Using copper, brass and gemstones, Daniel Proulx creates steampunk sculptures and jewelry, inspired by the fantasy imaginary worlds he’s so passionate about.

His career as a steampunk jewelry designer began when Catherine, his life partner, took a two hour lesson on how to make wire rings. He tried it himself, and then spent a lot of time perfecting his own technique. Before he knew it, Daniel quit his job and decided to make a living on his original creations.

He never knew what he created was steampunk, until one of his friends told him. The Montreal-based artist was always interested in steampunk, but didn’t know there was actually a name for it. He started studying the culture and creating intricate artworks that are now sold on his Etsy shop.

Some of his works are so good that the Museum of the History of Science decided to include them in one of its displays. You’re about to see some of Daniel Proulx’s awesome steampunk sculptures, if you’re interested in the jewelry he makes, head over to his website and check it out.

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In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, people don’t need red capes and sharp swords to tame bulls, they do it with their bare hands, in a sport called Jallikkattu.

The ancient sport of Jallikattu pits crowds of brave young men against angry bulls who will tear anyone apart, if they get in the way. The name of the sport comes from the words “salli”, which translates as “coin”, and “kadu”, which means tying the coin to the horns of the raging bull. The goal of Jallikattu players is to tame the bull long enough to claim the prize.

But that’s is a lot harder than it sounds, especially since the bulls used for Jallikattu are extremely aggressive, and the players aren’t allowed to defend themselves with anything else but their bare hands. The bravest of the young men will try to grab the hump of the bull, and hang on, while the beast will most often grab him with its long horns and plunge him into the ground.

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I’m sure you have at least one friend that claims he is a spring of magnetic energy, just because he can balance a spoon on the tip of his nose, but in Vietnam,this kind of phenomenon is taken seriously.

Yesterday, during a ceremony to celebrate 12 years since the inauguration of the Vietnamese department for the research and study of energy, human magnets from all over Vietnam gathered in Hanoi, to show off their skills. Men and women covered with spoons, forks, dinner plates and metal weights walked around proudly, displaying their powers.

The most impressive of them all was Ta Quang Thanh, who managed to keep a 42 kilogram stone slab, stuck to his body, thus breaking all national records.

via Channel 14

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Looking at her embroidered art, you’d probably think this woman has golden hands, when in fact, she has no hands at all.

Gao Baoying has learned to use her feet to do everything we usually do with our hands. I don’t know if she was born without hands, or if she lost them in some freak accident, but one thing is for sure, this woman is a true artist.

Gao, who lives in China’s Tianjin municipality, began practicing embroidery with her feet, when she was just a teenager. As time passed, her skills improved, and now she creates the most beautiful embroidery. As recognition of her skills, Gao Baoying was invited to showcase her work, at the Shanghai Expo.

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Due to some careless pruning, a cherry tree, in the British village of Portchester, has grown an impressive cascade of both white and pink blossoms.

Some time ago, an ornamental Kanzan cherry tree was grafted onto the rootstock of a hardier native cherry tree. This technique was invented by the ancient Chinese,and under normal circumstances, all the rootstock does is provide the tree with needed nutrients.

But the rootstock of this particular cherry tree, in Portchester, decided to let everyone know it’s still alive and kicking. According to tree experts, this sort of thing happens, if the grafting isn’t controlled, because the native cherry tree is much more vigorous, and often overwhelms the ornamental variety.  Take a look at how beautiful a cherry tree hybrid can be.

via Daily Mail

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Weedrobes is a series of ephemeral sculptures, created by Nicole Dextras, to emphasize our dysfunctional relationship to both our bodies and the environment.

Nicole Dextras’ collection of eco-wearable dresses is made of live plants, including flowers, leaves and even thorns. We’ve seen live plant dresses before, during PETA protests, but Nicole Dextras’ creations are true environmental works of art that could actually be a part of a fancy fashion show.

Images courtesy of Nicole Dextras

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Ted Reader, one of the most famous celebrity chefs in the world, has prepared a giant hamburger, in an attempt to put his name in the Guinness Book of Records.

