Supporting Women Puzzle Preneurs
PUZZLEHOBBY.COM
INTRO
Welcome to the fifth edition and the Spring issue of the Puzzle Hobby Magazine.
This month we discovered the Magnum Opus or 101,010 Wood Pieces. It holds the Guinness World Record. You can see this incredible puzzle 'live' this Summer at the Puzzle Parley and/or the Jigsaw Puzzle International Conventions (details inside). We've located another relatively new puzzle company which started during COVID and is actually in Canada! There are updates on both the Summer events, Puzzle Parley and Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention. Cover Image: Spring Gossip, Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, 1000 pieces, Artist: Greg Giordano Click Here Back Image: Great Horned Owl, Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, 1000 pieces, Artist: Simon Bolyn Click Here
Y BB O H E L Z Z U P W A S G I J
As we continue to support womenpreneurs, we were lucky (upon our second attempt) to get an email interview with Artist, Shelley Davies. She graciously provided us with her most 'up-to-date' creations among her famous Rainbow jigsaw puzzle image collection.
Puzzle Hobby Magazine
EDITOR Linda Richard ASSOCIATE EDITORS Judithlynn Krusky Sherri Demos Roberta Shore CONTRIBUTORS Shelley Davies Jill Walterbach Puzzle Labs Puzzle Parley JPiC - Karine Déry Puzzle Pal Choice Awards Diane Bizzle Sarah Schuler World Puzzle Days Sherri Demos - Guest Blog Marieva Puzzles
Table of contents About
Magnum Opus - Jill Walterbach 20 Jill Walterbach is a winner of the Guinness World Record, for her 101,010-piece wood puzzle titled Magnum Opus. With two years in the making, read all about the details inside.
Artist - Shelley Davies
info.puzzlehobby@gmail.com www.puzzlehobby.com
VOL. 2 - ISSUE 3 © 2022
40
Artist, Shelley Davies has had a wonderful career, creating some of the most popular jigsaw puzzle images and more.
Puzzle Pal Choice Awards
71
We got email interviews with both the CoFounders of the Puzzle Pal Choice Awards and an idea of what's to come!
Puzzle Labs Puzzles
Contact:
04
78
The Puzzle Labs launched their business during the COVID jigsaw puzzle rave and have become successful supporting the local Canadian Artist using unique wood cutting techniques.
About Puzzle Hobby Magazine We are here to help you keep a positive attitude and give you inspiration to continue the endless tasks you encounter daily. By sharing our support with Women Entrepreneurs like yourself, we are developing partnerships among the jigsaw puzzle marketplace. This magazine will produce useful resources for research, expansion and growth for your business. Also, feel free to reach out to us with your thoughts and ideas. All suggestions are welcome, no matter how small. What would you like to see or know that would be helpful and/or improve a Puzzle-Preneur's success? Finally, a special thanks to all our Contributors for their time and our Volunteer Associates for their tireless commitments.
Linda Richard Editor
Many Thanks To Our Sponsors This page is dedicated to our Sponsors who have supported us in one form or another for the reviews provided on PuzzleHobby.com and all it's endeavours.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
5
Supporting Empowered Women Puzzle Preneurs The women presented here all have one thing in common, their LOVE of puzzles, and have found their niche in the puzzle world.
Lori Schory Puzzle Artist
Anne D. Williams Author/Historian
Karine Déry JPiC
Karen Kavett Puzzler/Youtube
Sarah Schuler Sarah Does Puzzles
6
|
Diane Bizzle Bizzles Puzzles
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies Puzzle Artist
Linda Richard Puzzler/Author
Monica Marlatt Rose Cat Khan Puzzler/Instagram Puzzle Artist
Is this You? Contact Us
Klodya Tremblay Puzzler/Instagram
Jill Walterbach Puzzle/Artist
Supporting Empowered Women Puzzle Preneurs Each woman has their interpretation of how to express their passion for puzzles which helps promote the benefits of jigsaw puzzles to the world.
Anie Maltais JaCaRou Puzzles
Mari and Eva Marieva Puzzles
PuzzleUp.org Ann Marie Mendlow Wooden Puzzles WorkShoppe
Puzzle Parley Contact Us
Jamie Lane Grateful House
Joy Hess jngpuzzles
Lauren Altman PuzzlePeak.com
Arte et Marte Puzzles
Kelly Poff Mintyfizz Puzzles
Puzzle Labs LINK
Is this You? Contact Us
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
7
8
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
St Patrick's Day Puzzle Title: Luck of the Irish Size: 19" x 13.5" Pieces: 500
Overall Experience: Good Cut Quality: Great Board Quality: Great Shape Cut: Grid/ribbon Image Quality: Good Hardest Area: Shoes and stumps Puzzle Dust? minimal
Finish Quality: Smooth, shiny Box Quality: Good and solid Sealed Pieces Inside Box: yes Was this purchased new? no Price: Self published Recommend Level: Good Time: 5.5 hours
I designed this St Patricks Day puzzle so I knew what the detailed letters are and the border shades, where the music notes and gold coins were going to be. So the border did go together very nicely. It does not come with a poster. The image below is my computer image which allows me to expand using the computer magnify tool to see the smallest and darkest areas easily. Not that I really need it in this case though. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
9
10
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Below is my work in progress. So sorry about the glare as the gloss is quite high on this printing brand. Now you can see all the text is completed as well as the 4 sets of eye/faces on the little gnomes. The music notes and gold coins are done. The black crock pot was pretty easy too. However, the rest of the puzzle took longer than this first half due to the dark shades of green and black.
So the St Patricks puzzle took me 5.5 hours which was not too bad for me. I usually rate about 100 pieces per hour on a good puzzle. This one was tricky with all the greens though. After I completed the puzzle, I complimented it with some good ole Irish decor I purchased at the Dollar store over 2 years ago and never had the opportunity to use. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
11
I attempted to create this same image last year and the puzzle company I used was extremely poor. This year I used the company PuzzlesPrint as I have used them before. The service is quick and the packaging is good. I was pleased with the way the image came out this time on a 500 piece but I would not go bigger than that, as I have been disappointed with my 2000 piece images - but that is my doing as I could not get the image to the correct size and it turned out blurry. To the right are the 2 little gnomes I used for the St Patrick's puzzle. I took a photo of them then simply photoshopped them into being green. Then I used the Mac Pages program to create my overall image by duplicating and reversing them to make it look like 4 of them. The rest of the image is clipart decor.
