announcing winners...

First place Jewelry box by Ken Nimmons

Last summer at Marc Adams School, my assistant Jerry and I announced an end of the year challenge box making contest in which students from the two classes were to submit boxes for judging by Jerry and I. My students in the first class asked that the two classes be judged separately because the second class was to "take boxes to the next level" and was intended  to engaged many of my former box making students in building upon the box making skills they had earned in an earlier class. So two first and two second place prizes have been awarded.

Second place, by Gil Fuqua

From the first class winners were Ken Nimmons and Gil Fuqua. and it was extremely difficult for us to choose between first and second place. Ken submitted photos of a jewelry box and Gil submitted photos of several boxes each well done.

First prize, second class Rich Herbert

From the second class we had to choose between Dan Burkes colorful and interesting boxes and wine presentation boxes made by Rich Herbert.  Herbert's wine boxes earned first place honors through his use of  inlay banding and the carefully designed interiors. It was fun for Jerry and I to assign prizes to well deserving work

Second prize, Dan Burke

Our first place award winners, Ken and Rich were each given shop made table saw tenoning jigs made by Jerry Forshee, along with a small box from my upcoming book and an x +/- 2 proportioning block made and signed by me. Our second place winners, Dan and Gil each received hand crafted tiny boxes and a signed proportioning block.

First prizes made by Jerry Forshee

So what is an x+/- 2 proportioning block? You can learn about it and how it can make your boxmaking easier and faster from my book Beautiful Boxes, Design and Technique, or attend one of my classes. My x +/- 2 blocks have a rare earth magnet on the back so it can be kept handy at the table saw and not be swept away with the scraps. Of course, you can use a 2 in. square piece of scrapwood to serve the same purpose. Make, you own! What a lovely idea!

Congratulations to our skilled winners!

I have been informed that my weeklong box making class at Marc Adams School still has just a few openings for this summer. Enroll now and plan to join in the fun at Marcadams.com

A tiny box and proportioning block

A couple years ago a writer did an article about my program at the Clear Spring School and suggested that since the magazine no longer keeps it on file where it can be read, that I scan it for the limited readership here in my blog. The article is called "Wise Hands" by Ragan Sutterfield, and can be downloaded here.

Make, fix, create, and extend to others the chance of learning likewise.