Alex was printing Puzzle Batch #2 wallets back on September 8, 2007. Mid-day he asked me to go on a “supplies” run for him…by supplies I mean paint and tacos. Image below was my shopping list that day: 2 cans of Flat White Krylon, 1 can Gloss Red, 1 can 24k Gold Leaf Krylon and 1 can of Silver. I also ran to Por Que No Taqueria to pick up a batch of the best tacos in Portland for our lunch. The (5) Carne Asada tacos mentioned below were ALL for Alex…he told me, “Hey man, I can eat a lot…” when I questioned him about needing 5 tacos…apparently printing Puzzle pieces gets your appetite going. We both sat on db clay’s roof top, ate tacos and talked about life outside of wallets. I can’t decide if I love wallets or guacamole more…it is a toss up.
Each hand-printed Puzzle wallet we make is packaged up and shipped out of Portland as pictured below. Includes cool gray gift box, white tissue paper wrap and a small colorful insert card that explains the story behind each wallet. Surely a unique gift for him or her or both.
Tyler, who has the best handwriting of us all, individually numbered each wallet in this set of 500. Puzzle is also special in that each bill compartment is lined with golden orange satin. Version 3 is lined with black satin nylon.
Visit our pocket art gallery now and pick yur’ favorite piece out ya’ll.
Each member of the db clay Faculty got to recently pick out their favorite Puzzle wallet (their first pick prior to campaign launch). I chose piece #119 for myself- pretty white boots, slanted white stripes that make the wallet look like denim, gold/blood red splatters hand printed by Alex Steckly atop a large sheet of our navy blue, Patent Pending Gaffers Tape Canvas (see images of my new beauty, number OneNineteen below). I am not going to carry her I don’t think…I am going to put it on my mantle (once I get a place with a mantle). For now, it will go in my db clay memory box and I will pull it out in 30 years, smile, dust it off, reflect on year’s past and then I will pass it on to someone younger than me as an heirloom.
Hand printed sheets of db clay’s Patent Pending Gaffer’s Tape canvas pictured here- this is what the #119 art piece looked like before it was stitched into a wallet.
Mr. Diggles has been working diligently building our new Puzzle pocket art gallery- we finally and officially launched this morning! Leading up to launch, I was put in charge of documenting the Puzzle process and helping with Creative Direction of campaign. As a part of the process, I collected some of Alex’s Looks, Tools and Materials and posted them here.
Me wanted to give ya’ll a bit more Puzzle Preview before we officially launch this campaign- which will be soon, (very soon). Our Puzzle Batch #2 artist, Alex Steckly, screen printed the transparencies and designs pictured here.
Speaking of Steckly’s…Diggles, Tyler and me went out to Steve Steckly’s studio (Alex’s Dad) last Friday afternoon and we took photographs of all (500) one-of-a-kind wallets that Alex had recently painted. The photo shoot lasted about six hours: clicking and talking and loud music and picture taking…all for the Puzzle cause.
Me working on writing the copy for our upcoming Puzzle wallet campaign…so far this is what I have come up with:
Puzzle Batch #2
Puzzle is a one-of-kind collection of billfolds that was hand printed & painted, by db clay in Portland. No two wallets in this batch arrive the same & only 500 were freshly made (each is individually numbered as part of a set). Picture them as pocket art & happily carry accordingly.
How do you think this sounds thus far? To give you a frame of reference, this copy is going to be used for our website, marketing materials… as well as it is going to be printed on small paper insert cards tucked in each wallet when sold.
Remnants pictured above and Puzzle wallets pictured below, by Alex Steckly:
(500) one-of-a-kind/hand-printed wallets arriving late Holiday, 2007. Image above is a sneak preview of our upcoming Puzzle collection (some of the tools used). They are going to be hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot, etc. In the meantime, pick up a Version 3 to keep you back pocket company…
Or you can buy 
