After having a Glowforge laser cutter for a few years, I have fallen in love with Inkscape. Now I have a Cricut Maker 3 and I am using Inkscape to design Cricut stickers. Designing vector graphics feels amazing. Once you take a little time and learn the basics of Inkscape, you suddenly feel like a mad scientist, or comic book super villain because the possibilities are so endless with vector. To make all this even more vast and exciting, I am using online Artificial Intelligence services to generate high contrast graphic images that I can import into Inkscape, convert to vector, tweak the image to my liking, and export the SVG for uploading into Cricut Design Space. Once you get it down, the process is rather fast. It’s really exciting to go from A.I. to Cricut sticker in a matter of minutes. My short Udemy course will show you how. Click the link below for a preview:

Using A.I. + Inkscape to Make Cricut Stickers

I just got my new Glowforge Aura and I wanted to update my Udemy course, Inkscape For Glowforge with a short tutorial on how to set up a template in Inkscape to cut the thinner 3/25″ thick plywood and other Light Proofgrade Glowforge materials. If you have an Aura, you can use this template to follow along with the rest of the course and design projects ready to cut from the thinner Aura-ready Light Proofgrade Glowforge materials.

GOMPER GLOWFORGE LASER SETTINGS:

1. PINK = ENGRAVE: HD GRAPHIC
2. JEMTOY LOGO = ENGRAVE: HD GRAPHIC
3. BLUE = 1st CUT
4. BLACK = LAST CUT

1. Lay the WINGS down so the engraved side is facing up.
2. Glue the PELVIS into the two tabs on bottom of WINGS.
3. Glue the ARROW (flat side down) to top tab on the set of WINGS.
4. Glue the HEAD on top of the 3 PELVIS and ARROW tabs. Hold or clamp to dry.
5. Put a SPLAT on the table, stand a LEG up, glue the tab under the foot into the SPLAT.
6. Glue a LINK to the top of the LEG, then add a second LINK completing one LEG.
7. Do the same for the second LEG.
8. Glue both LEG LINKS to the remaining tabs on the PELVIS.
9. Gomper can stand now and is ready for action!

Download the file: Gomper-01.SVG (right click and choose > Save Link As…)

If you require a different format, open the SVG using Inkscape and Save As the file type you need.

I have been painstakingly recreating ancient Egyptian jewelry designs by hand into scalable vector graphics for laser cutting and jewelry making. Each design has two small holes found on each side of the top for connecting jump rings, a necklace, or whatever.

I started out with Horus as a falcon with spread wings motif. Then, if that was not enough, I have a wonderful Nekhbet, the vulture of upper Egypt that I have recreated in SVG digital format. Each of these deities are holding Shen Symbols giving the wearer eternal protection, which could come in handy, depending on who you are.

Download the SVG file at my Etsy shop.

These timeless artifacts are laser etched and intended to be cut from 1/8 inch thick plywood or hardwood, but no one is gonna stop you if you make them from 1/4 inch thick wood for that heavy solid feel. Use jump rings, cord, beads and other jewelry supply to make them into fine necklaces. Wear them as is, or rub turquoise or red acrylic paint into the laser etched recesses, then wipe the edges clean with a damp paper towel for a colorful inlay look. It’s up to you. This would be a wonderful handmade gift for the Pharaoh or Goddess on your list. You know who you are.

Download the SVG file at my Etsy shop.

Once you open the SVG in the Glowforge App, you can scale each pendant to any size you prefer.

Glowforge laser cutter settings:

1. BLUE = Engrave HD Graphic
2. GREEN = Score HD (only Horus has green)
3. BLACK = 1ST CUT
4. RED = LAST CUT

Here I share a set of 2 SVG files: one for wood, and one for acrylic, so you can laser cut and make your own BMO Lamp. This is an advanced build that requires many skill sets to accomplish.

• First you must have access to a laser cutter.
• You have to buy and then solder a coin cell battery holder, 2032 battery, LED, and an on/off switch into the lamp.
• You may have to make small adjustments to the SVG, such as adjusting the hole for your on/off switch depending on the electronic parts you are using. Open the SVG using the free program: Inkscape. NOTE: Beamo’s parts are “grouped” together. Highlight any part you want to modify, CTRL+SHIFT+G will ungroup. Adjust the individual part, such as the hole for your switch. Then highlight it all and use CTRL+G to group the parts back together before you send it to Glowforge.

All those skill requirements makes this a bit of a challenge to build, yet it’s so great, I know plenty of you can pull it off easy. I do offer the Learn Inkscape For Glowforge course, if you want to learn how to modify and customize SVG designs like this.

Purchase the BMO Lamp SVG at Etsy

The BMO Lamp is a simple wood box with rounded corners. The outer edge is made using two strips called a “living hinge”. This allows for the edge to wrap around the entire body giving BMO his soft rounded corners. The longer hinge piece is the top, and the shorter wraps along the bottom.

This project requires 1/8″ thick plywood, and a bit of 1/8″ thick acrylic for the clear face plate where BMO lights up. I have the SVG file for both.

The acrylic face plate has a 2 part wood frame.

Start by gluing the acrylic face into the frame with corresponding notches with the frame gap along the bottom. Then on the back, glue the second frame so the notch is also along the bottom.

The bottom notch is where the LED will go. The LED should be glued in this notch so its tip touches the acrylic along the bottom edge. That will make the face glow. Glue the wood frame and LED inside BMO’s body so his face is in the right place.

You have to solder your electronic parts and be sure it all lights up and the switch turns it on and off before you glue BMO all together.

• Hot glue the coin cell battery holder from the inside, so it stays put in the hole cut for it. Position the battery holder so the battery can easily be changed from the outside on the back. Pay attention so you don’t glue it in backwards, or you’ll feel silly. You want to be able to change the battery from the outside. Once BMO is glued together, you cannot open the box.
• Glue the LED into the notch in the wood frames around the face plate. Push the LED into the notch and be sure to touch the LED’s tip to the bottom edge of the acrylic. If done right the etched face will catch the light. It’s amazing. Glue the LED in place.
• I had best luck using hot glue inside, holding the living hinge and everything else in place as I carefully held it until the hot glue cooled. Small wood clamps helped hold things in place. Remember to catch the arms and legs in their peg holes as you glue the living hinge around the edge.

To wrap the living hinge pieces around the front and back half, notice that the little pegs along the outer edge have a gap. (The gap is a bit below where the arms are in the illustration above.) Bottom left side you see 3 pegs, the gap, and then 7 pegs above it. The top hinge piece starts at the left gap and wraps over the top of both halves, and ends at the gap on the right. Put the arms and legs in place. The bottom piece of hinge also starts at the left gap, wraps the bottom, and ends at the gap on the right. Be sure to catch the arms and legs in their peg holes as you go. Legs go in the 2 deep slots on the bottom and stick out straight forward. The arms catch in the slots created when the two hinge pieces meet at the gap. When the hinge pieces are on correctly, the side reads BMO with his arms coming out of the O.

The black circle illustrated above, is the hole where the on/off switch will mount (see links below). Be sure the hole is good for the switch you have by first making a hole template so you know the size is right.

If you have different electronic parts than me, you may need to adjust the SVG to fit your electronic parts. I suggest that you design a hole template that has a series of holes, each a bit larger than the last, using Inkscape.

Test your electronic parts for fit in various sized holes using scrap wood before you cut a huge project. I make a little square using Inkscape with several holes in it, save it as a SVG, laser cut it on scrap wood, then test which hole fits best until I get it right. Copy/paste the hole you require into the BMO Lamp SVG so your switch and battery holder will fit your project.

If you need to Learn Inkscape For Glowforge, take the course, and you’ll know how to make your own templates and design your own cool stuff.

