We had a fantastic time last night playing a short live set at the KW Little Theatre's Battle of the Bards! It's always an incredible time with a super supportive crowd. Last night we were joined by Dave Pike, of Onion Honey and Northland Rail Service.
https://youtu.be/knWqG7jILOs
KWLT's got a ton of great shows coming up this season too, including Once Upon a Mattress, a tale of princes and princesses that opens November 23.
Today we were at Maker Expo 2016, and we interviewed a ton of incredible people, from makers to fans, kids to seniors. It was an incredible time, and all of our interviews from today can be found by clicking on this post, or in the menu on the right.
Danny and Chris are from DIY pinball, where they refurbish, repair, and reinvent pinball machines sing home built and modern parts, rewiring them with Raspberry Pis. Part of a pinball community, they've been part of the maker community since 2011.
For more information, check them out at diypinball.ca.
Wargaming Tradecraft will teach you how to make beautiful miniatures for gaming, tabletop rpgs, or just for pleasure. Dave Garbe has been painting miniatures for decades, and his blog is full of techniques, tips, and tools to take you from beginner to master.
He's at Maker Expo hosting a painting workshop for kids and adults alike to paint and take home their own miniature, letting people of all ages channel their inner artist. More of his work can be found at wargamingtradecraft.com.
Lynn joins us to talk about her perspectives as someone who's seen a lot of creating over the years, and a photographer herself. She delights in the passion and drive that all of the exhibitors display, and reminds us that one of the marks of being an adult is being happy when kids are learning.
Younis is 8, and not only is he a Minecraft maker, but he built his own AM radio. Which means he has accomplished significantly more than us from a technical perspective.
We are dutifully embarrassed in the face of his awesomeness.
A lifelong learner and maker, Neil is the volunteer coordinator for Maker Expo, which is a mammoth effort. He joins us to talk about organizing, making, and his own passion projects in our local hackerspace.
Derek Wong began his journey as a hobby balloon twister in 2011, after viewing a clown twisting balloon animals at his friend’s birthday party. Since then, the internet has been Derek’s major text book and biggest inspiration for his balloon creations. In 2013, after his I.T. career stalled, he forged into his new venture, Twisted Inflations.
He started balloon twisting and décor for birthday parties and small events, and then added large balloon installations for shopping malls and shows. In 2014, he was invited to create custom balloon dresses for contestants in the Miss Chinese Toronto Pageant, which got aired nationally in the Chinese community and on Youtube. Beside creating for his business, Derek also participated in competitions and conventions and won numerous awards in the balloon community. The latest awards Derek won were the 3rd place in 12 Minutes Balloon Figure at World Balloon Convention 2016, and 1st place in the ColorQuest balloon sculpture contest. Both competitions were competing at international level and had hundreds of balloon artists participated from around the world.
Derek's at MakerExpo working on Kayloth, the Water Dragon, and you can find more of Derek's incredible work at twistedinflations.ca.
Agnes is a long time maker, organizer for Maker Expo, and the head of Mindful Makers, an incredible series of making camps and much, much more. A serial maker, one might say. She joins us to talk about the incredible turnout for today's event, what it's like seeing her campers make things in the real world, and what it's like being the sponsored exhibit organizer.
To find out about Agnes' work, go to mindfulmakers.ca.
Ig Kolenko is the director of the Centre for Smart Manufacturing at Conestoga College, and the students are here with an exhibit. They're showing off robot arms, leds, and talking about bringing vision to life. Ig talks about their incredible skills, and the potential that the program has to offer, and how Conestoga is well-positioned in Waterloo Region's maker culture.