No, it's not Caturday Fun day, but I couldn't resist bringing you a puzzle! Just to look at!
I enjoy jigsaws. The mindboggling number of tiny irregular pieces and the challenge of putting them together to look - hopefully - just like the stunning picture on the top of the box. I'm a sorter (it's that inner duck-liner-upper approach!). I sort into piles - one pile of edges and one pile of "other bits" - which naturally gets broken down into sub-piles of green bits or blue bits or brown bits or white bits. I like to start by putting the edges together first so then there's a frame to help find where the other pieces go.
This works well because jigsaws are square and therefore they always have four corners! Right?
Wrong!
These days, there are shaped puzzles. A friend showed me this clever cat-shaped puzzle that she'd put together with friends. She loved it so much she's had it framed.
Titled Curious Kittens, there are cats within cats, cats in the clouds, a cat face in the branches of the tree...
In this picture, you can see that some of the interlocking pieces even fit together to make mini puzzle-cats within the larger picture.
It's fabulous and the longer I looked, the more cats I could see.
It's been years since I've done a jigsaw but this clever design had me seriously itching to have a go.
Are you jigsaw person? Have you tried one of these shaped puzzles? Do you break them up after you've done them? Or try to keep them for a while so you enjoy the fruits of your labour? Do you find them relaxing or stressful? From my research on the Internet, I believe there are even 3-D puzzles now! Have you tried one of those?
P.S. For those who can't resist the temptation, I did Google to see if I could find a link for this company, but no luck - hopefully this means they're designing more of their delightful puzzles! If it helps the puzzle is made by THE CANADIAN GROUP, Toronto.
PPS I meant to say that I'll giveaway a copy of my latest release, Bachelor Dad, Girl Next Door, to one of my commenters! Looking forward to it!
Sharon, what a lovely jigsaw! I must say I used to love doing jigsaws. Haven't done one for years - had an impossible one of the Taj Mahal that I just gave up on about ten years ago and haven't been game to do one since. I do however have a lovely naive jigsaw of the jacarandas in New Farm Park in Brisbane in the cupboard that one day I'll do! Maybe when I'm not working on a book - snort! And isn't that clever about the cats within cats within cats? Wow!
ReplyDeleteHi, Sharon! Hanging my head in shame here 'cause I believe I've never completed a proper jigsaw puzzle before--unless you count the ones that come in a McHappy Meal box. Is that odd?
ReplyDeleteI imagine, though, if I attempted one like your magnificent cat puzzle, my *own* cats would do their best to muck it all up. Possum would bat the pieces around and Pink would try to eat them.
x
I *love* jigsaws - which shouldn't surprise any regular visitors to the lovecats! =). And that one of the cats within cats looks divine.
ReplyDeleteRecently, dh underwent some treatment at a major hospital and there was a huge table near the treatment room for jigsaws. Shelves and shelves of puzzles surrounded the area. I even started thinking that if we went early for his treatment, I'd get more jigsaw time!
It was *such* a great idea, because there was something to *do* there instead of sitting, waiting and getting agitated. Also, we got to know other patients and families - the jigsaw crowd, lol. And we'd talk, unload problems, share solutions, etc, which was beyond valuable.
All hail the health benefits of jigsaws!
Fabulous cat jigsaw, Sharon! I love jigsaws, but haven't done one for years. Now you've made me want to start again!
ReplyDeleteThe library in Flagstaff, Arizona has a jigsaw table. Throughout the day, patrons stop by to put together a piece or two--or two hundred! As soon as one jigsaw is completed, another one goes out. I thought it was a fabulous idea when I saw it! I must suggest to my own library that they start it.
My mind boggles just thinking about your Taj Mahal jigsaw, Anna! All that intricate, white-on-white of the detailed motifs!
ReplyDeleteMmm, you have a jacaranda puzzle stashed in a cupboard - handy for all that spare time you (don't!) have between books! Would be gorgeous though, all those purple flowers!
;)
Sharon
What an amazing puzzle, Sharon! No wonder your friend had it framed. I LOVE jigsaws. Bought 2 today in fact (can't help myself). Both 1000 piece outdoor scenes. A slightly easier one with distinct colour variations (so the kids can help) and a really tricky woodland one where all the colours are browns and oranges. We're going on holidays soon and that was my excuse - rainy day holiday activities
ReplyDeleteLOL, Vanessa! I'm sure the McHappy puzzles must count in the grand scheme of jigsaw tallying!
ReplyDeleteWith Pink and Possum, you don't need jigsaws lying around! They sound delightful - but not an awfully big help! Imagine getting to the end of a mammoth 1000-piece puzzle only to find Pink had snacked on the final bit!
:)
Sharon
Rachel! Our Caturday LoveCat! Yes, I love the weekly puzzles you post for us and *especially* the jigsaws!