Purchase the BMO Lamp SVG at Etsy

I’m a huge fan of Adventure Time so I wanted to make a BMO nightlight lamp to put next to my bed. This is the prototype I designed on Inkscape and then cut the wood and acrylic on my Glowforge laser cutter. I assembled and hand soldered the LED, on/off switch, and battery holder into place so BMO is a full on geeky project… it’s so… MATHEMATICAL – YEAH! I really hope you have fun making this project.

NOTE: The yellow on/off switch you see on my BMO Lamp above was not a very good on/off switch. I had so many of them fail, I stopped using them in my designs.

BMO has a little on/off switch on front which turns on a color changing LED so that BMO’s beautiful face fills any dark room with soothing, calm, slow changing light. The 2032 button cell battery is easy to change, and is found on the back. BMO sits about 4″ tall, arms reach nearly 6″ across, legs and body are about 3″ long. SVG Design by J.E.Moores from the JEMTOY studio, BMO would make a fun addition to any Adventure Time fan art collection.

Purchase the BMO Lamp SVG at Etsy

When you purchase the SVG from Etsy, you get 2 files. One for wood, one for acrylic plastic.

GLOWFORGE SETTINGS:

Cut the file: bmo-lamp.SVG from 1/8″ thick plywood.

1. ENGRAVE (blue shapes, and BMO logo): HD Graphics
2. RED: First cut
3. BLACK: Last cut

Cut the file: bmo-lamp-face.SVG from 1/8″ thick clear acrylic.

1. ENGRAVE (face): HD Graphics
2. BLACK: Cut

I like making strange accessories for doll houses. Here we have some very small torture devices. First we have a set of Stocks standing at only 2 inches tall. These torture devices would look nice on your desk or near your workspace. I have one in a potted plant that looks awesome. The “A” Frame Spanking Bench is about 2 x 2 inches with optional side railings, and the dreaded Guillotine rises to about 7 inches tall.

The parts to make all three miniature items can be laser cut from 1/8 inch thick plywood or acrylic. I used plywood without masking tape so the laser would over burn and give these items a distressed weathered old fashioned look. White glue, or wood glue will hold it all together. I used a bread tie to hold the guillotine blade up, but you can use thread, string, or thin wire.

I’m tired. I don’t feel like making a tutorial of how to put these all together. I bet that you could figure it out from the photo above. Hint: when building the stocks and guillotine there are two rectangular pieces with a hole in the middle for the victim’s head. Don’t glue the top half. That part should be able to be removed for inserting the imaginary victim. Another hint: I didn’t glue the two side railings on the spanking bench, they are intended to be removable optional accessories, you know, for variety.

For now I’ll give you the SVG for free until I have the energy to make the build instructions. I design using color to separate each step for Glowforge, but you could make this project using any laser cutter than can read SVG files. If you need a different file type, open the SVG using Inkscape, and Save As any file type you require. Follow the steps below to laser cut these designs.

Download all 3 FREE SVG Files for Glowforge Laser Cutter below:

To download a SVG you must right click and choose > SAVE LINK AS…

STOCKS

Stocks Laser Settings: RED = 1st Cut / BLUE = 2nd Cut / BLACK = Last Cut.

SPANKING BENCH

Spanking Bench Laser Settings: BLUE = Score HQ / RED = 1st Cut / BLACK = Last Cut.

GUILLOTINE

Guillotine Laser Settings: BLUE = Score HQ / RED = 1st Cut / BLACK = Last Cut.

Thanks for visiting JEMTOY.com. Be sure to check out all my SVG files for laser cutting while you are here!

Download SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

I thought, I could make a small guillotine on my laser cutter. So I make her a pair inspired from the photo she shared with me. I cut these from 1/8 inch thick Glowforge proof grade maple plywood.

Luckily she has a small plastic box full of 1 million little jump rings and a pack of elegant handmade sterling ear hooks that she got on Amazon to put it all together.

Download SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Fun stuff. I’m not sure if anyone else would want this project, but I have put the SVG file on Etsy for instant download. This would look nifty done in clear colored acrylic, don’t you think? Share your photos in your Etsy review so I can see what you come up with.

Download SVG file for Rockin’ Kaiju Battle – Glowforge Laser Cutter Project

Completed project is made from 1/8 inch thick plywood and stands about 8.5 inches tall by 6 inches wide. Just tip the monsters, release, and they rock back and forth. There is a large space on each side that you can customize with a birthday greeting, photo, or other image or message. This design can be cut on any laser cutter that can read SVG files.

Glowforge Settings for Rockin’ Kaiju Battle by JEMTOY:

BLUE = Engrave HD Graphic
PINK = Score HQ
BLACK = 1st Cut
RED = Last Cut

The stand has 5 pieces. White glue, wood glue, or super glue is optional. Start with the back side with a city profile. The small rectangular Balance Block inserts into the two peg holes found in the center.

Each monster is mounted to a round weight with a pointy bit that balances it. Stack each monster so the pointy bit will rest on top of the Balance Block (see photos above).

Connect second side of city to the Balance Block.

Insert the 2 “C” Clamps into the peg holes along the bottom of the city stand, and it’s done. NOTE: I have added 2 “C” Clamps to the final design to make the base more stable than my first prototype that had only one as seen in some of the photos above. Paint, decorate, or leave it awesome.

KONG BONUS! I have included an extra city side that has KONG on top of a tall building doing his thing. You can make this project with or without Kong, but you don’t need to print all 3 sides. The project only needs 2 sides, so be sure to print the 2 sides you choose for your project, not all 3.

You have to position the rocking kaiju monsters so they do not crash and drag on each other or the sides. I position them both to the middle, and then separate them just a bit so I get smooth rockin’ action.

Download SVG file for Rockin’ Kaiju Battle – Glowforge Laser Cutter Project

If you would like to learn how to customize SVG files take my course: Learn Inkscape For Glowforge

Check out my other JEMTOY SVG files for laser cutting.

Feel free to sell your physical creations, but please do not share or resell the digital SVG files you download. Thanks so much – J.E.Moores

Glowforge Project: 12 Toys to Laser Cut by JEMTOY

I have put together another Udemy course for those who have completed my first course: Learn Inkscape For Glowforge. Here’s a video below of all the toys available in this fun laser cutting course.

This laser cutting course includes laser settings for each toy, a how to build video, and instruction for use or game play rules. You can customize each toy and easily create unique one of a kind gifts and toys on your Glowforge.

Glowforge Project: 12 Toys to Laser Cut by JEMTOY

These designs will work on any laser cutter that can read SVG files. You will need 1/8 inch thick plywood, white glue, paint, and craft supplies. Some files have the option to make parts from 1/8 inch thick clear acrylic, so you may need super glue to work with acrylic.

12 Toys in this course include:

1. Dancing Unicorn
2. Toy Bee Hive
3. Cricket Cage
4. Rattlesnake Eggs
5. Royal Game of UR
6. Humpty Falls
7. Rubber Band Gun
8. Tiny Temple
9. Twig Racer
10. Minimog
11. Haunted Doll House
12. Trojan Horse

Most of these SVG files are available individually on my site, but together they would cost more than twice of what this course costs. It’s a great savings with tons of information to keep you making toys for days.

Click the link below to check it out!

Glowforge Project: 12 Toys to Laser Cut by JEMTOY

When looking over photos of old Unimog tractors, I noticed that the early 1948 designs were rather flat on all sides. I thought, I could make a Unimog toy using my laser cutter. So I did. I call it the Minimog.

Download Unimog SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

You can make a Minimog toy using my SVG design. All you need is access to a laser cutter that reads SVG files, and a sheet of 1/8″ inch thick plywood. The Minimog is 6″ long, 3″ wide, and 4″ 3/4″ tall. You will need white glue, wood glue, or super glue to hold it all together.

Download Unimog SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

The laser cutting tasks are separated by color on the SVG:

1. DARK BLUE: (HD) ENGRAVE
2. TURQUOISE: (HIGH QUALITY) SCORE
3. PINK: CUT
4. BLACK: CUT

Video instructions for building the Minimog:

Download Unimog SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

This is a really fun design to customize. If you want to learn how to customize and design SVG files for laser cutting, I have a small video course on how to design for Glowforge using the free vector program Inkscape.

