LumberJocks

Eye Candy

Project by Andy posted 217 days ago 4382 views 53 times favorited 105 comments Add to Favorites Watch

This won First place in the Fine Woodworking “Scraptacular”contest.
See it here http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/25618/scraptacular-contest-winners-announced

And Third place in the LJ contest.
See it here http://lumberjocks.com/awards/winter_2010/results/12

This was not as easy as it looks :-)
But it was fun to do.
I am taking artistic liscense with the Yin Yang guidelines of the contest. I am using strong contrasts to draw the eye to all areas of the box and make the viewer draw a conclusion.
So I started by making the basic box and then added the fat corner spline to the lower right front just to add some visual tension, to mix things up a little. It was intended to draw attention and add a whimsical feel to this box. The Fat Boy spline is a banded inlay, just strips of maple, bloodwood and wenge of varying thicknesses, fitted in tight and sanded flush, then the maple box body was sanded away which gives it the raised look. Then I started making the candies and played with several styles, discarding many, most of the small piece of wood I had intended to use, and which started this entire project rolling, didnt work after all. It was too random of a pattern of candy sizes and colors, and almost impossible to fit in the tray neatly and even harder to look at. So I started over, making all new candies and after a few weeks things started to come together. But then other bits of life happened along and this had to wait about 6 weeks. A recent trip to Disneyland, last November was one of those things that happened along, and it had an influence on the shaping and overall feel that this box evokes. I am not really copying anything in particular I saw while I was in the Park…its just more of a feeling…happy and contented I guess.
I wanted this box to look fun, if thats possible :-)

I came up with this concept several months back. You see, like most woodworkers, I too had been saving the small cut offs of many types of woods, some even having inlays in them and they reminded me of a bag of Allsorts licorice. They were too small to do anything with, but I kept hording them anyway, knowing something would come to mind. Thats when the candy dish idea started forming, but I wasnt sure how to proceed.

The box has very deep sculpting, the 3/4’’ sides are down to about 1/4’’ thick in a few places.
It is so easy to get carried away with the shaping, I was getting close to sanding through and exposing the edge of the bottom panel.

Update Sunday 7 pm: I posted 4 more photos and will add a few more with a little info in the comments section below.
Thanks for reading,
Andy

-- " If I can make it, so can you" Andy in Oregon


105 comments so far

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

37609 posts in 757 days


#1 posted 217 days ago

Wow Andy
How can you top yourself like this . This is eye candy amazing seems to be your norm. Thanks for all the great projects you share with us.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture maker, Riddle Oregon

View TopamaxSurvivor's profile

TopamaxSurvivor

6441 posts in 855 days


#2 posted 217 days ago

Looks fantastic! I wanted to eat those M&Ms on the front :-))

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

View Vince's profile

Vince

319 posts in 609 days


#3 posted 217 days ago

Very cool

-- Vince

View Ihor's profile

Ihor

50 posts in 587 days


#4 posted 217 days ago

Amazing and fun :).

-- ^_^ Zero education... zero experience... - that's me...^_^

View janice's profile

janice

695 posts in 605 days


#5 posted 217 days ago

You should be happy and content! That is just amazing! I don’t get it and never will. I love the lid and how it sits inside. You guys just amaze me with your boxes!

-- Janice

View woodworm's profile

woodworm

12410 posts in 770 days


#6 posted 217 days ago

Superb box.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

View YorkshireStewart's profile

YorkshireStewart

843 posts in 1081 days


#7 posted 217 days ago

You go from strength to strength Andy. Simply exquisite!

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

15538 posts in 1340 days


#8 posted 217 days ago

look easy?? To whom???
wonderful creation. Definitely a whole bunch of stuff happening that all contributes to the whole. Well done.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View degoose's profile

degoose

3663 posts in 534 days


#9 posted 217 days ago

Wow and one more wow from Rick..

-- Drink twice... and don't bother to cut... @ larrysworkshop.wordpress.com

View hunter71's profile

hunter71

432 posts in 366 days


#10 posted 217 days ago

A lot more fun to make things “for fun” than for profit. Very cool!

-- A childs smile is payment enough.

View bigike's profile

bigike

2262 posts in 468 days


#11 posted 217 days ago

nice now u have chocolate and candy it goes together. the other box u made look like a candybar and this one looks like a dish full of candy i just want to eat them up they both look so saweeeeeeeeet.

-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop, http://www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com

View Loucarb's profile

Loucarb

1741 posts in 625 days


#12 posted 217 days ago

I’m with MsDebbie that sure doesn’t look easy to me. That is a fantastic piece, the design the wood, everything. Well done.

