Boxes and Booze 9/11/21 Boxes and Booze 9/11/21

Dabbit Invasion!

This story arguably starts back in 1892, in a German satire magazine called Fliegende Blätter (flying leaves / loose sheets), where the first published illustration of these ambiguous animals appeared with the caption “Rabbit and Duck”. Was it a rabbit, or a duck?

Boxes and Booze 7/3/21 Boxes and Booze 7/3/21

CORVI 2020

Of course everyone responds to a pandemic in their own way. If you happen to be an Australian dentist with lots of drills and no teeth in sight, you start dreaming about a virus puzzle.

Boxes and Booze 6/5/21 Boxes and Booze 6/5/21

Small Cabin

Benno de Grote has been tinkering with his puzzling ideas since he was a little boy, and despite limited access to materials and tools, has been able to produce quite a number of puzzle boxes which many will recognize.

Boxes and Booze 5/8/21 Boxes and Booze 5/8/21

Portal

According to Arthur C. Clarke, the Monolith ought to be an evolutionary accelerator. I’ve always thought of it as more of a “portal”. But it turns out that there is another portal, and perhaps all of this messing around in space ships has been a colossal waste of time. Why take the space highway when you can just teleport from point A to B in an instant?

Boxes and Booze 4/17/21 Boxes and Booze 4/17/21

EWE EFO

From the mischievous mind of Canadian woodworker and puzzlemaker Kelly Snache comes an absolutely interstellar space ship themed puzzle box that comes with its own silly story. Every community has its band of renegades, I suppose, and it seems that this rebellious group of ewes would rather rock the flock than sit around chewing grass all day. Something about a haircut spurred them on to road trip it into outer space aboard their stunning shiny “Ewe” Flying Object. I’m sure ewe ain’t seen nothing like it before.

Boxes and Booze 3/13/21 Boxes and Booze 3/13/21

Monolith

Just when I was beginning to get melancholy for having to say goodbye to Wonderland and head back through the looking glass to reality, aliens have landed to distract me. A giant silver monolith has appeared out of nowhere and may hold the secrets of the Universe, if only we are clever enough to decode them.

Boxes and Booze 3/6/21 Boxes and Booze 3/6/21

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

They were standing under a tree, each with an arm round the other’s neck, and Alice knew which was which in a moment, because one of them had “DUM” embroidered on his collar, and the other “DEE.” “I suppose they’ve each got ‘TWEEDLE’ round at the back of the collar,” she said to herself.

Boxes and Booze 2/13/21 Boxes and Booze 2/13/21

Queen of Hearts

Greek puzzle artist Mike Toulouzas creates some of the most interesting, beautiful and devious puzzles in the world. He has produced many types of puzzles, including interlocking take apart / put together designs, fiendish packing puzzles, and occasionally, a stunning puzzle box too. While he is technically a hobbyist wood worker, his skills are far superior to most mere mortals and he has won many international awards for his creations.

Boxes and Booze 1/23/21 Boxes and Booze 1/23/21

There Goes Bill!

“Oh! So Bill’s got to come down the chimney, has he?” said Alice to herself. “Shy, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn’t be in Bill’s place for a good deal: this fireplace is narrow, to be sure; but I think I can kick a little!” - Lewis Carroll

Boxes and Booze 1/9/21 Boxes and Booze 1/9/21

Rose Tree

A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, `Look out now, Five! Don't go splashing paint over me like that!’

Boxes and Booze 12/12/20 Boxes and Booze 12/12/20

Father William

‘I have answered three questions, and that is enough’

Said his father: ‘Don’t give yourself airs!

Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?

Be off, or I’ll kick you down-stairs!’

Boxes and Booze 11/7/20 Boxes and Booze 11/7/20

Reptile Box (Free Me 8)

Joe Turner comes from a big family – eight brothers and three sisters - and Christmas was always a challenge.

Boxes and Booze 10/17/20 Boxes and Booze 10/17/20

Champion

I’m unlocking a new edition of “Locks and Libations” this week to feature another fantastic creation from magician and inventor Eric Stevens. Let’s look at another one of his unusual, innovative and original ideas – a puzzle lock made entirely from playing cards.

Boxes and Booze 10/10/20 Boxes and Booze 10/10/20

Turtle Trip

Sometimes you get invited to the party, but you just can’t find your pants. So begins the premise for one of the most surprising (and good) puzzles of what has been one of the most surprising (and bad) years in recent memory. This puzzle is so good it will make you forget about 2020, for a little while. It’s a trip worth taking.

Boxes and Booze 9/18/20 Boxes and Booze 9/18/20

Sea Chest

Neverfear! I’ve just the thing for you, my boisterous Buccaneers, a treasure chest plundered by the Corsairs straight from Davey Jones Locker. How they came to acquire it, we shall never know, as dead men tell no tales.

Boxes and Booze 9/12/20 Boxes and Booze 9/12/20

Turing Box

“The difference between a cow and a bean is a bean can begin an adventure!” - Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods

Boxes and Booze 8/29/20 Boxes and Booze 8/29/20

Ansel

There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. – Ansel Adams

Boxes and Booze 8/22/20 Boxes and Booze 8/22/20

Lock Box

Do you like a box that locks?

Do you like a lock like box?

Yes, I like a box that locks

Yes, I like a lock like box

Yes, I like a lock like box that looks like lock of box that locks

Boxes and Booze 8/15/20 Boxes and Booze 8/15/20

Side Swiper

After investing so much time poring over the classics from twenty years ago it’s time for something new and refreshing. And speaking of investing, you can take this one to the bank. Or rather, from the “bank” – the Hughbank.

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

Donay Bottle

“I never see the glass half empty because I drink out the bottle” - Ellen DeGeneres

A spirited journey through the world of collectible artisan puzzles