12
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
13
UP N SIG E R E H 2022 Puzzle Parley -- Sturbridge Massachusetts 2022 will be our 16th biennial gathering of hand and laser-cut jigsaw puzzle designers, cutters, collectors, restorers, and enthusiasts. We will have some old favorites, like the Pagey Elliott Puzzle Exchange, a Cutters' Roundtable on the latest technologies and tips for making puzzles, and presentations from puzzle historians, collectors, and other cutters. We'll even have a puzzle speed contest to test your cunning on a brand new puzzle donated by Artifact Puzzles! We have had numerous requests from people around the globe to share some Live content and we are excited to share some fun spotlights with you, although if you can attend you will have 110% more fun, and we can't wait to meet you there! Have a magnificent puzzle that you would like to share? Sign up for the Show-n-Tell section in your registration! We are happily accepting volunteers for all aspects of the Puzzle Parley event, you can sign up HERE
h c t a W eo V id 14
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Follow Jigsaw Puzzle Instagrams
puzzledabouteverything
Bizzlespuzzles
Cobble Hill Puzzles
Mintyfizz Puzzles
puzzle_canopy
Sarah Does Puzzles
Karen Puzzles
Shelley Davies
Puzzle Hobby PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
15
16
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
SPRING GOSSIP Overall Experience: Great Cut Quality: Great Board Quality: Firm Shape Cut: Random Image Quality: Superb Hardest Area: Fence Puzzle Dust? Minimal
Finish Quality: Smooth linen Box Quality: Great-solid Sealed Pieces Inside Box: Yes Was this purchased new? No Price: Gifted from Artist Recommend Level: High Time: 10 hours
The Spring Gossip puzzle is filled with rich colours from the bright yellow Sunflowers to the shadows and shades of greenery in the background. How delightful to gather Nature's beautiful birds into such a perfect cluster yet strategically placed by the Artist Greg Giordano. Very impressive indeed. It's pretty clear from the sorted pieces on the foam boards the blues, reds and yellows were going to be the easiest to begin with, but I actually chose to start with the blue/white sky and green bush areas. I thought I might wrestle with the greens but I was pleasantly surprised that the area went together quite well.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
17
SPRING GOSSIP
Once I completed the work in progress as shown above, I started to compile the coloured birds together. I managed the most colourful ones first. Then I assembled the Sunflowers. The two tricky areas were the black and white birds along with the fence colours as they kinda 'meshed'. I thought the rusted chain hanging on the fence was a nice touch for the typically paint-weathered-worn fence. A bumblebee would have been a nice touch too ;) 18
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
SPRING GOSSIP I want to give Greg and Company a very special thanks for gifting me the Spring Gossip puzzle along with a set of note cards, bookmark and another puzzle by him titled The Happy Hen House.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
19
20
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
21
JILL WALTERBACH - MAGNUM OPUS At Puzzle Hobby Magazine, we are always searching for something different that is jigsaw puzzle related so you can imagine how interested we were the minute we saw the Magnum Opus by Jill Walterbach. Clearly you can see this is a massive achievement and a wonderful long term project. The fact that it holds the Guinness World Record takes it to a whole new level. We are extremely pleased that Jill agreed to share her story here with us via an email interview. Here's some background behind the award winning Magnum Opuz!
22
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
JILL WALTERBACH Q. For our Readers, which state do you live in? I live in Surprise, Arizona. Q. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona area. Q. How did you become interested in cutting wood jigsaw puzzles in the first place? My 2nd husband, (now deceased,) bought a Dewalt Scroll saw in 1990 to make toys for our grandchildren. He made small cars and trucks and I decided to make children’s puzzles in trays. Q. What kind of education/training do you have that gives you the abilities to be so creative in your artwork and/or wood cutting? I have no formal training for art or woodwork. Just trial and error and lots of practice. Q. What did you do for a living before you decided to get into woodcutting jigsaw puzzles? I was a welder in the Air Force, then went to college, (Arizona State University), and became a Process Engineer. I worked until I retired in 2001 at Motorola. Q. Where do you get your ideas for your designs? Ideas for puzzle designs come from everywhere.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
23
JILL WALTERBACH Q. Were you from an artistic family background? My family is not artistic. Q. Have you always identified yourself as an artist? I usually do not consider myself an artist, although many people tell me I am. Q. What is the average length of time it takes for you to create, say, one, 200-piece wooden puzzle? I do mostly 12” x 12” 1/4” MDF puzzles of 275-300 pieces now, they take 30 to 40 hours to design, paint, cut and finish, depending on the difficulty of the design. Q. Do you know how many puzzles you have cut over the years? I’ve made hundreds maybe thousands of puzzles in the last 30 years. Q. Out of all your wood puzzles, do you know which image has sold for the highest price? My puzzles sell for $5-$500 dollars. 24
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Q. This is a big ask....do you have ONE favourite? I don’t have a favorite, but most people are really awed by my “Peace” puzzle. Q. If a person was interested in doing the same work you do, what is the best advice you can give them? You want to make puzzles or make a puzzle bigger than mine, go for it, and practice, practice, practice. Q. Do you have a specific art studio or work from your home? I live in a 3 bedroom manufactured home, and use one of the bedrooms as my shop. Q. Can you share something personal about yourself to us that is not public - like perhaps you do other brand jigsaw puzzles? Or do you have another hobby? Or maybe you know a famous person personally? I like dragons.
JILL WALTERBACH
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
25
JILL WALTERBACH - MAGNUM OPUS Q. On your World Guinness achievement project, Magnum Opus, can you tell us how you came about deciding to create such a massive puzzle? Magnum Opus means an artist’s greatest work, and I meant this to be just that. I saw a large puzzle by Dave Evans of England, with a 40K piece puzzle that collapsed, and worked on figuring a way to do it with more pieces and more mobile, so it wouldn’t collapse. I made a 50K puzzle wrapped around a post, but thought I could do better, so I worked on improving the glue joints and made the art work more continuous instead of a collage of pictures. After several months of trial and error, I finally made a puzzle I was happy with, then I just kept going until it was 100K plus and was nearly too big to handle. It now weighs over 60 pounds, is about 18” across and 14” high with the base and “lazy susan” under it which makes it easy to pull out. Q. How long did it take to create the artwork? It took about 2 years to paint and cut and finish once I developed my techniques. Q. How much wood is used in this project? It has 72 feet of 12”x12”x1/4” MDF maple veneered wood, plus a 18”x18” base of Maple. Q. Can you give us some background on the process you took to produce this massive wood puzzle? I paint 2 12” squares, cut 11” of the first into small pieces using a cutting pattern save the end, cut 1” off the second, glue it to the first, then cut until the last inch of that panel, paint more panels and continue. Each 1 foot panel has 37 pieces high and 38 pieces wide, 1306 pieces per foot of puzzle. Q. Do you have anything more to add that I may have missed? This puzzle is for sale $150,000. US dollars. I would like to see it in some art museum.
