Supporting Women Puzzle Preneurs
PUZZLEHOBBY.COM
INTRO
Welcome to the fourth edition and the Valentine Edition of the Puzzle Hobby Magazine.
For our Valentine Edition, we have located some of the most beautiful fantasy images and discovered Artist, Rose Cat Kahn. She agreed to do an email interview with us on how she has established herself as an artist for jigsaw puzzles and other forms. You may be interested to find out how this Puzzle-Preneur, Kelly Poff founded her brand, Mintyfizz from her middle school years! The World Puzzle Days Event ends February 28th and the Puzzle Pal Choice Awards will be 'live' February 13th. There's an interesting update for the JPiC and get ready for the online Summer Puzzle Olympics! Cover Image: Shaped Heart Puzzle, Ravensburger, Artist: Ulrike Schneiders, Pieces: 948, Size: 26.378"x26.378" Back Image: Quilted Hearts Puzzle, JaCaRou Puzzles, Artist: Anie Maltais, Pieces: 1000, Size: 27" x 20"
Y BB O H E L Z Z U P W A S G I J
We continue to focus on supporting women who are dedicated to producing and marketing jigsaw puzzles in one form or another. For them, we are grateful and inspired.
Table of contents Puzzle Hobby Magazine
EDITOR Linda Richard ASSOCIATE EDITORS Judithlynn Krusky Sherri Demos CONTRIBUTORS JPiC - Karine Déry Puzzle Barn- Ron Degenfelder World Puzzle Days Stacey - My Jigsaw Journal Sherri Demos - Guest Blog Rose Cat Khan - Artist Karen Kavett-Youtube Kelly Poff - Mintyfizz Joy Hess - Joyful Nook Gallery Monica Marlett - Instagram Roberta Shore - Reviews
Artist: Rose Cat Khan
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Rose Cat (Catherine) Khan was very fortunate to meet the Art Director of Ravensburger Games at a convention in New York and her images were discovered to be an excellent fit for their brand.
MintyFizz Puzzles
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Mintyfizz Puzzles has a cutesy brand title and very creative puzzle images. The style and colours are extremely attractive making Kelly Poll a super successful Puzzle-Prenueur!
Joyful Nook Gallery
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Joyful Nook Gallery products and packaging is created all in-house. The wood jigsaw puzzles have their own unique appeal.
Karen Kavett Youtube(r) Contact:
info.puzzlehobby@gmail.com www.puzzlehobby.com
VOL. 4 - ISSUE 2 © 2022
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Karen Kavett is a lively online Youtube personality who is very quickly, gaining new followers with her entertaining stories and adventures surrounding jigsaw puzzles.
About Puzzle Hobby Magazine Welcome to our Valentine Edition and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. Share your love with your loved ones on February 14th. Then share your love and passion for jigsaw puzzles with our Puzzle-Preneurs by supporting the Women Entrepreneurs presented this month. We extend our partnerships each month as this magazine increases its useful resources for research, expansion and growth. Be informed, know your competitors, meet your alliances. 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.
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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
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Shelley Davis Puzzle Artist
Linda Richard Puzzler/Author
Monica Marlatt Rose Cat Khan Puzzler/Instagram Puzzle Artist
Klodya Tremblay Puzzler/Instagram
Is this You? Contact Us
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
Jamie Lane Grateful House
Joy Hess jngpuzzles
Lauren Altman PuzzlePeak.com
Kelly Poff Mintyfizz Puzzles
Arte et Marte Puzzles
Is this You? Contact Us
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Special Thanks to Greg and Company We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the lovely selection of gifts. PUZZLE
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We prepared an article with Greg & Company in January's Puzzle Hobby Magazine and they sent us these gifts of thanks.
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Join A Jigsaw Puzzle Facebook Group
I recently discovered some of the most beautiful fantasy artwork that is available in the jigsaw puzzle format. I immediately searched the internet for the Artist and located Rose Cat Khan. The information I found showed how this artist truly has a passion to share her images on various products including jigsaw puzzles. I had the pleasure of arranging the following interview with her. If you are an artist, you may find her journey interesting. If you are a puzzler, you may enjoy having one of her jigsaw puzzles in your collection. (Q) For our Readers, which state do you live in? (A)New York (Q) Where did you grow up? (A) Syracuse, NY (Q) Did you travel a lot and which images were created as a result of your travels? Before the pandemic, we traveled a few times a year. Often conventions would bring me to interesting places, like Vegas, or the mountains of Utah. The Dragon's Garden is directly referenced from the courtyard of the Grand American Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was so beautiful, I spent many hours in the courtyard doing sketches. I just had to incorporate it into a puzzle! (Q) How did you become interested in art licensing to jigsaw puzzles in the first place? My art was already licensed on many products like figurines and cross stitch patterns. I was fortunate to meet the Art Director of Ravensburger Games at a convention in New York. It seemed like a great fit for my work. (Q) What kind of education do you have that gives you the ability to be so creative in your artwork? I have been drawing since I was a small child and always knew I wanted to work in the arts. I have an associate's degree in graphic design and a bachelor's degree in illustration.
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Q. What did you do for a living before you decided to get into art licensing? I was a graphic designer and art teacher for about a decade before my portfolio was strong enough for licensing. Graphic Design and Illustration are very different fields, even though they sound similar. Graphic Design is more focused on text and advertising, but illustration is all about story telling.