If you are interested in purchasing a Glowforge Laser Cutter, please use my referral link. I get free wood from their store, and you save $300-$500!

Check out my other SVG files for Glowforge Laser Cutter.

Download Cricket Cage SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Fall weather is here and all I can hear are crickets chirping. My lawn and yard are full of them. When we mow the lawn, I stop every now and then to rescue any cricket in my path. I designed a cricket cage so we could observe them for a day or two and then release them back into our yard. Kids love the sound of a chirping cricket at night, preparing cricket food, and caring for a cricket. The cricket cage I designed is a perfect bachelor pad, because only the fellas chirp. Girl crickets listen for a good chirp. If your cricket makes no sound at night, then you have a baby or a lady.

Download Cricket Cage SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Crickets need a lot of privacy. This cricket cage has a little dark bedroom they will spend most of the day in. When the light is too bright, they will have a comfortable place to rest until it is dark. Once it is dark, they will come out and begin to chirp.

The SVG file is designed to be laser cut from 1/8″ thick plywood, but if you want to be fancy I have also included the optional cut file for 1/8″ thick clear acrylic so the front window and top lid can be made from clear plastic for easy observing. You will also need glue (white glue for wood and super glue for plastic), and a couple bottle caps as food bowls.

I design the SVG in color because Glowforge groups tasks by color. You can cut this design with any laser cutter that can read SVG files. Here are the laser cutter settings and steps:

1. Blue = Engrave (HD)
2. Pink = Score (High Quality)
3. Red = Cut
4. Black = Cut
5. Green = Cut (OPTIONAL if you want clear acrylic for front and top)

Download Cricket Cage SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

How To Build The Cricket Cage:

1. Insert the top of the LADDER into the square holder cut into the SHELF. See photo. You do not have to glue the LADDER, just slide it in edgewise, and turn it flat.
2. Place the FLOOR in front of you. Glue the 2 pegs of the RAILING into the square hole and the square notch along the edge.
3. Glue the SHELF to the RAILING. Adjust the LADDER so it looks like photo above.
4. Glue BACK WALL to FLOOR and SHELF.
5. Glue the 2 SIDES to the FLOOR, BACK WALL, and SHELF. NOTE: The 2 SIDES have solid areas that create a dark private bedroom for the cricket. Be sure you don’t flip the 2 SIDES so the open bars would let light into his much needed dark space. Be sure the solid bit of wood (where the JEMTOY logos are) cover each end of the little bedroom. Crickets like their privacy, and need a place to get out of the bright light. They will spend most of the day in this little room.
6. Glue the FRONT into place. You have the option to make the front a clear acrylic window, or you can make the whole cage from wood. It’s up to you. Super glue will adhere the acrylic to the wood. Once it’s all together, put a drop of super glue on the pegs. It will ooze in and seal the deal.
7. Lid fits on top. Don’t glue the lid! I like the lid made in acrylic best.

Download Cricket Cage SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Feeding and Caring for a Cricket

Crickets are omnivorous and want a high protein diet. You will need 2 bottle caps, or acorn caps to use as food and water bowls. Crickets can drown easy, so put a pinch of paper towel in a bottle cap, and get it wet. The cricket can easily suck water and not fall in.

Crush one little piece of dry cat or dog food using a pair of pliers into a bottle cap. Fish flakes work too. They love all kinds of pet food! You should also give them small slices of any raw fruit or vegetable you have. They really love dark leafy greens, so share your salad! Put a cap of food and water on the top shelf and they will find it. Change it fresh every day.

Download Cricket Cage SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Enjoy observing and listening to the cricket for a day or so, and then be sure to go outside and release them so they can get back to whatever crickets like to do. I usually put the cage in a safe shady spot without the lid and just leave it there. Eventually the cricket will find his way out. I have had a few that loved their private room so much, they would leave, but come back. I was shocked to find them back in the cage. I guess it’s hard to leave that bowl of yummy food behind!

Want more? Check out my other SVG designs for laser cutting.

How to build the JEMTOY Tiny Toy Bee Hive ~ YouTube Video Instructions

Download Tiny Bee Hive SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

My wife is a keeper. She is my honey. What I’m trying to say is, my wife is a bee keeper! She has a hive of honey bees that she looks after and cares for. When it came time to give her a little gift, I searched far and wide for something fun that was honey bee related.

All I could find were little silver honey bee charms and pendants. They all looked pretty much the same. For some reason it wasn’t fun enough for my sweet wife. Way back when, I helped her build and paint her wood hive, so I had a good idea of all the working parts and how they went together.

I decided to design a tiny little toy bee hive as a gift for the bee keeper in my life. I now share the SVG file with you, in case you want to make one too. It really is the perfect gift for a bee keeper.

Download Tiny Bee Hive SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Advanced Tip: If you are proficient using the free program, Inkscape, you could update the SVG file with a name or logo so that the little bee hive is customized to their name or brand. (I also happen to offer an online course that teaches Inkscape for Glowforge if you want to learn how.)

I design for Glowforge laser cutter, so my SVG files are in color. You can make this tiny bee hive using any laser cutter that will run using a SVG file.

Download Tiny Bee Hive SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Glowforge Task Order and Settings:

1. BLUE = Engrave (HD Graphic)
2. GREEN = Score (High Quality)
3. RED = Cut
4. BLACK = Cut

Download Tiny Bee Hive SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

You will need access to a laser cutter, 1/8″ thick plywood, and glue. White glue, wood glue, or super glue will work.

• Before you glue it all together, let’s see where everything goes.
• To build the box you need 2 long sides, 2 short sides, and 2 little slivers I call runners.
• Fit the short and long ends together into a box so the bees are all along the bottom.
• Looking at a smaller end of the box, you will notice a small gap on each side near the corner where the tabs connect. The little runner goes in that gap across the top into the other side’s gap.
• The runner’s function is to hang the trays. It works just like a vertical filing system.
• Be sure to include those two little runners across the top when you glue the box together.

You will notice that only one of the long front pieces has an arched “doorway” at the bottom. That’s the bottom box when the hive is stacked. The top box stacks evenly on the bottom box.

Download Tiny Bee Hive SVG for Glowforge Laser Cutter

It was like most any other night at my place. I was up late watching Praveen Mohan’s YouTube videos about Advanced Ancient Technology and just as I began to drift off into some other form of consciousness the analytics at YouTube took over and started showing me random videos. Up popped Irving Finkle playing the ancient game of 20 Squares which is better known as The Royal Game of Ur.

It got me all excited. It was the perfect mixture of all the things I love so much. Archaeology, Lost Ancient Knowledge, Magic, Divination, Entertainment, Toys, Games… the toy maker, oracle seer, and the anthropologist in me all wanted to squeal with delight at the same time.

Download the SVG file and laser cut your own Royal Game of Ur.

As soon as the game was introduced I morphed into Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka. The first thing I thought was, I want a Royal Game of Ur, Daddy, and I want it now! I decided I would use the game board and basic rules Dr. Finkle shared as inspiration and do my best to recreate this game that is about 5000 years old into a proper file for laser cutting on my Glowforge. Now that I’ve done all the hard parts, all you need is access to any laser cutter to recreate this fun piece of history.

Download the SVG file and laser cut your own Royal Game of Ur.

While designing the game using Inkscape I wanted to include a few new features that seemed somehow obvious after a few plays of the first version I made of the game. It was like the board started to communicate to me. I saw how brilliant and adaptable the board could be. The game board had aspects of both dice and card suits. Players could designate any symbol to be a wild card of sorts. Safe spots, play again spots, gambling spots (land on this or that symbol and players must toss another coin in the pot for the winner), etc, can all be invented by the players as they go along. The reason 20 Squares was the most popular game of ancient times was the ability to create different challenges to keep it interesting.

