Jen's Gems: Animatronic Ravens, Mermaid Tail Jewelry, & Things To Watch On Netflix

I see so much cool stuff in my meandering online, here are a few things I think you'll love:

First, a reason to save up $300:

 

LOOK AT HER!! ::whispers:: She's so beautiful. 

I can't get over how fluid those movements are... and this is a kit, so you build it all yourself! (In my mind that's a feature, ha.) Granted, I don't think I have the skills to put her together, but I'm game to learn. Especially since the maker, Mr. Chicken's Prop Shop, has a whole Youtube instructional series on how to do it. SO TEMPTED YOU GUYS. (You think I could customize her to turn her into a phoenix? Or would those movements not work?)

As always, nothing here is sponsored, and all I know about Mr. Chicken is that Norm on Tested likes him, which is good enough for me.

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I spotted some ingenious movie dioramas over on the Replica Prop Forum that use action figures and recycled TVs. These are by Rickey Williams, and his post over on the RPF didn't get NEARLY enough love, so here:

 

This one even has the VHS tape in the bottom. Love it.

Best use for old computer wiring!

  And a classic:

YASSS.

Check out Rickey's post on the RPF to see one more Predator diorama. 

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In sparklier news, Sarah of Mad March Moon Designs debuted this mermaid tail and earring set, and errrrrmergosh:

 

 

 SO SHINY.

I once bought her rainbow dragon suncatcher for Sharyn (one of our FOE mods extraordinaire), but I've yet to get anything for me. Hmmm...

Then again, there are also Raven Wings:

And dragon necklaces:

Hnnnnnng.

Here's the Mad March Moon shop, if you want to be tortured by indecision with me.

(Can you tell this post is really just me looking for encouragement to spend all my money? Ha!)

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If you've seen me IRL at all in the last week, then THIS is the cosplay I was raving about:

Femme Cap and Bucky mid-dissolve! Mind - BLOWN. Look at the bits of "dust" floating off Bucky's sleeve and skirt. This is so creative, so beautiful. (And yes, so sad, heh.)

The cosplayers are WotcherTonks7 & Carol Datura Riot, photo by David Ngo. David is THE photog to follow for cosplay, btw. He goes to every major convention in the U.S., and floods his feed with thousands of great pics like this.

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Also from the RPF, here's the cutest, fiercest little cosplayer of the week:

 She asked her Dad if she could be Wolverine, and Jordan Quigley came through! (Hit that link for more pics from his post.) 

Ahhh, I love seeing parenting done right. :D

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I know I've talked about Sue Beatrice of All Natural Arts here before, but you guys, her latest Alice pocket watch creation completely took my breath away:

 Sue makes these entirely out of old, upcycled watch parts - even the carved metal faces and gemstones! (Fun Fact: antique pocket watches often have rubies in their inner workings.) That background of layered watch faces is my favorite part, but Alice's sweet little face is a close second.

Go follow All Natural Arts on Facebook for more. Sue doesn't post very often, but when she does, she drops gems like this.

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Disney peeps, this new umbrella that just debuted at WDW is relevant to your interests:

 (via MagicalVacationPlanner, which is a fun Instagram account I follow for all things Disney.)

And have you SEEN the new Tiki ears?!

So cute. And the little figure on top!

 

 I'm loving the resurgence of Tiki culture. The art and styles are glorious, plus I'm down with anything that encourages people to wear more flowers in their hair.

 (More info on all the new ears here.)

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I keep meaning to put together some Instagram recommendations for you guys, but in the mean time here's a recent find and hidden gem: Dollar Tree & 99 Cent Store. This crafter puts together cute home decor DIYs using - you guessed it - only dollar store items. I'm amazed she has less than 800 followers, because look how cute:

I especially love that hanging terrarium:

Give her a follow for more crafty inspiration, then tell me if you follow any good craft accounts! I feel like they've all died out, but maybe the algorithm is just hiding them from me.

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And finally, in more mundane, Netflix-binging news, if you like Avatar: The Last Airbender, then you might like The Dragon Prince.

Let me hasten to add: Dragon Prince isn't as good as Avatar [snerk], but it's aiming for that level of world-building and story-telling, and often hits the mark. John and I binged both seasons in about 2 weeks, and found plenty to love. Yes, it's a little predictable, and the humor can be pretty forced, but the women in the show alone are worth giving it a shot. I mean, there's a badass lady knight who speaks through sign language, y'all. NEED I SAY MORE?

Ok, just one more thing: I like that the villains in the show are multi-faceted, even lovable people. It's fun rooting for the redemption of bad guys, ala Avatar and Star Wars. I hope Netflix keeps the show going!

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And if you're into documentaries, there's one from PBS on Netflix simply called The Circus that is currently engrossing me. 

 

I'm not quite done with all 4 hours of it, but it's been a ride through every emotion, and I've learned a lot. The history is definitely not sugar-coated, but you can tell this documentary was put together with great love. Some sections are hard to watch - though thankfully nothing too graphic - while others are incredibly inspiring. I'm up to the point where they're talking about all the circus did for Women's Suffrage, and oof. Makes me want to get up and cheer.

So yeah, if you want to know just HOW historically inaccurate The Greatest Showman is (ha!), then go give The Circus a watch.  (Though for the record, I still love Showman for the pure fantasy and fun that it is.)

 

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 Next up this weekend: MegaCon! Watch my Instagram Stories for updates and fun cosplay finds as John and I run around Florida's largest convention. There will be over 100K people there this weekend, and if you're one of them, say hi if you see us! We'll be the ones with the cameras, and we'll have free Epbot pins - just remind us to give you one, since I tend to forget. :D