I’m sure you’re familiar with the African proverb that begins, “It takes a village…” Well, the same applies here at Stave Puzzles. We aren’t raising children, but it still takes each and every one of us to create the magic. From Susan, who procures the amazing artwork we use, to Channa out in Shipping and everyone in-between, we work as a team and rely heavily on each other. We recently welcomed some new faces to the shop and we would love it if you would take a few minutes to get to know them. I think you’ll really like them. We sure do!
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Category: Piece of Mind by Jennifer
The Pressure is ON
It really is. Seriously, you gotta do it now. No procrastinating. No waiting for a quiet afternoon. No twiddling your thumbs and no dilly-dallying. If you want to make someone’s holiday really, really special, then you must choose their puzzles now. Not on December 1st, not the day after Thanksgiving and maybe not even on Halloween. If you wait until then, you may not have their puzzles in hand to place under the tree. You may have to wait for delivery in January. Yikes!
A Little Puzzling Etiquette
Have you ever wished you could have a complete ‘do-over’? Well, that’s how I feel right now. I want to go back to last weekend when we hosted our annual puzzling weekend at The Point, in Saranac, NY. We spent the entire weekend surrounded by the beautiful Adirondack mountains and shimmering waters of Upper Saranac Lake while enjoying the gracious hospitality, fabulous food and wine, and amazing views of one of the most memorable places you could ever visit.
Precious Moments
Sometimes we need a little something to remind us of what’s really important in our lives. Is it having a spotless house or taking an amazing vacation? Losing the extra 10 pounds you’ve been hanging onto?
That Old Puzzle Magic
Whenever I meet new people and they ask what I do for work I always get the “You do WHAT?” reaction. I get it. Have you ever heard a kid say they want to be a puzzle cutter when they grow up? Me either. I didn’t even know I wanted to be a puzzle cutter until that first time I sat at the saw. It’s so cool!
Feel The Magic
As puzzle crafters, there are times when we feel a special connection to the puzzles we are cutting. We may be drawn to the subject matter, the colors in the image, or maybe it’s the custom silhouettes you’ve asked to have cut into it. No matter the reason, there are some we really feel a connection to. It’s as if there’s some sort of magic that slips from our fingertips, is absorbed into the puzzle, and then comes back to us.
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Checking It Once, Checking It Twice
We have lots of quality checkpoints for our puzzles during the crafting process. I won’t bore you with the details of every step, but to give you an idea of the care we take, here’s a quick synopsis of the process.
Time With Friends
Can you believe the sun is already leaving us earlier each day? Summer is going by much too fast for me. I feel like I’ve barely had a chance to get out and enjoy it. I know, I know. I have to make it a priority. And I will. Next year.
A Magnificent Collection
As I was getting ready for work this morning, I listened to the news report about the auction of Peggy and David Rockefeller’s coveted art collection. The sale at Christie’s auction house in New York City brought in a record-setting $646 million. Wowza!! Sure makes me wish I had spent more time in the art room when I was in school!
Make It a Great Day!
I’ve just returned from our 13th annual puzzling weekend at Blackberry Farm and boy, did we have a blast!! If you haven’t heard about Blackberry Farm, it’s a beautiful luxury hotel situated on a 4200-acre estate in the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s the perfect place to escape the modern day frenzy we sometimes find ourselves in. Blackberry Farm wants their guests to get in the “Blackberry state of mind”– to relax, slowdown, unplug and unwind. And believe me, you will! I think my blood pressure starts going down as soon as I see the first white fence on Blackberry’s property. We had our largest group ever this year, with 36 guests. Many in the group are dedicated fans, some having come to every puzzling event at Blackberry Farm. We were joined by some new puzzlers, too. Once again, at the end of the weekend it felt like we’d known each other for years. One of the regulars likes to describe the event as “It’s the family reunion with people you like.” And that’s the truth. We all look forward to seeing each other every February.