26
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
JILL WALTERBACH - MAGNUM OPUS Q. I would also like to see/know how your 'work in progress' happens - are there images/stages that you can share?
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
27
JILL WALTERBACH - MAGNUM OPUS
28
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
LTER B A
CH - 2 0
14
JILL WALTERBACH - 2014
JILL W A
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
29
JILL WALTERBACH
30
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
JILL WALTERBACH
Peace Puzzle 2013 4217 Pieces 11 Concentric Layers Light and Dark Stains Total Puzzle 12" Wide Centre Puzzle 7" "Peace" in Many Languages PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
31
JILL WALTERBACH
32
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
JILL WALTERBACH
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
33
JILL WALTERBACH
Contact me woodenwizard@yahoo.com
JILL WALTERBACH - 2014
Frequently I sell puzzles on FaceBook.
34
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
I don't do pictures glued on wood, I only do what I paint, but will consider designs from others for painting on an individual basis. I will be in Las Vegas at the Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention July 8-10 I will be in Sturbridge, MA, for Puzzle Parley July 22-24.
JILL WALTERBACH PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
35
JILL WALTERBACH 36
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
JILL WALTERBACH PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
37
a t r e Rob e r o h S
Vintage Barbie Ravensburger Ribbon cut 1000 pieces (from the manufacturer - “each piece has a unique shape”) Finished sized: 20” x 27” My Newbie difficulty rating - easy
38
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Roberta Shore Well, 4 months and several puzzles of various piece counts later, I am still far from being an experienced puzzler who finishes a 1000-piece puzzle in 8-10 hours! That will probably take a few years! But I adore the mind clearing calm I experience during every hour I spend on the puzzling process; getting lost in the activity, it’s a good thing! I researched the puzzle manufacturers for quality, and built a stash including one (or more) from each highly rated brand. Puzzle Hobby was a super resource for that, and for a comprehensive fact and idea introduction to my new hobby. Hence, this Ravensburger puzzle. Pluses — no puzzle dust, sturdy in small box, sturdy pieces - none missing, each “unique” piece can only fit in the right place, bright colors, and my favorite — a totally matte finish. Minuses - loose piece fit while working, (but tight when complete - go figure), no poster. I took a screenshot, blew it up and printed it. Does it live up to its reputation -a qualified yes. I have purchased 2 more. Despite everything I said above, it was almost too easy. I finished it over 2 days, taking lots of breaks. I chock it up to the cartoon drawing style and limited number of colors. I sorted by color which, for this puzzle, basically meant it was sorted by object. I left the big Barbie for last, but it all came together with ease. Did I have fun? Yes! Was I challenged? Not really. Do I have to be? Not necessarily. I give this an A+ for fun! PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
39
Shelley Davies
40
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies
PuzzleHobby.com has reviewed several Cobble Hill Puzzles including images by Shelley Davies. The image to the left is the 2000 piece Rainbow, which is part of her collection. We are pleased to have a feature article with Shelley via email interview. The following shares an inside look at her unique style for creating illustrations and collages.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
41
Shelley Davies Q. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Toronto and Vancouver, and I now live in Victoria, on beautiful Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. Q. Did you travel a lot, and which images were created as a result of your travels? I do travel as often as possible, and I love to create collages wherever I am, as they’re so portable, and it doesn’t take a studio to make them. I made a large number of small collages when I spent five months in Spain, just before the pandemic hit. My puzzle collages aren’t ones that travel well, as they are elaborate, detailed, space and time-consuming things to make (and most decidedly NOT portable!). Q. How did you become interested in art licensing to jigsaw puzzles in the first place? I’d been creating illustrations and collages for a number of years before I thought of creating images for the puzzle industry. I’ve always loved making intricate, colourful images, and they seemed to lend themselves well to puzzles, so it was a good fit for the companies I work with today and my own aesthetic sensibility.
42
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies Q. We see a lot of your images produced by Cobble Hill Puzzle Company. Are your images sold by other puzzle companies as well? Yes, I’ve happily created a number of them for Ravensburger in the US, Schmidt Spiele in Germany, and coming this spring, Wentworth Puzzles in the UK will be producing some of my images on their utterly gorgeous wooden puzzles.
Q. Do you know how many puzzle images you have licensed with Cobble Hill Puzzle Company? At last count, I think Cobble Hill has around 21 of my puzzles in their catalogue. And there are two collections there which are interconnecting puzzle series (the ‘Rainbow Collection’ has seven individual colour-themed puzzles which join together, and the ‘Four Elements’ with four images that connect to each other). PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE | 43
Shelley Davies Q. What kind of education do you have that gives you the ability to be so creative in your artwork? After a few too many art schools, I had a very diverse career before I started creating puzzles, all in the arts in one way or another. I worked in the animation industry for ten years, making commercials and feature films, then became a scenic artist for film and theatre, and then moved on to illustration, making images for magazines and newspapers. Q. Who were/are your biggest influences and inspirations in the art licensing world? I’ve always loved and admired beautifully made products, whether it’s a nicely designed matchbook, stationery, a book/magazine cover, home furnishings, textiles, you name it. Anything created with care and a wellbalanced aesthetic is something that makes the world a more harmonious, beautiful place to live in, no matter how small the thing is. I’ve always believed that even tiny, seemingly insignificant things add up to make the world a more vibrant, alive place to be, and we can and should design it with care and attention. Q. How does photography enter into your work? For the puzzle images, a professional photographer comes to my studio and brings their fabulous camera to create the ultra-high resolution image required for the printing purposes of a puzzle. 44
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies Q. Where do you get all the objects you use in your designs? Better yet, where do you store them? I’m a huge fan of thrift and antique shops, so lots of things come from there. I also create a huge number of things within my images, from tiny 3D sculptures (animals and props), as well as 2D paper creations using cut paper, to the tiny, colourful plinths/shapes I make to place the objects on or around. There is layer upon layer of coloured paper in most of my collages, and all of these collages are quite 3 dimensional before they get turned into a 2D image for a puzzle. When my temporary puzzle collages are dismantled (after they’ve been photographed), I store everything in small, well-labelled boxes for future reference. Most of these things are so small, that when stored together, don’t really take up huge amounts of room. Q. What products other than jigsaw puzzles have you licensed your artwork to? I have created textiles for Kaufman Fabrics and Northcott Fabrics (they’ve transformed my ‘Rainbow Collection’ of puzzles into a line of beautiful, colourful textiles, with my ‘Sewing Notions’ puzzle images showing up next month with its own line of textiles, too!). I’ve also created a series of notebooks featuring my paper dog illustrations, and next year, a line of calendars, too.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
45
46
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
47
Q. Do you know how many puzzle images you have licensed over the years? It’s coming up to around 30 images, I believe. Q. Out of all your licensed images, do you know which image has sold the most puzzles? ‘My single Rainbow is a huge best-seller, being so bright, cheery and colourful. And then, my ‘Catsvillle’, then ‘Dogtown’ (two absolutely delightful puzzles for me to create!), come in second and third. The ‘Vintage Art Supplies’ puzzle is a perennial favourite, with all its colourful, gorgeous bits and bobs, perhaps sending creative inspiration out into the world! And my ‘Blue’ puzzle, from the ‘Rainbow Collection’ seems to be a big hit, too (what’s not to love about the colour blue?). And surprisingly, my ‘Black and White Animals’ puzzle, the most difficult of all of them, is an extremely popular one as well, so there are puzzlers out there who really love a good puzzle challenge!