I wanted my design to be a container box that can hold all the pieces for storage. Being an old seasoned game maker, I like to create gadgets or simple mechanisms that feel good to the user to give the game playability. Where the game is normally indented I instead created coin slots in the lid so when a player gets a piece all the way to the end, they slip their playing piece into the slot with a gratifying ka-plunk sound. A simple change, but effective. Playing pieces that have made it out of the game no longer get mixed up with pieces waiting to get into play.

Another aspect I wanted to change was where all the playing pieces go before they are on the board. I like all game parts to always have a place. I don’t like the disorder of the pieces just being left wherever. They tend to roll off the table and get lost.

To remedy this, I created a stand and made the playing pieces into little donuts with holes in the middle that slip over a rod to keep them stacked up. This way the players can compare side by side how many pieces they have left to get through the course. It is also gratifying to remove a game piece of your opponent from the board, and return it to their stack. Take that you dog.

I know these two changes are not keeping with history, but what I love about great games is that they survive over the years only because they can be modified through time. The coin slots and stacking stand keep the game contained. Now it’s easy to get out of Mom’s way, pass the game back and forth, take a break and come back later, or move to another location. Plus it is now easier to see where you stand against your opponent. The changes bring form with function.

Download the SVG file and laser cut your own Royal Game of Ur.

Rules to the Royal Game of Ur

A game for 2 players: I painted mine red and blue. The dice are four 3-sided pyramids. Each pyramid has four tips. Two tips have a hole, and two do not. You roll the four pyramids and count only the tips with holes that land on top. With this method you can roll a 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Dice Variation: Casting Sticks are long rectangular dice that can only roll on four sides. They have a mark on only 2 of the 4 sides. Roll four casting sticks and count the holes that land on top. I find that the casting sticks are way easier to pick up than the slippery pyramids. The casting sticks must be cut from the thicker 1/4″ inch thick wood or acrylic, whereas the rest of the game is made using 1/8″ inch thick wood.

• The object of the game is to race your opponent and get all your playing pieces into your coin slot first by an exact roll of the dice.
• Player 1 rolls the dice and moves the amount rolled. See red and blue arrow on illustration above to see where each player starts and ends game play.
• Player 1 and 2 take turns.
• With each roll of the dice you can put as many or as few game pieces into play on the board at the same time based on your strategy.
• The center aisle is shared by both players and is where the battle takes place. Remove your opponent’s game piece from the board when you land on their square.
• The 5 Stars on the board are special squares. When you land on a Star you get another roll of the dice, and you are safe from being removed from the board while on that spot. Not only are you safe while on the Star, you are keeping your opponent from landing on it as well, since they cannot land there and take you off the board.
• You must enter the coin slot by an exact roll. If you are out of game pieces, or cannot make a move, you forfeit your turn.
• First player to get all their game pieces into the slot wins.

Download the SVG file and laser cut your own Royal Game of Ur.

You will need access to a laser cutter, 1/8″ inch thick plywood, white glue or super glue, red and blue (or some other combination) paint or paint pens to color the game pieces and decorate your board.

Settings for Glowforge Laser Cutter

1. PINK: Engrave (HD Graphic)
2. BLACK: Score (Hi Def)
3. RED: Cut
4. BLUE: Cut

NOTE: The process will take 2 hours or more on the Glowforge.

Download the SVG file and laser cut your own Royal Game of Ur.

Putting the laser cut pieces together. White glue or super glue will do.

• The box has 5 parts to glue together. 1 bottom, 2 long sides, 2 short ends. You do not glue the game board lid.
• Notice that the bottom piece has two small square holes on one end. Also notice that one of the short ends has a slot. The tab with the slot glues into the bottom end near the two small square holes.
• Glue on the 2 sides and remaining end.
• Place the lid on top so the box dries correctly, but make sure you don’t glue the lid!
• Clamp the box together, square it all up, and allow it to dry.
• The stacking stand has 4 parts. There is an oval base, 2 swords, and the C-Pin. See illustration above. You do not need to glue it together, in fact it is nice to take the stacking stand all apart and store it inside the game box.
• Push the short end “handles” of the 2 swords into the 2 square holes in the oval base.
• Push the tab that extends from the oval base into the end slot so it enters inside the box. The tab will line up with the square holes inside the box so you can lock it all down using the C-Pin. Stack game pieces on the sword pegs.
• The pyramid dice have two parts. Push the tab in a small triangle into the square hole in the center of a larger triangle. Make sure you put it in correctly making a 4 sided pyramid, it’s easy to get it wrong. The inner edge of the small triangle should never extend beyond the edge of the large triangle. Once you figure it out, glue the tabs into place so you have 4 pyramid dice.
• Paint 7 game pieces red, paint the other 7 blue. (or any 2 colors you wish.)
• Decorate the game board or leave it as is.
• I also include a file for Casting Sticks, but they must be laser cut on 1/4″ thick material (the game is cut from 1/8″ wood.) I prefer to use bright colored acrylic for that plastic dice feel.

Check out my other SVG files for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Download the SVG file and laser cut your own Royal Game of Ur.

Download the Dancing Unicorn SVG file for Glowforge Laser Cutter

I wanted to make a gift for a friend of mine who happens to love horses a lot. In my mind it was simple enough. I imagined the silhouette of a horse rearing up. I designed a wood rocking horse balance toy that bobs back and forth. However, I used up an entire sheet of wood from making poorly designed and unbalanced prototypes in order to get to this thing of beauty.

I don’t know why, but this simple toy took forever for me to figure out. From an idea in my head to an object in hand was an entire day of moving the horse a bit this way, burning a copy on the laser cutter, and then seeing how it all balances.

When it didn’t sit right, I tweaked the design a bit, made the weight at the bottom bigger, and burned another version on the Glowforge. Trying to guess the balance went on and on forever, much like this description.

I understand that you don’t care about any of that. My suffering matters not now that the deed is done. We just love the happy dancing pony!

Do you know a person who has a lot of love for all things equine? Perhaps you too deeply desire to make a dancing unicorn toy on your laser cutter. I get it. I’ve been there.

So OK. Here it is. I made a 4″ small version, and then due to several requests from horse lovers, I made a big 8″ trophy size that works really well. The big one is heavier and rocks a long time. I love it!

Download the Dancing Unicorn SVG file for Glowforge Laser Cutter

You will need access to a laser cutter, 1/8″ thick plywood (or colorful acrylic could be fun), and white glue or super glue.

Laser Settings:

1. BLUE: Engrave (set to HD Graphic)
2. RED: First cut
3. BLACK: Last cut

How to put the Dancing Unicorn together:

There are 2 balance toys included in each SVG design (a horse and a unicorn) but only 1 base is provided on the template. If you make both the horse and unicorn, be sure to make an extra base set (those 4 other things). Simply remember to copy/paste the extra 4 base pieces in the Glowforge user interface.

You only need to build the base. It has 4 parts. Glue is useful to hold it all together. Wood glue, white glue, or super glue will work.

Above I provide a preview of the laser cut parts. You will see the 2 sides (with stars.) Above them are what I call the top bit (top left square thing) and the bottom bit (the C shaped thing).

Take a side (the part with a star), and insert the square hole on the bottom into one of the 2 grooves found in the bottom bit. Do it for both sides. Nest them together evenly so the base will stand flat.

Push the top bit down onto the four tabs on top.

Now you need to get the base inside the circular weight and under the horse. You will notice under the horse’s standing hoof there is a point with a slot opening into the circular weight. Slide the hoof and point over the flat top of the base until the horse balances in place on top. I know that explanation is very confusing, so please view the video above to see how easily it’s done.

Download the Dancing Unicorn SVG file for Glowforge Laser Cutter

Greetings everyone! I was looking for a small altar or tiny temple where I could place my collection of small brass Buddha statues. I have many little Hindu Gods and Goddesses about 1.5″ tall and I wanted little shrines to display them. I looked around and could not find anything small enough, so I designed my own!

