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, September 23, 2021

Vegetables and Plants, Adolphe Millot

 Liberty, 482 pieces. A lot of multipiece plants, and a carrot cut to match color. I like that Liberty is doing more variation in pieces to match cuts. 3/5







I guess that's a hose she's holding?




Scarecrow



Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Royal Phoenix

 Zumah, 304 pieces. New cutter selling on Amazon. This one isn't particularly different from the many other multicolored animals available, nor does it have any notable flaws. As my parents would say, it's the kind of thing you'll like if you like that kind of thing. 3/5


multipiece whimsy

puzzle and accompanying matching trinket

another multipiece whimsy


Leopard, Daria Hlazatova

 Liberty, 491 pieces. True confessions time: I know that there's an alternate solution in which basically the whole puzzle turns into the shape of a leopard. I just couldn't face all the fiddly extraction that would have required, so I didn't do it. I'm trying to have fun here! Which doesn't mean it's not a very clever idea that others should enjoy. The image itself is challenging because there are large areas of similar-ish design. 3/5



you can see the section outlines pretty clearly, I think; also some planets and a nice multipiece leopard in the center

leopard face


Monday, September 20, 2021

Life on the Reef

 Anthology, 170 pieces. Another fine small puzzle. I like the increased piece count and the box seems good quality. 3/5




A Tasty Treat, Pat Scott

 Liberty, 544 pieces. Another nice but complex and muted image with lots of multipiece animals. 3/5



horse

pigs and others

cows

deer

horse and carriage


birds


Friday, September 17, 2021

The Precious Stones (Mucha)

 Mr. Gogo, 727 pieces. So glad that the Hoefnagel puzzle club has added these to share the fun of Mr. Gogo with more people! This was a great four-part puzzle in his standard style; my only complaint is that I can't fit the puzzle pieces back once they're disassembled. 4/5




Koi Garden

 Stave, 680 pieces (and bonus tidbit). Really beautiful colors, as you'd expect, and a lot of near-color-line cutting that still magically interlocks. 7/10



Now the big one:



multipiece for rebus--I think that's new to me



rebus: bathing beauty