48
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Q. What is the average length of time it takes for you to create one image? As all my puzzle collages are completely handmade (none are created digitally), there’s a ton of work that goes into a puzzle even before I get started building it. Usually lots of research beforehand, and the fun bit, shopping for all the stuff that may or may not be used in the final art, and then the very slow and methodical business of constructing it all, one teeny, tiny thing at a time (and all on hands and knees), with everything delicately balanced and composed, layer upon paper layer, building up so as to make as pleasing a composition as possible. So, give or take at least two months, occasionally less, sometimes much more, depending on the complexity of the image or the requirements for the client.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
49
Q. Were you from an artistic family background? My mother was an unrealized but natural talent (she was busy raising us!), so perhaps it’s in my DNA… Q. Have you always identified yourself as an artist? Yep. From the word go, I knew I was an artist. Always that kid busy making stuff in the background. It just took me some time to work out which avenue to take, and of course everything I’ve done so far has fed into what I create today, and will create in the future. It all adds up to an aesthetic wealth of a life lived, innumerable things looked at, made, and um, oh yes, some hard work thrown in for good measure to get stuff actually done!
50
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Q. This is a big ask....do you have ONE favorite? Ah, which child do I Iove the most? Tricky question. I’ve really enjoyed making all of them, in so many ways, each with their own challenges to construct. The dog and cat puzzles were a blast to do, as I got to make tiny sculptures of both dogs and cats. The plastic animals I bought just didn’t have any life to them, so I made my own, and it was so much fun! I loved creating the ABC puzzle, too, as I really love typography, and I got to incorporate a zillion different styles within it. My most recent puzzles for Ravensburger have been a huge joy to make, as I got to work with them in conjunction with the Eames Office, which brings the incredible design legacy of Ray and Charles Eames, two of the most iconic and influential designers of the 20th ...
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
51
century, into the realm of this century for a whole new audience. I created two very different puzzles for them using the Eames’ 1952 deck of cards called their ‘House of Cards’, a toy which they designed to spark creativity and imagination. Right up my alley! Q. If a person was interested in doing the same work you do, what is the best advice you can give them? Think about which puzzling experience you’ve enjoyed the most, and then let your imagination take over. How could you make something different and unique? Making the same images as what’s already on the market isn’t what’s going to set you apart from the crowd. Make what you would like to see, and then set about creating it. Get a portfolio of original, good quality images together and then approach some companies.
52
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Q. I would also like to see/know how your 'work in progress' happens - are there images/stages that you can share? It’s a very, very slow process, and painstaking in the extreme. My puzzle images are all about detail and the treasure hunt aspect of puzzling, so the more that’s in my collage, the more fun the experience of piecing it will be. There is a short film about my process here… https://vimeo.com/293631120. When a filmmaker acquaintance saw how I constructed these completely handmade collages, he said he had to make a film about my process, otherwise no one would know just how much work goes into constructing them.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
53
Q. Do you have a specific art studio or work from your home? I work from a home studio, and once I get started on a project, it sort of takes over most waking hours, so it’s great to crack on with it, day or night. I have a largish room (10’x20’), which I use for much more creative play than just my puzzle collages. There’s a LOT going on in that room! Q. Can you share something personal about yourself to us that is not on your website - like, perhaps, you do jigsaw puzzles? Or besides your artwork, do you have another hobby? Or maybe you know a famous person personally? Whenever I put one of my puzzles together, I always learn something, so that’s fun. It might be about the image, how easy or challenging an image is to piece, or it might
54
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
be about the manufacturing of the puzzle. And of course, I’m always surprised at how addictive, and how satisfying it is to do a puzzle! As I’ve created so many, and they’re all so detailed, there’s always a surprise to find that I’ve forgotten about within them! A huge, additional bonus for me, after making all these puzzles and sending them out into the universe, is having such a joyful and overwhelmingly positive response to them. Long before the pandemic, and certainly during it, I’ve had the absolute pleasure to hear from people around the world telling me how my puzzles have given them some respite, relaxation, distraction or a quiet connection with family. I can’t tell you how wonderful that makes me feel! Most artists never get that sort of connection with their audience, and I feel so very privileged to be able to touch so many lives, even in a small way. It’s been the cherry on the cake for me, and I send out my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been in touch.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
55
56
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies As for famous people, I rubbed shoulders with quite a bunch of them when I was in the film business, working as a scenic artist (i.e.: painting the scenery), but I was always the one in the paint splattered overalls, and they were the STARS. I was lucky enough to have worked for many months with Jim Henson and his magnificent Muppets (and their weekly parade of very famous guest stars), which was truly thrilling. I was so in awe of the incredible talent of all those Muppeteers, wishing I could have as much fun as it looked like they were having. Their puppet workshop is one thing I will never forget, with its aura of intense, super fun creativity.