This project uses 1/8″ thick proof grade plywood on my Glowforge laser cutter. Mine is made from Cherry plywood with a luscious deep red color to the grain. Due to popular demand, I now offer my SVG file for those who have access to a laser cutter.

The SVG is made in color because Glowforge can see color. For some weird reason the Glowforge defaults engrave and score settings to draft quality, so we have to manually set engrave and score to HD or High Definition Quality for best results. Depending on your laser cutter you may have to change the order of tasks. The laser settings and step order for this design are:

1. VIOLET: ENGRAVE as HD Graphic
2. BLUE: SCORE (set to HD)
3. RED: FIRST CUT
4. BLACK: LAST CUT

DOWNLOAD SVG FILE TO LASER CUT YOUR OWN TINY TEMPLE

Once your parts are laser cut it is time to assemble your tiny temple.

Put the Base in front of you, flip it so the JEMTOY logo is on the bottom (so you can’t see it.) Position the two front holes facing you.

Stack the Floor on top, making sure the 4 little holes line up and the laser scored line can be seen.

Insert the bottom tabs of the Window into the back two holes in the Floor and Base.

Do the same thing, insert the Front Door into the middle two holes pegging through the Floor and Base.

Insert the two little Railing pieces into the two little holes remaining on the front creating a mini staircase into the Door.

Slip the 2 Walls onto the tabs protruding from the bottom edge of the Window and Door.

Slide the 2 grooves in the Roof down onto the pegs at top of Window and Door. Push them down so there is a clear groove (for Garuda) on top.

Each Wall has pegs at top to set a Wing. Each Wing arches over the Door or Window.

Hold the top together and put Garuda in place to hold it all together. Garuda fits in the top middle groove in the roof. The openings along the bottom of Garuda snap in place sandwiching the Window and Door to the Wings. NOTE: Do not push on the long extended fragile parts of Garuda, they might break making your tiny temple a little ruin.

The tiny temple will hold most statues 1″ – 1.5″ inches tall. The project could also be a wonderful Fairy House or Spirit House – and you leave it empty for tiny visitors to camp out in when they pass through! If you have a big love for all things small, this is a great project to make with a kid.

DOWNLOAD SVG FILE TO LASER CUT YOUR OWN TINY TEMPLE

DOWNLOAD SVG FILE TO LASER CUT YOUR OWN TINY TEMPLE

Here is a simple bird feeder design you can make using a Glowforge laser cutter. This project requires a sheet of 1/8″ thick medium proof grade plywood, wood glue, water proof paint, and a string, shoelace, or rope to hang it.

The bird feeder is a simple open tray with a perch. Lots of room to paint and customize. First I primed and painted the bird feeder barn red. Then once that dried I used Elmer’s Painter Pens to add flowers.

I like to outline graphic images in black to make them pop, but outlining takes so much time. My trick is to draw the stems and flowers first in a thick black paint pen or Sharpie and let it dry. Then I draw the green stems, leaves and pink flowers over the black. I leave the outer edge of the black as a nice shadow outline so it all reads from a distance. No tiny outlining detail brush required!

I suggest using a water proof paint such as acrylic. If you like the wood look, you can weather proof your bird feeder by spraying it top to bottom with clear acrylic spray on paint. I don’t like spray urethane because it often remains tacky and leaves fingerprints and attracts dust. Gross. Be sure to get a crystal clear paint of some sort but look to avoid the polyurethane based sprays if you can.

How to build the JEMTOY Bird Feeder

I suggest putting the whole thing together without glue so you are sure where everything goes. The railing around the tray can be a bit tricky. Once you have everything set, go back and glue it all together. NOTE: I have recently added 8 little holes so the Bottom drains when it rains.

1. First slide the Perch into the big circular opening in the main Top piece. The slot of the Perch will slide down and nest in place in the little notch on the bottom of the circular opening. This will create an X shape.
2. The X you just created has four square hooks at its base. The four hooks push through the 4 rectangular holes in the Bottom piece.
3. From under the Bottom, slide and glue the 4 loose Tabs into the hooks to catch and lock the X in place.
4. The railing around the tray is made up of 6 rectangles. The 2 long pieces are the front and back.
5. The short ones are the sides. Look at the 4 short sides carefully and pair them with their exact double. Keep them together. Let one side of the bird feeder be set A, the other set B.
6. The B sides have one end where the tabs are offset. The offset tabs connect into the Top piece when gluing the sides onto the tray. Glue all the tabs and holes, complete the railing, and let it all dry.

Download the SVG file here to make your own bird feeder on a Glowforge.

Learn Inkscape For Glowforge – How to design for a laser cutter. Great course for beginners.

Click here for more fun SVG patterns for Glowforge laser cutter projects.

DOWNLOAD THE SVG VECTOR FILE FOR GLOWFORGE LASER CUTTER

This is an update to a classic practical joke I loved as a kid. My grandfather used to keep a small yellow envelope that had ‘Rattlesnake Eggs’ written on it inside the door of his refrigerator. It was there to freak out anyone who visited his home. If you got curious enough to open the yellow envelope of rattlesnake eggs, you would be frightened by the loud spinning button mechanism inside.

The envelope contained a simple device. First a paper clip was straightened out and bent into a V shape with a loop bent in each end. Two rubber bands were threaded through the hole of a metal washer. The rubber band was stretched across the wire loops of the wire V. My grandfather would spin the button until the rubber band was wound tight, then he would slip it carefully inside the envelope. Once he closed the flap on the envelope, the button could not spin until opened by some innocent bystander. When opened, the button would make such a loud vibrating sound, it often got tossed across the room in fright. People were convinced rattlesnakes had hatched inside the envelope!

Grampy even put a few dry beans in the envelope so there were ‘snake eggs’ rolling around inside the envelope, because the curious would often shake it before they open it. Once they heard the eggs rolling around, they were even more curious to see them.

What I have done is design a little wood box with a lid. When you open the lid, the button spins and rattles. It’s a fun prank gift. There’s even little fake eggs to put in there so they make a sound if the box is shook. This is a fun Glowforge laser cutter project you can make at home using 1/8″ thick Proof Grade Medium Plywood for best sound. Put a box of delicious Rattlesnake Eggs on your kitchen counter and see who opens it first.

DOWNLOAD THE SVG VECTOR FILE FOR GLOWFORGE LASER CUTTER

You will need:

• 1/8″ thick Proof Grade Medium Plywood,
• Glue (white or super)
• Tissue or Cotton Swabs to clean up white glue
• A rubber band

Glowforge Settings: Be sure to drag the Red/Black CUT layers in correct order within the Glowforge app. Drag Red layer above Black so red cuts first.

• Text & Graphics: ENGRAVE > HD Graphic
• RED: 1st Cut
• BLACK: 2nd Cut

Get the SVG

Here is a favorite all the kids love. A rubber band gun. Everyone immediately recognizes the clothespin spring and it’s fun to shoot rubber bands at stacked paper cups or other targets.

I offer my SVG vector designs for laser cutting on a Glowforge or other laser cutter. If you want a simple project that is tons of fun, this is it. All you need is access to a Glowforge laser cutter, some 1/8″ thick Proof Grade Medium MDF or Plywood, a clothespin, and a few rubber bands as ammo.

Carefully remove the clothespin spring. Don’t bend it out of shape, and don’t get your finger pinched when removing it. Slide the spring out of the clothespin, and set it aside for now.

There are 6 pieces with 5 clips to hold it all together. The front has 3 parts, and the back has 3 parts. They stack like a sandwich. The middle pieces are the parts without stars.

Stack the three front parts, line them up, then insert the clips in place into the 3 clip slots. I found it easiest to start inside the handle. The clips are very tight. You must squeeze and line everything up for the clips to push down and lock it all together. You’ll feel it when it goes in place.

Do the same thing for the handle. Clip the 2 slots. Now you only need to add the spring.