The cooking process of the world’s biggest hamburger began at 4 am, on Thursday, when a giant beef patty was placed on a custom barbecue, to slow cook. The burger was unveiled at noon, and it caught the eye of dozens of Toronto passers-by. It was topped off with all the fixings you’d find in an average burger, including lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and barbecue sauce.

The 590 lbs-heavy burger was made with 300 pounds of meat, which makes it three times as heavy as the current record holder. Guinness is yet to acknowledge Ted Reader’s record, but it’s only a matter of time.

The making of the world’s biggest hamburger is part of a marketing tour to promote Ted Reader’s latest cook book, Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Burgers. It contains 110 different burger recipes.

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Ever since I started this blog I’ve been amazed at what amazing things ordinary people can achieve, if they put their minds to it. And this old Russian craftsman is just another perfect example.

Vladimir Filippovich must have really wanted to be a king, and live in a palace. His desire was so strong that he used his exceptional craftsmanship to transform his home into a breathtaking castle, worthy of being compared to actual royal residences. But human subjects are often traitors who stab you in the back, when you least expect it, so Mr. Filippovich chose to rule over 13 subjects, from the animal kingdom, 11 dogs, and two cats.

His amazing-looking palace is rather noisy, with all his courtiers barking most of the time, but their loyalty and selflessness more than makes up for that. This goes to show you that, with the right skills and a lot of patience, pretty much anyone can be a king and even build their own little kingdom.

via PhotoPolygon

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Opened in the early 1900s, this Victorian toilet has served visitors of Scarborough Beach, for decades, but it’s now become one of the most popular houses in the area.

Tracy Woodhouse and Graham Peck decided the public toilet would make a great house, as soon as they heard the lease for the building was available, five years ago. They found an architect who’s housing design maintained the original design and character of the building, so the authorities gladly approved the project.

They’ve spent around $53,000 reconditioning and refurbishing the old public toilet, and even worked on it themselves, in their spare time. After top-to-bottom rebuilding, their house is now the talk of the town. Their lounge is where the men’s bathroom used to be, and their bedroom stands where there once was the ladies room.

Friends often make fun of the couple, saying they live in a lavatory, but they don’t mind, and actually become amused themselves. But what matters most is they now have a cozy house of their own, with a spectacular view over the North Bay.

The two expected people to be amused, or even shocked, but one thing they didn’t expect was to receive offers for their toilet house. So far, they have three.

via Daily Mail

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In order to attract more customers, a Chinese hair-stylist, trained in the art of kung-fu, cuts hair, while standing upside down, on his head.

36-year-old Wang Xiaoyu first attracted media attention,in May of last year, when local papers reported a man cutting his customers’ hair, while doing a headstand. The wacky barber has been cutting hair, in the city of Changsha, Hunan Province, for 16 years, and is now using his 18 years of kung-fu training to boost up his business.

What can I say, his customers better pray Wang doesn’t get dizzy while using a sharp razor. Someone could literally lose their heads over this. But, on the other hand, if you’ve ever doubted the power of kung-fu martial arts, now’s the time to stop.

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What started out as a silly dorm sport has now become a national phenomenon, with over 400 registered Quidditch teams, all over the country.

Should the lack of real magical powers prevent us from playing the fun sport we discovered in the wonderful world of Harry Potter? “Hell no!” said the students of America, who put a broom between their legs and started chasing each other across the field, trying to score points.

Muggle Quidditch follows the main rules, described in J.K. Rowling’s book, apart from the flying part, of course. Teams are made up of seven players: three chasers, two beaters, a keeper and a seeker. Chasers try to throw the ball through one of the three hoops, while trying to avoid bludgers and dodgeballs, thrown by beaters. If they’re hit, they must drop the quaffle. Keepers guard the hoops, while seekers have to catch the snitch, a tennis ball wrapped in a sock and hanging by a person’s waist (usually a really fast dude dressed in gold). The catching of the snitch adds an extra 30 points, and ends the game.

