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We wish we could have made it stop, but this week Summer came to it’s bittersweet end. So we’re revisiting Summer’s most memorable fabrications that left lasting impressions on us. Some of these fabrications were crafted right here at Storyland Studios by our talented team, while others (credited below) left us awe inspired.

Escape Velocity at Coachella

This has to be one of the grandest displays of fabricated art we’ve ever seen! The Escape Velocity astronaut was brought to life by some crazy geniuses at Poetic Kentics inc. Built on a forklift that would traverse the crowds at Coachella, we’re still scratching our heads wondering how they did it! By night, EV’s helmet and visor turn into a video screen that was able to display featured artists and social media followers. Besides being beautifully crafted out of steel tubing, chicken wire, fabric & lots of batting. The astronaut’s arm was fully animatronic giving him the ability to flash peace signs! Far out!

TMNT Pizza Thrower at Comic-Con

From Coachella to “Nerdchella”, the much anticipated return of the Ninja Turtles to theatres this Summer was met with this awesome promotional move. A live pizza thrower debuted at Comic-Con this year thanks to Synn Labs and a sponsorship with Pizza Hut (naturally). The Pizza thrower was actually a fabricated Toyota Tacoma that could travel up to 75 mph. Turtle fans were invited to climb atop the machine and take down the TMNT’s arch nemesis Shedder and his gang by launching cardboard replicas of cheese pizza. Cowabunga!

 

Alien Isolation at E3

One of the coolest E3 projects we have ever had the privilege to help bring to life here at Storyland Studios, was this past Summer’s Alien Isolation gaming pod. The ultimate gaming space was of course uniquely tailored to the popular video game by Sega. The clients idea was to create a pod or alien egg where gaming fans could climb inside and get a truly isolating experience while playing their soon to be released video game. This creepy egg engulfed brave fans and followed their experience by hidden camera that could be viewed by spectators on a posterior television screen. The egg’s chair was also equip to pulse along with the game’s action and custom led lighting.

Chima Waterpark in San Diego, CA

Legoland unveiled it’s second aquatic zone this Summer, The Lego Legends of Chima Waterpark. With their younger Lego maniacs in mind, the waterpark was based on the popular Legends of Chima cartoon. We had the privilege of collaborating with Lego on some of the waterpark’s most awesome features. The park’s 23 ft. tall Mt. Cavora was fully fabricated right here at Storyland. Mt. Cavora is embellished with the eight different animal tribes of Chima and gushes over 400 gallons of water per minute back into the Lion Temple wave pool. We celebrated it’s completion and wild success by splashing around in Cragger’s swamp, the ultimate interactive splash zone. We’ll only miss it until next Summer!

Mt. Cavora at Lion’s Temple wave pool

7 unique Ice Cream Shops we need to visit before Labor Day

We’ve grown a little tired of all the self-serve froyo shops and have been searching for new chilly treats to try. We love the live & active cultures we get from our precious Pinkberry, but we could really go for something a little more tastefully creative. Here’s a short, sweet list of Sweet Shops that are inspiring our taste buds for you to experience before summers end!

Blockhead’s Shavery Co., Los Angeles

What’s snow cream? I want one!

Well, it’s as cool as it sounds. Blockhead’s takes traditional Hawaiian style shaved ice to the next level. Starting with their house made ice cream ‘blocks’, they shave at the blocks, creating deliciously textured Snow Cream. Their tasty flurries are served in 12 seasonal flavors and can be topped with anything from strawberries and sprinkles to less conventional additions like egg pudding and grass jelly.

Popbar, Anaheim

We’ve dubbed this cool spot a Popsicle Pandemonium! You won’t find your Grandma’s popsicles at Popbar. Their unique treat process begins with your Popsicle of choice.

Start with a PopSorbetto, PopFroyo, or a PopGelato which are all handcrafted each morning and then customize your Popbar with an assortment of hot chocolates and crushed nuts.

Peddler’s Creamery, Los Angeles

At Peddler’s Creamery you churn the ice cream, making your indulgence 100 percent guilt-free! Peddler’s has built a stationary bicycle that churns ice cream and is powered by their guests. Peddler’s welcomes ice cream fans to reserve their turn on the bike and even offers tasty incentives like free scoops and pints of the well-deserved ice cream for each batch you make and miles you ride. Tour-de-cream anyone? Step aside, Greg LeMond.

