Bizzle's Puzzles

Spotlight: Areaware

May 1, 2022 / bizzlespuzzles

Primarily known for its fun and artistic everyday objects, Areaware also has puzzles. And not just one or two, but a comprehensive line with different sizes and styles sure to delight everyone, from hardcore puzzle people to those who like to pick one up occasionally.

I have done several of their puzzles but wanted to focus on 3 of my favorites.

Puzzle In Puzzle – Pool

First up is Pool, which has a puzzle within a puzzle. Pool features photography by KangHee Kim. Photography puzzles tend not to be popular because people think of them as “old” and “boring”. But Areaware takes a photograph and makes it so much more interesting by working with Kim’s art in these.

KangHee Kim takes her photographs in New York City and around the US. Then layers them to create new and imaged spaces that are free from the restraints of reality. Areaware takes these images and creates a custom puzzle shape to mirror the image-within-an-image style of Kim’s photography.

With these 500-piece puzzles, you get 2 puzzles in one. I am a big fan of innovation in the puzzle world and when it comes to cardboard puzzles, Areaware is the first one that I’ve seen that has 2 puzzles in one.

I worked this puzzle from the top down – starting with the tile on the pool. I like to be methodical when I puzzle, just to make the experience last a little longer.

From there, I continued to work my way down but chose to do the center puzzle separately.

I thought the cut pattern of the puzzle within the puzzle was so creative and fun. There are fluid lines that reflect the motion of the water.

I also want to take a moment to really look at the pieces.

I took a couple of pictures to show how the Areaware pieces look when compared with a couple of the most popular brands (Buffalo is very popular in the US, although that may not be the same worldwide). You can see the pieces are beautifully cut and an incredibly nice 2.1 mm thick.

Pattern Puzzle – Arc

Next, I want to talk about Arc. Arc is another 500-piece puzzle with a fairly limited color palette. I was convinced because of both the puzzle size and limited colors, that this would be a breeze to finish. Spoiler – it was HARD!

This pattern puzzle features the art of Dusen Dusen whose art is inspired by fine art, commercial, and naïve design as well as the brain’s reaction to color, movement, and contrast.

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is how nicely the pieces fit together. My normally methodical approach to puzzling became haphazard with this one. I tried to work one color at a time, but nearly every piece had multiple colors. Add in the overlapping colors and I was all over the place with assembly. Luckily, the pieces in Arc held together beautifully. I was able to move sections around with ease.

I honestly expected to finish Arc in one sitting; that’s my norm for 500-piece puzzles. But I had to do this beauty over a few days.

Let’s also just take a moment to appreciate how perfectly the box looks on the completed puzzle.

Pink/Orange/Yellow Gradient

Last, I want to talk about the Pink/Orange/Yellow 1000-piece gradient. I’m not new to gradients. They are one of my favorite styles of puzzles. Working on a puzzle solely by color is very meditative for me. Yellow is also my happy color – I cannot help but feel joy when I see it. So, I started with the yellow section.

The middle section with the yellow transitioning to orange came together very easily.

Then everything changed. The pink section was very challenging for me! I’m not afraid of a challenging puzzle. In fact, I quite enjoy a challenge.

I ended up soring my pieces by shape. But do you ever keep trying the same piece in the same place despite knowing that it simply does not fit? Let me share with you a tip from my amazing friend Michael’s Puzzles: after trying a piece, flip it over. It’s so simple and so brilliant.

Slowly and steadily, the pieces were placed into their correct locations. When I finished the Pink/Orange/Yellow 1000-piece gradient I had such a feeling of accomplishment. There’s a big rush when I put that last piece into a difficult puzzle.

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention! This gradient was created by graphic designer Bryce Wilner.

I can confidently say that the Pink/Orange/Yellow 1000-piece gradient is the hardest gradient I have finished. But, it was so worth it. Just look at those colors!

Areaware has a few other puzzles that I have not tried yet, although they all look really fun as well! Now that I am back to traveling for work, I am definitely going to need to get a little puzzle thing.

And I have a special deal for my readers: 15% off select puzzles at Areaware! Use code: PUZZLE15 (Not valid with other offers).