Quidditch players should keep the broom between their legs, at all times, or they are penalized with yellow and red wands. It’s a bit harder than it sounds, but people find Muggle Quidditch an intense and enjoyable game. Even prestigious universities like Harvard and Standford have their own Quidditch teams.

via Daily Mail

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Located on 75 acres of pine forest, Norway’s Halende Prison is unlike any of the American prisons, smelling of sweat and urine. Here, inmates are respected and probably live a better live than they did on the outside.

Norway’s second largest prison cost 1.5 billion kroner ($252 million) and took 10 years to complete, but the result is truly impressive. The 252 inmates at Halende will be living in 12-square-meter rooms, equipped with LCD TVs, modern furniture, and 2-square-meter showers. Instead of the awful smell of most prisons, the only odors at Halende will be those coming from the modern kitchen, where prisoners take cooking classes.

The prison’s cultural center features a recording studio, library,winter garden, manufacturing workshops, fancy classrooms, state f the art gymnasium, as well as a laboratory. Halende cells and facilities are decorated with genuine paintings that cost a total of $1 million.  There is even a separate, two-bedroom house, where inmates can spend time with their families, during overnight visits.

Are Hoidal, the prison’s governor, said the Norwegian prison system focuses on human rights and respect, so he doesn’t see any of this as unusual. Well, people must live a great life in Norway, because if that thing was built where I’m from, criminals would literally line up to rob or stab you, for a chance to live there. Seriously, that thing looks a lot better than any hospital or college dorm I’ve ever seen.

via Time, photos via drugoi

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If you thought Miguelin, the giant baby at the Spanish pavilion was awesome, than the British pavilion’s Seed Cathedral will blow your mind.

By far the most popular structure, at the Shanghai Expo 2010, even before it was officially opened, the Seed Cathedral is a six storey high cube-shaped structure, pierced by 60,000 thin acrylic rods. Each 7.5 meter long rod sways at the slightest wind movement, adding the dramatic effect of the design.

Just like fiber optics, the acrylic rods draw in the light from the outside, and illuminate the inside. At night, the artificial light, on the inside, is projected to the outside, making the Seed Cathedral glow.

But Britain’s awe-inspiring building isn’t called Seed Cathedral, for no reason. On the inside, each rod has one or more seeds encased in it. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, this architectural wonder has already won the hearts of its visitors, who have nicknamed it “The Dandelion”.

Photos via QQ

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While other little girls were watching cartoons, or playing with Barbie dolls, Cecilia Cassini was reading fashion magazines and learning how to sew. Now, at 10 years of age, she’s already an established fashion designer for kids.

Cecilia Cassini, from Encino, California, began her career as fashion designer, when she was just 5 years old. She cut up her sister’s Betsy Johnson dress, when no one was looking, and adjusted it to her own design. For her 6th birthday, she received a sewing machine and began taking sewing lessons. At 7 years old, she wrote a letter to her favorite fashion designer, Coco Channel, for school, and designed her own logo, at 8.

It’s safe to say Cecilia was very creative, from an early age, but she got her big break last year, when her mother mentioned to a store owner that her daughter made dresses. During a trunk show, the fifth-grader sold 50 pieces. Things started happening, from there, and now Miss Cassini has her own manager, no other than Pilar DeMann, the woman behind the Kardashians’ rise to power.

Cecilia Cassini  and her fashion creations are becoming more and more popular, with each passing day, and she’s even opened up a cool-looking website, where people can check out and order her works. Another super-kid that’s going places, fast.

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After seeing photos of himself and another supercar he built, back in 1981, Henrik I. Matevossian, from Armenia, sent Yaplakal forum some newer photos of his home-made Maserati.

Matevossian, a passionate motorist, started this project in 1985, and changed the design several times, trying to make his car look more sporty. He had to do everything himself, and progress was pretty slow. The building process stopped after the fall of the Soviet Union and the Armenian car enthusiast resumed work after 2000. He finished his masterpiece in 2007.

The engine, gearbox and rear suspension came from a real 1984 Maserati V6 BiTurbo. This home-made supercar also features a Weber carburetor, control unit for the turbines, altered front suspension and the steering wheel of a Toyota.

Matevossian’s greatest sadness is that Armeniean law doesn’t allow him to drive his home-made Maserati outside national borders, so he can show the world his creation.

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