CLOSED: Nerd Games - Winter 2020

Welcome to the Nerd Games!

Runs January 1, 2020 - March 31, 2020

This is a craftalong where nerdy crafters all over the world can share our projects and give each other encouragement - that’s really all there is to it! If you feel you might be a nerd, or enjoy some nerdy things of any kind, or if you’re just nerdy about crafting, you’re more than welcome here!

HOW TO JOIN

Simply make any craft, take photos of it, and post them in this group with the following header, which will be explained below:

Prompt: (Write the name of the prompt you are entering your craft for here. Don’t forget to include the month!)
Team: (Choose one of four, listed below)
Project Name: (Name your craft anything you like; fanciful titles or simple labels/descriptions are all fine)
Project Link: (Paste the link to your community post for the bonus points)
Brief Description: (Tell us anything you’d like to about the craft, such as how you made it, and why it fits the prompt .)
Project Photo(s): (Post photos of your awesome craft here, so we can ooh and aah over it!)

THE PROMPTS

Prompts will be posted on a monthly basis in the post below. Please choose a prompt. Monthly battles are the only time sensitive prompts. The non-battle prompts are open for the entire season. See THE POINTS section below for point values and several additional crafting opportunities for each of your crafts. You can craft specifically to fit the prompts, or you can craft first and then find a prompt to fit it into. We’re pretty lax about slightly stretched interpretations of the prompts; just explain in your description how it fits!

  • Monthly prompts will close at 11:59pm Central Time on the last day of the current month.

BONUS POINTS

We are trying to keep things simple, so there will only be one type of bonus point available. COMMUNITY POINTS will be given when you post a link to a post you’ve made within the Lettuce Craft community, and will be worth 20 bonus points for each project shared. Please be sure to participate in the entire community and not just in the craftalong!

THE TEAMS

There are four teams to choose from, and no requirements for joining any of them; simply choose one that speaks to you, put the team name in your first project header, and presto - you’re a member! You will remain on the same team for the entire season. You may change teams in future seasons.

  • Team Running with Scissors: Maybe you like to craft with fabric or paper.
  • Team Knotty by Nature: Maybe you like to knit, crochet, or macramé.
  • Team Palettable Art: Maybe you like to draw or paint. Or just love color.
  • Team Bits and Bobs: Maybe you like working with various notions, or have varied crafting interests.

THE POINTS

This competition is just for fun and the points are for nothing more than motivation and bragging rights, but go ahead and rack up points by posting projects for you team! Points break down as follows:

  • Monthly battles and prompts: 20 points each (must take at least 30 minutes of crafting time)
  • Free Range: 20 points each (must take at least 30 minutes of crafting time. Up to two allowed per season)
  • Big Time projects: 50 points each (must take at least 5 hours of crafting time. Up to three allowed per season)
  • Zaps: 5 points each (any craft that takes less than 30 minutes to make. Up to five allowed per season)
  • Research Projects: 100 points (must take at least 20 hours of crafting time. Up to two per season)
  • Bonus Points: COMMUNITY bonus points (worth 20 extra per project) are the only bonus opportunity available at this time.

THE RULES

  • Players must craft to the best of their abilities and have a minimum of 30 minutes of crafting time per submission, unless otherwise noted.
  • A project can only be submitted for one prompt or crafting opportunity.
  • A project does NOT have to be "nerdy,” it only has to fulfill the prompt as you see fit.
  • Submitted projects must be started and completed during the current season, unless otherwise noted.
  • There is SO MUCH to do in the Nerd Games. Do not feel like you have to craft everything. Do what inspires you.
  • We welcome all players from the Nerdyverse, no matter their Geekdom. We even welcome non-nerds!
  • We are never mean.
  • We never exclude someone.
  • We will keep it clean-ish (PG-13).
  • Never hesitate in contacting the Gamemakers (storerboughtcreation or Smeddley) with your questions, concerns, or ideas.
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PROMPT PALACE

Please post your projects with the following header:
Prompt: (Write the name of the prompt you are entering your craft for here. Don’t forget to include the month!)
Team: (Choose one of four, listed below)
Project Name: (Name your craft anything you like; fanciful titles or simple labels/descriptions are all fine)
Project Link: (Paste the link to your community post for the bonus points)
Brief Description: (Tell us anything you’d like to about the craft, such as how you made it, and why it fits the prompt .)
Project Photo(s): (Post photos of your awesome craft here, so we can ooh and aah over it!)

