After last week's launch that felt like the end of the work but wasn't, this week saw a launch that almsot didn't feel like one.

Making your own PCBs is something that, these days, isn't as hard or as expensive as it looks thanks to the hard work of the open source community who've made Kicad and services like OSHpark and JLC PCB who make ordering PCBs as easy (and about as cheap) as buying a book from Amazon.

A number of people in the DoES Liverpool community have asked me to run a workshop to help them get started with designing their own PCBs, and it's always languished as one of those never-quite-found-time-for-it projects. However, my mate Ross offered to help out with it a while back, as it would help his PhD. That introduced the all-important deadline and has given the project the impetus it needed.

I've still got some of the course notes to finish writing up, but there's now a date set and an Eventbrite page set up where you can sign up for the My First PCB course. Originally envisioned as an in-person course, we're obviously running it online now.

On the My Baby's Got LED board front I've continued prep for when the PCBs turn up. All of the parts have been ordered and have arrived; I've had a handful of sales already; and I've written up a guide to help non-makers work out which LEDs to buy to pair with their board. And Simon and I have been plotting what to do with all the Geometric Lights, now that we can power them individually.

The PCBs should turn up early this coming week, so with luck I'll be able to start shipping out boards not too long after. Combine that with our plans for the Geometric Lights and finishing off the PCB course, alongside the two-days-a-week air-quality consulting, and the next couple of weeks are looking rather busy.