Kind Kreme, Pasadena

Two words we are disappointed we didn’t put together first: Kombucha-Float. Kind Kreme is known for their ultra kind Raw, Vegan, and Organic ingredients. But what we are most curious about is their Kombucha-Float. It’s been some time since we last enjoyed a traditional rootbeer float. And we love the idea of the classic float being reinvented with such a health beneficial beverage. Cheers!

Pressed Juicery, Palo Alto (OC + Hollywood locations coming late 2014)

Pressed Juicery had captivated our heart with it’s over-priced cold pressed juice long ago. We just can’t seem to remedy our addiction for their Chocolate Coffee. And now we can rejoice and indulge in what Pressed is deeming a “Freeze”. A soft serve version of the fresh juice we’ve all grown to love. Currently available at their Palo Alto location with new “Freeze” locations coming soon. One question..does it come in Chocolate Coffee?

Sweet Ritual, Austin

This one’s for our coconut lovers and vegan folk! Located in uber hip and humid Austin, TX. (Also home to some of the cutest sales reps you ever seen.) Sweet Ritual boast too many savory treats to pick just one. But we have our eyes set upon this caramelized banana split! Three scoops of coconut cream based ice cream, house made salted caramel, toasted banana oh my! They also serve up an array of decorative gluten-free ice cream sandwiches and sundaes topped with vegan marshmallows.

Good Pop, Austin (Locations Vary)

Okay, so we cheated. Goodpop isn’t ice cream at all. These are straight up delicious popsicles! And even if you aren’t a lucky Austin local, Goodpop’s can be delivered to your front door! (Or, if you’re a little more forward, you can bug your local grocer to stock them, as Goodpop kindly encourages on their website!) Otherwise, you can find Goodpop slinging these travel-friendly treats out of their cute push carts or beautiful traveling truck. You can track them down by simply following them on Twitter@Goodpop! Happy hunting!

5 ways to quickly transform your desk into a creative hub

Whether you love your job or are quietly plotting your escape, being tied to your desk all day can be a real inspiration killer. So we’ve come up with a few simple tips to help reestablish a creative and productive workspace. Save the naps for the breakroom.

1. Desktop..can’t stop won’t stop

It’s time to break desktop conformity! Say no to corporate blue desktops that lull you into boredom and showcase your individuality instead. Why not display what’s inspiring you at the moment? Or your favorite hipster cat? It’s as easy as Google. Search. Image.

2. Lighting is Key

Office lighting, a.k.a Fluorescent lighting, is quite frankly, the worst. With more studies proving this lighting leads to migraines at best and hormonal changes at worst, we’re opting for desk lamps. These give off a softer light that feels homey. Garage sales are great for finding lamps, especially ones with character. We scored this funky pineapple lamp for $4 at a garage sale and added a pop of pink paint. Inspiring, right?

3. Books on Books

Keep a fresh stack of books/magazines to jog inspiration. We know that’s what Pinterest is for but, it’s nice to give your eyes a rest from time to time and read something without a backlight. Plus, they look cool and you can swap and share with co-workers. Amazon is great for purchasing used books. And the price of second hand magazines from the local library can’t be beat.

www.publiclibraries.com

4. Three words,Gelly. Roll. Pens.

This one is really important fellow scribblers. Jotting your thoughts down the old school way comes easier when your pen writes like butter. Gelly Roll pens do just that, while helping us channel our inner 90s kid. With more than 74+ colors to choose from, we only wish we had more ideas to write down.

www.gellyroll.com

5. Cup of coffee

We like to refer to this work essential as, “Creative Juice”. It’s potential to uplift and refocus our brain is incomparable. Some of our best ideas we credit to the direct effect of a lack of sleep and too much coffee. Grab a fun mug that says to others,”This is (insert name)’s mug” and fill that sucker to the brim. If coffee isn’t your flavor, peppermint teas and fresh juices are great substitutes for stimulating brain flow.

Protein packed snack drawers and air plants are also great office uplifters!