Nov. 15, 7-9:30

What does November mean to you? Remembering our Veterans? Celebrating (American) Thanksgiving? Viewing the autumn colors? For many, it’s all these things and also… shopping! Black Friday is of course the infamous day when many people buy all of their Christmas items at once, causing mass hysteria around the country. I want to let you know that it doesn’t have to be that way! While I won’t preach to you about Buy Nothing Day, you can instead sleep during the time you would have spent in line waiting for your favorite store to open at 5AM, and then come down to Metrix and create your presents instead! I will be teaching a workshop next Tuesday, November 15 from 7-9:30 PM all about how to use Inkscape to design cool things to cut out on Metrix’s laser cutter!

You may be wondering what sorts of (amazing) gifts you might be able to make, and I’d be happy to give you some examples. The first thing that pops into my mind are holiday cards. I’ve taught some card makeshops in the past, and my students produced amazing, unique cards to give to their loved ones. With the laser, it would be super easy to make a bunch to send to all your friends and family at a fraction of the price of buying cards in the store. And they’d be hand-made! Here’s an example of a card I made for Mother’s Day. Just imagine the flowers as a door wreath (perhaps with green holly, complete with red berries), and you’d have a simple and one of a kind card for winter.

Another popular gift is ornaments. Whether for your tree, or just to place and hang around your home as decor, ornaments are a cute gift for close friends and acquaintances alike. Look at this example:

And this one:

If you want to put a little more time into your gift you could make a mobile, coasters, wall art, wall clocks, custom sewing projects (yes, the laser cuts fabric!), jewelry, and much more! Come to the class and I will give you all the skills you need to make a special something for the special people in your life. Remember! November 15th 7-9:30PM, call ahead to reserve your spot. If you can’t make it, don’t worry! I do private lessons! Email me allison@sweetium.com

5:31 pm • 11 November 2011 by allisonatmetrix • view comments

DARPA Cyber Fast Track: Saturday, Nov 19th - 2PM

Put Saturday, November 19th on your Calendar. At 2PM, Peter Zatko, AKA Mudge, a hacker and Program Manager at DARPA’s innovation program, will be going over their new funding program, Cyber Fast Track here at Metrix Create:Space.

If you saw the Blackhat Keynote (here’s the video @32:35), or read the Slashdot post about it, you may know that DARPA is looking to get lighter, faster, and cheaper by reaching out to the hackerspace/makerspace communities. If not, consider this your notice:

DARPA wants YOU to make cool stuff you were thinking about making already, will FUND you to do it, and you get to keep commercial rights to it.

Come down, find out from the source how this works and see if you should apply for some DARPA dollars. I know from the projects that I’ve seen at the shop that many of you should be down here for this.

Want to get started early?

DARPA-RA-11-52

Anyone feel like putting together a cram session before the meeting? Drop a comment.

4:42 am • 8 November 2011 by mattw-at-metrix • view comments

Intro to Arduino is here again!

Want to make a pocket digital translator? Wondering what makes robots do useful or entertaining things?

The answer to all your [technical] curiosities is Arduino!

We are teaching our monthly Intro to Arduino class at Metrix Create: Space

on Broadway, tomorrow

Tuesday, October 25 at 7 PM

We’ll be going over the basics of the hardware of the Arduino board as well as getting into some of the programming necessary to get your Arduino to make fun things happen.

If you are intrigued but don’t even know what is an Arduino board, it is a programmable mini robotic brain that you can use in all kinds of awesome projects to make things happen your way.

All you need for the class is your computer and your awesome ideas. We provide the rest.

To sign up give us a call or just come down to our shop.

11:49 pm • 24 October 2011 by plamena-at-metrix • view comments

Thank you for helping us celebrate!

Many thanks to all of you who came out to celebrate the Metrix Create:Space 2-Year Anniversary! And those of you who couldn’t make it: Shame on you! You missed out on a seriously fun night of drinking and making.

We know you are all dying to find out who the winners are of the very first

Metrix Create:Contest/Tangram Edition

It was rough out here for a Tangram creation, and a few sadly did not survive the judging process (given the somewhat impaired motor skills of our fine judges). But all were nonetheless judged…

…and here are the winners by category (as defined by the judges):

Most Creative (set of clear glass space invaders)