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I'm currently driving from Chicago to New York with my cardboard-and-velvet
Circuit Castle for the NYC Maker Faire. I've lovingly nicknamed it
Castle-in-a-Car--barely any room left for my suitcase!

I would really love to see old friends and new acquaintances, so I hope
some of you can make it to the NYC Maker Faire at the New York Hall of
Science this Saturday and Sunday. I'd also be interested to hear from any
other makers who are on the listserv.

The centerpiece is an automated doll house designed to match the look of
the full-size castle, motivated by the premise that everything you learn in
a robotics program can be taught with a doll house project. I take no
credit for the coding or the wiring...just the tiny velvet curtains! I've
been orchestrating the efforts of some very generous volunteers at my
Workshop 88 hacker space in Chicago.

I'm not selling anything at the Faire--just creating an experience for kids
that involves making circuits. I want to see what emerges from the chaotic
environment of a Maker Faire. I'm also prototyping this concept as a pop-up
exhibit program for libraries. So look for a 10 x 10 castle-in-a-booth in
the kids/young makers area. I named my project Duct Tape Bling in honor of
the explosion of interest in making things out of designer duct tape
(especially pre-teen girls). "Artifacts" on display will include purses,
bags, and shoe box doll houses made by kids, all featuring embedded
circuits made with conductive fabric tape or conductive thread. There is
also a generous sprinkling of duct tape with monsters, fireworks, and other
patterns.

Let me know if you will be at the Faire! And if there is any interest in
helping to spread the concept of an open-source doll house, please speak up!

Rachel Hellenga
Hellenga Projects
[log in to unmask]
312-593-0444

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