Q. Who were/are your biggest influences and inspirations in the art licensing world? My first licensing inspiration was Amy Brown. I remember looking at her fairies in Hot Topic in the 90s and being absolutely amazed. What an awesome job! Now we have the same agent. Q. Where do you get all the photos you use in your designs? I take all of my own reference photography. Q. What products other than jigsaw puzzles have you licensed your artwork to? Figurines, cross-stitch, Diamond Dots, posters, wall art, tapestries, woven blankets, credit cards. Check out my website to see the full list! www.RoseCatherine.com
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BEFORE
AFTER
(Q) How does photography enter into your work? I often take reference photos that serve as a basis for much of my art. People think that artists need to make up everything or draw from imagination. In truth, I practice drawing from real-life objects daily in order to study light and shadow. I sketch from imagination, but when it comes down to detail, I need to look at a photograph to get the proportions accurate. (Q) Is your artwork digitally enhanced or hand-painted? Digital! (Q) Were you from an artistic family background? My family was always very focused on making as much as we could. All four of my grandparents were Italian immigrants. They had elaborate gardens, did their own home improvement, and sewed their own clothing. They did these things in an effort to be cost-conscious as when they came to the US in the 1940s and 50s, they had nothing. This sort of 'can do' and 'teach yourself' attitude has influenced my art over the years. 12
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BEFORE
AFTER
Q. Have you always identified yourself as an artist? Yes, when I was in elementary school, I said I wanted to be an animator for Disney. I always wanted to tell stories with pictures. Q. What is the average length of time it takes for you to create one image? 100 hours! Q. Do you know how many puzzle images you have licensed over the years? Thirteen, some of those are unreleased but under contract.
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BEFORE
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AFTER
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Q. Out of all your licensed images, do you know which image has sold the most puzzles? Twilight Marketplace from Buffalo Games Q. This is a big ask....do you have ONE favorite? Oh, that is so tough! It may be Glimmerstone Bakery, also known as the Magical Bakery. Q. If a person was interested in doing the same work you do, what is the best advice you can give them? Draw a lot and study from artists who you enjoy. Q. I would also like to see/know how your 'work in progress' happens - are there images/stages that you can share? Sure! See the BEFORE and AFTER images. Q. Do you have a specific art studio or work from your home? Yes, though in truth I work everywhere. I draw on an iPad Pro with Procreate, so I will work everywhere from my couch to the backyard. Q. Can you share something personal about yourself to us that is not on your website - like perhaps you do jigsaw puzzles? Or besides painting, do you have another hobby? Or maybe you know a famous person personally? I write as well as illustrate and minored in Creative Writing.. Centernia is a fantasy universe that I have been building over the years. Much of that world is the inspiration for my puzzle art.
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Twilight Marketplace Original release: 2019 Manufacturer: 1000 piece Buffalo Games 250 piece wooden Mosaic Puzzles Black Sea Puzzles, Bulgaria Status: In print
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Special Thanks to GratefulHouse We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the puzzles and trays we will be reviewing. PUZZLE
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Puzzle Hobby has previously reviewed puzzle Roll UP Mats and now will review their trays and puzzles.
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PUZZLE REVIEW Vintage Valentine
I took several close up photos to share the details which are not very visible on the large image. The scenes are a vintage era which is another favorite for me.
The Valentine Stamps puzzle was put on my wish list a long time ago so when my sister asked me which puzzle I would like for my birthday I requested this one. I did not have a really true Valentine jigsaw puzzle and really I should, right???!!!! SO many big hugs to my sister for the most pretty Birthday gift - she's the best sister Valentine I have!!!! This Valentine Vintage Stamp jigsaw puzzle is available at Bits and Pieces and comes highly recommended. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
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PUZZLE REVIEW Vintage Valentine As you can see the border went together so quickly I almost forgot to take a photo. This image can be referred to as a collage type which means basically putting clusters of pieces together and lying them into their perspective areas of the image.
Then the rest would simply fall into place. The random cuts were quite helpful too.
Happy Valentine's Day Video PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE | 21
Part 2: Update on what’s new at The Puzzle Barn: (See Part 1 in the January Issue) 1. I have had several people donate puzzles recently which increases inventory and keeps it fresh which is awesome. There are over 200 puzzles to pick from. 2. Switched the latch on the door so it doesn’t inadvertently lock behind you. I do apologize to the recent visitor who got locked in!?! 3. After success of the Christmas lights, I connected the porch light so it is on a timer. Feel free to stop by in the evening as well. Make sure to turn the inside light on by pulling the chain. 4. There is a metal screen over the window. Not because Boston is high crime area but to prevent any damage from snowblowing.
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Jigsaw Puzzle Books (1) There's More To Jigsaw Puzzle Than Pieces. Author Linda Richard (2) BePuzzled - Record puzzles in 'Templated' LogBook (3)The Ultimate Jigsaw Puzzle Log Book - Recording, Tracking Logbook
Advertisement
Sweet Surprise My Jigsaw Journal That's not a picture of a completed puzzle, what gives? Well, it's a surprise, a Sweet Surprise. Just like with Wasgij and What If? Puzzles I never show the entire completed image, I don't want to spoil anyone else's fun.
Above is a picture of the puzzle in black and white; the twist is that the puzzle inside is in full color. And not only that, once color is added it forms a picture that you can't see until it's "colorized"! It's sweet, trust me
But just to prove that I actually completed the puzzle, here is an image of the lower right corner. I'm not giving anything away, this is the portion of the puzzle shown in color on the box.
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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My Jigsaw Journal I had no idea that it would be as difficult as it was, it took me 4 days to do this one! Usually I can finish a 1000 piece puzzle in 2 days. It’s so different seeing the full image without color and translating that to the pieces you’ve assembled with color. My brain was working overtime! The PuzzleTwist quality was very good, I was impressed. The pieces are sturdy, with a good thickness and they fit together quite well. The image reproduction is crisp and clean, with wonderfully bright colors. The cut is random with a very good variety of piece shapes, and there was almost no puzzle dust in the bag. Overall an excellent first impression was made. There are 6 different types of puzzle Twists, all with a separate twist on the box image; Something’s Amiss!, 4 More!, What’s Up?, Here or There?, Mixed Up!, and Reveal the Color!. Even though it was a bit of a challenge, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will say, there is a LOT of green in this puzzle. A LOT! Luckily there are different textures and shades for each of the green candies used, so although it may test you, it can definitely be done! I’m really proud of myself, my brain cells may have gotten an extra bit of a workout, but they were up to the challenge – even if it took a bit longer than expected. Definitely recommended.
