Aniomagic

青鷺火(Aosagibi) Blue Heron Fire
July 22, 2010
Tags: knitting, schemer

Aniomagic friend, @hanakomet, over at obakemono made this absolutely delightful knitted heron.

It contains schemer pieces and glows from the inside, and you can change the light patterns pretty easily by pointing it at a computer screen. Materials provided by our partner in Japan, MechaRoboShop

Fun Faux Fireflies
July 19, 2010
Tags: fireflies, beginner sewing kit, Maker Faire SFBay 2010

Check out these delightful firefly kits from Aniomagic friend Cathe Holden. She picked up a couple of beginner kits at the SFBay Maker Faire and used them to make a firefly in a jar. It's a non-fabric way of using the kits, and we're really delighted by her example, for its creativity and simplicity. Check out the instructions, then pick up a beginner kit to make your own for Summer.

Looks like I'm going to make some jars soon with mimeolights for some flashing action :->

...and we're back!
July 14, 2010
Tags: store

We're excited to be back after such a long hiatus

Thanks for your patience! We'll get all those back orders out ASAP, though it will take us up to a week to fulfill them all.

We've got some really cool ideas up our sleeve and are ready to make some magic happen in 2010.

Here's to a great second half!
Nwanua, Brad, Ali.

Store closing from June 1 - July 14.
May 25, 2010
Tags:

Dear friends,

We've had a stellar 2010 thus far and your support has been amazing. Thanks!

However, the three of us have found it absolutely necessary to take some time off to pursue a few personal projects, including summer school, full time work, and finishing up some much needed writing. Aniomagic is really exciting and we're blessed to be involved with such a wonderful and creative community. We need a little break, and will take time off from June 1 - July 14, 2010. That is 6 weeks.

During this time, we don't plan to ship any products, update blogs/twitter, and may be late in responding to email.

We'll be back July 14, energized and ready to focus on making the best products for interactive craft and fashion!

All the best, Nwanua, Brad, Ali.

(the picture is from the *great* book, Amineko no seikatsu.)

Music reactive shirt
April 24, 2010
Tags: EL sheet, arduino, sound reactive

Students of Mike Eisenberg's eTextile class made a music reactive shirt for the CU engineering expo. With Arduino mega, SparkFun's El Escudo, and 9V batteries, the panels light up in response to music volume from the iPod.

The headphone output from the iPod is directly connected to analog inputs on the Arduino; apparently no amplification was needed. The Arduino chops the audio input into 7 ranges, and uses the EL Escudo to power the corresponding EL sheets.

I like the city scape they built on the shirt (the bottom section is a lake) Next version, they plan to use a microphone and band-pass filter to react to ambient music. Perfect for clubbing!

blinking heart-bag with wings
April 20, 2010
Tags: sequins, PIC microcontroller

Aniomagic friend bakatarechan made this cute handbag with heart and flashing wings using our sequins and a PIC microcontroller.

Sensual bracelet
April 05, 2010
Tags: bracelet, schemer, video

Check out this wonderfully sensual (though brief) bracelet video from a customer. They got their hands on schemer, and programmed it to twinkle the lights when he brushes her arm.

I really like the concept of having a twinkling background in this video.

Animated textiles by Meg Grant.
March 31, 2010
Tags: etextiles, animation, motors

Delightful textile experiments, by way of Meg Grant

She made folded patterns that open and close when you power the motor. Really simple, elegant, and tasteful. It shows an alternative to animating textiles that don't use nitinol wire (and are simpler to get going). There are more examples on the site, but this was my fave. (Via Syuzi)

Sessile handbag.
March 31, 2010
Tags: bags, soft electric, twinkle

Grace Kim, of Soft Electric created this delightful hand knitted sessile handbag. "The tiny LEDs alternately fade in and out, creating a gently pleasing light," in this exploration of merging natural forms with technology.

I really enjoyed the attention to detail in this bag, like the tiny "barnacles" applied to it. Très bien.

Weight-sensitive backpack
March 30, 2010
Tags: schemer, sensors, weight, lightboards

I've been traveling a lot with my backpack, sometimes putting too much in it, which is bad for my back. Taking a cue from this weight-sensing tote on Instructables, I decided to build one using schemer.

With the schemer web interface on my iPhone, I can quickly calibrate it for my needs, or make it do random flashing patterns anytime I want, without breaking out a USB cable or anything.

The 3 volt felt battery holder is eye-catching too, no?