Craftzies: OMSI Mini Maker Faire: Part II

OMSI Mini Maker Faire: Part II

It was a Blast!

If you happened to visit OMSI in Portland this weekend you had an opportunity to see firsthand how very cool the OMSI Mini Maker Faire was. Yesterday I posted Part I with a number of images and today I wanted to follow up with a part II including more photos and details on the event and the people running the individual booths.

Sunday was a little lighter in terms of the crown but it was still an excellent opportunity to chat with people about the capabilities of the 3D printers and Raspberry Pi as well as have an opportunity to learn more about what others were working on at their own booths throughout the faire. Here are a few...

We again had perfect weather as well which is always a plus when you have electronics in conjunction with the outdoors. Early in the morning before the crowd began to arrive I had an excellent opportunity to take more photos of the large trebuchet beside all of its miniature counterparts ;) Don’t try to invade OMSI; they’ve got their territory covered.

I had an opportunity to stop by the Portland Garment Factory and chat with the woman.

This was pretty sweet and I really liked the rack showing the transition from clothing mock up to finished product. She mentioned how they make prototypes for other clothing lines as well as their own, and their own was pretty sharp so definitely check them out, you will like the look of their designs.

Scrap was a booth I did not have a chance to stop by or get any decent pictures of yesterday but I did on Sunday so here is the scoop. They are awesome! How do I know this? I have my sources ;) The word on the (mini maker faire) street and in the crafting shops locally is that place is the bomb, the prices are great, and how nice was the woman chatting with me?! So very nice. I’m headed there this week, and I might just have to call her in the next few days and tell her how we’re just going to have to be the best of friends! She will take all those cool things I find that need to…well…scrap…while I’m also picking up new scrap!

So, if you are wondering where you need to head this fine crafting day to pick up some awesome cool supplies for that next big project, I would say Scrap might be your best bet and you might just see me there in the next few days meandering on my own for supplies. It is the Halloween season after all and I am in the throes of Halloween Costume making so that is a really good find.

If you had a chance to get close to the Portland Ballet booth you would have seen signs that they are looking for volunteers for set design for their upcoming event. Certainly a fun project for anyone interested in set design. I spent a semester years and years ago building the set for a performance and though it was not at the Ballet, it was certainly a learning experience and it is fun to be a part of such an interactive project. You will also most likely meet some really nice people in the process.

Moving on you had robots shooting basketballs, how to blast rockets, survivalists teaching how to improve your archery, how to spin, weave a basket, and a variety of other activities.

I did not have an opportunity to chat with the woman who was demonstrating how to build these boats but Ed did and he said they were super light weight, the boat frame was really awesome, and when I have a chance I am definitely going to check out their information on line. He said he saw a very small woman pick the frame of one of the boats up on her own and smile proudly. I would love to find out more, I believe he said she was using reclaimed materials for the boats but I will get details and let you know soon.

We had a fantastic time and we met a lot of people, everyone was really friendly, and I can’t wait until next year!

We had a great crowd as well, especially as this was the first year running. I was really impressed with the entire event. I felt as though it was really well organized, the selection of booths and the way in which they were displaced throughout the faire was indeed well planned, the hands on displays and demonstrations for children and adults alike were impressive, and all in all I think the people had a great time learning about what other crafters, hobbyists, technicians and artists were working on right here in our own community. We are indeed a group of really interesting people. If anyone is wondering if they should participate in this event next year, the answer is yes!

You don't have this kind of fun at home!

Thank you to OMSI and Make for putting on such a great event and thanks as well to everyone who participated by way of a booth or those coming to the event to see what others were making. You all made it a success!

Alright, I am off to make some crafting magic happen around here but have a fantastic day and thanks so much for stopping by to check out what we were up to in Portland this weekend.