Slide the open end of the spring down into the hole on the front piece as in photo above. Now pull the spring outward just enough to slip the other end into the hole in the handle.

How to shoot: The nose of the rubber band gun has a hook. Snag a rubber band onto this hook, and pull the rubber band back. Squeeze the handle to open the top. Close the top so it just captures the rubber band in place. When you squeeze it open, the rubber band will shoot.

This toy is so much fun it requires parental supervision. Please teach your kids not to shoot at people or pets. Have fun! Create a mini shooting gallery with stacks of paper cups or other home made targets.

Get the SVG

My first offering is the Q-Tip Crossbow. Would you like to make a toy crossbow that shoots cotton swabs? Of course you do! All you need is access to a Glowforge laser cutter, 1/8″ thick Proof Grade Medium Plywood, sand paper, glue, 3 rubber bands, and lots of cotton swabs to blast around the room as ammo.

First check out my free YouTube playlist: Q-Tip Crossbow Instructions where you’ll get detailed video instructions, a troubleshooting guide, and supplemental photos to help you along. It’s easy to laser cut, but it’s a very advanced build. If you think this advanced project is for you, then get the SVG file below:

Etsy no longer allows the sale of any ballistic toys, so here is the q-tip-crossbow.svg file available now on itchio. It’s designed in color to properly separate layers for cutting on a Glowforge, but you can use this file on any laser cutter that can read SVG files. If you want a different format, you must open the SVG in Inkscape and Save As any file type you need.

This project is intended for folk age 15+ because it’s a working mini crossbow made with lots of small parts. Anything this fun requires parental supervision. Kids love this project because it feels slightly dangerous. They love to build it, take it apart, replace the rubber bands. Be a hero – share this project with a kid… but remind them to not shoot it at people or pets.

If you are new to laser cutting, I suggest that you check out my first course, Learn Inkscape For Glowforge. Once you get through that and understand the process and lingo, move on to the JEMTOY laser projects I offer. You will learn tons, and have fun while doing it.

Glowforge Laser Cutter Project: Q-Tip Crossbow Video Instructions

Q-Tip Crossbow SVG file for laser cutting

Kaijina the Bug Girl encased in wood or plastic. Hand cast resin toy in laser cut clear acrylic shipment container, or wood crate. Kaijina the Bug Girl is a mail order bride for your Kaiju monster collection. I mean, even Frankenstein’s creature had a bride! If you love your monsters, you won’t let them go lonely. You’ll get them their very own Kaijina the Bug Girl, and everyone will be happy.

Check out more photos of Kaijina the Bug Girl in my Etsy Shop!

Learn how to design for Glowforge laser cutter with me, Jay from JEMTOY. I have made another arts and crafts video tutorial for you all. This is a 10 lesson course that will teach you Inkscape for Glowforge in a single afternoon. After this course you will be able to start your own Etsy shop or other home business.

If you have access to a Glowforge laser cutter I can teach you the essentials to get you started using it. The possibilities are endless, and knowing how to run a laser cutter is a valuable skill set to have.

If you are looking to get a Glowforge, I got a referral link when I purchased mine. If you use this link you get up to $500 off, and I get free wood from the Glowforge supply shop. It’s a great deal for us both.

My course starts out with a Glowforge Template that I provide as a download. I will teach you the 3 most important Inkscape tools, how to set the colors in your design to separate the Engrave, Score, and Cut functions within the Glowforge app. How to create objects with multiple pieces. We will learn how to cut out words, names, and numbers. We will prepare photos and images for laser engraving, and use fills to create images to be scored or engraved.

By the end of this course your head will be spinning with the possibilities. In just 90 minutes time your life will have been changed for the better. I believe there are two possible futures. There is the you who took this course and prospered, and the you that did not. Which one do you want to be?

Check out my Udemy course titled: Inkscape for Glowforge and get ready to have some laser cuttin’ good times!

Here’s a fun way to turn common trash into a fun toy. We all know those little square plastic bread tabs that keep plastic bags closed. This is an easy project anyone can make at home. All you need is a hard wood stick from outside. A 3/4″ maple or oak branch off the ground will do. Other than that, all you need is a few bread tabs as ammo, and a saw to cut the branch. Sandpaper 100 grit is good to make it all finished and feel smooth.

You can use pretty much any type of saw, from electric jig saw to a hack saw. Just a couple swipes is all you need to make a shallow cut groove. You want the groove to be deep enough to catch the bread tab when under pressure, but not so deep it doesn’t shoot forward when released. If you cut your groove too deep, cut the branch off and cut another groove until it works. I angled my cut slightly forward to help it release and shoot.

This is a fun toy because it’s slightly dangerous. Please do not aim or shoot at people or pets. Don’t put an eye out, because that’s when the fun stops! If your bread tabs are the type with bumps on each edge, use scissors or tin snips and cut the little bumps away so each edge is straight and fits easily into the groove.

Watch how I made the Wiggly Loaf House: from designing it on Inkscape to cutting it on Glowforge and gluing all the pieces together. You can win this house if you are hardcore enough to play the Wiggly Loaf game until you unlock at least one of the bonus characters. It’s a free download for iOS or Android phones. Check out WigglyLoaf.com and click on Contest. Good luck and enjoy the game!

I love dice! Until someone throws them right off the tabletop and the dice get lost. This made me wonder if I could come up with variations to the way we traditionally depict dice. For that, I turned to Inkscape, the Glowforge Laser Cutter, and my imagination.

Interested in a Glowforge of your own? Save $500 when you purchase a Glowforge through this link: https://glowforge.us/m/TELJNVZZ

Sniffling Sisters Magic Elixers and Potions Apothecary Shop. All wood haunted doll house kit you build yourself that comes complete with laser cut witches and cats to set up inside the spooky old Victorian doll house. Over 50 pieces. All you need is Elmer’s glue and maybe a paper towel to clean up any glue blobs as you go. The build is rather easy. Project takes less than an hour to complete. Watch video instructions above and follow along.

If you have access to a laser cutter, I also offer the SVG vector file so you can make it yourself. SVG includes haunted doll house, characters, and cats!

Each JEMTOY Haunted Doll House Kit also comes with:

• Starfire Sniffling – Opening an Apothecary Shop was Starfire’s idea. She is a business smart and determined witch who is very detail oriented. Excellent with power spells, enchantment magic, and has a real sense of authority about her when talking on the phone. The outspoken leader of the Sniffling Sisters. Always with her eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. Starfire is cold, organized and shrewd. Starfire does most of the buying, selling and direct marketing at the shop, and is well versed at negotiating with elder trickster demons.
• Eclipse Sniffling – Is Starfire’s younger twin sister. Although it was Starfire’s idea to start an Apothecary Shop, it was Eclipse’s knowledge of plants, herbs, roots, and barks that made it all possible. Eclipse is quite the opposite of her sister in many ways. Eclipse is airy, speaks often of dreams, follows astrology, believes in fairies, has a big heart, reads quietly most nights, and loves all little children, cats, and critters. Like Starfire, she is dependable, reliable, and will actually show up on time, even if you think she’d be the type to be late. She makes most of the potions her sister sells at the shop. Her specialty is Love Potions. She is intuitive, empathetic, and kind. Some of Eclipse Sniffling’s recurring problems is that she doesn’t ever know she’s out of an important ingredient until she’s all out, and it can take days or weeks to order it. And she never knows the date or time of day… if it even is day. Is it day?… Usually when Starfire’s intellect fails them, it is the sweet good luck of Eclipse that gets them through the madness. Together the Sniffling Sisters are a great team.
• Cats! – Each set gets 3 or 4 cats at random, because cats are awesome and unpredictable. I love these little cats!!!
• Demon – Every coven needs a little demon imp to do their bidding. Right? This one has cute little bat wings, and is so happy to serve you.
• Crystal Ball & Stand – Gaze into the teeny tiny crystal ball. The little stand comes in various styles, you will get one at random. It’s these surprise details that make each set a one of a kind experience.
• Cauldron and Ladle – Witches just love to stir large vats of stuff. The Sniffling Sisters are no different. You gotta make a potion before you can sell a potion.
• Magic Potion Stand – Display your wares and sell potions to your customers.
• Sniffling Sisters Sign – Put the sign out front when you’re open for business. Bring it inside when you close.
• BONUS CHARACTERS – A place like Sniffling Sisters is gonna get some strange customers. You will get two random limited edition bonus characters, and a few more cats. Yes, you get MORE CATS!!!
• Lots of little D shaped Stands – Glue the little stands to the base of each character so they can stand and play.

