Closed - Nerd Games - Spring 2021

Welcome to the Nerd Games!

Runs April 1, 2021 - June 30, 2021

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

Either type in your team name, or use the emojis to indicate your team!

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 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 six 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: 10 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.

Special Note:
All prompts are supposed to be crafted within the current season. However, we have decided to make an exception to this rule. Let’s say you craft something for a swap near the end of the Summer season. You’ve sent the swap package, but it hasn’t been received yet. Fall season begins, your partner has received their swap item, and you are ready to post. You may go ahead and post your project from the previous season for the current season.

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.

Raffle

We will be doing a raffle at the end of the spring season. The complete rules, including how tickets are earned and how to submit a raffle prize donation, and dates will be posted in the fourth comment of this thread. You can also click on the raffle header just above, and it will take you directly to the raffle info.

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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!)

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.

  • April Battle: Battle- Ready Made or Some Assembly Required - CLOSED
  • May Battle: Battle - Garden flowers vs Wild flowers - CLOSED
  • June Battle: Battle - Fabric vs Yarn

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.

April theme:

So many thanks to craftADDChick for the suggestion, this month is all about IKEA!

  • Kallax- something made with squares or cubes, has even numbers, or can be oriented in more than one direction
  • Billy- something that has multiple levels, has doors, or is built into or is part of something else
  • Malm- something with drawers, has paint or stenciling on it, or is used to store things
  • Lack- something flat, has legs, or is useful in any room in the house
  • Raskog- something with wheels, made of metal, or can be used in more than one way

May theme
Flowers! Special thanks to @Bunny1kenobi for this month’s prompts. If you had a ton of April showers, I hope you have lots of May flowers!

  • Daisy- something that portrays innocence or hope, is white or yellow or opens and closes.
  • Forget-me-not- something pertaining to memory, is blue, or is small.
  • Geranium- something relating to friendship, that is pink, or will last a long time (geraniums plants can live up to 40 years).
  • Lilac- something that represents joy, is purple, or is scented.
  • Rose- something pertaining to love, is red, or that wraps around itself.

June theme
History of craft! Special thanks to @craftADDchick for this month’s prompts. If you feel so inclined, share some history of your craft (either the actual piece if it’s a WIP, or the history of the type of craft).

  • Quilting- A quilted item, something assembled from many smaller pieces, something that has layers, or something that is used to keep something or someone warm
  • Weaving- A woven item, something that has interconnected parts, something with lines in it, or something that looks the same on the front and back
  • Origami- An origami craft, something with Japanese origins, something that starts flat but ends up 3D, or something that is made using paper
  • Lacemaking- Handmade lace or an item using lace, something that requires the use of bobbins, something that has a lot of detail, or something that is better when made by hand
  • Embroidery- An embroidered item, something that contains multiple colors, something that has a distinct back and front, or something that has words or letters on it
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Tracking and Teams

This is where you can view the team roster and see what you’ve completed so far this season. To view your checklist, find your name under your team and click on it. You will be taken directly to your checklist.

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

Raffle Roundup

You can find all of the raffle prizes donated here! I will update the list with photos and prize information as donations come in.

How to earn tickets:

For every regular project submitted this season, you will receive ONE ticket. This is for any of the monthly prompts, battles, free range, big time, and zap projects you complete. For every research project, you will receive TWO tickets. During the Winter 2021 season, if you completed the Random Acts of Kindness bonus, you will receive your extra 5 tickets.

The Drawing

The season ends on June 30, 2021. Therefore, that will be the final day to earn any tickets. I will share the ticket totals in the following post by July 2, 2021. You can then turn in your raffle bids to me via PM by July 9, 11:59PM Central Time. The winners will be announced on July 10.

How to bid

When the season ends and you know your ticket totals, you can bid UP TO FIVE tickets per prize. The comment following this one will have the list of ticket totals and the bid sheet. Fill out the sheet and PM to me by end of day on July 9.

The Prizes

  • Mini bureau kit (donated by @Bunny1kenobi)
    This mini bureau kit contains all of the pre-cut and labeled pieces you’ll need to construct this adorable set of drawers. Instructions are also included. This is a kit that can be personalized. Recipient will need scissors and/or a craft knife, needle or thumbtack, a little bit of scrap paper, white glue, and whatever paint or additional embellishments they’d like. The feet and silver drawer pulls (brads) are included in the kit. The drawers even open!


  • 6 gelli print notecards (donated by @geekgirl)
    These beautiful cards measure 5x7 inches, and come with envelopes that are made of the same brown kraft paper the cards are made of.

