Puzzles

I've recently started checking out puzzles from my local puzzle library. I have done a few puzzles in my time, but I don't like to buy them because I never know what to do with them after I finish. So I love the puzzle library because I can do puzzles without having to worry about accumulating more stuff.

I love a good wooden puzzle. For me, the gold standard in wooden puzzles is Liberty Puzzles, a Boulder-based company. The wood is nice and chunky, the pieces are swirly instead of the usual jigsaw shape, and there are a ton of whimsy pieces. On the other hand, all the things I like mean they're out of my budget, so I try to check them out from the library when I see them.

Currently puzzling

Impression, Sunrise - Liberty

Artist: Claude Monet
Pieces: 517
Date: November 7, 2026 - present

The pieces are all sorted by color and sitting on my desk. So far, I've put together the sun and a few pieces of the boats...

Past puzzles

Rosie in the Poppies - Wentworth

Artist: Paula Nightingale
Pieces: 250
Date: October 22 - November 7, 2026

I got through the girl and the big snapdragons on the right side pretty quickly, then sat and stared at the rest of the pieces for 5 days. I ended up brute forcing it by comparing each piece to the box, which involved a lot of scrutinizing low-resolution brushstrokes. I liked the feel of the puzzle even though it wasn't super hefty, and the piece shapes were a fun variation of the usual jigsaw shape. I also enjoyed the numerous bug whimsy pieces!