Details: Title: Sweet Surprise Artist: Steve Barry Brand: PuzzleTwist Piece Count: 1000 pieces Size: Approx. 19 x 27 in. (48 x 69 cm) Purchased: N/A, sent for review
Piece cut: Finish:
Random cut Slightly shiny finish, lays flat
Quality: Board: Cutting: Image: Box: Fit: Puzzle dust:
Very good Very good Excellent Average Very good None
Piece shapes: Very good variety Overall rating: Very good, recommended
Want to see more of my reviews and comments on puzzles? Check out My Jigsaw Journal, there are new puzzles and posts every day! I received this puzzle at no cost to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
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Special Thanks to Eurographics We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the puzzles we will be reviewing.
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Classic Cameras 550 pieces Makeup Palette 1000 pieces
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Special Thanks to Eurographics We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the puzzles we will be reviewing.
PUZZLE
Pie Party 1000 pieces
Koi Fish 1000 pieces
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Birthday Party Cakes 1000 pieces
Mexican Table 1000 pieces
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Brand: JaCaRou Puzzle Company Title: Quilted Hearts Puzzle Artist: Anie Maltais Pieces: 1000 Size: 27" x 20" Overall Experience: Great Cut Quality: Great Board Quality: Firm Shape Cut: Grid-like Image Quality: Great Hardest Area: The border between sections Puzzle Dust? none Finish Quality: Smooth semi-glossy Box Quality: Good and solid Sealed Pieces Inside Box: yes Was this purchased new? Christmas Present Price: $26.99 Recommend Level: Highly recommended Time: 10 hours I did not do my usual sorting routine as this has so many multiple colours in it. I know I will be picking the pieces according to the patterns and colours. This is a collage type image so there will be little clusters of sections going together on my side boards. First I sorted the edge pieces according to the shapes of the pieces but here's a little tip for the you. I soon realized it would be easier if I used the small black hearts around the border edges because all the hearts are placed in the 'up' direction. So even the hearts on the side edges are in the 'up' direction easily defining the left border, right border, top border and bottom border. That means it was quite easy to define the four sides of the puzzle border and the assembly went very quickly. 28
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You can see there is no poster with these puzzles but the box image does not have any distractions covering up the image so that's easy to manage. I usually start with the most prominent colours or large sections but on this image it is a collage type therefore it has several different patterns and colours. I assembled several clusters and created the work-in-progress image as shown to the right. It really shaped up nicely and the pieces started to flow together quickly after that. The following image shows a close up of the style of the cut. The cut was not loose and fit quite nicely. I do like this cut and I was able to lift the entire assembled puzzle off the table and lay it back down without the pieces falling apart. The artwork is clean and precise, not to mention colourful. Of course my favourite heart is the jigsaw puzzle pattern in the bottom row. The Quilted Hearts Puzzle is a lovely scene by artist Anie Maltais who also started her own puzzle company called JaCaRou Puzzles. She is a true Puzzle-Prenuer. I have also had the pleasure of assembling the Zodiac puzzle by Anie as well.
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https://mintyfizzpuzzles.com/
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I located this video interview with Mintyfizz and JPiC. In no time at all, I realized that Kelly is a perfect Puzzle-Preneur. Wait till you see the puzzles she is producing and selling. AND even more importantly she is a Mom living her dream of raising her children while feeding her passion for art. Here's our interview...
Special thanks and credit to Alexandre of JPiC for permission to link this video.
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(Q) Do you have anything new and exciting coming in the future or is there an 'inside scoop' you can share with us that no one knows about? (A) I am in the process of coming up with new puzzle designs! I have a couple new designs that I am making. I am possibly going to bring on new artists if it is in the budget. This is a goal I have for myself. I am also considering making very small puzzles that are around 100 pieces that fit into a small container. I am thinking of calling those 'minty minis'. I hope to continue to grow Mintyfizz! (Q) Do you have any advice for other women in a similar situation like yours? (A) My advice to someone who wants to start a small business is first to have a strong passion. The other thing is to know your audience. What do people like? I spent a long time interacting with other puzzlers to know what they like so my own biases are not what gets in the way. I am very excited about my business and love to share my passion with others. I bring other people into my ideas and constantly ask for feedback. I want people to enjoy my product. It means a lot to me when someone is a returning customer. (Q) How long have you been creating and selling puzzles in your puzzle business? (A) I have been working on my puzzle business for about two years. I started the company a couple months before the pandemic started. When the pandemic hit, I spent more time getting it going and creating the art for it. In the summer of 2020 I launched my first two designs. My second two designs launched December of 2021. I decided to change manufactures from my original two designs to the new ones. Therefore the time between new puzzles was long, so it was worth it to create even better puzzles. Our family has gone through many life changes since I started the puzzle company. Right before I decided to make puzzles, I was having a difficult year and just needed to create something that brought myself a lot of joy and something that I thought others would enjoy as well. Two things popped into my mind. I loved puzzles, and I loved to create art. I also wanted to make art that just made me feel good to look at. Bright colors and organic shapes. From the time that I started the puzzle company until now we have made major life changes too. We have 3 kids. The last child joined us recently. Both my husband and I changed careers. I was a full time public school teacher, but I decided to stop that job for a while to pursue private tutoring, focusing on my puzzle business, and to raise the kids full time. I feel very good about these changes we have made and it is propelling me forward to wanting to keep Mintyfizz Puzzles alive. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
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(Q) How did the company arrive at the name Mintyfizz? (A) Mintyfizz has actually been a name I have used since I was in middle school. On a warm day, my friend and I wanted to make rootbeer floats. We didn't have rootbeer or vanilla icecream. Instead we used mint icecream and 7UP. When the bubbles formed on it, I called it mintyfizz. From that day on, I used that name for all my screen names and as a nickname. I even used that name on a dating website and that is where I met my husband over 13 years ago. When I decided to make puzzles, I only thought it was natural for it to be called a name which I hold close to my heart. Mintyfizz has become somewhat of a nickname too. Many people call me Minty like it is my name and I will respond to it.
