Mega Puzzles The Saturday Evening Post "Time to Eat"

"Time to Eat" marks the second from The Saturday Evening Post series that I've completed.  This 2013 puzzle has a distinctive 1970s theme in its design.  So much fun to go back in time!  I have the perfect foodie recipient to whom to gift this puzzle, so I glued it when complete and will be looking for a frame. 

This is also the first puzzle I completed since losing my little Caitie to an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting four weeks ago.  I'm so glad I have the photos documented with her for this blog.  She was my little companion who would sit on my foot while I worked on a puzzle, and sometimes snuggle in my arms as I puzzled. 

Postscript:  I had this puzzle framed and gifted it to a friend who works for a large produce company.  It was a great way to thank him for regularly inviting me to foodie events and cookbook author presentations.  

Callie modeled the framing job.  Too often, puzzles are not finished in standard sizes, so that they must be custom framed.  To save money, I buy a standard frame bigger than the puzzle, then have a custom mat cut so that the puzzle will fit the frame.  I think this one came out great, but even with this tactic, it was still expensive to finish.

Fire Station Donation

In early July, I did a puzzle that I framed for donation to my local fire station.  "Hero's Helpers" was a cluster of dogs in fire gear and paraphernalia, so it seemed only fitting.  Today I went back to LAFD Station No. 60 in North Hollywood to see how and where they were using it.  

The puzzle was placed atop a shelving unit in the fire station's kitchen.  It's hard to see the full picture, but it is being utilized, and it's in a public area in the station.  My thought was that kids who tour the fire station would find it fun and colorful, so the fact that it's somewhere general public may sometimes see it is great to me.  

The fire personnel were welcoming to me when I went to donate, and when I went back to take a picture of it.  And, the station I chose is in my neighborhood, so I'm glad I can contribute to my own local community.  It's a small thing, but I hope I make someone smile.

Cobble Hill "Drifting Off"

 Cobble Hill's "Drifting Off" is near to my heart as I loved books as a child.  This sweet image is one of my favorite puzzles I've completed, and I thought it is perfect for a library.  So I'm framing this to donate to my local public library, if they'd like it.  But my photos seem to take better without the glare of glass from a frame, so I took a couple pictures after gluing the back with Mod Podge.  An easy 500pc puzzle, this one only took me a weekend to complete.  I love the quality of Cobble Hill and have collected several more.  Can't wait to see this hanging up!

Masterpieces "Hero's Helpers" by Jenny Newland

I couldn't find a more fitting puzzle to do over the 4th of July holiday than this one, honoring fire dogs.  It was bought from a puzzle club in Orange County, so I assumed it to be complete.  When I found that to be the case, I knew it had to be glued and framed to donate to my local fire station.  Stay tuned for pictures of the donation and where it gets placed.

As I am learning how best to glue and frame puzzles, the lesson I took from this one was that I only mod-podged the back of the puzzle, so that it would stay together.  If the front is glued and it is not hung in a temperature controlled area, the glue can melt to the front in places, giving the illusion of a "bubble" inside the glass.  

I'm hoping kids who tour the firehouse will have fun with this artwork.