New Puzzle

[Carter-Johnson]

Hi folks.....It's been awhile since I posted a puzzle to this forum and I just finished one that I'm especially happy with. Called "In My Room", it's a great picture from a calendar by the artist Kim Jacobs. I found many on her 2006 calendar that I can use.

The room in the picture would be the fantasy of every little girl. It's also a fantasy for my kind of puzzler cutting, with lots and lots of images to cut out. You can see the cuts from the front posted here and the back which I'll put with my very next post.

This puzzle, by the way, is 330 pieces on 3-ply poplar. Great fun to cut - and I hope to assemble.

Give the freehand style of cutting puzzles a try for Christmas. I'm happy to help in any way I can.

Carter

[Carter-Johnson]

And here is the back. I hope the cuts show up. This was a sheer joy to cut. For the record, it only took a total of about 4 1/2 hours.

[wwalker47]

Carter-

That's a great looking puzzle. Glad you posted the back even tho the front is good to see the back is where you really get the feel of the cuts.

-Bill

[Greenfield_Bob]

Carter,
The puzzle looks great as all your puzzles do.
I was wondering, do you know how many puzzles you have made over the years?
Thanks for showing us the pictures.

Bob

[sheltiecarver]

Nifty puzzle (again!) Carter.
I'm guessing that you don't worry about copyright infringement since your puzzles are mostly gifts, right?
I had considered trying to do some and sell them, and then realized that unless it was my artwork or photo, or it was in the public domain, I would be asking for all sorts of Trouble.
I plan to try it out, though, for the really special cards I send (luckily, only a few!)
Thanks once again for your thoughtfulness in showing us your work, front and back, and so freely offering to help us.
Sandy

[Gill]

Another very impressive piece of work, Carter. I love the way that you've made the edges of the jigsaw wavy.

Did you set out to cut 330 pieces at the outset? Somehow, my jigsaws seem to produce a random number of pieces .

Gill

[Carter-Johnson]

I began cutting jigsaw puzzles in 1992 and my list now comes to around 470 (not counting Christmas cards). The vast majority of those are full-size puzzles ranging from roughly 250 to 450 pieces. I've given many away over the years and some have fallen into disrepair, but I'm starting to fill my 12th big plastic bin in our basement. I have over 300 on hand of which, at any given time, 30 or more are out on free loan to friends whose families enjoy putting them together. (I keep quite a spread sheet of where they all are and who has done them.)

I have sold a few of my little stamp puzzles but have never sold any that have been made from artist's pictures (primarily from calendars). I do not plan to do so and one of the reasons is that copyright laws would come into play. I have some friends who have made a profession out of cutting puzzles and they always pay pre-arranged copyright fees to the artists when they make and sell one of their works.

I don't pre-plan the number of pieces a completed puzzle will have. I actually thought "In My Room" would have close to 400 pieces, but it turned out to be a good deal less. When I've finished cutting a puzzle's pieces, it is together. I then separate and count the pieces and record it in a journal and my spreadsheet. I put the pieces in a labelled gallon zip-lock bag along with a 3" x 4" photo of the picture, taken before I started cutting.

Hope this answers your questions....Keep 'em coming.

Carter

[3_M]

Hi Carter,

It is just amazing the way you make your puzzles. When I take hold of a corner and move it, the puzzle does not come apart. That is so amazing and all done free hand. I will always be grateful to have received some of your puzzles.
I hope that Fox Chapel will do a nice write up about you and the puzzles.

Mike M

[Little flower]

As always, beautiful work. I love the picture as it gives good clean lines to cut around. Well done, Carter.