A spirited journey through the world of collectible artisan puzzles
Pairing craft cocktails with crafty puzzles
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
The Mouse’s Tale
Dr. Nightingale is so successful at creating puzzles that boggle and delight because he is drawn to elegant designs with a set of basic requirements that often may seem impossible to achieve. He prefers his designs to look very simple. He won the coveted “Puzzler’s Prize” at the International Puzzle Design Competition for both his “One Piece Packing Puzzle” and his “NOBOX” – two puzzles that don’t appear to be anything of the sort.
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!’
A Long Wait
It is not the premise that reality
Is solid. It may be a shade that traverses
A dust, a force that traverses a shade.
- Wallace Stevens
Cheshire Cat
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where –" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
Eat Me
Once of the more memorable scenes from Alice in Wonderland (and there are many) is her intrepid sampling of strange food and drink, each labeled with entreaties to try them. They lead to all sorts of occurrences and you would think that Alice would learn her lesson but there she goes again.
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!’
Humpty Dumpty
Over the next few weeks I’ll be taking you on an adventure down the rabbit hole. Many have heard tales of this fabled project, and it is time to celebrate the makers. It all begins at Christ Church, Oxford, in the afternoon on Jul 4, 1862.
Canfield-Shaker
I’m about to shake things up here at Boxes and Booze – figuratively, literally and otherwise.
Beer-Stein
“Beer, if drunk in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health.” – Thomas Jefferson
Reptile Box (Free Me 8)
Joe Turner comes from a big family – eight brothers and three sisters - and Christmas was always a challenge.
Dormouse Box
A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.
— Washington Irving, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
Apricot II
Should the east winds blow,
Carry to me the fragrance
Of apricot bloom;
And though your master is gone,
Never forget the springtime.
- Sugawara no Michizane
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.
Arbitrage Box
“arbitrage - the simultaneous buying and selling of securities, currency, or commodities in different markets or in derivative forms in order to take advantage of differing prices for the same asset”
Euklid for Nick
I'm "mixing it up" here at Boxes and Booze this week, with a surprise "Special Edition" of "Packing and Potions" in honor of that legend of logic, the duke of dissection, the grand poobah of puzzles, his royal highness of hi-jinks, yes, the one and only, Nick Baxter.
Tumbler
I’m flush with excitement about introducing this new designer to the world of puzzles and puzzle boxes. He’s got a pair, no, three of a kind of special puzzle design he invented during the quarantine downtime that are quite magical. Get them all and you’ll have a full house of clever items. Ok, let me get straight to the point here – these puzzles are aces.