  • Two 2x4 inch mini assemblage canvases (with magnets) (donated by @geekgirl)
    The detail on these assemblage canvases is amazing!


  • $20 Amazon Gift Card (donated by @gozer)

Amazon-Gift-Card_001


  • C2C lined zipper pouch (donated by @Lynx)
    This pouch, made using the corner to corner crochet stitch, is lined and measures 13 inches long by 7 inches high. This would be perfect for various crafty notions!


  • Adorable Dinosaur (donated by @roler)
    This little dude with big attitude stands roughly 6 inches tall. He’s mighty hungry, and waiting to be fed your raffle tickets to satisfy that hunger!


  • Crocheted Fox Cat (donated by @smeddley)
    Smeddley called this a fox cat, and it is certainly the cutest little fox cat there ever was! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:


  • Crocheted Bunny (donated by @smeddley)
    The pink nose on this bunny really gives it a lot of personality, don’t you think? :rabbit2:


  • 3D layered mandala hummingbird (donated by @storerboughtcreation)
    This colorful hummingbird is making using #65 cardstock. It measures 7.5 inches wide from the tip of far wing to tip of beak, and 8 inches high from top of highest wingtip to base of tail.


  • Craft and Nerd themed plastic canvas (donated by @storerboughtcreation)
    These color plastic canvas pieces can be used in a variety of ways. Using yarn or rope, you could create a fun bunting to hang in your crafting area. You can use many of these as bookmarks. You could glue to a journal cover, box lid… all sorts of uses! They range in size. The largest piece (the palette) is 6.5x5 inches. The smallest (the button) is 2x2 inches

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Raffle Entry and Results

READ ME FIRST
Below, the first table shows the amount of raffle tickets you earned this season.

The second table is the raffle entry form. You can copy the list and paste it into a PM to @storerboughtcreation. You may submit a bid for as many prizes as you’d like. You can only bid UP TO five tickets per prize, and you can’t go over your amount earned.

Not only is your ticket total listed below, it can also be found on your individual tracking sheet.

Raffle Tickets Earned

Name Ticket Total
bunny1kenobi 24
craftADDchick 2
ezrib 15
geekgirl 10
gozer 11
Imera 2
Inselaeffchen 6
Lynx2Lancer 15
megwell 23
roler 21
Smeddley 24
storerboughtcreation 25

Raffle Prize Entry Form

Please copy and paste this form into a PM and send it to @storerboughtcreation by 11:59PM CDT July 9, 2021. Remember, you can only bid up to FIVE (5) tickets per prize. Please be sure to include your name and total tickets you earned with your entry form!

Prize Winner
Mini bureau kit (donated by @Bunny1kenobi) geekgirl
2 mini stamp sets, a house die set, and a layered background die set (donated by @craftADDchick) gozer
6 gelli print notecards (donated by @geekgirl) megwell
Two 2x4 inch mini assemblage canvases (donated by @geekgirl) Lynx2Lancer
$20 Amazon Gift Card (donated by @gozer) roler
C2C lined zipper pouch (donated by @Lynx) Smeddley
Adorable Dinosaur (donated by @roler) bunny1kenobi
Crocheted Fox Cat (donated by @smeddley) ezrib
Crocheted Bunny (donated by @smeddley) storerboughtcreation
3D layered mandala hummingbird (donated by @storerboughtcreation) roler
Craft and Nerd themed plastic canvas (donated by @storerboughtcreation) ezrib

On July 10, I will draw names for each prize with assistance from @roler to keep things fair. Winners will be announced that day. Once you’ve won a prize, you will need to contact the person that offered the prize you won with your name and address (please include country) to receive. Senders, please be sure the prize is mailed no later than July 31. If you will need to mail later than that date, please communicate that to the winner and storerboughtcreation.

Thank you to everyone that donated a prize. It is greatly appreciated! :hearts:

Prompt: Research Project 1
Team: :yarn:
Project Name: Craft themed plastic canvas
Project Link: Art and nerd themed plastic canvas pieces
Brief Description: I started making these two years ago. I finished the paint palette piece in the wee hours today. The rest of these are from two years ago. These will be offered as a raffle prize (combined with the next post, as a set)
Project Photo(s):

Prompt: Research Project 2
Team: :yarn:
Project Name: Craft themed plastic canvas
Project Link: Art and nerd themed plastic canvas pieces
Brief Description: I made the button yesterday, otherwise the rest of these were made two years ago.
Project Photo(s):

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Prompt: April - Battle - Some Assembly Required
Team: :yarn:
Project Name: Red Horsey
Project Link: Red horsey
Brief Description: I wish this pattern was all one piece so that I didn’t have to assemble anything, but alas, most crochet stuffed animals aren’t made that way.
Project Photo(s):

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Love his little horse shoes!!

