MEMPHIS —
You never know what you’re going to get when you open a bottle of wine, and if you get it from Dana Rainville, you’re sure to be in for a surprise.
Rainville, 45, is the creator of the PuzzBott, a wine-shaped bottle with a personalized jigsaw puzzle inside. She was born and raised in New Castle before moving to Memphis a little more than a year ago.
While recovering from a back injury, she used the down time to create a “message in a bottle” gift. She said it took a little more than four years to figure how to create it.
“It’s pretty much like a greeting card on steroids,” she said.
Inside the bottle is a personalized message cut into puzzle-pieces. The puzzle is then wrapped in tissue paper and put into the bottle. After the creation, Rainville will put customized labeling on the gift and shrink-wrap it for customers.
“In a special order, I’ll put the person’s name on the labels,” she said.
She said it’s the perfect gift for weddings, receptions and retirements. She also said the gift is a great marketing product and fits perfectly into gift baskets and flower arrangements.
“I had a lady call and ask if I could make three graduation PuzzBotts for her,” she said. “I wrote some poems for them, made the puzzles up and got the PuzzBotts to her and she asked for one for a teacher as well.”
Vicki Benton, owner of Benton Fine Jewelry in downtown Jeffersonville, said the product was a great idea and customers are attracted to it.
“It catches your eye when you walk in the store,” she said.
“It’s a very nice way to present a message,” Lana Aebersold, owner of Aebersold Florist, said. She said the gift is a novel product and plans to put it on her website.
The first PuzzBott was created in May and the demand for the personalized gift has increased. Within less than three months, Rainville has managed to get her products sold in more than 10 Kentuckiana retailers. She also said product demand is quickly growing and hopes to get the product in the hands of more retailers soon.
Soon, the PuzzBott will be sold outside of the area. With the help of her brother, she’s managed to fine-tune the product. She also is looking into larger manufacturing opportunities and having a website professionally developed in order to reach a larger audience.
Many clients enjoy the unique appeal of the gift. According to Rainville, women particularly love it.
“I’ve seen some women become giddy about it,” she said.
Women like the idea of giving someone a unique personalized gift they’ve probably never seen before she said.
Anyone interested in purchasing a PuzzBott can visit www.puzzbott.com, or stop by local retailer such as Aebersold Florists, Benton Fine Jewelry or Traditionally Yours. You can also e-mail her directly at dana@puzzbott.com
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Related Photos
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Dana Rainville, creator of PuzzBott, speaks at Benton Fine Jewelry in downtown Jeffersonville recently. The Memphis resident invented the unique gift, which contains messages in a bottle in puzzle form. The product is being sold at area retailers. Photo by Matthew Chinn Photo by Matthew Chinn
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A closeup view of PuzzBott. Photo by Matthew Chinn Photo by Matthew Chinn
Discussion
Message in a bottle
Memphis woman creates unique gift with PuzzBott
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