As it happened (from my Journal archives)

June 24, 2006

Saturday 6:30 pm - The next 100 Puzzles Project puzzle will be Tiger, from "The Enchanted Jungle" series. I have already made the Koala Bear from the From The Enchanted Jungle series (was #52 in the 100 Puzzles Project - puzzle #664 overall) and the Zebra (puzzle #318, made in September 2002) from this series and still have the Lion to do sometime in the future. Tiger will be cut in Long Round with around 300 pieces. See K - Chin Mass Produced Lithos for a picture of the set.

June 25, 2006

Sunday 12:04 pm - Mounted puzzle #671 Tiger and printed and mounted #672 Love in Las Vegas. I've put off cutting until tomorrow as I will be focusing on the K. Chin photography today.

June 26, 2006

Monday 7:54 pm - In an all day marathon I cut #671, Tiger, today. I don't know what my record is for doing a puzzle in one day in terms of pieces, but this one must be pretty close to it. Tiger has around 350 pieces, I will have the final piece count before I start the auction. I'm guessing my record must be around 400 pieces. Anyway the puzzle came out well. I'll launch the auction this Wednesday.

I cut the puzzle using 5-ply Finland Birch, I normally use a slightly thinner 4-ply.

Very hot today, well up in the 90's outside my shop and got up to 102 inside my shop before I opened a section in the wall and got another fan going. Cooled off nicely in the afternoon.

June 27, 2006

Tuesday 3:09pm - I'm still planning to launch the auction for Tiger tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll resume work on the K. Chin photography and expect to make a decision about the July eBay puzzle. I plan to cut the July puzzle within a week and launch the auction shortly after the June auction is completed.

Lot of record high temperatures inland yesterday, this morning a local thunderstorm, very rare for June, and again now very hot. June is shaping up to be one of the hottest in San Diego history.

June 28, 2006

Wednesday 1:51 pm - Due to time constraints, the Tiger puzzle auction has been pushed back to tomorrow afternoon.

June 29, 2006

Thursday 5:47 pm - Auction #55 launched. Final piece count for the puzzle, 357 pieces. I expect to get back to my K. Chin Gallery expansion project within the next day or so.

From the auction description:

This puzzle features a print by the late K. Chin, an artist I frequently feature in the Project. The name "Tiger" is my name, the print did not have a name. The print was one of four mass produced K. Chin prints in The Enchanted Jungle series published by Donald Art Co. in 1973. I obtained my copy of the Tiger print, shrink wrapped in pristine condition, from K. Chin's sons.

This puzzle is cut in my Long Round style and includes my standard signature piece (signed, dated and numbered on the back) and a second piece (the Turtle figural) marked on the back indicating the puzzle belongs to the 100 Puzzles Project. There is no color line cutting in this puzzle, except for a little bit around the eyes of the Tiger.

The origin of my Long Round cutting style was inspired by the cutting style in a Madmar puzzle I once owned. This puzzle has 357 pieces, cut a bit more densely than the previous K. Chin puzzle offered in the project (was the same size but with 299 pieces). Note: I cut my jigsaw puzzles using a scroll saw, hand guiding the wood into the blade, this is not a laser or water jet cut puzzle.

Note for K. Chin fans: I am currently in the early stages of greatly expanding the K. Chin section of the Custom Puzzle Craft website and will unveil it within the next couple weeks.