Prompt: April - Battle - Some Assembly Required
Team: RWS
Project Name: Mini bureau
Project Link:
Brief Description: Not only did this have to be assembled, but I created all the pieces I needed for it TWICE because I made a kit with all the pieces required (and instructions of course) for this miniature as my raffle prize offering. I made the bureau match the Secretary I made last summer.
Project Photo(s):

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Heading back to my original team this season!
Prompt: Some Assembly Required (April Battle)
Team: Running with Scissors
Project Name: Vanna
Project Link: N/A
Brief Description: I assembled a crafty friend out of the junk on my craft table for the April Fools flash craft challenge.
Project Photo(s):

Prompt: Billy (April)
Team: Running with Scissors
Project Name: Pizza
Project Link: N/A
Brief Description: I made pizza for dinner. It has various levels – crust, tomato paste, toppings. (The crust is from the 2 Ingredient Pretzels recipe.) The photo doesn’t represent the whole thing – only the bit I remembered to get a shot of.
Project Photo(s):

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Ohh, @storerboughtcreation, your crochet critters are amazing! I love them all!

@Bunny1kenobi, I have such a soft spot for miniatures and yours are amazing!

@megwell, Vanna is hilarious and awesome. I’ve also, despite all my cooking and baking, never made my own pizza. I should try that, your looks delicious!

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Thanks @Smeddley!

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Aww, you’re so sweet. Thank you :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Prompt: April – Some Assembly Required
Team: Running with Scissors
Project Name: Scrappy patch pouch
Project Link: Raven Scrappy Tote & Pouch
Brief Description: I had to assemble the black fabric together to make the striped patch.
Project Photo(s):

Prompt: April - Lack
Team: Running with Scissors
Project Name: Decorated Notebook
Project Link: -0-
Brief Description: The notebook is flat when laid on a surface. This took longer than it looks. I first drew out my image, then traced it onto tracing paper. Then I realized it had to go the other way, so I retraced the back of the tracing paper. After that, I tried going over it to put the image on the plain cover. It only sort of worked. I ended up having to wing most of it. I do like this style though (the black and white on kraft) and want to play with it some more.
Project Photo(s):

Prompt: Research Project 1
Team: Running with Scissors
Project Name: Raven Tote
Project Link: Raven Scrappy Tote & Pouch
Brief Description: This was my first time making up my own pattern. I also created the “black” fabric out of tiny bits of scrap fabric sewn together. I loved the results and want to do it again on something else. It has exterior & interior slip pockets and a zippered pocket inside. I used the same scrap technique on the raven and make it on both the front and back of the tote.
Project Photo(s):

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This season I am promising myself that I will get better about commenting on this thread. I started going to the posts and feel like I neglected his board. Sorry guys.

@storerboughtcreation – That plastic canvas art must have taken forever. You came up with so many fun themes. Did you make up the patterns for them all, or just the sewing machine? I have to say, I am partial to the scissors (I’m back with RwS). I am loving all the critters! The horsey is fantastic. The little touch of the horseshoes sets it off. I love how nice and tight you crochet.

@bunny1kenobi – Do the drawers open on the bureau? I think you said they did, but you didn’t mention it or show a pick. I love the way it looks. I am still in awe of how you make such tiny things.

@megwell – Vanna looks like a hoot! Are those Q-tips for her arms? Hahaha! And the pizza looks yummy.

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Thanks! I found most of these through Pinterest and tweaked a few, but mostly just used the charts as shared. :blush:

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OMG I LOVE THAT RAVEN TOTE!!! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Also, it refuses to let me post this because…
Warning

And there’s no way to say, yes, please post my incoherent fangirl squealing!

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Prompt: April Battle: Some Assembly Required
Team: Running With Scissors
Project Name: Pressed Daffodil Card
Brief Description: It took some assembly to make this card for a daffodil lover in the Happy Mail Craftalong.
Project Photo:

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Prompt: April - Billy
Team: :yarn:
Project Name: Mama and Baby Roo
Project Link: Mama Roo and baby, too!
Brief Description: Mama Roo has a pouch that stores little Baby Roo while he grows
Project Photo(s):

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So cuuuute!

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Yes, the drawers open!

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