Tomato Salad Puzzle

[Carter-Johnson]

Hello again, scrollers....

Here's a puzzle I just finished. It's a little bit bigger than many of my others at 12" x 14" and has slightly bigger pieces: total: 369. I predict it will be quite a baffler with all of the red images. The picture is from a culinary calendar and the wood is 5-ply poplar. I've tried to make the line cuts visible by sharpening the image as much as I could, for the front on this post and the back on the next.

Have phun..............Carter

[Carter-Johnson]

[CanadianScroller]

You really are a twisted individual I love it!

[wwalker47]

Wow

Carter, you are the man! That puzzle is amazing...but who will put it together?

-Bill

[SharonW0111]

I LOVE IT !!!!!!! I bought some jigsaw blades from mike but havent gotten to use them on a jigsaw as yet but I am dying to try -- just amazes me at the talent you have.. Keep on jigging and amazing us --
Sharon

[Greenfield_Bob]

Great looking puzzle Carter.
Thanks for the pictures.

Bob

[Gill]

Marvellous!

I love seeing your work, Carter.

Gill

[Blade Man]

Carter

That looks like it would be a real mind bender to put together. I call the wife over, and asked if I should make one like this for her. As she turned to walk away her only comment was "oh god". She has no sence of adventure.

Very nice job.

[Carter-Johnson]

Hey, gang, thanks for the nice comments. They make it all worthwhile.

Bill asked in his post:...."who will put it together?"

Over the past 12 years I have cut a total of 472 puzzles, roughly 300 of which I still retain. My wife puts every one together and "Tomato Salad" is on the kitchen table right now. There are two other people, my barber of 30 years and another good friend, who also have put every one together.

Then there are about ten families around the country who enjoy them and who "borrow" 3 to 5 at a time and keep them a couple months or so. At any given moment, about 30 are out. In total, these people have put those 300 puzzles together more than 1600 times! One puzzle has successfully survived 15 assemblies.

One of my favorite borrowers is a woman and her husband in their '60's. I see her every four weeks and loan her five puzzles at a time. When she returns them four weeks later, each of them has been put together by only the two of them three or more times. (Yes, I too wonder what else they do with their time.....they both have full-time jobs).

So I don't sell my puzzles, but I sure get a nice return out of them.....

Carter

[Gill]

I'm finding it rather difficult to cut jigsaws that I'm happy with, but just before Christmas I made one from a Christmas card that seemed okay. I gave it to my other half's son and his partner when we got together for Christmas, together with a copy of the card that hadn't been cut. The look of surprised delight on their faces will live with me for many years to come .

Thank you, Carter, for giving me the inspiration and encouragement to make free-style jigsaws. I've picked up some more Christmas cards in the January sales and I'm going to make more; I might even give some away if they're good enough.

Gill

[wwalker47]

Gill-

Let's see what you have done--come on and share. I've cut some puzzles (up in the scroller galleries), but only stand-up and not as complicated as Carter's.

-Bill

[William Young (SE BC)]

Hi Carter;
You certainly do some amazing puzzle cutting. Kinda mind boggling how you can do all those interlocking freehand pieces . You're a pro.
I recently got some puzzle blades along with a bunch of other style blades and I am getting anxious to try my hand at my first freehand puzzle . Gotta catch up with some other stuff I'm working on first.
If it turns out at all recognizeable I will probably post a picture so everyone can have a big ol' laugh at my first attempt.
W.Y.

[jttheclockman]

Carter

You are the puzzleman!!!!!!!!!!! You are the guru. Very nicely done. It is amazing how you can free lance your cuttings and make it look like a machine cut. Hats off to you sir.