Edge of Chaos by Niraja Lorenz (Hope Puzzles)

Read More

Ammonite by Nervous System

I had so much fun with this one! Ash and I (and even Michele) worked on it on Sunday and I carefully transported it back home, reassembled the parts that didn’t make it, panicked because I forgot there were a lot of pieces still in the box, and finished it off today. Fun! 117 pieces, […]
Read More

“Sanctuary” (PuzzleMonk)

Another lovely little hand-cut jigsaw via Hoefnagel, this one from PuzzleMonk, out of Wisconsin. 162 pieces, paired with the midcentury xmas poodle I finished yesterday. Trying to track down more info about the art, I found that it has been used in other puzzles — here, for instance, a 750 piece puzzle from “Crystals & […]
Read More

small midcentury poodle christmas handcut

This was an adorable small (79 pieces, approximate postcard dimensions) handcut puzzle from Hoefnagel, labeled “mystery hand-cut puzzle”. No image came with it, but it assembled easily, with good chunks of color. The image was of course right up my alley — midcentury modern with a poodle! Plus, seasonally appropriate. I wish I knew who […]
Read More

Darcie Reflected by Daria Hlazatova (Liberty)

“Darcie Reflected”, image by Daria Hlazatova, puzzle by Liberty — big puzzle! 607 pieces, 19×12.75″. This was from Hoefnagel …. Boy, this puzzle really kicked my ass. Red, and black, and lots of eyes … and mirrored (not exactly) left to right. Lots of fun whimsies — various human figurals, bats, snakes, and of course […]
Read More

Firefly Party eeboo mini

eeboo mini “Firefly Party“, Ash and Michele.
Read More

Wentworth Japanese Maple mini

Such a pretty image, this “Japanese Maple” (art by Moises Levy) from Wentworth. Ash and I knocked off the 40-piece version in just a few minutes, and appreciated the tree-themed whimsies as well as the art. I wanted to find out more about the artist and these works — photograph, digitally manipulated, I guess? His […]
Read More

Papercut Partridge

From Puzzle Lab, “Papercut Patridge”, a winter scene puzzle based on art (“Journey to the Light”) by Morgana Wallace. Lots of line-cutting made this one pretty challenging. Description: Take off into a dreamy holiday winterscape as you piece together this intricate line-cut puzzle featuring a festive papercut piece by Victoria-based artist Morgana Wallace. Morgana’s medium […]
Read More

Puzzle Lab, Mandala 1

Another puzzle Ash and I did today — the pieces were so loose until the very end, that it was a kind of torture. Still, the image and colors were lovely, and it definitely required some concentration and was both fun and satisfying. There was no way we were going to be able to flip […]
Read More

Fool’s Gold “Purrformance”

A fun little hand-carved cat puzzle from Fool’s Gold, with art by Kitty Bigelow. Ash and I did it together – it moved quickly with color and shape matching, and made a lovely shape. Cut by David Beffa-Negrini — I think they all are?
Read More

Basis Wood “Evolution”

A second puzzle from “Basis Wood” in Ukraine, via the Hoefnagel Puzzle Club. This puzzle reminded me of the two I’ve done by Victory Puzzles — thinnish pieces that felt more like board game pieces, and a very retro image. I wonder if this actually *is* a retro, possibly public domain image, from the era […]
Read More

Basis Wood “Tree”

Well, I was not expecting this! A layered, shaped tree …. Definitely required attention to the color gradation in each chunk of branches. Layers is probably not the right term. The puzzle is 3-dimensional, in that different sections have different thicknesses — four in total. The trunk and branches are all pretty thin, and the […]
Read More

Desert Owl by Shachi Kale (Hidden Piece)

My first puzzle by Hidden Piece Puzzles — “Desert Owl” by Shachi Kale. Loved the art — beautiful, with wonderful colors and patterns — and really enjoyed the cut. The uneven border was done really well. The whimsies were fun — not too overwhelming, and all thematically appropriate. There were a bunch of cacti, and […]
Read More

Crafthub “Cat Inspired by Klimt”

I have seen this “inspired by Klimt” description before and I … wonder about it. Regardless, this was beautifully colored and printed, and had a plenitude of (somewhat random) whimsies. The second in a batch of CraftHub puzzles I bought — CraftHub is one of the vendors of Chinese cut puzzles. No artist, no cutter, […]
Read More

Puzzle Lab “Adventure Awaits”

“Adventure Awaits”, art by Ella Mazur, puzzle by Puzzle Lab. 300 pieces. Loved the image. The large central hot air balloon was an interior puzzle. The cut also included a hot air balloon, which was cool — sort of a multi-piece whimsy. The pieces were light, and felt almost charred. Something to get used to. […]
Read More

Elephantaisy by André Sanchez (Heye 1000)

“Elephantaisy” by André Sanchez, part of the “Fauna Fantasies” series from Heye. This one was steady puzzling, lots of patterns. I ended up slogging through about 75 pieces of leaves at the bottom left of the image, which was probably the most tedious part. Otherwise I had a good time!
Read More

Spooky Halloween – Nautilus

Finished the “Spooky Halloween” puzzle by Nautilus. Art by Finchley Paper Arts / HVC Licensing Group (was this AI-generated, I wonder?). Nautilus doesn’t specify the cut designer. Anyway, I enjoyed the whimsies, and the subject matter, and the overall work. (Okay — Even though I enjoyed it, actually I was a little bothered that the […]
Read More

Fool’s Gold, “Moose and Moon”

I loved this little puzzle – it went fast. There wasn’t a lot of color, but the pattern areas were quite distinct, and the puzzle pieces were distinct, and together they solved quickly. The puzzle fit together rather tightly. The print was peeling off (already) in one corner of one piece. Artist is Kitty Bigelow. […]
Read More

Ravensburger “The Reading Room”

A “cozy crowded space” with books kind of puzzle. Satisfyingly cozy. “Ravensburger No. 80 104” — Copyright Eduard, Artist, licensed by MGL. I liked this description: Historically, Reading Rooms were often found in towns and villages and were places where residents could read books and periodicals of the day. The British Museum boasts one of […]
Read More

Nancy Drew (Cobble Hill 1000)

I really enjoyed this collage of Nancy Drew book covers. Very relaxing!
Read More