About Maria

I want you to wear your geek on your sleeve! I love making unique, one-of-a-kind, awesomesauce accessories that will help you do this AND be proud of the nerdy, geeky or dorky passions that you have. That's why I started my shop, Nerdifacts, the internet home of some amazeballs crocheted wristwarmers, cuffs and coffee cozies, comic and literature themed earrings, necklaces and bracelets, and some unusual things like cute octopusses that you can wear on your head.

I'm nuts about upcycling materials wherever I can which is the basis for my Comic Capture and Wordsmith collections of accessories. But let's face it, we all have favourites and they aren't always the most prolific and well known characters or stories. That's why I savor creating custom orders for you so that you can get a pair of earrings or a necklace that feature only your favourites. It's not hard to get started with a custom order so don't be shy!

I want to encourage you to be proud of who you are and the life that you lead instead of hiding it from people you think might not understand or who could do terrible, vicious things like call you a weirdo, whisper about you or *shudder* look at you askance. Everyone has a little nerd hiding in them, and whether you let yours sit on your shoulder for all too see or have it closeted up within the depths of your soul, I'm here to help you connect with it.

Sound good? Then you should probably sign up to recieve regular emails in the sidebar to your right. Go ahead... you know you wanna...


Above is a watercolour painting of myself as a cupcake that I had commissioned when I attended FanExpo '12 in Toronto. I have an obsession with sweets and candy that the artist thoughtfully rendered. I keep this on my desk and it helps maintain my naturally cheery disposition ;)

Why I Identify as a Nerd / Geek / Dork

1) I possess a signed first edition of Anne McCaffrey's graphic novel "Dragonflight", which is the 91st of 500 copies that are casebound and accompanied with a matching presentation box. I keep it on my Feature Shelf.

2) I have a Feature Shelf. It is the top shelf on the bookshelf that I keep in my bedroom and it showcases my favourite selections of geekdom.  I like to fall asleep knowing they're right there.

3) I delight in wearing a blue haired wig when I watch old episodes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles featuring the Neutrinos from Dimension X.

4) I loathe having to wait for books to be released, so instead of complaining about how far away the conclusion of The Wheel of Time was, I picked up book one "The Eye of The World" and started reading the series all over again. If you're not familiar with it, each installment averages 1,000 pages. By the time I get to the last few I haven't read, the whole series should be available in its paperback entirety.

5) My novel collections must match wherever possible, especially those within a series. If I start with a paperback, I only want paperbacks. If I was feeling rich and started with hardcover, I'll have to suck it up and buy hardcover for them all. And if the publisher reprinted a series I love with cover art that I love even more... well then, I'm in trouble.

6) I get giddy whenever I discover graphic adaptations of my favourite stories! "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" (aka "Blade Runner") is one that I can't wait to sink my teeth into. Especially since the graphic version takes the story beyond the conclusion in the novel.

7) Legwarmers and wristwarmers (or fingerless gloves) are a wardrobe staple for me, and I make themed pairs for myself all the time.

8) I rang in my 31st birthday cuddled on the couch wrapped up in my homemade Care Bear blanket (it has survived 29 years and is in almost perfect shape!), snuggling my softest teddy bear, eating candy and laughing my head off while watching the new My Little Pony series (Friendship is Magic).

9) I quote shows, movies, and characters in regular conversation... whether or not those I'm talking to will notice the reference (and if they seem to think I just said something weird, well then I simply relish their confusion).

10) I keep the underside of my desk free of clutter in case I feel the urge to hide in a small, confined, secret little place. There's even a shelf down there where I can put a cup of tea. No one will find me but my cat.

***If you identify with any items on this list, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!



You Want the Dust Jacket Bio? I Guess I Can Do That Too...

Maria Walcott was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and began stretching her crafting and entrepreneurial muscles as a kid in elementary school selling friendship bracelets to classmates and arranging to have a display of jewelry for sale in the school's office. She progressed through her tumultuous teen years with as much grace as braces and frizzy hair could allow. Maria graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce specializing in Marketing Management, but as she went through the program she realized that she wasn't being taught the kind of business skills that she wanted to learn and was never going to tackle the corporate ladder in the cut-throat way that so many of her classmates were looking forward to. Of her own volition, she supplemented her business focus with philosophy courses to "balance out her brain" as she says, and is now waiting for the right time to complete the last 2 courses for her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy. During a semester off from her studies, and again after graduating, Maria worked for the University of Guelph as a Liaison Officer, traveling around the province of Ontario in a geeked out mini-van* to visit graduating students at high schools and deliver edu-taining presentations about what the U of G had to offer for their futures. She then moved on to a position of convenience at T. Litzen Sports in the customer service department, answering phones and filling orders in an office with no windows. When the company was restructured and she was laid off, she was the only employee who left at the end of the day with a huge smile on her face and a belly full of excited butterflies. Instead of looking for another job she would be excited to leave behind, she took the time to focus on building a life that she enjoyed and could be proud of, and that revolved around the things that she loved: making stuff, geeking out, going to conventions, being her own boss. That's when she started Nerdifacts and the adventure is still going.

*The mini vans were used because they could easily store all presentation materials needed, including around 15 boxes of look-books and a stand up display poster. Maria rearranged the contents of her van to free up the trunk in which she placed foam camping mats, covered them with blankets, added some throw pillows, a collection of favourite books and comics, and even some dvds. When she had time to murder between presentations, she had the perfect geeky place to hang out.

Want to Work Together to Create Something That Will Knock Your Socks Off?
The best way to start is just to send me an email! Nerdifacts[at]gmail.com
OR you can visit the Nerdifacts Facebook Page and post on it or send a message.

No comments:

Post a Comment