(Q) For our Readers, where is your company located? (A) My company is located in Olympia, Washington where I have lived nearly my whole life. (Q) Can you share some background about yourself? (A) Ever since I was a young child, puzzling was one of my greatest passions. I loved the thrill of getting a new puzzle and the challenge that was ahead. I remember trying out my first 1,000 piece puzzle at age 8. I was curious if I could do it. I discovered not only could I do it myself, but I was actually really good at puzzling. From then on, I was hooked. School was not something that came naturally for me. For my BA I studied art and art history. I studied abroad for half a year in Florence Italy where I got an enriched education in art and art history. Years later I got my masters in Teaching in elementary education. I love working with kids and have worked with kids for over 20 years. For 8 of those years I was a public school teacher until recently when I had my 3rd child and decided to focus on my children, work on my art, and run my own puzzle company, Mintyfizz Puzzles.
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(Q) How did you come about your artwork? My first passion besides puzzles was art. I have always had a bit of a gift when it comes to painting and drawing. When I was an elementary student, my 4th grade teacher Mr. Wilson saw my gift and said that I should never stop creating art. I took that to heart. When I was a child, I decided that I was going to be an artist when I grew up. When it came to making art for puzzles, I had to really think about what type of art I like on a puzzle and what others like on puzzles. I decided to first focus on my rainbow abstract art for puzzles. They have been a hit with many puzzlers. It has inspired me to continue to make new art and try new ideas for potential puzzles. (Q) Are your puzzles available only in the USA? (A) My puzzles are currently located in the United States, but I will ship them to other countries. Many of my puzzles have gone overseas. The shipping and handling can be steep outside the country, but sometimes we are able to wholesale our puzzles to businesses outside the USA for other people to purchase them as well. (Q) Is there something that makes your puzzle company different from other puzzle companies? (A) My puzzle company is different from many companies for a couple of reasons. The first is that I make the art behind the puzzles myself. Right now I am focusing mostly on abstract rainbow art that pops. I am also a company that is very supportive of other companies. I review puzzles often for other companies. Mainly small businesses like myself. I think this is important to be able to lift and support others as well as my own company. Those companies offer things that my company doesn't and visa versa. I have a very good relationship with many small puzzle companies as a result and it's more inclusive.
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Join The Third Annual summer puzzle Ga m es Third
Join The Annual Puzzle
Summer Games
Starting in May!
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Join the third annual Summer Puzzle Games starting in May! Save the date and tell all your puzzle friends! The Puzzle Olympics is a fun, online, non-competitive event, open to all ages and all countries. The Junior Olympics is for children of all ages, with no minimum or maximum number of pieces or puzzles required. For news, questions, suggestions, ideas, or to volunteer to help, join our “training” group to get ready for the Summer Puzzle Games at: Facebook.com/groups/PuzzleOlympicsTraining
This is the tentative schedule for the 2022 Summer Puzzle Games.
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What's In Store...
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I came across these unique wooden jigsaw puzzles, Christmas Crew and Holiday Cheer in the Facebook Groups and this website was listed. I immediately searched the website and found Joy Hess to be a perfect fit for a PuzzlePreneur. Here's our interview.
JNGpuzzles.com
1. How did the company arrive at the name Joyful Nook Puzzles? (A) The 'Nook' part came about to give a comfy, cozy, family-friendly feeling that brings puzzlers together to work on the beloved past time of puzzles. The Gallery part came about because we license original artwork and local artists while creating these beautiful puzzle designs as pieces that are art in their own right. I wanted the puzzle store to represent something beautiful, sophisticated and gallery worthy. Joyful is how our business venture made us feel, and it had my name in it too. 'Joy'ful Nook Gallery. 2. For our Readers, where is your company located? (A) 546 East College Drive Durango CO 81301 3. How do you go about locating your images for your puzzles? (A) I am a long time resident of Durango. I have also worked at Mercy Hospital for 21 years. I was on the team that raised the money to build the new hospital, the Breast Care Centre and the Hospice Residence at Mercy. My team at the time was working with the philosophy that art and sculpture is healing, soothing and transformational. I am an artist, and for art and sculpture and beautiful gardens to be incorporated into health care was close to my heart. I had the privilege to meet and work along side some of the finest artists not only in the area, but in their field universally. Many of these artists had become friends and invited me into their community. When we came up with the idea to use original art for our puzzles, I knew exactly who I wanted to engage. Because the wooden puzzle concept is expensive, on top of using original art, I have started to use some stock images where we put our own artistic spin on them, and we use our own art from me and my designers to have price points that appeal to everyone's pocket book.
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4. Are your puzzles produced in the USA? (A) Yes, all of our supplies such as boxes, wood, etc are made in the USA, and then I work closely with our in house graphic designers who create a unique scene to tell a story of the image and they design the puzzle pieces. Once the design, or what we call template, is complete, our team does it all. We create the labels, the displays, we cut, we process each puzzle by hand, we box, we do it all in house. 5. Do you, or will you ship outside of the USA? (A) We have shipped outside the USA quite a few times. 6. It appears you have more than a few products in your beautiful store. Can you tell us your big sellers? (A) Our biggest sellers are our puzzles. When JNG started, we had a huge location on main street. Our focus was puzzles, but we also carried a large inventory of high end papers, stationeries, writing products, inspirational books to make sure we could generate the revenue we needed to manufacture the puzzles. When our puzzles started to become popular, we had to make the decision to concentrate more on puzzle making by purchasing more equipment, increasing production, concentrate more online because that is the majority of our business right now, and downsizing the retail portion. Because I have a love of reading, writing and paper products, I have not given that up entirely.
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We have a great selection of cards, calligraphy items and more. We now even carry puzzle cards where people can write a simple message on the back of the puzzle card, but puzzles are our main event. 7. Do you have anything new and exciting coming in the future? (A) Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I have come up with two ideas that will elevate our puzzles, but it is all in product development right now, so I don't want to say too much too soon. One of our newest ideas are Poetry Puzzles that we have introduced in time for Valentine's Day. We have chosen some fun simple images, and placed popular poems and quotes on them. They are really special, and that goes back to my love of the written word.