Aside from making puzzles, I do lots of other creative things, too. I love photography (*), painting, sculpture, and writing, so there’s always something percolating in my studio. I’m working on a children’s book at the moment, a long held dream of mine which I want to turn into reality. Furthermore, I think the key to a happy life is to cultivate the practice of being curious; that leads to openness and new, creative ways of thinking, seeing, and living in every way.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
57
Shelley Davies This is one of four collages I made for Schmidt Spiele Puzzles in 2020 (the others are vintage art supplies, vintage games, and sewing notions/haberdashery). I used my rather large collection of old toys to create a fun, colourful collage that I hope will entertain both the very young and the young at heart. Along with Benjamin the Elephant, a very popular toy that Schmidt has manufactured for a long time (and is on their logo), I wanted to use toys that were from another era, but still relatable to the children of today. I wanted to create an image that evoked playfulness, with not only the toys but the composition, the vibrant colours and the variety of shapes, too. Using old and slightly battered toys also brings an authenticity 58
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies to the collage, as these objects were played with and loved once upon a time, and have now been reinvigorated into a new setting for a whole new set of people to enjoy and admire them.. The entire collage was (as are all my collage images for puzzles) hand-built, using objects, paper, cardboard, glue, clay and pins, all carefully propped and positioned for maximum graphic impact. The only digital magic I use is in post-production of the final image, for fixing dust specks, or slight shadow/ contrast adjustments, but that’s all. Most digital art I find very boring to look at, as there seems to be no hand of the artist present, so my art making techniques are very basic from a technological perspective, but also very complex, from my very handson, make-it-from-scratch ethos. They’re all labour of love, from me to you! PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
59
Shelley Davies Cobble Hill Jigsaw Puzzle Collection
Black
60
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies Here are a couple of images from Northcott Fabrics, showing how they’ve created two lines of textiles from my images. Aren’t they lovely?!
For the ‘I’ve Got A Notion’ Collection, I created six different fabric designs, all based on my sewing notions collage, with an additional 11 complimentary colourways to go with them. I can’t wait to see what’s created with them! And both collections are available in stores now.
For the ‘Color Collage’ collection of textiles, they have transformed my seven Rainbow Collage images into seven individual textiles, with 21 accompanying solid colours to use with them, and free downloadable quilt patterns.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
61
Shelley Davies My design for a Robert Kaufman fabric, from a puzzle image (a folk art-centric puzzle which Cobble Hill calls ‘Dollies)
62
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Shelley Davies Is there anything else you would like to share with us? It gives me great pleasure to reveal what I’ve been working on for the past year. In conjunction with Ravensburger Puzzles and the Eames Office, I’ve made two very colourful 1500 piece jigsaw puzzles for them, using the wonderful deck of cards designed in the 1950’s by Charles & Ray Eames, two of the most influential and iconic designers of the 20th century. These cards were created to be fun things to play with, to spark ideas and creativity for all ages. They certainly did with me, and I had a ball making both collages! One of them, my ‘House of Cards Fantasy’ was featured in a window display in Tokyo at @isetan_the_space department store, where it was proudly displayed for the exhibition, ‘The Eames Office: 80 Years of Design’, celebrating the work of Ray and Charles Eames along with the Eames Office, who have continued building upon the Eames’ incredible legacy, bringing it into the 21st century with yet more creative ideas and products.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
63
JOIN US HERE
64
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Above and top two at the right are photos from our second puzzle exchange. The bottom two images are our first puzzle exchange.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
65
Peace and Love Reviewed by Judithlynn
Anie Maltais, JaCaRou Puzzles 1000 pieces 70 x 50 cm 27 x 20 IN
66
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
As you can see the pieces come in a zip lock bag which I Love!! I couldn't resist 'spilling' the gorgeous pieces out on to my puzzle board
Peace and Love The border went together easily enough but I was so excited to work this puzzle that I didn't find all the edge pieces during my first round of sorting. I was having so much fun getting 'the hippie' pieces together that I almost forgot to take a border photo.
Once the 'hippie guy' was finished, I just had to work on the 'hippie girl', the peace sign and the grey road.
From there I continued to add pieces as I found them. I never really sorted any thing because the fun of looking at individual pieces helped me to find where they went.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
67
Peace and Love Anie definitely pays 'Attention to detail' as seen in the closeup images. And the colors are so Vibrant!!!
68
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Peace and Love
I have to say that when this puzzle arrived at my house I was sooo excited to get started on it. I want to THANK YOU Anie Maltais for sending me this puzzle. I had such a blast putting it together and yes I was sad when I added the last piece but when I saw the end result I was ECSTATIC!!!!
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
69
Special Thanks to We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the super fun jigsaw puzzles to assemble and review. PUZZLE
70
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
HOBBY
MAGAZINE
PUZZLE PALS
CHOICE AWARDS
Puzzle Pals Choice Awards Puzzle Hobby Magazine proudly supports the Annual Puzzle Pals Choice Awards. The Winners receive a digital image for display on their social media and a Certificate. The program is gaining visibility as well as giving Voters an awareness of the different Categories associated with this hobby. It also gives the Nominees another opportunity for social media exposure along with bragging rights if awarded. The following in information in more details for the upcoming year 2022. The Q&A's will provide clarification for the event. Following that, we have had the opportunity to get brief email interviews with the Founders of the Puzzle Pals Choice Award.
