The print for this custom wooden jigsaw puzzle was provided by the customer. As I was interested in how the print was made, I found out that the customer used a service bureau with access to a "light jet" type printer which, like an inverse scanner, exposes photo film in a beaming process. I have now adopted this technology for some other large puzzles, my first being #286.

This puzzle received its title from five overlapping heart figurals, which are located over the three children in the lower right (very hard to see any of the hearts in the picture).

Some of the word pieces turned out to be very delicate, particularly the word pieces with lower case "s" letters. The customer reported than one of the very delicate pieces which fit into a lower case "s" cracked. I've since taken steps to make sure the letters are large enough to avoid this problem in the future.

As it happened (from my Journal archives)

April 30, 2002

10:00 pm - I cut about half of #254 today, will finish it tomorrow, going well. Will have about 300 Flow Curl pieces, has about five eggs so far. Also has some very difficult to cut word pieces. I have decided that Flow Curl will remain a "retired" cutting style, although I will cut it if specifically requested. [Edit: I use "flow cutting" principles much more often now in my Swirl Curl style, and of course in my Creative Style].

May 1, 2002

10:26 pm - Completed #254, tentatively titled Hearts of Love. Flow Curl, about 300 pieces, including about 10 eggs, will have counts, clean, ship etc. tomorrow.

May 2, 2002

5:15 pm - Puzzle #254, Hearts of Love, shipped. 308 pieces, Flow Curl, 11 regular eggs.