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.

Monday, February 28, 2022

Above & Below

 Par, 430 pieces. Hand-cut, with so much outline that there isn't very much interior throughout, which made for a challenge. Good difficulty. 6/10




Dear Lady Winter

 DaVici, 160 pieces. Earlier cut, I think, based on the disproportion between some very tiny whimsies and the average piece size (this seems like a temptation for laser cutters when they start out for valid artistic reasons--here, it keeps the tiny cat and dog sized proportionally to the human figures--but it's not a great idea in the long run). But wonderfully elaborate border! 3/5



tiny cat


snow games--I like the rolling snow balls; tiny dog on sled with person




Lakeside's 25 Ghosts (plastic)

 Lakeside, 25 pieces. An all-whimsy puzzle (can never remember the other name for them and Google can't figure out my request) that is the predecessor type for Stave Teasers. This one was cheap plastic--you can see one piece discolored from exposure the others probably didn't get--but cute enough to potentially amuse a kid.




Friday, February 25, 2022

Rowing Boats on the Banks of the Oise, Vincent Van Gogh

 Nautilus, 434 pieces. I wouldn't likely try this many Nautilus puzzles without the Hoefnagel Puzzle Club; it reduces the cost enough that I am happy to try a broader range of images. This one has streaks of color while being muddy/consistent in big chunks of the rest, leading to greater challenge in the assembly. 3/5




Troublesome Moose, Linda Israel

 Liberty, 517 pieces. Color line cutting, lots of interacting whimsies, and big fields of similar color--a difficult and rewarding Liberty. 4/5






I really like the big cat chasing the squirrel down the horns


hidden within the puzzle, which took me a bit to figure out!


Tribute to Rembrandt

 DaVici, 270 pieces. Lovely colors with a lot of detail. The back is quite elaborate; I took some closeups. 3/5









Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Three Cats

 DaVici, 180 pieces. Comes in three boxes, one for each cat. Cute with lots of cat whimsies. 3/5




Stave Valentine's Day 2022 tidbit

 Cute! Llama llama llama.




Bee Eater

 Artifact, 439 pieces. Unusual for an Artifact, this one assembles in distinct stages with an elaborate border. 3/5






Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Colonial Inn, Colleen Sgroi

 Jardin Puzzles, 249 pieces. A very impressive hand-cut puzzle with high difficulty including multiple similarly shaped pieces (not an easy feat for hand-cut) and some extra "sometimes I just don't fit in" snowflakes--at least I think that's what happened! 7/10 Stave scale





The Silver Goblet, Lucy May Stanton

 Carol Ottenberg/Ledgewood Puzzles, 100 pieces. Nice small puzzle; it's a self-portrait of the artist. 3/5




Claude Monet, Lady in the Garden

 DaVici, 550 pieces. Enjoyable but dark--the standout here is the whimsies, which recreate famous Monet paintings. 3/5









I also like the bottom with the cat whimsy surrounded like the other vignettes and the windmill