Puzzle Monsters

Ok, so by now I've handed these out so it's safe to load the photos. I've never been one to build puzzles-oh, I've tried my hand at it, but they never turn out very well.  At least not well enough for me to give to someone else.  But today that all changed.  Not only did I make one, but I made 22 puzzles.  Well, not puzzles really, but puzzle monsters.
When we were in Taiwan, we saw these block cubes with googlie eyes on them.  I didn't ask the price, but took a photo as my brain had already started working the minute I saw them.  So why make these things?  Well, it's a Guangzhou weekend and I always receive gifts from the builders, but other than my friendship and a bottle of beer, I never return the favor.  I decided the minute I saw these things I had to make them for my friends across the border.
First I give you the lot of them that were completed on 3 January.  I still had a few more to go that night and finished them the following day. (This blog post was made before I left for China.  In fact, from the 4th day of Christmas I worked out how to prewrite a blog and schedule it for release!  Now how cool is that?)

Ok, so you really can't see all that much here except a bunch of cubes stacked on cubes.  So I'll explain them to you.  Most of them fit the personality of a friend. Or maybe they match something the receiver said to me on one of our weekends.  But I will say that each had a lot of thought and took me about 2 hours in the bead shop picking out bits for gluing on.  (Ok, maybe not the eyes, but all else really did take a long time and I need to go back tomorrow for those last 8)

So now I give you a few of the puzzle monsters.  Some with explanations, others I'm not going there...to protect the guilty....

First up: Smaz!  It looks like him doesn't it? I'm not saying anymore for fear of being alienated.

Da Yan, what he says goes.  (Self explanatory ha?)  I mean he even got me to go to a Karaoke club!

Mr. Fok, or Mf8. This guy holds the key to my puzzle addiction and my IPP exchange for this year...

Witeden.  He's a star.  And the thing on the top?  A tael.  Here's hoping he makes loads of $$ in the new year with all those puzzles he's got coming out.  (good luck charm if you will!)

Ok, so Ming gets two photos.  He's my angel when I go over there.  Any cubing thing in China and he 'watches over me'. He's been there to pick me up from the train, or has sent someone to do it.  He's great for carrying my puzzle bags and a whole lot more!

Tom!  Tom!  Tom!  A man after my own heart.  I think he's my brother from another mother.  What more can I say?
When I return I'll post photos and a trip report.  I hope you enjoyed my little puzzle monsters.