Any other puzzlers out there?

[Float On]

I've always liked puzzles but go through stages on actually buying them and doing them. I don't like to re-do one I've already done and don't like to save them. I can work on one for weeks and as soon as it's done I can barely let a day go by before I put it back in the box and pass it on to someone else.
I do little ones on the computer a lot when I'm waiting for something to do at work. http://www.thejigsawpuzzles.com has a lot of themes and I get kind of hung up on trying to do all in one category, like bridges. They also have a daily challenge. And I like that you can change the count size for each puzzle.

[CathyA]

Pony Mom.........I had that problem with my last puzzle......it all fit together, but one side was longer than the other. Finally discovered that one of the pieces was in the wrong place. It fit almost perfectly in the wrong place, so I could hardly notice it. It was driving me nuts, so I'm glad I figured it out. So now, I always check and make sure that every piece fits together perfectly and doesn't have the slightest space in it.
The puzzle I'm working on now is even......but I just found a frame piece. Not sure what that will mean!
What's so hard about this puzzle is that different areas around the entire (large) puzzle have extremely similar colors.....and that confuses me. Plus, there are tiny tree branches through the whole thing. I thought the main subject (an owl) would be easy.......but it has feather colors that go in all different directions. I'm trying to go by shape.......but so often, something "should" fit, but doesn't. What's funny though is many times I pick a piece up and say "This isn't going to work".......and it fits!
So now I try to say that with every piece. hahaha

[pony mom]

It's always a big "Ta DAAA!" moment when I get the right piece.

[CathyA]

It's always a big "Ta DAAA!" moment when I get the right piece.

haha.......me too pony mom. It's a big loud "Whoot! Whoot!"

I was looking at PuzzleWarehouse's website and just saw a puzzle with 33,600 pieces in it!! Others were 6,000-9,000. I'm struggling with just 1,000! One person said he works on the bigger ones over several winters. That would drive me crazy, for sure!

[happystuff]

Wow happystuff! I'm having a really hard time with this 1000 piece puzzle. It has sooooo many similar colors. Was the 2000 piece one really hard? I find them much easier when there is a lot of color.
My last one is glued and framed and I will glue and frame this one. They are really nice images of wildlife by my favorite wildlife artist. I think it's really good for the brain to do these. (Although I'm still as forgetful as ever. haha)

Actually it was easier than I thought it would be, although still had some tough parts. It is the first puzzle I ever completed where I did the outside edge last! LOL.

I find the picture is usually what ends up making a puzzle easy or hard, not so much how many pieces. Although wading through all those pieces for the right ones takes more time - lol.

I actually do whatever puzzles I end up getting, either from friends, as gifts or cheap from thrift store, etc. For a while my bil was giving me puzzles of famous paintings as Christmas gifts.

[CathyA]

Finished my puzzles. I still have more to go, but I'm taking a break. They do seem to take over my life until they are done.

These are the 3 big ones I did recently. The owl one was extremely difficult. The Moose one was fun. The heron one was pretty hard too......but not nearly as difficult as the owl one. Fortunately, none of the pieces were missing at the end. I glued them and put them in frames. Now what to do with them? I might have to add on a puzzle room. haha

These are all images painted by Robert Bateman.
I think my next one won't be a Bateman, but still cool..........It's of a family of barn owls.

Try to ignore my 44 year old orange/brown carpet! I think that's why I scored so low on the quiz that someone posted recently.. hahaha

[CathyA]

I'm bumping this 'cause I don't think it showed up on "new posts".

[pony mom]

CathyA, those are great. I have two Robert Bateman books loaded with his art that I bought cheap at a book warehouse years ago. Luckily they made the "Keep" pile when i decluttered.

I can't imagine doing a puzzle that had more than 1000 pieces. Where would you put it all? I have one of those puzzle storage things---it has drawers under the working part and a cover that slides over it. It claims that you can easily carry it by the handle and not disturb the puzzle, but they lie. All the pieces just slide to the bottom edge. Even that doesn't hold all of 1000 pieces and I have to use the box to keep some in until I assemble some of the puzzle.

[JaneV2.0]

Good work, Cathy! Keeps the mind and fingers nimble.

[CathyA]

Haven't done any puzzles lately. I discovered that even sitting on a big pillow on the chair, it makes my legs ache so bad. (I'm getting that checked out now). Anyhow.....I do miss doing puzzles, but I've gotten lots of things done around the house now! haha I get a little addicted to them when I'm working on them and don't get much else done. My only problem now is figuring what to do with them all.

These are the last 3 I did. They aren't Bateman's and are only 300 pieces...but 300 is a good size to not get frustrated.