Happy Puzzling!

Diane

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What makes a puzzle high quality?

March 19, 2021 / bizzlespuzzles

As a consultant, I have worked with puzzle companies to help them improve the quality of their puzzles. The image trends change, but there are some constants when it comes to deciding if a puzzle is high quality.

Chipboard

Chipboard matters! Most puzzle pieces are a standard 1.8 mm thick. This gives stability to the pieces. At this thickness, the pieces generally do not bend.

The general preference is the chipboard is not backed with white or colored paper. This tends to peel can cause annoyance.

Some common things to know about chipboard:

ESKA^® Puzzle board is one of the highest quality chipboards for puzzles. It is a 3-layer solid board made from 100% recovered paper. This choice is not only environmentally friendly but also the layers remain joined together after being die-cut.
Professional Chipboard is a common choice. Stone Grey Paperboard is primarily made of recycled pulp and paper creating a nice stiffness. It varies in thickness and is made of one layer. Overall quality depends on the manufacturer.
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council^®) Certified is a way for puzzle companies to show their commitment to sustainability. By seeking FSC certification, you show customers that you comply with the highest environmental standards on the market.

Interlocking Pieces

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Tight interlocking pieces are an important quality for cardboard puzzles. Avid puzzlers like to be able to pick up sections and move them on their table/puzzle board.

There is a puzzle pick-up challenge trend you can see across social media platforms. To successfully complete this challenge, a completed puzzle is picked up and the pieces hold together.

There is a delicate balance. Sometimes the fit can be too tight. When this happens, the puzzler has to take the puzzle apart piece-by-piece and sometimes results in damage to the puzzle pieces.

Lamination/Finish/Paper Style

There are many options when it comes to the lamination/finish/paper style: glossy, matte, linen matte, and soft-touch/velvet are the core types. There are some other specialized finishes (lenticular, glitter, foil, glow-in-the-dark) which I will talk about in another post. This is where preferences start to come into play with quality, however, in general, the preferred style for puzzles is matte.

Glossy puzzles feature a shiny, reflective finish that protects the image and adds vibrancy to the colors. Galison is a good example of puzzles with a glossy piece style. eeBoo puzzles are also glossy – to me, they have a thicker almost glass-like quality to the finish. I personally do not do many glossy puzzles because my puzzle time is typically in the evening and I have to use artificial light. This often creates a glare with glossy puzzles.
Matte puzzles have a sleek, shine-free finish which adds depth to the art. Genuine Fred is new to the puzzle scene (first released puzzles in 2020) and they feature an anti-glare matte finish on their puzzles. My preference is matte puzzles due to the lack of glare. It is easier on my eyes to assemble matte puzzles.
Linen matte puzzles have a high-end finish. With this style, you get the tactile texture of linen paper with the anti-glare qualities of a matte finish. The most well-known puzzle company, Ravensburger, features fine, linen-structured paper to create a glare-free puzzle image. Cloudberries and Cobble Hill are two other companies with a linen matte finish.
Soft-touch lamination is exactly what it sounds like – the pieces feel soft and luxurious and there is no sheen. When I first felt the pieces in my Lemonade Pursuits puzzle, I did not want to stop touching them.
Velvet -I believe this is a type of soft-touch. I am not entirely sure. The only brand I know of that has this style Art & Fable. It is my favorite style – the finish has absolutely no glare and all the details are vibrant and clear. I love running my fingers over these pieces.

Image

Day in the Garden puzzle — Day in the Garden by Betsy Silverman | 1000 piece puzzle | Art & Fable

The image! There are personal preferences to image styles and the choices available are endless – cartoon, photography, fine art, abstract, animals, landscapes, photography, gradients, etc. But there are important things to consider when it comes to the image.

Is the image too detailed? Does the die-cut interfere with the details?
Are there large sections of one color? This often leads to frustration for many puzzlers. There are puzzlers who enjoy these types of challenges, but for the most part, a variety of colors is king!
Is it a stock photo or creative commons image? There is nothing wrong with using readily available (cheap or free) art. However, working with artists either directly or via licensing companies (i.e. Art Licensing) is my preference. I like to be able to support artists with my purchase.

