As I create new treasures, my mind is always thinking about the 'next' thing that I can make. Not the next bowl, or the next box, but, what else in terms of completely new products. So, over the few years that I have been running the shop, I have made some interesting and unique things. Therefore I have created this gallery to share some of my favorites as well as some other nuggets...

Large Blue Whale Puzzle and Decor
This whale is one of my favorite and most popular Berkshire Bowls puzzles. As is the case with many of our puzzles it can also be used as room decoration when completed. Each piece in this puzzle is hand painted and coated with shellac for long lasting play. The puzzle is made out of 3/4 inch hardwood plywood which allows it to easily stand on a shelf, desk, nightstand or any other surface. The ply construction also makes it extremely rugged. These puzzles won't crack along grain lines.

Backhoe Puzzle and Decoration
What boys don't like a nice backhoe? We designed this puzzle with those kids in mind! Once again, this one is made from 3/4 hardwood plywood, handpainted with acrylic paints and finished with shellac. Like the whale above, this puzzle is also perfect for room decor. Berkshire Bowls puzzles are the perfect marriage of fun and education.
Chicago Skyline Wedding Guest Book
It seems as though a number of newlyweds are electing to go with a fun and unique guest registries at their weddings these days. I was approached about doing a puzzle of the Chicago skyline for just such an event. The couple wanted an all black background so that they could have their guests sign the puzzle pieces in a silver paint ink. This puzzle turned out to be 4' wide and 2' tall at its tallest point. The two sample pieces (in the sky) have silver writing on them which showed up perfectly. If you or someone you know is looking to have a guestbook puzzle made for their wedding, drop me a line! I loved doing this one and would welcome additional projects. Since mine are made to order, it doesn't have to be square and we can always talk about cool additions as well.

Birch Wine Glass
The idea of making a nice wine glass intrigued me. When you are making bowls all the time, there are certain parts of the tree that are pretty much useless. Unless I was making a VERY small bowl, a branch is often scrap. With the wine glass, I found a nice way to make use of much of the scrap from a tree. This is finished in a high gloss food safe finish.
Ash Rolling Pin
A friend of mine asked me to make a rolling pin. It was something I had never done before, but, I figured that it used a lot of the same skills that making a bowl or a box would use. This was the result of my first attempt. I do believe that this rolling pin is still used on a regular basis.
Unknown Wood Box
This is actually one of my all time favorites. I do try to make things out of nicely aged and seasoned wood, which often gives the wood some spalting (dark lines). I pulled this log off of my wood stove log pile thinking it might be birdseye maple. When I cut it up, it wasn't birdseye, but, was one of the most beautifully spalted logs that I had seen. I ended up making 3 boxes out of the log, this was the first.
Birch Wood Fish Jewelry Box
I went into a gift shop several years ago and was amazed at how one jewelry box was created. The techique was the same as I used years later on this piece. Again, made from some scrap wood, this box is cut in the shape of a little fish and finished with some felt inside the box. It is perfect for storing rings or any other keepsakes.
Unknown Wood Jewelry Box/Stash Box
This little jewelry box was made from another log I found on the wood pile. It was slated to be burned. I suppose I need to stop taking logs off of the log pile, I won't have anything to keep myself warm! In all seriousness, though, you never know what you are going to find out there. Seasoning often gives really nice patterns. This one ended up having a beautiful finish that was very glossy. It was also the first true 'spire' that I put on a box. I kind of thought it looked like a spade.
Spalted Maple Bowl
When you put the word out that you are turning wood and need stock, you find out who your true friends are. That was the case with the log used for this bowl. I have a friend that is a groundskeeper for a golf course. I must admit, he takes care of me. Whenever the course he is working at chops down a tree, he grabs anything that is of worth. The very first thing (several years ago) were a set of logs from a tree that had rotted and needed to be taken down. Rot=beauty in the world of wood. This is one of the bowls made from that log. Although the heartwood was tough to turn because it was so far gone, I made some spectacular pieces out of this wood!