THE PROMPTS

Battle Royale Prompt
Choose a side and craft a project to represent your choice. Must be completed within the month of issue, by 11:59 om, Central US time, on the last day of the month. Players may only submit one project per month/Battle. Battle Royale prompts are worth 20 points each and are eligible for all available Bonus Point opportunities.

  • January Battle: Resolutions vs Status Quo - CLOSED
  • February Battle: Birds vs Squirrels - CLOSED
  • March Battle: TV Sportsball Madness or Netflix

Challenge Prompts
You may complete challenges at any time during the season, but you may only submit each prompt one time. Challenge prompts are worth 20 points each.

January Theme - Resolved, or… not

  • Diet/Exercise: cook or bake something (an old favorite or new dish, healthy or not) or make something that will help you work towards your (gym or couch) goals!
  • Save Money/Eliminate Debt: make something entirely from stash, or purchase ALL NEW materials to make something!
  • Learn a New Skill: try a new skill, pattern, or material, or return to an old favorite!
  • De-Stress: do something that calms you, relaxes you, and that you enjoy, or tackle a project that you think will make you tear your hair out!
  • Travel: make something that will help with traveling, or something for around the home!

February Theme: February is National Bird Feeding month!

  • Vultures - make something using leftovers, or scraps, or something not usually used for crafting.
  • Owls - Make something with big eyes, or something to be used at night.
  • Songbirds - Make something small, musical, or brightly colored.
  • Hawks - Make something that requires keen eyesight to craft, or something swift.
  • Waterfowl - Make something that requires water, or will be used on/in the water.

March Theme: Sportball Madness here in the USA!

  • Bracketology - Craft something that has branching arms, or incorporates lines prominently.
  • Ball - Craft something round(ish) or something orange or made of rubber.
  • Basket - Craft something that holds something, or that is made of string and/or metal.
  • Chips and dip - Craft two things that work together.
  • Mascots - Craft something anthropomorphic, or an animal, or something fuzzy.

Remember, either very straightforward or very creative interpretations of the prompts count, you just have to be able to somehow justify it! :wink:

Additional Prompt Opportunities
You can also submit 2 free range, 3 big time, 5 zaps, and 2 research projects each season. Please see The Points section in the rules of the very first post of this thread for more details.

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Tracking and Teams

You can view your tracking checklist here

Please don’t hesitate to message me if you see a project is missing from your checklist after the most recent tracking update is posted.

Teams

  • Running with Scissors:
    AcadianDriftwood
    gozer
    geekgirl
    bunny1kenobi
    QueenHobo

  • Knotty by Nature:
    storerboughtcreation
    ezrib
    BatsAndBrownies
    smileyyogini
    Raury

  • Palettable Art:
    Mountains_and_Clouds
    FrizzyTyger

  • Team Bits and Bobs:
    Tanyia
    jillybeans
    roler
    Lynx2Lancer
    appledainty
    Tanath
    Smeddley
    craftADDchick
    Inselaeffchen
    GMPNQ

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For returning players, there are several changes to note.

  1. We are now only doing COMMUNITY bonus points, worth 20 points. If you post the project link to the community post for your project, I will automatically give you your 20 bonus points for that project.

  2. You no longer need to make research project proposals. You’re capped at two per season.

I think that’s it, so…

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

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Hoooray! OH MYGOODNESS I’m super excited and so happy to be back! Can’t wait to see what everyone creates!!

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I just posted a tracking update for the 2019 season in the Nerd Games discussion thread. Go check it out for results and a few shout outs :slight_smile:

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Ok, this is all new to me, I hope I’m posting the right way, if not let me know please

Prompt Save money/eliminate debt
Team:Knotty by Nature
Project Name: Bulbasaur Dice Bag
Project Link: Bulbasaur Dice bag
Brief Description: I had ordered a dice bag for my son (age 20), it hasn’t arrived & our Christmas was last night, so yesterday morning I whipped this guy together. The bag part I “winged”, but the basic pattern I got here https://bit.ly/2QhQqKf . I used only items in my stash to create this, and as stressed & quick as I made it I am delighted with how he turned out!
photo:

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JANUARY -
Prompt: - Diet/Exercise
Team: - Knotty by Nature
Project Name: - Morning Cookies
Project Link: n/a
Brief Description: - My grandpa can’t live on his own anymore so he moved in with my family so we can take care of him - so now I’m baking and cooking constantly lol. Today at 6am he was looking for cookies. So later this morning I made chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. He promptly ate 6 in a sitting. lol
Project Photo(s):

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This is great! I made her Squirtle doll and her Charmander? Charizard? I’m not sure what evolution is what.