ReplyDeleteThe Jigsaw Crowd sounds like a wonderful bit of light relief in a difficult situation. How inspired that someone thought to provide the jigsaws in a waiting room like that.
hugs
Sharon
Em, that's another great idea - having a large jigsaw table in libraries. That way you can do a little or a lot as the fancy takes you. A real community effort. I wonder if my local library would consider it...
ReplyDeleteMust suggest it!
Thanks!
Puzzles are the order of the day, Anita, if you've been out buying some while I've been in here blogging about them! Good holiday planning! You sound like you'll be well covered for things to do on any rainy days. Especially that autumn woodland!
ReplyDelete:)
Sharon
I hate to say this with all you jigsaw-loving people here... but I get stressed doing jigsaws. They frustrate me.
ReplyDeleteOne birthday my dh gave me a jigsaw that I had to complete before receiving something else. No picture, no clues, just rotten peices of coloured cardboard. I was not happy.
Cath (the weird one!)
Sharon, I'm afraid I have to admit that I HATE jigsaws--even beautiful kitty ones. And, to be a real bah humbug, I don't like boardgames or playing cards either. (Crouches in defensive position to ward off blows from puzzle fans...) I find them a waste of time. I want to spend my leisure time indulging in my favourite activity--reading!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is a whiz at jigsaws and was doing difficult, adult ones from a very young age. But then she is good at maths and I am hopeless--I believe there is a link...
Good luck with the launch of BACHELOR DAD, GIRL NEXT DOOR--I'd so much rather be reading that than doing a jigsaw puzzle!
PS I have to add that I play your Welcome Kitty every time I visit this blog. Always makes me laugh!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young we used to put together jigsaws as a family, and yes - sorting the frame outside bits first, putting htem together followed by blocks of colours that'd we'd join and then attach to the frame. You've brought back some wonderful memories =)
ReplyDeleteChiming in as a jigsaw hater of long standing. I think I was forced to do them as a child because, it was 'good for me' to learn patience. Huh! However, I could be tempted by these lovely shaped puzzles.
ReplyDeleteCath! A jigsaw with *no* picture! That would be very stressful! I hope your dh has stopped his wicked gift-giving pranks!
ReplyDeleteSo your our first anti-jigsaw voter! And I just looked through the other comments and I can see you have some very good company!
And Kandy, you're joining Cath on the "no" to jigsaws. How interesting that your daughter is a puzzle fan - I wonder if there is a maths-jigsaw link!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the big YES to reading! LOL That's a definite anytime. I hope your daughter inherited that from you - there's nothing better than putting your feet up with a good book, is there?
Cool that you're giving The Welcome Kitty a work out! He's fun, isn't he!
Thank you for the launch wishes!
Your family jigsaw get-togethers sound fab, Mel! How wonderful that this blog chat has brought back those memories for you! So is it a tradition that you carried on with your children?
ReplyDelete:)
Sharon
Poor Fran! Jigsaw torture! Did it teach you the patience it was supposed to or only put you off jigsaws for life? I suspect the latter!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've recovered enough to be able to enjoy the pictures of this cat puzzle! It is lovely, isn't it!
:)
Sharon
OOh, I'm in the loving jigsaws camp. I love now how they come with extra pieces, or photos on the front of just a snippet of the picture, or those weird ones where you see the result but not the actual picture - sawjigs or wasjigs? I can't remember, but boy, they are getting complex.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit like writing a book I reckon. Sometimes it helps to have that frame. Sometime you can put together some bits faster than others, sometimes you just can't see the connection between all the pieces and just have to keep juggling.
And I always end up with more pieces than fit in the finished book too! No wonder I don't mind those puzzles:-))
Haven't done one for ages though and that's not good. Will have to go check out the puzzle cupboard now. Love them in school hols. A real family affair.
Hiya Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI used to love doing puzzles during holidays, but like the Sunday lunch roast dinner it seems to have been taken off the menu (so to speak!)
I organize my bits exactly the same way as you do, perhaps we're twins separated at birth?
We used to have a wonderful 1500 I think piece puzzle of a lake with a mountain behind it - I think it was in Oregon or Washington state - I LOVED that puzzle and did it year after year - leaving it up to admire it for as long as possible. Sadly, pieces went missing and is there anything more frustrating than doing a puzzle and finding piece are missing when you get to the end - argh!
Loved the clever cat within a cat puzzle. Maybe I could make my own? Get camera and set my three cats and Lab up all together on the back lawn... yeah right!!!! It would end up with three cat tails all disappearing in different directions while Lab is front and centre being a good girl posing for her mummy. :-)
CC
Not really a jigsaw person but I like playing with them at times. I normally start with the edges and work from there. I find the jigsaws to be relaxing at times depending on the size of the puzzle. I like working on the smaller jigsaw puzzles because I don't like having to find too many pieces that may or may not fit together.
