May/June 2002

Out-of-the-box boxes

Keep prized seashells or favorite trinkets safe at hand in any of these unusual boxes, which are works of art themselves. They make great hostess and thank-you gifts, too. All can be purchased in Captiva or Sanibel shops and galleries.

NAUTICAL TREASURES
Old World Creations of Ft. Lauderdale creates this eye-catching, blue-and-white stained-glass box with an anchor design. Nature Crafts of USA makes square, wooden boxes that feature brightly colored birds, flowers, sea turtles, or fish. All are available at The Confused Chameleon. The Confused Chameleon, 11528 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva, 239/472-0560.

FOR KEEPSAKES
Jessie Raynor, owner of Captiva Cottage Flowers & Fine Gifts and the newly opened Maddison & Me shop, knows you’ll be captivated by these lovely little boxes from Gratitude of Aurora, New York. Made of high-density paper, the pastel-colored boxes are decorated with prints of hand-painted flowers and teacups, hearts, roses, daisies, peonies, violas, lilies of the valley, or hydrangeas. “Some boxes are empty, some have enclosure cards, and others are favor boxes geared toward weddings because they contain a sweet little saying on vellum paper,” Raynor notes. Captiva Cottage Flowers & Fine Gifts, 11500 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva Island, 239/395-0354; Maddison & Me, Chadwick’s Square, Unit 220, Captiva Island, 239/395-8777.

PRETTY PUZZLERS
Costa Rican hardwood puzzle boxes are popular items at The Tree House. The cleverly made boxes feature such designs as wentletrap shells, turtles, or parrots. “What’s great about them is that they’re real boxes but are puzzles, too,” explains employee Loretta Boyce. The Tree House, Olde Sanibel Shoppes, 630 Tarpon Bay Road, Suite 10, Sanibel Island, 239/472-1850.

CRAFTY CONTAINERS
Kelly Murphy has operated Kelly’s Cocoons on Captiva for 17 years and opened a Sanibel store last year. Recently, Murphy’s shops began carrying unique little wooden boxes handcrafted by her sister, artist P.J. Look of Jacksonville Beach. Look paints hearts, butterflies, or sea life scenes on the boxes and personalizes some with “Captiva.” Many have perforated tin insets in the top. Kelly’s Cocoons, 2496 Palm Ridge Road, Suite D, Sanibel Island, 239/395-0422 or 230 Chadwick’s Square, Unit 230, Captiva Island, 239/472-8383.

LEAF MOTIF
This aptly named Be Leaf in Nature line of elegant golden-green, leaf-motif stacking boxes comes from Majoco of Japan. The Mole Hole of Sanibel Island, Inc. also carries matching Be Leaf in Nature coasters and photograph frames. The Mole Hole of Sanibel Island, Inc., Olde Sanibel Shoppes, 630 Tarpon Bay Road, Suite 4, Sanibel Island, 239/472-2767.