View shopdog's profile

shopdog

130 posts in 665 days


#13 posted 217 days ago

Andy,

Outstanding!!! I usually prefer symmetry, but I love it anyway.
It makes me want to snatch it from the computer monitor, so that I can touch it, open it, and explore all the details. 2 photos just aren’t enough.

If it wasn’t easy for you, it’s near impossible for me.
I’ve been meaning to build an “Andy” box. I need to get some more wood.

-- Steve-- http://www.urbanexteriors.biz

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

26004 posts in 1002 days


#14 posted 217 days ago

Andy, this is a wonderful box. And a great use of those scraps that we just can’t seem to throw away.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View scrappy's profile

scrappy

3198 posts in 610 days


#15 posted 217 days ago

Fantastic piece of art! (or is it pieces?)haha Wonderfull design. Lots of attention to detail. Great wood combos and wonderfull use of scraps.

Your talent is astounding. Keep up the inspireing work.

Scrappy

-- Scrap Wood's the best...the projects are smaller, and so is the mess!

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

4208 posts in 1159 days


#16 posted 217 days ago

Hi Andy,

As easy it looks? Which must mean it is next to impossible, because to me, it sure doesn’t look easy.

Great job Andy, It’s beautiful. Both the design and workmanship is beautiful.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

View Maveric777's profile

Maveric777

890 posts in 256 days


#17 posted 217 days ago

Wow!

-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.

View mtkate's profile

mtkate

1606 posts in 505 days


#18 posted 217 days ago

That looks really tough to do – the result is wonderful. The finish really gives that feeling of hard candy.

View motoman's profile

motoman

37 posts in 531 days


#19 posted 217 days ago

Great work Andy.Seems each one is more amazing then the last.You’ve got my vote and good luck in the contest.

-- Walnut,Muskies and campfires what more could you ask for. Mike

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

1783 posts in 1062 days


#20 posted 217 days ago

Great work Andy. This is just stunning.
Glad you made the deadline,
Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View jayjay's profile

jayjay

641 posts in 225 days


#21 posted 217 days ago

I wish I could build stuff 1/2 that nice. That is absolutely a masterpiece.

-- ~Jason~ , Albuquerque NM

View Qmoney's profile

Qmoney

1171 posts in 431 days


#22 posted 217 days ago

Andy you the man. Wow your box looks totally awesome. You do marvelous work. Outstanding job.

-- Monty Q, Columbia, South Carolina.

View nmkidd's profile

nmkidd

678 posts in 352 days


#23 posted 217 days ago

Awesome…....Doesn’t look to easy to me….....it would take me the rest of this year just to figure out how to do something like this…......great job!!!

-- Doug, New Mexico.......the only stupid question is one that is never asked!........don't fix it, if it ain't broke!

View Leroy5's profile

Leroy5

47 posts in 231 days


#24 posted 217 days ago

I love it. I have never seen anyone “marbleize” wood the way you did on the lid handle. You can bet I’m going to do that on something soon.

-- Leroy

View blockhead's profile

blockhead

920 posts in 488 days


#25 posted 217 days ago

Andy, you did it again! Each little piece screams, look at me! All of the inlays are fantastic and the wood combos as well. The shaping shows off the maple wonderfully and is a perfect background for the candy. This one is going to be hard to beat. Another stunner!

-- Brad, Oregon- Wood, it's what's for dinner.

View Olaf Gradin's profile

Olaf Gradin

65 posts in 1019 days


#26 posted 217 days ago

It looks sticky! Really nice piece of eye candy you’ve made here. How tedious was it to sand out the box body? Did you gouge it out first, or is it all shallow enough to warrant sanding only?

-- It takes a viking to raze a village. &mdash Blog'r: http://www.gradin.com

View Dale J Struhar Sr's profile

Dale J Struhar Sr

77 posts in 310 days


#27 posted 217 days ago

Another great box. Beautiful!

-- Dale, Ohio

View whitedog's profile

whitedog

317 posts in 637 days


#28 posted 217 days ago

another outstanding piece… you’ve made all of the other contest contestants nervous now.

everything about the box is great, i like the corner splines , the top ones got kinda close and the fat one perfect

-- Paul , Calfornia

View Dennis Zongker's profile

Dennis Zongker

1393 posts in 772 days


#29 posted 217 days ago

Very cool! I love your style of box making! It looks good enough to eat. Great job, Andy.

-- Dennis Zongker

View stefang's profile

stefang

4206 posts in 514 days


#30 posted 217 days ago

Andy I wasn’t too sure what I was seeing in the small picture, but when I clicked to see the project and got a good look I got the feeling I wanted to stand up and applaud! This is absolutely fabulous! Congratulations on this fantastic box. It sings!!!

-- Mike, American in Norway - Do it the fun way

showing 1 through 30 of 105 comments

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