A Piece of the Puzzle

It is no secret that I love jigsaw puzzles. When I was a kid, my friends and I used to gather around a large table in the biology classroom during lunch breaks. Our science teacher had an entire stack of jigsaw puzzles. These were massive 5,000 and 10,000 piece puzzles that took all of our combined concentration and dedication to slowly pull the picture together. I always loved the nature scenes. There were beautiful snowy mountains, regal deer in a sunlit forest, and waves washing ashore a tropical paradise.

As an adult, I lost track of jigsaw puzzles. We moved several times and as one thing happened after another I was left with little time to ever unpack. Recently, I needed to buy a present for a close friend of mine. I was looking at various gifts when suddenly a jigsaw puzzle popped up in my results. It was amazing. The picture was an owl perched on a tree. The puzzle promised that the pieces were well made and were cut “irregularly.” Little did I know what would follow.

I purchased one puzzle for my friend and one for myself. They were incredible. Instead of the cardboard of my youth, I was greeted by firm pieces of wood. Each piece was a new unique shape, nothing like the traditional interlocking rectangles I was expecting. Randomly I would find pieces cut to look like plants or animals; there a crow, here a deer, over there an oak leaf. My sister quickly joined me as we began to piece together a cat sleeping in a garden shed.

One puzzle was soon followed by another, and then another. My old science teacher would be proud. I now have a stack of jigsaw puzzles all my own. It has been wonderful to discover my love of jigsaw puzzles all over again.  My family has gotten quite used to the sight of the dinning room table covered with puzzles in progress. I like to use a cookie sheet to contain the smaller puzzles. It makes them easier to move from room to room as needed. Jigsaw puzzles have been a great way to relax and connect with my family. They teach patience and determination. Jigsaw puzzles are not easy. But the struggle to recreate what was once one image is an incredibly fulfilling task. That first breath of victory when the last puzzle piece snaps in place is something incredible.

   

Cutoff Crafts is happy to announce that we now carry jigsaw puzzles! Our newest addition is a bee pollinating a red sunflower. The bee and the sunflower are stylistically covered in intricate mandala designs. This is a very challenging puzzle, it took my family over eight hours to complete. The puzzle is self contained, it is not a rectangular picture. Instead, the petals of the sunflower are the border. Each wooden puzzle piece is laser cut in a wide variety of shapes. Nestled within are secret animal pieces. Each of the animal pieces has extra detail cuts that create a wonderful surprise when examined from the back.

Prepare to test your wits and pick one up today!