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, May 30, 2024

Out of the Blue

 Stave, 155 pieces. Lovely Treat that assembled steadily and intuitively. 8/10




A Prayer for a Child, Dr. Seuss

 Liberty, 382 pieces. Good opportunity to explore slight color variations and assembly by piece shape! 3/5






Miskin, Dilaran Harp

 Artifact, 468 pieces. Classic Artifact small, angular pieces, with lots of tiny details in the image. 3/5



dragon!



Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Asian Beauties

 Stave, 465 pieces. Irregular shape does a lot of the work of making this a challenge. 6/10








I really liked the multipiece dragon



rebus (I've reversed the image so it's in the right order)


Cubism Chameleon

 Kinmo, 176 pieces. I had to order from this new-to-me laser cutter because of the tesselation. Verdict: fine, but on the thinner side. The tesselation is not perfect; many pieces don't fit in different ways. 3/5





The Pinwheel Gator, Alex Beard

 Liberty, 512 pieces. Lovely colors; although there's strong color banding, the other repeating qualities of the image create a good challenge. There was no way I was going to be able to assemble the alternate solution, so I didn't try. 3/5







jaws of death


Monday, May 27, 2024

Paul Bond, The Giver

 Artifact, 461 pieces. The clever image elevates this one. 3/5





Let It Flow, Phil Lewis

 Liberty, 419 pieces. A true stunner, with color-line-like cutting and unusual piece shapes. 5/5








Oohs and Oz

 Stave, approx. 50 pieces. Fun Wizard of Oz teaser, possibly retired. 6/10



pay no attention to the man behind the curtain


Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Cat in Garden, Samuel Hayward

 Artifact, 217 pieces. This was the speed puzzle individual puzzle, and I really enjoyed all the cat whimsies. 3/5



Horses of a Different Color

 Rebel Puzzles, 140 pieces. New to me laser cutter; I like the geometric style and this is unusual because it's both geometric and not straight-edged. I was a bit concerned that there'd be resulting fit problems, but there weren't! Looking forward to more from this cutter. 3/5





Peaceable Kingdom

 Stave, approx. 45 pieces. Another pleasant two-sword Teaser, with a frame broken up by the dropout pieces. 6/10





Monday, May 6, 2024

Peaceful Waves, Kennedy Ng'anga

 Nonie Made Me, 186 pieces. My first puzzle from this cutter, and it's high quality, with thick wood and a nicely printed image. Curvy pieces with some nice whimsies, including multi-piece animals. 4/5