Authors

Authors – Re-marks – 1000 pieces

I knew this puzzle would be entertaining the moment I saw it, but I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. The random cut was a change from the usual grid cut that most manufacturers prefer for their puzzles. It usually takes my brain a few minutes to adjust to the difference in how the pieces fit together, but once I’m there it’s a nice break from the way my brain normally works in putting together grid cut puzzles.

Other than a slightly loose fit this lovely collage was excellent quality. Re-marks puzzles can be hit or miss sometimes, but they have so many interesting and beautiful collages in their catalog that I cannot help myself and buy them anyway. I put up with issues because the images are absolutely my pile of pieces, and most of them cannot be found with any other puzzle brand.

My favorite of the sections to put together. Lewis Carroll isn’t my favorite author, but I enjoyed the assembly of this section the most.

All along the edges were books by the authors in the image. You can read titles, author’s names, and even publishers on them all – you can even see the rips in the dust jacket on this book. Clear, crisp reproduction all the way around.

There were only two authors on more than one stamp, J.W. von Goethe and Charles Dickens. I’m not sure why they, above everyone else, deserved a double dose – but there you have it. I suppose whomever put this collage together would have had their own ideas about which authors were more important.

If you had been in charge, who would have gotten extra space?

Not Quite In Progress

Art Nouveau Tiles by Barbara Behr – Cobble Hill – 1000 pieces

I starting sorting this one yesterday, but ended up spending the rest of the day in bed. Hopefully today will be better and I’ll finish the sorting and actually get to put pieces together. 🤞

My fellow puzzle blogger and friend from Finland/Germany (Puzzler1909) assembled this puzzle a while ago, and when I saw it I knew it would be great fun. It’s so beautiful, and absolutely my kind of image. I can’t wait to get started!

Also, happy Star Wars Day to all you fans out there – especially my two boys. 💖 May the 4th be with you!

80s Shows

80s Shows – MasterPieces – 1000 pieces

Sadly this wasn’t as entertaining as I’d hoped. There was nothing wrong with the puzzle, it was mostly my state of mind and partly the image. Even though I love the look of the puzzle as a whole it wasn’t as much fun as I thought it would be. As I said yesterday photographic images aren’t usually my pile of pieces, but I was hoping the small images in collage form would be easier to work with.

The cartoon sections (Smurfs, He-Man, Thunder Cats) were among the first I assembled and I found them the most engaging even though they were NOT shows that I watched in the 80s.

It was relatively good quality, and an excellent fit; there were weird differences in piece sizes though – some were very big, some very small – but overall the quality was good.

I’ve never watched a single episode of MacGyver. I show you this section to point out that in between some of the pictures of tv shows were snippets of 80s video games. Donkey Kong is shown here, with a little bit of Pac Man in the lower right corner. Totally awesome dude!

Murphy Brown was one of my favorite shows in this collage; I found it to be very smart, but still funny. I love the smart shows, the ones where you have to pay attention and the language and issues aren’t dumbed down. I really enjoyed this show in the 80s, but it was one of the last sections I assembled – it was difficult finding all the pieces.

Not just shows, commercials too. Back in the 80s you couldn’t get away from the commercials, and if there was a great one everyone heard about it. The star of this Wendy’s commercial became CRAZY famous because of it, and I can still remember her name 40 years later. Clara Peller. I can still hear her voice too…….WHERE’S THE BEEF?!


I wish I had more enthusiastic things to say about this puzzle, but it was kind of a letdown. The image had me very excited for the assembly, but it just wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped. Most of that was my problem though; I just wasn’t in the right headspace for this one.

Funnily enough, I did the 60s shows puzzle a week or so later and had a fabulous time with it even though I didn’t know many of the shows. I think I just chose the wrong puzzle at the wrong time.

It happens.

The Quiltmaker Lady

The Quiltmaker Lady by Charles Wysocki – Buffalo – 1000 pieces

A little more challenging than I bargained for, but still very entertaining. You know I can’t resist a puzzle with quilts! This was great fun, and a bit difficult at times – but I loved it.

This image was the most “painterly” Charles Wysocki I’ve ever done, I’m used to his puzzle images being crisp and symmetrical. This had elements of symmetry, but the entire image was fuzzier and more brush stroke-y than I’ve ever seen in his work. I’m no expert by any means, and my only exposure to his work has been in puzzle form; but I’ve done MANY a puzzle with his artwork and this is the first time it seems different in this way.

Again, great quality from Buffalo – excellent fit, nice variety of piece shapes, beautiful reproduction – overall just a wonderful puzzle to assemble.

This was my favorite of the three quilts to assemble. I didn’t use the poster image at all, just let the pieces take me where they went. I absolutely adored this section. 💛

You can see from the closeup of grama and the pups how fuzzy and indistinct some of the elements are. It was odd for a Wysocki, from my point of view anyway.

Whether it was fuzzy or crisp, it was still so entertaining to assemble – one of my favorite Wysocki images that I’ve ever done. Trick or Treat Hotel is still my favorite of all time, but I think The Quiltmaker Lady is running a close second. If this one interests you it is highly recommended, two spools of thread WAY UP! 👍🧵👍🧵

Working On…

Lions & Tigers & Bears OH MY by Dean MacAdam – Ravensburger – 1000 pieces

This beauty is going much faster than I thought it would, partly because it’s such a great image and partly because it’s so absorbing that I have to force myself to walk away from it.

I’m having a great time; I feel as if I might want to slow down to make it last longer – I also feel like I want to keep going because it’s so entertaining.

What to do?