8. Is there an 'inside scoop' you can share with us that no one knows about?
9. Do you have any advice for other women in a similar situation like yours?
(A) I am not sure this is an inside scoop, but I will say this. I have had two pretty big careers in my life, and I went into this because the idea was so over the top creative and the possibilities endless. I thought it would allow me to do everything I love, which it has, and that is to create and be creative.
(A) My advice to other women is if you have the passion then follow your heart, but have a solid plan. Seek out resources who are great in their field like financial advisors, and consult with them often. They ask the questions from a different and outside perspective I don't sometimes even consider.
I cannot keep up with myself sometimes with the ideas. How it has turned out is this is one of the most challenging projects I have taken on yet. I laugh today because I used to be quite guarded about our puzzle process. I even had my team sign NDA's. I limited who was allowed in the studio where the entire puzzle process took place.
Also, what I have learned in my life is to always surround yourself with an excellent support system and people smarter than yourself. My friends and family inspire and lift me at times when it is so hard, and I am in tears and feel ready to give up - and I do "go there" sometimes.
Over the course of this journey, we have made so many mistakes. Our first puzzles were just okay because truthfully, we taught ourselves how to design and cut puzzles. No one showed us. We did not have a clue. Our first puzzles didn't even connect (even though some of those non connecting puzzles are collectibles), even the cleaning method we had to figure out the hard way. It has taken me five years, and I am finally getting it all dialed in. Now my philosophy is that if someone is up for the task and brave enough, go for it. I've even been contacted by people who want to start their own business and asked for me to consult, and I happily share.
My JNG team has always been amazing as well and helps figure out logistics and the technicalities of what we do when it would take me three times as long to figure something out. I lost a lot of great people when I had no choice but to downsize, but I will always be eternally grateful for what they brought to this little business and how hard they fought for it. I have always told them that when we go big, they go big. Haha, I would love to honour that someday. 10. How long have you been selling puzzles in your puzzle business? (A) Five years.
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Our Baby Company... 11. I see Budzzles looks like a new line for your business and they look very interesting. Can you tell us how the sales are going? (A) Budzzles has a very fun story that goes along with it, but perhaps we can save for another time. We started out very strong with Budzzles because we were amongst the first to create them. I even have them trademarked. Of course, it did not take long for others to follow with similar products. I kept Budzzles as its own business for a while, but I just recently decided to combine it within JNG. As I said, Budzzles kind of has its own story and series of adventures. Check out the video on the website. It is pretty cute.
Puff Puff Puzzle - It’s a bud... It’s a puzzle... Its a BUDZZLE! These are organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, low cal, zero carbs, non pesticide, all natural, local, Colorado made weed, wood puzzles! Each puzzle is made locally in Durango, Colorado and is a great way to take home a piece of Colorado legally. Take your pick between three different templates (the shape of the puzzle pieces) and six images. Also take a look at our image specific templates Rocky Mountain High and Maui Wowie.
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About... I graduated with a BA from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. received my masters at the University of New Mexico and got my creativity from growing up with limited art supplies and almost no books. Although, the box of crayons, package of markers, Big Chief notebook, and Encyclopedia Britannica provided hours of imagination and entertainment. I was an educator for 17 years and a development officer (fancy shmancy way of saying I raised money and developed programs to raise money) for a local healthcare system also for 17 years. Both careers enabled me to exhibit my creative side in many, many delightful ways. Teaching was a platform where I could indulge in books and stories and arts, crafts and awesomeness. Development work took me to a corporate level, but my job specifically was not only about being a major gifts and grants officer, but writing for the hospital's newsletter, creating the foundation website, and getting an education in marketing and graphic design. I was able to create many of our collateral materials for campaigns, events and mailings. My lifelong passion has been working on children’s books, picture or coffee table books, creating everything and anything, inventing, crafting, journaling and rethinking journaling, creating projects out of crazy ideas of all kinds, photography and watercolor in my “spare” time. Thanks to a dear friend, she brought the fun of puzzles back into my life with a deeper appreciation of the craftsmanship of what a beautiful puzzle can be while adding more fun to it with "wildly imaginative playful" pieces in each box. Enjoy and please stick around to see the Joyful Nook Gallery grow and develop.
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To remove puzzle dust , put puzzle pieces into a laundry garment bag that has holes & shake well over a garbage bin
t h g i l p m a L e g d i r B Reviewed by Judithlynn
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Lamplight Bridge
Ceaco Puzzles 700 Piece Panoramic Artist Thomas Kinkade 34" x 12'' 86.4 cm x 30.5 cm
The border went together fairly quick. As I picked out the border pieces, I managed to find some colored patches that stood out starting with the bridge and blue flowers. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
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Lamplight Bridge
This is my first panoramic puzzle and to be quite honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was gifted to me and it is a used puzzle. So I also was hoping that all the pieces were there and they were! I have to say, being 700 pieces it took longer than I expected. The pieces are smaller and they do have the regular pieces we know but there are also some of odd shapes which made for the challenge to piecing this puzzle. I found the pastel colors of the whole image to be at times very dull BUT hang on before you get excited I mean this not in a bad way. I have heard from puzzle experts that it is not uncommon for the Thomas Kindade artwork to have 'muted' backgrounds. Also, working on this puzzle with such a 'light' look was easier to work on it during 'daylight' hours. In the daylight it showed the true colors and attention to detail the artist Thomas Kinkade has done. My overall experience for a 'first time' Kinkade puzzle can be classified as 'good' due to the muted colors in the image. 54
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Lamplight Bridge
Can you see the terrier dog in the righthand corner?
