Puzzle 881 - Moss Garden Bridge To Turtle Island

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Puzzle #881 - Moss Garden Bridge To Turtle Island
The reflection of the sky in the water is not as cyan as this

This is an excellent Swirl Curl cutting style puzzle, the last one I made before taking a major puzzle cutting break in 2013.

As it happened (from my Journal archives)

June 20, 2012

Wednesday 5:41 PM - This morning, before mounting the prints for puzzles #881 and #882, I inspected the prints and found a scuff mark on the #882 print, so I had to re-do it. While that was in progress, I mounted #881 and this afternoon took it out of the press, looks perfect. I then mounted #882 and it is currently in the press. I also printed the border template for #881 and designed a small figural set of turtles, including one new design, a Galapagos turtle. I plan to start cutting #881 tomorrow.

June 21, 2012

Thursday 5:44 PM - Today I was at the shop for about five hours. First I did the "harrowing" initial cut for puzzle #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island (I renamed the puzzle from Moss Garden Bridge), then divided the halves into quarters, then did the wavy border, then finally cut about 113 pieces including one figural. Everything going well so far. I'd like to complete this puzzle by the end of this coming weekend.

Before going to the shop I took the mounted board for puzzle #882 out of the press, looked perfect.

So at last I'm back to "production cutting". Excluding the Parley puzzle exchange stuff, my first production cutting since May 8.


Puzzle #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island status as of June 21
Shop lighting distorted the colors shown here

June 22, 2012

Friday 5:49 PM - Today was another five hour day at the shop, cut short by my weekly Pilates session. I made good progress on puzzle #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island, cutting about 226 pieces, bringing the total to about 339. Cutting continues to go well. I plan to put in a pretty substantial marathon this weekend, but it will be a pretty tall order to complete this puzzle by the end of the weekend as I have over 660 pieces to go.


Puzzle #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island status as of June 22
This shot was taken from the right side then extensively worked in Photoshop to get it in this orientation
T
he diagonal lighter background section upper right is an artifact of this work, as is the kinked wavy border lower left, and strange edge-on view of pieces upper left
Will use a good camera for the official shots

June 23, 2012

Saturday 7:56 PM - Today I was in marathon mode, was at the shop for about eight hours, cutting #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island, with just a few small breaks and a break for a late lunch. I cut around 328 pieces including three figurals, bringing the total to around 667 with around 345 to go. No way will I repeat this kind of effort tomorrow. I'm going to slack off the pace now, and will be content to complete the puzzle on Monday. I'll inspect, clean, count pieces, pack, ship it on Tuesday, take Wednesday off and then on Thursday start the next puzzle.


Puzzle #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island status as of June 23

Towards the end of my time at the shop I noticed the sun creeping towards my saw. Only happens just around Summer Solstice as the door to my shop faces north. For a few precious moments the sun's shrinking triangle glanced the edge of the saw's table.


Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

June 24, 2012

Sunday 6:30 PM - Today I spent about 5 1/2 hours at the shop, bit longer than initially planned, continuing to cut #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island. I made good progress cutting around 228 pieces including one figural and my signature piece, bringing the total to around 895 with around 117 to go. This puzzle will come in at a little over 1000 pieces, the second most number of pieces for a Swirl Curl, the record being held by puzzle #834, Carnival of Harlequin with 1322.


Puzzle #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island status as of June 24
That's a turtle figural upper left with its head peaking into the uncut area

June 25, 2012

Monday 6:35 PM - Puzzle #881, Moss Garden Bridge to Turtle Island is done. I'll have a final piece count tomorrow.

I have found it difficult to get a picture of this image which comes really close to the way it looks. This one was taken in sunshine. [See above].

Yesterday when I cut my Signature Piece I noticed that I was "dead on" the template possibly to an extent I've never been before. A test of preciseness is to see if the piece fits in all four orientatiosn front and all four back. This one did easily before I did any further cutting which would have loosened up where it would go.


Freshly minted very precise signature piece.


Puzzle #881 figural set
The Observer showed up - said he liked the turtles, especially the new Galapagos turtle.

I now have ten customer puzzles (including Composures) to go in the Puzzle Queue. I haven't heard from Kirk and today was the deadline. I deleted that entry from the queue and will reinstate it if by chance he opts in by midnight.

Tomorrow I'll inspect #881 (cleaning whiskers from the back side of some pieces and fixing paper lifts, if any), count the pieces, pack and if time is left in the day, ship. I'll start #882 on Thursday.

June 26, 2012

Tuesday 5:17 PM - Puzzle #881 shipped, final piece count: 1017.


Specifications
Name
Moss Garden Bridge To Turtle Island
Artist
Photo by customer
Date Completed
June 25, 2012
Size
23 3/4" x 15 7/8"
Cutting Style
# Pieces
1017
Color Line Cutting
None
Figurals
5 Turtles, Observer

© John S. Stokes III - Puzzle Crafter & Webmaster

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