The completed JEMTOY Haunted Doll House is 11″ tall. The doll house rooms are 3″ deep. Characters are 2″ tall or less. Free standing doll house can also hang and display on a wall using two push pins or small nails and hang the house from the top edge of the top back windows. Contains small parts, so this kit is not for the wee ones that might put stuff in their mouth – you know who you are! Parental supervision recommended. Great family time project to build together. All you need is glue, and a firm belief in magic. Available for a limited time in the JEMTOY Etsy Shop.

When I purchased a Glowforge Laser Cutter they gave me a referral link. You can save up to $500 by using this link: Glowforge Laser Cutter

The Trojan Horse Kit is available in my Etsy Shop

Trojan Horse Battle Station Kit Parts List: 3 Greek Soldiers, 3 Soldier Stands, 1 Top Shelf, 2 Buttresses, 4 Wheels, 4 Axle Spacers, 2 Axle Rods, 1 Bottom Shelf, and 1 Trojan Horse.

How to build the Trojan Horse Battle Station Kit

Step 1: Peel away all the protective tape that covers the wood. Be sure to peel away all the tape from both sides of each piece before you begin assembling the kit.

Step 2: Build the cart first. Place the Bottom Shelf so that the JEMTOY logo is flipped over and not seen. Glue the 4 Axle Spacers (little D-shaped things) into the 4 corner spots on the Bottom Shelf. Use a tissue or cotton swab to clean up glue blobs as you go.

Step 3: It’s a good idea to let the Axle Spacers dry. While you wait, glue the 3 Greek Soldiers foot peg into their little rectangular base so they can stand up and fight like an Ancient Greek.

Step 4: A small piece of sandpaper is included so you can easily taper the ends of the Axle Rods for a proper fit into the Wheel. The Wheels don’t need to be glued if they are a tight enough fit. Sand the outer edge of the Axle Rods until they fit tightly into the Wheels.

Step 5: When the Axle Spacers are dry you can move on to this step, but not until. Push one Wheel onto each Axle Rod. Slide each Axle Rod through 2 Axle Spacers and push on the last two Wheels. If you decide to glue your Wheels to the Axle Rods, be sure the Wheels can freely turn when you are done.

Now the cart is ready to roll!

Step 6: Now just a little bit of glue on these 2 spots.

Step 7: Set the Trojan Horse into the 4 peg holes that run down the center of the Top Shelf of the cart.

Step 8: Slip the two Buttresses into place, and glue them to the Bottom Shelf of the cart.

Step 9: A few drops of glue on the Buttresses so the Top Shelf will stay in place.

Step 10: You must insert the Top Shelf diagonally and maneuver it down to rest on the Buttresses.

Adjust the Top Shelf so it is centered and press it down.

Let the epic battle begin!

The Trojan Horse Kit is available in my Etsy Shop

How To Use The Egyptian Oracle Divination Board

The divination set comes with a 6″ x 7.5″ laser etched Oracle Board and three Was Scepters to cast across the board to conduct a reading. The board is shaped as a vessel that represents the heart and its contents. Let us weigh your heart, and see if the oracle can lighten its load with entertainment and enlightenment.

Set the Egyptian Oracle Board facing you. Hold the three Was Scepters in your two hands, shake them up, cup your hands over the top of the board, and release them so they all land on top.

There are three different Was Scepters included with the set:

• The one representing the past is the wavy snake shaped scepter.
• The straight one represents the present.
• The one that fans out into a papyrus shape on top is the future.

The Egyptian Oracle Board is divided into stations. The Was Scepters have two ends. Once dropped, the scepters top and bottom ends will point to six stations on the board depending on how they land.

Start the reading from the station where the bottom end of the past scepter lands. Now read the station where the top end is. From there move on to the present (from bottom to top) and future in the same way. This gives you six points of reference within three time frames to pull your reading from.

All forms of divination take a bit of practice. Combine what the board reveals and your own gut feeling. Divination is a form of theatrical improvisation because divination must come from the gut and be spontaneous. It takes practice to open your intuition, believe what you feel, and dare to speak freely. Practicing divination will make you a better person.

Get good at dropping the Was Scepters and reading them to yourself before you move on to doing readings for others. You can practice on your cats. If you don’t have a cat, you can practice on a pretend cat. Or maybe get a dog. A dog would never jump on the board like a cat might. They’d jump on the board like a dog would. Dog wood? No. The board is made from maple ply, but I digress.

The Stations of the Egyptian Oracle Board

• Right Eye of Horus (The Sun) – Your public persona. Role in society, role in family, role in business, social circles. Ambition, or lack of it. This is actually the eye you see on the left side of the board, but it is Horus’ right eye because he’s looking at you… got it? (I just remember sun is on my left, moon is on my right.)
• Left Eye of Horus (The Moon) – Your secret side. Stuff inside you don’t let out. Is there something wicked waiting in the shadows or is that a glimmer of hope I see in the dark? Whether you like it or not this is probably the true you. What could be keeping it from getting out? And how can we get it to go back once it does get out? Art, writing, poetry, creativity… it’s all here. Lurking.
• Rebirth – DEATH. Things end, but something always begins because of that ending. Remember the dead hippie dude sang: We’re all one and life flows on within you and without you. Be aware of new doors opening, especially as you lose what you once had. Life is big changes. Those who can reinvent themselves win. Thank you dead hippie dude.
• Trade – In the balance of life we all must give and receive. What are you trading and what are you getting? Business, social relationships, the concept of trade pops up in lots of situations. Lack of balance, debts owed, supply and demand. Are you at balance with the universe?
• Ankh – LIFE. There is one eternal life but many bodies. Our bodies all share in this one life. Welcome to the here and now. Pleasure, plenty, and the good life is what we all desire. You’ve got it or you want it. Go get it. Protect it. Keep what you have. Get more. Most of life is how we see it. Live now or forever rest in peace! What? – It don’t all make sense and it’s not always fair, but that’s life.
• Family – Our chromosomes are programmed for us all to cower in our caves clinging to each other hoping we can all cope with whatever horrible terrors are presently outside waiting to eat us, or worse. We need each other. This is why family is important. Raising your own child can be an amazing life experience. On the flip side family pressure can be so powerful it is hard to live life your own way if you don’t agree with everything your family does. We were all born, so at one time we all had a family. We also collect our own family as we go. What family means to us can vary and be very complex. The desire to keep a family together, or to break away from one, can be intense. This is all that and more.
• Education – Challenging your brain to learn something new can happen anywhere. A nearby lake side trail, local library, a talk with a wise elder, world travel, school, or YouTube tutorials are great places to learn something new. Education could be school or some other adventure where you learn a lesson. Hopefully it’s a good one. Some lessons hurt, so be careful.
• Opportunity – An image of Horus riding a crocodile. There is usually some amount of risk involved with all of life’s opportunities. First you have to see the opportunity, and then you have to say or do something to bring the opportunity to your benefit. It’s risky. Sometimes these opportunities can go very wrong. I say it’s always better to get in trouble from trying your best, than to get in trouble from doing nothing as life passes you by. Keep your agenda pure of heart and go for it, but look out for the crocodiles. They don’t care about your agenda. They think you taste good and they’ll take any opportunity to find out. What sort of vulnerability does your new benefit bring?
• Career – Some people like the idea of a life long career. Some wish they had one. Some hate what they have. A long and successful career can gain you respect, power, and standing. Or you could mess it all up and become a scum bag.
• Ka – This is your SOUL. Spiritual matters, religion, after life, bucket list stuff, worshipful, thankful, (or fearful) of the divine. Sometimes we are driven to do something to appease our soul. Whatever that means… but you know it when you’re doing it, because it matters that much. You could also be searching for your self. Wondering who you are. Soul searching is serious stuff.
• Struggle – Life is struggle. Keep fighting. This is not your time to give up, even if you might want to. You can do it. The board believes in you.
• Truth – There are times in our lives when we come to moments of great awakening and awareness. Some small piece of the puzzle comes together and what was once a mystery now makes sense. Truth can be elusive. This can also mean the search for truth. The need to know. Something missing. The passing, withholding, transferring, or destroying of the truth is the power of writing history. How does your story go? What is your truth? Does it fill you with joy or pain?

