Boxes and Booze 12/3/16 Boxes and Booze 12/3/16

Button Box (BB)

Kyoko Hoshino of the Karakuri Creation Group makes her puzzle boxes distinct with her use of cloth and other materials in and on her boxes.

Boxes and Booze 11/26/16 Boxes and Booze 11/26/16

Open for Business

The “Open for Business” box was created by Peter Wiltshire, a cinematographer who resides in Canada. Usually busy directing the shots with his massive cameras and video equipment, Peter occasionally turns his considerable talents to woodworking.

Boxes and Booze 11/19/16 Boxes and Booze 11/19/16

Haleslock 2

The Haleslock 2 presents a striking contrast to its predecessor. The first lock was created from a standard solid brass ABUS padlock and had a single key attached to the shackle by a tamper proof ring.

Boxes and Booze 11/12/16 Boxes and Booze 11/12/16

Wish Cube

Close your eyes and make a wish. The world could use some good wishes right now, so this pairing seems timely. The “Wish Cube” is the product of two friends, two continents and some time to let the wish grow.

Boxes and Booze 11/5/16 Boxes and Booze 11/5/16

Illogical Box (Stickman No 19)

“True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing” – Socrates.

Boxes and Booze 10/29/16 Boxes and Booze 10/29/16

Spline Box 3

Eric Fuller is not Japanese, so these rules don’t apply to him – he prefers to make the exception the rule. Which is to say, he delights in making his puzzle boxes extremely difficult to open. And of course, we puzzle box partisans rejoice.

Boxes and Booze 10/22/16 Boxes and Booze 10/22/16

House Secret Box

The “Secret Box House” was created by the master craftsmen in Hakone, Japan, the cradle of yosegi marquetry woodwork and origin of the “himitsu-bako”, or secret box. The house is adorned with incredible yosegi details, including the bricks of the house, the chimney, and the shingles on the roof.

Boxes and Booze 10/15/16 Boxes and Booze 10/15/16

Salt and Pepper Shakers

The deviously puzzling Sandfield brothers, Robert and Norman, designed their Salt and Pepper Shakers to exchange at IPP 22 held in Antwerp in 2002.

Boxes and Booze 10/8/16 Boxes and Booze 10/8/16

Waterfall Box

Considered by many to be a master of the art, Kagen Sound (nee Schaeffer) crafts his artisanal puzzle boxes in Colorado using his mathematical mindset and wood working techniques usually reserved for fine musical instruments.

Boxes and Booze 10/1/16 Boxes and Booze 10/1/16

Autumn Box (Stickman No 10)

The Autumn Box by Robert Yarger takes on a more traditional rectangular prism (box) shape than many of his designs, yet remains one of his more beautiful creations thanks to the vibrant fall colors it features.

Boxes and Booze 9/24/16 Boxes and Booze 9/24/16

ReBanded Dovetail

The Sandfield’s ReBanded Dovetail was their IPP 32 exchange puzzle in 2012. Designed by Robert and Kathleen and crafted by Kathleen from light baltic birch plywood, walnut and lacewood, these little boxes feature a double dovetail on the ends and are wrapped tightly with double bands of shimmering lacewood.

Boxes and Booze 9/17/16 Boxes and Booze 9/17/16

Pirate’s Wallet (Stickman No 27)

What perfect puzzle awaits our picaroon pirates today? Why, it's the aptly named “Pirate’s Wallet”, created by none other than that Admiral of the Black, Robert Yaaaaarrrger.

Boxes and Booze 9/10/16 Boxes and Booze 9/10/16

Double Crossed Box

Leaving Oklahoma and the Stickman Cross Box, we make our way down to Texas (don’t mess with us) where we find another master of wooden puzzle madness named Randal Gatewood. He ups the ante with not one but two crosses, in his “Double Crossed” Puzzle Box.

Boxes and Booze 9/3/16 Boxes and Booze 9/3/16

Cross Box (Stickman No 12)

The Southern Cross (the constellation “Crux”) has been used to navigate the seas in the southern hemisphere for centuries, much like its friend the “North Star” in the other half of the world.

Boxes and Booze 8/27/16 Boxes and Booze 8/27/16

Tinker Box

The Tinker Box is a gorgeous piece of woodwork which requires 49 steps to reveal all three secret compartments. The main structure is made from beautiful leopardwood and gives the box a striking patterned appearance.

Boxes and Booze 8/20/16 Boxes and Booze 8/20/16

Snail Box (Creative Secret 1)

Sloeing things down a bit on the puzzling side as well, I present the “Snail” box, a collaborative effort from the Karakuri Creation Group.

Boxes and Booze 8/12/16 Boxes and Booze 8/12/16

Victorian Book

Appearing as though it were plucked from the shelf of an old library hidden away inside the musty mansion of some secret society, the “Victorian Book” puzzle box, by Jesse Born from New York State, exudes an instant air of mystery.

Boxes and Booze 8/6/16 Boxes and Booze 8/6/16

SMS Telephone Box

Brian is at it again with the “SMS Telephone” puzzle. I thought I would feature it this week in honor of that gathering I mentioned. You know, those “interesting, polite pals” of mine. It seems like as good a time as any to mention it, since it’s an “impossible, painful piece”.

Boxes and Booze 7/30/16 Boxes and Booze 7/30/16

Pachinko Box

Like pinball, with many tiny metal balls cascading their way down the playing field, pachinko is part arcade game, part casino game, and wildly popular in Japan.

Boxes and Booze 7/23/16 Boxes and Booze 7/23/16

Dragon Wing

Shiro Tajima, a former member of the Karakuri Creation Group, has created a series of Asian zodiac themed puzzle boxes over the years.

A spirited journey through the world of collectible artisan puzzles