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PUZZLE PALS
CHOICE AWARDS
The 2nd Annual Puzzle Pals Choice Award Winners Category
Winner
Best Puzzle Innovation - Art and Fable’s velvet touch surface Best Puzzle Accessory - Grateful House Puzzle Trays Best New Company 2021 - Grateful House Best Puzzle Related Event - World Puzzle Days Best Brand Overall - Ravensburger Best Social Media Account - One but Many Favorite Puzzle Artist - Elena Essex Best Wooden Puzzle - Morning by Stumpcraft Hardest Puzzle - Circle Sensation from Quality Content Best Puzzle for Children - Magical Musical Staircase from Cocoa Puzzles Favorite Shaped Puzzle - Lovely Tiger from Unidragon Puzzle of the Year 2021 - Fairy Bread from One but Many 56
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LIVE VIDEO LINK
PUZZLE PALS CHOICE AWARDS Puzzle Hobby Magazine proudly supports the 2nd 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. Each January the Voting Form is posted out to the Social Media Channels containing a link to the Voting page. Below is a sample list. For 2022, a website is in progress.
Voting Dates for 2022 are as follows: Voting Round 1: Date - January 28 Voting Round 2: January 31-February 9 Live Award Show: February 13 For more information Contact Diane @bizzlespuzzles Sarah @sarahdoespuzzles Puzzle Hobby Magazine will continue to provide monthly updates here
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Karen Kavett has been a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast since before she started her YouTube channel. Through her hard work and dedication she shares entertaining stories and interesting reviews. Here she answers all of our questions about her videos and her puzzling. Q. For our Readers, can you tell us where you live? I’m originally from New Jersey, but now I live in Los Angeles, California. Q. Would you like to share some background details about yourself? I run a YouTube channel called Karen Puzzles, where I solve and review the most interesting puzzles I can find. I’ve been on YouTube for a long time starting with graphic design videos and then moving into the DIY/crafting world. But then I decided to see if anyone would be interested in hearing me talk about my jigsaw puzzles, and in the past few years it’s all grown from there. Q. How long have you been doing jigsaw puzzles? I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t doing jigsaw puzzles. I remember my mom doing them on the floor when my sister and I were very young (and probably just getting in the way), and eventually we all started working on them together. I was probably around 10 or 11 when I started doing full size, 1000-piece puzzles on my own, and I’ve never stopped since.
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Q. How long does it take you to do a 1000 piece puzzle? That depends on the puzzle! For a standard puzzle without any twists to it, I would say it averages about 4 hours. But there have been some highly difficult puzzles on my channel that take much longer. For example, the holographic Prismagic puzzles each took me about 15 hours and those are only 500 pieces! I think the fastest I’ve ever done a 1000 piece puzzle is about 2 1/2 hours for the 1000 Colours gradient puzzle from The Play Group. Q. You do a variety of puzzles so, do you have any specific preference? On YouTube I like to do puzzles with some sort of interesting twist to them that will interest my audience, like the Spilt Milk puzzle that is in the shape of a puddle of milk, or the 13-foot-long Metamorphose puzzle. For the puzzles I do just for fun offcamera, I like puzzles with a lot of bright colors, and I generally prefer illustrations to photos. I think brands like eeBoo and Cloudberries have excellent image curation, and I feel very lucky that they send me so many of their puzzles. 60
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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, even if it was one of your most outstanding puzzle photo shoots? I still can’t believe I did the 24000 piece Life puzzle, which had been my dream puzzle for 10 years. I almost started crying when I saw it all put together for the first time, because I had been wanting it for so long that I couldn’t believe I had actually completed it. Unfortunately due to space constraints, I had to do it in four 6000-piece sections, but someday I’d love to do it again where I mix all of the sections together to do a true 24000 piece puzzle. Q. Clearly you have a passion for jigsaw puzzles. Are jigsaw puzzles your most favorite hobby these days? They are. Because of the pandemic, it’s hard to go out and do much else, so I spend most of my time at home either filming puzzle videos, editing puzzle videos, researching and planning future videos, or doing jigsaw puzzles for fun. Outside of jigsaw puzzles, I also like crossword puzzles, word games like Wordle and the NYT Spelling Bee, and doing cryptic crosswords with my sister.
Karen-Youtube
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Karen-Patreon
Karen-Instagram
Q. When it comes to YouTube videos, are you doing them 'live'? My videos are about as far from live as you can get! I often film over multiple days and go back and forth between filming and editing to make sure I have all of the shots I need. It usually takes me significantly longer to edit the video than it does to do the puzzle! I hope my editing keeps my viewers engaged and tells a compelling story, and I try to get better with every video. Q. It appears on your YouTube channel that you have a lot of followers on your account. How long did it take you to get to those numbers? I started my channel in 2018, so it’s been three years so far. I already had a small audience who followed me over from my old DIY channel, and then the puzzle channel really took off when the pandemic hit in early 2020 and everyone suddenly got very interested in jigsaw puzzles. I also got a big boost when I faced off against The Try Guys in a video in late 2020, and that video has almost 3 million views. I’ve gotten a lot of comments from viewers who were never interested in jigsaw puzzles before they saw my videos but then tried one and loved it, and that always makes me so happy to hear. Thank you for wanting to interview me for your magazine! I feel so lucky to have been so welcomed by the puzzle community, and I hope my videos are helping to make that community even bigger and stronger. This is the first year that I’m running the Karen Puzzles channel full-time, so to help support my channel, I have just launched a Patreon (www.patreon.com/karenpuzzles), where for $3/month, you can get access to all kinds of bonus videos and sneak peeks. I have so many puzzles that I’m so excited to work on this year and I can’t wait to keep making videos about them. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
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Wentworth Wooden Puzzles Announces The Ambassador WINNERS!
Congrats! AMY
Congrats! DIANE
Congrats! RACHEL
Congrats! BECKY
Photo credits to Amy-@TheClosetPuzzler & Wentworth Wooden Puzzles The Wentworth Puzzle Ambassadors program accepted applications until January 1st, 2022. In 2021, Wentworth did it's first Ambassador program. The 2022 Applications were open November 3rd and closed New Years Day. The NEW Ambassadors will announced on January 29th, 2022 which is International Jigsaw Day! For more information about the program use the following link and scroll down to Wentworth Ambassadors Application. Maybe they will do it again next year!
