Portrait puzzle

SquirrelswithHammers — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:49:14 GMT

Old-school photography meets modern design and technology. This puzzle features a face from a 1930's photo etched into black acrylic. The puzzle itself is made of a number of pieces forming a continuos spiral. On its own, each piece seems very abstract and completely unrecognisable as part of a face. The juxtaposition of such an old image with modern techniques should make it a very original conversation piece. The puzzle comes with a circular baseboard with a raised rim to hold the pieces in place. The finished puzzle is approximately 37cm in diameter.

zen - the infinite puzzle

SquirrelswithHammers — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:48:17 GMT

I love puzzles, so solving them is usually bitter-sweet. Part of me wants the solution, and the other part never wants the challenge to end. Zen is different. It's designed to be a continuing challenge that doesn't end. A hexagonal game board provides a recessed surface in which to place 48 diamond-shaped tiles (there's over 140 tiles in the set). Each tile has one of six different patterns etched into its surface. No matter how you lay the tiles, the patterns and sides align, so unlike a traditional jigsaw puzzle, there's no 'wrong' move. There are a number of challenges with zen: 1. Work out how to get 48 tiles onto the board without leaving any triangular 'holes'. (fairly EASY for adults, though young kids may find this harder, and there's more than one solution) 2. Use the patterns on the tiles to make a larger symmetrical pattern filling the board. (a bit TRICKY, even for adults, though once your mind gets around some of the basic shapes, you'll soon be making stars, snowflakes, flowers, mazes and fields of cubes.) 3. Try and make one of the patterns in the zen design guide in under 5 minutes (TOUGH). 4. Make new patterns with differing types of symmetry. Because of the unique shapes in zen, the more you play with it, the more intriguing it becomes. You start to imagine new ways of laying and combining the tiles in order to create ever more complex patterns. The glossy nature of the black acrylic pieces makes zen a great coffee-table design piece you can actually interact with - or find an arty friend and challenge one another to see who can make the most beautifully complex pattern. A puzzle that gets more complex and fun the more you play.

SquirrelswithHammers - showroom of unique products for sale on Ponoko

Portrait puzzle

zen - the infinite puzzle