As it happened (from my Journal archives).

This little puzzle took quite a few hours to make, with the painting taking a lot longer than the cutting. A little touch-up is needed and I'll do this tomorrow when I take a short break from cutting #569. I have not decided if I will make additional copies of this Puzzlet available.

Puzzle Tree Puzzlet #2 is a nice "parlor" puzzle, not that hard to do but tricky none-the-less! As mentioned, this is a "bonus puzzle" which goes very well with The Puzzle Tree Collage being auctioned as a historical Puzzle Tree document. Puzzle Tree Puzzlet #1 was made shortly before the November 15, 2003 Puzzle Tree dedication (actually dedication for all 30 Urban Trees). This item was not painted and was later given away.

November 26, 2004

5:47 pm - First puzzle marathon of the holiday season is underway. Today I cut just over half of The Puzzle Tree Collage, or about 255 pieces, cutting going well. I plan to finish cutting tomorrow, and would like to make the 24 piece "bonus" puzzle too, but with the painting of the pieces, will very likely not be done until sometime Sunday. On Sunday I will launch this month's auction and will design all of the figurals for #569, and complete all the steps for #570, 571 and 572 up to but not including cutting. The cutting portion of the marathon resumes on Monday. The backlog looks pretty intimidating at this time, but once I get past the Sanibel dreadnought, things will move pretty quickly until I reach #584.

November 27, 2004

6:36 pm - Long pretty intense day of work. The Puzzle Tree Collage is done, a very nice puzzle. Has some trick edges, about 505 pieces, can be picked up with no pieces falling out, except sometimes The Observer who came out of semi-retirement, sabbatical or whatever "he" is up to, to make an appearance. Pellie the Pelican showed up again (getting habit forming) and a new figural, a Puzzle Tree. Puzzle has a grid piece "treat piece"; pictures tomorrow. Took around six hours of cutting today. Then I cut the 1:12 scale Puzzle Tree puzzlet. Although it has just 24 pieces, I used a template to cut the pieces, in effect 24 figurals. Took almost an hour and a half to cut, not the kind of thing I want like to do very often! This puzzle doesn't have the somewhat elegant lines of the real Puzzle Tree pieces, as "cutting by lines" versus "wood dancing" just doesn't produce the same results. Still, I'll be offering this "puzzlet" as a "bonus" with The Puzzle Tree College. I did not get to the painting part, I will do this tomorrow, although rain may interfere.

November 28, 2004

10:58 pm - Getting the Puzzle Tree puzzlet done, photos taken and the auction launched took more time than planned.

November 29, 2004

There is an auction in progress, and I've neglected to discuss the "bonus puzzle" being featured in the auction, Puzzle Tree Puzzlet #2. Yesterday morning I painted the pieces, using various kinds of spray paint, spraying several coats on both sides and the edges. I was wondering if spraying the edges would make the pieces too tight to go together, but the pieces fit nicely!