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World Puzzle Days
The 2022 World Puzzles Days Event is well under way. Cobble Hill Puzzle Company and eeBoo are Sponsors. There have been many years of this Event by the Founder Günther Simetsberger. If you are interested in seeing what the WPDs is all about, take a look at the links below as it is quite the extensive activity that entails an extreme amount of dedication and committed work.
There's plenty of jigsaw puzzles to see in the World Puzzle Days 2022 even if you are not participating this year. WPD WEBSITE's PINBOARD: https://www.puzzlers-paradise.com/wpd-2022 https://www.facebook.com/groups/worldpuzzledays2022
Ends February 28, 2022 Next Edition Will Share Final Stats
EVENT
Roberta Shore has rediscovered jigsaw puzzles as she approached 75 years. She shares her story and reviews with us here...
Dear Puzzle Hobby, A few months ago, at the tender age of 75, I decided I needed a new hobby. I had not done puzzles since my grandchildren were little. Is there a puzzle gene? My daughter and granddaughter love puzzles - apparently I awakened mine! As is always my wont to research, I found this site. Amazing! I learned so much. Inspired, but wary, I started with 500 pieces, then 750 and felt ready to tackle 1000. The eeBoo puzzle I picked felt ambitious, selected because it reminded me of a primitive painting done by a Paris street artist, that has been in my home for almost 50 years. (See pics). I did feel accomplished when I completed “Paris in a Day", after working on it over 5 days. Another reason for choosing eeBoo was a 500 piece round puzzle (Crazy Bug Bouquet) that impressed me for all the ways puzzles are judged. I truly admire eeBoo from the quality of their puzzles to their mission statement. I am not a patient person, I’m a perfectionist who wants things done yesterday — not exactly traits to equate with doing puzzles. Much to my surprise, I do find myself joyfully lost in the process. As is so well told at this wonderful site, a puzzle is bigger than the sum of its parts. Thank you. 66
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REVIEW #1
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Beaucoup Bouquet Jigsaw Puzzle The edge was the most difficult. The first time I got it almost together I had spaces equal to 5 pieces to put together and 7 pieces left. Clearly wrong. Kept trying, now had 3 spaces, but the edge pieces left were not cuts that fit. After working on the puzzle for a while without completing the edge, I came to a section that needed to connect to another but there was too much space between them — ah hah, time to fix the border. Finally I got it right. My sorting technique probably takes more time, and doesn’t work for every puzzle, but I sorted Beaucoup Bouquet by flower arrangements, holding out the pieces that had the middle green line. I also sorted background pieces that had no plant color. I did have a tray full of “mystery" pieces — ones I could not find in the picture, and eventually got tired and put all the green I hadn’t sorted by pot in one tray. The effort was well worth it! I was down to two top row flower pots, greenery and the few odd ones, and the sense of accomplishment was building. For a while it felt like this puzzle had a million pieces, but I got a comfortable handle on it!
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If I do say so myself “Well done!”— no missing pieces, so that ultimate feeling when placing that last piece! I read in more than one place (maybe even what Puzzle Hobby may have advised) that 1000 piece puzzles could have more or even fewer than exactly 1000. There are people who count the pieces before they start. Surprise — no guarantee! My OCD doesn’t stretch that far! This was a beautiful puzzle with the positive qualities by which puzzles are judged. In the end, I loved this exercise. This is not an easy puzzle, even with all the sorting I attempted. Maybe I’ll pick the next one from my stash that I think fits the Puzzle Hobby described sorting technique. Meanwhile, I’ll leave this one on my station to enjoy for a couple days. And, when I am a more grown up puzzler, perhaps I will use the picture less. I am having so much fun! I don’t think it’s cheating, but if it is, so be it! I remain amazed how easily I get lost in the process. It is the most relaxing, mind clearing activity I have ever done. I love to read, but it doesn’t clear my mind from thinking of problems. Puzzling really seems to do that. Amazing!
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REVIEW #2
Cobble Hills Puzzle Company, By: Barbara Behr Pieces: 1000 S 19.25 x 26.625″
Cobble Hills Puzzle Company, By: Barbara Behr Pieces: 1000 Size: 48.9 x 67.6cm or 19.25 x 26.625″
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Sunset Hill Farm Delightful in every way! Excellent quality! Bright colors and smooth finish with a bit of sheen. Correct pieces just drop in where they belong. I could pick up the completed puzzle off the table by its sides and it didn’t break, clearly a tight fit. And, no missing pieces. I sorted this one mostly by color, using the Puzzle Hobby technique. I did sort out recognizable areas (the little pics on the sides, the flowers, etc.). This was pure joy to put together, relatively easy with the most time spent on the large areas of color. The border was not much of an issue at all and an excellent start to building the rest. Lots of fun watching it develop. I am quite taken with this artist’s bold artwork, strongly featured in the JaCaRou collection. There was no additional poster, but the box pic displays the full scene with an excellent color match. Nice touch - the pieces come in a sealed bag and the sturdy box includes a separate resealable bag for storing. I give this 1000 piece puzzle, Sunset Hill Farm, an A+. PUZZLE HOBBY MAGAZINE
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REVIEW #3 JaCaRou Puzzle Company By: Anie Maltais Pieces: 1000 Size: 20" x 27″
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t h g ri e ll h t a in ake s p m in e t s n a e w c c e n f n e io A t r D c e f e L f r i i R d d O e th W
R U YO
Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention This is your opportunity to socialize 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
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U P D A T E
Jigsaw Puzzle International Convention
U P D A T E
I have an update from Karine Déry and here's what she has to share with us this month... "We will showcase the Guiness World Record jigsaw puzzle of 101,010 pieces that was entirely cut by the artist Jill Walterbach. She will be on our center stage talking about her journey and answering questions. We are also in contact with another Guiness World record holder. Artist, performer and entertainer The Enigma who has 2,123 puzzle pieces tattooed on his full body. JPiC Competitions: Adult Singles, Adult Pairs, Adult Teams, Junior (11-15 yo) and Mini (5-10 yo). Rules for all 5 competitions will be posted on our website and social media accounts next week. Details about how the Ultimate Challenge (a team of expert puzzlers that will attempt to complete the largest puzzles in the world) will run during the 3 day event, will also be posted. Other activities than the ones listed are being added, turning the traditional convention into a theme park for puzzlers."
