Bringing the Pieces Together

Blog centered around the culture of puzzling

[puzzleculture]

Tips for Puzzling

SORT YOUR PIECES

- separating the edges is a good first start

- sort the rest of the pieces by color to make it easier to find patterns

PUT THE EDGE PIECES TOGETHER FIRST

- helps you understand the size of the finished puzzle

- helps you match up the picture from the box

WORK ON ONE COLOR AT A TIME

- look for the easy to identify details like eyes, spots and outlines of the images

- start with smaller images/characters to get things going

Puzzles take time and patience

Step away for a while if you are having a hard time finding matches

Sometimes you just need fresh eyes

Have fun and happy puzzling!!

[puzzleculture]

Small Business supporting Small Business

Women supporting Women

BIPOC supporting BIPOC

We all need to feel that we are being supported by a like minded community. There is something in that solidarity that feels authentic and validating.

As a small business owner, I have felt compelled to support other small businesses as much as possible. I want the products I include in my subscription boxes to come from other small businesses here in the USA. This feels like I am taking part in helping out my community of business owners who are all struggling to bring in revenue.

But, when I can't find what I need, I need to look elsewhere. Sometimes it's a European brand, sometimes it needs to manufactured just for me in China. This doesn't mean I'm turning my back on the small business community. It just means I couldn't find what I needed here. And sometimes that's okay. As a consumer, you don't always go to your local clothing store, or corner grocery. You go to Macy's and Whole Foods, and yes, Amazon. This doesn't mean you're never going to shop at a small business again, it just means there was something you needed that couldn't be filled by the smaller guys.

This is where communication and feedback come in. Why couldn't I find what I needed from another small business? Was it being priced out or is it something that just isn't made here anymore? If I can go to my network and let them know what I'm searching for maybe one day someone can fill that void. The same goes for individual consumers. Let your small business community know what you need, maybe they can find a way to bring it to you so you don't have to go to Amazon.

I will still work extra hard to find what I need from other small businesses. I want to highlight their products and bring them to my customers. But I will also still need to get custom items made for me where ever I can get them. That's okay too. I have a business to run and I need to make the best decisions to make my business work. We live in a big world, sometimes we find what we need close to home and sometimes we just need to have it delivered to us.

[puzzleculture]

Essentials for puzzlers

Opening up a brand new puzzle and dumping the pieces out on a clean table always feels really good.  There’s something fun and relaxing about sifting through all of those pieces that look like a big jumbled mess but are just waiting to become a beautiful picture in the near future.  The more puzzles you do, the more you realize there are some things that help with the experience.  Here is my list of essential accessories for the avid puzzler:

1. A Large Surface Area

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a table large enough to hold a finished 1000 or larger piece puzzle.  I’m sure many people in small apartments don’t even have a dining room table.  If your coffee table or dining room table just won’t cut it, you can always use the floor or you can invest in a puzzle board or table.  These can end up being pricey, but if you love puzzles and need the surface area, it may be worth it for you.  Many of these are completely foldable or can be stored upright against a wall when not in use.  Some of them even come with drawers for sorting.  Whatever you use, be sure to know if you’ll have enough space to finish your puzzle before you start.  It’s never fun to discover you won’t be able to see that puzzle finished in one whole piece after you’ve worked so hard on it.

2. A Roll Up Puzzle Mat

Depending on how much free time you have, a 1000-piece puzzle may take you several hours or it may take you weeks.  Having an unfinished puzzle sitting on your table for all of that time may not be feasible.  There are times when I start a puzzle, but because life happens, I can only work on it over the weekends.  For these reasons, having a puzzle mat that rolls up is absolutely necessary.  These felt works of wonder keep your pieces in place and let’s you put your puzzle aside until you are ready to get back to it!  They’re usually pretty cheap and totally worth the expense if you need your table for other things like eating dinner.  These are also the most portable if you want to take a puzzle with you to a friend’s house or on a road trip.

3. Sorting Trays/Boxes

At some point, you have to make sense of the big pile of pieces sitting in front of you.  Sorting trays makes it easier for you to group pieces together in whatever method you choose.  Depending on the puzzle it may be by color, pattern of the image, or it may be by puzzle shape.  There are so many different sorting trays on the market, some of which are quite expensive.  Having the fun color trays or puzzle shaped sorters can be nice, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money to put together your own sorters.  Using felt squares can be a super cheap DIY version of the sorting mats.  Simple cardboard trays or boxes also work really well.  Whatever you choose, a sorting system helps make puzzling a little easier (and neater).

4. Puzzle Glue

Once you are done with that beautiful puzzle you may not be sure what to do with it.  Do you immediately dismantle it?  Do you leave it out for a while and admire your handiwork?  Maybe you love the image so much you actually want to display it.  If so, having puzzle glue sticks or sheets will come in handy.  These will safely seal your puzzle and allow you to frame it.  Puzzle glue can get a little messy depending on the application. The glue goes on the front and dries clear to display your finished work.  Puzzle sheets, while less messy, have to applied on the back of the puzzle.  If you’re a regular puzzler, you know that turning a finished puzzle over can be extremely precarious.  I have rarely been able to pick up a puzzle and have it remain completely in tact.  Either way, puzzle glue or sheets will save your puzzle for posterity.

5. Snacks

This isn’t a puzzle accessory, but I still think it’s essential!  I tend to get lost while I’m working on my puzzles and can end up sitting for hours before looking up.  I like to get my drinks and snacks ready before I get started so I don’t have to get up once I’m in the groove.

Enjoy your puzzle time!