Endless Pastabilities #8 - Blood, Nebula, and Tears

This month’s Endless Pastabilities is brought to you in part with inspiration from Amie Dansby (AKA Amie DD). You likely know Amie for one of her many beautiful, ornate costumes. Amie is particularly near and dear to those of us in the 3D Printing Community for her use of 3D Printing in these costumes, as well as her generally awesome nature. She is both badass and approachable.

Amie’s explorations and obsessions include cosplay, electronics, body modification, 3D Printing, and technology in general. She is an inspiration! Few individuals are more enthusiastic and giving. She has a particular soft spot for the support of women in STEM.

One of this month’s creations you’ve seen and already love... Blood of my Enemies and Tears of my Enemies both originate from a Protopasta Filament-making Workshop. Friends Amie, Stef, Sam, and Eric made for one of the most enjoyable workshop experiences to date. Unicorns may have been involved, but none were harmed during filament-making...we swear!

A lot has happened in Amie’s life in the last year since she joined us for the workshop, so we caught up with Amie to hear all about it. Here’s what we found out:

Pp: It’s not the first time you’ve been featured in Protopasta’s Filament Subscription, is it?

ADD: Our wonderful friend Eric had previously been to a Protopasta workshop before and raved about the experience! You get to formulate and make your own 3D Printing filament. I think there will forever be glitter everywhere at the Protopasta plant because of Stef, Kayla, Sam and myself. We said we wanted to 3D print with glitter!!

Pp: What inspired this deep red filament?

ADD: Ha! I can say it’s a hybrid of all of my sci-fi and fantasy books and shows I’ve watched and immersed myself in through my life.

Pp: You’ve had an exciting and eventful year! Tell us about your experience as a LEGO Master.

ADD: LEGO has always been a part of my life, being yourself and holding true to your values and showing that through your actions and not just words speaks wonders. I look back to the first moment we walked into the brick pit on set of LEGO Masters with 3.3 million bricks (already sorted by color and part) and I told myself to never forget that gleeful, amazing feeling that “I’m actually here, this is real life, never let your future self forget.” 

In episode 3 of LEGO Masters I wore a red riding costume that I made, and the ruby red gems on that dress were all 3D Printed with the “Blood of my Enemies” filament color I made in the workshop.

My partner Krystle and myself, Team Unicorn, have been LEGO builders and collectors most of our lives. LEGO has always been a relaxing therapeutic way for me to think, relax, mock up engineering techniques, creative play and fun. And then we were a part of this huge show first season in the United States produced by Brad Pitt, Fox and LEGO, it’s truly a dream come true!

Working and sharing your work and research is part of the process. Most of the time when you start something new, you have no idea what you’re doing. In some sense it makes you feel vulnerable, but human. LEGO supports and enforces this way of thinking, while making the process approachable and fun.

Pp: And how’d you find that opportunity, or did it find you?

ADD: I made a LEGO cosplay with moving LEGO Mindstorm's wings, and I was so excited to put that photo on my Twitter as my new avatar. Fast forward a year and through encouragement of others, a lot of research and a Tesla bio-chip implant, followed by some interesting media coverage, LEGO found me! I actually thought it was a scam when LEGO and Fox first contacted me haha, I thought wow those scammers are really reaching far and did their research! 

Pp: Back to the present, tell us about the inspiration for the Nebula Multicolor Filament?

ADD: Projects, costumes and life continue to evolve with time and as I learn new things and am inspired by others. Like every piece of glitter in this filament

“What we see depends mainly on what we are looking for.” 

Nebulas are clouds of dust and gases in space from dying stars and where new ones are beginning a new life. 

This filament is full of glitter, there is beauty in the unexpected chaos of random glitter patterns, much like life, no pattern will be the same, it becomes a galaxy quest.

Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there, you can see the impacts of the wind, though you can’t see wind, all around you can see things affected by the wind. 

The last few months of my life have been spent looking to the sky (realistically more like looking at my computer screen researching and looking down at books to read and attempting to understand orbital mechanic math). Space at the final frontier, hacking satellites with a team of 8 amazing people from around the world.

We were all able to connect virtually online to ethically hack a government satellite (HackASat) during DefCon; to take over the satellite and reposition it to take a literal moon shot.  It reminds me wherever you are in the world, we all look up in wonder and see the same moon. I’m reminded everyday how many people make and create in their own way that has impacted my life and others for the betterment of this planet. 

Pp: Can you tell us more about your work in STEM and charity?

ADD: Philanthropy is about giving, donating your time, money, experience, knowledge, skills, or talent to better the world. I give because even when I feel like it’s not a lot, I’m reminded that it’s enough and that I still have something to give! Regardless of your status or net worth, anyone can be a philanthropist. 

Pp: Thanks for your creativity, charity, inspiration, and collaboration! 

ADD: Thank you! I’d never consider myself an artist or creative without the amazing technology tools I have, and the people that have taught me new skill sets! I wish my legacy to be impactful in a way that my work and projects inspire people to change something in their lives, or to make something magical that inspires.