For more information Contact Diane @bizzlespuzzles Sarah @sarahdoespuzzles Puzzle Hobby Magazine will continue to provide updates.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
71
PUZZLE PALS CHOICE AWARDS Q. How did you join forces and start that program? A: Sarah: Bizzle and I have been friends since my first day on puzzlegram. One day I had this crazy idea to do a People's Choice Awards but for puzzles, so I called up Diane and pitched her the idea and the rest is history! Q. Can you explain in detail how the Award Program works or the rules/regulations for example? And how does the voting process work? A. Sarah: This year we decided to change things up a little bit and have companies be able to nominate themselves as well as puzzlers nominating their favorites. We reached out to 100+ brands with the nomination form and received hundreds of responses. We then compiled those into a first round of voting. After the first round we took the top 5-6 vote getters and put them in the final round. Diane: We spread the word to the puzzling community organically by posting in different Facebook groups, on Instagram, and on Reddit. Historically, we have not required any form of registration to vote. We have used Google forms. For the 2022 awards, that is one of the biggest changes we are making. In order to vote, there will be registration required. This will prevent multiple votes by the same person. We typically have each round of voting open for a week. That gives more people the opportunity to vote. Sarah: It's 100% Puzzle Pal voting and nomination. Diane and I don't make any nominations or even vote. We just compile the data and host the show! Q. You have done the Awards Program 2 years in a row now and it sounds like you want to continue for a third year. Where do you see the program in 5 years and what might that future goal look like? A: Next year, we are hoping to be in the same location for the award show. 72
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
PUZZLE PALS CHOICE AWARDS We're looking into how we can broadcast across multiple channels as well. We've been doing the live show on Instagram only and we know that is a limitation. We also want to give the winners a trophy in addition to the badges and certificates. Q. I know the website domain name and page has been set up. What can we expect to see on the website? A: We're hoping to keep puzzlers up to date on new releases, brands, and innovations throughout the year to make the nomination process easier for them when it comes time. Having all that information in one place will be super helpful! We've also talked about doing interviews with artists, brands, and puzzlers as well. We are totally open to any ideas and would love to know what readers would like to see! Q. In terms of marketing the Awards Program, can you share some plans you have in mind? A: With the creation of the Puzzle Pals Instagram and Facebook accounts, that will help us get more visibility across social media. We've had the show connected to our Instagram profiles for the past 2 years. By separating it, that will allow us to build an audience that is interested in the Awards program. Our website will also help with our marketing efforts. We have not decided what, if anything, we will do in terms of paid advertisements. Q. Lastly, will there be defined dates each year so Readers/Puzzlers can plan accordingly. A: You can always plan for the nomination with the form that starts circulating on January 2. The voting is done in rounds starting in late January through February. The awards show typically takes place in mid to late February.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
73
Q. For our Readers, can you tell us where you live? I live in North East Arkansas. Q. Would you like to share some background details about yourself? I am the Art and Marketing Director for an online tutoring company. I've been married for just over 2 years and have a 12-year-old stepdaughter who is not particularly into puzzles, but will do the "ones with the cool pieces" (wooden) every so often. I have 3 dogs; Zita, Beau, and Ari. My corgi, Beau, is a known puzzle piece eater. I have to be quick if I happen to drop a piece on the floor. I am honored to get to share my puzzle love as a brand ambassador for Wentworth, Art & Fable, Genuine Fred, Puzzle Warehouse, and The Puzzle Lab. I also consult regularly with several other brands offering feedback on images, quality, and marketing. Q. How long have you been doing jigsaw puzzles? I don't remember not puzzling. I've gone in phases where I did not puzzle for months or even years (when I was in high school and college). But it has always been an activity I turned to when life got overwhelming. The earliest puzzles I remember doing were Sesame Street tray puzzles. We had a couple of Playskool ones that were wood and some cardboard ones from Golden. I also collected puzzles with Christian Riese Lassen's art, especially the circular ones. In March 2017, I decided to share my puzzles on Instagram. That evolved into changing my username (from diane1002 to bizzlespuzzles). Then I took my first trip to Puzzle Warehouse in July 2017. That was definitely when the hobby started to turn more into a passion. I was chatting with my friend David one summer night in 2018 and he suggested I record a time-lapse of putting a puzzle together. Since then, I have recorded a time-lapse of nearly every puzzle I have put together. I love going back and seeing the different approaches I take.
74
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Q. On average, how many puzzles do you do per week? I average about 2 puzzles per week. Q. How long does it take you to do a 1000 piece puzzle? I don't time myself so I honestly don't know. I take my time and enjoy all the details. If I had to guess, I'd say on average 8 hours. Q. You do a variety of puzzles so, do you have any specific preference? For me, it is all about art. I love all styles of art – abstract, contemporary, and surreal are my current favorites. One of the things I love most about puzzles is being able to see those minute details that I otherwise may have missed when looking at an image as a whole. When assembling a puzzle, you really get to learn about the art in an intimate way. I do all sizes, styles, materials. I love innovation. When there is something new to the puzzle world, I have to try it. Q. How long does it take you to get as many followers as you have? I've had my puzzle account since March 2017. When puzzles became popular during the pandemic lockdowns, there was an increase in puzzle people. It has been really fun seeing everything evolve on Instagram. Q. What is the one most memorable puzzle or puzzle situation you experienced that is most outstanding to you? Is there something that either 'super surprised' you or you were blown away that you accomplished? This is the hardest question for me. Do I go with finding my dream puzzle - the 32,000 piece Keith Haring Double Retrospect from Ravensburger? Or the custom puzzles I've received from my sister and my friend Ron? Or maybe the black and white line drawing puzzle from Odd Goods? Finishing that one was a feat! Then there's the first wood puzzle I did, which was such a unique experience - a Liberty puzzle with art by Alex Beard. I have so many memories associated with puzzles that it is impossible for me to pick just one. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
75
Q. For our Readers, can you tell us where you live? St. Paul, Minnesota
Sarah Does Puzzles
Q. Would you like to share some background details about yourself? Outside of puzzling, I enjoy hanging out with my pup Cannoli, reading/listening to (audio)books, attempting to cook, and working on my 110 year old house. But let’s be honest, most of my time goes to puzzling and puppy snuggles! Q. How long have you been doing jigsaw puzzles? I've been doing jigsaw puzzles ever since I was a little kid. I used to get up early on Saturday morning to work on 100 piece puzzles before my parents woke up. Q. On average, how many puzzles do you do per week? Lately, I've been so busy it's only been 1 or 2, but during the beginning of the pandemic I was doing 1-2 daily with my mom! Sometimes if I have an open Saturday morning I try to do a few 300-500 piece puzzles. Q. How long does it take you to do a 1000 piece puzzle? If I'm competing, usually around 2-4 hours. If I'm taking my time I can usually get it done in 1-3 evenings. Q. You do a variety of puzzles so, do you have any specific preference? I really just like fun images! There are so many great brands out there. As long as the pieces stay together and have great art, I'm doing it!
76
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Q. It appears on your Instagram account that you have done 'very many' puzzles - do you know how many puzzles you have done? Do you keep track? I do keep track! I have a pretty detailed spreadsheet that I fill out each time I complete a puzzle. It then calculates how many puzzles I did each month, how many new brands I tried, piece counts and other statistics. In 2021 I completed 210 puzzles. Q. How long does it take you to get as many followers as you have? I've had my instagram for a little over 2 years, so about that long! Q. What is the one most memorable puzzle or puzzle situation you experienced that is most outstanding to you? One of my favorite puzzle moments are putting together wooden puzzles that have what I like to call whimwhams. These are pieces that come together to form a whimsy piece. I'm always in awe of the creators that make the cuts on those puzzles. Stumpcraft and Davici are two brands that frequently do this.
