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.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Peace on Earth

DaVici, 700 pieces. Very complicated with areas of darkness that only slowly revealed their secrets. More of the abstract symmetrical pieces that I associate with Liberty than in other DaVici puzzles, perhaps because the size allowed room for them.


family


a bird

Butterfly Heart Deluxe

MGC Puzzles, 506 pieces.  I waited a long time for this one, but it did not disappoint!  Very complex cutting with lots of dropouts, making it both interlocking and close to color line cutting.  Beautiful colors and a lot of tricky knobs/spaces for knobs that only showed up once they were assembled.  10/10 peak puzzling




closeup

closeup 2

closeup 3

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Day and Night

DaVici, 280 pieces. A lot going on in this picture! I liked the bright colors. 3/5


figure with rake

figure with flail


Pablo Picasso, The Stranded Fish

Artifact, 110 pieces. This hexagonal piece cut really worked for me--it interacted nicely with the limited color/pattern of the image.  4/5 for such a small puzzle.


Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf

DaVici, 180 pieces. This one has really nice colors and themed whimsies.  4/5


wolf and cat in the moon

witch riding broomstick

apple tree


horse and rider

Angie Rees, Happy Harbor

Artifact, 281 pieces. The blobs of bright color among the darker blue make for an interesting assembly, with some cute whimsies.  3/5





Monday, October 28, 2019

Mirage

DaVici, 250 pieces.  Some US western themes in here, which I admit I find a little baffling.  But still fun! 3/5


multi piece horse

horse and cowboy rider

child riding camel


Bristle Cone Pine

Maridale, 350 pieces. I am attracted to the naive art quality of Maridale puzzles; the experience is not too much like a very high quality wood puzzle, but it has pleasures of its own.  And the pictures are nice, if you're into photography. 3/5



Friday, October 25, 2019

Inhabited Fish

DaVici, 130 pieces. Another nice small puzzle, with an irregular edge. 3/5

troll (?) and castle

multi piece fish


Octopus

Brian's Old Fashioned Wood Puzzles, 73 pieces. What it says on the tin! A nice little hand-cut puzzle. 3/5


Thursday, October 24, 2019

Cat-Peterhof

DaVici, 200 pieces.  DaVici has similarities to Artifact and to Stumpcraft in terms of piece/connector shape, but also a feel of its own.  It's a nice entrant into the market.  This one is really architectural, something that's easier to see from the back. My favorite piece: the one with the bird perched on it. 3/5




bird!