+The Puzzler Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 There seems to be a tremendous fondness among forum writers for home or hand-made GeaCache swag. Frankly, I concure. Out of pure poverty and personal obsession, I started making serialized wire and string puzzles, and more recently puzzle cards to place in caches as signature items. My orignial idea with puzzles was that most people, after solving them, eventually quit playing with them, so putting them back in a cache after a few hours, days, or even years of playing with them would make sense and make puzzles a very nice hitchiker type trade item. I will try and get some pitures together to show off my puzzles to others, but, I am even more intereseted in seeing what other people have come up with as trade items that they themselves make. I wonder, if I made a long enough cache container, would El Diablo maybe put place one of those fine walking sticks in it for trade? Quote Link to comment
+El Diablo Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 I wonder, if I made a long enough cache container, would El Diablo maybe put place one of those fine walking sticks in it for trade? If you make it very difficult to find, say a level 5. BTW...the container would have to be at least 60 inches. El Diablo Quote Link to comment
+Robespierre Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Speaking of which, El D., I saw the Karma Stick last week, just a bit south of Lake Erie. Very nice. First of yours I've seen. In the hands of BlandBrownDog. I hand paint my butterflies when I can find the type, but I don't make 'em. I sometimes make some pretty nice dollhouses out of cardboard...yep, you heard it right, but they take weeks, and I haven't done one for a long time, and they wouldn't fit. Quote Link to comment
+The Puzzler Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 If you make it very difficult to find, say a level 5. BTW...the container would have to be at least 60 inches. Hmm. You've got me thinking now . . . a 5' long PVC tube camoflaged as a . . . placed in an area worthy of using a walking stick to get to . . . hmmm. Oops. Off topic . . . Quote Link to comment
rebapac Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 I use a scroll saw to make clocks, wall pockets, Christmas tree ornaments and a myriad of other stuff. With the scrap wood I have lft over, I saw out little animal shapes or other small things that are ideal, in my mind, for putting into caches. In fact, I have made up a cache to place in the near future and named it, "The Wooden Menagerie." It is filled with wooden teddy bears, an eagle, a sea horse, a quail and more. I'm really looking forward to the responses I get in the log. As for finding handmade items in the caches I have found there has been a wooden heart and several painted rocks. Those are neat and I admire anyone who can paint a cartoon face that small. Quote Link to comment
+LthrWrk Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 If you aint figured this yet.. LthrWrk .. Leather Work.. I fiddle at making leather items. I have considered and made several different items. Though each of them will have one thing in common. Your gonna have to find out what those are I aint telling. This weekend.. I will be placing some leather items into caches.. Since I am brand spankin new at this. Will be easily recognized.. useful to just about everyone. Since they are going to be leather.. I might use vacuum sealing packaging since I hear some caches get wet. Charles Mount Vernon, WA Quote Link to comment
+Etrex Pirate Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Using the Pirate theme I created about 20 2" square "GEO Tokens". I used Oak, stained them, placed Pirate themed artwork on them, burnt the edges, glued the artwork on the laquered them. I spent some time creating them thinking they would be a hit. They sat in the caches I placed them in for a long time and I thought I had wasted my time. Then they all kinda got picked up pretty quickly. I have been waiting for the tempurature to cool down in my area since it has been in the mid 90's for a long time and now that it has cooled down I plan on placing more as I return to caching. Quote Link to comment
+webscouter. Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Using the Pirate theme I created about 20 2" square "GEO Tokens". I used Oak, stained them, placed Pirate themed artwork on them, burnt the edges, glued the artwork on the laquered them. I spent some time creating them thinking they would be a hit. They sat in the caches I placed them in for a long time and I thought I had wasted my time. Then they all kinda got picked up pretty quickly. I have been waiting for the tempurature to cool down in my area since it has been in the mid 90's for a long time and now that it has cooled down I plan on placing more as I return to caching. I'd love to find one of your tokens. Quote Link to comment
+Anonymous' Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Using the Pirate theme I created about 20 2" square "GEO Tokens". I used Oak, stained them, placed Pirate themed artwork on them, burnt the edges, glued the artwork on the laquered them. I spent some time creating them thinking they would be a hit. They sat in the caches I placed them in for a long time and I thought I had wasted my time. Then they all kinda got picked up pretty quickly. I have been waiting for the tempurature to cool down in my area since it has been in the mid 90's for a long time and now that it has cooled down I plan on placing more as I return to caching. Those are pretty cool. Quote Link to comment
Captain Chaoss Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 My orignial idea with puzzles was that most people, after solving them, eventually quit playing with them, so putting them back in a cache after a few hours, days, or even years of playing with them would make sense and make puzzles a very nice hitchiker type trade item. Thats really good thinking ! I like that idea. Personally, I make clay (Sculpey) coins as a sig item. Not sure how popular they are with most people, but a few have been excited over them. I personally am not into trading UNLESS there is a sig item in the cache. Some of the ideas listed here are really good, and would be great to find. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment
+MrCOgeo Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Well these aren't exactly homemade, except I did create all the graphics on my "home" computer. These are my sig-items, my official MRCOGEO GeoToken. I love the idea of making up some Sculpey geocoins though! (Shameless Sig-Item plug follows) Quote Link to comment
+The Puzzler Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 I hope this works. This is a picture of some of the various puzzles and "Puzzler Cards" that I have distributed over the last year or so. It's fun to see how the information cards and quality of components have improved over time from the top left to the bottom right. The three cards along the bottom are some of the Puzzler Cards which aim to provide an interactive signature card. Quote Link to comment
+Etrex Pirate Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 The Puzzler, They look like very interesting puzzles . If I saw one I would definately trade for it. I like that you included directions with each of them. I started another batch of my Geo Tokens today. I start a two week vacation this week so I should have time to finish them and do some caching. Quote Link to comment
+The Puzzler Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 I like that you included directions with each of them. Actually, I'm not that kind. The only instructions are what goal of the puzzle is and to enjoy the puzzle and put it back in a cache when you tire of it (if you do) either in a few hours, days, months, or years. They are numbered so that some day I could track them and people could log what they thought about them and whether they solved them or not. But alass, I do not have the time to put into setting up a tracking page at this point in my life. A couple of the puzzles are pretty easy. A couple are absolutely brutal. And, I like collecting tokens like yours also. Don't get discouraged. Flood the world with them. Then, just maybe I'll find one along the way. Quote Link to comment
+joefrog Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 (edited) I make the coveted "Joefrog's Famous Marshmallow Guns" and place them in caches that are worthy and are big enough to house them! I also leave some wooden items occasionally. The "Last Man" peg games, tic-tac-toe, and an occasional FTF prize of one of my wooden clocks. These are rare finds! Check out Frog Prince Designs for an example of my clocks. Not shown are some of my newer burl clocks: Edited October 4, 2004 by joefrog Quote Link to comment
+YuccaPatrol Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 I was lucky enough to find one of joefrog's famous marshmallow guns on one of my first cache hunts. Very cool and unique item! Quote Link to comment
FisherBear Posted October 5, 2004 Share Posted October 5, 2004 We make little clay bear figures in various themes. We've had tons of different ones...a pirate, a cowboy, a hockey player, etc....here's some photos Quote Link to comment
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