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.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Monday, October 30, 2017

Portara Naxos Cyclades

196 pieces, Woodmorningshop.  Liked the way the blues faded into each other on this one. 3/5



Spices

155 pieces, woodmorningshop.  Another pretty one, with very bright colors. 3/5



Friday, October 27, 2017

Old Time Classic Radio

Woodmorningshop, 155 pieces.  Nice hand-cut puzzle--I think I like the drippy/random edges better from this maker.  3/5



Bob Askey, Mt. Whimsy

345 pieces, Fool's Gold.  Really interesting puzzle--cut almost all in shapes of tiny houses.  Once I got the rhythm, it proceeded quite well.  6/10 Stave scale.




Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Colorful Lion

MGC Puzzles, 431 pieces.  Super challenging and fun, with some tricky color combinations and animal whimsies, some in multiple pieces.  One of my favorites was the giraffe.  You may notice a missing tiny elephant--apparently it was accidentally left in the workshop and will be coming to me soon.  I was so relieved that I hadn't lost it!  8/10 Stave scale.





A Fantastic Cave Landscape with Odysseus and Calypso

Optimago, 308 pieces. An unusual dark Optimago--an interesting experience.  3/5



Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Return to the Welcome Hills, David Newton

Liberty, 480 pieces.  I had this in a Wentworth and liked it enough to try it in a Liberty.  A lot of curvy, symmetrical pieces. Check out the multipiece elephant in the last picture! 4/5




Quilts and Color, Boston MFA

Wentworth, 250 pieces.  Color repetitions made this challenging for the size.  4/5



Monday, October 23, 2017

William Hockins, If Barns Could Talk

Maridale Products, Masterpiece Wooden Puzzle, 350 pieces.  A new hand-cutter for me. Very thin, light pieces, lighter even than Wentworth. The hand-cutting is pretty good, though there are a few not-quite-cut-through bits and pieces with such sharp points that they splinter easily.  Worth doing other puzzles from the same line.  3/5




Skewed Rectangle, Thom Spencer

Jigsaw Art, 217 pieces (with drop-outs).  I did the puzzle with the drop-outs included, because I was weak.  This was a lot of fun--lacking a picture puts emphasis on making the pieces tricky.  5/5
drop-outs and bonus octopus




Thursday, October 19, 2017

Sea Turtles

Puzzlemonk, 257 pieces. Larger version of one I did a while back--still very tricky with the colors shading into one another.  5/5



Lady Shiva

Liberty, 469 pieces.  Nice central arrangement of whimsies, thematically apt.  3/5

swirly whimsies and yoga/Hindu god figures



Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Fall Garden, Janice Larson

Liberty, 488 pieces.  Squash vine whimsies go through the entire puzzle, which makes for some unusual shapes. 4/5
squash vines in lower middle