Something I'm really proud of is my competition ranking. I have competed in speed jigsaw puzzle contests for over 10 years with a team of 4, but this past year was the first time I had ever competed on my own. After numerous competitions I'm ranked #4 in the nation by the USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association and #1 in the nation by Speedpuzzling.com PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
77
78
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
I virtually tripped onto this company and to my delight I discovered they are Canadian, and they produce laser cut wood jigsaw puzzles. After surfing their website, I could see they are not just another laser cutting puzzle company, so I requested an email interview to get more inside information about them. Take a look at these happy people. Clearly, their deep passion for this hobby shows in the following article.
Our team From left to right: 👨🔬 Andrew ("the mad scientist") is responsible for writing the algorithms that generate our signature piece shapes, and running the laser to cut out every single puzzle. Tinka ("the clever, clever girl") is the brains behind the brand and marketing of Puzzle Lab, and manages artist collaborations. 🐾 Tigger is our adorable toy chihuahua mascot! Sharon ("the energizer bunny") manages the puzzle production process including quality control, packaging, shipping & fulfillment. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
79
Q. For our Readers, where is your company located? We're located in beautiful Victoria on Vancouver Island, off the West Coast of Canada. Q. How did the company arrive at the name Puzzle Lab? As designers, we've always been good at innovating and iterating. We wanted to hint at this idea with the "Lab" reference, since there's always some experimentation happening in our world! Q. Can you share some background about yourselves? Puzzle Lab founders Tinka and Andrew (both originally from Toronto) met while studying architecture at the University of Waterloo in 2012 and moved to Victoria in 2014. After running a boutique multi-disciplinary design agency for 6 years (Studio Robazzo), we put all of our skills together and launched Puzzle Lab at the height of Covid-19 with a mission to encourage people to get off their screens and exercise their brains in the real world. The team consists of Tinka, the "clever, clever girl" (co-founder, CEO, marketing, strategy), Andrew the "mad scientist" (co-founder, CTO, digital fabrication), Sharon the "energizer bunny" (admin, operations, assembly line manager) and Leah (general puzzlemaker who doesn't have a quirky nickname just yet because she's new). We also have a toy chihuahua named Tigger, who is our tiny adorable mascot. Q. How did you come about your artwork? We personally curate every piece of our puzzle artwork from talented up-andcoming Canadian artists. For the most part, we find and contact these artists through Instagram, where we follow lots of art-related profiles and hashtags. We also occasionally put out open calls for art submissions from across the country.
80
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
81
Q. How long does it take for you to create one puzzle from start to packaging? We never make just one puzzle at a time, but if we combined the various steps, it would take about an hour to produce a puzzle from start to finish. Q. Where are your puzzles produced? Our puzzles are produced out of our funky downtown studio in Victoria, BC. The 3000 square foot space, which we used to use as our design agency office in the past, has been turned into a functional puzzle factory where 4 of us work full time to produce the puzzles. Q. Do you, or will you, ship outside of Canada and the USA? We do ship internationally, although it's quite expensive to ship a parcel overseas, which is outside of our control. To date, we've shipped puzzles to various international destinations including Brazil, Switzerland, France, Germany, UK, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia! Q. Is there something that makes your puzzle company different from other puzzle companies? There are so many things! 1. We use real wood for our puzzles (as opposed to composite materials like MDF which are cheaper, easier to cut through, and common with some of the larger wood puzzle companies). As a result, our thick wooden pieces look great, feel satisfying and smell authentic. 2. We curate original artwork for our puzzles (as opposed to using a licensing service like many other companies do), and we pay our artists a royalty for every puzzle sold featuring their artwork. They really become part of our Puzzle Lab family. 3. Many of our puzzles feature a unique wiggly cut created using propriety algorithms (written by Andrew) that mimic the growth patterns of coral reefs in nature. 4. Every once in a while, we release a "Puzzle with a Purpose" as a way to contribute back to our community and causes we support. With these puzzles, a portion of revenue is donated to a specified non-profit organization. Our most recent Puzzle with a Purpose "Rise" has raised over $1700 to date, towards orca conservation efforts here on the West Coast! 82
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Q. Do you have anything new and exciting coming in the future? Always; we release a new puzzle every few weeks, and they're only getting better. ;) Best way to stay in the loop (and receive discounts on all those juicy new puzzles) is to be a subscriber of our Puzzle Lab Insider Newsletter. Q. Is there an 'inside scoop' you can share with us that no one knows about? As a matter of fact, yes! We are in the final stages of negotiating the lease on a quaint little storefront in the heart of downtown Victoria. If all goes according to plan, we'll be opening our very own flagship Puzzle Lab store this April! Q. How long have you been creating and selling puzzles in this puzzle business? We launched Puzzle Lab in the fall of 2020 (at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic) and have been making puzzles ever since. :) Q. Feel free to add more narrative that you would like to share with our Readers. Just that we're so honoured by all the encouragement and positive feedback we've received, and that we never imagined we'd be running a successful puzzle company, so thank you to everyone who has helped make this journey so sweet!
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
83
Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention This is your opportunity to socialize again and share your passion by attending the Prestigious Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention, on July 8, 9 & 10, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the LVCC. Events taking place during the convention: Meet the manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, artists & authors Jigsaw Puzzle Competition Arts & Crafts Collaborative Mural Large piece count puzzle competition (+50k) Jigsaw Puzzle Exchange for Charity Discussion panels Chill & Relax puzzling zone B2B ViP Networking Lounge ViP Lounge for guests and celebrities Jigsaw Puzzle Awards Ceremony Art Gallery Exhibitors -> Book an online meeting with us today!
