HappyerAtHome: puzzling

i've done more puzzles since i began doing them late last year. i eventually had to move inside, as it became too cold (even for me) in the sunroom.

jigsaw puzzles are curious things, and assembling them tells me something about myself. i like to search for edge pieces and put together the border first. i generally prefer square-shaped pieces with innies and outies. i like pieces that have smooth, clean edges, and that are sturdier than cardstock or sheet cardboard so that the outies don't bend or tear off as they rub against other pieces. i like slightly shiny/glossy surfaces where the image is displayed, and it makes me smile when the backsides are colored in deep hues or blue or green or purple. i like larger-sized pieces that are easier to handle. i dislike puzzle dust.

as the puzzles increased in number of pieces, so did the dimensions, to the point that i had to shift puzzle assembly to different surfaces that could accommodate the border length and width. and that changed how i sorted through pieces. i remember dumping entire boxes onto a table, flipping over each and every piece to have top-side-up, and then starting with edge pieces. for the most recent puzzles, though, it's been unexpectedly pleasurable to rifle my fingers through the pieces while they are still in the box. it's an entirely different experience to have pieces catch my eye, which prompts me to pick them up and see if i can place them.

and, i am using the puzzle box photo on the lid less and less often, preferring to see how the images develop as more pieces are put in place.

i'm looking forward to starting another puzzle soon, though i am taking a break to work on some projects, like posting here on my blog. fortunately, i think there will be another local puzzle swap/sale soon so i can get more goodies very inexpensively.