Finding Both Solutions Thingamajigsaw 83pc Black Cat Magic PEPE 2012 35
Thingamajigsaw 83pc Black Cat Magic, 2-Solution Puzzle
Top Left:
Before tackling this jigsaw I was aware that the circular jigsaw had two solutions and that it involved capturing the mouse and movement in the cat's body. I thought the best approach was to start with the cat - and let chance choose the first endpoint. Chance led to 'capture', and I went on to build around the whimsies and tackle the edge. It took me a while to spot the ears in the witches hat!
Centre Top:
At this point it was clear that the edge portion was too large for the gap, and yet things seemed to fit and match because of the stack-cutting! I was probably building two solutions in the different halves!
Top Right:
After backtracking & playing around I found the endpoint, here shown with the last four pieces ready to go in.
Lower Right:
Calling David to find the other path, he immediately flipped it to remove the distractions of the image - it was clear that this was the second endpoint and not the one cut, since the grain didn't match. You can trace some stack-cut lines. David began pulling out pieces stepwise, but he went too far as I pointed out that both whimsies only had unique surrounding pieces. Andrea's signature piece is a 'running man jigsaw piece'.
Lower Centre:
I knew that we had to open up the cat's posture and decided the key was in remaking the cat's centre and swapping the concave belly (with the mouse) with the convex back. This created a 'lordosis' (word familiar to those who have ever had back problems) and a paunch. This photo shows the first cat solution ready to come together.
Lower Left:
The first solution with the mouse loose. Flipping this gave the correct grain pattern, beautifully glowing and polished.
This jigsaw was designed by Andrea Farnham of Thingamajigsaw Puzzles for the 2012 Pagey Elliott Puzzle Exchange, held at Salem Puzzle Parley. We have a copy in the BCD Lending Box. Andrea started as an apprentice cutter at Stave in 1988, became a designer for them and designing largely replaced her cutting in 1996. In 2003 she left Stave to start Thingamajigsaw Puzzles. John Stokes III review of the puzzles of the 2012 PEPE quotes Andrea as saying "it is a two-way puzzle and not super tricky".
www.custompuzzlecraft.com/PuzzleMakers/2012puzzleexchange...
The jigsaw uses internal stack-cutting (or double-cutting) to cut a jigsaw structure like a pie, with four segments that need to be rearranged to interchange the cat's hollow back with its rounded stomach, and rotate its hips anticlockwise towards its front paws. The changes in colour in the coiled rope rug disguise the shenanigans very effectively.
Andrea said, ""I did do the artwork myself. I sketched it roughly first, then used lots of tracing paper to make small adjustments until it worked well enough both ways. The final tracing was transferred to pastel paper and I used pastels to color it. This was the first puzzle I have done with pastels and I really liked using them. Previously I had used acrylic paint. I scanned the completed pastel drawing and did some touch up with my Gimp program, then printed on my Epson printer. I use the Epson Luster paper and the laminate is Drytac mattex. It is applied in a drymount press at the same time the print is mounted. The (cherry veneer backed) wood is custom-made by Jerome Hediger, who makes plywood for Aircraft Spruce."
Finding Both Solutions Thingamajigsaw 83pc Black Cat Magic PEPE 2012 35
Thingamajigsaw 83pc Black Cat Magic, 2-Solution Puzzle
Top Left:
Before tackling this jigsaw I was aware that the circular jigsaw had two solutions and that it involved capturing the mouse and movement in the cat's body. I thought the best approach was to start with the cat - and let chance choose the first endpoint. Chance led to 'capture', and I went on to build around the whimsies and tackle the edge. It took me a while to spot the ears in the witches hat!
Centre Top:
At this point it was clear that the edge portion was too large for the gap, and yet things seemed to fit and match because of the stack-cutting! I was probably building two solutions in the different halves!
Top Right:
After backtracking & playing around I found the endpoint, here shown with the last four pieces ready to go in.
Lower Right:
Calling David to find the other path, he immediately flipped it to remove the distractions of the image - it was clear that this was the second endpoint and not the one cut, since the grain didn't match. You can trace some stack-cut lines. David began pulling out pieces stepwise, but he went too far as I pointed out that both whimsies only had unique surrounding pieces. Andrea's signature piece is a 'running man jigsaw piece'.
Lower Centre:
I knew that we had to open up the cat's posture and decided the key was in remaking the cat's centre and swapping the concave belly (with the mouse) with the convex back. This created a 'lordosis' (word familiar to those who have ever had back problems) and a paunch. This photo shows the first cat solution ready to come together.
Lower Left:
The first solution with the mouse loose. Flipping this gave the correct grain pattern, beautifully glowing and polished.
This jigsaw was designed by Andrea Farnham of Thingamajigsaw Puzzles for the 2012 Pagey Elliott Puzzle Exchange, held at Salem Puzzle Parley. We have a copy in the BCD Lending Box. Andrea started as an apprentice cutter at Stave in 1988, became a designer for them and designing largely replaced her cutting in 1996. In 2003 she left Stave to start Thingamajigsaw Puzzles. John Stokes III review of the puzzles of the 2012 PEPE quotes Andrea as saying "it is a two-way puzzle and not super tricky".
www.custompuzzlecraft.com/PuzzleMakers/2012puzzleexchange...
The jigsaw uses internal stack-cutting (or double-cutting) to cut a jigsaw structure like a pie, with four segments that need to be rearranged to interchange the cat's hollow back with its rounded stomach, and rotate its hips anticlockwise towards its front paws. The changes in colour in the coiled rope rug disguise the shenanigans very effectively.
Andrea said, ""I did do the artwork myself. I sketched it roughly first, then used lots of tracing paper to make small adjustments until it worked well enough both ways. The final tracing was transferred to pastel paper and I used pastels to color it. This was the first puzzle I have done with pastels and I really liked using them. Previously I had used acrylic paint. I scanned the completed pastel drawing and did some touch up with my Gimp program, then printed on my Epson printer. I use the Epson Luster paper and the laminate is Drytac mattex. It is applied in a drymount press at the same time the print is mounted. The (cherry veneer backed) wood is custom-made by Jerome Hediger, who makes plywood for Aircraft Spruce."