Guinness World Record Title: Magnum Opus Pieces: 101,010 Artist: Jill Walterbach
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Monica is puzzled about everything and we don't blame her these days. But that is not what Monica is about. Being Puzzled About Everything is associated with jigsaw puzzles. She is proof that life does not stop at 50 or in a pandemic! Turns out she is quite the entertaining Youtube and Instagram personality. We had a chance to have a chat with her. Here's her story...
Ok, I’ll jump right into answering your questions. I live in Toronto, Canada. In some of my posts you can see my view of the CN Tower and the Rogers Center in the background. I work on a card table from my living room. We live in a very small condo. We sold our beautiful home shortly after we became empty nesters. We moved downtown about 5 years ago. I picked up puzzling again as I have more time now..
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My daughters suggested Instagram, as they got fed up with me sending them pictures of my latest accomplishments. I started that about 4 years ago as a way to display and keep track of my puzzles. Shortly after creating the account I got very entertained with some animated puzzle clips. I thought I could do it and I started to experiment with my puzzles when I finished them. I found it very fun and relaxing. Rather than packing up the puzzle when I was done I extended the puzzle experience for myself. Then we had the pandemic and my account started to explode.
I love to puzzle as much as I love to make these deconstruction videos. I’ve challenged myself to learn new creative ways to feature my finished puzzles. I’m self taught on social media and that has been tough. When I started my Instagram account I looked at what other people were writing in their description. I didn’t feel comfortable writing about my puzzle experience so I started with a dad joke. It felt right and I just went with it and still do.
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I want to empower them (Daughters) with the example that life doesn’t stop after 50. I want to be relevant and contribute something positive to today’s generation. In this fast paced world of high tech and disruptors, I want to showcase it’s never to late TO learn new things and be part of the conversation. It’s important to me to convey that you can grow and pivot as life changes.
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I do have three daughters. They are the ones that encourage me the most. My girls are so impressed with my content and how far I have come. I have connected with so many lovely people through puzzling…puzzle swap groups, IG, trades. I started the YouTube channel because I actually have so much content and I can’t post it all on Instagram. I have a code that I usually only post once a day. More than that people get turned off. I switched to a new platform so I could showcase the other work that I do with my puzzles. YouTube is tough, I’m not sure if I’m going to continue with it. It really does consume a lot of my time and I feel much happier with the interaction I have with my followers on Instagram. My girls are telling me to keep going but they really don’t understand the work involved. It’s starting to interfere with my puzzle time. When my hobby becomes work it’s time to re think things.
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February Puzzles Reviewed Here are a few puzzles from what we call our Valentine's Collection that we have had the pleasure of reviewing. We hope you enjoy reading how these puzzles came together.
Valentine Stamps
Cake Pops
Stained Glass Hearts
Sweet Valentine
LOVE Cookies
Heart Shaped
Quilted Hearts
Tea Time
Bouquet
Guest Blogger: Sherri Demos Mom selected another wonderful Aimee Stewart puzzle for our third puzzle. I must say that this was a very fun puzzle, but it made me miss my chubby, well fed backyard birds a wee little bit.
Mom was attracted to the blue eggs in the nest first, so I started with the watercolor paints in the opposite corner. We both kept working towards each other, but I was more methodical than my free wheeling Mama! She loves to hop from section to section.
There is nothing wrong with that, it’s fun to watch, but my puzzling OCD wouldn’t allow me to do that, lol. You should definitely be able to tell which side of the table we were each doing.
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Guest Blogger: Sherri Demos
I should tell you that even though my side might look like I was puzzling faster, some of that was sections that Mom added to my base.
This one was in excellent condition with no missing pieces, no cut issues, minimal puzzle dust, and a tight enough fit to pick up a small section to move into place. Anything over 5-6 pieces required a nice stiff piece of junk mail under it for support. There was a poster included, but we didn’t use it too much. Still, it was a nice resource when both of us wanted to check something at the same time.
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Guest Blogger: Sherri Demos This is a newer design and one of four puzzles that I bought directly from the company. The artwork was first rate, and I could tell that Aimee actually enjoys watching the birds in her beautiful home state. I am not a bird watcher, per se, but enjoy seeing and hearing the local birds that live in my neighborhood. I would need a birding book to be able to identify anything more than a robin, cardinal, blue jay, or chickadee. I guess that I would recognize a hummingbird, too. My granny was an avid bird watcher, but I was too young and thought that it was an “old lady” hobby at the time. I guess that I had better dust off my cardigan, now that I have 4 feeders in my backyard, lol.
Puzzle details: Buffalo Games, Vintage Birdwatcher, 1000 pieces.
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JIGSAW Magazine PUZZLE DIRECTORY Resource Board ARTISTS
Shelley Davies Lori Schory Greg Giordano Rose Cat Khan
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 Roberta Shore
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BRANDS
Cobble Hill Puzzles Company JaCaRou Puzzles WerkShoppe Puzzles
EVENTS-EXTRAS Wentworth Puzzle Ambassadors Puzzle Parely JPiC -Jigsaw Puzzle Convention World Puzzle Days A Puzzle Community Puzzle Barn Facebook Group Puzzle Olympics Puzzle Pal Choice Awards
PUZZLERS
SOCIAL MEDIA
Linda Richard My Jigsaw Journal Klodya Tremblay Karen Kavett Monica Marlatt
ONLINE STORES
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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