Buy Tickets Tickets to the Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention. Adults (3 day event) : $49.95 online / $99.95 door 12 years and under : $14.95 online / $29.95 door 3 years and under : Free Online Ticket Sales Ends March 31st, 2022. For more information see the following links; JPiC Home Page Tickets Events, Competitions, Activities JPiC Directory JPiC Facebook Page 84
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention Here's our update with Karine Déry, the CEO/Founder of the JPiC (Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention) for March. All the rules for the competitions and the Ultimate Challenge are up on the website. Prizes will be awarded to the top 5 (not just the top 3). Cash prizes and possibly a trip. We are planning a new activity called "Just one more piece" where puzzlers will try to add just one more piece to a 250 piece puzzle, then one more piece to a 300 piece puzzle, then one more piece to a 500 piece puzzle and so on with 750, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 3000! We will find out who the best puzzlers really are. The Enigma, a Guinness World record holder (our second one after Jill Walterbach) for his 2,123 puzzle pieces tattooed on his body, will be performing on our center stage each day of the convention. We have reached out to Karen Puzzles too, as she also holds a Guinness World Record and is an important piece in the jigsaw puzzle community. Our website jpic.club has been updated this week. A second website dedicated to PUZL Coin and NFTs has been launched for those interested. www.puzlnft.com
So there's the update for March 2022 with lots happening between now and showtime in July, 2022, barely 4 months away! Stay tuned for more updates as they become available. Special thanks to Karine for her time. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
85
Guest Blogger: Sherri Demos Vibrance in Avignon
Mosaic Puzzles - Vibrance in Avignon - 250 pieces 86
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Guest Blogger: Sherri Demos Vibrance in Avignon I love doing wooden jigsaw puzzles and was thrilled to find a new company selling beautiful wooden puzzles. The company is Mosaic Puzzles, and I would recommend checking out their puzzle catalogue. There is sure to be one that speaks to you. I have done puzzles from quite a few different companies now, and this company’s product rates right up there with the others that I have done. The pieces are intricately laser cut, the printing is beautiful, and the whimsies are overwhelming in both number and variety of designs. I wish that I would have thought to flip my completed puzzle so that you could see the whimsies in place. You will have to be satisfied with the photos that I took of them prior to starting my assembly process. Speaking of my assembly process, wooden puzzles require a fluid strategy. I put the pieces together using both color and shape to find the necessary pieces. I could not ignore the brighter colors, so I started with them before moving on to the more muted earth tones. To say that this puzzle was enjoyable would be an understatement. I was surely in puzzle heaven when getting to know this beauty much better. I was actually sad when I slid the last piece into place. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
87
Guest Blogger: Sherri Demos Vibrance in Avignon
Now, indulge me for a second while I talk about the subject matter. Avignon has a multitude of historic and cultural places that are included in tours of the area. I could not find much written about this beautifully colorful installation of umbrellas, but they shelter tourists walking down a narrow pedestrian street that runs through the historic center of the city. The Umbrella Sky Project started in Agueda, Portugal, and quickly began showing up in other European cities. The umbrellas not only provide shade and protection from any rain, they also help to cool the streets during the heat of the summer in a creative and cost effective way. I just know that they are stunning!
88
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Now back to my puzzle. The pieces were all uniquely shaped and had a sweet delicacy to them. They are probably quite sturdy, but I found myself handling each piece with care while searching for its home. There was a common theme of an elongated heart shape on many of the pieces, but only one piece would fit exactly right. I was very impressed with the intricate cut design as this was not your ordinary, and simpler, cut pattern. Instead, each piece was a marvel of scrolling and looping shapes that would cleverly wrap around the whimsies.
Guest Blogger: Sherri Demos Vibrance in Avignon This puzzle would be a treasure for any puzzler, although I have to admit that I would be hesitant to gift it to younger puzzlers who might be a bit too rough with the pieces. For those who would appreciate the craftsmanship of the pieces, this would be a welcome addition to their puzzle collection. This kind of puzzle is meant to be treasured and savoured, offering hours of enjoyment while assembling it over and over. Puzzle details: Mosaic Puzzles, Vibrance in Avignon, 250 pieces. They are sold directly from their website.
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
89
March Puzzles Reviewed Here are a few puzzles from our Spring Collection that we have had the pleasure of reviewing. Click on the puzzle image and read how these puzzles came together.
Diary of an Edwardian Lady
Picket Fence Party
90
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
Springs Embrace
Song Birds
Wild Birds
Gold Finch
World Puzzle Days The 2022 World Puzzles Days Event Has ended. Special thanks to the Founder Günther Simetsberger.
EVENT
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
|
91
PUZZLE
Stackable Puzzle Trays Are Handy For Sorting Colors, Shapes and Sizes. They Also Free Up Puzzle Workspace Too! 92
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
SHOP MERCHANT PRODUCTS PuzzleHobby has a Merchant shop that carries the following products using Slogans from our Creative Design Collection.
T Shirts Hats
CREATIVE DESIGNS
Our Creative Designs Collection
Hoodies Sweat Shirts
Mouse Pads Spiral Notebooks Cell phone cases Stickers Magnets Coasters Travel Mugs Coffee Mugs Water Bottles Pillows
Puzzle Hobby Merchant Store
www.puzzlehobby.com Advertisement
JIGSAW Magazine PUZZLE DIRECTORY Resource Board ARTISTS
Shelley Davies Lori Schory Greg Giordano Jill Walterbach
BOOKS
There's More To Jigsaw Puzzles Than Pieces The Jigsaw Puzzle Book Jigsaw Puzzle Price Guide Jigsaw Puzzle Record Book
PUZZLERS
Keetha Broyles Jolanda Schnieder Sherri Demos Judithlynn Krusky Tammi Parnell Ronnie Joy Schultz Roberta Shore 94
|
PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
BRANDS
Cobble Hill Puzzles Company JaCaRou Puzzles WerkShoppe Puzzles Puzzle Labs
EVENTS-EXTRAS Wentworth Puzzle Ambassadors Puzzle Parley JPiC -Jigsaw Puzzle Convention World Puzzle Days A Puzzle Community Puzzle Barn Facebook Group Puzzle Olympics Puzzle Pal Choice Awards Orlando Puzzle Exchange
PUZZLERS
SOCIAL MEDIA
Linda Richard My Jigsaw Journal Klodya Tremblay Karen Kavett Monica Marlatt Diane Bizzle Sarah Schuler
ONLINE STORES
Marieva-puzzles Puzzle-Groups-Florida Puzzle-Olympics-Training Arte et Marte Puzzles PuzzleUp Puzzles Puzzle Scoop Puzzle Mats Puzzle Trays Puzzle Stands
ONLINE STORES
Mintyfizz Puzzles Joyful Nook Gallery
UZZLE with
us!
We would love for you to share your jigsaw puzzle passion with us too. In return we will send you a free copy that includes your submission. How it works: One month free issue: Submit your puzzle review and images. We will notify you when your submission is selected and you will receive a free issue showing your submission in the magazine. One year free subscription: Become a monthly Contributor to receive a one year subscription. Simply prepare 12 jigsaw puzzle reviews with great photos within one month. If your 12 reviews get selected, you will be added as a Contributor and you will receive a monthly issue for 1 year. There are guidelines and copyrights information to review on the website. Use this link to signup: PuzzleHobby Magazine For media advertising see this Media Magazine Rates article. Then use the following link to make contact with us. We will get back to you during regular business day hours to set up your AD. Media Magazine Rates Submission Form