ReplyDeleteOne of my family friends will work on a large jigsaw puzzle with her family and will keep them together for awhile depending on the size and how long it had taken them.
Hey Sharon,
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new book.
I have to admit to being a jigsaw lover, never really stopped doing them and then got to love them all over again when D1 and D2 were little.
Sometimes we do them as a family which is always interesting - D1 and That Man are maths types and try to organise everything, I move stuff around until I see where it fits and D2 is weirdest of all, turns out her binocular infacility (eye problem which makes it hard for her to read) is useful for puzzles, she looks at a bit, picks it up and puts it where it belongs.
H! :)
H Maree Davis
http://winkgirls.blogspot.com/
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteWhat a tremendous jigsaw! I've never tried the shaped ones or the 3 d ones. At the moment the ordinary old rectangle ones are challenge enough. I rarely get a chance to do them but do enjoy them. I fact my son is currently on a bit of a jigsaw jag which I think is a good respite between bouts of study. My fave is a massive one of Hallstat - scenic town on an Austrian lake, or one I've had for more years than I can remember - a circular one (hey, I do have a shaped puzzle) with different pictures of English canals making up the segments. It's a real treat to do them but sadly it doesn't happen often these days. I always associate jigsaws with Christmas as for some reason that's when I remember a card table set up in one corner of the lounge room where you'd pore over the pieces whenever you entered.
Oh, my -- that's a great puzzle. My cat-mad daughter would looove it! We've got some fabulous -- and really difficult -- puzzles which tend to get an outting once a year. Like Annie, that tends to be over the Christmas holidays. Not sure why. Great minds think alike perhaps, Annie? LOL.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most difficult ones we've got is an Anne Geddes, with the tiny baby sleeping atop a huge pumpkin. Oh, and the Leonarda da Vinci "Vetruvian Man" puzzle. Those two are enough to make your eyes go fuzzy in a big way! But the immense satisfaction when you've completed it.... Magic!
Great post, Sharon! Really brings back some great memories.
LOL, on the "extra" pieces in a jigsaw, Trish! If only they could work as useful "spares" - like a "spare" tyre on a car for instance! That's a useful spare!
ReplyDeleteOooo, I hear you on the jigsaw approach to writing - I always end up with some "extra" pieces, too!
:)
Sharon
We grow away from things, don't we, CC! But your jigsaw skills are always there for you to pick up again if the fancy takes you. And there's a lot less cleaning to do in the kitchen after a jigsaw than a Sunday roast! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm sooooo with you one the missing pieces! Too awful after all that hard work and you're missing the final piece!
LOL on animal antics at your house! Your lab is obviously not camera shy!
:)
Sharon
Hey, Amanda, there's a lot to be said for the smaller puzzles!
ReplyDelete-- you can see a result so much more quickly
-- if you're a sorter, you can be ready to start in no time
-- it takes up less room and less time
Yep, small puzzles are great!
:)
Sharon
H, what a fabulous jigsaw tradition you have at your place and such interesting and valuable skills that each family member brings to the table. Sounds like it's a great way for your girls to learn to work together and to appreciate different paths to the same goal.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind wishes on my latest release!
:)
Sharon
Hi Sharon --
ReplyDeleteI'm not a jigsaw person (but I remember having some when I was a kid). I have to say the idea of shaped jigsaws is pretty cool.
Annie, your round jigsaw definitely qualifies as a "shaped" puzzle. And a very challenging one too, I'll bet! It sounds gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHey, the good thing about your son's jigsaw jag is that maybe you can pass by and slot in a piece or two without having to commit to a whole puzzle. Or maybe he gets grumpy about outside help?!
;)
Hi Maree! This cat puzzle sounds like something your cat-mad daughter would love!
ReplyDeleteI know the Annes Geddes picture of the baby on the pumpkin - what a stunning pic for a jigsaw. Isn't her work just amazing!
Thank you for sharing your jigsaw memories!
:)
Sharon
Hi Anna, you managed to slip in here to comment without me seeing! But it's okay because I found you!
ReplyDeleteThe shaped puzzles are cool, aren't they! I like the sound of Annie's round one - that's been sort of exercising my mind. Every single edge piece would have that arc - you'd have to hope for some distinguishing colour clues... mmm
;)
Sharon
I'm back to announce my winner AND to thank you all for visiting and sharing your jigsaw stories and memories! It's been terrific!
ReplyDeleteAnyway with a huge flourish, it's my pleasure to announce my winner is
****Vanessa****!
I'll get that book into the post ASAP, Vanessa!
:)
Sharon