Piece Cut

When it comes to the piece cut, there are 2 general options: ribbon and random. The style of piece cut is definitely a personal preference. Ribbon cut means the pieces are on a grid. Random cut does not follow a grid or pattern.

The precision of the cut is a great indicator of quality. Primarily, are the pieces fully-cut? Puzzles are cut with a die, which is essentially a large metal cookie cutter. Over time, the die does get dull which causes pieces to not be fully-cut.

Another aspect of piece cut and quality is the amount of puzzle dust. Puzzles are made from paper and cardboard – some dust is to be expected. However, there are puzzles that have excessive dust. This is not only messy but can be irritating to those with allergies.

Bonuses

Bonuses! Who doesn’t love a freebie? When it comes to high-quality puzzles, there are often bonuses included with the puzzle. Some of the bonuses I have found in my puzzles are:

a zippered pouch for the pieces (One But Many)
resealable plastic bag (several brands include this)
box top stand (Art & Fable and White Mountain)
sticker of the art (Adam Hoffman Fine Art Fractals)
a recipe, yes really! (Puzzle Sensei)

Let me know in the comments, what do you look for in a high-quality puzzle?

Welcome to Bizzle’s Puzzles!

January 29, 2021 / bizzlespuzzles

What better day to publish my very first puzzle post than International Puzzle Day?!?

Hi everyone, my name is Diane, and you might say I am a little obsessed with puzzles. I have enjoyed puzzles since childhood, but a few years ago I learned how calming they are and really help me unwind and relax. So, I decided to dedicate my Instagram page to puzzles.

About 2 years ago, a friend said, “Hey, you should make a time-lapse of your next puzzle.” It was obviously a brilliant suggestion, so I did! Since then, I have recorded a time-lapse of nearly every puzzle. It’s nothing fancy, but I post them all on Instagram anyway. It’s like my diary, but public. I like to watch the videos to see how I approached a particular puzzle and decide if I would like to try a different approach.

I currently own around 200 puzzles including the 24,000 Educa Life puzzle. I cannot wait to start that one (planning on starting in April).

In addition to my puzzle pictures and videos, you may see an occasional dog appearance (we have 4). My youngest, a maltese named Ari, likes to get on my puzzle table and “help” – which in his case is just laying on the table. And my corgi, Beau, is infamous for eating puzzle pieces. I have tried to tell him numerous time that puzzles are not treats, but alas he disagrees. There is also a 17-year-old beagle, named Sweeney, who we inherited after my grandparents passed away a couple years ago. No one thought she would have the will to live without my grandma, but she’s doing really great for such an old dog. Then there’s Zita, the maltipoo and alpha. This sassy little girl like to bring me her toys to play fetch while I am working on a puzzle.

I also love audiobooks. My favorite genre is mystery/thriller, but I listen to all types of books. And I LOVE to listen to them when I am working on a puzzle. It is just another way to engage more of my senses. Multi-taskers unite! (Pro tip: check your local public library! Many subscribe to services that allow you to borrow audiobooks for free. The most popular services are Overdrive/Libby, Hoopla, and cloudLibrary).

My husband and I got married on August 2, 2019, and moved into our newly purchased home on November 15, 2019. Then the unthinkable happened. On March 28, 2020, shortly after the pandemic causes many places to close our house was hit by an EF3 tornado. We were home when it happened – took shelter in the bathroom. This was a pretty significant storm. The tornado was on the ground for 12.5 miles and went through the middle of town. Our subdivision was hit hard. We lost our house and have been living in an Airbnb while we rebuild. They say the first year of marriage is tough, but ours has really been a doozy! I wouldn’t want to be going through this with anyone else.

our house before and after tornado hit it

I am a member of the USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association, a contributing reviewer for the popular Jigsaw Junkies blog, and a Wentworth Ambassador. I do share (nearly) daily on Instagram (@bizzlespuzzles), but you may also see me on YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and in some Facebook puzzle groups.

I wanted a space where I could write more about what puzzles I love along with tips and recommendations. So here I am! And I am so happy you are here.