Puzzle 438 - Lullaby By Custom Puzzle Craft

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Puzzle #438 - Lullaby
Source image © 2003 Molly McCraken
Painting later destroyed

Puzzle #438 - detail

Puzzle #438 - Some Creative pieces

As it happened (from my Journal archives)

May 24, 2003

9:59 pm, revised 10:15 pm - Not much activity today. I cut about two dozen creative pieces for the art project I mentioned yesterday. When the "model tree" is completed by Bob Archer, a member of Mixed Media, I'll post a picture here.

I've decided that the May eBay puzzle will be an image by local artist Molly McCraken. Quite some time ago I obtained the puzzle rights to three of her paintings. I also purchased one of the three paintings, and will be featuring the image for this painting this month, "Lullaby". I've posted a preliminary announcement with picture in the Auction section. Eventually I'll make a puzzle from a second image; the third is in doubt due to some problems with the digital image I have - and the original painting is no longer available as it has been sold. Like Renée Tay, Molly McCraken has closed the door to further image rights.

May 26, 2003

8:57 pm - Yesterday at Mixed Media, the location where I have my puzzle shop, members and guests held a barbecue, with two grills running - and I had a very contented stomach by the end of the day! I also showed off my website for about an hour to several visitors.

Today I cut #438, Lullaby, this month's eBay puzzle. About 8" x 10 1/2" with about 200 pieces, Creative style. I tried a new archival paper with this puzzle. This paper is like the matte paper I've been using, but is a little smoother. I'm very happy with the results, it cuts cleanly and importantly does not have the "micro white tips" I occasionally get with the matte, nor any of the lifts I have had to deal with when using coated papers. The puzzle has one draw back, in that there are few chip-outs on the back. I used my regular 3/16" wood and regular blades, so the reason why this puzzle has a few and many others do not, is one of the mysteries of puzzle making. The density of the Creative pieces in this puzzle is about as dense as I cut Creative - there are some nice pieces, but the puzzle is not spectacular. I consider the bigger piece Creative cut in The Artist's Studio to be "spectacular". I'm currently planning to start the auction on Wednesday afternoon. The puzzle is cut with interlocking edges, no color line cutting, and one figural, The Observer, who didn't have much to say, in fact fell asleep while I was cutting the puzzle! I'll post a couple other pictures when I update the Auction section tomorrow or early Wednesday.