Here is an example reading:

Your past #1 begins steeped in Education, which has set you up for some strong #2 opportunities gaining you public respect and perhaps even a power position. Your #3 career has become your very #4 life, and by working hard for a fair wage you have turned your #5 opportunities into a good life, full of the good things #6. However, you find at times that your career is taking over your life, blocking your happy future from being complete. Perhaps there is something left undone, maybe more to life than work, work, work?

How I came to this reading:

• So I started where the wavy past scepter #1 bottom end rests at EDUCATION and the #2 top rests in between OPPORTUNITY AND THE SUN (Horus’ right eye).
• I move on to #3 the present scepter which starts at CAREER and #4 ends at ANKH (Life).
• The future #5 rests at OPPORTUNITY and #6 ends with a happy ending at TRUTH.
• I do notice that the present scepter is on top “blocking” that happy ending, so there is room for an even happier ending if you focus and unblock what your life needs to get there.

How this all came to be ~

A LONG TIME AGO in an era we call the 80’s, during my undergrad at Maryland Institute I studied under the truly amazing Egyptologist, world traveler, actor, author, and artist, Bob Lienhardt. In one of the many classes I took with Bob, I did a project that involved some research into the Temple of Thoth as the origin of Tarot cards.

The ancient Egyptian Temple of Thoth was popular because one could get a direct answer from the oracle. They would enter a circular room with many painted symbols on the walls. The priest would drop yarrow stalks and then divine the answer from however the stalks landed and pointed at the symbols painted on the walls.

Traveling gypsies passing through Egypt replicated the temple symbols onto decks of cards for easy transport. Reading fortunes became a way for them to earn money while traveling, and the tradition of Tarot cards spread across Europe.

Because the Egyptian oracle is powerful magic, I wanted to create an experience closer to the ancient Egyptian divination method, but I needed to compress the experience into something smaller than a gigantic Egyptian Temple. For my class I had made a hand painted divination board that has since eroded like all great ancient relics eventually do. Here in my new and improved laser etched wood design I have merged the wisdom of the past to the needs of the present to bring you a divination board inspired by the Egyptian Temple of Thoth. It is hard to believe I began work on this project over 30 years ago. It is my hope that the Oracle Board both entertains and enlightens you.

The Egyptian Oracle Divination Board is available at my Etsy Shop, where ever that is. Look around, it’s gotta be here somewhere. Maybe we should consult the board. Oh there it is, it’s up on top of the page. Where it says, Etsy Shop. Thanks so much for checking out my art work.

See ya, Jay ~

Advanced Laser Cut Project: KONG LAMP

Download the Kong Lamp SVG at Etsy

I really like soldering simple LED lamps into Glowforge creations. Making a laser cut gift is awesome, but making a laser cut gift that lights up is Stupabulous! (That’s stupendous and fabulous at the same time!) Here I share my Stupabulous laser cut lamp designs, so you guys can make your own cool light up art using your Glowforge. The Kong Lamp will really please the fun kaiju enthusiast in your life. This project requires a certain set of skills to pull off. Not only do you need access to a laser cutter, you must be able to solder the electronic parts together to complete the lamp, and possibly adjust the SVG file to fit your electronic parts if need be.

If you have experience soldering electronics, this project is super easy. If you have never soldered electronics before, this is the best project to learn on, because it could not be simpler. The lamp is a single LED connected to a coin cell battery. A switch has been added between the long + leg of the LED and the positive + output of the battery, so you can turn it on and off.

Download the Kong Lamp SVG at Etsy

Download the Kong Lamp SVG at Etsy

The wood is laser engraved and cut, electronics soldered into place, and when the LED lights up, and the switch works, you can glue the wood pieces together. When completed, this nifty retro color changing LED Kong Lamp stands 8″ tall. You will require:

• Access to a Glowforge or other laser cutter that can read SVG files. This design is cut from 1/8 inch plywood. This design uses plywood that has no protective tape, for that distressed burned look around the windows. Giving the building that Kaiju Attack look.
• You must order electronic parts: You will need an on/off switch, a 2032 coin cell battery & holder, and a 3 volt LED. You will also need a few inches of insulated hook up wire to connect it all.
• You need a soldering iron to wire the three electronic parts together before you glue the wood pieces together. Modify the design so your parts fit. Once soldered and working, glue the battery holder in place (from the inside) using hot glue.
• Wood glue or super glue will hold the lamp together. The Kong Lamp has 2 building sides, 2 long rectangles, and a square base. Lay the building without Kong on the table. Push the tabs of the two long rectangles into it. Then, fit the building with Kong on top adjusting your LED and electronics inside. Once you have the four sides glued, then push the tabs on the bottom into the square base so it stands.
• You may need to download Inkscape to edit the SVG depending on the switch you may have. Most switches fit in a round hole, but of varying sizes. Laser cut a piece of scrap wood with different size holes and test fit your electronic parts before you laser cut your final piece. You can copy/paste the correct profiles from your test file into your Kong Lamp file so your parts fit your lamp. If you need to modify the SVG to fit your needs, you must open the SVG using Inkscape (free at inkscape.org) Corel Draw will not work.
• Need a different format? Not using a Glowforge? You can save the SVG as other formats, just open the SVG with Inkscape and Save As any file type you need.

GLOWFORGE SETTINGS FOR KONG LAMP SVG:

1. Engrave (Kong & logo) = HD Graphics
2. RED = 1st Cut
3. BLACK = Last Cut

Of course, you can do whatever you want. Modify the SVG design using Inkscape, and make it yours.

Feel free to make, modify, and sell what you make, but please do not resell the SVG file. Thank you.

Download the Kong Lamp SVG at Etsy

I want to tell you why Kong is King of the monsters. You cry when he dies. I remember being a kid, watching the 1933 classic on TV with my dad, and how upset it made me. They took Kong away from his home, chained him up for entertainment, and tortured him until he went berserk. I felt glad when he broke free and took his wrath out on the city, only to watch him fall to his demise in the end. It really shook me up like no other movie ever had before. I grew up also loving the Toho Godzilla movies. I still to this day hope to wear a giant rubber suit and crush a hand made paper village. It’s a bucket list thing. But none the less, Godzilla never made me cry. It took Kong to get under my skin. Watching a wild free creature fall to greed and mankind’s ugly ways made me think about it all forever. How we put our environment to task. How we seem to be so destructive. The horrors of money. Kong is powerful stuff, and I’m a huge fan. Kong and Oz are the greatest movies ever made. Right?

Download the Kong Lamp SVG at Etsy

Monsters have never been so small! The JEMTOY Tiny Kaiju Battle Play Set fits in your hand. Very small parts intended for collectors age 15 and older. Four different sets to choose from – amazing gift, available now in my etsy shop.

Platforms are small, about 2″ x 2″ and they fit together like a puzzle, so if you collect them all, you can mix and match your pieces for the ultimate Tiny Kaiju Battle!

Check it out at the JEMTOY etsy shop: Tiny Kaiju Battle Play Set