About my ratings

Perhaps because of my day job, I'm a tough rater. Everything 3/5 and above I consider worth the time and money. If I purchase on Etsy or a similar platform and the puzzle is as expected, I will give a top rating on the platform because of how seller ratings work, but here "as expected" is probably a 3/5 in most cases.

Friday, March 31, 2017

Puzzlemonk, Dragon

67 pieces--but so beautiful I couldn't resist.  3/5
starting out

a lot of the way there

all done

Nikolyaa, Stocklet Pallas (Klimt)

I'm not sure what to call this puzzle creator; I'm using the eBay seller name. This is laser-cut particleboard (I believe), so it's not the full wood experience, but I found the cut interesting enough to rate this relatively highly anyway. 4/5
starting out

closeup on pieces

a lot of progress

finished

Friday, March 24, 2017

Sanctuary, Puzzlemonk

162 pieces, another beauty.  5/5
starting out

assembly of parts

all done

Otodoworks, Boothbay Lighthouse

Wow--hand-cut quality at the Stave level, with beautiful cuts including trick internal edges, though no whimsies. Lovely. 5/5
starting out

complete

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Wild Horses, Puzzlemonk

285 pieces.  Lovely colors and cutting, as always.  5/5
starting out

horse whimsies and a wanderer

progress

all done

close up on intricate cut

Stave, Aromatherapy

Beautiful flowers--my favorite kind of Stave, where you have to figure out the interactions without even a frame.  9/10
starting out

a bit of progress

all done

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Alex Beard, Impossible wood puzzle

317 pieces.  I don't like to blog the real misfires--the "wood" puzzles that are ill-cut and nearly paper-thin.   This one I'm just mentioning as a consumer advisory. Not only was it poorly cut, the frame didn't even fit together--as far as I could tell, the image actually overlapped on the two non-fitting pieces. How does that even happen?
like push-fit, but less fun

not even close

M.C. Escher, Day and Night

700 pieces. No manufacturer, but if I had to guess, it looks and feels like an Optimago. I like Escher prints, which make especially good puzzles. 5/5
starting out
more progress
and more
all done

Regal, reversible puzzle

300 pieces, hand-cut. Really neat to have different pictures on each size--so unusual for a wooden puzzle. 4/5
starting out

mostly done

side 1

side 2

Monday, March 20, 2017

Interior of St. Peter's, Rome, Giovanni Paolo Panini

Liberty, 547 pieces + 1 (extra piece, not quite matched).  Muted colors provided most of the challenge; it was neat to see little figures emerge from the gloom. 3/5

starting out

done

closeup on the extra piece

Here it is again

Poppycock, Stave

135 pieces.  Very pretty!  7/10



Friday, March 17, 2017

Vera, Reflets dans le port

750 pieces (3 missing). Always sad to have a puzzle with missing pieces, though it's a hazard when you buy a vintage puzzle.  This style is nearly push-fit, with minimal interlocks but a lot of curves to fit one piece partially inside another.  I didn't enjoy it as much as full interlock, but it definitely was different.  3/5
starting out

progress

mostly done
all done (except for missing pieces)

CrowPrints, blue china

210 pieces. Thick, blocky pieces, well cut and well fitting, with a picture whose colors presented a bit of a challenge. 3/5
starting out

mostly there

all done

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Puzzlemonk, Whirlpools

178 pieces.  So intricate and clever!  I love Escher images as puzzles.  5/5
starting out

complete

Stave Valentine treat and Black Bear, In Search of Sea

Stave, disassembled

cold hands, warm heart?
 Black Bear, 350 pieces--I liked this one a lot more than the previous Black Bear puzzle I did, just because I liked the picture a lot more.  4/5
gorgeous box from Black Bear

starting out

puzzle assistant

in progress

finished