It’s great to see you here! Congratulations on posting the first project of the season!

Also, you posted perfectly! I did forget to put in the prompt heading that the month should be included (so January - prompt title, or January - Battle - which side you choose). My bad! You don’t need to edit your post. Since we just started, I know it’s for January. Including the month makes it easier for me to track as the season goes on.

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Welcome to our nerdy group!

It’s great that you are able to take care of family. Not everyone can, but you will definitely look back on the memories made one day with fondness.

Those cookies look DELICIOUS! Peanut butter cookies are my favorite. Mmmmmm. I may be drooling a bit. lol

Also, you posted perfectly! I did forget to put in the prompt heading that the month should be included (so January - prompt title, or January - Battle - which side you choose). My bad! You don’t need to edit your post. Since we just started, I know it’s for January. Including the month makes it easier for me to track as the season goes on.

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Ezrib – That is the cutest dice bag I have ever seen! I bet it is worlds better than the one you ordered!

BatsAndBrownies – (cute name BTW) Mmmmm. Cookies! Those peanut butter ones looks perfect with just the right amount of browning on the bottom! I think it’s awesome that you are getting to spend this time with your grandpa and it’s a great excuse to make cookies!

And I would like to weloome you both to the Games!!!

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Eeeeek this Bulbasaur bag is SO CUTE!!! I love how you outlined the eyes with black thread; it really adds to the drawn anime feel to him. And his little toeses! Squee!

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Those look scrumptious! I’m hoping to make a lot more cookies this year too!

Prompt: January: Travel

Team: Palettable Art

Project Name: Cotton Dishcloths

Project Link: Cotton Dish Cloths

Brief Description: This is one for around the house. I just finished up a new batch of dishcloths which should last us for the next year or two (at least)!

Project Photo(s):

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Ok I am new to all of this so hopefully I do it right lol

Prompt: January - Learn a new skill
Team: Bits and Bobs
Project Name: Rose water
Project Link:

Brief Description: I work with herbs a lot and yesterday learned how to make rose water for use as a toner, astringent, redness and inflammation reducer, and it helps maintain the skins pH levels. It’s a great cleanser and is gentler than anything with added chemicals also it’s pretty cheap and easy lol
Project Photo(s):


You add one part dried rose buds and petals to two parts water and simmer until the roses lose all of their color.

Then you just cool, strain, and bottle. I’ve read it’s good up til a year but it never lasts that long :rofl:

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Prompt: January - Learn a new craft!
Team: Bits and Bobs
Project Name: Mansions of Madness miniatures!
Project Link: I will do this when all 30+ are done. :grimacing:
Brief Description: My awesome husband got me the board game Mansions of Madness for Christmas. It came with 30+ miniatures that were just begging to be painted. I’ve been wanting to get into miniature painting and my BIL got me started with some supplies for Christmas. Of course I had to go get MORE paints, too. I have only painted two miniatures before with my BIL, so this time it was solo! I made my first one yesterday. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Took a good 2 hrs.
Project Photo(s):

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Prompt: January - Save Money (yeah, right)
Team: Bits and Bobs
Project Name: Starting out in the miniature hobby is expensive!
Project Link:
Brief Description: So yeah, I bought a lot of paints yesterday and more today. Who knows what tomorrow will hold for me. My bank account is crying but I’m happily painting away. :wink: I painted my second miniature for my board game yesterday! Woo!
Project Photo(s):

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Hello everyone! Fabulous to be back and see you folks again! Question about project posting - can we post things we made after mumble mumble shut down, but before this round started?

This is cute as heck! Welcome to the games! :slight_smile:

Great name for cookies - I’m willing to be convinced they’re breakfast food!

@jillybeans your minis look great! That’s something I’ve been thinking about trying, I’d love to see more of your work as you get into it.

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Prompt: January - De-stress!
Team: Bits and Bobs
Project Name: My Mansions of Madness miniatures are slowly making me mad.
Project Link:
Brief Description: Day 2 of miniature painting. I’ve gotten 3 more done today and my eyes hurt from staring and concentrating on painting tiny details. I have more time today but my eyes are done for the day! Only 30 more to go! Whew! Here are the there I got done today.
Project Photo(s):

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I would eat 6 too. They look so good.

that rose water is such a pretty color

I love painting miniatures and yours looks so good.

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