Custom Made Spalted Maple Box

I have made many things over the years; furniture, jewelry, breadboards, serving trays, light fixtures, wall hangings, sconces, sculpture and boxes. I spent over 30 years building log homes. My intent with log homes was always, as long as it was structurally sound, I'll build whatever you want. I was once accused of try to build a 3000 square foot cabinet, as I tend to be very picky. As long as the finished piece is safe, the customer has the final say. They are the ones who need to be happy.
On almost all the wood I use; I start with logs, mill them into slabs, stack them with spacers between the slabs for ventilation, cover them and let them dry for at least two years and then I can plane them. Only then can I finally see what the finished wood looks like. Because I mill the logs, almost all of my wood is from this area, where Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina come together. Milling logs is a lottery, as you never know what a particular wood will look like until you cut it. I have been pleasantly surprised by more than one log. By milling my own logs, I can often can get distinctive, unusual wood and species of wood that are not commercially available. It does limit what woods I use, but the benefits outweigh the limitations. Every tree I use was going to be cut down anyway.
I take a lot of time deciding on the wood to use for a project. There are many decisions to make: grain; color; figure, the artistic design of the wood, independent of the grain and if I'm using more than one wood, how they go together. Sometimes I highlight what some people would call a defect. If my project needs hinges, I make them out of wood, unless the design calls for something else. If my project needs exposed dowels, I make them. Wood is fascinating, as each piece is different. I try to get the most out of each piece of wood I use. I try to highlight the wood and make it the star. There is some of me in everything I make, so I take making something very seriously.
Sometimes I make things that do not have much wood in them but I am as particular about them as other things.
Depending on the item, it can take from one to several days to produce an item. If it is an order for something to be made, as opposed to getting an item that is already made, I will work with the customer to get what they want. Basically, my Mama taught me to treat others the way I wanted to be treated. It is the way I've lived my life to this point, so I see no reason to change.